-GUILE FAQ-
Marvel vs Capcom 2: The New Age of Heroes
Arcade/Naomi
V2.0
This document Copyright 2001 Dane Miner
This document is for private and personal use only. This document may not be
reproduced in any way or form without explicit permission from the author.
__________
History
__________
v2.0 -Cosmetic changes, minor corrections, additional strategy and analysis
v1.5 -Minor corrections concerning command moves and combos
v1.0 -First draft (and the author's first FAQ)
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Contents
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1. Introduction
2. Notation
3. Move list
4. Combos
5. Strategy
6. Closing
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Intro
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Why Guile?
-Guile is a long-time favorite in my circle of friends (we witnessed our
first "special move" when my friend accidentally performed the Flash Kick in
SF2), and a bit of a badass besides. This paradoxically punk-haired, fatigue-
wearing, Air Force soldier has never had a large repertoire of moves, but
they're solid and versatile, and his basic moves are diversified and
compliment the limits of his specials. Guile's MvC2 incarnation also happens
to be one the game's best characters; here's my unofficial run-down:
+ Balanced; good damage, good endurance, decent speed, and reach
+ Versatile; Guile switches from offense to defense in a blink of an eye
+ Combo-able; Guile thrives on combos, and they can all cancel into supers
+ Simplicity; Guile is easy to use, meaning you can concentrate on
implementation, not execution
+ Guile doesn't take crap from anyone.
- No beam super (hey, you can't have everything)
- Guile's 'mind games' are not very hard to decipher; luckily, they are very
effective...but chances are that your opponent will know what you're up to.
__________
Notation
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Joystick motions:
u -up
f -forward
d -down
b -back
uf -up/forward
df -down/forward
db -down/back
ub -up/back
QCF -quarter circle forward (d, df, f)
QCB -quarter circle back (d, db, b)
HFC -half circle forward (b, db, d, df, f)
HCB -half circle back (f, df, d, db, b)
DP -dragon punch (f, d, df)
RDP -reverse dragon punch (b, d, db)
360 -360 degree turn (typically: f, df, d, db, b, ub, u, uf, f)
Buttons:
WP -weak punch (jab)
MP -medium punch (WP x2, strong)
FP -strong punch (fierce)
WK -weak kick (short)
MK -medium kick (WK x2, forward)
RK -strong kick (roundhouse)
A1 -assist 1
A2 -assist 2
P -punch (any)
K -kick (any)
PP -both punch buttons
KK -both kick buttons
Start -the Player 1/Player 2 button
Actions:
S. -standing (i.e. performed while standing)
C. -crouching
J. -jumping
SJ. -super-jumping
ff> -dashing
>> -cancel [into] (RK >>sonic boom; cancel the Roundhouse into a sonic boom)
otg -Off The Ground; hit opponents while they are grounded
=================
Move List
=================
S.WP -Standard jab, hits high
S.MP -Close uppercut, combo-filler
S.FP -Fierce, lead-hand uppercut. Lacks the range of the f+FP
and b+FP variations, so it's really only useful dashing combos.
S.WK -Quick shin kick, though it still hits mid.
S.MK -High front kick, combo-filler.
S.FK -High roundhouse. Could be used as anti-air, but doesn't launch.
Both FK variations have better range and are useful.
C.WP -Low jab, great combo-starter.
C.MP -Low cross, combo-filler.
C.FP -Fierce rising uppercut, and Guile's launcher. Has great priority,
and will register as a hit even after the arm is fully extended
(giving it great range). Opponents will often think you struck to
soon, only to start a [jumping] attack and get launched.
C.WK -Low roundhouse. Has great range for a C.WK, very fast. It will
probably be your main combo-starter.
C.MK -Low Sweep (the second half of Guile's C.RK). Great range, but mostly
just combo filler.
C.RK -Double sweeping kick (essentially, WK, MK in succession). Both kicks
sweep, but the move is fairly slow, and quick players will interrupt
you before the second kick comes out.
J.WP -Air jab, slight downward angle.
J.MP -Jumping chop, combo-filler.
J.FP -Jumping fierce chop. Slight downward angle; range makes it more useful
for close-range jump-ins (J.WP, J.FP). Slightly faster than J.RK.
J.WK -Extended knee. Great angle for jumpin combos.
J.MK -High, mid-air front kick. Combo-filler.
J.RK -Long-range jumping side kick. Same range as C.MK, but in the air. This
Kick gives Guile a nice range advantage for jump-ins, and since the
kick is totally horizontal, use it to stuff oncoming air opponents.
Also an excellent jumpin, opponents will be in hit-stun long enough for
Guile to dash up and combo, even if you connect at maximum range.
<< Command Moves >>
df+ FP -the alternate, generic way to perform the launcher
f + RK -Guile's famous "upside-down" kick; is rather slow, but has great
range and will avoid simple low hits (like C. WK's's and sweeps).
f + FP -spinning backfist; has great range, _will_ hit many crouching
opponents (like Sonson, who's seemingly beneath it). Not sure, but I
doubt it will connect w/ MegaMan, Roll, Kobun...
b + FP -straight punch (cross); a cool-looking punch, very quick. Looks
better than the standard FP, so use it to be trendy.
b + RK -jumping sobat (jump reverse heel kick); decent speed and range, and a
surprisingly good anti-air. This move avoids simple low hits; but is
NOT an overhead attack.
B + WK -lunging knee; the move that was useless...still is. I suppose this
might be used as a quick poke, but Guile has better options.
<< Throws >>
f/b + FP (air)
-shoulder toss; hurls them about a screen's distance away (use to place
them in the corner). The air version tosses them to the ground. Strangely,
Guile is able resume attacking the opponent -as they're thrown-. So far, I've
only connected with a J.WP, J.MP afterwards, so mail me if discover anything
useful.
f/b + RK (air)
-suplex; opponent bounces off the ground (OTG in corners). The air version
performs Guile's backbreaker throw, which sets them on the ground in front of
Guile for a quick OTG.
<< Special Moves >>
Sonic Boom -b, f + P (the punch used determines traveling speed)
Flash Kick -d, u + K (the kick used determines height of flash; can be
performed in the air w/o charge)
Supers:
Sonic Hurricane -QCF + PP
Somersault Strike -QCB + KK
Crossfire Blitz -Air, QCF + KK
Assists:
Alpha (anti-air) -Flash Kick/Somersault Strike
Beta (projectile) -Sonic Boom/Sonic Hurricane
Gamma (balance) -Sonic Boom/Sonic Hurricane
Snapback: -f + FP (d, df, f + A1/A2)
Ground Chain: weak to strong
Jumping Chain: weak to strong
SJ. Chain: hunter (magic-series)
Colors:
WP -green camo (original color)
WK -blue camo (?)
FP -light grey camo
RK -brown camo
A1 -green camo, tan skin
A2 -grey camo, tan skin
===================
Combos
===================
Guile has a versatile repertoire of combos. I'll describe the basic range
of combos I utilize; keep in mind that many more are available.
Ground chains:
1) S.WP, WP, b + FP, Sonic Boom >>Sonic Hurricane*
2) S.WP, WK, C.RK (x2) >>Somersault Strike
3) C.WK, WK, RK >>Flash kick
4) C.WP, WP, b + RK, Sonic Boom >>Somersault Strike*
5) ff> C.WP, WP, FP (launch)
*note: You will need to start charging back at the beginning of the combo if
you want to insert the Sonic Boom, though it's really only for show.
Air Combos (after super-jump)
1) sj.WP, WK, WP, WK, FP, RK
2) sj.WP, WK, WP, WK >>Crossfire Blitz
3) sj.WP, WK, WP, WK >>Flash kick
4) sj.WP, WK, WP, WK (short pause), f + RK*
4a) sj. WP, WK, WP, WK (short pause), f + RK, (otg) >>Somersault Strike
*note: This ends the air combo with Guile's BackBreaker air throw,
which
allows for a quick OTG...the timing must be precise, and nothing will chain on
the ground (C.WK will bounce them up off the ground); they will autoroll after
landing from the OTG (i.e. C.WK). However, you can hit them mid air after the
(otg) C.WK, so (otg) C.WK, C.FP will result in a re-launching. This combo can
be repeated until they break the air throw, or tech roll after hitting the
ground.
So, given the proper circumstances, Guile can:
1) j.WP, FP, ff> C.WP, WP, FP, sj.WP, WK, WP, WK, f+RK, (otg) C.WK, FP, ...
2) j.WP, FP, ff> C.WP, WP, FP, sj.WP, WK, WP, WK >>Crossfire Blitz
3) j.WP, FP, ff> C.WP, WP, FP, sj.WP, WK, WP, WK, FP, RK
-I tend to stick with the latter, since the timing on the Crossfire
Blitz is so tricky, and at the cost of a level, not much more
damage is tacked on.
================
Strategy
================
<< General Strategy >>
1) Charging: It is fundamental that any good Guile player learn to charge (be
holding down or back) whenever he/she can. Guile's specials execute almost
instantly, so it's critical to have them available in a pinch. During any
jump, be charging down-back; anytime you're crouching, be charging down-back;
during a ground combo, be charging back. Charge, damn it, charge! Thus you
will always have access to either the Sonic Boom or the Flash Kick; the uses
of which are apparent below:
2) The Sonic Boom: Essential for Guile's pressuring tactics, and an excellent
counter for just about everything (except beams). Assuming you already
have it charged (which you will, because you're always charging), always end a
blocked ground chain with a sonic boom. This will prevent your opponent from
retaliating. Also since the recovery time is so quick, throwing out random
SB's is recommended, if for no other reason than giving your opponent
something to contend with.
-"Walking your Sonic Boom": Guile's WP Sonic Boom moves so slowly that
Guile can literally walk right behind it (surpass it even, if giving space).
That floating SB is your best friend; enemies will have their fireballs
snuffed as you approach, and at close range opponents will be stuck blocking
so you can continue the pounding. One of the primary applications of this is
after a blocked C.RK (x2) (usually after WK, WK, RK); cancel the SB after the
first or second kick (depending on whether your opponent will slip in between,
or just to mix it up). There will not be enough space for a retaliation, so
follow up with [another] jump-in. Guile's ultra long-range j.RK facilitates
this pressure game nicely, as you will often catch your opponent calling in
helpers or maneuvering (or just stuck there ducking, bewildered) to break the
pattern. A blocked jump-in will just lead into another quick chain, canceling
into a SB, and the pressure continues.
I find this type of pressuring gets old quick, and your opponent will
make mistakes trying to get out. _If_ however, your opponent wants to wait you
out (which is boring), you can use your assists to mix things up, but most
effective are throws and cross-ups. And if you go with the throw (which no one
likes...despite their turtling), be sure to toss them in a corner and continue
the pressure game.
If you're initiating an attack, follow up your SB with a f + FP, which
has great range; this should keep them grounded for you to come in with a
jumping attack.
3) Flash Kick: Originally designed as an anti-air attack, move canceling has
made it much more versatile. Still an excellent anti-air if the opponent is
at a bad angle for C.FP, especially since it executes so quickly that you can
wait for your opponent to commit (instead of just jumping in with an air-
block) and strike. Does great damage, especially when the projectile blade
connects. The WK version is excellent for slipping between slow combos, or
giving you some room from an aggressive opponent. Even if blocked, you'll
land quickly enough to defend. Also, cover missed jump-ins with the WK Flash
Kick, and even better, defend against jumpers that switch to your other side
while you're stuck in a move (C.RK(x2) comes to mind). Even if your facing
the wrong way, the Flash Kick with execute properly, and either hit them from
behind, or out of whatever mischief they had planned. Use WK version in case
the anticipate this, just to be safe.
As a mid-air move, the flask kick isn't very useful, mostly since you're
defenseless until you recover (contrary to some belief, you can block before
you land after FK'ing mid-air). It looks cool as an air-combo finisher, but I
doubt it does more damage than the full chain.
V2.0: The mid-air FK can be used in a pinch to hit flying characters who are
just beyond the reach of your basics. Characters like Dr. Doom, Magneto,
Iron-Man/War Machine, etc. love to pester you with their angled, mid-air
projectile (oftentime, they'll also initiate flight without meaning to). You
can avoid the risk and imprecision of superjumping up to meet them, using a
standard jump and the FK (air). The blade will snuff any incoming projectiles
and has a guaranteed connect (since they can't block while flying). You can
also use the motion of the mid-air FK to avoid launcher setups and beam traps.
4) Sonic Hurricane: A very useful super. Of course, it's guarranteed at the
end of certain chains, but as a stand alone move it has certain properties
that make it noteworthy. First, it has a vacuum-effect; opponents hit with
only the tip of the "hurricane" will be pulled in to center for more hits.
This makes it fairly easy to connect even if you're not very deep in with your
combo (like after a far-reaching f + FP). It has deceiving range, and
opponents will often "reach-in" with their retaliation, after you whiff or
they successfully push-block you away; essentially saving your butt. Also,
the hurricane extends a bit behind Guile, so if you anticipate a cross-up
attempt, surprise them with the SH; worst case, you'll both be hit, and the SH
will abort. The SH can also be used to counter conventional jump-ins, but the
coverage isn't very good; your opponent would need to be attacking fairly
laterally (and since everyone air-blocks until the last second anyway, a WK
Flash Kick or C.FP is more practical).
The SH is ideal for Delayed Hyper Combos, since your opponent is will be
(for all purposes) stationary. And, the SH _can_ OTG on big guys like
Juggernaut and the Hulk if you're quick.
5) Somersault Strike: Despite the SH being more useful, I tend to use this
super at least twice as much. The OTG from Guile's sweep is simply too easy
to land. BTW, always wait to see if the second C.RK connects before canceling
into the SS; OTG'ing of the first C.RK seems to miss smaller foes, and your
opponent can always tech-roll. As for DHC, the SS knocks your opponent around
too much to be useful, and (like most of the super in MvC2), most the big
damage isn't done until the last few hits. However, supers like the Maximum
Spider combo quite nicely. Unfortunately, since you'll almost always be
choosing Guile's alpha assist, this will be the super performed during a
double/triple super...if you really want to do some damage, forgo the useful
assist so Guile will use the SH.
6) Crossfire Blitz: One of the uglier auto-combos out there, the CB does have
its uses outside of being a combo-finisher. It has surprisingly good contact,
allowing you to snag (standing) moderate sized characters (like Ryu), and of
course, big guys like Jugga and Hulk, so be sure to punish them for whiffing
with those slow, ugly moves of theirs. It is also possible to cancel a J.FP or
a J.RK into the CB on grounded characters. Also, if you crowd a character
who's switching in after a partner's defeat, they'll tend come out
striking...which sets them up for the high-priority of the CB. Lastly, if your
opponent is mid-air during a DHC [of yours], you can combo with Guile's CB, and
if you're clever, get it to connect.
===========================
Character-Specific Strategy
===========================
Guile has the tools to go toe-to-toe with any of the other characters in the
game. Some characters, however, have definite advantages over the others, or
present special challenges for Guile based on the nature of their abilities.
Following is a brief rundown of my strategies for dealing with the champion and
problem characters of the game.
CABLE:
Cable's moves, especially his Viper Beam (VB) and Hyper Viper Beam (HVB),
are extremely effective, without leaving him vulnerable. Expert players will
link in to his dreaded Triple HVB, but even lame players can just jump backward
the whole match VB'ing right off the ground. For this match, it is vital that
Guile can close the distance, otherwise Cable will keep you distanced the whole
round, where Guile is weak. Tossing out SBs is relatively safe, as the SB will
cancel out the first hit of Cable's VB, giving you time to block, but until you
get within striking distance, they're just going to be snuffed out.
To attack Cable, you'll slowly need to close the distance by jumping (always
airblock the instant you hit the air, as Cable's Air HVB is more or instant,
and a constant threat), blocking the VB, and jumping again. It's slow, and
prone to plenty of chip damage, but you'll gradually corner him. Don't bother
push-blocking, since you'll just be giving Cable the space he needs.
Super-jumping can avoid a lot headache, but the associated lack of precision
will throw off the charging Guile needs to perform specials upon landing.
Once you've attained melee distance, though, Cable becomes much less of a
threat. His main weakness draws from his slow attacks, as your WP's and WK's
will always beat his. A competent Cable player will know this, and when
cornered, will want to wait you out to gain distance. Don't let him. After
Cable's blocked your jumpin and ground chain, whip out a SB to keep him
grounded until you can close the distance again. Under this pressure, Cable
will be forced into mistakes, or into using his relatively high-risk Psimitar.
Given the range you're working with, you can hold your jumpins to J.WP and
J.WK, giving you the time to airblock any surprise Psimitars, and retaliate as
he recovers. Lastly, if you keep Cable within the end of your ground chains,
his VB will be neutralized. There is a slight pause as he whips out his rifle,
when you can hit him with your cover SB. That same pause allows you beat him
out of point-blank HVB and VB with your WP's and WK's.
SENTINEL:
While Cable's dominance stems from his overpowered and easily abusable Air
VB/HVB, Sentinel presents multifaceted superiority. He has Super Armor,
superior endurance, a multitude of keep-away tools, his repeatable Drone Super
(Drone Super >> C.FP >> Rocket Punch >> Drone Super...), and does insane
damage. Guile's lack of quick projectile really gives Sentinel the opportunity
to abuse his keep away. You'll need to change your gameplan a bit, focusing
more on hit-and-run tactics than constant pressure. Sentinel has the brawn to
live out your pressure games, and his Super Armor will neutralize your
combo-starters (same with jumpins). Concentrate on landing single fierce
attacks, and beating Sentinel out of the air with your J.RK. It will be tough,
since Sentinel will likely be matching you for damage through sheer chippage
(yes, that's now a word). Sentinel players will be more prone to cross-ups,
since they're not used to being jumped over. Once you've closed the distance,
don't bother keeping him at bay with a cover SB, but jump to his backside
without attacking; he'll be expecting your jumpin, and will most likely be
trying to catch you in the beginning of a combo his S.RK. As you jump over
Sentinel, he won't be able to tell if you plan on attacking at the peak of your
jump, or crossing over (since the peak of your jump is level with his head).
Once your opponent is wise to that, time your jump-in with the moment Sentinel
turns around for blocking confusion. Believe it or not, you can actually jump
over and without any serious attacks, jump right over again. Sentinel players
will eventually commit to a basic or special move that leaves his body
vulnerable, at which point, go ahead and invest your HC levels into a
triple-team or DHC. Eliminating sentinel is vital, since he's just a dangerous
as an assist provider.
MAGNETO:
Magneto comes off as something of as a one-trick pony, since his strategy
revolves around launching people into his hideous air combos. Competent players
will diversify his attacks, but now that Magneto's Gravity Capture is
blockable, his only immediate threat is hsi full-screen dash, quick C.WK,C.FP
and powerful air combo.
Magneto's beam only hits once, so you can control the midscreen with your
SB's, as you can advance after tossing one out. Magneto will be prone to C.WK,
C.FP rushes, but you'll have a hard time punishing him for it. If you have a
level, Somersault Justice will connect after you block Mag's C.FP; a SB will as
well, so you could cancel a super after that if you're quick; you'll be too far
back to connect with C.WP, and I don't think C.WK is guaranteed.
Guile has better basics than Mag, so you should be able to beat him on the
ground. ALWAYS cancel your C.RK though, since Mag can insert his C.FP in
between kicks. For this match, stick with SB's instead of FK's, since Mag is
quick enough to catch you before you hit the ground. NEVER underestimate the
speed of Mag's dash. Speed is his main advantage, and you should always tech
roll after he AC's you, since he'll be coming down too fast for you to discern
an incoming high or low attack, and you won't have enough time to FK (he's that
fast). Lastly, since Magneto will be waiting for dash-in openings, he'll tend
to be very passive in defense; go ahead and throw his cheap ass in the corner,
and OTG into some respectable air combos of your own (ie. backbreaker
relaunch).
CAPTAIN COMMANDO:
Though CC tends to make assist-only appearances in the lamest of matches,
he is more than capable of holding his own. He has a better diversity of
special moves than Guile, and matches him in terms of damage, speed, and
endurance. It becomes a classic match of charge-moves versus motion-moves. In
this regard, Guile will have the advantage in close-quarter combat.
You'll want to focus on jump-ins in a very conservative manner; CC has two
launchers and the awesome Captain Corridor. You'll find that the Corridor is
the most frequently used anti-air, and as such, you should use this to your
advantage. The Captian Corridor has awful recovery, so bait CC into using it
frivolously, then dash in for the combo as he recovers. You will need to hold
your jump-ins to the last second, or avoid them all together; your typical CC
player can't outwait you since the corridor requires a QC motion, and his S.RK
is too slow.
You should have air-to-air superiority as well, but watch for his mid-air
Captain Fire, which he can use to neutralize your far-reaching J.RK, and has
enough push back to keep CC safe. Harried CC's will resort to jumping into
quick Captain Fires; combat that tactic with Guile's dashing roll, which will
pass under the lowest mid-air Fire, and put you close enough to combo or super.
Strangely, I find that CC does more damage to my partners than Guile
himself, so be careful when you summon them. Often times, they're called in as
Guile jumps (to pin down the opponent), but then Guile is left blocking in the
air, unable to retaliate, as his partner gets reamed by a Captain Sword.
Something to watch for.
ICEMAN:
Priority one: grant no mercy. This guy is cheap, and your opponent knew it when
he chose him. Feel free to use your nastiest cross-ups, your repeatable AC, and
by all means throw his ass around as he sits there waxing whimsical about not
taking block damage from moves that don't even give it (whew!). Iceman takes
damage like a sissy, so a decent ground chain and a throw or two should make
your opponent desperate for a tagout.
Iceman's game revolves around his icebeams, his AC >> Artic Blast, and his
not taking chip damage. Not surprisingly, like most of Guile's other problem
characters, Iceman is content to sit back all day and chip you with his beams.
Iceman will consistently snuff out your SBs, tagging you in the process, so
focus on out-positioning him. Instead of hit-and-run, you'll want to get your
hits in (J.RK scores most hits on Iceman, especially as he takes a step forward
to Icebeam), and then plant yourself for a moment, letting Iceman react to your
new position. Oftentimes, he'll fire another beam despite being too close to
safely recover. Proceed to abuse him. Otherwise, it will be a-lot of airtag, as
Iceman attempts to find a spot to beam safely, and you hunt him down with your
far-reaching J.RK.
One last thing to watch for is Iceman's launcher, C.RK. It's incredibly
fast, mostly due to its lack of animation, and will out-prioritize any attack
Guile can deliver from above. Focus on horizontal jump-ins with your J.RK.
JUGGERNAUT:
"Unstoppable!" In the right hands, it takes only seconds for Jugga to rip
through all three of your characters, let alone Guile. Like most big
characters, Jugga has great endurance, does insane damage, and will take every
opportunity to abuse his super armor advantage. On top of that, Jugga has a
meaty AC and a surprisingly mean low game (well...C.WK, WK).
Juggernaut's Head Crush does around 60% damage, and is horribly easy to
connect with. Much like Cable's AHVC, the Head Crush puts you in constant
danger, but luckily, you'll be much freer to jump-in on Jugga. His fierce moves
are extremely slow, and his weak moves have no anti-air coverage. Unless you
have Jugga pinned down, always jump-in with a fierce move to break through his
armor. Weak jump-ins will either earn you a Head Crush or a C.FP>>AC. Once you
have him pinned down though, either with your SB's (which are fortunate to hit
Jugga out of his super) or your assists, you can exploit Jugga's other
weakness; his large size. You'll be able to land all 3 hits of your jump chain
on jump-in, and by jumping in at different depths, along with varying the
number of jump-in attacks, the hapless Juggernaut will have a hard time
choosing when to low-block. After you've hammered Jugga with flurry of blocked
jump-in>>ground chains, try jumping in with an air-block, and going straight in
to low attacks. Your opponent will have been trained to high-block for AT LEAST
a split-second every time you jump-in, but it will be a split-second too late
in this case.
Juggernaut will be played very defensively, since his moves are too slow to
mount a decent offense, and his jump-ins are awkward. And despite its awesome
power, Juggernauts will be reluctant to whip out the Head Crush, since the
recovery gives you time for anything (i.e. DHC, Triple Team). Play defensively
yourself (your FK out-prioritizes anything Jugga has, and his Ground Crush
won't neutralize SB's), force Jugga to commit (unlikely), or pin him down with
projectiles and beams, then force mistakes by mixing up your attack cadence.
Some final advice; Dues to his size and speed, Juggernaut is very easy to
hit. Good Jugga players will lure you into a steady, rhythmic offense, and then
punish you with his Super Armor >> Head Crush (okay, that looks odd
notation-wise, but you get the idea). Remember to mix things up, since it takes
Jugga longer to adapt to new strategies than Guile.
OMEGA RED:
Omega Red is easily one of the most underestimated characters in the game.
Inexperienced players will find him awkward to use, since the typical
combo>>super tactics won't work with him. Instead, Omega Red dishes it out in
small parcels, utilizing long-range attacks and a superior poking game. Beware,
though, since Omega Red does good damage, and his myriad attacks and short
combos will add up quick. Omega Red also has great endurance (plus his life
drain), so you'll probably find yourself switching out first if you chose to
brawl it out.
The first thing you need to watch for is his incredible C.RK, and its
df/db variations. This move allows Omega Red land a very quick hit anywhere on
the ground, and he can link any variation to his Omega Strike (qcf+WK) for good
damage. Even tossing out random SB's from across the screen will get you
trouble if Omega Red anticipates it. To complicate things further, Omega Red
surpasses Guile in terms of basic moves, and will beat you out of the air and
on the ground (if you're careful, your J.RK can connect before his J.FP
activates, and it has a bit better range than his J.RK, but it's still a
gamble).
This will sound like wishy-washy strategy, but to win you'll need to use an
effective mix of offense and defense. Omega Red doesn't have a solve-all
anti-air attack, and is limited at close-range [anti-air]. If you try to
jump-in really deep, though, he can hit the underside of your leg with his
C.RK, and if you come in too high, he'll use Omega Strike. Just approaching
will be a test of your ability to out-anticipate your opponent, and playing
defensively will allow Omega Red to take potshots at you all round long
(remember, Omega can cancel all his specials if he wiffs or you block,
effectively covering his ass).
This isn't exactly a "winning" strategy, but truth be told, Omega Red is
more versatile than Guile, and it's probably going to come down to assists if
you play it safe. The major consolation, though, is that it's very difficult to
play Omega Red the way I've described. If things get frantic, Omega Red tends
to fall apart, since he has like twice as many things to worry about as an
average player. Players will forget Omega's special cancelling, and one missed
C.RK variation will leave him wide open for punishment. Take advantage of Omega
Red's complexity and force errors.
SPIDERMAN:
Spiderman doesn't have that much going for him, but what he does have rocks. As
an avid Spidey player, I know the joys of beating an opponent down with AC
after AC, until they're just too bewildered to block that C.RK >> Crawler
Assault. Ahh...oh, anyway...
Spiderman is almost all offense, and just a little bit defense. His main
weapon is his speed, and how difficult it is to block his jump-ins. His
combo-starters all extremely fast, meaning he'll eventually trick you into
low-blocking improperly. He has a quick jump, a wall-jump, and an air-dash,
plus a C.RK that covers about half the screen...so the first thing you want to
do is slow down the tempo of the match. Crouch-block in your corner, and wait
for the inevitable jump-in. He's fast, but your Flash Kick will beat his
jump-ins. After you've taken away his best weapon, a frustrated Spiderman will
resort to mid-air Web Balls, which do neglible block damage, and baiting you
into his supers or C.RK (>>Crawler Assault). There's really little Spidey can
do against a charged Guile, so watch out for throws, and don't get to anxious
with your FK, because Spiderman will fake you out with his air-dash, or a
simple walk-up (uh, versus a dash-in; who just walks in, anyway). Guile players
tend to FK too soon, and the range of Spidey's C.RK allows him to reach before
you recover. Which reminds me, ALWAYS tech roll when he sweeps you. It should
be habit anyway, but if Spiderman links his Crawler Assualt (and he will), it
does regrettable (sic) damage.
If you can pin Spiderman down, as described in the general strategy with
your ground chains and SBs, feel free to jump-in. Be wary otherwise, as his
S.RK will launch you out of anything except the deepest J.RK. Concentrate on a
suppressing line of SBs, keeping FKs charged, and slowing down the match, all
of which will disrupt Spidey's gameplan and put him at a disadvantage.
STRIDER HIRYU:
Although Capcom just about wrecked Strider with his puny stamina, crappified
Oroboros, and botched ground chain, he's still a contender, and one of the most
mobile characters in the game. His chains do great damage, he can strike right
after his teleport, and he has superior basic attacks that will consistently
out-prioritize yours. He'll neutralize your pressure games by sliding under
your SBs and teleporting away from jump-ins.
Unfortunately for Strider, he can't set anything up from a distance. His
"projectiles" are all slow, and even if he lands a Grahm (dp+FP), he lacks an
effective follow-up. So, much like Spiderman, you can play defensively and let
Strider work his way through your SBs and FKs. Strider's such a pansy now that
it only takes 2 or 3 FKs before he's hurting, and you'll wreck him with an air
combo. A nice way to set him up for your launcher is to walk forward a bit as
he jumps-in; Strider tends to place his jumps so that his J.FP and J.RK connect
a bit beneath him (which normally kills launchers), but if you walk forward a
bit, you'll pass his hit range, and be able to launch him. It's a subtle move,
but if jumps-in deep, you can just FK him anyway.
Strider needs carefully chosen assists to wreak havoc (i.e. Doctor Doom
AA), and with decent coverage, he'll be free to come at you from any angle at
all. Watch for his behind the back teleport, because he'll come out swinging;
you can try to launch him, but you're at a bad angle, and he has enough time to
get the full extension on his attack (you can't hit his blade). Strider can't
cover his partners very well, so feel free to beat them down. He'll constatnly
be sending them in to mount an effective offense, and that sort of dependence
leads to carelessness.
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Closing
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Expected updates:
-background information (for completeness' sake)
-completed specific vs strategy
-offensive/defensive gameplay templates
If you have any questions, suggestions, or corrections, feel free to contact
me at:
[email protected]
This document Copyright 2001 Dane Miner
Thanks
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