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******************************************
MARVEL VS. CAPCOM - GAMBIT CHARACTER GUIDE
Version 1.1, 14/10/98
******************************************
By Min Sub Kim
[email protected]
*** CONTENTS ***
[1] Introduction
[2] Revision history
[3] Normal Moves
[4] Special Moves and Hyper Combos
[5] Combos
[6] General Strategy
[7] Strategy Vs. specific characters
[8] Credits and Thanks
** [1] INTRODUCTION **
It's almost the end of my final year at high school, and yet here I am
writing a FAQ when I really should be doing some last minute cramming.
Anyway, since his debut in X-Men Vs. Street Fighter, Gambit has become one
of my favourite characters. I guess he's kinda average in respects of
strength, but he's fast, stylish, and has many weapons at his disposal.
He hasn't really changed that much since X-Men Vs. Street Fighter, so
people who played him then should feel right at home playing him now.
Recently, I've noticed that Marvel Vs. Capcom is going down in popularity,
as people are going to Street Fighter EX2. In fact, Street Fighter EX2 has
suddenly emerged as the hot game here in western Sydney. So this is
probably the last revision of this FAQ.
The terms I use are :
Jab - Light/Weak/Quick/Fast Punch
Strong - Medium/Middle/Mid Punch
Fierce - Heavy/Strong/Hard/Fierce Punch
Short - Light/Weak/Quick/Fast Kick
Forward - Medium/Middle/Mid Kick
Roundhouse - Heavy/Strong/Hard/Fierce Kick
S.Jab = Standing Jab
C.Short = Crouching Short
J.Strong = Jumping Strong
SJ.Forward = Super Jumping Forward
DS.S.Fierce = a dashing Standing Fierce
OTG = Off the Ground - the hit preceding this notation actually hits an
opponent off the ground whilst they are lying there, causing them
to reel back, but still leaving them open for a juggle.
QCF = Quarter circle forwards, otherwise known as a fireball motion.
DP = Dragon Punch motion - forward, down, down forward quickly.
QCB = Quarter circle backwards, otherwise known as a reverse fireball motion.
P = any punch button.
K = any kick button.
PP = any 2 punch buttons.
KK = any 2 kick buttons.
** [2] REVISION HISTORY **
Version 1.1
- Rewrote entire FAQ - I prefer to do real revisions instead of changing
just a few lines here and there.
- New ASCII art. I hope it looks decent to everyone else.
Version 1.0
- First version of FAQ.
** [3] NORMAL MOVES **
Most of Gambit's normal moves have decent range and priority, with a few
exceptions. The staff is only used to attack with Strong or Fierce, unlike
Strider who attacks with his Cypher with any button except Jab or Short.
Gambit's Jabs are not often used as they have little range. The standing
Jab is a short ranged backhand, kinda like Dan's standing Jab. The
crouching Jab is pretty much the same except lower, and the jumping Jab is
a jumping equivalent. Try not to rely on these at all.
Gambit's Short kicks have more range than his Jabs, and are more all round
useful. The standing Short is a short ranged knee attack, and doesn't have
that many uses. However, after jumping attacks at an opponent, the dashing
standing Short is a great follow up attack as Gambit's long slide on his
dash compensates for it's short range, and it hits crouching opponents also.
The crouching Short is a relatively long ranged low kick, great for straight
up dashing leads into combos. The jumping Short is the preferred jumping
attack when you need speed and priority in the air. It looks exactly like
the crouching Short, and it's range helps in taking out opponents quickly in
the air from afar.
Gambit's Strong punches produce a variety of relatively fast swings with
his staff. The standing Strong makes Gambit take a downward swipe with his
staff, and has relatively short range. The crouching Strong is a lower
version of the standing Strong, but tends to have a pinning down effect on
the opponent, making it decent for ticks (although the Short kicks are
better for this). The jumping Strong is an upwards swing, and not that
useful. I guess if an opponent super jumped at you, you could try using it
as an anti air attack, but Gambit's crouching Fierce is much better for that
anyway.
The Forward kicks are decent ranged kicks that are fairly fast, but aren't
major weapons in Gambit's arsenal. The standing Forward is a mid level
roundhouse kick that hits crouchers, but isn't too useful. The crouching
Forward is a typical low kick, not that useful either. The jumping Forward,
like the jumping Strong, aims up at an angle and to be honest, I hardly ever
use it except in air combos.
Gambit's Fierce punches are characterised by good range, damage, and
priority. The standing Fierce is a horizontal swing, covering about half
the screen. It sends opponents flying when it connects, and has great
priority. Even if blocked, it pushes back fairly far, so usually it's a
safe ground attack, provided you can get around the split second delay on
it. Also be wary using it against small characters, since some characters
can crouch under it. The crouching Fierce is an uppercut with the staff, and
has great priority against jumpers, and is Gambit's only launcher. It's got
relatively short range, but then again, that's typical of launchers. In
fact, Gambit's crouching Fierce actually has pretty good range compared to
other launchers such as Ryu's crouching Fierce and Chun Li's standing
Roundhouse. Finally, the jumping Fierce is a downwards swing with the staff,
and has great priority against grounded opponents. Just do it slightly early
when jumping in, as it also has a split second delay to it.
The Roundhouse kicks are solid hits that provide good special move and
super move buffers for Gambit. The standing Roundhouse is a high hook kick
that stuns for a good split second, allowing various moves to combo off it.
I think smaller characters can crouch under this as well, so be careful.
The crouching Roundhouse is a long ranged sweep that sets up many of
Gambit's deadly OTG combos. However, it does have some considerable
recovery time to it, so try to cancel it into something safe most of the
time. The jumping Roundhouse has deceptively good range, but should not
be used as a stand alone jump in as it doesn't have that great priority.
It is, however, a great follow up after the jumping Fierce.
Note that all of Gambit's chains follow the ZigZag or Hunter chain. That
is, Gambit can chain from Jab to Short to Strong to Forward to Fierce to
Roundhouse. He can skip several buttons, for example, just doing Jab to
Strong to Roundhouse, but he cannot go backwards in the series, such as
Jab to Fierce to Short. His chain comboing ability allows great flexibility
in combos, but I'll get to that later.
In short, Gambit's normal moves are used as follows :
-Jab : Hardly ever, if only in combos.
-Short : S.Short and C.Short for dashing, J.Short for air to air priority.
-Strong : Standard combo moves.
-Forward : Standard combo moves.
-Fierce : S.Fierce for range, C.Fierce for anti air defence, J.Fierce for
priority jumping in - use these the most.
-Roundhouse : S.Roundhouse to set up some buffers, C.Roundhouse to set up
OTGs.
Basically, Gambit should combo away repeatedly as not many of his moves
stand up well by themselves. The Fierce and Roundhouse attacks are very
useful since they have speed and priority, but you really need to combo
them in after something else to compensate for their lag times.
*UNIVERSAL MOVES*
*Dashing
Tap forward or backwards twice quickly, or hold forward or backward and
tap 2 punch buttons, or just tap all 3 punch buttons.
Gambit's forward dash is a long ranged hop that comes out quickly and
allows him to slide forward far if he starts attacking during the dash.
It's kinda like Ryu's dash, but unlike Ryu's dash, Gambit's dash comes out
faster and allows him to attack earlier during the dash, and on top of that,
it has longer range.
The backward dash can be used from time to time to get out of trouble, but
the super jump is better for that anyway.
*Super Jumping
Flick the joystick from crouch to any jumping position quickly, or tap all
3 kick buttons.
The super jump should be used when trying to escape from ground assaults
or to disrupt the positioning and set up of keep away games.
The super jump has several important distinguishing differences from a
normal jump, besides just being higher. Firstly, you can control yourself
to an extent during the jump, but then again, this makes it difficult to
move forwards whilst holding an air block since that causes you to go
backwards. Secondly, the super jump allows you to do several air special
moves whilst staying up there. More specifically, after an air special move
during the super jump, with the exception of certain moves, you can block or
attack afterwards. Thirdly, you can change the direction you are facing
during a super jump. That is, you can super jump over your opponent, and
come down from the other side. Kinda predictable and not terribly useful,
but hey, not every character has a cross up neck kick.
Note that to super jump after a launcher to continue into an air combo,
you only have to tap in any upwards direction. In other words, just do your
character's launcher, and hold up - it isn't necessary to do the super jump
flick.
*Advancing Guard
Tap all 3 punches whilst blocking.
Slightly toned down compared to other games in the Marvel series, but still
very useful. This pushes away an opponent whilst blocking, giving it many
uses. It also lessens the block damage on multi hit moves. Note, however,
that it now has some recovery time, unless you repeatedly do it whilst
blocking.
Uses for this move include :
[A] Stopping tick throw attempts - just push away the tick lead and they'd
be stupid to try to walk up and throw from their new position.
[B] Avoiding jump in chains - When Spiderman/Wolverine/any other jumping
chain combo character gets deadly with their jump in chains, just push
back the first hit and avoid the rest. That way, you don't have to
guess how many times they are going to attack before landing.
[C] Reducing super combo block damage - just keep on tapping all 3 punch
buttons whilst blocking a multi hit super (mainly beam supers) to
reduce the damage. It doesn't work well against Ryu's Super Hurricane
Kick any more though - back in other games, this was suicide for Ryu
since it could be pushed away, leading to a free Mega Optic Blast.
[D] Pushing away ground assaults - at some time or other, you will just get
plain tired of Wolverine/Strider/Spiderman staying close in your face
and chaining away. Push them away and try to disrupt their trapping
rhythm.
*Recovery Rolls
Roll the joystick from back to down and press any punch button when
falling. This works in almost all cases after being knocked down, except
after flying screen and other certain moves.
This can save you plenty of energy if you do it at the right time. It's
main use is avoiding OTG supers, usually combo'd off a crouching Roundhouse.
However, you should not just do it all the time - for example, after your
opponent has just thrown you. Doing this can be plain suicide since they
can usually just throw you again as you roll into them - particularly
Zangief, who can Final Atomic Buster anyone who tries this.
*Team Counter
Whilst blocking, roll the joystick from back to down and press Fierce and
Roundhouse simultaneously. If Gambit is your current character, his partner
will come in, perform an attack, and Gambit will jump out. If Gambit was
not your current character, he will jump in and perform a Jab Cajun Slash,
and your other character will jump out. This requires 1 level of your super
meter.
This is a safe way to switch when you really need to. Use it when your
opponent is reading your switch attempts and getting free supers.
*Team Up Super
Quarter circle forwards plus Fierce and Roundhouse simultaneously. Gambit
will throw out a Royal Flush whilst his partner performs their super,
regardless of whether he was your current character or not, with the
exception of Zangief and his Double Final Atomic Buster. This requires 2
levels of your super meter, and will also swap your characters.
This switches characters out, but isn't always safe since Gambit has some
recovery time on the Royal Flush. Try using it with Wolverine or any other
character who can easily combo in the Dual Super for massive damage.
*Helper Call
Press Strong and Forward simultaneously. A selected helper will come in
and perform an attack. But this is a Gambit FAQ, so I won't get into this
now.
*Double Team Super
Quarter circle backwards (or was it half circle backwards?) plus Fierce
and Roundhouse simultaneously. Both of your characters come on screen and
have infinite supers for a limited time. Requires 2 levels of your super
meter, but can also be done at level 3, in which case the double team period
lasts longer.
I really never use this since all it seems to me is a button mashing thing.
People say they can get 99+ hits with this when Gambit is on their side,
but seriously, I ask the question "why?" You'd probably have to be darn
stupid to get hit by this.
Note also that when most people use this move, they usually just go into
button mashing mode and have no idea of exactly what they are doing. If
all their supers seem to go low, you can try performing a Cajun Explosion
over them to nail them both.
*THROWS*
Gambit has got pretty good throw range and priority, so you should by all
means try to use them frequently.
The Strong/Fierce throw is probably Gambit's most useful throw - Gambit
holds his opponent, charging them with kinetic energy, causing them to
pulsate in a purple-pink colour. He then kicks them off as they explode,
and they hit the floor, unable to recovery roll. This easily leads to a
free OTG combo into huge damage. Despite appearances, this is not a hold,
and like normal throws, you can direct which way Gambit throws his
opponent.
The Forward/Roundhouse throw makes Gambit trip his opponent, and then
step up on them and stab at their face with his staff. It's a hold, so
quickly mash the buttons for easy and plentiful damage. This cannot be
recovery rolled from either.
Gambit's air throw is performed with Forward or Roundhouse. He catches
them and then kicks them off with both feet, sending them quickly to the
ground. I hardly ever go for Gambit's air throw, nor do I ever get it
accidentally since I'm always jumping in with Fierce.
** [4] SPECIAL MOVES AND HYPER COMBOS **
*Kinetic Card - QCF + P
Gambit draws a couple of cards, charges them with kinetic energy, and
throws them forward. They fly across the screen instantly. If it connects,
the cards explode on the opponent and they fall down, unable to recovery
roll.
The strength of the punch button pressed determines the lag time coming
out and the stun time it causes. The Jab version comes out fairly quickly
but doesn't stun for very long at all, whilst on the other hand, the Fierce
version seems to take Gambit forever to charge up, but if it connects, the
victim is helplessly stunned there for a good second. For this reason, the
Jab version is almost always used over the other 2 versions, since the delay
time makes them almost useless. Thankfully, the Jab version can be combo'd
in, and can also be followed up with an OTG combo for a long and stylish
combo that leaves opponents frustrated. What's worse for the opponent is
that the OTG is not escapable, and is 100% guaranteed (provided you are fast
enough with a follow up), even though Flying Screen hasn't been initiated.
The aerial version of the Kinetic Card comes down at about 30 to 45
degrees. The resulting explosions cover some decent ground, so try super
jumping and throwing it to try and catch opponents with their guard down.
The angle is kinda steep, so for opponents a full screen away, you have to
super jump about 2/3 of the whole way up before throwing, or about 1/2 a
full super jump up for opponents just over 1/2 a screen away. Stick to the
Jab version here as well.
*Trick Card - QCB + P
Gambit draws a couple of cards, pauses for a lengthy while, and throws
them at a steep upwards angle. If it connects, the victim will get stunned,
like the Kinetic Card, before falling to the ground, unable to recovery roll.
The delay time on this move makes it almost useless. It's only use seem
to be to catch people who feel safe super jumping all the time. You could
also try using it as a fake out if people try to avoid Kinetic Cards from
full screen range by super jumping - the Trick Card should catch them out of
the air, and you should be setting up a nasty combo follow up. It's
sometimes useful when Chun Li players super jump and mash on the kick buttons
to tempt you into challenging the priority of her Lightning Kicks - just
Trick Card her out of the air and follow up. Also good against Strider
players who do the Wall Cling and don't know how to get back down.
*Cajun Slash - DP + P
The button pressed determines the type of attack Gambit performs with his
staff.
JAB - A single hit, quick counter strike with great range, almost no delay
and recovery time. A great all round move in general. It's like the
normal S.Fierce, but since it also nails all crouching opponents, it's more
useful. It also knocks opponents down, but is also great to stick at the
end of blocked combos for free block damage. If your opponent feels safe
poking at you with long ranged pokes (eg. Chun Li's C.Forward, Spiderman's
C.Short, etc.), nail them with this early to keep them back.
STRONG - A 3 hit hopping attack, where Gambit firstly hops forward with a
downward slash (which looks similar to the J.Fierce), and then follows up
with an uppercut slash and a finishing downwards slamming slash. It also
has pretty good recovery time, and is great used as an OTG follow up after
the C.Roundhouse. The hop also allows Gambit to get over sweeps and cleanly
nail opponents, so this also has many uses.
FIERCE - A 3 hit dashing attack, where Gambit slides forward far with a
horizontal slash, followed by an uppercut slash, and a push off type hit
with the other end of his staff to finish. Like the Jab and Strong
counterparts, this also has decent recovery time, but it seems to be
retaliated against easier than the other 2 versions. It's basically a 3
hit ground combo finisher that combos in well when not using too many
ground attacks. It can also OTG, but only for 2 hits.
So overall, learn which Cajun Slash to use at specific times. In short :
JAB - Retaliation after blocking, keep away.
STRONG - OTGs, hopping over sweeps.
FIERCE - Ground combo finisher.
*Cajun Strike - charge down, then up + P, then P or K
Gambit hops up to a side of the screen. When finishing the motion by
going to up, you can go to either diagonal up and forward or diagonal up and
backward to choose which side you wish to jump to first. You can then
control him by moving him side to side, and come down and attack with a
punch button for a staff attack or a kick button for a dive kick. Gambit
can jump between sides multiple times when doing this move.
Gambit can't block whilst doing this move, making it not so useful. The
attack coming down tends to have pretty good priority, so try it against
opponents who don't have solid anti airs (but watch out for helpers as well).
Try jumping from side to side repeatedly to confuse them.
*Cajun Escape - charge down, then up + K, then K
Similar to the Cajun Strike, but Gambit jumps up a shorter height, and can
only switch sides once. However, it is faster, so you can try to quickly
surprise opponents with it by coming down with the kick as soon as you touch
the side first.
*HYPER COMBOS*
*Royal Flush - QCF + PP
Gambit throws his staff up into the air, draws many cards in both hands,
[animation pause] and then he throws out a whole lot of Kinetic Cards
straight, and then turns around, catches his staff, and says "See ya, chere."
The delay time and recovery time on this has been greatly shortened since
X-Men Vs. Street Fighter, but it's still a factor. It still does the same
old ridiculous damage though, so try to find openings in which you can get
it. It still OTGs, so try surprising opponents by comboing it after a
C.Roundhouse - or otherwise set it up with a helper character. The other
way to combo it is after a C.Fierce - after the uppercut sends them up, the
staff of the Royal Flush can pick them off and send them flying back down
into the cards. However, this doesn't get too many hits and not much damage
either, and you have to hit with the C.Fierce from pretty close then since
the staff doesn't have much horizontal range in the air. Try hitting
opponents out of the air with the staff as they are just above you and
unable to block. It might sound like a rare occasion, but believe me, it's
not. Consider these examples - missed/blocked Dragon Punch or Dragon Punch
variation, Ryu throwing a Shinkuu Hadouken above you (probably from a failed
attempt at comboing it in an air combo), Strider player who accidentally
done the Wall Cling and is frantically mashing on the buttons trying to get
down, or Chun Li player who feels safe doing an Air Lightning Kick above you,
trying to tempt you into sticking a limb into the barrage of kicks. One
other note - mashing the buttons, contrary to popular belief, seems to do
nothing for me. I get 37 hits when I've set it up correctly, regardless of
whether I mash the buttons or not.
Overall, I'd say it should be used the same as it always has been - very
carefully, or only after blocking a character switch. I don't care if it
looks cool or does 37 hits - it's not a safe super to use. In short, it's
not a super you can throw out in desperation - like most Ryu players do with
his Shinkuu Hadouken, which is rather predictable and stupid against Gambit
because of his other Hyper combo, detailed below.
*Cajun Explosion - QCF or QCB + KK
Gambit jumps up to a side of the screen, designated by the direction of
the quarter circle motion. He then draws several cards [animation pause],
and then throws them to the ground, causing very high explosions, like
Magneto's Magnetic Shockwave at a 30 to 45 degree angle up to the top of the
stage. Gambit then hops straight down from whichever side he was at.
A new super, and a great one. Firstly, most other guides on the net will
probably say it's useless because of it's lag time coming out, and that it'll
never connect. Well, I guess for the most part, that's correct. But
consider the strengths of the super - great damage, and unlike the Royal
Flush, pretty good recovery time. And it's also generally unavoidable, and
causes pretty good block damage anyway. The trick to using this super
effectively is to bait your opponent into throwing out moves with massive
recovery time. And I mean massive recovery time, since this takes a fair
while to come out. The best example is a ground super beam move. Consider
this - it's come down to a match between Ryu and Gambit, and they are a
full screen apart. When it comes down to these pressure moments, most
people are probably going to turtle up - if they have sufficient energy to
withstand the block damage of this, then it doesn't mean much. Or does it?
Try throwing a couple of Kinetic Cards - or even taunting, to try to get
your opponent to open up. Once you've thrown a couple of Kinetic Cards,
your opponent will probably think that you've settled into a pattern, and
try and nail you with a Shinkuu Hadouken in between. But there's the
opening - after throwing a couple of Kinetic Cards, do this forwards. Ryu
will uselessly throw his super into thin air, whilst you hop over it and
behind him, and then annihilate him with a huge explosion of Kinetic energy
that will do huge damage, and on top of that, he's also wasted a level of
super energy there as well. Of course, so that it's not a total beam killer,
Capcom had to make the jump of this move relatively low, so you have to
time it pretty early to get over nasty beam supers.
By the way, if you think that using this in a Double Team is a good idea,
well, it's not really. The basic myth going around goes like this : you do
a Double Team with Gambit, and say, Captain America. If you then do a QCF
motion with 2 kicks, Captain America will perform a Hyper Charging Star
whilst Gambit jumps behind them with a Cajun Explosion - this should equal
free supers, since you can't block both sides at once, right? Well, no, it
doesn't work that way. As soon as the defending player is holding guard,
all that player needs to do is hold on to that direction, and they'll block
everything, regardless of which side it comes from.
Also try some fake outs with the Cajun Explosion - try the Cajun Escape
and coming down with a kick quickly. If you're very fast with this, your
opponent may do an anti air move in expectation of your assault (ie. a
Captain Collider in most cases), leaving them wide open. One final note -
there is a slight gap in the screen in which the opponent can avoid this
super - it is basically where Gambit throws the super from. Although if
they don't jump, they get taken with the wave, it is possible to jump from
directly below Gambit to avoid the super and nail him with an air chain.
** [5] COMBOS **
As usual, Gambit has a variety of stylish combos at his disposal - some
which are difficult to perform but nevertheless stylish, whilst some are
long and allegedly "cheap".
All of Gambit's chains are in the ZigZag or Hunter series. This allows
for great flexibility, but rarely is he able to actually pull off all the
hits. Gambit's air combo finishers are his SJ.Fierce and SJ.Roundhouse.
Both of these will cause Flying Screen.
A note on Gambit's air combos - Gambit's launcher sends opponents way up
into the air. He basically has to super jump for a short while before you
can actually start attacking. Start slightly earlier than in X-Men Vs.
Street Fighter, but still, wait just a little while. This matter is further
complicated with the fact that when he uses the C.Fierce as an anti air
defence (which it is pretty darn useful as), the extra height in the launch
can make it impossible to land all 5 hits in the air. Take out hits as
necessary - usually just SJ.Jab, SJ.Strong, SJ.Fierce should be fine.
*Beginner Combos
1. C.Roundhouse [cancel] Royal Flush (OTG)
Simple 38 hitter. Well, not always 38 hits. Sometimes it does 15 or so,
sometimes it does 8 or so, sometimes it does the full 38. Since this combo
can be escaped from with a recovery roll, you might not wish to rely upon
it so much, since Gambit is left wide open if that occurs. Also, this
combo doesn't work against an opponent right in the corner for some reason.
2. J.Fierce, S.Roundhouse [cancel] Fierce Cajun Slash
5 hits for easy and solid damage.
3. C.Short, C.Forward, C.Roundhouse [cancel] Strong Cajun Slash (OTG)
A simple and effective combo used by beginners and experts alike. 6 solid
hits.
4. DS.C.Short, C.Fierce, SJ.Jab, SJ.Strong, SJ.Fierce
An easy air combo for 5 hits. Try to get the timing down on Gambit's air
combos - they are slower than Wolverine's or Spiderman's, but still fairly
fast.
*Intermediate Combos
5. Strong/Fierce throw opponent into corner, then C.Short (OTG), C.Fierce,
SJ.Jab, SJ.Strong, SJ.Fierce
A simple yet very powerful 6 hitter in the corner. The OTG can't even be
escaped here, making it safe as well (and also attracting allegations of
being "cheap"). This combo is also possible outside the corner, but then
you have to do a DS.C.Short instead of just a C.Short.
6. J.Fierce, J.Roundhouse, S.Roundhouse [cancel] Jab Kinetic Card, Jab Cajun
Slash
The Jab Cajun Slash will catch the opponent before they even hit the floor
after the Jab Kinetic Card. To get the Jab Kinetic Card to connect after
the S.Roundhouse, you have to cancel it fast, and be right up next to your
opponent. Remove the J.Roundhouse if necessary.
7. J.Fierce, C.Fierce, SJ.Jab, SJ.Short, SJ.Strong, SJ.Forward, SJ.Fierce
Easy air combo for 7 hits. Kinda risky since the C.Fierce might miss after
the J.Fierce due to it's short range.
8. Strong/Fierce throw, Royal Flush (OTG)
First found in James Chen's X-Men Vs. Street Fighter combo FAQ, and still
in Marvel Vs. Capcom. The OTG Royal Flush isn't even escapable - but the
timing is decently hard (although James has it listed in his beginner's
combo section... odd).
9. DS.C.Forward, S.Fierce [cancel] Jab Cajun Slash
Thanks to E.J. for this combo from his Gambit FAQ. The S.Fierce sends them
flying, and the Jab Cajun Slash follows it up for another hit that sends
them flying. Stylish, but rather difficult.
*Harder Combos
10. J.Fierce, J.Roundhouse, DS.S.Short, C.Fierce [cancel] Royal Flush
The staff will catch the opponent out of the air, but not for many hits.
Stylish nevertheless.
11. J.Fierce, J.Roundhouse, DS.S.Short, S.Strong, C.Fierce, SJ.Jab, SJ.Short,
SJ.Strong, SJ.Forward, SJ.Fierce
The bread and butter Gambit 10 hitter. You have to omit the S.Strong
against smaller characters, but against larger characters, you can add a
S.Jab at the start of the dashing sequence.
12. J.Fierce, J.Roundhouse, DS.S.Jab, S.Short, S.Strong, S.Forward, S.Fierce
A dashing 7 hit dialer type combo, but it looks odd seeing Gambit do it.
The S.Fierce sends them flying at the end, making a pretty stylish combo
finisher. Also try using a Jab Cajun Slash at the end.
13. J.Fierce, J.Roundhouse, DS.S.Short, S.Roundhouse [cancel] Jab Kinetic
Card, DS.C.Short (OTG), C.Fierce, SJ.Jab, SJ.Strong, SJ.Fierce
A 10 hitter that's rather difficult to do, and long winded. Basically, get
as close to your opponent as you can with the dash, and make sure you
cancel the S.Roundhouse as quickly as possible. Then follow up with the
DS.C.Short as quickly as possible - they don't lie on the ground for very
long. Then finish off the combo with an air combo. This is actually a
variation on a similar combo in James Chen's X-Men Vs. Street Fighter FAQ,
which, for the record, goes like this :
J.Fierce -> J.Roundhouse /\ DS.S.Short -> S.Roundhouse XX Jab Kinetic
Card, DS.C.Short (OTG) -> S.Strong -> S.Forward -> C.Fierce \/ SJ.Jab ->
SJ.Short -> SJ.Strong -> SJ.Fierce (FS).
In other words, I've taken out a couple of hits, although I'll have to try
the fuller combo with those 3 extra hits some day.
*Other Combos
1. C.Roundhouse [cancel] Character Switch (OTG)
Quite possibly the most useful and practical combo of all time. Thanks
again to James Chen for this combo in his X-Men Vs. Street Fighter FAQ.
For the most part, even if your opponent does escape the 2nd hit with a
recovery roll, your character coming in will be safe anyway. You can also
try leading with a longer combo to begin with, like :
J.Fierce, J.Roundhouse, DS.S.Short, C.Strong, C.Roundhouse [cancel]
Character Switch (OTG)
2. Helper Call, follow up combo.
It all comes down to the helper you have selected. I think the best helper
would have to be Colossus - he comes down from above you, so he can be used
as an anti air, plus he juggles so well and easily sets up free Royal
Flushes, or if you dash after him, a simple juggle with a C.Fierce into an
air combo. I guess you could also try going for the Fierce Kinetic Card to
set up a follow up Royal Flush whilst Colossus is juggling the opponent.
Other good helpers to set up the Royal Flush include Psylocke, U.S. Agent,
Sentinel, and Juggernaut. Also try using other helpers to their full
potential - for example, with Cyclops, follow up his optic blast with a
DS.C.Short. The optic blast doesn't knock down, so if you're fast enough,
you can lead it into a combo. King Arthur and Thor have attacks that can
be crouched under - try following up with a jump in. I've also been told
that Lou sets up a Cajun Explosion - haven't tried it yet though.
3. C.Roundhouse [cancel] Dual Super (OTG)
Coupled with another beam super (Ryu, War Machine, etc.), this results in a
huge beam that should easily get 50+ hits. More effective than this,
however, is using a character with a super that's easily combo'd in, and
having Gambit coming in. For example, with a Wolverine/Gambit team with
Wolverine on screen, try this :
J.Jab, J.Short, J.Strong, DS.C.Jab, C.Short, C.Forward [cancel] Dual
Super.
Basically, Wolverine will pummel them with 6 hits, before setting up the
Dual Super. Since his Dual Super, the Berserker Barrage X, comes out
instantly, the opponent will get hit by that for a while, before Gambit
comes in and finishes off the combo in style with a Royal Flush. Stylish
and very easy. However, Dual Supers that come off instantly are rare
nowadays - Captain America and Ken seem to be the only other remaining
instant Dual Super setups. Most importantly, however, is that this combo
switches your characters, and is very useful when you need to switch and
your opponent is turtling up, and waiting for you to switch so they can
nail you with a super, since the jump in chain will almost certainly trick
them.
*Trick Combos
These aren't real combos, but sequences you use to trick your opponent
into getting hit. They are very useful when your opponent turtles up.
1. J.Fierce, J.Roundhouse, DS.S.Short, Strong/Fierce throw, OTG combo
Basically, the DS.S.Short will bring you close enough to your opponent to
easily set up a throw. People call me "cheap" all the time for using this,
but who cares? It is very effective and will get you free hits everywhere.
Once your opponent wises up to this, try just jumping in blocking, or just
jumping back with an air block after the DS.S.Short - your opponent
probably either wants to nail you with a super or throw you back.
2. Corner opponent, then Jab Kinetic Card, Jab Cajun Slash
The Jab Kinetic Card recovers fast enough to nail any counterattack attempts
with a Jab Cajun Slash. Also try the Strong Cajun Slash against trip happy
opponents - it will hop right over their sweep and nail them for 3 clean
hits.
3. Jab Cajun Slash, Jab Cajun Slash
Similar to the above sequence, and very effective. Hold block after the
first Cajun Slash if you think your opponent thinks you've settled into a
pattern.
4. J.Fierce, J.Roundhouse, DS.S.Jab, Strong/Fierce throw, OTG combo
Against everyone but Hulk, Venom, and possibly Zangief, this is a free
combo. It's a tick, but then it's not. Basically, the S.Jab is used
because it whiffs crouching opponents. This means you can throw them
faster than if you tick them with a S.Short. Then follow up with an OTG
combo as usual. The S.Jab can be said to be used to basically just stop
the dash, since you can't throw opponents whilst dashing.
** [6] General Strategy **
Gambit's main strengths are his speed and fast combos. You should go for
them whenever you can, and keep up the pressure on your opponent.
Gambit's best jump in chain is by far the J.Fierce, J.Roundhouse chain.
The J.Fierce has great priority and range, and since it hits from so high,
it easily chains into the J.Roundhouse. This chain tends to be very
deceptive, since the lag time between the 2 hits is actually quite
significant. Opponents will go into a crouch block after blocking the
J.Fierce from fear of following low ground attacks - that's when the
J.Roundhouse nails them, setting up a free combo. However, you shouldn't
get too confident with the J.Fierce, since there are still many nasty anti
airs that will take it out - the good old Dragon Punch, the Captain Collider,
and of course the usual anti air supers.
On that note, you really have to learn to be able to dash after jump ins.
The J.Fierce, J.Roundhouse chain tends to push the opponent back a little
bit, making it nearly impossible to land the C.Fierce afterwards. By being
able to dash after the jump in, you make your combo longer, more damaging,
and in the event that your opponent blocks it, safer, since you have more
time to recognise that your opponent has blocked it, and then you can
finish it off in something that recovers quickly, like a Jab Cajun Slash.
Of course, that doesn't mean you should be jumping in all the time - any
fast character can walk under Gambit's jump and throw him from behind as
he lands. Against these guys, the DS.C.Short becomes very important. It
has great range and priority over most grounded normal attacks, so dash in
with it frequently, and keep up close and maintain the pressure. That
doesn't necessarily mean that you never block though - there are the usual
nasty supers waiting for you if you're careless - the Beserker Barrage X
and Shoryureppa variations are particularly nasty and usually can set up
major Dual Supers. So dash in, and then just block every now and then once
you've got them frustrated from your dashing assaults. Remember to throw in
the occasional tick in your ground assaults - it'll leave opponents more
open as they grow weary of throws, and try to go for major counters (usually
in the form of Hyper combos) that may leave them open for a free Royal Flush.
This is true for any character, but especially true for Gambit, because it
annoys opponents more when you not only get a throw, but if you used the
Strong/Fierce throw, you also get a free follow up OTG combo that can't be
avoided.
On that topic, Gambit's throws should be used frequently to open up holes
in your opponent's defence. The Strong/Fierce throw is probably your best
throw since it sets up major combos, but the Forward/Roundhouse throw is
your best friend when you want to cheese someone off. Just look at it -
Gambit just mashes their face into a pulp with the staff.
A neat little trap worth learning is the Kinetic Card trap. Basically,
you just get a full screen between you and your opponent, and then start
throwing out Jab Kinetic Cards. If your opponent jumps forward, you just
use the range of your S.Fierce to hit them and send them flying back to
where they came from - then cancel into a Jab Kinetic Card and repeat. Even
if the S.Fierce is blocked, it pushes your opponent back far anyway, and the
Kinetic Card block damage is unavoidable. If your opponent super jumps,
either wait and C.Fierce them out of the air or just dash under them and
set it up from the other side. Keeping out of reach with Gambit will
probably frustrate most opponents and entice them into charging at you -
this will leave a lot of openings in their defence, meaning a lot of free
combos. However, during the trap, you should watch out for the usual beam
super counters. Gambit now has the Cajun Explosion to get over these for
easy damage from behind your opponent, so just watch carefully. Usually
they'll try throwing a beam super after 2 blocked Jab Kinetic Cards -
especially if they've been hit back by a S.Fierce when trying to jump over
your Kinetic Cards. However, if their beam super cannot be countered with
a Cajun Explosion, your only option then is to super jump. This is
necessary against MegaMan and I think possibly War Machine as well. Also
watch for other counters like Spider-man's Maximum Spider.
Gambit's combos are largely reliant on OTGs. An opponent who is quick to
react to his OTG combos would probably be able to avoid several nasty
combos, or at least certainly the good old C.Short, C.Forward, C.Roundhouse
[cancel] Strong Cajun Slash (OTG) combo. However, this does not mean
Gambit's offense has fallen apart - his other OTG setups, the Strong/Fierce
throw and Kinetic Card, are not escapable by rolling. Use these the most
when you need guaranteed combos.
Just play cool, calm, and stylish. That's the basic key to playing a
solid Gambit - using pressure tactics, doing long combos, tricking your
opponent, and doing it all in fine style.
** [7] Strategy Vs. Specific Characters **
OK, I'll be honest - there is a dire lack of variety in my local area.
Almost everyone can be classified in one of these 3 groups :
*Shotokan types - they pick Ryu and Captain Commando/Morrigan/MegaMan, and
rely on their fireballs like crazy. Sometimes they also play Chun Li,
probably because they only know those 2 characters' moves.
*Exclusive throw players - the usual annoying opponents, usually playing
Chun Li and some other character good with throws.
*"Experts" - the guys who pick Wolverine/Spider-man/Strider and go button
mashing like crazy.
So basically, this section is not going to be very detailed. My
apologies, but it's not really my fault either. Everyone picks out of this
group of characters :
-Ryu
-Chun Li
-Captain Commando
-MegaMan
-Strider
-Spider-man
-Wolverine
And that doesn't necessarily mean they know how to play those characters
effectively anyway.
*Captain America
Cap's main strengths are his Fierce punches and all round strength.
Fortunately, in most cases, Gambit's Fierce punches outprioritise Captain
America. Try jumping in with J.Fierce, J.Roundhouse frequently to
outprioritise his C.Fierce and S.Strong. Once you've got him on that, just
jump in and hold block from time to time for the Stars and Stripes, and
try to follow up and attack him as he recovers.
The ground battle against Cap is a little bit more balanced, since he has
the S.Fierce to rely on. Try nailing him from just outside his range
with a Jab Cajun Slash.
The other main note against Captain America is that he's got some fairly
all purpose Hyper combos. The Hyper Charging Star, despite being slow to
come out, recovers quickly and does good block damage - not much you can
really do against that one. The Hyper Stars and Stripes comes out instantly
and goes well in ground combos. The Final Justice has a bit of delay time
to come out, but it does some pretty good damage. Just watch for those and
you should be fine.
By the way, Cap's double jump makes the Kinetic Card trap almost useless
against him.
*Captain Commando
Most Captain Commando players play keep away. If that's the case, you
should either try to get in and pound him, or lure him out.
To get through CapCom's barrage of long distance attacks, the best method
is probably super jumping. In most cases, just come down blocking - he'll
probably go for a Captain Collider, which then translates into an easy
combo for you after you air block it. Another good way to get through is
the dash and then jump forward quickly. This is pretty fast and gets
across the screen quickly, so you'll probably surprise him. Try throwing
out an appropriate helper if necessary to get through.
If you have difficulty getting through, another great tactic is to lure
Captain Commando out to you. Try the Kinetic Card trap from a full screen
away - most CapCom players, upon seeing you settle into a Kinetic Card
pattern, will probably try to get in close to you. Notice how easily the
tables were turned - now you're keeping him away, and he's trying to get in
through your defense. If they persist, well, try super jumping and quickly
throwing a Jab Kinetic Card to hit from from out of screen, or maybe even
taunting - the idea is to get CapCom out if you have difficulty against his
keep away game.
The other, much more uncommon type of Captain Commando is the aggressive
combo crazy type. In this case, he's much more deadly, as he can combo in
supers with ease, and has pretty powerful combos even without supers
(DS.C.Short, C.Forward, C.Fierce, Captain Fire - nasty). Try keeping him
out with S.Fierces, Jab Cajun Slashes, and C.Fierce any jumpers. Try not to
engage in air to air battles with anything but the J.Short as a lead -
usually, CapCom's superior air throw range will prevail. Use those helpers
to set up combos when necessary - Colossus is probably the best here as he
comes down from above you, taking out any jumping assaults.
*Chun Li
Most Chun Li players are throw happy types, so just keep your distance
with Jab Cajun Slashes and S.Fierce punches. You have to be very careful in
the ground battle as her Thousand Burst Kick combos in easily now. Recovery
roll to avoid the usual C.Roundhouse, Lightning Kicks (OTG) combo.
The DS.C.Short is probably going to be your best weapon here. It's fast
and will usually take out most of Chun Li's ground based attacks. Try
leading this into Gambit's Strong/Fierce throw, and following it up with an
OTG. Then try this sequence - DS.C.Short, pause, Jab Cajun Slash - after
being ticked a couple of times, most players will either try to sweep you
or throw you back - that's when the Jab Cajun Slash will hammer them
straight back.
When jumping in at Chun Li, you either have to go for the J.Fierce from
further away, or just block. Her S.Roundhouse still has insane priority and
can now lead into her air super, and she also has the Ha San Tenshou Kyaku
to nail jumpers.
I've also been told that you should try walking under Chun Li's jump and
launching her with a C.Fierce from behind. I don't know, it doesn't sound
right to me - Gambit is a fairly tall character, making him an easy target
for a Head Stomp.
*Gambit
Most Gambit players try playing keep away with the Kinetic Cards, so
just jump in and combo away, but remember to jump in blocking from time to
time in case he's going to set up a Royal Flush with a helper.
From what I've seen, most Gambit players don't utilise his superior
abilities in close combat. Just dash in at him and combo away. Throw in
the occasional tick and nail anti counter attack attempts with the Jab Cajun
Slash. And finally, recovery roll whenever possible - there are many nasty
OTG's to watch out for.
*Hulk
I think the Kinetic Card trap works effectively against him for the most
part - his slow speed should make it difficult for him to get in without at
least taking some block damage, unless he just super jumps anyway.
Try jumping in at Hulk with the J.Fierce, J.Roundhouse chain frequently.
Be sure to start the J.Fierce early though - because of his size, some of
Hulk's anti airs reach very high. However, when Hulk has his super meter
charged, you have to jump in blocking from time to time, in case he goes for
the Gamma Crush.
Another good tactic is to lead combos against Hulk with the C.Roundhouse -
they still knock him down, and you have a variety of OTG follow ups at your
disposal, but this tactic kinda grows useless once he recovery rolls all the
time. Dash in with a C.Short, then throw - that is another good way to get
around his super armor.
You should take advantage of any opportunities that arise with the
recovery time of Hulk's moves - for example, if they keep on trying to
launch you with the C.Fierce, just quickly dash in and attack after blocking
it.
*Jin
A lot of Jin's moves, despite their lag time or recovery time, tend to
have great priority - the Drill Kick, for instance, will otuprioritise
your C.Fierce. You should rather try to rely on your speed to get around
Jin's assault to find hits.
Most Jin players like to follow up a C.Roundhouse with a Jin Dynamite -
just block and follow up with a Jab Cajun Slash. Also try the keep away
Kinetic Card trap against Jin.
Finally, dealing with Jin's Hyper combos - the Great Cyclone reaches up to
the top of the stage - watch for this, even when you're super jumping.
The Blodia Fist is quite deadly from the right range, and combos in fairly
easily as well. The Blodia Vulcan has a little bit of delay time to it,
but does very good damage. For the Blodia supers, just watch for the opening
animation, and try to super jump on reaction.
*MegaMan
MegaMan's main weapons are the Mega Buster and his Item weapons.
The Mega Buster, being a one button fireball move, will probably be
completely abused by your opponent. Most MegaMan players like to jump, fire
a Mega Buster, land, and fire another one. This basically results in 2 Mega
Busters (albeit small) coming at you, making it necessary to super jump to
avoid them. Since Gambit is a fairly tall target, this doesn't make it much
easier either. The solutions, however, are simple - since MegaMan players
get VERY predictable with the Mega Buster, you can easily get a free Royal
Flush. You can also just super jump and throw out a couple of Kinetic Cards
to get him to stop his monotonous pattern.</pre><pre id="faqspan-2">
The other style of Mega Buster play tends to be to charge it for a long
time, and use it in some nasty combos. You can't do much to stop him from
charging it up, but you should just try to play keep away yourself, since
most MegaMan players just turtle up when they are charging up the Mega
Buster. Just throw out a couple of Kinetic Cards to lure him out, and
super jump away when he comes at you - this should keep him away and make it
harder for him to find a situation in which to effectively use the Mega
Buster.
Also, MegaMan's S.Roundhouse launches, has good anti air priority, and can
combo into the Hyper MegaMan - so be careful jumping in, and watch the range
you jump in from. Try dashing in with a C.Short instead - MegaMan has very
little close combat priority, making him an easy target for dashing combos.
Finally, dealing with MegaMan's supers - well, not very difficult at
all, really. The Hyper MegaMan, despite appearing to be very deadly and all,
will basically never connect unless he gets it in an air combo, since the
delay time before it comes out is just way too long. It also has some
recovery time to it, so try nailing him with a Royal Flush after you block
it. The Drill super (I can't remember it's real name) also has recovery
time, and isn't that deadly either - just super jump when you see him do it.
The Beat Plane is also not that dangerous - when MegaMan finishes, he can't
block as he falls down from wherever he finished the super - this equals
free C.Fierces into air combos and Royal Flushes. Just super jump away from
the Beat Plane, and see if he follows you up - if he doesn't, then he's just
wasted a super; if he does, then he risks giving away a free combo due to the
added landing recovery time.
*Morrigan
The Kinetic Card trap should work against Morrigan easily. Just watch for
the Soul Razor, and Cajun Explosion behind her for when she's caught
throwing the super fireball.
Otherwise, just dash in and combo away. Don't forget to lead the
DS.C.Short into ticks to annoy her.
I'm not sure if jumping in is safe against Morrigan or not - the C.Fierce
seems to have decent anti air priority, but then again, Gambit's J.Fierce
outprioritises a lot of normal anti airs.
*Ryu
Ryu Mode
Most Ryu players just play in Ryu mode and don't ever bother changing to
the other modes.
Ryu is now quite slow. This leaves him open to many fast combos and
tricks that Gambit has. Dash in with the C.Short frequently, but be
cautious in case he's going to try to nail you with the Super Hurricane Kick.
In fact, you should just watch out from close range for his supers, since the
Shinshoryuken also does very good damage. Personally, I miss the good old
days when you could just push back Ryu's Super Hurricane Kick and toast him
with a Mega Optic Blast.
Try using the Kinetic Card trap against Ryu, and you should easily be able
to pick his Shinkuu Hadouken and get a free Cajun Explosion.
If Ryu throws fireballs off a normal jump, just dash in under it and
C.Fierce him as he comes down, because he can't block then. If he has thrown
it low to the ground, just super jump and throw a couple of Kinetic Cards.
Ken Mode
In Ken mode, Ryu is considerably faster than in Ryu mode, but now he has a
lot of moves that are basically suicidal.
In this mode, Ryu basically has no counters for the Kinetic Card trap -
all he can do is super jump to avoid. In fact, the only dangers he poses in
Ken mode are his instantly initiating, very-easy-to-combo supers. The
Shoryureppa remains the great ground combo counter, having good range and
doing considerable damage. The Shinryuken is an all purpose anti air - be
sure to jump in blocking for that. The Shippu Jinrai Kyaku - well, I've
never seen anyone use it, so I don't know. Hopefully it has the same
massive recovery time it has in SF3. Just play keep away and you should
beat him easily.
It kinda annoys me that getting in close and comboing Ken just doesn't
work as effectively since he's got those nasty Hyper combos. The Shinryuken
will take out jumpers, and the Shoryureppa can nullify your dashing assaults
since it can be done so instantly. Both of them leave him wide open, so
just be sure to be cautious when in short range.
Akuma Mode
In Akuma mode, Ryu gains the speed and power of Akuma, but also has to put
up with the damage handicap - use this to your full advantage, and punish
him with combos whenever you can.
Ryu is again susceptible to the Kinetic Card trap in Akuma mode, except
that now he has a diagonal air fireball to counter from long range. Most
Akuma players will throw it from just a standard jump, so it's possible to
just super jump and throw a Jab Kinetic Card early during the super jump.
If timed right, this should catch him. Once you've got him frustrated
from long range, he's probably going to try to counter your ground Kinetic
Cards with a Messatsu Gouhadou - free Cajun Explosion.
Up close, Akuma has the same old Messatsu Goushoryuu to rely on to
instantly counter ground assaults. Just watch for it when you dash in.
Now, most of the time in Akuma mode, the big favourite move seems to be
the Dive Kick. I'm not sure yet, but I think Gambit's C.Fierce, if timed
right, should be able to beat it cleanly. Otherwise, just super jump back
and throw a couple of aerial Kinetic Cards, or just block and push it back.
*Spider-man
It is best to play up close and combo away at Spider-man. If you play a
defensive game, it is still possible to win, but then you are allowing him
to control the pace of the match, and his constant barrage of attacks can
become difficult to defend against.
Spider-man's J.Roundhouse can outprioritise your C.Fierce - this makes for
some major problems. You're basically going to have to keep up at him and
keep him on the defensive, since Spider-man can find his way through
defences easily. Jump in with the J.Fierce, J.Roundhouse chain, but be sure
to start it early. You'll have to be ready to block backwards though, since
some Spider-man players like to walk under Gambit's high jump, and set up an
air combo from behind with a C.Forward into S.Roundhouse.
Dashing is another good way to keep Spider-man pinned - keep on dashing
and attacking with a short sequence like DS.C.Short, C.Strong, C.Forward,
and repeat. Add in the throw here and there and counter any counter attack
attempts with a Jab Cajun Slash, and it should be all over in a hurry.
Basically, if Spider-man is keeping you blocking, he's got many weapons to
get through your guard; but if you keep Spider-man on the defensive, you can
easily take away his main strength - he's not going to be very agile when
he's just sitting there blocking your attacks.
Now then, dealing with the supers - the Maximum Spider is not at all
useful to Spidey unless he can properly set it up with a good helper or
Fierce Web Ball - you should never get hit by the latter, but be careful for
the helper. The Crawler Assault often comes in an OTG combo, so be ready
to roll from that one. The Hyper Web Throw is only deadly when you're
doing a move with long lag time - that shouldn't occur, since you really
shouldn't be throwing any Kinetic Cards when you're trying to constantly
combo away.
Of course, all this information is irrelevant if they play Spidey like
another fireball character. I've seen many Spider-man players just sitting
back and throwing Fierce Web Balls until one connects, and following up with
a Maximum Spider. In this case, just jump over and hammer him with the
combo of your choice.
*Strider
Strider will most likely keep up in your face with those usual 6 hit
chains and nasty long combos. The key here, again, as with Spider-man, is
to keep Strider on the defensive.
Strider's C.Fierce provides almost impenetrable anti air defense, so
you're probably going to have to rely on the DS.C.Short as your main combo
lead. Besides, if you jump in too much, Strider can easily air throw you
because of his great air throw priority.
So anyway, as with Spider-man, keep dashing in and keeping him pinned.
Mix in the occasional throw - this will get the message across that just
sitting there and holding block does not translate into safety. This will
then cause him to open up more holes in his defence - he may start trying to
dial combo you as soon as he sees you pause and look like you're walking in
for a throw. Try a Jab Cajun Slash here to hit him back, or a Strong Cajun
Slash if you think he'll go for sweeps.
Eventually, when he's tired of defending, he'll call up the Ourobolos.
The best thing to do is probably to super jump away, and throw a couple of
aerial Kinetic Cards. Also try using the Cajun Explosion into your own
corner if you just need to keep him at bay. If all else fails, just sit
there and block it - it doesn't do that much block damage anyway, and
there's no danger of him throwing you at that time - all he can really
do is just go through his 6 hit chain.
His other supers shouldn't pose a threat at all. The Legion is just way
too slow to come out, giving you ages to just super jump. A couple of birds
will still hit you though, so just super jump back and hold air block. The
Ragnarok similarly has great lag time to it, so you shouldn't ever really
get hit by that either.
Oh, and when Strider players accidentally do the Wall Cling, they tend to
panic. They start mashing buttons like crazy to try to get down, and all
that happens is that Strider hangs there slashing away. Just get him down
with a Cajun Explosion or set up a Royal Flush with a Trick Card. Or
you could even dash under him, and throw the Royal Flush such that the staff
will hit him down, and he'll get hammered by the cards.
*Venom
Venom's main weapons are his Venom Fang, his air combo, and his Strong
throw.
Venom can defend against Gambit's J.Fierce with a S.Roundhouse - watch the
range, and try to jump in from further out. This leaves dashing as your
safest combo lead, but you should still be careful since if he sees it
coming, he can hit you from half a screen away with the C.Fierce.
Venom is most effective when he's on the offensive, so yet again, you
should work to keep him on the defensive. The Venom Fang has very good
recovery time and outprioritises most attacks, and you'll probably find
yourself blocking that all the time. However, most Venom players will just
hold block afterwards from fear of a counter attack, so just block it, and
walk up and throw. Venom uses his air combo very frequently, but the
S.Strong isn't going to be outprioritising Gambit's J.Fierce much, so don't
worry about that. However, Venom can easily set it up with his Strong
throw. This has got to be one of the best throws in the game, because it
even sets up the Death Bite (Strong throw, C.Strong, C.Forward [cancel]
Death Bite). You'll have to watch for his throw from in close since it is
just so versatile in being able to set up so many nasty combos.
Venom's supers are, for the most part, easy to avoid. The Venom Web
covers the entire screen, but the flag of him flashing white makes it easy
to see coming. Just don't get caught performing a move with long lag time.
Try not to throw out Cajun Explosions either - the Venom Web can catch
Gambit out just before the cards explode. Venom's other super, the Death
Bite, is also deadly because of it's execution speed. Try and react to this
one quickly so as to super jump and avoid it.
*War Machine
I think War Machine players can be classified into 2 different categories -
the usual keep away Shoulder Cannon happy players, and the more unusual,
aggressive War Machine. The former shouldn't pose many problems at all, but
the latter probably will.
Most War Machine players will just try to keep you away with Shoulder
Cannons. Just jump over and go for your combos, but watch out for his
anti airs. It is easy for him to set up a Proton Cannon with a good helper,
so just be careful jumping in. Dashing in, on the other hand, is quite
safe since Gambit's DS.C.Short is just so fast and easily outprioritises
War Machine's ground attack game. Lead it into the combo of your choice.
The other type, the aggressive combo crazy guys, are far more deadly.
They'll probably go for the usual J.Fierce aimed downwards - just hit him
out with a C.Fierce into an air combo. War Machine's Knee Dive is
counterable with a C.Fierce, but the timing is crucial. Watch out carefully
when he does it off a super jump - this can lead into a combo easily. You'll
also have to be very quick in hitting War Machine out of flight - most good
War Machine players will not just keep on flying and throwing out attacks
when they can see you're going to get through and combo him insanely.
Finally, War Machine's supers are very powerful and you have to be weary
of them. The Proton Cannon, despite it's lag time, can be set up with a
good helper. Watch for that, and punish him before he can recover. The
War Destroyer is particularly deadly in it's easy set up of a S.Roundhouse -
watch your jump in range.
*Wolverine
Another combo crazy type, and arguably the "cheapest" character in the
game. Wolverine has many, many weapons you'll have to learn to counter
and avoid.
Firstly, Wolverine's dashing assaults are fast and can easily lead into
supers. The most typical dashing lead tends to be the DS.C.Jab or
DS.C.Short - both of these are very fast (near instant!) and should be
watched for. Try an keep him back with an S.Fierce from out of range, or
a Jab Cajun Slash. You can also try a Strong Cajun Slash to hop over his
low level crouching attacks. But above all, be patient - when Wolverine
dashes in with a combo, you don't want to get hit by any one of those hits,
since it can easily combo into a Fatal Claw or Berserker Barrage X for
easy damage. Couple that with Wolverine's rather long throw range and
great throw priority, and well, you either have to patiently wait out his
barrage and pick the moments to attack or just keep blocking altogether.
Secondly, Wolverine's other main combo lead is the jump in. His J.Jab,
J.Short, J.Strong chain, besides working on everybody, is very confusing.
Just try and hit him out of it with a C.Fierce quickly. Try not to match
him in the air - the J.Jab has supreme air to air priority, and can easily
lead into a combo. Wolverine can also super jump and go into the Head
Stomp, SJ.Roundhouse chain. You'll probably have to just block this for the
most part, since if it's well positioned, it outprioritises your C.Fierce.
If he gets predictable, hit him out of it with a Royal Flush - the staff
should nail him during his Head Stomp and send him right into the cards.
Finally, when you have Wolverine on the defensive, you have a variety of
options available. Dashing in and comboing away is usually going to work,
but you will have to watch for his defenses. His S.Roundhouse provides
solid anti air defense, and if you outprioritise it with your J.Fierce, he
may start trying to set up combos otherwise by walking under your jump and
hitting you from behind with a C.Strong. This can lead to an air combo
(C.Strong, S.Roundhouse, etc.), or even a Fatal Claw (C.Strong, S.Fierce
[cancel] Fatal Claw). So be careful. And when going for combos on the
ground, you basically have to try to leave no gap at all - any gap and it's
an easy Berserker Barrage X for him. Well then, having covered his
defensive game, he doesn't have many shortcomings, does he? Actually,
Wolverine is quite susceptible to the Kinetic Card trap - use it whenever
necessary.
*Zangief
Everyone knows Zangief is going to go for the Spinning Piledriver whenever
possible, so try to play a solid keep away game with the Kinetic Card trap.
Jump in and combo away leading with the J.Fierce, J.Roundhouse chain when
possible.
When (if) Zangief turns into Mega Zangief, just perform the Cajun
Explosion into your own corner - it'll be easy damage. If you don't have
any super meter, just keep him away with the Kinetic Card trap (as usual).
*Onslaught
First Form
It's preferable to have a good, fast, multi hitting helper selected. I
usually go with Colossus or Psylocke. Anyway, just block and back off, and
corner yourself. Just block and push away the Magnetic Tempest, Shockwave,
and Mega Optic Blast, and super jump to avoid the Hyper Grav. Once you're
cornered, call up your helper - preferably when he's not about to attack.
As the helper hits, start into your full 6 hit standing chain. Once you
reach the end, allow for a short pause after the S.Roundhouse hits, before
calling the helper again. The pause is there just to decrease the chances
of him teleporting away during your combo. Go into the chain again, and
keep on repeating. If you find yourself running out of helper calls, just
go into the combo from scratch, but make sure first that he's not about to
attack. From time to time, you can also just super jump and throw a couple
of Kinetic Cards if you find it difficult to set up your chain combo, but
just be careful in case he tries to catch you out of the air with a Hyper
Grav.
Onslaught may also call a helper. They have infinite Hyper combo energy,
so be weary of that.
Finally, try not to switch, and don't throw supers.
Second Form
If you beat the first form by repeatedly combing him with the 6 hit chain,
by now you should have 3 levels. You're going to need them. Again, you'll
probably have to just block for the beams - they do a lot of damage and he
tends to fire a couple in succession, covering a lot of the screen. The
most obvious opportunity to attack him is when he goes for the arm charge -
super jump over this, and when he comes back on screen, jump and hit him
with a full 6 hit jumping chain. Other chances arise when Onslaught comes
on to the screen near the ground - if he's not close to the corner, throw a
Cajun Explosion for massive damage. You want him on the screen when you
throw it, but be careful since he might be about to fire a beam, and the
delay time on the Cajun Explosion will get you killed. Onslaught also has
the Hyper Grav in this form, so avoid that also. Finally, if he's just
floating way up in the sky, don't worry about going after him - just be
patient and wait for him to come down.
** [8] CREDITS AND THANKS **
Allen Kim - discussion about all Capcom games, and passing the Street Fighter
Alpha FAQ on to me.
GameFAQs - uploading this and my Street Fighter Alpha FAQ.
NeoGrief - uploading my Street Fighter Alpha FAQ.
James Chen - the great FAQs on Marvel Super Heroes (the original one, not
MSH Vs. Street Fighter) and then on X-Men Vs. Street Fighter.
All the guys I played at Galaxy World and Playland - they may not be terribly
original in character selection, but hey, it's competition.
Edmund Patdu and Miguel Raya - feedback on the first version on this FAQ.
E.J. - fellow Gambit FAQ author and for a couple of combos. He has a great
comprehensive Gambit FAQ, so go read it if you need the fine intricacies of
playing Gambit.
Finally, if you have any questions, comments, or additions, send them to :
[email protected]
This FAQ is copyright 1998 by Min Sub Kim. Gambit and all other Marvel
characters mentioned in this guide are a trademark of Marvel Characters, INC.
All Capcom characters mentioned throughout are property of Capcom, Co. LTD.
The Gambit logo (ie. the ASCII art) is based on the official Gambit logo,
which is a trademark of Marvel Characters, INC.
This FAQ may be distributed freely but cannot be copied out of or altered
in any way without the express written consent of the author. Or to put
simply, you can't just stick your name on the top and say it's your work.
