Arcana Heart for PS2 - Lieselotte Guide
Version 1.00 by Joshua Vaughn, a.k.a. Mikadok on GameFAQs/GameSpot and
I Kei I on Gaia Online and Shoryuken.com
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Copyright info
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Copyright 2008 Joshua Vaughn
All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by
their respective trademark and copyright holders.
This may not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal,
private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise
distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this
guide on any other website or as a part of any public display is
strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright.
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Legend
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U = Up
D = Down
F = Forward
B = Back
u/f = up/forward
d/f = down/forward
d/b = down/back
u/b = up/back
qcf = quarter-circle forward, or d, d/f, f
qcb = quarter-circle back, or d, d/b, b
hcf = half-circle forward, or b, d/b, d, d/f, f
hcb = half-circle back, or f, d/f, d, d/b, b
dp = Dragon Punch motion, or f, d, d/f
360 = full circular motion
j. = jumping
s. = standing
c. = crouching
dj. = double jumping
IAD = instant air dash
(A) = Light Attack (Square)
(B) = Medium Attack (Triangle)
(C) = Strong Attack (Circle)
(S) = Special Attack/Homing button
A+S (R2) = Throw. There are two normal throws for each, done with A+S
neturally or with left or right held, respectively. For most of the
characters, the neutral throw is a mulithit throw that will launch
their opponent. Others have a multihitter that will leave their
opponent in a stun long enough to follow up with a combo.
A+B+C (L1) = A.Act or Arcana Activation
+ = Means to press any noted directions and buttons simultaneously,
such as in f+A
* = Means that a move can be executed in the air as well.
When buttons are noted together without separation, such as in ABC, it
means to press noted attack buttons simultaneously.
When explaining combos later in the guide, the number notation normally
seen in refernce to games such as the Guilty Gear and Soul Calibur
series may be used. For those unfamiliar, here is a small explanation
that will hopefully clarify it.
The notation in question coincides with the numberpad on your computer
keyboard.
7 8 9
4 5 6
1 2 3
So in short, 8 would be up, 2 would be down, 4 would be left, and 6
would be right, with the other numbers representing the diagonal
directions. In other words, the motion qcf+A would be abbreviated
thorugh the number system as 236A.
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Terms
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OTG = Off The Ground. Basically means that a move can pick up or hit a
knocked down opponent, so long as they don't tech roll.
TK = Tiger Knee (explained in detail below)
(SC) = Move can be Super Cancelled
HC = Homing Cancel. Press S just as any physical attack either lands or
is guarded. This will allow you to cancel the animation of a move,
similar to Roman Canceling from the Guilty Gear series, though it also
allows you to literally home in on your opponent's location by holding
the button, sending you dashing or flying wherever they are as you
would when normally holding the button. Needless to say, this is
important to know so that you can take any combo opportunities a
launcher might present.
FHC = Forward Homing Cancel. The same as the aforementioned Homing
Cancel, except you will dash straight forward instead of taking to the
air or being able maneuver yourself in any sort of angle during the
dash. Done by pressing forward as you do an HC.
BHC = Backward Homing Cancel. The same as a Homing Cancel in every way
except for the fact that your character will make a small movement
backward before dashing forward. Done by pressing backward as you do an
HC. Backward Homing Cancels have small windows of invincibilty on them
until the initial backward movement is complete.
GHC = Guard Homing Cancel. Just as with a normal Homing Cancel, except
that, as the name implies, this is done as you guard an opponent's
attack. As with a normal Homing Cancel, there are three variations,
those being neutral, backward and forward. The forward variation is
crucial to remember, since as you move forward a barrier of sorts forms
in front of your character for a scant moment or two that will clash
with any subsequent physical attacks. Utilize this to keep yourself on
the offensive as much as possible.
Tech Recover = S when knocked down, as you hit the ground, or during a
strong knockback as you're about to hit the wall. Not all moves allow a
tech recovery.
"Liese", as she's so affectionately called by many Arcana Heart
players, can be much more difficult to learn than most any other
character, and rightfully so. Having been dubbed the "Eddie/Zato-1" of
Arcana Heart, her playstyle with her "sister" Elfriede allow for some
of the most confusing setups and elaborate juggles in the game. Like
Eddie, however, she will take much work for anyone to learn and play
effectively. Played properly, however, she's easily one of the most
versatile characters.
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Pros
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+ Elfriede assist.
+ Small height, second only to Konoha overall (crouching/standing).
+ Long range and good priority on normals with Elfriede inside the
suitcase.
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Cons
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- Steep learning curve.
- Attacks suffer a range and power deficiency without Elfriede inside
the case.
- If Elfriede is KO'd, her game is cut sharply.
- Special moves can be cumbersome to use, since they rely on
positioning overall.
- Opponent must be cornered for her more effective loops.
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Lieselotte
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Normals to keep in mind
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Something in particular to note with Liese's normals: Any normal
pertaining to usage of Elfriede will have the same effect on the
opponent if Elfriede is active or downed, but will suffer in the range
and power departments because of the fact that the suitcase will be all
that Liese will have to attack with.
A - It might be odd that I didn't specify which A attack is noteworthy.
Quite simply put, this is because all of them, be she standing,
crouching or jumping, are noteworthy, and for the same reason, that
being the speed at which she attacks. Liese has one of the fastest A
attacks in the game, and she swings twice to boot, which makes it good
for clashing situations.
s.B - On its own, it's only useful for comboing into, as well as the
occasional clash, but it has an interesting quirk to it that makes it
rater noteworthy, that being that this move provides Liese with
projectile reflection. Though it won't reflect EVERY projectile, this
can definitely be used to your advantage.
j.B - This one is rather fast to execute for a midair B strike, and it
will clash with most any move that it meets in midair, so it's a good
one to use for jump-in or dash-in attempts.
j.C - This one, while slow to execute, has good priority, and great
reach, if Elfriede is within the suitcase. It's also one of the few j.C
attacks that can be jump-cancelled.
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Movelist
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Command Moves
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f+B - Elfriede speings from the suitcase, striking upward. As the look
of the attack tells on its own, it's a decent enough move to use to
intercept an incoming aerial opponent. What's more is that the strike
is jump cancellable, which means that if you hit with it, you can
follow up for extra damage, so long as the opponent isn't TOO far off.
f+C - Liese's universal wallslam move, this one, like anyone else's can
be charged, and is unblockable on approach from the air.
d+C in midair - Liese brings the suitcase down hard at her opponent.
This move knocks an aerial opponent towards the ground, but outside of
that function, there's not much else to note about it.
d/f+C - Your standard launcher. It's a bit slower to execute than some
other launchers, but has a bit more priority as a tradeoff, so it isn't
as liable to clash as other launching attacks.
Throws
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A+S - Lieselotte smacks the opponent a few times, launching them upward
for you to follow up. Nothing special to note with this one that other
throws of the same ilk don't allow.
b or f+A+S - Liese smacks the opponent with the suitcase, sending them
a good distance before unceremoniously falling on their backs. A good
throw to use when you want to distance yourself from your enemy, and
one of the easiest ways to do so.
j.A+S - Same as her b or f+A+S throw, except in the air. Of course, the
higher up you are, the further the enemy will go sailing.
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Special Moves
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Crimson Gaze: hcb,f+A, B or C in close
Lieselotte's command grab. While doing a bit less damage than her
normal grab, it has the enviable ability of being able to switch up an
opponent's controls, so this can definitely factor into buying yourself
time to create setups and whatnot, as well as generally opening up your
opponent for punishment if the switch isn't something they're used to,
let alone ready for.
*Soul Split: qcf+A, B or C
This will summon Elfriede, who emerges from the suitcase rolling
through the air Blanka style, then slashes as she hits the ground. An
effective zoning and combing tool overall, but if it becomes an
anticipated move, you'll be doing nothing more than endangering
Elfriede, which you don't want to do. Once summoned, Elfriede functions
much in the same manner as Eddie from Guilty Gear, moving in
conjunction with your directional presses and attacking with different
strikes depending on the button pressed. An interesting thing to note
is that you can crouch with either d/f or d/b and make Elfriede move
while remaining stationary. This can be crucial to know for positioning
the puppet. Repeated d/f presses will result in Elfriede moving forward
much more quickly.
==Do the following after summoning Elfriede==
Coffin: qcf+A, B or C
This summons the puppet back into the suitcase. The main thing to keep
in mind is if Elfriede is in the middle of ANYTHING, she will finish
that action before returning to the suitcase, so keep this in mind when
striking or setting any orbs out, because you're left entirely
stationary and open during this. Of course, you want to be as close to
the puppet as possible whenever you summon it back so the time you
spend standing about is as small as possible.
*Submission: qcb+A, B or C
Liese sets an orb out that rotates. When Elfriede is within the
suitcase or down, the orb is dim and inactive, but when she's out and
about, she'll rush to wherever you set the marker and do a rolling
strike, followed by a swipe of its claws. Contrary to the way this move
looks, it doesn't hit the opponent low. The two hits come one after the
other, however, so it can be used for a decent beginning for
guardstrings.
*Cruel World: d,d+A, B or C
Elfriede moves to wherever you set the orb, delivering a rapid barrage
of slashes, the last one wallslamming the opponent. Like with
Submission, this doesn't strike low, despite it's looks, however, if
your opponent decides to guard it while standing, you can strike them
low and open them up for the rest of the strikes.
*Insanity: rdp+A, B or C
Elfriede glows as she sails across the screen to wherever you set the
orb, damaging the opponent if she comes into contact with them. It
happens fairly rapidly, so striking her with anything less than a
projectile is a dangerous thing for your opponent to do. It's a given,
then, that this move should be used to start most of your guardstrings
off. For even more pressure, you can place an orb for Cruel World right
after, and Elfriede will follow up with that immediately upon ending
her flight.
*Gatekeeper: f,b,f+A, B or C
Setting one of these orbs sets Elfriede to teleport to wherever you set
it, whether it's high in the air or low to the ground. Uses for this
usually depend on the situation. For example, it can obviously be used
to summon Elfriede back to wherever you are on the battlefield if
you're distanced from your opponent to save yourself the trouble of
going in close to rescue her. In other, more elaborate cases, though,
you can also use this to get Elfriede close to your enemy to aid in
setups and mixups.
*Summoning: hcb+A, B or C
Elfriede will begin to crawl towards the direction you placed this orb.
While she's set on her way, you can make her strike with B or C,
respectively, and she'll still follow up on any other set orbs after
reaching her destination.
***Side notes on the orbs: A maximum of 5 of these orbs can be set out,
and the order in which Elfriede will execute each action depends on the
order the orbs are set out. They can be placed before summoning
Elfriede. In some cases, this can prove to be beneficial, like during a
knockdown, or after a Crimson Gaze. Otherwise, you'd do best to set
orbs after summoning the puppet.
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Super Moves
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Deception: qcf+A+B
Elfriede delivers a multitude of slashes much like in her Cruel World
attack, with the last hit wallslamming the opponent the same way. This
move in particular paves the way for some of Liese's more drawn out,
yet more damaging and elaborate, loops and combos when used properly,
due to the eighth hit bouncing the opponent. This is important to know
not only for combo potential, but also because of the fact that
Elfriede will remain inside the suitcase should you HC at the eighth
hit. This is also a good move to use during a FHC while guarding. If
your opponent continues to strike at you or attempts most anything
else, this will catch them, and you can press on from there.
*Deathwish: qcb+A+B
Elfriede comes out and latches onto the opponent, siphoning at their
health. It doesn't do much damage, but that isn't the point of this
attack. The main focus on this move is the opening it creates for you
to set orbs about if it catches your opponent. This can be comboed into
if you're close enough and if the attack you use before cancelling into
this leaves your opponent in enough hitstun. j.B during an aerial
combo, for example.
Of course, I myself would encourage whomever plays to use any arcana
that they feel befits them best. These are just my personal
recommendations for Arcana for Liese to use.
*Moriomoto, the Arcana of Nature: Not having any passive effects, and
the techniques behind it being subpar at best for most anyone else,
this arcana actually suits Lieselotte rather well. Planting seeds
amidst youe mixups of orbs and whatnot can make them that much more
effective, and being able to combo into the life siphoning super this
provides, thus prolonging Liese's combat time, can make fighting her
more than a little annoying for your opponent.
*Gier, the Arcana of Shadow: Like Moriomoto, Gier possesses no passive
effects. However, the mindgames upon your opponent's wakeup that this
can provide can make things more than a little hectic for your opponent
to keep up with. Also, Gier can give Elfriede a bit of cover during an
advance. With proper usage, it can almost eem as if though your
opponent is facing off against three opponents at once.
*Anutpada, the Arcana of Time: Having your forward Homing dash turned
into a teleport that takes you far across the screen (and possibly
behind your opponent) can befuddle their gameplan by quite a large
marging when they suddenly find themselves trapped between you and
Elfriede. Having to watch their back and their front, they may think
twice about taking certain courses of action.
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Combos
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This will cover some of Lieselotte's combos. Requirements for execution
(corner, aerial, arcana requirements etc.) will be noted when
necessary. Unless otherwise stated, Elfriede must be inside the case at
the start of each of these combos.
- A-B(after 1st hit of A)-236B or C
- dash in, A-B-236A; After hitting 236A, B or C in this or the above
mentioned combo, you can follow with B to have Elfriede hit the
opponent for a bit more damage, and to prevent their recovery.
- dash in, A-B-236AB
- B-C-236AB; If Elfriede isn't in the case, there will be a delay
before the super activates, and it won't combo.
- B-C-236AB->FHC at the eighth hit of the move->A-j.A-B(after second
hit of A)-dj.A-B(after first hit of A)-6C; you can substitute 6C in
this combo for 214AB to have Elfriede siphon health from the opponent
and buy you time for other things, or, if Moriomoto is your arcana, you
can substitute 6C for 236236S to draw health from them.
- with the opponent cornered and Elfriede in the case, A-B(after 1st
hit of A)-236A-A-j.A-B-dj.A-B(after first hit of dj.A)-6C. After the
aerial 6C, Elfriede should hit the opponent with her C attack, which
should send the opponent back into the air. Follow up with j.B-dj.B-6C,
or substitute the final 6C for 236236S if you have Moriomoto as your
arcana.
Lieselotte is an interesting character in that, due to her having
Elfriede, she can fight you at either long range or in close, or, with
practice, even both at the same time, so it goes without saying that
once you learn Liese, you'll play her however you see fit. No matter
how you go about playing her, however, there are things you'll want to
keep in mind at all times.
Keep all of your puppet's moves in mind. You want to be able to set
Elfriede to take the best course of action possible in any given
situation, be it making a hasty retreat or pressing a daunting offense.
You also want to keep an eye on your puppet's health gauge. Three hits,
and Elfriede is out of commission, putting Liese in a world of trouble
as far as managing the general flow of the match goes.
When you do summon Elfriede to attack outside of the case, make sure
you stay within a reasonable enough range so that you can summon her
back as quickly as possible. Arcana like Moriomoto and Gier can help in
keeping Elfriede relatively safe, as well as pressing an offense when
you need to do so.
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I hope that this guide is helpful to whomever may read it. Any missed
info will be added in updates to the guide with proper credits given.
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Special Thanks
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- To Atlus, for releasing this gem of a game stateside. Here's hoping
for an Arcana Heart 2 release in the near future. :)
- To a good friend offline, for pre-ordering this for me.
- To my friends for being willing to delve into this wonderful fighting
game (and several others as well) with me.
