MARVEL VS CAPCOM 2: New Age of Heroes
OMEGA RED FAQ V2.0 (last updated 6 January, 2001)
Asia-Pacific Arcade version
(C)2001 Anthony Nickerson, aka Ug the caveman
E-mail:
[email protected]
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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1. Copyright Information
2. Version History
3. Conventions
4. Introduction to Omega Red
5. Strengths and Weaknesses
6. MSHvSF to MvC2
7. Move List
8. Throws
9. Basic Moves Analysis
10. Extra Moves Analysis
11. Special Moves Analysis
12. Super Moves Analysis
13. Assists and Their Uses
14. Basic Strategy
15. Series and Combos
16. VS Abyss
17. Useless Information
18. Future Revisions...?
19. Acknowledgement and Thanks
20. In Closing...
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1. COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
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This document (C) Anthony Nickerson. The information contained herein cannot
be reproduced in any way without prior permission from the author. Failure
to adhere to the copyright restrictions is illegal. Also, do not alter the
guide in any way, shape or form - it is to remain in its original, unedited
state.
Capcom characters (C) Capcom Co., Ltd. Strider is (C) Moto Kikaku. All
Marvel characters (C) Marvel Inc. Any copyrights not specifically mentioned
are acknowledged by the author. I am not affiliated in any way with the
above, and this guide is unauthorised.
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2. VERSION HISTORY
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1.0 - First release.
1.1 - Fixed a few line length errors.
1.2 - Fixed a few minor typos.
2.0 - Updated much of the information, thanks to new discoveries in MvC2.
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3. CONVENTIONS
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Joystick and Button Layout
--------------------------
(when character is facing right)
U
UB | UF
\|/ (LP) (HP) (A1)
B -- o -- F
/|\ (LK) (HK) (A2)
DB | DF
D
F - Forward UF - Up/forward
B - Backward UB - Up/backward
U - Up DF - Down/forward
D - Down DB - Down/back
LP - Light Punch / Jab
HP - Hard Punch / Fierce
LK - Light Kick / Short
HK - Hard Kick / Roundhouse
A1 - Assist 1
A2 - Assist 2
Abbreviations/Conventions
-------------------------
P - Hit either punch
PP - Hit both punches
K - Hit either kick
KK - Hit both kicks
+ - Input commands on either side of the sign simultaneously.
QCF - Quarter Circle Forward; D,DF,F
QCB - Quarter Circle Back; D,DB,B
HCF - Half Circle Forward; B,DB,D,DF,F
HCB - Half Circle Back; F,DF,D,DB,B
DP - Dragon Punch (Shoryuuken) motion; F,D,DF
RDP - Reverse Dragon Punch motion; B,D,DB
270 - A 270 degree motion, starting anywhere; eg. U,UF,F,DF,D,DB,B
OTG - Off The Ground
DHC - Delayed Hyper Combo, also known as an EX Cancel
Universal Moves
---------------
F,F or PP - Dash forward
B,B or B+PP - Dash backward
D,U or KK - Super Jump
(after blocking) PP - Push block / Advancing Guard
(after blocking) B,DB,D+A1 - Crossover Counter (to your A1, Level 1)
(after blocking) B,DB,D+A2 - Crossover Counter (to your A2, Level 1)
QCF+A1 - Snapback (to opponent's A1, Level 1)
QCF+A2 - Snapback (to opponent's A2, Level 1)
Combo Prefixes/Conventions
--------------------------
MP - Medium punch / strong. LP button in combos
MK - Medium kick / forward. LK button in combos
d - Dash. Dash forwards before executing the following command
s - Standing. eg- s.LK means a light kick while standing
j - Jumping. eg- j.LP means a light punch while jumping
c - Crouching. eg- c.HP means a hard punch while crouching
sj - Super Jumping. eg- sj.HK means a hard kick while super-jumping
XX - Cancel into. eg- s.LK XX QCF+P means a standing light kick cancelled
into a QCF+P motion.
/\ - Jump (usually after a launcher, to follow your opponent)
\/ - Land
Combo Series
------------
The combo series of a character determines which normal attacks they can
chain together in a combo. Using the guide below, any button with a higher
number than the preceding one can follow it in a combo (although graphical
details such as opponent's size or attack animation may prevent the attack
from connecting). The layout is given as follows...
LP MP HP
LK MK HK
Remember that MP and MK can only be used in combos after a weaker attack.
a. Weak to Any
1 2 2
1 2 2
b. Stronger
1 2 3
1 2 3
c. Hunter
1 3 5
2 4 6
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4. INTRODUCTION TO OMEGA RED
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Ok, so it's not vital to playing the game, but read it anyway, for
interest's sake... ;)
Name: Arkady Rossovich
Alias: Omega Red
Nationality: Russian
Height: 6'11''
Weight: 425 lbs
Eyes: Red
Hair: Blonde
Family: None known
First Appearance: X-Men #4
Arkady was employed as a Russian "super-soldier" during the Cold War, but
was killed and stored in cryogenic stasis - his mutant abilities were
considered too valuable to waste. He possessed superhuman strength and
durability, and was able to secrete pheremones that drained the victim's
life. Prolonged exposure to the pheremones would cause the victim to lose
consciousness, and eventually die. The Russian government resurrected him
somehow, and enhanced his abilities through the use of coils implanted in
his arms. The coils are made of an alloy called carbonadium, which is
similar to adamantium but much more flexible, yet less resistant to damage.
He was able to project the coils, through small openings on the undersides
of his wrists, to ensnare victims, and he was also able to emit his
pheremones through the coils themselves. However, Omega Red himself is not
entirely resistant to the pheremones. He must continually drain the life
forces of others to remain active.
Since Omega Red is technically a zombie, his body is degrading. To slow
this process, he is "stored" in a cryogenic chamber. When frozen, he stays
kneeling (as he appears in his pre-fight warm-up). He hates being awakened,
and also hates anything non-Russian, which is why he's growling during his
warm-up/taunts.
That's his basic history. Correct me if I'm wrong (I'm not a huge comic
fan), but regardless of that, this Russian uber-zombie is a very powerful
character in MvC2, and can hold his own against anyone.
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5. STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
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Overall, Omega Red is a very powerful character, but takes a lot of time and
dedication to learn. Here are the pros and cons of Omega Red...
+ Ability to regain health while active, without using assists
+ Fast for a guy his size
+ Coils give his punches excellent reach and priority
+ Unmatched versatility with five coil directions and Omega Strikes
+ Air dash
+ Good stamina (takes 90% damage)
+ Burrowing Coils - can strike anywhere on the ground instantly
+ Charges the super meter quickly, even faster using the Death Factor
+ Can duck Guile's Sonic Boom (heh)
- No super links outside of assists or DHCs
- Assists, while useful, are not the best in the game
- Has no easily abuseable moves, and must be played intelligently
That's all I can think of...but it should be obvious that with a little
practice, Omega Red can give anyone a run for their money.
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6. MSHvSF to MvC2
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Omega Red has not changed significantly between the two versions, but there
are a few things you should take note of...
What he's lost:
---------------
The ability to regain ALL lost life - now he can only regain red life.
Coil -> Drain -> Double Slam
What he's gained:
-----------------
His Carbonadium Coils are no longer affected by super armor (a BIG plus)
His Omega Destroyer got a hefty power increase
The move cancel system gives him an easier time comboing in his Coils
A stamina boost
What's been changed:
--------------------
Because of the new four button system, Omega Red's vertical Coil and Omega
Strike have changed to QCF+PP and QCF+KK respectively. His supers have
changed to QCB+PP. I see a lot of people pulling out vertical coils instead
of Omega Destroyers, and this obviously doesn't do them any good...
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7. MOVE LIST
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Extra Moves:
------------
Uppercut - DF+HP
Air Dash - (jumping) F,F or PP
Burrowing Coil - DB / D / DF+K
Special Moves:
--------------
Carbonadium Coil - QCF+P / PP
Air Carbonadium Coil - (jumping) QCF+P / PP / K / KK
Carbonadium Coil Retract - P before Carbonadium Coil hits / is blocked
Air Carbonadium Coil Retract - P or K before Air Coil hits / is blocked
Coil Throw - Direction + P after Carbonadium Coil or either Drain
Double Coil Throw - DB / D / DF+P, Direction + P after Carbonadium Coil
Energy Drain - P after Carbonadium Coil
Death Factor - K after Carbonadium Coil
Omega Strike - QCF+K / KK
Omega Strike Cancel - D+K after Omega Strike
Omega Strike Retract - B+K after Omega Strike
Super Moves:
------------
Omega Destroyer - QCB+PP
Carbonadium Smasher - (jumping) QCB+PP
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8. THROWS
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F / B + HP - Omega Red grabs the opponent with both hands and slams them
into the ground. A fairly plain throw, but you often connect a
Burrowing Coil from it (your opponent will be able to block,
but for some reason it connects against a lot of people).
F / B + HK - Basically the same grab as the HP throw, except this time Omega
Red flips them backwards over his head. Basically the same uses
as the HP throw...just for some variety, I guess.
Any Direction except U / D + HP (air) - Omega Red's air throw is a carbon
copy of his HP throw, and is used in
exactly the same manner.
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9. BASIC MOVES ANALYSIS
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LP / Jab
--------
Jabs serve two purposes - poking at your opponent, and set-ups (the latter
is doubly important in MvC2, as you should be aware). Effective use of jabs
should be the first thing you learn as Omega Red if you want to survive.
Standing - Omega Red throws out a quick poke, with nice range, and excellent
speed and recovery. As with most jabs, it does practically no
damage, but if you're using jabs to cause damage, you're not
playing the game right. You can abuse this move with very little
fear of retaliation, which is a double bonus because it sets up
powerful juggles and is a great interrupt.
Crouching - Pretty much the same animation as his standing jab, only
obviously this one is from a crouch. Generally trickier to use
than the standing jab, because hitting the LP button twice while
standing will launch the opponent, whereas joystick motion is
necessary if you want a c.LP,s.MP combo. Still, the crouching
jab retains the strengths of the standing one - fast, good
range, and excellent set-ups.
Jumping - With his jumping jab, Omega Red quickly spins the end of a coil
around his hand, nunchaku-style. Although it doesn't look like his
standing and crouching jabs, there really is no practical
difference between them, strategy-wise. This still has excellent
speed and recovery, and is still an integral part of combos.
Outside of combos it's primary purpose is as an interrupt.
MP / Strong
-----------
Strong punches are the key to successful Omega Red play. Remember that in
MvC2, strongs and forwards are available only in combos, with the exception
of some launchers (such as Omega Red's own uppercut). Regardless of that,
though, the strong punches are a vital aspect of Omega Red gameplay.
Standing - This is Omega Red's launcher, and it can also be performed on its
own with DF+HP. It's basically a straight-forward uppercut, and
since he takes a step forward during the execution, this has good
range. It's guaranteed if his jab connects, which is another
plus. Personally, I think this is the single most important move
in his arsenal, because it starts aerial raves while still having
good execution and recovery. This should be your standard
punishing move along with the Carbonadium Coils.
Crouching - Omega Red shoots a coil quickly upwards at a 45 degree angle. In
MSHvSF, this was quite an effective anti-air move, but not so
anymore, since it's only available in combos. Still not a bad
move in the big scheme of things, but it's overshadowed by the
standing strong in uses. Basically, use this if, for some reason,
you want a simple ground-only combo.
Jumping - A simple one-handed swiping uppercut. Since it lifts your opponent
up very slightly, this is another very important move in Omega
Red's arsenal. This move sets up a majority of his powerful air
combos, and so its virtues should be obvious.
HP / Fierce
-----------
Omega Red has a good selection of Fierce punches, so make the most of them.
Each particular one has specific uses, but they excel at each one.
Standing - Omega Red basically whips downward with his coil. This is his
longest-ranged regular move, and so it can be used to play
keep-away games or punish moves that are out of range of the
uppercut (and will recover too quickly for a coil). If your
ground combos are blocked, this is an effective move to push the
opponent away slightly. This move will also OTG, although the
possible follow-ups are limited.
Crouching - Think of it as an extension of his jumping jab. From a crouch,
Omega Red lunges forward with both hands, spinning the coil ends
nunchaku-style for a canned 3-hit combo. Excellent range, and
good priority. Recovery is slightly sub-par, but combined with
effective use of Omega Strikes, the risk is practically nil. Use
this to add a bit of power to his ground combos, and it also
makes an effective keep-away move. Interestingly enough, against
airborne opponents, this move will act as a launcher. If you get
the chance to OTG, you can connect c.LK, c.HP then an aerial
rave. Very useful, in the correct circumstances.
Jumping - Known as the Coil Fury, Omega Red lashes out wildly with his coils
for a canned 6-hit combo. A tiny wind-up, but it can still be used
in air combos, and the range and recovery is good. The primary use
is as part of a safe jump-in attack, but the priority is good
enough to beat out most other jumping punches and kicks in the
game (with correct spacing, of course).
LK / Short
----------
As a general rule, Omega Red's short kicks are slightly slower than his
jabs, but have slightly longer range. Since Omega Red's jabs have
considerable range to begin with, the shorts tend to be overshadowed
somewhat.
Standing - A silly-looking horizontal kick. Not terribly important, IMO,
since Omega Red's jab is so useful. I think the range is a *tiny*
bit longer than his jab, but nothing that will alter your game
much.
Crouching - Omega Red sticks his foot out along the ground. Slightly slower
than his crouching jab, but this will start OTG combos.
Generally speaking though, outside of OTG combos the crouching
jab is a lot faster. This kick DOES need to be crouch-blocked,
though, which is a plus.
Jumping - A simple straight kick. Smaller vertical hit range than a jumping
jab, but longer horizontal range. As with the standing short, it's
generally only used if you need another few pixels of range.
MK / Forward
-------
Again, remember that Forwards are only available in combos in MvC2. As such,
they have no practical use outside of combos.
Standing - A big standing heel kick. Nice range (better than his standing
strong) and fairly good speed. However, it achieves nothing
beyond ground combos, and it hits fairly high so it can be
ducked. Only use this when your standing strong is out of range.
Crouching - Just a generic low kick. The only practical use for this is when
your opponent has blocked a move and you want a low hit, but
most people will be crouch blocking anyway since Omega Red has
no standing overheads...
Jumping - A longer version of his jumping short. Nowhere near as useful as
his jumping strong, but during aerial raves he can chain them both
in. No real use for it beyond super jumping combos.
HK / Roundhouse
---------------
Omega Red's roundhouses aren't too bad, but his fierce punches are still
better (with the exception of his crouching roundhouse). Regardless of
whether or not you use them, here they are...
Standing - Omega Red plants his coils and does a double-footed kick towards
the opponent. Nice range, and good power, but slightly slower
than his standing fierce. Recovery is so-so. Not essential to
your game, IMHO, but it will jump sweeps (though an Omega Strike
would do the same thing).
Crouching - Omega Red sticks his coils into the ground, and they come out a
short distance in front of him. This is one of the primary
reasons to play as Omega Red. First of all, you've got three
ranges of burrowing coils - close (DB+HK), mid (D+HK) and far
(DF+HK), and so you've got the potential to strike anywhere on
the ground almost instantly. Second, Omega Red himself is
nowhere near the point of impact, and you can't trade hits with
a coil. This means that unless your opponent is completely
invulnerable for some reason (such as during Chun-Li's
Kikoushou) this WILL beat them out. Finally, the coils can stop
single projectiles. USE THIS MOVE A LOT. Use it to stop
keep-away characters, use it to retaliate from the opposite
side of the screen, use it to stop rushing assists, use it to
do damn near anything you want. Note that there is a slight
recovery on the move, but if necessary, you can cancel into an
Omega Strike.
Jumping - Just a big one-foot kick with a grunt. Chain it after your sj.HP
in air combos, and that's about it...
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10. EXTRA MOVES ANALYSIS
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DF+HP - Uppercut
This is Omega Red's launcher as a stand-alone move, rather than in a combo
off his jab. Generally speaking, a jab combo is easier, but since the
uppercut has longer range, this is an excellent punishing move in a pinch.
This also makes Omega Red's crouching combos harder to mess up - hold DF
instead of D as you do the combo, and you'll end up with c.LP,s.MP, rather
than c.LP,c.MP.
(while jumping) F,F - Air Dash
Well, it had to go somewhere...Omega Red launches himself forwards in a
shoulder barge-like move during his jump. People familiar with air dashes
usually use them as evasive moves. Omega Red, as one of the rulers of the
skies, has some rather nasty tactics involving his air dash. First of all,
he can cancel it at any time into a normal move or a Carbonadium Coil (or a
Carbonadium Smasher, but more about that later). This gives him a great deal
of versatility with his air dash - during the dash itself he completely
defies gravity. Cancelling it with a normal punch or kick will return him
to his normal fall arc - this can be used to avoid people who try to jump up
and shoot you out of the air, or it can even be used as an effective jump-in
starter with practice. Cancelling the dash into a coil will leave him
hanging in the air, so you can stop people who try to time a super for when
you land.
As you can see, this involves quite a bit of second-guessing, but with
practice this can be an effective strategy. Outside his dash cancels, Omega
Red can use the air dash to manouevre himself into a better aerial position,
or to escape anti-air supers like Jin's Saotome Cyclone.
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11. SPECIAL MOVES ANALYSIS
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QCF+P / PP - Carbonadium Coil (air)
Omega Red throws one of his Carbonadium Coils out at the opponent, the angle
depending on the button/s used. Basically, these coils are Omega Red's ace,
since they lead to either the Energy Drain, the Death Factor, or the Coil
Slams, and the Coils can actually be comboed in with practice. As far as the
angles go...
LP - A horizontal coil. Can usually be thrown out safely, if you make use of
the retract (see below) in the event of a miss. It can cover the whole
screen, but obviously it takes a little while to reach full-screen
range. Also an excellent punishing move.
HP - An oblique coil, at 45 degrees upward. A nice move to discourage people
from jumping in at you. Much more specific uses than in the horizontal
coil, but with practice this can be extremely frustrating to your
opponent, particularly against short-ranged characters like Zangief.
PP - A vertical coil. One of Omega Red's "tricks" - as long as you don't
abuse the set-ups, you'd be amazed at how easy it is to land this move,
since many people don't expect him to throw a coil at them from that
angle, doubly so if he's not on the screen at the time.
Note that QCF+K / KK, normally the Omega Strike, performs an alternate coil
direction in the air, as follows...
LK - Exactly the same as the LP coil.
HK - Angled towards the ground, and is a rather effective anti-fireball
move. Since Omega Red hangs in the air for a while, you can usually
time the coil to catch an opponent during their recovery, while
remaining safe yourself. This can also keep an opponent on the ground,
where most characters are at a disadvantage to Omega Red.
KK - Another one of his "tricks", this is a coil directly down at the
ground. Basically a surprise move, since unlike the PP coil, there
isn't an easy way to set it up outside of air dashing and hoping.
Don't abuse it, and you'll manage to catch more opponents off guard.
Two other points of note with the coils. One - they are NOT fireballs. Don't
get drawn into a shooting match. It's not that Omega Red is at a huge
disadvantage or anything, but he doesn't recover as quickly after his coils
as most projectile characters do. You're better off trying to get closer, or
staying around in the air and using the coils to try to grab fireballers.
Two - he has a LOT of flexibility with them. Not only can he throw his coils
in all these different directions, and has a variety of follow-ups, but he
can retract them at ANY time during their extension. Just hit a punch button
to pull them back. Sometimes, entire matches will be won or lost depending
on how well Omega Red controls his coils (I kid ye not).
Coil Throw - Direction + P after Carbonadium Coil
After connecting with his coil, Omega Red uses it to throw the opponent,
either hefting them up into the air or slamming them straight to the ground.
Though nice and damaging, you should always be attempting to either drain
something before doing a Coil Throw, or go straight for the Double Coil
Slam. Using this alone is simply not making the most of an opportunity.
Double Coil Throw - DB+P/D+P/DF+P, Direction + P after Carbonadium Coil
Omega Red slams the opponent hard into the ground, then before letting go
he throws them again. One of his more stylish moves, but not very reliable.
If you can do this well, then more power to you, but personally I think
Omega Red would be just as effective without this move. Note that the first
throw MUST be towards the ground, while the second can be in any direction.
Also here is a limit to how high in the air Omega Red can be when performing
this move. I'm not entirely sure of the limit, but as rule of thumb, if you
can see the ground, then you can do a Double Coil Throw.
Strangely enough, the damage on this move depends is reduced if you throw
them in two directions. For instance, if you slam the opponent on your left,
then throw them right, you will do 26 points of damage (including the damage
from the coil connecting). But, if you slam the opponent twice on your left,
you will do 30 points. Those 4 points can sometimes make a difference, but
remember that throwing the opponent directly upwards then performing an
Omega Destroyer will chip more than 4 points, at the cost of a single level
of super energy.
Energy Drain - P after Carbonadium Coil
This is Omega Red's ace - after grabbing the opponent with a coil, he drains
their life and adds it to his own bar, and the benefits of that should be
obvious. As an added plus, after an Energy Drain, you can perform a Coil
Throw to tack on a little extra damage. Unfortunately, Omega Red can now
only regenerate red health, but this is still undeniably useful.
NB - Yes, the life drain REALLY IS the Energy Drain, and not the Death
Factor. Listen to what Omega Red says...also note that you only need to
hit the punch button once, but tapping it repeatedly will net you
slightly more damage.
Death Factor - K after Carbonadium Coil
Basically the same as the energy drain, only instead of draining life, Omega
Red will drain super energy. Good for denying your opponent that
all-important super in chipping matches. As an added bonus, the Energy Drain
and Death Factor are freely interchangeable during a coil drain, so you can
fill up a sliver of life then use the remaining drain time to stock up on
supers.
Omega Strike - QCF+K
Omega Red plants his coils in the ground and propels himself forward, saying
"Omega Strike!" as he does so. Very, VERY fast move, with high priority and
incredible versatility. First of all, the Strike can be in one of three
directions depending on the button/s used, the same directions as the
grounded Carbonadium Coil. Once the Strike has been executed, B+K will pull
Omega Red back to his starting position (note that his facing is determined
by the grounded coil location, and not his body's position) and deny your
opponent of pretty much all chances of retaliation. Also, hitting D+K will
immediately cancel the Strike, and Omega Red will recover wherever he was at
the time. As you can probably see, this move can be the most frustrating
move for your opponent to fight against. Use the horizontal one liberally
to interrupt, chip and generally wreak havok, and the diagonal one as an
anti-air or a set-up to move Omega Red himself to a favourable position in
the air. The vertical one serves two purposes - one is as a panic move. If
you don't know what else to do, pull this out to shoot him off away from
harm. The second use is as a fast retaliation against opponents trying to
cross you up. Though the vertical coil may also work here, the Omega Strike
is better because it's faster and safer when blocked (it also takes you away
from any potential assists). Never, EVER overlook the Omega Strikes, since
they are the key to offensive Omega Red play.
============================================================================
12. SUPER MOVES ANALYSIS
============================================================================
Omega Destroyer - QCB+PP
Omega Red shouts "Hahaha...OMEGA DESTROYER!" while unleashing his coils
pretty much everywhere. This was the reason I first started playing Omega
Red. :) When using the Omega Destroyer, there are a number of important
things to remember about it. First, outside of helpers and DHCs, you can't
combo it in. Period. Don't bother trying. Second, though it eventually
covers a majority of the screen, it goes horizontal first. During this
horizontal "phase", a jumping opponent can hit Omega Red's head to interrupt
the Destroyer (although saying that this is damn hard is an understatement).
Third, once you're finished, your opponent WILL be on the opposite side of
the screen, and Omega Red will be safe from most retaliations (but not all,
so be careful, particularly against Juggernaut). Finally, this move
overpowers any physical move in the game, and a majority of beam and
projectile moves/supers too.
So, the bottom line is that this super is basically safe to throw out
whenever you want, but doing this every two seconds will get you a bit of
chipping damage and that's about it. I use this super in two ways - to
counter cross-up attempts, and to punish helpers. For the former, this is
very effective, since the coils have great priority and are released in both
directions simultaneously. For the latter, it is even more effective, since
the coils will juggle helpers and leave Omega Red safe once he's finished.
The Omega Destroyer provides a "safety net" in team supers, covering your
other characters against airborne opponents and leaving them more or less
safe once he's finished. These are the primary uses, and though it can fill
in as a super to punish moves or to chip damage, it doesn't do such a good
job of it.
There is an anomaly with the Omega Destroyer to consider. If the opponent is
IMMEDIATELY next to Omega Red when he starts the Omega Destroyer, instead of
being pushed away, there will be a vacuum effect which, provided that they
don't push block you away (in which case they likely eat some coils
afterwards) does incredible chipping damage. The downside is that they
recover right next to Omega Red, and so even Zangief would have time to
launch you for an easy combo. Still, this vacuum is somewhat difficult to
get, so it shouldn't change your overall strategies much. Just be aware of
its existence.
Carbonadium Smasher - (while jumping) QCB+PP
Omega Red shouts "Carbonadium Smasher!" and performs the same animation as
his air dash, only if he hits the opponent, he launches into an autocombo
ending with a coil slam directly down. The Carbonadium Smasher isn't the
best super out there, but it isn't the worst either. As with the Omega
Destroyer, this cannot be comboed in any way, which makes it more of a
surprise move. Pull it off every now and then to see if your opponent is
awake, but don't base your game around it. Note that the Smasher will do
more damage than the Omega Destroyer, and in certain circumstances you can
OTG afterwards into an air combo.
NB - Some move lists refer to this as the "Omega Smasher". As is my
understanding, this was the original name in the official Japanese move
list, for some reason. Still, Omega Red shouts out "Carbonadium
Smasher" during the move, so that's what I'm calling it.
============================================================================
13. ASSISTS AND THEIR USES
============================================================================
Alpha:
------
Type - Throw
Assist - Horizontal Carbonadium Coil, immediately linked to UF throw
Crossover Counter - Standing HP
A1+A2 Super - Omega Destroyer
This assist type is slightly more specialised than the anti-air assist
below, but is just as effective in the right hands. Omega Red's coil has
great priority, and since he stays close to the edge of the screen, he will
be safe from many retaliations. And, if you're thinking ahead, you will be
able to combo out of the coil throw (though the window of opportunity is
VERY small). On the other hand, the coil is somewhat slow, and without a
combo linked to it, not very damaging. The Crossover Counter is just a
generic hit, which doesn't set up much beyond a straight Omega Strike.
Generally speaking, I use this assist type when I have a team in need of
some long range support, such as Zangief and Jin.
Beta:
-----
Type - Anti-air
Assist - HK Omega Strike
Crossover Counter - HK Omega Strike
A1+A2 Super - Omega Destroyer
The all-purpose assist type. Omega Red jumps in with a diagonal Omega
Strike, which is fast with good priority, and is generally the most
abuseable assist type. However, Omega Red is sent a fair way forward during
the execution, so if you don't cover him afterwards, he'll likely get hurt.
A minor problem here is the Crossover Counter - if you're not careful,
you'll shoot over your opponent's head and although Omega Red recovers
fairly quickly, it's never a good idea to miss completely. Try to use this
counter against jump-in attacks. Overall, this is the assist I use the most,
because it works well in teams that already have long range support.
Gamma:
------
Type - Ground
Assist - DB+HK Burrowing Coil
Crossover Counter - Crouching HP
A1+A2 Super - Omega Destroyer
This is a surprisingly useful assist, since it has the priority to beat out
anything on the ground. However, the range is short, it doesn't really
achieve much beyond interrupts (and sometimes, not even that...) and it's
not really very damaging. The Crossover Counter is probably the best of the
three, so if you use them a lot then maybe you'll find this assist more
valuable. For instance, if you counter a jump-in move, Omega Red can
immediately launch into an air combo, which is particularly nasty once you
get the hang of it. Otherwise, most characters can do by themselves what
Omega Red will do for this assist, so it's not outstandingly useful.
============================================================================
14. BASIC STRATEGY
============================================================================
Now, I can't tell you exactly how to play - that would be unrealistic, and
probably not effective. But, this is the real beauty of Omega Red - he can
do pretty much anything you want. He can play keep-away well, he can
actually win firefights (by taking a back-door method with his Burrowing
Coils), he can be played as a pressure character, or whatever. I find that
a mix of the offensive strategies tends to work best - not a berserker game
like the pixies or mashers, but a deliberate, steady offense. He also rules
the air in the right hands, so don't be afraid to super-jump, even against
other rulers of the skies like Storm. He can also be a VERY slippery
character, with his air dashes, Omega Strike, Burrowing Coils and
Carbonadium Coils. Overall, I think Omega Red is an adaptable character. In
fact, I find him more effective when creating tactics based on what he
faces, rather than going into a fight with specific strategies in mind.
Judge your tactics on the fly, and you will be more prepared for the crazy
world of Marvel Vs Capcom 2.
When attacking:
Jabs. That's what it's going to come down to. Omega Red's jumping jab has
excellent speed and priority, and his standing and crouching jabs have good
range. Air dashes and HP jump-ins will also be effective. To close in on
your opponent, Omega Strike towards them and cancel (D+K). It may help to
cover him with an assist before the Omega Strike, but otherwise this will
plant you nice and close to the opponent. Go for air combos as much as
possible.
When playing keep-away:
Remember two moves - Burrowing Coils and Omega Strikes (always retracted).
With just these two moves, Omega Red can mount a daunting keep-away game.
Also remember push blocks, and with a level head you'll be able to keep
even the most hyper-active Spiderman player away. Don't be afraid to throw
out Omega Destroyers either.
When fighting beam characters or assist-happy opponents:
The Burrowing Coil move is your best friend. Using them intelligently will
stop beams AND assists. If a character doesn't have an upwards diagonal beam
(eg. Iron Man) you can jump up and throw coils towards them - this can be
used to moderate effect against characters which DO have diagonal beams,
but you'll be putting yourself at risk.
When fighting power characters (eg. Juggernaut, Hulk):
Stay in the skies. Much of their power stems from their ground games, so by
denying them this, they're just big, scary looking babies. Otherwise,
capitalise on their recovery times, and have fun with your air combos
against them. ;)
============================================================================
15. COMBOS AND SERIES
============================================================================
Omega Red's combos are powerful, but difficult. He can assemble some pretty
big combos, but not with the ease of some of the other characters out there.
But that's where this section comes in - to help you get the hang of doing
them.
When grounded or jumping, Omega Red has the Weak to Strong series, which
means he can chain up to three hits followed by a special move. Since his
launcher is s.MP, you can chain it off either a standing or crouching jab,
or off jump-ins. While super-jumping, Omega Red has the full six hit Hunter
series, which means he can chain together all of his attacks (see the
Conventions section for the order).
With practice, Omega Red can combo pretty much any two normal moves together
in an air combo. This is not to say that you can just mash the buttons and
get a 17 hit combo or whatever, since they require precise timing. However,
once you understand the mechanics, you have a lot of freedom in your air
combos.
Since Omega Red has no way to combo in his supers, this section will be
rather short. Regardless of that, these aren't the be all and end all of
Omega Red's combo ability. Rather, they are here to provide you with a firm
understanding of his basic combo ability, as a basis for combos of your own.
I've tried to arrange them in a rough order of difficulty...
1. c.LP, c.MP, c.HP XX LK Omega Strike
2. c.LK, c.MK, c.HK XX LK Omega Strike
3. s.LP, s.MP, /\, sj.LP, sj.LK, sj.MP, sj.MK, sj.HK
4. s.LP, s.MP, /\, sj.LP, sj.LK, sj.MP, XX Coil
5. s.LP, s.MP, /\, sj.LK, sj.LK, sj.LK, sj.MP, XX PP Coil
6. s.LP, s.MP, /\, sj.LP, sj.LK, sj.MP, sj.LP, (sj.LK), sj.MP, XX PP Coil
7. s.LP, s.MP, /\, sj.LP, sj.LK, sj.LK, sj.LP, sj.MP, XX PP Coil
8. s.LP, s.MP, /\, sj.LP, sj.LK, sj.MP, sj.MK, sj.HP, XX sj.HK
9. s.LP, s.MP, /\, sj.LP, sj.LK, sj.MP, sj.MK, sj.HP, XX HK Coil
10. s.LP, s.MP, /\, sj.LP, sj.LK, sj.MP, sj.MK, sj.LK, sj.HP XX sj.HK
11. s.LP, s.MP, /\, sj.LP, sj.LK, sj.MP, sj.MK, sj.LK, sj.HP XX HK Coil
Jump-Ins:
a. j.LP / LK, j.MP / MK, j.HK
b. j.HP
OTGs:
a. DB / D / DF+HK
b. c.LK, s.MP / c.HP, /\ (followed by any air combo)
Coils:
As a side note, if your back is to the corner when you perform an air combo
to a coil, you can throw the opponent horizontally towards the corner, air
dash towards them, and continue the air combo. This requires quite a bit of
practice, and the commands required vary greatly depending on the situation.
As such, it would be impractical to list everything possible, but you should
be aware of any possible chance. Practice is the best teacher in this case.
Note - The timing for combos will be different depending on the size of the
opponent, and you will be unable to perform certain combos on small
characters such as Megaman.
============================================================================
16. SUGGESTED TEAM MEMBERS
============================================================================
As a solid, all-round character, Omega Red is tends to be able to fulfil any
role you need him to. This section is devoted to explaining how Omega Red
works in relation to each other character in MvC2.
First, if you want a team that's plausible in a storyline, your options are
rather limited...Omega Red isn't exactly the most sociable guy in the world,
and I'm told he's noted for hating anything non-Russian. So, you've
basically got one option - Team Russia! Obviously, that consists of Omega
Red, Zangief and Colossus, and it's actually a decent team in the right
hands. However, playing with just the one team repeatedly tends to get a
little boring, so that's where this section comes in.
Omega Red benefits most from assists that let him combo in his supers. Some
you might want to consider:
Spiral (gamma)
Iron Man/War Machine (beta)
Magneto (beta)
Cyclops (beta)
He also benefits from assists that make up for his limited chipping game.
Beta Dr.Doom is the most obvious choice, but anyone with a good chipping
assist will do fine.
Another aspect to consider is the super meter - Omega Red is going to be
building it quickly and not using much of it, so you may want to consider
a character that can take advantage of it. Cable is probably the most
infamous meter-hog out there, and he does work relatively well with Omega
Red.
When choosing partners, also consider how Omega Red will be able to help
them. For instance, Silver Samurai has a limited anti-air game, so the Omega
Strike assist will aid him. Conversely, Zangief lacks a ranged game, so the
Coil assist will help him out considerably. Try to form a team that works
well together, not necessarily three characters that are godly on their own.
============================================================================
16. VS ABYSS
============================================================================
As if you needed help...VS bosses get softer each game...but regardless,
here are some tips.
1st Form - You're best off super jumping over him and using jumping HPs to
the back of his head. Or, repeated LK Omega Strikes will carry
you through him and away from harm, ready for another Omega
Strike by the time he turns around. Just try and stay behind him
and you'll be fine.
2nd Form - Maintain full screen distance and use DF+HK Burrowing Coils. And
that's it. If he uses those green bubbles, super jump and send
coils down to pop them all, using the air dash if you need to
avoid something.
3rd Form - Stand under him and unleash an Omega Destroyer (you should have
a few supers spare by now, since you really don't need them on
the other forms). If you're out of super for some reason, just
wait until he appears and do jumping HPs in his face. Easy.
============================================================================
17. USELESS INFORMATION
============================================================================
Just a section containing information that didn't fit anywhere else...
Taunt - Omega Red raises his arms, throws his head back and growls. It's
fast for a taunt, and Omega Red isn't a show-off - this means that
when he's called in to assist, he gets off the screen quickly
(unlike, say, Juggernaut). Otherwise, it's just a taunt...do what
you want with it.
Snapback animation - s.HP. Can be comboed off s.MK or c.MP. One of the best
snapbacks in the game, in terms of uses.
Assist summon - Same animation as his taunt, but he says "Let's go" instead.
Opening animation - Omega Red appears in a kneeling position, then stands,
surrounded by mist, growls, and assumes his stance.
Winning animation 1 - Faces the camera, holds his arms out and spins his
coils nunchaku-style before retracting them.
Winning animation 2 - Poses while stretching his coils between his hands.
Tag in - Comes in with his j.HK, then lands and performs his taunt, while
saying something that sounds like "My turn".
Tag out - Stands up straight, bows his head and retracts his coil.
Time-over Win - Makes a pose similar to his after-match portrait, only with
an evil grin on his face instead of shouting. Says something
which sounds an awful lot like "Your life force is MINE!"
though that's unconfirmed at the moment.
Time-over Loss - Collapses to the ground and holds his head in his hands.
Colours:
LP - Red clothes, silver boots, kneepads & trim, with blonde hair
LK - Purple clothes, yellow boots, kneepads & trim, with white hair
HP - Magenta clothes, silver boots, kneepads & trim, with blonde hair
HK - Pink clothes, white boots, kneepads and &, with white hair
A1 - Magenta clothes, dark silver boots, kneepads & trim, with blonde hair
A2 - Dull pink clothes, dull peach boots, kneepads & trim, with blonde hair
Note that the A1 and A2 costumes are time-released, and will only be
available after Omega Red has his gold box. Until then, these buttons will
result in the HP and HK colours respectively.
============================================================================
18. FUTURE REVISIONS...?
============================================================================
Well, a majority of the information in this FAQ is complete. Generally, any
future revisions will just contain additional combos and typo corrections.
If I'm feeling bored I may write up a partners section, or a VS character
section, but the former will be mostly opinion based and the latter will be
only accurate to a certain degree, since everyone has different ways of
playing characters. But regardless of what the future revisions contain, you
should be able to pick them up at www.gamefaqs.com or www.khaotika.com.
============================================================================
19. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
============================================================================
Thanks to Bantam13 for providing me with the list of Omega Red's colours.
Also thanks to Siegfried and Shin-Mech-Brian for information regarding Omega
Red's history. And special thanks goes to CJacC of GameFAQs, and Khaotika of
Khaotika.com for hosting this FAQ. Thanks also to Hoe Muffin, for alerting
me to some move typos (MP Carbonadium Coil? What was I thinking?!). Thanks
to Jack Crow for an assortment of information about Omega Red, both story
and game-related. Finally, thanks to jchensor for his Omega Red combo movie
(if you want it, it's available from Shoryuken.com below).
And quick plugs for a few sites...
http://www.gamefaqs.com
Basically the ultimate collection of FAQs on the internet. If it's not
there, it probably hasn't been written yet.
http://www.khaotika.com
Khaotika's site, aka the Seventh Level of Hell. Check it out if you're in
need of some diversions, it's also got a very good MvC2 section written by
Khaotika and Bantam13, and some contributions from yours truly.
http://www.draconus.net/fightermania
Siegfried's site, where you'll find background information on characters for
damn near every fighting game ever made. Great site to check when you want
information for FAQs and the like.
http://www.fighters.net
Fighters.net has up-to-date information on almost all major fighting games
out there. Plus they've got a forum there, where I'll be found lurking...
http://www.shoryuken.com
Go there for mad combo movies from MvC 1&2, SFA 1-3, SF3...most of the
latest 2D Capcom fighting games, in fact. Some of these movies must be seen
to be believed...
============================================================================
20. IN CLOSING...
============================================================================
Well, that's my first MvC2 FAQ done. Any others that I write will be
primarily to cover characters that everybody else is ignoring (they're the
ones I usually play anyway). Maybe Hulk, Colossus, Sabretooth, Silver
Samurai, M.Bison...it depends. As long as CJacC and Khaotika are nice
enough, any of my future MvC2 FAQs should be found on GameFAQs and
Khaotika.com. Until then...
Anthony Nickerson, aka Ug the caveman
[email protected]
