Makoto Textbook v1.7 for Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike by Thomas Shin (arlieth@west.net) Comments and help are appreciated. ^_^ Disclaimer: This FAQ can not be duplicated in part or in whole without expressed permission from the author. Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike, and all characters related are the property of Capcom of Japan. The writer of this FAQ is not responsible for damages due to faulty hustling, damages from frustrated players, or brain damage. Read this at your own risk. This FAQ is Copyright Thomas Shin/Arlieth Tralare 2000,2001,2002 -End Disclaimer- :Contents: 1- Introduction 2- Quick Guide 3- Basics 4- Techniques 5- Super Arts 6- Combos 7- Tactics 8- The Leftovers - = [ r e v i s i o n h i s t o r y ] = - 08/15/02 v1.7: New stuff with the Tanden Renki. Also, mentioning her throw invincibility glitch. In the next versions, I'll examine what moves can be 'dodged' with the Tanden Renki to be able to retaliate with her DP+P (Fukiage) for maximum punishment. I'll also finish revising to the goddamn Vs. section. v1.6: The "STOP WRITING EVERYTHING IN JAPANESE!" edition. Alternate names (like axe kick or karate chop) or the command (DP+P) have been added to most mentions of the Japanese move name. 01/01/02 v1.5: Well, what do you know. Revised vs. Tactics and Abare Tosanami section. New note about the Hayate- Very important if you were wondering why it doesn't always juggle correctly! Also, special Fukiage stuff found! Complete accident on how I found this stuff out. Oh yeah. If you've ever wondered why I bother to spell out 'Roundhouse' completely instead of 'HK' and so forth, it's because it's a whole lot easier for me to look at the length of the word on a chart. If I'm REALLY bored and after I've played around with the new Fukiage info I researched, I'll update the vs. Strats. I promise. *cough* 09/17/01 v1.4: Working on the Ibuki FAQ reminded me that I wasn't quite finished with this one yet. New combos. Also put the third phase of her Taunt in- it reduces stun. 04/11/01 v1.3: Okay! This may be old news to some, but I'm putting in her kara-cancelled Karakusa info, AS WELL AS a tactic to use with her Hayate fake-out. Also, I'm revising the Versus strategies a bit, as I've played more people and learned new things. Kara-kara will be covered under the Karakusa's section. 01/01/01 v1.2: Happy New Year! ^_^ Finally got to play a good Ibuki. Also got my hands on a Dreamcast so I can screw around with some stuff. Also: New/Revised Abare Tosanami tactics. Took out a really impractical followup, revised one, and added a variation from Japan. Attention: If you have the Import version of 3s, check the leftovers! I've got something special for you guys. Misc: Taunt effects (very powerful), Combo info 10/03/00 v1.1: Fixed some errors and the messed up line wrap. Also did a little research and stuff. Same types of changes made from the Yang faq, for format. 06/11/00 v1.0: I've completed the vs. Tactics (at least a prelim version), and added some new things regarding the Abare Tosanami Kudaki, thanks to Andrew Ward. Also updated things here and there, like the Karakusa. Figured out a new followup for the Abare Tosanami while under the influence of coffee and Pocky. It's likely that I won't update this FAQ for a while after this version. 04/20/00 v0.9: A little late, but I don't see another SF game being made for a while. =P Main series, anyhow. Well, enjoy. (I still have to finish the vs. Tactics as well...) 04/10/00 v0.1: Well, sheesh. =P Not much to be said. ^_^ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 1-:Introduction: -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Makoto is the daughter of a man known only as Rindo, who owned a dojo. Apparently some ill fate befell him, and it is up to Makoto to keep the Dojo up and running. However, it has become rather unpopular of late (too poor to make flyers, heh), and Makoto sets off to restore her father's dojo to it's former glory. (Her REAL motives are explained later...) Her fighting style seems to be pure Karate (Empty Hand). She also seems to be rivals with the ninja Ibuki. Of course, you have to take into account that Ibuki's a fashionable school-girl with a life *coughcough* and Makoto's favorite hobbies probably include a sadistic penchant for beating people up, sweeping her dojo's floor, and beating people up some more. (Half of her attacks aim for the crotch...) I'm telling ya, Makoto's here to kick ass and take names because she likes it. =P That scarf of hers was given to her by Rindo when she was little. It's a cute touch, especially when she gets electrocuted- the scarf resembles Pikachu's zig-zagged tail. Also, the only cheesecake for this female fighter happens to be her bra. Sakura ain't here, you perverts. ^_- Anyhow, down to the nitty-gritty. Makoto's got a good mix of speed and power. Unfortunately, she's got some bad recovery on her moves, but to offset this, she has incredible priority. She's someone who you want to keep a full offense with, using grab and poke mixup tactics (as opposed to footsie and high/low mixups). She also has some great fake-out/delay attacks to make your victim's head spin. In addition to that, she's got an incredibly effective dash, and can inflict some disgusting stun damage. Use her well, and you shall piss many off, Grasshoppah. She plays somewhat similar to Alex, in that she will utilize her grapples as well as move in quickly for some heavy-hitting combos. Likewise, she has his stun game as well. Unfortunately, it is more difficult for her to turn the tables against a highly offensive opponent, due to the fact that none of her attacks can be used as an all-purpose wakeup. The only defense you can reliably fall back on is her priority, so take care if you're lagging behind. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 2-:Quick-Guide: -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Stuff you should know in a nutshell. Far Anti-Air: C.Roundhouse, C.Forward, Forward, EX Fukiage Near Anti-air: Fukiage, Fierce, C.Roundhouse, Strong Best Air: [J.]Fierce, Roundhouse, Forward, Tsurugi Crossup: [J.]Forward, Fierce (so-so effectiveness) Best Stun attacks: Fukiage, Neutral Throw (Headbutt), C.Roundhouse Ground Pokes: C.Strong, C.Forward, fwd + Short, Forward, fwd+Strong Not Recommended: Standing Roundhouse, fwd+Forward Best combo starters: C.Strong, Fierce, Karakusa, C.Short Command overhead: EX Oroshi, EX Tsurugi Most abusable attack: Karakusa Best super (Advanced): Tanden Renki, Abare Tosanami Kudaki Standard Karacancel: Short Remember: -Crouching characters take an extra 25% damage. -There are no Major Counter hits in this game. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 3-:Basics: -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Note: Makoto has a command attack for every normal standing move. -=Standing=- [Punch] Jab: Simple palm strike to the face. These chain together. Command Attack: If you hold Towards, her palm strikes become fists and give her a little more range, but they don't chain. Strong: A double-fisted punch to the upper and lower chest. High priority and combos well into the Hayate. Probably better to use the C.Strong as it has more range, however. This does have some okay vertical range for anti-air, and this is important. I'll explain later regarding the Abare Tosanami Kudaki. This can also link to Short kick. Command Attack: fwd + Strong will have her slide forward as she hits with a strange looking backhand to the chest. It has some decent priority, however, so use it as a quick stuffer. This move has extremely similar properties to Dudley's fwd + Strong punch. Fierce: A wicked knifehand chop to the neck. Short range, but you can easily cancel an attack after this, such as a super. This has a very decent amount of stun. Command Attack: fwd + Fierce results in her taking a large step forwards and performing a reverse punch to the gut. Tap Fierce two more times for followup punches. This attack has huge priority and damage, but has a very slow startup time. Overuse of this attack will result in getting red-parried and eating someone's fist. [Kick] Short: Makoto performs a knee to the chest. Not much, really, but you can chain it into a Forward kick for more damage. Command Attack: Makoto takes a cute little step forward and pokes her opponent in the shin with her toe. This is an incredibly annoying attack and also a great way to finish someone off due to it's deceptively long range. Forward: High priority kick to the face. This is a long-range stuffer that's fairly safe and also makes for great anti-air. Also very good to start the round with because of said properties. Command Attack: fwd + Forward will have her take a spinning step and then do a side kick to the face. Really wierd looking and fairly useless, because this move has enough range as it is. The only good way to use this is in conjunction with her fwd + Roundhouse step-in sweep move to fake someone into jumping, or with the normal Roundhouse as a chain. Roundhouse: Makoto yells and does a push-kick to her target's gut. Along with having high priority, she steps back a little so that it becomes difficult to throw her. However, there's a little bit of lag before the kick itself so it's possible to get nailed by long-range command throws such as Hugo's Moonsault Press. Because this move has poor range, you should use this as a counter-attack against a poke. Command Attack: fwd + Roundhouse has her take a step and perform a tricky sweep with her outstretched foot. If you wish, you can hold down Roundhouse and she'll fake the move out. You should throw or Karakusa afterwards. The major weakness in this attack is that it has *quite* a startup lag, and you can also be easily thrown as well. -=Crouching=- [Punch] Jab: Short little punch to the shins. Nothing special. Strong: Straight knife-thrust to the knees. This has okay range and decent priority, and comes out pretty quickly as well. Use this when up close to chain into her Hayate. Fierce: Makoto sweeps her hand at their feet with a knife-hand chop. It has just as much range that a normal sweep has. [Kick] Short: Makoto does a quick poke to the shins with her toe. Her only low-hitting move that may be cancelled into a special. Forward: This is her most -annoying- normal attack. It's a crouching kick to the thighs, but it has a *LOT* of priority. Since it strikes at an upward angle, it can be parried high, but it also stuffs most jumping attacks as well. It has very little recovery and startup time as well. There are certain instances where abusing this kick will become necessary. You may also stuff hopping overhead attacks with this. Remember that this attack has a bit less range than her standing Forward kick. Roundhouse: A high spinning back-kick to the head, this works as superb anti-air and inflicts very decent damage. Be sure not to mix this up with the standard sweep kick and you should be fine. It's a very fast kick for a Roundhouse as well, so charge your meter with it. Also, when you use this kick, you are considered 'standing', not crouching, so some attacks such as Alex's Spiral DDT will connect, but you won't suffer damage penalties for crouching. Also: This does more damage than a Hayate, and GREAT stun damage. Remember that. -=Jumping=- [Punch] Jab: Makoto's in her Overhead animation as she flies through the air with her hand outstretched. Kinda silly looking. Strong: Same animation, but you can see her visibly punch and recoil during her jump. It's a downward attack but doesn't have much use. Fierce: This is a nasty downward chop that hits so hard, Makoto actually flips into a mid-air somersault. It can hit as a cross-up, and has deceptively deep vertical range as well. It often trades with uppercuts due to this. Don't use this too often in an air-air match, however. If you jump straight up, the animation changes to a backhand knife chop that isn't as effective. Characters who you should use this with as air-air are Elena and Urien whose limbs make great chopping blocks; They've got range, but little priority in the air. [Kick] Short: A flying knee-check that lasts for the jump. Good for a dramatic finish. Forward: High priority flying side kick. This seems to have a higher air-air success rate than the J.Roundhouse if you're on the bottom, because of it's faster execution time. Also works as a crossup-attack (jump over your opponent and hit them with your ass. Looks silly, but it works) to a limited extent. Roundhouse: Another straight side kick, but hits a lot harder and has some decent range. This is good for late-hitting jump-ins. If you have the upper hand in an air-air match, you'll want to use this kick. This is especially good for jumping away from an offensive opponent as well (with a few exceptions- explained in certain vs. Tactics sections later in this FAQ.) In an air-air match, this move will dominate. -Throws Neutral: Makoto grabs their head and bashes it with her own in a nasty headbutt. This pushes her opponent back some, instead of knocking them down. Since it's a headbutt, it does wicked stun damage (but you kinda get used to it, using Makoto. =P) On most characters, this inflicts 15-20% stun. Note: This throw, due to a programming oversight with recycled frames, has an invincibility state as long as the player does nothing while she recovers. Recycled from what, you may ask? Why, SA III. More in that section. Side: Makoto takes her opponent down with her foot and throws them to the ground, then punching them in a classic fashion that you see in self-defense classes. This does a bit more damage than the headbutt. Overhead (Strong Punch + Forward Kick): This is a fairly quick overhead as Makoto hops forward with a punch. Personal Action (Taunt): If you power her up for the full three animations, she will inflict a bit more damage and recover some stun gauge. You'll see her focus and move her hands to two inches below her navel, the main point where the chi in your body is supposed to reside (Tanden). When she moves her hands, she can actually inflict damage on her opponent, but by the time this happens, your opponent has probably recovered from stun anyhow. ^_^ Exact figures: 1st Phase: 30% Damage Bonus to Next Attack 2nd Phase: Additional 35% Damage Bonus to Next Attack (65% total) This can be combined with the Tanden Renki. 3rd Phase: Enhanced Stun recovery. Dash: Makoto ducks her head a little as she dashes 1/3rd of the way across the screen, which avoids spinkicks and Alex's Spiral DDT. One of THE best dashes in the game- use it. This move can also dodge a number of high pokes. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 4-:Techniques: -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Key: Move name (Japanese Translation): Motions [EX?] [Alternate Name (Translation) Nickname] Damage: On a scale of 1(Bad) to 5(Excellent)/[EX Version if applicable] Range: Described as best as possible... Speed: Scaled 1-5. A Speed 5 attack connects after a jab. Priority: Scaled 1-5. Attacks w/ Priority 5 can trade with some Supers. Recovery: Scaled 1-5. Recovery 5 is safe even if it's parried. Weaknesses: Described briefly. Strengths: Described briefly. QCF : Quarter Circle Forwards QCB : Quarter Circle Backwards HCF : Half Circle Forwards HCB : Half Circle Backwards DP : (Dragon Punch) Forward, Quarter Circle Forwards. [EX]: Press two buttons instead of one for a powered version. Tosshin Seiken Tsuki (Rushing Justice Punch): QCF + Punch [EX] [Hayate (Wind-Splitter) Dash-Punch] Damage: 3/5 Range: 1/2 Sweep Range to 2/3 Screen, Full Screen (EX) Speed: 5/4 Priority: 4/5 Recovery: 2/3 Weaknesses: Low pokes, Projectiles, Air attacks Strengths: Stuffing, Offensive Pressure, Counter, Juggle Makoto dashes forward VERY quickly with a punch straight for the gut. This counts as a mid-hit, so Dudley's Cross Counter can't detect it. Both damage and stun are decent, and if you connect, your recovery is substantially reduced. However, if you whiff it somehow (block, parry, miss) you're a sitting duck. This attack has great priority, but often loses out to well-timed sweeps at farther ranges. Also, the EX version will miss completely against a dashing opponent if their dash involves a hop. (Yang, Dudley) In any case, use two Fierce Hayates to juggle opponents after a successful Short/Forward Tsurugi(Axe kick) or a Jab/Strong Hayate after a Fukiage(Uppercut). The standard version is near-instant, but the EX version has a 1/4th second pause before the attack, making it parry-bait if someone sees it coming. You can take your chances and use it as a surprise attack, but it's best used in combos. The EX version does 60% more damage than a normal Hayate, and does the same amount of stun- don't bother using a charged Hayate unless you're going to fake them out. Beginners should learn to go directly into the Karakusa (Choke grab) after a successful Hayate. Afterwards, you may want to mess with your opponent's head using multiple Hayates and the occasional Hayate that stops just short of your opponent. ^_- *Special Note* You may charge the Hayate by holding Punch. It has four levels of charge. Each successive charge point (roughly .75 seconds for each point) will add 1% damage and 2 extra points of stun, for a maximum of 12% damage and 17 stun (practically doubles the stun damage). Maximum charge will knock the enemy away. (Ryu's Stun gauge is 64 points.) ****** CAUTION: Charging the Hayate by ANY amount of time will cause the Hayate to knock the opponent back farther than normal. It also FINISHES any juggle combo, so be careful when using it! ****** You can also cancel the charge by hitting kick with no recovery time whatsoever. Doing so lets you use cancellable attacks and be ready to dash in for another attack before your opponent has recovered from the previous one. More on this in the mindgame section. Useless Notes: Makoto has a separate taunt if performed after a Hayate (Whether it connected or not). Doesn't do anything, but it's fun. The quote for the Hayate is "Chesuto!(Chest)" and I assume she's aiming for it, but that's debatable. Also, using the EX Hayate on the Car bonus stage will cause her to punch right THROUGH the car. She still inflicts damage, but she'll magically appear on the other side. Make sure the door's open before you try this, though. Jikiage Seiken Tsuki (Upper Justice Punch): DP + Punch [EX] [Fukiage (Upward Wind) Uppercut] Damage: 3/3 (+1 if you juggle) Range: BEYOND Point Blank, 1/2 Sweep Range (Directly upwards) Speed: 3/4 Priority: 4/4 Recovery: 3/3 Weaknesses: Low attacks, _Cannot connect as a normal move_ Strengths: Overhead Counter, Juggle, Anti-Air/Crossup, High Stun A seemingly useless attack at first, it's main purpose is to juggle crossups and overhead attacks. Makoto will duck down briefly (dodging most fireballs that go her way) then punch upwards with her farthest arm as she says, "Mojya!" (And I have no idea what the means. Why I mention this is because some Japanese FAQs refer to Makoto's attacks by her quote, and not the name of the move itself.) Strength of the button determines how long she ducks. The EX version will have Makoto shift forward as she ducks so that she gains more range on the attack. However, neither version can hit someone who's standing on the ground and doing absolutely nothing. There IS an exception, though- read the end of this move's section to find out. Also note that the strength of the punch determines the launch height of her opponent. Note that it has mediocre recovery, so don't use this too often. To be completely honest, the Karakusa is a slightly better counter-attack if you're in close range, as it tends to stuff quite a few moves before their execution. If someone attempts to land a crossup on you (Ken's J.Forward, Hugo's Body Splash) use this attack to knock them up for another hit. (Note that in the case of Hugo's Body Splash, you'll most likely trade hits instead of getting a clean connect due to his priority.) Be careful to do this in the right direction as well- a crossup attack will either require a reverse command or a delayed version w/ Fierce. If you connect with this attack, you have a choice on juggling. You may use a c.Roundhouse, an EX Fukiage, or a jumping Tsurugi. The crouching Roundhouse has a 95% success rate if you do it right when they begin to fall down. You can, if you have the meter to spare, use an EX Fukiage for a decent chunk of stun. The Tsurugi requires skill- be sure to practice jump-cancelling straight up. This move has EXTREMELY high priority against attacks that hit high/mid (Alex's Headbutt, Ryu's Joudan SG Kick, etc.) and will guarantee a juggle if you're close enough to connect. An EX version will certainly hit, which makes it an ideal wake-up attack. Certain overhead attacks such as Alex's Fierce will trade, but you'll never be stuffed out of this attack in those instances. Just be careful of sweeps. Stun Damage Note: If you are aiming for high stun damage in a combo, be sure to use the Strong or Fierce version (their stun value is identical) as they do substantially more Stun than the EX Fukiage. One Final Note: This move can and should be kara-cancelled with the Short kick against jumping characters who are far enough away not to be hit with an EX Fukiage if they do not attack. ****** Showoff Points: Usually, the ONLY instance that you can connect this on a standing character doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING is on certain Stunned characters. The one exception is Elena, who you can hit if she's just standing around. As you can see, roughly half the cast CAN be hit with the Fukiage during Stun. -Legend- Null: Impossible. Front: Hit them at any time while in front. Sway: Wait for the character to sway back and forth. You can hit them from EITHER in front or behind, but you still must time it. Swaying characters ALWAYS start forward first, so if you can, time your attack to hit RIGHT as they get up. Rear: Hit from behind. List of characters: -Null- -Sway- -Front- -Rear- Twelve Ryu Dudley Q Necro Ken Hugo Chun Li Akuma Elena Yun Sean Yang Alex Urien Ibuki Gill Remy Oro -Recovery Opportunities- Sometimes, there's that instance where you've parried an attack, and you wonder; Aside from the brain-dead-simple Fierce -> EX Hayate, what could I do for style points and higher damage? As it so turns out, there are certain attacks whose frames leave them leaned over quite conveniently for being launched by the Fukiage. You MUST parry the attack, or you'll be too far away to hit them. If a character is not listed, no special moves of theirs can be reliably and consistently be hit. Alex is an example. If the Version is marked 'Variable-hit', it's your decision on what part of the attack you want to use the Fukiage in. For example, Dudley's EX Short Swing Blow has three parts- you may parry all three attacks and use a Jab version, or parry the first two hits and counterattack his 3rd hit with a Fierce Fukiage, and so forth. This version ALWAYS has the least amount of success on the last hit. If the final hit cannot be hit, it will be marked with a (-). Otherwise, it will have the Version listed after it. On the other hand, if it's marked 'Variable-Distance', then it depends on how far away your opponent was when they started the move- the farther away they were, the less recovery-time they have for you to exploit. At point blank, you're guaranteed a Fierce ver, though. For the sake of laziness, I am ONLY including moves that do not cause their character to move off the ground- it's fairly easy to nail them with an EX attack in this case (Ryu's spinkick, Yang's Roll kick, for example.) Thus, Attack is marked 'Ground only'. Also, fireballs are not mentioned here at all. The instance where you'd be close enough to hit someone with the Fukiage following a Fireball will be a strange day indeed. Character Attack(Ground only) Version ----------------------------------------------------------- Chun Li Kikoushou Fierce Dudley Corkscrew Blow Jab Machine Gun Blow Fierce EX Short Swing Blow Variable-Hit Jab Elena Spin Scythe Variable-Hit Jab Gill Sabre Lariat Variable-Distance Hugo Hammer Frenzy Fierce Ibuki Spin-kick Variable-Hit (-) Crouching Dash Variable-Distance Necro Tornado Hook Variable-Hit (-) Ryu Blade Kick Strong EX Blade Kick Fierce Twelve A.X.E. Fierce EX A.X.E. Fierce Urien Chariot Rush Variable-Distance EX Chariot Rush Fierce Tyrant Slaughter Variable-Hit Fierce Yun Leap-Punch Variable-Distance Yang Palm Strike Jab Mantis Slash Variable-Hit (-) ****** Uchi Oroshi Toute (Low Attack Knife Hand): QCB + Punch [EX] [Oroshi (Mountain Wind) Karate-Chop(tm)] Damage: 3/4 Range: Half Sweep Range Speed: 2/3 Priority: 4/4 Recovery: 3/2 Weaknesses: Short range, a bit slow Strengths: Overhead attack, Priority, Hit-stun Makoto performs an overhead classic Karate-Chop. It's kinda tele- graphed though, so be careful when using it. Never use the Strong or Fierce versions of this unless you seriously wish to become parry-bait. It's far too easy to get countered because of it's short range (If any attack hits your vulnerable areas no matter what priority you have, you'll trade hits or lose). However, using this as counters against air attacks works allright, but it's better to use the Fukiage as a juggle instead. However, if you're going against characters with extremely long sweeps, such as Elena, Hugo and Urien, you can utterly stuff them with this attack, and follow up with a Abare Tosanami Kudaki. ^_^ This move is perhaps best used as a counter versus pokes. Furthermore, it *is* super-cancellable. Still, it isn't very useful in most fights. The only two characters that I've been able to combo into a Jab Oroshi against were Q and Urien. The EX version, however, does have its uses. It's possible to out-prioritize a majority of non-EX'ed wakeups with this attack. You can also use a C.Short and cancel into this move, although it will not directly combo. Finally, if you need a flashy finish after a Karakusa, you may combo it after a Fierce. Note: Both Fierce and EX versions will knock the enemy down. Senkou Kakato Otoshi (Dropping Heel Flash): In air, QCB + Kick [EX] [Tsurugi (Sword) Axe-Kick] Damage: 3.5/4 Range: 1.5x Sweep range/ 1.0x Sweep range (for both hits) Speed: 2/3 Priority: 4/3 Recovery: 3/3 Weaknesses: Long initiation time for an air attack Strengths: Juggling properties and Hit-stun, Timing mixup In the air, your Cute-But-Sadistic Karate Kid will pause for a sec as she raises her leg vertically, then bring it down for a wicked axe kick. This axe-kick will make her hover for a split second longer in the air, and also smash any attacks that happen to get in the way. Trades with uppercuts and the like, in your favor. Because of the hover/pause, the kick has a bit more range as it sails her forward. This kick can be done at any time during your jump. The Short and Forward versions will stun an enemy on the ground, or will knock an enemy upwards to float a while in a mid-air hit. The Roundhouse variation will knock them flat on their face to the ground, no matter where they are. It's possible to connect this after a Fukiage, but this takes timing and much practice to get it down. Practice jump-cancelling directly upwards for best results. ******* The EX version will knock down after inflicting two hits, but has no startup time and will drop you straight down afterwards. It has less range because of this, but damn if you can't trick the hell out of people with it. Use it to cut your jump short and to counter low pokes. ******* Tsurushi Nodowa (Bladed Neck Encirclement): HCB + Kick [Karakusa (Arabesque) Choke-Grab) Damage: 1 Range: 3/4 Sweep Range Speed: 4 Priority: 4 Recovery: 2 Weaknesses: Counts as a hit- Combo damage penalties apply Strengths: Range, Priority, Set-up Makoto will grab her opponent by the neck and squeeze really hard, then grunt as she lowers them back down. They're temporarily stunned for 1/8 of a second, in which you can perform a combo. If you whiff, there's a cute animation as she grits her teeth and looks at her empty hands, then look back up at her opponent. ^^ The strength of the Kick used determines the speed and range of the Karakusa by a very small degree, but it's there. There's a substantial increase in stun-time between Short and Roundhouse versions, however- if you find yourself unable to combo after it, stick to the Roundhouse version. If you want to try and chain two Karakusas together, use the Short version, then the Roundhouse version. ^_- Because Makoto has an extremely fast and long dash, connecting with this grab won't be too difficult. Just be wary of getting nailed by supers and EX attacks. Merely dash in after a blocked sweep, or perhaps after an air-air encounter. Also, it may be safer to use this instead of using a straight combo to punish a missed aerial hit. Versus "grabbable" supers (Ken's Shippuu Jinrai Kyaku, Yang's Tenshin Senkyuutai) you can use the Karakusa to counter if you're far enough away. Be sure to judge your distance accordingly. Also, you can use this after a blocked air attack, and it will still connect. They do have a window of retaliation, but most likely they'll block low to avoid a sweep. Try a jumping Roundhouse aimed at their head (not their torso) before using the Karakusa. As for air-air encounters, remember that if you hit someone in the air with a normal attack, regardless of the attack's strength, it will allow them to flip back on their feet when they hit the ground, as opposed to lying on it. However, if you can catch them at a time where they least expect to be in this position- juggling them with after the Abare, for instance- you can catch them off guard and grab them with a Karakusa. The Karakusa reduces damage of a combo by roughly 25% due to combo- buffer penalties, so it's not recommended to use the Seichuusen Godanzuki after this unless you want to see it do pitiful damage. However, it doesn't affect stun damage as adversely. Followups with the Karakusa will be explained later. Final note: Experienced opponents can either throw you or tech hit out of the Karakusa if they're quick, so take care when using it. However, the Karakusa tends to stuff most moves before their execution, so it makes a great close-range countermove. It also has MUCH more range than a standard throw. -=Section on Kara-cancelling the Karakusa (Kara-Kara!)=- Basically, it's this: Kara-cancel your Short -> Karakusa choke grab. However, there's some stuff you should know. First off, that short kick must come out before you can kara-cancel. Also, if that short kick DOES connect, then the Karakusa will whiff. However, it still has its uses. You can avoid a short-kick mistake by using it as your opponent is getting up, or following an attack that pushes your opponent just out of its normal range. You can also mix it up with kara-cancelling the EX karate chop. This is VERY good to use, especially if you already have a full meter with the Tanden Renki, because a karakusa -> Fierce -> Hayate combo gives her more than enough meter back. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 5-:Supers: I: Seichuusen Godanzuki (Middle Spin Five Level Thrust) x1 /Punch Level of Skill: Beginner Meter Length: Long Damage: 44% Max Range: 3/4 Sweep Speed: 5 Priority: 5 Weaknesses: Universal [Hopping] Overheads, Air attacks Makoto does a single punch to the crotch (Oww.), then three hits to the midsection, and finally a smashing fist to the chin that launches them up with a ridiculously dramatic finish as she yells the name of the super. This is a Super Art with good range and decent damage. However, the most effective aspect of this super is the ability to combo this after a *lot* of attacks. Jabs, C.Forwards, Hayates, Oroshis, the works. Use it as a poke-followup or a combo finisher. However, be wary using this as a wakeup, because if your opponent does a hopping overhead, he'll stuff you flat. Also, since it doesn't have immediate vaccum effects (only after the 1st hit does it vaccum) you shouldn't use it to punish blocked sweeps unless you're really close. It doesn't hit people in the air very well at all- most likely they'll fly off after the 1st hit. If you try to supercancel a juggling Hayate into this, chances are you'll whiff everything but the first hit. Still, you could try it if you've been playing with Q for too long ^_^ Also, this super has no invincibility frames. Therefore, it can beat another super, but only if you hit them at the edge of your range. Use it too late and you're certain to trade the first hit. Finally, this super hits too low for Dudley to Cross-Counter, so don't worry about that. ^^ II: Abare Tosanami Kudaki (Raging Waves of Tosa Smasher) x2 /Kick Level of Skill: Expert Meter Length: Medium Damage: 31% straight, 52% Max (with Juggle) Range: Sweep Range to Full Screen Speed: 4 Priority: 4 Weaknesses: Slow startup-time, Aerial evasion Makoto jumps back (a la Maximum Spider) to tag the wall and then jumps in with a Flying Suicidal Psycho-Bitch Divekick(tm), followed up by a 3-hit autocombo that ends with a reverse Fukiage (she hits with her closer arm as opposed to her farther arm, which is why it hits standing opponents.) If you connect with the C.Roundhouse hit of the autocombo, you're guaranteed to juggle afterwards. You can immediately superjump-cancel into a jumping attack, or juggle with two Hayates afterwards. More on followups later. The attack is not homing- you must determine the destination of her attack by the strength of the kick that you press. Also, she has no invincibility frames whatsoever, although as a super, it beats out all other normal attacks. However, if someone is hitting you with a crossup (Hugo's Body Splash for example) you're going to get stuffed on your way up. Also, if you parry a sweep, immediately use this super. Most characters, especially shotokans, have piss-poor recovery on a crouching Roundhouse. Exceptions to this are Dudley and Yun, and a few others. If you've been using the Karakusa religiously, you may have noticed that you were thrown every once in a while after a Hayate. Use this super to counter a throw attempt ('cause you're in the air). In advanced play, this is an extremely hard super to connect with- you'll have to catch your opponent sleeping. Better to use the Seichuusen Godanzuki at times, if you don't want to take the risk. Like most supers, this has a rather poor recovery time if you're blocked. However, Makoto will not enter the autocombo if she misses the initial dive-kick, so you can intentionally whiff this super without fear of retaliation if you're feeling particularly arrogant. Remember, this super has INSANE damage and stun potential. It's just a damn hard super to connect. And at least, if you whiff one, you can always try catching them off guard with a second one. Just because you care. ^^ III: Tanden Renki: Seme no Kata x1 /Punch (Refined Spirit in the [Point Below the Navel]: Offensive Style) Level of Skill: Expert Meter Length: Medium Damage: 175% to all attacks (including Throws) Range: N/A Speed: N/A Priority: N/A Weaknesses: Cannot Block, Cannot Block, Cannot Block... Makoto will pose for a second as she channels her Chi. Her skin then goes pissed-off red and she'll inflict double damage for quite a while. It seems to last about 10 seconds. During this time, she cannot block any attacks (she'll go into the animation for blocking but it won't help.) However, parrying is still perfectly kosher. Advanced use of this super will be explained later. And remember- taunting increases the damage even further. Upon activation, there are two very important things to remember. I: Makoto has NO recovery lag after activation, making it very easy to parry an oncoming attack. II: Makoto has invincibility frames during her recovery animation, which can be interrupted at any time to perform an attack, or just let go to allow an attack or throw to pass through. This lasts for a very short time, but not that short. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 6-:Combos: Notation: C. = Crouching J. = Jumping ( ) = Additional Notes/Short name [ ] = Optional * = Special instance combo (Props to Skillsmith) -> = Chain/Cancel (or from a jump-in attack) >> = Link (Ground attacks only, not air attacks) A note about Combos: During any combo, the damage that a given move will inflict is automatically reduced depending on what type of attack it is, and how many hits preceeded it. Also, Super-canceling a Special Attack into a Super Art will also drastically affect damage. Normal Attack: -7% x Number of hits already dealt Special Attack and Super Arts: -5% x Number of hits already dealt Supercancel(2-in-1) Light Attack: No Penalty Medium Attack: -7% Hard Attack: 15% Special Attack: 25%(!) Juggles are considered part of the combo. If you used an EX Fukiage to launch your opponent in the air, then nailed them with the Abare Tosanami, the initial hit would do 25% less damage. Note that the % does not refer to the lifebar, but to the damage rating of the attack itself. Combos denoted with a * are Skillsmith Exclusive. Damn neat. ^^ Master List: Jab x2 -> Short -> Forward (Kick chain) Jab x2 -> Short -> Hayate -> [Seichuusen Godanzuki] Strong >> Short -> Hayate -> [Seichuusen Godanzuki] Jab x3 -> Hayate -> [Seichuusen Godanzuki] Fierce -> Hayate -> [Seichuusen Godanzuki] C.Strong -> Hayate -> [Seichuusen Godanzuki] C.Short -> Hayate -> [Seichuusen Godanzuki] (Her ONLY low combo) J.Fierce -> Fierce -> Hayate (Do the J.Fierce REALLY LATE.) fwd + Forward -> Roundhouse (Doesn't really combo, but chains =P) C.Jab x2 -> Seichuusen Godanzuki Overhead -> Seichuusen Godanzuki C.Forward -> Seichuusen Godanzuki Strong -> Seichuusen Godanzuki fwd + Strong -> Seichuusen Godanzuki Fierce -> Seichuusen Godanzuki (I believe this is linkable) Taunt(hit) -> Seichuusen Godanzuki! Karakusa -> Fierce (or just about most of her moves) Fierce -> EX Oroshi Fierce -> Jab Oroshi (Q and Urien only, it seems) Abare Tosanami Kudaki -> ... [A] Forward Tsurugi -> Jab Hayate -> Fierce Hayate * [B] Fierce Fukiage -> Roundhouse Tsurugi (High Stun) --------- Japanese Combos Abare Tosanami Kudaki -> ... Early Forward Tsurugi -> (turn around) Fierce Fukiage -> j.Fierce Late Forward Tsurugi[Stun] -> dash -> (turn around) Jab -> (Dash and Jab 2 more times) -> Abare Tosanami --------- Karakusa -> Fierce -> Abare Tosanami (Your corner only) Karakusa -> Fierce -> Tanden Renki -> C.Strong -> Strong Hayate Oroshi -> Seichuusen Godanzuki Oroshi -> Abare Tosanami Kudaki (Explained later) * Strong Oroshi -> Tanden Renki -> C.Strong -> Hayate * Oroshi -> Tanden Renki -> fwd + Fierce * J.Fierce -> Fierce -> Jab Oroshi -> ... (Tall charas only) Fukiage -> C.Roundhouse (Easy Hit) Fukiage -> Fierce (High-Stun) Fukiage -> Strong Hayate Fukiage -> Abare Tosanami Kudaki (Tricky) Fukiage -> Tanden Renki -> [superjump up] Tsurugi Fukiage -> EX Fukiage Forward Tsurugi (Ground) -> Seichuusen Godanzuki Forward Tsurugi (Ground) -> Hayate Forward Tsurugi (Ground) -> C.Strong -> ... Forward Tsurugi (Air) -> fwd + Fierce Forward Tsurugi (Air) -> Fierce Hayate -> Fierce Hayate Forward Tsurugi (Air) -> Abare Tosanami Kudaki (tricky) Forward Tsurugi (Air) -> Hayate -> Seichuusen Godanzuki (Even trickier) Forward Tsurugi (Air) -> Tanden Renki -> Fierce Hayate -> Fierce Hayate Karakusa -> Fierce -> EX Hayate -> Juggle (Varies on character) -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- -Standard- (a.k.a. Bread n' Butter) Most of these combos don't need too much of an explanation. Makoto posesses no 'Bread n' Butter' combos so to speak, although you may be using C.Strong -> Hayate quite a bit. Remember that the Karakusa will reduce damage for the rest of the combo by at least 25% (Even more for the Seichuusen Godanzuki). All but one of her combos may be preceeded by the Karakusa, but it's best to only do her Fierce -> combos after it. The one exception is her J.Fierce -> Fierce -> Oroshi combo, that MUST be started with a deep J.Fierce and only vs. tall characters who happen to be crouching. So it's basically useless. =P Recommended Karakusa combos: Hayate -> Karakusa (Beginner's Pseudo-Combo) * This is more like a trap than a combo.* Karakusa -> Fierce -> Hayate -> [Seichuusen Godanzuki] Karakusa -> Fierce -> EX Oroshi Karakusa -> Fierce -> EX Hayate Karakusa -> Strong >> Short -> Hayate In the Corner: Karakusa -> Fierce -> EX Hayate -> (Juggle) If the Juggle is a [normal attack], remember that you can put pressure on them by dashing in and catching them with a Karakusa. vs. Hugo: Fierce (Arcade ONLY) vs. Hugo, Alex and Urien: Strong Hayate, C.Forward and Forward vs. Makoto, Remy, Q, Akuma, Chun Li, Twelve, Elena, Oro: Jab Hayate vs. Shotos, Yun/Yang, Dudley, Necro: [fwd+Short] I also know that a C.Strong will work on Chun Li. The advantage of juggling with a normal attack and not a technique is that it will flip your victim out so that they land on their feet. If they are caught unawares, it is a perfect opportunity to get a command- throw (or in this case, the Karakusa) in. The Karakusa is not a guaranteed connect, but people seem to fall for it quite a bit. -=Comboing with the Abare Tosanami Kudaki=- There's two ways of comboing INTO the Abare Tosanami. One is by cancelling a Fierce Punch into it, and the other is by using an Oroshi overhead chop. (You can chain a Fierce into a Jab Oroshi against tall characters such as Q and Urien.) There's also a way to connect with it as pretty reliable anti-air as well. In most cases, your opponent needs to be on your 'half' of the screen. Otherwise, it takes too much time to jump off the wall and go all the way across the screen again to attack. If you're decent at Red parrying, this will make it substantially easier to connect with this super. Also, you have a much longer window of opportunity after an Oroshi chop than a Fierce punch. If you're going to use the Fierce punch, make sure you're in your corner of the screen, and use a Karakusa to set yourself up nicely. Against certain characters (i.e.: Akuma), you will need to use a *Forward* Abare Tosanami, not a Short. This is a trial-by-error kind of thing. Regarding anti-air: Since the Standing Strong punch is a legal Supercancelling attack, use it as an anti-air attack. Whether it's parried or if it connects, you should still use the the Abare Tosanami Kudaki (Roundhouse version) to strike as anti-air before they hit the ground. Just be sure you aren't going against an attack like Hugo's Body Splash. =P Also, when you use this attack, note that the standing Strong punch has a slightly higher vertical range than you might expect. Finally, you can parry into a Jab and then cancel off of that, for better results. Finally, you can try juggling with the Fukiage or Tsurugi and going into the Abare, but be sure to use the Roundhouse super so that you won't miss your flying target. Don't expect this to work very often, because there's too many variables to make this work consistently. However, you won't have to fear a retaliatory strike because if you miss, as they'll still be knocked down. You've hit with the super, now what do you do? Well, you've got plenty of options, but these stand out. [A] Forward Tsurugi -> Strong Hayate -> Fierce Hayate * [B] Fierce Fukiage -> Roundhouse Tsurugi (or...) [C] Forward Tsurugi -> Strong -> Abare Tosanami Kudaki (Corner) [D] Juggle into another Abare Tosanami Kudaki (Mid-screen) [E] Dash, Jab -> Abare Tosanami Kudaki (Mid-screen) * Skillsmith combo. I knew this was possible, but didn't notice the stun applications. For choice A: This is her premiere damage combo. After landing the final hit of the Abare Tosanami(Fukiage launch), superjump towards your victim's body and execute either a short or medium Tsurugi. After you hit the ground, be sure to time the two Hayates well. The Jab Hayate doesn't necessarily have to be a Jab, but it connects fairly reliably with more leeway for timing. Also, if you're in the corner, you can substitute the final Hayate for a C.Roundhouse (flipping your opponent on their feet) and grabbing them yet again with the Karakusa! Evil, and it does more stun damage! [Note: To connect the C.Roundhouse, don't use a Jab Hayate or you'll be too far away, and remember not to use the C.Roundhouse too late!] Extra note: Remember that an Early Tsurugi will result in less airtime and a Late Tsurugi results in more time for Makoto to dash around. For choice B: This is a stun combo. The Fierce Fukiage does a surprising amount of stun damage and sets up for a juggle. To connect this, dash forward (and *past* your opponent) then perform the motion. You will be facing the other direction in this case. Superjump straight up and then perform the Roundhouse Tsurugi. Typically inflicts 75%+ stun on a proper connect. If you wish to do the same amount of stun damage but you just aren't good enough to pull off the Roundhouse Tsurugi, then merely do a C.Roundhouse instead. Less damage, but still inflicts a good amount of stun. Because the kick is a normal hit juggle, your opponent will flip out onto their feet afterwards. However, you might not have enough time to reach their landing point, so follow up with an EX Hayate or something to finish them off. Note: after the Fukiage juggle, you may turn around *AGAIN* because the direction of your opponent's movement might not have changed. VERY tricky sometimes, so it actually might be more prudent to use the C.Roundhouse, juuuuuust to be safe. Use the kick early for best accuracy.) Finally, you can ALSO jump straight up and hit Fierce if you don't know which way you're going to face. ** Special Touch Of Death note If you use Karakusa -> Fierce -> Abare Tosanami Kudaki [B] against Akuma or Remy, it will guarantee Stun (unless, of course, they were stunned to begin with.) Not very difficult to set this up against them either: Against Akuma, parry an incoming Dive Kick. Against Remy, parry a Cold Blue Kick. Remember, vs. Akuma, you MUST use a Forward Abare Tosanami Kudaki or it will not work. ** For choice C: This is something I half-knew but completely forgot until I saw SlimX's combo movie. :) Actually I just threw in the Strong punch to help things a bit. Makes it a lot more feasible, but also makes it escapable. Still, you can REALLY fuck with people's heads if you do the Abare really early to whiff intentionally. For choice D: This one's simple. Do your Abare Tosanami, dash to the other side and do another Roundhouse Abare Tosanami going the other way. Really spiffy looking and doesn't leave your opponent a chance to parry out of, unlike choice C. Don't use it too early after your dash, however- It's very easy to activate the super a little early and end up whiffing the rest of the hits. For choice E: This is actually a bit of a no-brainer. Like Choice D, dash to the other side... and JAB them. Juggle them once AGAIN with a Roundhouse Abare Tosanami (this is escapable, but still difficult) and follow up with whatever. This virtually guarantees stun on most characters if they miss the parry on the 2nd Abare. Remember to use a LATE Tsurugi for lenient timing or you won't be able to hit that Jab. -=Effectively using the Tanden Renki: Seme No Kata=- With this super, Makoto's defensive abilities jump up a notch for one brief moment: she becomes invincible upon activation. During ANY standoff, like after a connected Hayate, you can use this super to track your opponent's move and choose to act upon it (jump after them, parry, etc) or do nothing and let the incoming attack pass through your body. She has enough invincibility frames to, say, dodge through most projectiles, or survive through everything but the final hits of Akuma's Kongou Kokuretsuzan (D,D,D+PPP), of which she can parry that last hit. Also, if your opponent is jumping straight up after or as you activate it, use a kara-cancelled Fukiage (DP+P) to nail them on the way down. Remember to kara-cancel with Short. You can also parry/red-parry combos and then activate to set up for a nasty Fukiage shot on the ground (similar to using Remy's Blue Nocturne super). For example, parry Akuma's spinkick, activate Tanden, then use a Fierce Fukiage -> C.Roundhouse and watch your opponent CRY. This technique can also be used against, say, Urien's Chariot Tackle, Yun's Leap-Punch (Zesshou Hou'ou), Yang's Mantis Slash, and so forth. Take FULL advantage of the sick stun damage. If you actually achieve Stun, taunt once before you crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of their women. If you're feeling real scrubby, then you can activate this super and take advantage of Makoto's high priority. Use lots of flying Roundhouse kicks, crouching Forward kicks and dash -> Throws. Use the Tsurugi to trade massive damage against Shoryukens and other anti-air as well. However, unless you're feeling incredibly gutsy, don't use the Karakusa too much, because after you land the following combo, you're open to retaliation. Use this tactic when you want to chip the last of their pesky life away, or if you want the loud and flashy Super Combo Finish ending when you lightly jab them in the crotch. ^_^ You may also use Makoto's Oroshi (karate hop, QCB+P) as a setup for the super. You have enough hit-stun if it's blocked/connected to dash in for a Karakusa tick-throw. Remember to mix it up with a Strong or a Jab -> Karakusa tick (which would kind of make it a double-tick...) However, if you accidentally pulled this off and are desperately trying to get your ass away from their Corner Traps of DooM, lots of jumping and air axe-kicking may be in order. So is sitting in the corner with C.Forward kicks. If you're going against fireball-happy scrubs, parry and use her dash -> throw to its fullest advantage. Also note that many characters will attempt to sweep you or use high priority attacks when you use this at mid-range, but will block on instict if you use it at point blank. Try jumping in with a Roundhouse (in this case, it's *better* if they block it) then immediately use the Tanden Renki when you hit the ground, followed by a Karakusa. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 7-:Tactics: -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Makoto has the most command attacks out of any chararacter in the game, giving her plenty of options to utilize at a standoff. Here's a list of some of the things you can do at the start of a round. -=Offensive Starts=- Jump -> Tsurugi fwd + Forward (Step, spin kick) [Tags spin kicks and jumps] fwd + Roundhouse (Step, sweep or fakeout, throw) fwd + Fierce Hayate -> ... [Karakusa] Abare Tosanami Kudaki -> Stun combo followup Dash -> Karakusa -> Sweep -> Overhead -> Seichuusen Godanzuki -=Defensive Starts=- Forward kick (Stuffs hurricane kicks & jump attempts. Very effective.) C.Fierce (Sweep vs. dash attempts) Jump up, Tsurugi (Possible juggle followups) Oroshi (High priority anti-poke) Fukiage/EX Fukiage -> ... (vs. Jump-ins) Hayate(Cancelled) These are just examples of what you could do. Mostly just Theory Fighter(tm) exercises. -=Mindgames=- Old-school Anti-wakeup (basic): You've got a fully charged Seichuusen Godanzuki, and you've knocked your opponent down. But they've caught on to your little Karakusa tricks, and are sure to throw you out of it every time. So you walk up to their prone body, and if they don't have a super handy, they'll instinctively try to throw you. (Old-school reflex, don'cha know.) However, you can't get thrown from a super! Anti-parry/anti-wakeup: The Tsurugi is effective for jump-ins and wakeups because of the timing before the attack. Not only can it trade in your favor, it also throws off parry-happy opponents looking for the flashy path. ^^ Vs. wakeups, get close to their fallen body and jump straight up (no superjumping). If you jump early, time a normal Tsurugi on them, but if you jump late, use an EX Tsurugi to hit them as you're still rising on your jump. (The latter works especially well on large characters such as Q and Hugo.) If they end up blocking the Tsurugi, DASH FORWARD! You have plenty of time during their block-stun to run in and grab them with a karakusa. Speaking of which: Tick throws: Makoto can tick-throw after a standing Strong, a C.Forward, any of her Jabs, or her Tsurugi axe kick. If you're having trouble while being trapped in the corner, a C.Jab -> Karakusa can really turn the tide of battle around. Use the standing Strong as your opponent gets up, and if it gets parried, cancel into the Tanden Renki! Strong is also great for if your opponent quick-rises. Dash after them and throw out the Strong. Karakusa - Hayate traps: Here's some possible things to do after the Hayate: C.Short -> Hayate C.Short -> Oroshi -> Tanden Renki, dash forward, Karakusa (tickthrow) Hayate (If they jump away, free juggle!) Forward C.Roundhouse (These last two are anti-jumps.) Dash back (Against characters like Dudley, Ken, etc) Super Art Another Karakusa... Makoto's "Short Swing Blow": You've knocked your opponent down *again*. But you're not going to use a super, no. Instead, dash away, then dash back in and throw them. >=) Because she's got such a damn good dash (note that this trick works with Urien and Shotokans as well) this is a recommended tactic to avoid wakeups and to chip in a bit more damage for that final blow. Makoto's dash has enough range to avoid all but the longest sweeps (Elena and Urien respectively). You can also try dashing back and punishing their wakeup with a Hayate instead, similar to Dudley's Short Swing Blow (where he dashes back and retaliates with a body blow.) Also to note: If you've psyched your opponent out from poking by dashing back -> Hayate, then they'll more likely fall for dash -> Karakusa, and vice versa. Cancelled Hayate: Remember how you can cancel the Hayate with kick? Use it to continually throw your opponent off guard. For example, you could use a Karakusa, then slap them with a Fierce -> Hayate, except that you hold down Punch and press Kick immediately afterwards (think Kara-cancel here) to cancel the Hayate, then dash in again and pull off another Karakusa while they're still reeling. This takes mad timing skillz though. You can also use this as an opportunity to dash in, pull off the Tanden Renki, and nail their counter-attack. Deceptive Anti-Wakeup (Application of the kara-cancelled Karakusa): Following a knockdown throw, and provided that your opponent doesn't have the habit of rolling as they get up, you can dash away from them and then perform the kara-kara as soon as they get up. Insane range, and you can mix this up with a sweep or a kara-EX karate chop (EX Oroshi, QCF+P) -=Character-specific tactics=- Akuma (Gouki) Suggested Super: Tanden Renki or Abare Tosanami Kudaki Stamina: 81% (Lowest) Strengths: High damage, easily comboed moves and a sick mixup game. Weaknesses: Can't take a beating, very small Stun gauge Tricks: Shakunetsu Hadouken -> Hyakki Shuu mixup Shun Goku Satsu as anti-air Teleport-dodge in the corner Kara-Shun Goku Satsu Akuma will probably try to jump away and look for an opening in which to connect his dive kick. Since his dash is just as quick as yours, refrain from sweeping. Your EX Fukiage will bust him out of his dive kick, as well as avoid any air-fireballs and spinkicks. You can also try to meet him in an air-air match if you have sufficient distance, so use the Roundhouse. Your main objective in this match is to *stun* Akuma. Don't rely on cheesy little pokes, but instead hit hard with Tsurugis that trade with his uppercuts. Eventually he may turtle up, in which case you should utilize the Karakusa to its finest (Use that EX Hayate -> Hayate!) If you land a jump-in combo, that'll be the end of him (and he knows it too) so don't expect much opportunity to do so. Occasionally you may want to try jumping straight up with a Roundhouse to stuff a jump-in instead, if he can parry the EX Fukiage. Also, if Akuma turns out to be a total moron and decides to throw a fireball when you've got an Abare Tosanami charged up, let 'im have it and use the Stun-happy followup. It's very close to being a Touch of Death combo. =P Finally, if you really want to neuter Akuma's game, learn how to red-parry his spinkick. Parrying it, then going into Tanden Renki, then retaliating with a Strong or Fierce Fukiage (DP+P) is tantamount to getting three taunts with Q. Alex Suggested Super: Tanden Renki, Abare Tosanami Kudaki Stamina: 100% Strengths: High damage and stun, speed, and a sick wakeup game. Weaknesses: Big target- easy to combo off of. Lots of recovery frames. Tricks: Forward -> Spiral DDT (Pseudo-Tick throw) Elbow Slash -> Stun Gun Headbutt Crossup Air Stampede (Stomp) Power-Bomb tick-throw (Overhead, short, J.Short, etc.) C.Short -> Boomerang Raid This is a bit of a touchy fight, but not as bad as you think. Both Alex and Makoto dish out high damage and stun, as well as setup some nasty traps and counters. You'll want to use your dash quite frequently, unless you think they may be charging up for an EX Elbow slash. Both the Stun Gun Headbutt and the Hyper Bomb are supers that you will be vulnerable to, although the Stun Gun can be countered with an EX Fukiage. Because a lot of Alex players tend to play defensively, you may not get too many openings to get the Abare Tosanami Kudaki in. However, if you're seasoned, you'll be able to do so after reading a sweep, parrying an Elbow Slash, or even as anti-air. Also remember that Alex is a Big Guy(tm), so your combo options are slightly more diverse. If Alex jumps in, he will have priority over a lot of your anti-airs, except the EX Fukiage. If you don't have the EX meter to spend on it, then I suggest that you dash. Finally, one of the biggest worries in this match is Alex knocking you down. He has VERY many options to pull off on you as you're getting up, but practically all of them will be shut down COLD with the Tanden Renki. Activate and retaliate. Chun-Li Suggested Super: Seichuusen Godanzuki, Abare Tosanami Kudaki Stamina: 93%, 131% after taunt (Shoulder Rub) Strengths: Speed. Damage. Priority. Range. She's nothing but strengths. Weaknesses: C.Roundhouse can be high-parried. Other than that... Tricks: Air-air kara-cancel has insane range Lightning-kick for guaranteed tick damage after a knockdown C.Forward -> Super Beware of Chun's walk speed- attempting to nail her pokes with your Tsurugi may result in her walking under you for a free super. Force Chun to blow her meter on EX Spinning Bird Kick wakeups by knocking her down. EX Hayates after a karakusa are great for this. Since Chun has a fairly high jump, it's safe to sweep her out of her far Fierce pokes, but there's not a whole lot you can do against her b+Fierce except to time a Hayate as soon as you see one, so that you manage to hit her as she recovers. If you can make Chun afraid to throw out her far Fierce pokes, it'll give you more leeway to use your EX Tsurugi axe kicks to knock her down. Dudley Suggested Super: Abare Tosanami, Tanden Renki Stamina: 100% Strengths: Extremely strong, with range, speed, great mixups and an absolutely hideous corner-juggle game. Great chains too. Weaknesses: Completely vulnerable to mid-range footsie pokes, and the Cross-Counter can't detect a Hayate. Tricks: EX Short Swing Blow as a safe wakeup attack Confusing anti-air game with Ducking-Upper Great parry retaliation Because Dudley has poor recovery time on his attacks, try to fake him into using a super or a Jet Upper (jump in, dash out, etc.) and land a well-aimed Abare Tosanami Kudaki for some serious hurt. And if he does start using his Cross-Counter, remember that a good number of your attacks hit too low for him to detect it. This does include the Hayate. ^_^ If you trap Dudley with a Karakusa -> Fierce -> Hayate, think about what you want to do. If you want to get away safely, use a Strong Hayate (You'll be too far away to use a Karakusa afterwards though). Otherwise, use a Fierce Hayate. For some reason, Dudley gets pushed back more than other characters after the Karakusa. Also watch out for the Short Swing Blow, where he dodges back and then nails you in the gut. Not only does it do hideous damage, it can be super cancelled, and makes for a great wat for him to escape a Karakusa trap... unless you dash back or activate the Tanden Renki to get the jump on him. If you're going to try and poke Dudley, use attacks that can easily be cancelled, like C.Strong and C.Short. If you get parried, you'll need to get the heck out of there ASAP, or attack before he can catch you in a punishing juggle combo. C.Strong buffered into a jab Oroshi is sort of useful for that purpose. Elena Suggested Super: Abare Tosanami Kudaki, Tanden Renki Stamina: 93% Strengths: Evil punishment combo with a C.Strong, great mix-up and a wicked footsie game. Also, extremely fast dash, and her C.Roundhouse slide is longer than your retreat-dash. Weaknesses: Low priority against Makoto, below-average recovery time Tricks: Almost no recovery on Brave Dance- Keep blocking. This fight will be similar to Chun-Li's, but instead of trying to dominate the air, it's advised that you stay on the ground a little more. Elena can get more height from her jump than Chun-Li, and thus it's harder for you to draw a bead on her. Fortunately, most of her attacks (save the Scratch Wheel) have a bit of startup time, so keep poking away at her. If you see her start up a Rhino Horn while you're standing, you can use a Fukiage to juggle her. Play this match a little defensively, watching that occasional overhead, because if you leave yourself too open, she can open up with a very nasty combo, or get a freebie Healing in. If you can bait Elena to jump, you're in a VERY good situation. Hugo Suggested Super: Abare Tosanami Kudaki, Tanden Renki Stamina: 111% (Subsequent Taunts give 117%, 131%, 140% and 151%.) Strengths: Raw damage, pure and simple. Great range too. Weaknesses: Easily punished because of slow attacks. Also, he's a very large target, open to lots of juggle followups. Tricks: Body Splash -> C.Jab -> Meat Squasher (Pseudo-Tick Throw) whiffed Palm Bomber -> Moonsault Press delayed Hammer Frenzy * Best Kara-cancel in the game Huge-Ass is SLOW. Use this to your advantage and use PLENTY of jump-in combos with the Tsurugi and her kicks. Poke with the Forward kick a lot and use your Oroshi chop to smack Hugo's pokes. Also dash in with the Karakusa- you can zoom in and out of his effective fighting range with ease. This is a hideously easy battle for you if you play your cards right. Also of importance: If he knocks you down, he may try to use the Palm Bomber as an anti-wakeup to trap you in block-stun, then follow up with another attack (C.Forward) or his Meat Squasher running grab. If you're ballsy, red-parry that followup attack, or to be safe against that Meat Squasher, do a jump -> EX Tsurugi. If you're smart, activate Tanden Renki. Also of note, Hugo's EX Palm Bomber must be parried three times. Ibuki Suggested Super: Seichuusen Godanzuki, Abare Tosanami Stamina: 83% Strengths: Speed, chains, mixup game/footsie, keep-away Weaknesses: Low damage, fragile, short-ranged attacks Tricks: Yami Shigure (Dagger/Slash super) when you parry a Kunai Jab trap (walk forward, jab over and over) Use your priority and your range to your advantage. Ibuki's major strengths are her chains, but they have crappy range. Other than that, there's not too much you should watch out for if you keep your distance. This is also a battle where you may find good use of the EX Fukiage. Ibuki's stun meter isn't very long, so you may be able to make her see stars in less then half a dozen hits. To counter the advancing jab trap, use a C.Jab, then a C.Forward, or chain the C.Jab into a Hayate. Ken Masters Suggested Super: Seichuusen Godanzuki, Abare Tosanami Kudaki Stamina: 100% Strengths: Hard-hitting combos, mixup and footsie, plus a great poke. Weaknesses: Long enough recovery time to punish with Hayates. Tricks: None, really. He's a shoto. Just watch the classic crossups. Although he's your typical shoto, you'll have to adjust your style to accommodate his more unorthodox, spontaneous style. Always be ready to use her C.Strong -> Hayate to punish or stuff his mixup axe kicks as soon as you see them coming. Also note that it may be preferable to use another Hayate in lieu of the Karakusa, as you'll trade with Ken's uppercut instead of eating it raw, as well as smack him out of a throw attempt. Since Ken's just damn good at getting himself out of a pickle, it is advised that you play a more defensive game against him. Many of his moves have a slight lag time that leaves a counter-window open for repeated C. Forward pokes. Furthermore, his spinkick will travel over your head if you block it, and the Short version still takes a while to finish (as opposed to Ryu's). Makoto Suggested Super: Seichuusen Godanzuki, Abare Tosanami Kudaki Stamina: 93% Strengths: Speed, priority, damage, and a great dash. Keep-away. And insane retaliation. Weaknesses: Poor wakeups (vulnerable to traps), and her own traps are rather high-risk. Tricks: (You should know all this =P) Karakusa/Hayate trap Jump-in Karakusa tick-throw Tsurugi (or EX version) anti-wakeup (Don't bother parrying) EX Fukiage wakeup (50%+ Stun) If Makoto has you guessing whether or not she'll use her Karakusa or her Hayate after a point-blank grapple, remember that the Karakusa is tech-able. Tap towards and press the throw buttons to cover yourself (Also known as an Option Select, covering multiple situations.) However, the Karakusa does have more range than a normal throw does, so you may have to stagger the timing or do something entirely different if they're aware of what you're trying to do. Also, in almost all instances, Makoto will have her best offensive game going when she's in the air. The Fukiage and Tsurugi trade hits, so if you are going to use the Tsurugi as an anti-anti-air attack, use the roundhouse version to knock your opponent down. Other than that, just poke a lot. This will most likely be a conservative match with little showing of flashy combos. Necro Suggested Super: Seichuusen Godanzuki, Abare Tosanami Kudaki Stamina: 87% Strengths: Range, Defensive traps Weaknesses: Slow recovery on attacks Tricks: Short -> Snake Fang (Block low) Use liberal axe kicks and a dash of Karakusas. Sprinkle a pinch of whoop-ass if you know how to parry or red-parry his spin punch. If he does his hopping overhead, use an EX Fukiage. If you're at half screen range, there's plenty of stuff you can do, so this shouldn't be too difficult of a match. Also note that your Oroshi chop can stuff many of his pokes if you're at full screen and he's trying to keep you out. Rememeber that his drill kick hits twice, so after the 2nd hit, use your Karakusa. Keep him on the defensive and bait him into taking to the air with plenty of low attacks so that you can dash under him. Oro Suggested Super: Seichuusen Godanzuki, Abare Tosanami Kudaki Stamina: 93% Strengths: Great priority on his pokes, stun damage, turtling game and corner pressure traps Weaknesses: Too slow to maintain an offensive Tricks: Crossup Jinchuu Nobori (Head stomp) Yagyou Dama Corner Trap The Roundhouse kick of DooM (tm) (27% Stun Damage) If you really, really want to win, you'll have to play defensively. Oro has a lot of trouble with turtles, and he has no command throws. He does have a double jump and some sick priority (especially his roundhouse, behaves like Ken's for all intents and purposes) so use a Hayate to retaliate as the roundhouse retracts. Measure your Hayate so that you won't be close enough to be thrown, and feel free to block any attempted combos afterwards. If he tries to double-jump, try nailing him with the Abare Tosanami as an anti-air. Also remember the Fukiage for massive stun damage. Oro can't change the way he's facing in the air either, and it's a fairly long jump, so cross-under attacks are pretty damn effective. Use that dash. Q Suggested Super: Abare Tosanami Kudaki, Tanden Renki Stamina: 100% (Subsequent Taunts: 131%, 140%, 164%!) Strengths: Insane defense if he taunts, Easier parrying, painful juggle combos. Fairly good corner-trap game. Weaknesses: Extremely slow, Dash-attacks vulnerable to sweeps/pokes, slow offense, many openings for retaliation and juggle combos. Also, very easy to juggle attacks with. Tricks: Taunt 3x for increased defense Tick-throw with Capture and Deadly Blow Stay on him like white on rice to stop taunts. A solid portion of Q's game plan is parrying into the Capture and Deadly Blow, so either use the Tsurugi to mix your opponent up or use plenty of Forward kick pokes to annoy him. Don't poke with abandon, because his High Speed Barrage (hand swipes) have high priority. Most of his moves have a bit of punishable lag time, and his dash attacks can be blocked fairly easily if you watch his body language. He does have increased Parry range, so be extremely careful with jump-ins. Remy Suggested Super: Seichuusen Godanzuki, Abare Tosanami (vs. scrub) Stamina: 87% Strengths: Juggles, priority Weaknesses: Predictable offense, poor recovery, tiny Stun gauge Tricks: EX Cold Blue Kick trap Remy takes damage like a little girl, so take every opportunity to beat him down, hard. You'll be parrying a HELL of a lot for this matchup, but if you can parry his launching Fierce and his Flash Kick, you shouldn't have a problem. His Cold Blue Kick can be blocked low, but has quick recovery (especially the EX) which he can follow up with an overhead or a throw, so be especially careful in this instance. His overhead is a stomping kick that doesn't really LOOK like it hits high, but it does. If you manage to knock him down, walk right up to him and psyche him into using a Flash Kick. If he doesn't fall for it, throw. ^^ But since Remy has an exceedingly short charge time for his attacks, always be prepared to block. Also, fighting him in an air-air match isn't that recommended, because he can juggle you with his Fierce for another hit with his Flash Kick (or even a super). The Abare Tosanami Kudaki is a good super against normal Remy players, but high-level Remys will very rarely throw out a sonic boom for you to counter, nor will they use the flash kick save in combos. The Cold Blue Kick has too short of a recovery time (and the EX version has a quick startup as well) to parry and punish with the Abare Tosanami. In other words, it's useless. =P If he ever tries to sweep you with the double C.Roundhouse, parry the second hit and retaliate immediately. But chances are you'll only have to do this once (unless your opponent is really, really stupid.) But in any case, learn how to instinctively parry the second hit. Finally, if you do decide to use the Tanden Renki, make sure you have him on the extreme defensive. If you can parry his Flash Kick, you're all set. (His EX Flash Kick requires a double parry, by the way.) Remember that throws also inflict increased damage as well. If he pulls a reversal on you, watch for an incoming low Light of Virtue followed by a Cold Blue Kick, then bust him up accordingly. Ryu Suggested Super: Abare Tosanami Kudaki, Seichuusen Godanzuki Stamina: 100% Strengths: Well balanced, high strength Weaknesses: As a shoto, leaves himself open after many attacks Tricks: Short Tatsumaki -> Throw (fakeout) EX Aerial Tatsumaki Crossup C.Fierce -> Tatsumaki (Anti-air, parry backwards.) The OG Shoto has some very poor lag time on some of his attacks, such as his fireball and the JoudanSG sidekick, so don't expect an advanced player to use this in any situation other than a combo. Be especially wary of a jump-in, because it's possible for him to inflict upwards of 70% stun damage in a single combo. However, for him to do so, he must hit with the J.Fierce extremely deeply, so parry or counter accordingly. Since Ryu has an extremely fast dash, expect him to bob in and out of your attack range quite a bit. Your EX Fukiage may catch him once or twice, but it's telegraphed by the initial flash so you shouldn't rely on it. Use the Karakusa and put some damage on him, and punish any blocked sweeps with a dash -> Karakusa or the Abare Tosanami Kudaki *immediately*. If you're too far away from your edge of the screen, then you'll have to parry first. If you pressure Ryu enough, he may start using spin-kicks to keep you away. What you should watch for is a Short Spin-kick -> throw. If this comes up, either kick him away with a crouching Forward or use the Karakusa for a punishment. Don't jump in the air a whole lot unless you wish to use the Tsurugi to throw him off. His J.Fierce has sick priority and speed, as always. Poking for extended periods of time is NOT advised, due to the sheer damage of a counter-hit Shoryuken. Scrubs and Intermediate Ryu players will base their entire game around connecting the Shin Shoryuken. Try to fake them out into using it as a wakeup, or pressure them into jumping in and supercancelling it in a combo. Ryu players using the Shinkuu Hadouken may liberally use EX fireballs after trying to cross you up with a J.Forward and some followup Shorts and Jabs. If you see this pattern, try to red-parry the EX Fireball and retaliate with a Hayate. Sean Suggested Super: Seichuusen Godanzuki, Abare Tosanami Kudaki Stamina: 93% Strengths: Speed (great normal moves), Shotokan-level strength and dash Weaknesses: Horribly sucky special moves Tricks: Basketball trap w/ Sean Tackle Sean's faster than you think. If you jump at him, be prepared to parry his cross-under Strong -> Roundhouse chain. He does very decent damage with his normal attacks, and a skilled Sean player will use the Tornado kick extremely sparingly. Since the Hadou Burst is a crappy super, and the Hyper Tornado is a one-shot wonder, you'll have to keep an eye on the Shoryu-Cannon. Keep in mind though, that he IS technically a Shoto, and thus can link his supers off a jab (with the exception of the Hadou Burst, which can be linked off a C.Forward or whatnot.) It's not exactly smart to be cornered by Sean, as he can pressure you with his basketball and juggle you with the Shoryu-Cannon. Use plenty of throws (Yes, throw very gratuitously) because he'll most likely do the same to you. Since he has a very fast dash, don't use sweeps too often. Pressure him into attacking with wakeups, because he has some bad recovery. (And you know EXACTLY how to punish those ^_^) All in all, it may be a long battle, but you'll edge out. Twelve Suggested Super: Abare Tosanami Kudaki, Seichuusen Godanzuki Stamina: 87% Strengths: Range, and some good aerial attacks. Weaknesses: Easily punished, takes a lot of damage, crappy supers Tricks: Deceptive J.Roundhouse kicks for mixup Ha! Axekicks and Pokes should win this one through. If he X.C.O.P.Ys you, then stick to standard Makoto tactics because she doesn't rely on EX attacks too much. Otherwise, stay in the air a lot and practice some parrying, as well as using plenty of dashes and sweeps. Don't try to goof around with whiffed attacks to build up meter if they leave you too open, as Twelve can nail you with an EX Needle attack. He can also use his Needle attack as long-range anti-air if you don't watch where you're going. If you're low on health and Twelve has X.N.D.L. as his super, you might be in a pickle. To parry it, double-tap Down twice in quick succession (maybe three times depending on how far away you are) and hope for the best. Urien Suggested Super: Seichuusen Godanzuki, Abare Tosanami Kudaki Stamina: 100% Strengths: Fastest dash in the game, good range and priority Weaknesses: Mediocre in-close chain-combos Tricks: Headbutt -> Throw Crossover vs. crouching or rising opponents Aegis Reflector traps Unblockable Aegis Reflector (Blockable on Dreamcast only) Because Urien has decent opening attacks, it may be best to start the round off by jumping away. He can open up with a Dash -> Throw (similar to you), a Violence Knee, a Dangerous Headbutt -> Throw (The Headbutt is used to dodge sweeps) or a Chariot Tackle which will nail you if you attempt to dash back. The last three attacks are all charge moves, which also accounts for the opening offensive. (Also, the Dangerous Headbutt can nail you if you jump towards him at the start of the match.) If Urien attempts to do a jump-in but seems far away, he's trying to trick you with his long-ranged Roundhouse. You can try using an EX Fukiage, an air-air Roundhouse, or just block it and see what happens. The Tyrant Slaughter can be chained off the Roundhouse and can hit for some fearsome damage (especially considering that he gets two of them), so be careful. Because both of you have extremely good dashes, expect a hell of a lot of throwing going on. Use your Karakusa to the fullest, because if you manage to ruin Urien's charge on his attacks, he has very little he can do to attack you before you dash in with it. Only use the Abare Tosanami Kudaki if you can psyche out your opponent or after a close Karakusa. If you're thrown to the ground, quick rise immediately! The Aegis Reflector will bounce someone in the direction it was launched, so if they launch one, cross over and trap you in between, you're in for some real hurt. There is an unblockable trick with this as well, although I think it was revised in the DC version. Nasty Aegis reflector trap if you're not in the corner: Urien does a Chariot Tackle -> Fierce Aegis Reflector for some wierd-ass reason. GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE. If he grabs you with a neutral throw, he can drop you on the Aegis Reflector and juggle you for some damage. Also: If you ARE in the corner and you were knocked down, he can try using a jab Aegis Reflector, and throw you right before it materializes. If he pulls this off, Tech-hit his throw and you can most likely block the Aegis. Actually getting hit by the Aegis while you're standing is not an option, unless you want to die. So let this be a lesson to you: stay away from the corner. =P Don't jump too often against a normal Urien player unless you can double-parry his launching Elbow. Don't jump at ALL against an advanced Urien player because he can juggle you for a long, long time (especially with the Aegis Reflector), and you'll seriously regret it. However, if you do find yourself being juggled with an Aegis Reflector, try to parry out of it when you get the chance. It's difficult, but it's all you can do. The Temporal Thunder takes a second to materialize, so if he's almost dead and uses it as a desperation attack, bust through it with a Hayate. However, he'll most likely use it as a followup after the Chariot Tackle (especially as a safety if it was blocked) so if you wish, you can red-parry some of the hits for fun. You can also try dashing back and superjumping over it, but that's risky unless you know how the Temporal Thunder behaves. Finally: If Urien has the Aegis Reflector and he knocks you down, quick-rising is a very, very good idea. Urien can set a Reflector down, Headbutt over your body, then start to trap you with pokes. The Aegis Reflector will bounce you back towards him, and if he can catch you with a neutral throw, you're in for some hurt as the Reflector will juggle you after the throw finishes. I had this done to me recently, so I think someone's been reading J.Rodger's FAQ. Eeeeevil. >=) To counter this Aegis Reflector trap, simply hold the stick in the direction of the Aegis reflector when Urien hops over your head. You'll be in perfect position to begin blocking. I'm not sure if this is Dreamcast only or what, though. Yang Suggested Super: Seichuusen Godanzuki, Abare Tosanami Kudaki Stamina: 83% Strengths: Speed, EX Mantis, mixup, chains, long-range overhead Weaknesses: Takes damage like a sissy, poor wakeup attacks Tricks: Teleport anti-air Sei-ei Enbu trap (Blockable on Dreamcast) Fake Palm-Strike Don't jump away too often, because his Teleport can get him to your landing site faster than you can, and there's a good chance that he'll teleport *behind* you, leaving you completely defenseless if you already tried to jump away with a Roundhouse. If you find yourself jumping backwards into Yang's waiting arms, prepare to parry in reverse before he boots your ass up in the air for a juggle. Since his C.Forward has very decent range, you might want to rely more on an air-game and a long-range poking game than using your Karakusa and pulling off chain combos. He can't take much damage, but he's too quick to use the Tanden Renki against. Also remember that if he has a Sei-ei Enbu, ALWAYS quickrise, and if he has the Tenshin Senkyutai, be wary of where and when he can connect it. If Yang attempts to use a Sei-ei Enbu trap after knocking you down, remember to block towards Yang as he's jumping at you, and hold that position as he crosses over. Note that this option may ONLY be available on the Dreamcast version, because there was a 3s revision in Japan to take care of stuff like this. Too bad the revisions won't hit the arcades here =P If Yang tries to trap you with the Palm strike in the corner, take a good look at how far away he is. If he's close, simultaneously try to parry and throw- you'll either throw him after parrying the Palm, or tech-hit as he faked it. If Yang is somewhat farther away, just block low and keep an eye out on whether or not he's trying to C.Forward -> Mantis Slash you, or use an overhead. He may even try a Dive-Kick. If you try to parry his Palm strike at a distance where you could not throw him, your parry attempt may move you forward just enough so that he can catch you with a Flip grab (Zenpou Tenshin). If he begins to pressure you with constant dive kicks, try to throw him after blocking one, or using an EX Fukiage. Stay out of close range save for the chance to use a Karakusa. Because Yang has no decent wakeup attacks, catching him with a Karakusa is a very viable option. Yun Suggested Super: Seichuusen Godanzuki, Abare Tosanami Kudaki Stamina: 83% Strengths: Speed, Excellent chain combos, mixup, and retaliation. He can also easily move someone into a corner. Weaknesses: Again, takes damage like a sissy and poor wakeups. Tricks: Dive-kick fake out Fake Palm Strike Genei-Jin punishment If Yun has the Genei-Jin, under no circumstances should you allow him to corner you. If he does, there's a good chance you'll see 30% of your health just chip away as he juggles you over and over and over... Like vs. Yang, staying in the air helps some. However, don't poke him like you would vs. Yang- I suggest you play a little keepaway to avoid his chain combos that go oh-so-nicely into supers. However, the same Palm Strike mind-game goes for Yun as it does for Yang. Fortunately, it's not as punishing. Yun has superior supers to Yang, so don't get too comfortable if you have a good lead on him. However, he can be a bit more predictable if you keep a good eye on his Super Arts gauge, as Yun will rarely use EX attacks unless the player is very desperate. Yang's EX attacks have a higher payoff compared to his Super Arts, conversely. If you see Yun with the Sourai Rengeki, get your EX Fukiage ready so that you can knock Yun up in the air as he tries to use a dive kick into his chain combo to cancel into the super. Gill Suggested Super: Abare Tosanami Kudaki, Tanden Renki (exploit AI Flaw) Stamina: 111%? Strengths: Range, priority, damage, stun, no charging on his moves... Weaknesses: None. =P Tricks: Tricks? He needs tricks? Play this fight defensively, because Gill is essentially Urien on crack. There's not too much I can say about this fight, but if you're fighting against the CPU, use the Hayate/Karakusa psyche trap; it falls for it every time. As for fighting a human opponent, keep a heavy offensive pressure to prevent him from using the Sepharic Wing (which, incidentally, doesn't do as much damage as I thought). However, be extremely wary of jumping at him, as he has the loosest juggle restrictions out of any character in the game. Get caught by four Saber Lariats and you'll see what I mean. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 8-:The Leftovers: -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Thanks to Skillsmith (although they probably don't know it yet) for posting their combos on their site. Here's the URL for 3rd Strike: http://plaza6.mbn.or.jp/~ssmith/3rd/3rd.html And I hope you have Japanese support enabled =P Also, thanks to Sir Gareth for pointing out that the final hit of the Abare Tosanami Kudaki is a reverse Fukiage, which explains it's strange consistency of hitting a standing opponent. He also contributed to the making of Mindgame Trick 3, along with some proofreading. ^_-x Propz go to Andrew Ward for information regarding the Abare Tosanami- using the standing Strong -> Abare as anti-air, and for dash-cancel after an Abare for yet another Abare. Both of these are extremely helpful techniques. ^^ Thanks to Asian Bomber (once again) for reading through the FAQ. =P I owe a great big thanks to Eric Zornizer for lending me his Dreamcast so that I could mess around with it for a while. Incidentally, his DC is modded and he imported the Japanese version of 3s. Arturo Sanchez (aka Sabin) pointed out a neat little function in the "Network" menu, and while I used to have the Japanese matches up and all, I decided to take them down 'cause they were just eating up space. Special thanks go to Kao Megura for writing up his movelist and supplying the translations of everyone's moves on his FAQ. If you need to catch me, i'm usually in IRC chat, EFnet server in the #capcom channel. The latest version of this FAQ can be found at: http://www.west.net/~arlieth or at http://www.gamefaqs.com (Damn narcissism.) Plug: Go read Thomas Wilde's story "Self-Extraction" at http://indiemadnesse.sandwich.net/