Character Movelist FAQ A very big thanks to FSGamer for his help on the character section! .-----------------------------. | Copyright 2007 Steven Marr | | By Steven Marr (aka Xenomic)| | xenomic@bigstring.com | | kushara@bigstring.com | | entity_of_chaos@hotmail.com| | ankoku.no.ryu@gmail.com| | ankoku_no_ryu@yahoo.com| | AIM: Xenomic, AnkokuRyu | | YIM: Ankoku_no_ryu| | MSN: ShinXenomic@hotmail.com| | | '-----------------------------' --------------------------------- Legal Script --------------------------------- All copyrights and trademarks are acknowledged where are not specifically mentioned. If you wish to reproduce this document AS IS, you may do so after asking my permission, and not for profit. If I see fit, I, however, will revoke permission and ask for it to be taken down if necessary. For some combo videos for characters, check out Badmash's site. Not bad videos at all, and they might help you out as well! http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=PeoplesBadmash Also, there is a Wiki on this game (though not complete) that some of the data found here in this faq is from. The link to the Wiki is here: http://www.shoryuken.com/wiki/index.php/Capcom_vs_SNK_2 **SPECIAL NOTE!!!*** For anyone who would like to help with this faq, feel free to contact me via one of the messengers found in my profile on GameFAQs or up above!!! Unless you have a list full of things to send to me (which I'd prefer email for), then by all means, go ahead and contact me (MSN or AIM is the most preferred). ***SPECIAL NOTE TO KIBAGAMI!!!*** If you are reading this, and wish for me to have my Quotes section taken down, let me know via email or one of my messengers if you so choose! --------------------------------------------------- Version History --------------------------------------------------- March 18, 2008 - Ver. 0.50: Still a Work In Progress, but still working on this. Will update this faq with more info as time goes by. March 31, 2008 - Ver. 0.60: Updated with info on Joe, Kim, King, Kyo, and what little there was to Orochi Iori. April 2, 2008 - Ver. 0.65: Updated with info on Rugal, Raiden, Rock, Ryo, and Terry. April 7, 2008 - Ver. 0.70: Updated with Todo, Vice, and Yuri. April 9, 2008 - Ver. 0.75: Updated with more info on Yuri. Updated with info on Modes of Play and Unlockables. Added in a new section called "Sub-Systems: Deciding What is Better". Updated Grooves section. April 14, 2008 - Ver. 0.76: Updated with info on Nakoruru finally. ^^ April 16, 2008 - Ver. 0.85: Super big update with info on Nakoruru, Eagle, Geese, and Akuma. Big thanks to Shoryuken.com and Helion for use of their Wiki. Link to Wiki can be found above the Version History section. April 21, 2008 - Ver. 0.93: Updated with info on Guile, Hibiki, King, and Kyo. April 23, 2008 - Ver. 0.99: Updated with info on Kyosuke, Maki, and Rock. Updated quotes section. --------------------------------------------------- Table Of Contents --------------------------------------------------- 1. Introduction [001] 2. Legend Key [002] 3. Breakdown of Attacks [003] 4. Tier Listings [004] 5. Character Movlists [005] -Capcom- I. Akuma [CAP01] II. Balrog [CAP02] III. Blanka [CAP03] IV. Cammy White [CAP04] V. Chun-Li [CAP05] VI. Dan Hibiki [CAP06] VII. Dhalsim [CAP07] VIII. Eagle [CAP08] IX. E. Honda [CAP09] X. Evil Ryu [CAP10] XI. Guile [CAP11] XII. Ken Masters [CAP12] XIII. Kyosuke Kagami[CAP13] XIV. Maki Genryusai[CAP14] XV. M. Bison [CAP15] XVI. Morrigan Aensland[CAP16] XVII. Rolento [CAP17] XVIII. Ryu [CAP18] XIX. Sagat [CAP19] XX. Sakura Kasugano [CAP20] XXI. Shin Akuma [CAP21] XXII. Vega [CAP22] XXIII. Yun Lee[CAP23] XXIV. Zangief [CAP24] -SNK- I. Athena Asamiya [SNK01] II. Benimaru Nikaido[SNK02] III. Chang Koehan[SNK03] IV. Geese Howard [SNK04] V. Haohmaru [SNK05] VI. Hibiki Takane[SNK06] VII. Iori Yagami [SNK07] VIII. Joe Higashi [SNK08] IX. Kim Kaphawn [SNK09] X. King [SNK10] XI. Kyo Kusanagi [SNK11] XII. Mai Shiranui [SNK12] XIII. Nakoruru [SNK13] XIV. Orochi Iori [SNK14] XV. Raiden [SNK15] XVI. Rock Howard [SNK16] XVII. Rugal Bernstein [SNK17] XVIII. Ryo Sakazaki [SNK18] XIX. Terry Bogard [SNK19] XX. Todo Ryuhaku[SNK20] XXI. Ultimate Rugal [SNK21] XXII. Vice [SNK22] XXIII. Yamazaki Ryuji[SNK23] XXIV. Yuri Sakazaki [SNK24] 6. Grooves [006] 7. Modes of Play [007] 8. Unlockables [008] 9. Sub-Systems: Deciding What is Better [009] 10. Quotes & Special Intros [010] 11. Other Things [011] 12. Credits [012] ----------------------------------------------------------- 1. Introduction [001] You're probably thinking "Why are you doing another Movelist FAQ for this game when it has all of these faqs for it to begin with?" or "Why do a FAQ for a game that's 5 years old?". Well, let's just say I have a lot of time on my hand, so why not use it for something that's interesting to both me and everyone else, can help everyone else (perhaps...), and gives me a reason to keep doing faqs in the first place? Right? Well, with that out of the way..... This faq is here to, of course, help use the 48 fighters in Capcom Vs. SNK 2, and what Grooves to use and with who. Though don't always take my word on the Grooves, as I'm still testing out which ones work better (though I tend to stick to C- and N-Groove anyways...). Just a fair warning now, when reading the Match-Up section for characters, keep in mind that these are aimed at CPU opponents, and not Human players. Trying these tactics against Human players will more than likely get you killed!! However, I will try and come up with tactics for Human players to add to this faq at a later date. Also note that while I DO have something for everyone in this faq, I'm not an expert at all of the characters in this game, and there are times that I don't play this game for weeks on end, which ends up with me being rusty at the game from time to time. So, while I point out things, note that not always will they be accurate to the tee. If you have any further questions about specific characters or strategies with characters, I HIGHLY recommend asking around on Shoryuken.com, as some of my knowledge on these characters came from them. So, without further adieu, let us begin this monstrous faq! ------------------------------------------------------------ 2. Keys [002] Use this Legend to help you understand the different definitions that I will be using throughout this FAQ. u=up f=forward d=down b=back df=down-forward db=down-back uf=up-forward ub=up-back qcf=quarter-circle forward qcb=quarter-circle back hcf=half-circle forward hcb=half-circle back 360=360 degree rotation of directional pad 720=720 degree rotation of directional pad fdp=Forward Dragon Punch (forward, down, down-forward) bdp=Back Dragon Punch (back, down, down-back) LP=Light Punch MP=Medium Punch HP=Heavy Punch LK=Light Kick MK=Medium Kick HK=Heavy Kick PPP=Three punches together KKK=Three kicks together Ch.=Charge move (air)=Move can be done in air. (AIR)=Must be performed in air CC=Custom Combos RC=Roll Cancel SC=Super Cancelables JD=Just Defend --------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Breakdown of Attacks [003] Here is a breakdown of what category each attack that each fighter in this game uses. Consult this chart if you're unsure as to what attack falls into what category. Moves that meet certain special requirements will be listed by their name. -Projectiles- Moves that can be fired in a fireball-type style, and can hit from across the screen. The following attacks fall into this category: Gou Hadoken (Akuma) Messatsu Gou Hado (Akuma) Tenma Gou Hado (Akuma) Zanku Hadoken (Akuma) Crystal Shoot (Athena) Psycho Ball Attack (Athena) Kikouken (Chun-Li) Kikou-Shou (Chun-Li) Gadoken (Dan) Shinku Gadoken (Dan) Yoga Fire (Dhalsim) Hadoken (Evil Ryu) Metsu Hadoken (Evil Ryu) Double Wind Slice (Geese) Wind Slice (Geese) Sonic Boom (Guile) Secret Cyclone Slash (Haohmaru) Dark Thrust (Iori) Hurricane Upper (Joe) Screw Upper (Joe) Hadoken (Ken) Double Venom Strike (King) Venom Strike (King) Cross Cutter (Kyosuke) Super Cross Cutter (Kyosuke) Kachou Sen (Folding Fan Fandango) (Mai) Swan's Ranpango (Mai) Soul Fist (Morrigan) Soul Phoenix (Morrigan) Shichikapu Kanui Inushika (Nakoruru) Dark Thrust (Orochi Iori) Cyclone Sock (Rock) Double Gust Punch (Rock) Kaiser Wave (Rugal) Wind Slice (Rugal) Haoh Sho Koh Ken (Conquering Crunch) (Ryo) Tiger Flame Punch (Ryo) Hadoken (Ryu) Shinku Hadoken (Ryu) Tiger Cannon (Sagat) Tiger Shot (Sagat) Ground Tiger Cannon (Sagat) Ground Tiger Shot (Sagat) Shinku Hadoken (Sakura) Gou Hadoken (Shin Akuma) Messatsu Gou Hado (Shin Akuma) Tenma Gou Hado (Shin Akuma) Zanku Hadoken (Shin Akuma) Power Wave (Terry) Ultimate Ecstasy Crunch (Todo) Kaiser Wave (Ultimate Rugal) Wind Slice (Ultimate Rugal) Haoh Sho Koh Ken (Conquering Crunch) (Yuri) Rai Oh Ken (Yuri) Tiger Flame Punch (Yuri) -Anti-Air- Moves that are used to counter air attacks and jumping opponents. Typically bad when blocked or when they miss. The following attacks fall into this category: Messatsu Gou Shoryu (Akuma) Psycho Sword (Athena) Buffalo Head Butt (Balrog) Lightning Fist (Anti-Air) (Benimaru) Super Lightning Kick (Benimaru) Vertical Rolling (Blanka) Hoyoku-Sen (Chun-Li) Kouryuken (Dan) Kouryurekka (Dan) Messatsu Gou Shoryu (Evil Ryu) Shoryuken (Evil Ryu) Somersault Kick (Guile) Somersault Strike (Guile) Secret Crescent Moon (Haohmaru) Slash of Supreme Judgment (Haohmaru) Fire Ball (Iori) Double Cyclone Upper (Joe) Tiger Kick (Joe) Shinryuken (Ken) Shoryuken (Ken) Fire Ball (Kyo) New Wave Smash (Kyo) Spinning Kick (Kyo) Lightning Upper (Kyosuke) Shadow Out Kick (Kyosuke) Super Lightning Upper (Kyosuke) Super Shadow Out Kick (Kyosuke) Carpinal Blade (Morrigan) Shadow Blade (Morrigan) Lela Mutsube (Nakoruru) Fire Ball (Orochi Iori) Rising Tackle (Rock) Destroyer Cutter (Rugal) Total Annihilation (Rugal) Koho (Tiger Blast) (Ryo) Shoryuken (Ryu) Tiger Uppercut (Sagat) Messatsu Gou Shoryu (Shin Akuma) Rising Tackle (Terry) Rising Ecstasy Crunch (Todo) Destroyer Cutter (Ultimate Rugal) Total Annihilation (Ultimate Rugal) Yuri Double Upper (Yuri) Yuri Super Upper (Yuri) Aerial Russian Slam (Zangief) -Air- Moves that are done while in the air. Great against Rush attacks and some Other attacks, but bad when against Anti-Air attacks. The following attacks fall into this category: Hyakki Goudan (Akuma) Hyakki Gousai (Akuma) Hyakki Goushou (Akuma) Hyakki Goutsui (Akuma) Hyakki Gouzan (Akuma) Hyakkisu (Akuma) Phoenix Arrow (Athena) Phoenix Fang Arrow (Athena) Hazan Shu (Chun-Li) Aerial Taunt (Dan) Gaia Slash (Geese) Flying Kick (Kim) Heavenly Phoenix Kick (Kim) Shadow Wave (Kyosuke) Devil Reverse (M. Bison) Head Stomp (M. Bison) Kanui Mutsube (Nakoruru) Mamahaha Attack (Nakoruru) Mamahaha Release (Nakoruru) Mamahaha Slash (Nakoruru) Shichikapu Ai (Nakoruru) Crimson Firebird Diver (Mai) Flying Squirrel Dance (Mai) Ajaratengu (Maki) Hassoukyakku (Maki) Tengu Daoshi (Maki) Dark Smash (Rugal) Flower Kick (Sakura) Oukakyaku (Sakura) Sakura Otoshi (Sakura) Shunpu Kyaku (Sakura) Air Ecstasy Crunch (Todo) Dark Smash (Ultimate Rugal) Flying Barcelona Attack (Vega) Flying Barcelona Special (Vega) Izuna Drop (Vega) Rolling Izuna Drop (Vega) Sky High Claw (Vega) Rave Fest (Vice) Zessho Hohou (Yun) Nishou Kyaku (Yun) -Rush- Moves that force the character to dash and attack at the same exact time. These are vulnerable to a lot of attacks, those being Projectiles, Anti-Air, and Air, but can be useful against Other attacks. These also help the character get across the screen faster. The following attacks fall into this category: Crazy Buffalo (Balrog) Dash Ground Straight (Balrog) Dash Ground Uppercut (Balrog) Dash Straight (Balrog) Dash Uppercut (Balrog) Gigaton Blow (Balrog) Turn Punch (Balrog) Discharge Spark (Benimaru) Back Step Rolling (Blanka) Direct Lightning (Blanka) Ground Shave Rolling (Blanka) Rolling Attack (Blanka) Onimushu (E. Honda) Super Zutsuki (E. Honda) Evil Illusion Slam (Geese) Secret Earthquake Slice (Haohmaru) Heavenly Spirit of Victory (Hibiki) Dark Crescent Slice (Iori) Maiden Masher (Iori) Slash Kick (Joe) Shinpu Jinraikyaku (Ken) Shoryuu Reppa (Ken) Final Showdown (Kyo) Deadly Ninja Bees (Mai) Super Deadly Ninja Bees (Mai) Hayakage (Maki) Saka Hayakage (Maki) Knee Press (M. Bison) Knee Press Nightmare (M. Bison) Psycho Crusher (M. Bison) Mega Psycho Crusher (M. Bison) Darkness Illusion (Morrigan) Valkyrie Turn (Morrigan) Annu Mutsube (Nakoruru) Dark Crescent Slice (Orochi Iori) Maiden Masher (Orochi Iori) Hard Edge (Rock) Rage Run-Type "Dunk" (Rock) Rage Run-Type "Save" (Rock) Rage Run-Type "Shift" (Rock) Shining Knuckles (Rock) Gigantic Pressure (Rugal) God Press (Rugal) Lightning Legs Knockout Kick (Ryo) Ryuko Rahou (Furious Fandango) (Ryo) Tiger Crush (Sagat) Tiger Destroyer (Sagat) Tiger Raid (Sagat) Midare Zakura (Sakura) Sakizakura Ken (Sakura) Shoouken (Sakura) Burning Knuckles (Terry) Buster Wolf (Terry) Gigantic Pressure (Ultimate Rugal) God Press (Ultimate Rugal) Last Judgment (Ultimate Rugal) Rugal Execution (Ultimate Rugal) Rolling Crystal Flash (Vega) Scarlet Mirage (Vega) Flying Phoenix Kick (Yuri) Scalding Steam Blast (Yuri) The 100 Blows (Yuri) Flying Powerbomb (Zangief) -Other- These are moves that don't really fall into any one category, and can be classified by their own self. How these moves work against others depends on the situation at hand. The following attacks fall into this category: Zenpou Tenshin (Akuma) New Psycho Reflector (Athena) Shining Crystal Bit (Athena) Heaven's Blast Flash (Benimaru) Iaido Kick (Benimaru) Lightning Fist (Benimaru) Electric Thunder (Blanka) Surprise Back (Blanka) Surprise Forward (Blanka) Spinning Iron Ball (Chang) Hyakuretsu Kyaku (Chun-Li) Spinning Bird Kick (Chun-Li) Aerial Taunt (Dan) Back Taunt (Dan) Chohatsu Densetsu (Dan) Dankyaku (Dan) Forward Taunt (Dan) Hissyo Buraiken (Dan) Yoga Blast (Dhalsim) Yoga Flame (Dhalsim) Yoga Stream (Dhalsim) Yoga Tempest (Dhalsim) Hyakuretsu Harite (E. Honda) Super Hyakkan Otoshi (E. Honda) Tatsumaki Senpukyaku (Evil Ryu) Raising Storm (Geese) Total Wipeout (Guile) Fake Cyclone Slash (Haohmaru) Flame of the Conqueror (Haohmaru) Distance Slash (Hibiki) Narrow Escape (Hibiki) "One-For-The-Road" Blast (Iori) Inazuma Kakate Kick (Ken) Kamabaral Kick (Ken) Nataptoshi Kick (Ken) Oosotomawashi Kick (Ken) Ryusankyaku (Ken) Tatsumaki Senpukyaku (Ken) Zenpou Tenshin (Ken) Crime Grawfest (Kyo) Flashing Slash (Kyo) Nine Scars Maker (Kyo) Poison Grawfest (Kyo) Punishment Grawfest (Kyo) R.E.D. Kick (Kyo) Rusting Eight Combos (Kyo) Serpent Wave (Kyo) Seven Hurting Combos (Kyo) Wicked Chew (Kyo) Ryu En Bu (Dragon Flame Romp) (Mai) Rappukyaku (Maki) Elelyu Kamui Risse (Nakoruru) Kamui Risse (Nakoruru) Mamahaha Grab (Nakoruru) Shirikoro Kanulmomi (Nakoruru) Raising a Storm (Rock) Raksasa (Rock) Mine Sweeper (Rolento) Scouter Jump (Rolento) Dark Barrier (Rugal) Crazy Tiger Thunder Attack (Ryo) Tatsumaki Senpukyaku (Ryu) Shinku Tatsumaki Senpukyaku (Ryu) Sunpu Renkyaku (Sakura) Crack Shot (Terry) Power Dunk (Terry) Power Geyser (Terry) Ecstasy Crunch (Todo) Dark Barrier (Ultimate Rugal) Back Slash (Vega) Short Back Slash (Vega) Kobokushi (Yun) Sourai-Rengeki (Yun) Tetsuzankou (Yun) You-Hou (Yun) Zenpu Tenshin (Yun) Atomic Suplex (Zangief) Double Lariat (Zangief) Final Atomic Buster (Zangief) Green Glove (Zangief) Spinning Pile Driver (Zangief) -Teleport- These moves can move the character across the screen, and at anywhere on the screen, depending on which version and button the player used to initiate the move. The following attacks fall into this category: Ashura Senku (Akuma) Psychic Teleport (Athena) Yoga Teleport (Dhalsim) Ashura Senku (Evil Ryu) Psycho Vanish (M. Bison) Ashura Senku (Shin Akuma) Ultimate Lane (Ultimate Rugal) -Counter- These moves are used to counterattack against an opponents move. The following attacks fall into this category: Canterbury Blue (Eagle) Lower Body Blow (Geese) Middle Body Blow (Geese) Upper Body Blow (Geese) Melding Being Blade (Hibiki) [May only be useuable against Mid-High attacks] Crack Counter (Rock) Mind's Eye Slingshot (Todo) Taunt & Counter (Yamazaki) -Throws- These are moves that turn into throws when used. The following attacks fall into this category: Oocihou Nage (E. Honda) Orochi Kudaki (E. Honda) Essential Crunch (Hibiki) Scum Gale (Iori) Destruction Drop (Raiden) Thunder Crush Bomb (Raiden) Evac Toss (Rock) -Close- These are moves that will only hit when close to an opponent. The following attacks fall into this category: Benimaru Collider Crunch (Benimaru) Blec-Trigger (Benimaru) No Fear Feint (Hibiki) Deadly Flower (Iori) TNT Punch (Joe) Final Grade Remix (Kyosuke) Sun Fire Samba (Mai) Deadly Flower (Orochi Iori) Heaven Blaze Punch (Ryo) Zan Retsu Kan (Whiplash Bash) (Ryo) Shin Shoryuken (Ryu) G-End (Ultimate Rugal) Saiha (Yuri) -Combos- These are moves that hit more than once in one sititng. The following attacks fall into this category: Deadly Rave (Geese) Neo Deadly Rave (Rock) Going My Way (Root-1) (Hibiki) Going My Way (Root-2) (Hibiki) Going My Way (Root-3) (Hibiki) ------------------------------------------------------------ 4. Tier Listings [004] (Tier listings courtesy of Bucktooth from the Shoryuken forums) Do note that even though this list shows which characters are best in what Grooves, don't take it too seriously. The types of Grooves that each character is good in varies from player to player, and some players may not even use the same Grooves as those listed in this list and still play just as well as these. I will go into more detail on each individual character Grooves in each of their respective section. Top Tier: C-Sagat A-Sakura P-Cammy A-Bison several different flavors of Blanka C/N-Chun-Li C-Guile C-Honda High-Mid Tier: A-Hibiki C-Rolento N-Iori K-Geese K-Rock P-Kyo A-Vega C-Ken Mid Tier: A-Todo N-Maki N-Vice C-Rugal C-Kim C-Yamazaki C-Dhalsim C/A-Eagle N-Akuma N-Mai K-Nakoruru C-Yun A-Joe C/N-Ryu N-Morrigan K-Chang A-Athena Low-Mid Tier: A-Yuri A-Terry A-Benimaru K-Zangief C-Balrog K-Raiden A-Dan K-Ryo C-Kyosuke A-Haohmaru Low Tier: N-King All the characters in the High-Mid Tier can be (and often are) considered Top Tier among different respected players. Here is an additional list that lists all of the character's Grooves, from best to worst. Note that this is also subjective to opinion and the experience and style of each player, so as with the previous tier list, don't take it TOO literally! (Courtesy of tetsuye00 and the rest at Shoryuken.com) Top Tier: A-Bison (A, S, C, K) C-Sagat (C, K, A) A-Blanka (A, C, K) ??? A-Sakura (A, C, K) P-Cammy (P, K, C, A) ??? C/N-Chun (C/N, A, K) C-Guile (C, A, K) ??? C-Honda (C, A, K) High-Mid Tier: A-Vega (A, C, P, N, K, S) C-Ken (C, K, A) ??? A-Hibiki (A, K, C) C-Rolento (C, A, K) N-Iori (N, A, C, K, P, S) K-Geese (K, P, N, A, C, S) K-Rock (K, C, A) P-Kyo (P, K, A, C) ??? Mid Tier: A-Todo (A, N, C, K, S, P) N-Maki (N, K, C, A) ??? N-Vice (N, C, A, K) C-Rugal (C, K, A) C-Kim (C, A, K) ??? C-Yamazaki (C, K, A) C-Dhalsim (C, A, K) C/A-Eagle (C/A, K) N-Akuma (N, K, C, A) ??? N-Mai (N, K, A, C, S, P) K-Nakoruru (K, A, C) ??? C-Yun (C, A, K) A-Joe (A, C, K) C/N-Ryu (C/N, K, A) N-Morrigan (N, K, C, A) ??? K-Chang (K, C, A) A-Athena (A, C, K) Low-Mid Tier: A-Yuri (A, C, K) ??? A-Terry (A, C, K) ??? A-Benimaru (A, C, K) ??? K-Zangief (K, C, A) C-Balrog (C, K, A) ??? K-Raiden (K, C, A) A-Dan (A, C, K) K-Ryo (K, C, A) ??? C-Kyosuke (C, K, A) ??? A-Haohmaru (A, C, K) Low Tier: N-King (N, A, C, K) Note: ??? indicates that the ranking of C, K, and A Groove are uncertain. ------------------------------------------------------------ 5. Character Movlists [005] Now, for the beast of the faq! The characters themselves! Note now that it'll go in alphabetical order, from fighters first from Capcom, then SNK (no, I'm not being prejudice here either). So, if you want to find a character fast, then use the Table of Contents and use Cntrl + F and type in what's in the bracket to find that specific character. The following table is a breakdown of each character's fighting type (from what I know....any corrections here would be useful): -Character Type- --Rush Down-- Akuma Shin Akuma Rugal Bernstein Ultimate Rugal Mai Shiranui Yuri Sakazaki Ryo Sakazaki Kim Kaphawn Maki Kyo Kusanagi Iori Yagami Orochi Iori Cammy White Chun-Li Morrigan Haohmaru Yun Vega Balrog --Turtling-- Guile Blanka Dhalsim E. Honda Zangief Chang Raiden --Defensive-- Ryu Evil Ryu Eagle Yamazaki Todo --All Around-- Ken Masters Athena Asamiya Hibiki King Joe Higashi Geese Howard Rock Howard Terry Bogard Kyosuke Nakoruru Benimaru M. Bison Sagat Sakura Kasugano Dan Hibiki ----------------------------------------------------------- ---CAPCOM FIGHTERS--- ------------------------------------------------------------ I. Akuma [CAP01] -Introduction- The Raging Demon from Street Fighter makes another appearance in the fighting game world. Akuma's lost some of his umph, but still retains his top-tiered fighting style. You'll have to watch him for his devastating combos and powerful attacks! -Movelist- -Special Normals- Dive Kick (AIR).........................................D-F + K (at the top of Akuma's jump) -Specials- Gou Hadoken.............................................QCF + P Shakunetsu Hadoken................................HCB + P Zanku Hadoken (AIR)...............................QCF + P Gou Shoryuken...........................................DPF + P Tatsumaki Zanku Kyaku (air)...................QCB + K Hyakkisu......................................................DPF + K Hyakki Gouzan (during Hyakkisu)...........(No button pressed during Hyakkisu) Hyakki Goushou (during Hyakkisu).........P Hyakki Gousai (during Hyakkisu).............F or B + P near head Hyakki Goudan (during Hyakkisu)...........K Hyakki Goutsui (during Hyakkisu)...........F or B + K near head Zenpou Tenshin..........................................QCB + P Ashura Senku...............................................DPF or DPB + Px3 or Kx3 -Super Specials- Messatsu Gou Hado....................................HCBx2 + P Tenma Gou Zanku (AIR)..............................QCFx2 + P Messatsu Gou Shoryu..................................QCFx2 + P Shungokusatsu (Level 3 & MAX)..............LP, LP, F, LK, SP -Movelist Breakdown- --Normal Attacks-- -STANDING- LP (Quick Jab) -Great for speed, but horrible for damage. However, this can help in raking up damage if you combo other attacks into this move. This can also be used to knock certain fighters out of attacks, like Akuma's Shungokusatsu. However, this is not recommended. Distance: Far: X Mid: X Close: O LP Close (Quick Elbow) -Very fast, and excellent to chain into other normal moves. Also works well with comboing into Super Specials and Specials. Distance: Far: X Mid: X Close: O MP (Palm Thrust) -Decent in both speed and damage. However, kinda hard to combo into... Distance: Far: X Mid: X Close: O MP Close (Mid Punch) -Pretty fast and efficient, and also works well as a combo starter. Distance: Far: X Mid: X Close: O SP (Fierce Punch) -Somewhat slow, but does good damage. Hard to combo off of though. Distance: Far: X Mid: X Close: O SP Close (Fierce Uppercut) -Great for damage, and the speed of the move is pretty fast. However, kind of hard to combo off of. Distance: Far: X Mid: X Close: O LK (Shin Kick) -As with the LP, fast and good combo starter, but not good damage at all. Distance: Far: X Mid: X Close: O MK (High Kick) -Same as with the MP. Distance: Far: X Mid: X Close: O MK Close (High Knee) -This move is decently fast and strong, and can actually combo into a HP or HK, depending on where Akuma is after this move. Distance: Far: X Mid: X Close: O SK (Roundhouse Kick) -Great for hitting airbourne opponents. However, it is rather slow, so be cautious. Distance: Far: X Mid: X Close: O SK Close (High Scissor Kick) -This move actually hits twice: One high, and one low. However, don't expect to combo off of this move, as it'll never happen. Distance: Far: X Mid: X Close: O -CROUCHING- LP (Low Quick Jab) -Once again, fast and good to combo into, but low in damage. Great combo starter, however, and can lead directly into a Shungokusatsu or other Super Special move. Distance: Far: X Mid: X Close: O MP (Low Palm Thrust) -Nice in terms of speed and damage, and a decent combo starter, but it lacks the range to do any real good to players unless they're close to the opponent. It's best to use some other attack other than this move. Distance: Far: X Mid: X Close: O SP (Uppercut) -Great for Anti-Air purposes, and it does pretty decent damage. Distance: Far: X Mid: X Close: O LK (Quick Low Kick) -Practically the same as the Standing LK, except that it hits low. Distance: Far: X Mid: X Close: O MK (Long Reach Kick) -A tiny fragment slower than the Crouching LK, but still great to combo off of. Distance: Far: X Mid: X Close: O SK (Sweep) -Excellent when it comes to corner battles. If the opponent blocks this move, you can combo a Gou Shoryuken, Gou Hadoken, Tatsumaki Zanku Kyaku, or a Super Special off of it to make them pay. However, note that more often than not (especially true against human players), this strategy won't work the majority of the time. Distance: Far: X Mid: X Close: O -JUMPING- LP (Quick Punch) -Has the same property as the Standing and Crouching LP. However, you can't abuse this constantly like those two, as in the air you can only use one attack at a time. This lasts the whole time that Akuma is in the air, and can be used either jumping straight up or back or towards an opponent. Distance: Far: X Mid: X Close: O MP (Left-Handed Diagonal Punch) -Has the same property as the Standing and Crouching MP. This move works wonder against some attacks. However, note that it is not always the best move to use, as it can lead into trouble. Great when you want to go on the offensive against someone who uses attacks similar to Tatsumaki Senpukyaku. Distance: Far: X Mid: X Close: O SP ( Fast Left-Handed Diagonal Punch) -One of the better moves, and an excellent combo starter. This move should take priority (only second to the Jumping LK and Jumping MK), as it tends to knock opponents out of moves rather easily. Distance: Far: X Mid: X Close: O LK Straight Up (Heel Kick) -This lasts the whole time that Akuma is in the air. Nice to start a combo, and also good when you don't want to jump into a move but still want to hit. Distance: Far: X Mid: X Close: O LK (Knee Punch) -This move has the highest priority (up there with Jumping MK) with knocking opponents out of moves (especially moves like Shungokusatstu). Low damage, but great combo starter. Distance: Far: X Mid: X Close: O MK Straight Up (Quick Heel Kick) -Same as the LK Straight Up, except that it only last about a second or two in the air. Distance: Far: X Mid: X Close: O MK (Straight Kick Punch) -Great in the sense that it can take out opponent's moves very easily, and the fact that it even works well on opponents from below. It can even combo right into Super Specials like Messatsu Gou Hado and Shungokusatsu! Distance: Far: X Mid: X Close: O SK (Quick Straight Kick Punch) -A great move in terms of damage, but don't overabuse it, as human opponents will most likely be able to counter this move rather easily. It's similar to the MK, but only lasts about half as long. Distance: Far: X Mid: X Close: O -Throws- <- OR -> +SP (Seoi Nage) -Another Throw. You have to do the directional input first in order to do this throw. Distance: Far: X Mid: X Close: O SK + <- OR -> (Tomoe Nage) -Akuma's Throw. Simple enough, right? Distance: Far: X Mid: X Close: O --Special Moves-- -Gou Hadoken- -Speed depends on the P button you used. Try mixing up slow and fast Gou Hadokens to confuse your opponent. STRONG VS. All Anti-Air attacks All Rush attacks All Other attacks NO EFFECT VS. Most Projectile attacks (Cancels out with them) All Teleport attacks Mamahaha Grab (Nakoruru) Narrow Escape (Hibiki) WEAK VS. All Air attacks Other attacks -New Psycho Reflector (Athena) -Dark Barrier (Rugal/Ultimate Rugal) All Super Special Projectile attacks Misc attacks This is a great move to stall opponents and to play keep-away games. You'll definentely want to use this the moment you see a projectile, as this move will cancel them out (with the exceptions of Super Art specials, in which the opposite occurs...). However, do note that sometimes, it is not always the best course of action when it comes to projectiles. If you think you can land another move quicker than using Gou Hadoken, then by means, try and go for it (such as jumping at the opponent and using Zanku Hadoken or, better yet, Tenma Gou Zanku). Distance: Far: O Mid: O Close: O Best Distance: Any -Zanku Hadoken- -The speed of the fireballs depend on the P button pressed. STRONG VS. Anti-Air attacks (if they miss) (Somersault Kick, Shoryuken, etc.) Dash attack (Flash Chop, Achilles Rush, etc.) Most projectiles (Hadoken, Kikoushen, etc.) NO EFFECT VS. Super Arts.... WEAK VS. Air attacks A very good move in the fact that it's one of the few air moves that can't really be stopped by Anti-Air attacks, and instead punishes them. This can work both offensively and defensively. Offensively, you can use this move to help combo into other moves, as by the time the fireball are blocked or hit your opponent, Akuma will be back on the ground, which can lead into a Super Special. Defensively, it works as a way to spread both fighters out across the level, as this move is rather hard to dodge while moving forward. Distance: Far: O Mid: O Close: O Best Distance: Any -Shakunetsu Hadoken- STRONG VS. Same as Gou Hadoken. NO EFFECT VS. Same as Gou Hadoken WEAK VS. Same as Gou Hadoken A bit stronger than Gou Hadoken, and it has knockback effect to boost. Great for mixup games when using Zanku Hadoken and Gou Hadoken. However, it has a bit of slow startup, and it signals the opponent when it's about to be used, so it's not to be abused. However, it can be used when mixing LP and HP versions together. Distance: Far: O Mid: O Close: O Best Distance: Any -Gou Shoryuken- -How far up Akuma goes up depends on what P button you press. STRONG VS. Missed Anti-Air attacks Dash attacks just as they close in on Akuma Air attacks NO EFFECT VS. None........ WEAK VS. All projectiles Any attacks if misses The typical Dragon Punch move. Excellent against air attacks and Rush attacks, but bad if your opponent blocks the move or if you miss them completely. It's great, however, for mixup games as well, especially if you use the LP version quite often, then follow up with a LK or HK version of Tatsumaki Zanku Kyaku. Distance: Far: X Mid: X Close: O Best Distance: Close -Tatsumaki Zanku Kyaku- STRONG VS. Blocked or missed Anti-Air attacks Rush attacks NO EFFECT VS. Most Super Arts WEAK VS. Projectiles Anti-Air -Great for Rush attacks (Flash Chop, Achilles Rush, etc.), and is great to punish missed or blocked Anti-Air attacks. Bad, however, if the opponent ducks under it or is far away when used. Distance: Far: X Mid: O (only with HK) Close: O Best Distance: Mid -Hyakkisu- STRONG VS. All Rush Attacks Most Projectile attacks Other attacks NO EFFECT VS. Teleport moves WEAK VS. Super Special Projectile attacks Anti-Air attacks -Great for confusing your opponent when they expect a Zanku Hadoken. The move input isn't too difficult, and this move does quite a bit of damage. Rather nice to get around most projectiles and the like too. -Hyakki Gouzan- STRONG VS. Same as Hyakkisu NO EFFECT VS. Same as Hyakkisu WEAK VS. Same as Hyakkisu Distance: Far: O Mid: O Low: X Misc. Data: --- This move is great for mix-up games, since there are so many variations to Hyakkisu. This one hits low, so if you try and mix this up with Hyakki Goushou and Hyakki Goudan, then you should be able to frustrate your opponent to where they'll try anything to stop Akuma from using this move, which is where you punish them with Tatsumaki Zanku Kyakus and Gou Shoryukens. -Hyakki Goushou- STRONG VS. Same as Hyakkisu NO EFFECT VS. Same as Hyakkisu WEAK VS. Same as Hyakkisu Distance: Far: X Mid: X Close: O Misc. Data: --- Here, Akuma will come down with his fist (same animation as with Zanku Hadoken, minus the fireball). Great as long as your opponent doesn't use an Anti-Air attack on you. This move is relatively strong, but use it at your own risk. -Hyakki Gousai- STRONG VS. Same as Hyakkisu NO EFFECT VS. Same as Hyakkisu WEAK VS. Same as Hyakkisu Distance: Far: O Mid: O Low: X Misc. Data: ---- Another great mix-up move, but the downside is that you have to be close to your opponent in order to pull it off, and by that time, the opponent can counter with an Anti-Air move or something worse. I'd recommend not using this move, unless your opponent is one who likes to turtle a lot. -Hyakki Goudan- STRONG VS. Same as Hyakkisu NO EFFECT VS. Same as Hyakkisu WEAK VS. Same as Hyakkisu Distance: Far: O Mid: O Close: O Misc. Data: ---- Just as with the previous two moves, great for mix-up. Here, Akuma will come down from the top of his jump into a diving kick. Great for stalling against some projectiles, but it leaves him open to any other attack, and it's easy to see coming. It can only be blocked by standing, so that's always a plus for those who try to block it low. Pretty strong, but don't overabuse it. -Hyakki Goutsui- STRONG VS. Same as Hyakkisu NO EFFECT VS. Same as Hyakkisu WEAK VS. Same as Hyakkisu Distance: Far: X Mid: X Close: O Misc. Data: --- The last move that can be used only during Hyakkisu. It's very similar to Hyakki Goushou in the fact that you have to do it right when Akuma is near the head of his opponent. And it carries the same downside as Hyakki Goushou, so I'd avoid using it. -Zenpou Tenshin- STRONG VS. All moves NO EFFECT VS. Nothing.... WEAK VS. Contineous moves (i.e. Shoryureppa, Messatsu Gou Shoryu) Distance: Far: X Mid: X Close: X Misc. Data: Special movement This move isn't that great at all. You can simply use Roll instead of this, and it's far safer than this move. Ignore it altogether. -Ashura Senku- STRONG VS. All attacks NO EFFECT VS. None WEAK VS. None -Great in that it grants invulnerability to attacks while teleporting, and the fact that it allows teleport. Great to get out of corners. Easy to combo attacks off of this move as well. Distance: Far: O Mid: O Close: O Best Distance: Any --Super Special Moves-- -Messatsu Gou Hadou- STRONG VS. All Rush attacks All projectiles (except Super Special projectiles) All Anti-Air attacks NO EFFECT VS. None WEAK VS. None -Excellent in that it rips through all other projectiles (except Super Special projectiles...) and it repels virtually any attack. Distance Data: Far: O Mid: O Close: O Best Distance: Any -Tenma Gou Zanku- STRONG VS. Most Anti-Air attacks Most Projectile attacks All Rush attacks NO EFFECT VS. None WEAK VS. None -As with the Messatsu Gou Hadou, this move is great against all other projectiles, AND is perfect against Anti-Air attacks. However, many players will expect this move, so use it sparingly. Distance Data: Far: O Mid: O Close: O Best Distance: Any -Messatsu Gou Shoryu- STRONG VS. Most Anti-Air (if blocked or miss) All Rush attacks NO EFFECT VS. None WEAK VS. All Projectiles (unless timed correctly) -Great against Rush attacks, but not the best of choice against Projectile users. However, it does make for a nasty counterattack as a Wakeup move. Distance Data: Far: O Mid: O Close: O Best Distance: Mid -Shungokusatsu- STRONG VS. Rush attacks only! NO EFFECT VS. None WEAK VS. Anti-Air attacks Projectile attacks -The infamous Raging Demon to some and Instant Hell Murder to others. Great due to its speed and being an Unblockable. Unfortunently, everyone who has fought Akuma or Shin Akuma knows about this move and know how to avoid it. However, try using it as a Wakeup Counter. You might be able to surprise your opponents. Distance Data: Far: O Mid: O Close: O Best Distance: Close --Strengths & Weaknesses-- Akuma's strength definently lies in his ability to rush down on his opponents. Tatsumaki Zanku Kyaku and Gou Shoryuken are the key here, and Hyakkisu is great to throw in from time to time. Zanku Hadoken also limits what the opponent can do, for if they try to either jump or run under it, they'll more than likely get hit by it. Most of Akuma's regular moves, like his Crouching SP and Standing SP, have decent enough range on them that they can knock opponents out of moves that normally you'd have to block (such as Super Deadly Ninja Bees or Deadly Rave). Sadly though, when it comes to defense, Akuma as always has problems. His vitality isn't exactly that great, and he takes damage like a little baby. The only really good moves to counter with are Gou Shoryuken and Tatsumaki Zanku Kyaku, as Hyakkisu will only land him in trouble. Messatsu Gou Hado and Tenma Gou Hado are great on the run, but Messatsu is easily avoided, and Tenma says when it's coming most of the time. Messatsu Gou Shoryu is great, but only if you can hit your opponent when they aren't expecting it. Shungokusatsu is perfect, but the downside is, it's extremely easy to avoid and counter, and many great players will know exactly how to do that. So, all in all, you'll have to avoid having Akuma get pressured, and make sure that he's pressuring his opponents as much as possible. Tick-damage may be the way to go, so alternate between Gou Hadokens, Shakunetsu Hadokens, and Zanku Hadokens if you're not close enough, and bust out Tatsumaki Zanku Kyakus when you are close. Use Gou Shoryuken ONLY when the opponent tries to jump at Akuma, as if you try to use it anytime else, the opponent could just block it and counter with anything. ---Groove Choices--- Akumas best groove is considered to be N groove. In order to be at his most potential, he needs run, and this groove offers that. What it also offers is Roll Cancelled red fireballs, and a way to store his raging demon for when he needs it. This puts it above the rest of the pack. His second best groove is K groove, where his ability to pull off damage increases greatly. By making the opponent scared of eating a raging demon, he is able to actually land more bread and butter combos than normal. The rage mode also allows him to suck up a bit more damage than he otherwise would be able to, and access to 2 raging demon attempts a round helps him out a lot. His third best groove would be a tie between C groove and A groove. Both of these lack run, which is important to his game plan, but they both offer up something in exchange. C gives him level 2 cancels which can do a lot of damage to an opponent, and A gives him a guaranteed hit into custom combo (by doing c.lk, lk hurricane kick, activate, juggle). However, the lack of mobility from run really hinders him here. Lastly would be S and P. S gives him run, but his lack of good level 1's and the handicap of having Raging Demon available only when he's about to die hurt him. As well, P doesn't give him much to work with, with no run or Roll Cancelled moves. The only exception is in CvS2 EO (such as on X-Box Live), where the P-groove cancel glitch allows him to do some damaging verifiable damage. Still not worth playing him in P groove. ---Akuma's Combos--- (opp standing) c.lk(or c.lp) x2, lk hurricane, dp (or lk hurricane again) (opp crouching) note: all these combos also work on standing opponents too 1) c.lk x2, hp fireball 2) c.mk, hp fireball 3) c.lk, lk hurricane, dp 4) (c.lk/c.lp), c.lp, c.hk, lk hurricane, dp (or lk hurricane) Note: The d.LP, d.HK link is only for when you're fishing for counter hits with d.LP anyway. It's just as easy to hit confirm a counter hit crouching jab and link it into sweep xx qcb+LK 5) c.lp, c.hp, hp fireball Note: all of these combos can be done after a crossup fireball setup. If the fireball hits you can do the standing combos because the fireball will cause your opponent to stand. for all intents and purposes these are all the NON meter b&b combos. there are many variations of these that you can use but its just personal style from here. ---Akuma's Super Combos--- 1) c.lk x2 or 3, qcfx2 + p 2) c.lp, c.hp, qcfx2 + p 3) c.lk, c.lp, c.mk, qcb x2 + p and as usual you can add jump ins and modify these combos slightly for different situations. ---C-Groove Specific Combos--- Although these all start with 'j.hp, c.hp', that's not the only way to land them. That's the best way to land them as you get the most damage out of it, but you won't get a free jump in that often. When they're dizzy though go for it ;). More practically though you can replace the 'j.hp, c.hp' with 'c.lk, c.lk' or 'c.mk' to start any of these. Here are some of C-Groove Akuma's most damaging combos in a variety of situations. Level 2, Anywhere on Screen j.hp, c.hp, qcfx2+mp xx (last hit, but you still on ground) qcb+lk, dp+hp (2 hits) Damage:7902 Level 3, Anywhere on Screen j.hp, c.hp, qcfx2+mp xx (last hit, but you still on ground) hcbx2+lp Damage:8715 Level 2, Opponent In or Near Corner j.hp, c.hp, qcfx2+mp xx (2nd last hit) hcb+hp, dp+hp (2 hits) Damage:8086 Level 3, Opponent In or Near Corner j.hp, c.hp, qcfx2+mp xx (2nd last hit) hcbx2+lp, dp+hp (2 hits) Damage:9571 Level 2, Mid-Screen, Pseudo Combo Most damage with lvl2, does not work in corner, DOES NOT COMBO: j.hp, c.hp, qcfx2+mp xx (2nd last hit) dp+lk, f+hp xx dp+hp (2 hits) Damage:8715 Level 3, Mid-Screen, Pseudo Combo Most damage with lvl3, does not work in corner, DOES NOT COMBO: j.hp, c.hp, qcfx2+mp xx (2nd last hit) dp+lk, f+hp xx qcfx2+lp (4hits) Damage:8925 NOTE: Those last two have a hole in the combo between the lvl2 super cancel and the grab off the demon flip. Each of them is actually two comboes. The point of listing this is that 9.99993% of players getting hit with the traditional lvl2 combo will either: sit back and do nothing. hold on block in case you're too slow on a cancel and miss it. This means that if you cancel the lvl2 into demon kick and command grab them, they will NOT react in time to you doing so. Hence they will get grabbed and you can continue the combo as listed. These two do more damage than the traditional lvl2 cancels, but are risky. They are to only be used extremely scarcely as gimmicks in casual, or if you know that you only need 100 more damage to kill off a character. In which case they can be used. Generally though do the first 4, as the more consistent you are with them, the less they will expect the mixup ones. ---Akuma's Custom Combos--- Mid Screen (Hit confirmable) C.lk, C.lk, lk hurricane kick, lk hurricane kick (juggle), activate, lk hurricane kick (juggle) x N (repeat until they are in the corner), Red Fireball (FP) x N (Time these to keep them juggled in the air), end with HCB HCB + P (Fireball Super) Corner (hit confirmable) C.lk, C.lk, lk hurricane kick, activate, FP (juggle), Red Fireball (FP) x N, end with HCB HCB + P (Fireball Super) Mid Screen (Hit Confirmable) Demon Flip + P Near opponents head (to throw), lk hurricane kick (juggle), activate, lk hurricane kick x N (juggle) until opponent is in corner, Red Fireball (FP) X N, HCB HCB + P (Fireball Super) Guard Crush String (Corner) Activate, Red Fireball (FP) X N, once guard is crushed, follow up with HCB HCB + P (Fireball Super) Guard Crush String (Mid Screen) Activate, Dragon Punch (FP) X N until crushed, follow up with QCF QCF + P (Uppercut super) ---The Masters' Combos--- choi special (corner only) c/s.mk, hp red fireball, lp dp (1 hit), hp dp (1 hit). Osiris: J.Hp,land S.Lp,S.Hp into HCBX2(lV.1), QCB.Lk, QCF.Mp(LV.2) and while akuma is coming down QCB.HK and finish with DP.HP Air Juggle j.mp -> j.hk hurricane, land, lk hurricane (juggle), Dragon Punch any strength(Juggle) Fireball Juggle (Corner Only) All grooves except A C.mk, HCB HCB + FP (Level 3 super fireball), juggle afterwards with lk hurricane kick, juggle with Dragon Punch (LP) for one hit Double DP Juggle Anti-Air a move with a Dragon punch that only hits with one hit (i.e. you hit them high). When you land, run forward a little and do another dragon punch, this will allow you to land 2 more hits. Only works in run grooves, though sometimes they are "Deep" enough to not need to run forward a bit. Triple DP Juggle This is more for show than for damage. Get the opponent into the corner, and on their wakeup, do a Raging Demon. If they jump straight up to get away (like most do), do a Dragon Punch (lp) for one hit, follow up with a Dragon Punch (lp) for a second hit, and then finally throw out a Deep Dragon Punch (lp) for the third hit. It does more damage to just do the first Dragon Punch (lp), followed by a Deep 2 hit Dragon Punch (lp). ---The Key to Akuma: Getting Close to Rush Down--- Akuma sometimes has a hard time getting close to opponents with good pokes. There are a variety of different ways to earn your position, but he doesn't have any of the "One button" strategies like the top tiers have. In other words, there is no magical crouching fierce or standing roundhouse to get the job done. It requires a bit of work, and a bit of luck. ---Crouching MK--- Poking wise, his basic nice mid-range poke is crouching mk. This can link to a fireball if it connects. To capitalize on this, throw out the c.mk and immediately do a fireball. If it hits, it will cancel to the fireball. Be warned if they block the c.mk and the fireball comes it, they can roll on reaction from the fireball. ---Crouching HK--- Not quite as much range as a MK, but this one knocks down. Use for punishment and whiffs. Much like the buffer into fireball trick above, buffer this move into a lk hurricane kick. The RH -> Hurricane Kick can be followed up by a dragon punch. ---Mid-Screen Red Fireball--- Not good if they are expecting it, but good for punishment and whiffs. Scores a knockdown if it hits. Good chip/Guard Crush damage if it is blocked. Don't throw these out predictably unless you want to eat an RC or a Jump in combo. ---Standing RH--- Nice distance, good for punishing low jumps and jump ins. Will beat out a handful of low pokes. ---Tiger Knee Fireball--- This is one move you MUST learn in order to play Akuma. In A groove and C groove, this is possibly the most important aspect of his footsies game due to his lack of mobility. The concept of "Tiger Kneeing" a move basically means that you do a special move as close to off the ground as possible. It comes from the fact that in SF: Championship Edition, Sagats "Tiger Knee" move was d df f fu + kick. This is the same motion you need to do for his fireball. Input D, DF, F, FU + Punch. Akuma will leap off the ground and throw an air fireball instantly. For best results, use MP or LP fireballs, as the FP fireball is generally too fast. The goal here is to have the fireball come out, and then akuma flies over his opponent, crossing them up. The fireball hits them in the back as Akuma hits them in the front. Even if they block the fireball, it allows Akuma to move in close for free (Except for Alpha counters, or S groove dodge attacks through the fireball). If it hits, it allows Akuma to follow up with a bnb combo, setting up another knockdown and putting him into prime position above them. ---The Advanced Akuma Player: How to become the Best You Can--- With Akuma, you really need to get close and deal some damage. Luckily, he is provided with a lot of mixup options to help you get the job done. You need to think Rushdown with Akuma. Rushdown implies the fact that you are constantly keeping the pressure on your opponent, forcing them to make quick decisions and take big damage if they guess wrong. It is basically the opposite of turtling. 1) Step one in a basic match is to score a knockdown. How can he do this? Well, he has a few options Red Fireball (3 hits) Knocks down c.lk, lk hurricane kick, juggle with dragon punch (lp) c.RH (sweep) c.mk, fireball (FP) knocks down up close dragon punch any jump in The goal is to score the knock down, then run in close over the opponents body, and set up stage two. 2) Step two, now that you're standing over the opponents body, throw in some mix ups. Again, he has a few options. c.lk (as they wake up), lk hurricane kick, dragon punch (lp) juggle lk hurricane kick(over their body) into cross up, c.lk, lk hurricane kick, dragon punch (lp) juggle lk hurricane kick(over their body) for fake cross up, c.lk, lk hurricane kick, dragon punch (lp) juggle low jump mk (cross up), c.lk, lk hurricane kick, dragon punch (lp) juggle Punch throw, Teleport (F D DF + PPP) to their body. You recover before they do Raging Demon setup (See Raging Demon setup section) low jump empty jump (Cross up), c.lk, lk hurricane kick, dragon punch (lp) juggle (corner only) Teleport (F D DF + PPP) into corner. Akuma will glitch, and you will cross them up and come out of the teleport instantly. Follow up with c.lk (as they wake up), lk hurricane kick, dragon punch (lp) juggle (corner only) Teleport (F D DF + PPP) into corner. Akuma will glitch, and you will cross them up and come out of the teleport instantly. Follow up with lk hurricane kick (Cross up) c.lk, lk hurricane kick, dragon punch (lp) juggle Block. Used if expecting a wake up uppercut/super, though a late teleport also cures this (usually) From here, if you succeed, then step 2 loops back around to itself. You should still be over their grounded body. If not, go back to step 1 and score another knockdown. ---The "Every Game Must Have For Akuma" Raging Demon Setups--- A lot of Akumas power comes from the fact that one mistake the opponent makes can lead to big damage from his Raging Demon. Akuma luckily has a lot of way to set up these guessing games, and land his raging demons for huge damage. 1) [blocked] crossup MK, land, s.lp, s.fp, whiff lk hurricane, land, demon 2) [after BnB], small pause, TK mp FB crossup (whiffs), land, demon. 3) [blocked] c.lp, c.lp, dash > demon 4) Knockdown your opponent in the corner. From here, DP + PPP teleport into the corner. This will cross them up, and also give Akuma a nice glitch where he instantly comes out of the teleport. From here, pull the Raging Demon (by buffering the command within the teleport). Mix this up with Teleport -> Hurricane Kick -> Dragon Punch so that if/when they try to jump the demon, they get caught with this instead. Because of this, it sets up a 50/50 mind game with the opponent. Also, teleport -> Fireball super works when they jump, expecting a Raging Demon, but instead eat a level 3 fireball super. 5) Back to corner, RDP + PPP Telport in place, Demon. Most people don't expect it, but don't get used to using this. 6) C.lk, lk hurricane kick (all blocked), demon as you land. Not 100% safe, but with perfect timing, you can catch a lot of punishment attempts. 7) While opponent is knocked down, throw out S.mp. This is Akumas 2 hit overhead. From here, cancel into the Raging Demon BEFORE it connects with the opponent. At point blank range, if they are crouching, this is un-escapable. 8) [N-Groove Only] Walk up, break stock/pop (HP + HK), into Raging Demon. This is the ultimate in quick Demon inputs. For tips, Pop with your pinky+thumb, start the LP quickly with your index finder, and then practice doing F (joystick hand) -> LK (thumb) -> HP (Ring finger/Pinky). --Matchups-- -Vs Akuma- This can be nasty and long, depending on how good your opponent is. If both of you play defensively, then it'll take forever, unless one or the other doesn't know how to utilize all of Akuma's fireballs. If you both play offensively, that's where it can get nasty. You'll want to watch for Gou Shoryuken and Tatsumaki Zanku Kyaku the most, block them or avoid them, and then counter with your own move. Messatsu Gou Hado makes for the best punisher for those two moves, as does Tenma Zanku Hado. If you don't have any Super Meter for those, then go with Zanku Hadoken, Shakunetsu Hadoken, or Tatsumaki Zanku Kyaku. Watch for Shungokusatsu, and counter that with Messatsu Gou Hado or Messatsu Gou Shoryu. All in all, simply put; watch, block, counter. You never want to try and rush down Akuma, unless you know you can avoid his Gou Shoryuken and other close-ranged moves. -Vs. Athena- The only real threat with Athena is her New Psycho Reflector, which is a pain in the ass when you use Messatsu Gou Hado. Other than that, you can easily counter Athena's moves with Gou Shoryuken or Tatsumaki Zanku Kyaku. Watch for Phoenix Arrow and Phoenix Fang Arrow, as the last hit hits low. Crystal Bit is no problem, as long as you fire Gou Hadoken at her during that time, or use Tenma Zanku Hado. Psycho Sword is nasty, but as with Gou Shoryuken or any other dragon punch move, you can easily avoid it by just simply staying out of range. Problem is, Psycho Sword can also be used in the air, which can create problems if you don't use Zanku Hadoken or Tatsumaki Zanku Kyaku in the air. Don't worry about her Psycho Ball Attack, as it's easy to dodge. Don't bother with Shugokusatsu, as it's not worth it in this fight. Instead, use Messatsu Gou Shoryu for the times that you block Phoenix Arrow and Phoenix Fang Arrow, and Messatsu Gou Hado for the times that you block Psycho Sword. -Vs. Balrog- Balrog is pathetically easy to beat, even if you run into a good Balrog player. Balrog has to be close to even damage Akuma, so all you really need to do is fire Gou Hadokens, Shakunetsu Hadokens, and Zanku Hadokens. If Balrog somehow finds his way to Akuma, use Ashura Senku to get away from him, or you can try and fight back (Akuma style!) with Tatsumaki Zanku Kyaku and Messatsu Gou Shoryu. Gou Shoryuken works well for times that Balrog jumps over a projectile. Shungokusatsu is the worst thing you can do in this fight, as Balrog can easily snuff Akuma out of it. -Vs. Benimaru- This can be a pretty harsh fight. Benimaru has some rather strong, fast, moves that can counter a lot of what Akuma does. Akuma will have problems getting in close due to Benimaru's Heaven's Blast Flash and Lightning Fist attacks, along with his Super Lightning Kick. You'll probably have to resort to fireballs here, but if you do somehow manage to get in close, try tacking on a Shungokusatsu in the middle of you attacking him with normal attacks. Hopefully, Benimaru won't counter with Discharge Spark or Heaven's Blast Flash. When next to Benimaru, watch for Benimaru's Collider Crunch and Blec-Trigger, as those will severly cripple Akuma. Iaido Kick is nothing to worry about, so long as you block low to avoid it. -Vs. Blanka- For Blanka, don't bother getting in close, since he'll more than likely use Electric Thunder. Here, you'll want to use your fireballs to get you through. If Blanka jumps over them, just counter with Gou Shoryuken. Use Messatsu Gou Hado only as your Super Special of choice. Other than that, this fight is rather easy. -Vs. Cammy- Cammy's speed outmatches Akuma, so you'll need to be quick on your toes and your fingers to keep up. Watch for times that Cammy is flying through the air, and try to counter her with Gou Shoryuken or Gou Hadoken. If Cammy tries to use Cannon Spike, Spin Drive Smasher, or Reverse Shaft Breaker, IMMEDIATLY use Messatsu Gou Hado or Tenma Zanku Hado to counter, as those will cripple Akuma. Most of Cammy's other moves are easily blocked, and can be countered with Tatsumaki Zanku Kyaku. -Vs. Chang- Chang has more reach than Akuma, but you can avoid that by simply throwing fireballs. If you don't want to do it the cheap way, then try using a Hyakkisu to get in close. Watch for Spinning Iron Ball, as that can really hurt Akuma if you're not careful. Chang's Super Specials aren't nothing, as long as you use TatsumakI Zanku Kyaku to counter them. Most of Chang's other Specials can be blocked rather easily and countered with Gou Shoryuken. Watch for him being close though, as that's when he can be a big threat. Stick to normal attacks when he does, and try to save up for Shungokusatsu in those instances. -Vs. Chun-Li- Chun-Li has a speed advantage over Akuma, but if you utilize his Ashura Senku, you should be fine. Spinning Bird Kick is easy to dodge simply by ducking and countering with Gou Hadoken, and Hyakuretsu Kyaku can be countered by blocking and countering with Tatsumaki Zanku Kyaku. For Kikou-Shou and Houyokusen, use Ashura Senku (to go back) and counter with Messatsu Gou Hado, if you have the time do it. You can even try to Ashura Senku behind Chun-Li during that time that she uses those specials and use Shungokusatsu. Against Hazan-Shu, you can simply Gou Shoryuken her. -Vs. Dan- Dan isn't much of a threat compared to Ryu, Ken, Mai, and Rugal. Gadoken has virtually no range, and can be easily blocked and countered with basically anything but Shakunetsu Hadoken. Kouryuken is just as easy to block and counter, and Dankyaku can be countered with Gou Shoryuken. His Taunts are pretty much useless (as always....), so the only real threat are his Super Specials, which can actually smash through Akuma's life if you're not careful. Messatsu Gou Hado and Tenma Zanku Hado are your best bet against Shinku Gadoken and Hissyo-Buraiken, and for Kouryurekka, you can easily block it and counter with Akuma's Messatsu Gou Shoryu. Not a tough fight at all. -Vs. Dhalsim- Dhalsim's range can be a little problematic, but you can also use that to your advantage by utilizing Gou Hadoken and Shakunetsu Hadoken, as if they hit Dhalsim's arms or legs, he takes damage. None of his attacks are threatening unless you get close enough to where Yoga Flame, Tempest, Stream, and Volcano can really get you. Yoga Fire can be easily countered with Gou Hadoken and Zanku Hadoken, while Yoga Teleport, while being a teleport move, hurts Dhalsim more in the long run as it leaves him vulnerable to Shungokusatsu and Messatsu Gou Hado. Not a tough fight either. -Vs. Eagle- This fight's easy as well. Eagle needs to be close to be of any threat to Akuma, so you can easily tick-damage him with fireballs. For those of you who'd rather fight honorably, jump right at Eagle with Zanku Hadoken and Tatsumaki Zanku Kyaku. When up close, try using Standing SP and MP, and Crouching SK. Don't bother with Gou Shoryuken unless you want to, since you can easily use Crouching SP for the same purpose. Make sure to watch for Eagle's Manchester Gold, as that'll wreck havoc on Akuma's life. -Vs. E.Honda- Here, you can easily smash Honda. The only thing to watch for are his Oochihou Nage and Orochi Kudaki, as those will really hurt. The rest can either be countered with Gou Hadoken or Gou Shoryuken. Easy victory for Akuma. -Vs. Evil Ryu- This is a nasty fight. Evil Ryu's just as strong, if not stronger, than Akuma, and has Metsu Hadoken, which is far worse than anything Akuma has, AND it can go through anything Akuma throws its way. Try and stay clear of Evil Ryu, and try to bait him into coming to you with Ashura Senkus, aerial Tatsuamkis, or just by jumping, and counter with Tatsumaki Zanku Kyaku and/or Zanku Hadoken. NEVER USE SHUNGOKUSATSU! Evil Ryu can, and will, punish you for trying to! You may want to use Ashura Senku to try and stay away from Evil Ryu. However, for those of you bold enough to try and fight him head-on, here's some tactics for you. Try leaping in with a Zanku Hadoken, then combo that into a Standing SP to Standing MP, then that into a LK Tatsumaki Zanku Kyaku. Hopefully, your opponent won't try to trip you after that, and instead will try to counterattack you. Here, block and then try to counter with Messatsu Gou Shoryu. Keep in mind; Evil Ryu takes double damage than any other character (aside from Orochi Iori, Ultimate Rugal, and Shin Akuma). -Vs. Geese- Geese is rough. Maybe a little too rough.... You need to watch for Wind Slice, Double Wind Slice, and Gaia Slash, and THEN hope that Geese doesn't try and go for a Evil Illusion Slam or try any of his Body Blows when you try to counter. Avoid getting too close at any given time, because you don't want to be caught up in Geese's Raising Storm, as that can chop off half of Akuma's life, if not more. Ashura Senku your way to him, then if you see him trying to use Raising Storm, Ashura Senku away from him and try to counter with Messatsu Gou Hado. Tenma Zanku Hado only works against Wind Slice, Double Wind Slice, and Evil Illusion Slam (and his Body Blows, I suppose, if you want to get technical) so use that when you see those moves. Deadly Rave is only dangerous if you don't block it and counter with Shungokusatsu. If you try to use Gou Shoryuken or Tatsumaki Zanku Kyaku, don't be surprised if Geese counters them with a Middle or High Body Blow. Your best bet is to stay back and bait Geese into coming at you, then counter accordingly. -Vs. Guile- You don't want to sit around and try to tick-damage Guile. Then again, you don't want to fall for Guile's baits. So, what to do? Ashura Senku your way up to him after walking to where you think your opponent will try to use an attack, then counter with Tatsumaki Zanku Kyaku or Messatsu Gou Shoryu. You'll also want to try to use Hyakkisu here, but if you find that Guile counters that too much, then back off of it and go for Zanku Hadoken instead. This fight will take some time, but Akuma shouldn't have any trouble. -Vs. Haohmaru- Don't let Haohmaru hit Akuma! He does way too much damage with most of his attacks for Akuma to handle. You can counter several of Haohmaru's moves with Gou Hadoken, but watch for Secret Crescent Moon and Slash of Supreme Judgment! Block those or Ashura Senku through them, then counter with Tatsumaki Zanku Kyaku or Messatsu Gou Hado. For times when Haohmaru tries to use Flame of the Conqueror, Ashura Senku through it and counter with Shungokusatsu. Watch for Haohmaru's Standing and Crouching SP, as those will do the most damage out of all of Haohmaru's regular attacks. Secret Earthquake Slice is another problem, but as long as you counter that with Gou Shoryuken, you should be fine. -Vs. Hibiki- Hibiki's a double-edged sword; it just depends on how your opponent chooses to play her. What you really need to keep an eye out for, though, is her Distance Slash, as that can catch you off guard quicker than anything else. Also, watch for all of her SP and SK regular attacks, as those come out pretty fast. As long as you stay away from her, you won't have to worry about her No Fear Feint, and you'll be able to counter her other Super Specials via Messatsu Gou Hado or Messatsu Gou Shoryu. However, if your opponent decides to rush Akuma down, that's where you'll need to hammer on Tatsumaki Zanku Kyakus and Zanku Hadokens. Hibiki's attacks are much quicker than Akuma's, so you don't want her up close and personal with him. -Vs. Iori- Iori is like the SNK version of Akuma, except he lacks air projectiles and a Tatsumaki attack. However, don't let those throw you off; Iori's a beast that you don't want to mess around with! Dark Thrust is pretty quick and is dangerous for Akuma, and if you try to jump at Iori, he can just counter with Fire Ball. Your bet is to Ashura Senku the moment Iori uses Dark Thrust, and try to hit him with a Tatsumaki Zanku Kyaku or Messatsu Gou Shoryu. Make sure you time the Ashura Senku right though; if you time it too late, Iori can counter with Deadly Flower to Maiden Masher, which isn't good for Akuma. Also, watch out for "One-For-The-Road" Blast, as that can land Akuma in a crapload of hurt. Zanku Hadoken works nicely for times that Akuma is in the air, but watch for Iori dashing through it and countering with Fire Ball. Shungokusatsu is a no-no here! -Vs. Joe- Joe has nothing on Akuma! Tiger Kick is easily beaten by Gou Hadoken, Gou Shoryuken, and Zanku Hadoken, and any other move of Joe's aside from Hurricane Upper can be countered by a simple timing of Gou Shoryuken, Tatsumaki Zanku Kyaku, and Gou Hadoken. Just watch it when you get too close to Joe with his Super Meter at maxed, as his Double Cyclone Upper can, and will, break Akuma. Aside from that, Akuma can handle Joe very easily. -Vs. Ken- Ken's a challenge for Akuma. He has a lot of moves that he can utilize to beat Akuma, and can easily counter anything Akuma throws at him. If you end up facing a good Ken player (like I have...) and they utilize strategy well, then you may be in trouble if you don't know how to use strategy with Akuma. Your best bet is to STAY AWAY from Ashura Senku and Shungokusatsu, and stick to attacks like Zanku Hadoken, Gou Hadoken, and Tatsumaki Zanku Kyaku. When up close, don't bother with anything other than regular attacks. Make sure to keep an eye out for Ken's Shoryuken and Tatsumaki Senpukyaku, as those pose the biggest threat and can be comboed into his Shoryu Reppa, Shinryuken, or Shinpu Jinraikyaku, which is VERY bad for Akuma. Utilize the Roll ability, if you have it, Dodge, or even Akuma's Tenshin Zenpout move to dodge and weave through Ken's attacks. Only use Messatstu Gou Shoryu if you know it's going to connect all the way through; otherwise, stick to Tenma Zanku Hado and Messatsu Gou Hado. -Vs. Kim- Kim's a little nasty, but not compared to those like Geese, Terry, Mai, and Rugal. Most of Kim's moves are easily counterable by Gou Shoryuken, and any of Kim's Super Specials are easily avoidable by simply using Ashura Senku. You can easily pressure him by using Tatsumaki Zanku Kyakus and regular attacks alone. Nothing hard here at all, but avoid using Shungokusatsu. -Vs. King- King's not that bad for Akuma. Venom Spike and Double Venom Spike are easily avoidable with a jump or Ashura Senku, and most of King's moves will only hurt Akuma if they're close to him, save for King's Illusion Dance, which is predictable anyways. You can easily pressure King with Akuma, and if things gets too bad, Ashura Senku your way back and fight with Gou Hadoken. Simple fight. -Vs. Kyo- Mr. I-like-really-big-combos is back.....and guess what? He's a pain for Akuma if he pressures him. Therefore, guess what you do? Pressure him back! Or better yet, wait until he tries to do his 'big' combo, then Ashura Senku to the other side of him and let him have it with a Shungokusatsu. Kyo's nothing for Akuma as long as you avoid the Wicked Chew combo, and of course, his Final Showdown. -Vs. Kyosuke- Kyosuke's a really tough customer for Akuma, simply because Akuma cannot get close to him. Lightning Upper prevents Akuma from running or jumping towards him, and Cross Cutter keeps Akuma from even using projectiles. And even if Kyosuke doesn't use Lightning Upper, he still have his Shadow Out Kick to use against him. Not easy, to say the least. However, what you can do is try to bait Kyosuke to come to you instead of going to him, which is probably what a Kyosuke-player would expect from an Akuma-player. Don't go for that bait! When you do get Kyosuke to come at you, watch when countering with Gou Shoryuken, as Kyosuke can counter that with Cross Cutter. Ashura Senku will come in handy for times when Kyosuke tries to counter you with Lightning Upper or Shadow Out Kick, in which case you can counter in turn with Messatsu Gou Hado. Take caution in this fight with Akuma! -Vs. Mai- This one's a pain in the ass, just because Mai is so much faster than Akuma. However, her vitality and defense are just as bad as Akuma's, and her attacks are much weaker than Akuma's, so as long as you can pressure Mai and hit her, you should be able to win. Flying Squirrel is easy to counter and see coming, and a Gou Shoryuken will take care of that. Deadly Ninja Bees and Super Deadly Ninja Bees has nothing against Gou Hadoken and Messatsu Gou Hado, and Kachou Sen can't hold its own against Gou Hadoken or Zanku Hadoken. You'll need to watch out, however, for the times that Mai uses Swan Ranpango and Crimson Firebird Diver, as you never know when she'll use them, and Crimson Firebird Diver is one of the worst things Akuma can get hit with by her (right under Super Deadly Ninja Bees). Ashura Senku is nice and all, but don't use the Far version, as it tends to lead to very bad results against Mai. Shungokusatsu is only good if you block Deadly Ninja Bees, Super Deadly Ninja Bees, Crimson Firebird Diver, or Flying Squirrel and you do the move right before Mai gets a chance to move. -Vs. Maki- Once again, another ninja who's fast, but nowhere as annoying to beat as Mai. You can easily counter every one of Maki's moves (save for Rappukyaku) with Tatsumaki Zanku Kyaku or Gou Shoryuken. None of Maki's Super Specials are particularly threatening, unless you get too close to her or let her get close to you, in which case you'll end up taking a ton of damage in the process. This fight shouldn't be hard for Akuma at all, as long as you keep the pressure on Maki, and not let Maki pressure Akuma. -Vs. M.Bison- Bison? Who's that? Oh, the guy who like to get Gou Hadokens in the face from a Psycho Crusher? Seriously, this guy is very easy for Akuma to beat. Against Psycho Crusher, just use Gou Hadoken, and against Mega Psycho Crusher, Messatstu Gou Hado works. His Knee Press, Knee Press Nightmare, Devil Reverse, and Head Stomp are all counterable by Gou Shoryuken and Zanku Hadoken, and Psycho Vanish isn't even anything to worry about. Simple fight for Akuma to win. -Vs. Morrigan- Morrigan's not too hard for Akuma, but she's not that easy either. Soul Fist comes out faster than Akuma's Gou Hadoken, and her aerial Soul Fist is a little bigger than Akuma's Zanku Hadoken. Still, try fighting her as if she was Akuma, minus the Tatsumaki and Ashura Senku. Just watch out for Darkness Illusion, as that can really damage Akuma's life. Counter Morrigan's Shadow Break (if blocked0 with Akuma's Gou Shoryuken, and try to Ashura Senku through her Carpinal Blade and Soul Phoenix. Don't bother with Shungokusatsu in this fight. -Vs. Nakoruru- Nakoruru's just as fast as Mai and Maki are, so you'll have to keep your guard up at all times. The majority of Nakoruru's attacks come out very fast, so you'll have to be able to block and counter at any given moment. If you see her on her hawk, try to counter by walking up to her and using Ashura Senku the moment she tries to attack you. This fight isn't going to be easy, and there really isn't a sound tactic for Nakoruru, so you'll have to fight it all out here if you hope to win. -Vs. Orochi Iori- Just fight Orochi Iori like you would Iori, except at a much faster pace. Keep an eye out on Orochi Iori's Hellfire Wave, as that'll chop out a good portion of Akuma's life. Otherwise, fight him like Iori. -Vs. Raiden- All I can say here is never get close to Raiden! He's based purely on close-ranged fighting; therefore, if you get close to him, expect to get hit very hard. If you want to live to fight another day, stay on the other side of the arena and fire Gou Hadokens and Zanku Hadokens. If you're feeling extremely brave, try to Ashura Senku around him when he goes to attack and use a Super Special. Shungokusatsu is very risky, but worth it if you can pull it off. -Vs. Rolento- Rolento's not that tough for Akuma, aside from his constant jumping around and attacking. You'll want to use Gou Shoryuken for the times that Rolento actually jumps at Akuma, and use Zanku Hadoken or Gou Hadoken for the times that Rolento jumps away from Akuma. Never use Tatsumaki Zanku Kyaku unless you're close to Rolento; otherwise, Rolento can counter with Minesweeper or another Super Special that'll smash through Akuma. Ashura Senku isn't really needed, but it helps if Rolento decides to go on the offensive. -Vs. Rock- Rock can be rough, especially if you land into his Rising Tackles and Raging Run-Type "Dunk" a lot. Use Ashura Senku a lot in this fight to keep Rock away, but don't overuse it; otherwise, you may find that Rock will start hitting Akuma the moment Ashura Senku ends. Zanku Hadoken is great here, as is Hyakkisu and all of its additional attacks, but watch for Raising a Storm, as that'll definently turn the tides against you. Neo Deadly Rave isn't anything to be afraid of, as Tatsumaki Zanku Kyaku, Gou Shoryuken, and Messatsu Gou Shoryu will take care of it. -Vs. Rugal- Fighting Rugal is almost like fighting Geese....almost, except that Rugal's a bit tougher than Geese. Kaiser Wave is your biggest threat here, but you can simply avoid that by Ashura Senku, Tenshin Zenpout, or Roll. Try to avoid jumping at Rugal unless you have Air Guard; otherwise, you could be jumping right into a Dark Smash, Destroyer Cutter, or even worse, Genocide Cutter. Rugal's Wind Slice isn't that big of a threat, as you can jump over it and try to counter with Zanku Hadoken or Tenma Zanku Hado. God Press is easy to counter if you use Gou Shoryuken, Messatsu Gou Shoryu, or Tatsumaki Zanku Kyaku; the same applies to Gigantic Pressure, but try to use Gou Hadoken or Messatsu Gou Hado for that attack. Shungokusatsu is too dangerous to use in this fight, so ignore it. Pressuring Rugal isn't easy, since he has a more versatile movelist and longer reach with regular attacks than Akuma, so your best bet is to just hang back and fire Gou Hadokens, then if Rugal tries to rush at you or use a Kaiser Wave, simply Ashura Senku behind him and start attacking him with regular attacks and/or Tatsumaki Zanku Kyaku. -Vs. Ryo- Ryo can be tough, if you let him, but I guess that's true with anyone. You'll want to watch for Haoh Sho Koh Ken, as only Akuma's Tenma Zanku Hado and Messatsu Gou Hado can stop it (of course, you can always Ashura Senku through it, then counter with Shungokusatsu if you'd like). Zan Retsu Kan can be pretty painful, but you'd have to be pretty close to Ryo for it to even connect, so as long as your not that close all the time, you won't have to worry about that attack. Stay clear of Heaven Blaze Punch as well (which is also close-ranged), as that'll take off about half of Akuma's life in a single blow. Lightning Legs Knockout Kick and Ryuko Rahou are Ryo's most dangerous moves in this fight (Koho would be, but it's easy to avoid, if you know how to dodge dragon punches), but as long as you block them, you should be able to counter with any Super Special move and not worry about retaliation from Ryo. Keep an eye on Ryo, and if you see that the player using Ryo utilizes Roll a lot, then use Ashura Senku to stay away from Ryo, as he is pretty good at pressuring his opponents. In this case, try to stay away from him, but also get in a few good hits before moving away. -Vs. Ryu- A classic Street Fighter battle. This can go either way, depending on how each player fights. Ryu is more based around using Hadokens and countering with Shoryukens than anything else, so keep that in mind when you fight him. You can try and fight using Ryu's tactics, but Akuma's not made for that; therefore, do what Akuma knows best....ATTACK! Hyakkisu over Hadokens and hope that Ryu doesn't have the time to counter with Shoryuken. If you find that you cannot pull off Hyakkisu, then stick to Zanku Hadoken and/or Tenma Zanku Hado. Ashura Senku is nice, but it tends to land Akuma in trouble here, especially since Ryu can counter with Tatsumaki Senpukyaku, Shinku Tatsumaki Senpukyaku, or even worse, Shin Shoryuken if Akuma teleports too close. -Vs. Sagat- This fight is just more annoying than anything else. Focus on dodging Sagat's Tiger Shots, then if you get close enough to where you're out of Sagat's Tiger Uppercut range, try to Ashura Senku right behind him and use regular attacks, then combo into a Messatsu Gou Shoryu, if Sagat hasn't countered this tactic yet. Don't worry about Tiger Cannon, as you can easily avoid that, but pay close attention to see if Sagat will use Tiger Raid or Tiger Destroyer, as those are the most dangerous attacks that Akuma will have to deal with. Never bother with Shungokusatsu here, as Sagat can easily counter it with Tiger Uppercut or Tiger Crush. -Vs. Sakura- Goes to Akuma. Sakura's Hadoken will only hit if Akuma is close to her, and that is easily avoidable. Shunpukyaku and Oukakyaku can be countered with Gou Hadoken, Messatsu Gou Hado, or Gou Shoryuken, and Shoouken can be countered by Roll and Tatsumaki Zanku Kyaku. None of Sakura's Super Specials are threatening to Akuma, as Ashura Senku eliminates that threat, and you can even possibly counter with Shungokusatsu against Midare Zakura and Haru Ichiban. Easy fight. -Vs. Shin Akuma- Goes to Shin Akuma. Even though Shin Akuma takes twice as much damage as Akuma, he moves twice as fast and is twice as strong as Akuma. Unless you can utilize Akuma's tactics and use them like Shin Akuma is you, then you probably won't win, and even then, it's a tough fight. Shin Akuma loves to use Ashura Senku, so your best bet is to try to catch him off guard when he gets out of the final teleportation step with a Crouching SK or a Messatsu Gou Shoryu. Shin Akuma also loves to spam Gou Hadoken and Zanku Hadoken, so you'll want to try and counter his Gou Hadoken with your Zanku Hadoken, and his Zanku Hadoken with your Gou Hadoken. Don't use Ashura Senku unless you absolutely have to, as Shin Akuma will punish you for it! -Vs. Terry- Terry would be tough, if his moves didn't have some slow recovery times to them. Rising Tackle can easily be blocked and countered with Shungokusatsu, Messatsu Gou Shoryu, or any other move, as can Burning Knuckles. Power Wave can be dodged easily by jumping and countering with Zanku Hadoken, and Crack Shot can be countered with Gou Shoryuken. Your biggest threat will be Power Geyser and Buster Wolf, so use Ashura Senku to avoid those attacks immediately! A Level 3 Buster Wolf can easily chop off about 1/3 to half of Akuma's life, and you don't want that here. If you get in close to Terry, watch for him countering with Power Dunk! -Vs. Todo- Goes to Akuma. Todo simply doesn't have the edge to him to keep Akuma away, with the exception of his Mind's Eye Slingshot, which has to be timed right for it to even come out (in which case, it will work if you keep attacking him and don't back off). None of his Ecstasy Crunches are too troublesome, save for Rising Ecstasy Crunch when you jump at him. You can try to fight him via Gou Hadoken and Zanku Hadoken, but it's best to get up close to Todo and beat him down with regular attacks and Tatsumaki Zanku Kyaku. Shungokusatsu will prove to be valuable here for once, unless your opponent is smart enough to either jump or punch Akuma.... -Vs. Ultimate Rugal- Goes to Ultimate Rugal. He just has too many ways to counter Akuma, and his speed is so much greater than Akuma's. For Akuma to win, you'll have to block and counter, and hope that Ultimate Rugal doesn't strike back. However, this is the CPU we're talking about. Now, about players.... Unless an Ultimate Rugal player uses the same tactics as the CPU, you should be just fine. Kaiser Wave and Rugal Executions are your biggest concerns, so as long as you can dodge those and counter, you should be just fine. The rest is just like fighting Rugal, except make sure that you don't stay too close to him when his Super Meter is at Level 3 and MAX. Otherwise....you may end up dying from a G-End or a Last Judgment.... -Vs. Vega- This one can actually go either way, but favors Akuma more due to more variety in attacks. Vega has more speed than Akuma, but suffers due to lack of any projectiles and Anti-Air moves whatsoever. Plus, he has to get close to Akuma to do any real damage. Akuma can easily counter Vega's constant jumping attacks with Gou Shoryuken or Zanku Hadoken, and the rest of Vega's moves are easily counterable with Tatsumaki Zanku Kyaku and Messatsu Gou Shoryu. However, make sure that Akuma doesn't get pressured by Vega, as that'll lead to Akuma getting hurt pretty badly in the long run. -Vs. Vice- Akuma should easily be able to tear Vice apart, so long as you avoid Vice's Mayhem move. Counter all of Vice's Super Specials with Gou Shoryuken, and don't let her get close to Akuma! If she does, use Ashura Senku to get away from her, then try to get the jump on her by using Tatsumaki Zanku Kyaku and Zanku Hadoken. Be careful to not land into Outrage or Rave Fest, as those can hurt Akuma a little bit. This fight isn't too tough. -Vs. Yamazaki- Goes to Akuma. Yamazaki has more range than Akuma on attacks, but if he tries to attack Akuma with Serpent Slash and Akuma uses Gou Hadoken, Yamazaki will end up taking damage. Taunt & Counter may be the only thing to worry about here, so long as you watch for Guillotine and Drill. -Vs. Yun- Goes to Akuma. Yun can be easily countered, as long as you don't let him get too close to Akuma and let him pressure him. Counter all of Yun's moves with Tatsumaki Zanku Kyaku and Gou Shoryuken, and if Yun's too far away, well....chase him down and beat him to a bloody pulp, Akuma style! Shungokusatsu is a no-no here, so ignore it in favor of Messatsu Gou Hado, Messatsu Gou Shoryu, and Tenma Zanku Hado. -Vs. Yuri- Favor Akuma 70-30. Yuri's only a threat if she manages to somehow pull off a string of combos one after another against Akuma, or if Akuma somehow never gets close enough to hit her. Yuri Super Upper and Yuri Double Upper are easy to counter with Gou Hadoken or Zanku Hadoken, and the rest of Yuri's Supers (aside from The 100 Blows) can be dealt with by Gou Hadoken and Zanku Hadoken alone. For The 100 Blows, counter using either Mesasatsu Gou Shoryu, Gou Shoryuken, or Tatsumaki Zanku Kyaku. Keep an eye out for Haoh Sho Koh Ken and Scalding Steam Blast, as those are Yuri's most deadliest attacks. Flying Phoenix Kick is easy to counter by blocking and using Shungokusatsu. -Vs. Zangief- Favors Akuma 70-30, so long as you don't let Zangief get near you. If you do find that Zangief is next to Akuma, get out of there quickly with Ashura Senku. Zangief relies on being in close, and can do an extreme amount of damage to Akuma with his grappling moves. Never use Gou Shoryuken against him unless he's in the air, or else Zangief can counter with a grappling move. Stay back and use Gou Hadoken and Zanku Hadoken to play it safe. If you're feeling really bold, mix in some Tatsumaki Zanku Kyakus and Hyakkisus as well, but don't be surprised if Zangief counters them. ------------------------------------------------------------ II. Balrog [CAP02] -Introduction- The American boxer returns, and you really have to ask why? He wasn't that great in the Street Fighter series at all, so why bring him to here? Well, all I can say is....good luck trying to win with Balrog... -Movelist- -Specials- Dash Straight........................................Ch. B, F + P Dash Uppercut......................................Ch. B, F + K Dash Ground Straight..........................Ch. B, D-F + P Dash Ground Uppercut........................Ch. B, D-F + K Turn Punch............................................Hold Px3 or Kx3, then release Buffalo Head Butt.................................Ch. D, U + P -Super Specials- Crazy Buffalo..........................................Ch. B, F, B, F + P (then K to change move) Gigaton Blow..........................................Ch. B, F, B, F + K (Level 3 & MAX only) -Movelist Breakdown- --Normal Attacks-- -STANDING- LP (Straight Jab) -Comes out pretty fast. Good for combo starters, but not very useful as a move by any means. MP (Uppercut) -Balrog swings upwards. Nice as an Anti-Air type move, but other than that, it doesn't have very much use. SP (Fierce Forward Punch) -This move has good range on it, but it has slow startup time. Use it only when your opponent is rushing at Balrog. LK (Quick Jab) -This is much faster than Balrog's LP, so use this when you want to pressure your opponent with regular attacks. MK (Low Jab) -This hits lower than the LK, and moves a bit slower. Only use this when you're up close to your opponent, trying to pressure them. SK (Fierce Swing) -This move has a slow startup and recovery time to it, but it's good for knocking opponents out of their moves, especially moves such as Shungokusatsu and Last Judgment. It's also good for many Rush moves, and if used at the right time, even some Other moves like Shunpukyaku. -CROUCHING- LP (Straight Jab) -Same as with the Standing LP. MP (Straight Punch) -Balrog punches straight at his opponent's shin. There's nothing really special about this move... SP (Rising Uppercut) -Balrog stands up and uppercuts his opponent. This is a great Anti-Air move, and it's also great for knocking opponents out of moves like Tatsumaki Senpukyaku and Spinning Bird Kick. Recommended for fighting aerial fighters such as Vega and Chun-Li. LK (Low Straight Jab) -This move is exactly like the LP, but it hits lower. Still can be blocked the same way as with the Crouching LP. MK (Foot Punch) -Balrog punches the opponent's foot. Nuff' said. Nothing special about this move. SK (Punch Trip) -Balrog trips the opponent with his fists. Nothing else special about this move. SK Close (Strong Uppercut) -Not bad except for the fact that you have to be next to your opponent for the move to come out, and since there are many other options available, don't waste your time with this move. -JUMPING- LP (Hook) -Balrog does a cross hook in the air. Only good if the opponent is in the air. Straight-Up LP (Diagonal Punch) -Balrog punches downwards at the opponent. Nice for knocking opponents out of moves, but other than that, useless. MP (Quick Hook) -Same as with the LP, but moves a heck of a lot faster. Straight-Up MP (Palm Thrust) -Balrog swings his palm outwards. Nothing really good about this move at all. SP (Fierce Diagonal Punch) -Balrog punches fierecely in front of him. Nothing special.... Straight-Up SP (Strong Palm Thrust) -Same as with the Straight-Up MP, but does a bit more damage. LK (Hook) -Same as with the Jumping LP. MK (Quick Hook) -Same as with the Jumping MP. SK (Fierce Diagonal Punch) -Same as with the Jumping SP. -THROWS- F or B + SP (Abdomen Punch) -Balrog grabs the opponent and hits them once in the gut with a fierce punch. Now, how he grabs someone with gloves on....nobody will ever know... F or B + SK (Ground Slam) -Balrog picks up his opponent and slams him/her into the ground. --Special Moves-- -Dash Uppercut- STRONG VS. Rush attacks Other attacks (depending) NO EFFECT VS. Teleport moves WEAK VS. Projectile attacks Anti-Air moves Air moves Other attacks (such as Tatsumaki Senpukyaku) -Balrog dashes at the opponent and punches them square in the face. This move is alright, if you can avoid getting counterattacked. You'll want to mix this move up with Dash Uppercut, Ground Dash Straight, and Ground Dash Uppercut to make the most use of it, because if you spam this move by itself, you'll only end up being punished for it. -Dash Uppercut- STRONG VS. Air attacks (except for Zanku Hadoken and Tenma Gou Zanku) Rush attacks Some Other attacks NO EFFECT VS. Teleport moves WEAK VS. Projectile attacks Anti-Air attacks Some Other attacks -Balrog dashes at his opponent and does an uppercut, which knocks the opponent back. Pretty nifty move, but only if you use it in conjunction with the other Dash attacks. The downside is that it's very prone to Projectiles. -Dash Ground Straight- TRONG VS. Rush attacks Other attacks (depending) NO EFFECT VS. Teleport moves WEAK VS. Projectile attacks Anti-Air moves Air moves Other attacks (such as Tatsumaki Senpukyaku) -Balrog dashes at his opponent and strikes their legs, thus knocking them down. Only good if you use it in conjunction with the other Dash moves. -Dash Ground Uppercut- STRONG VS. Air attacks (except for Zanku Hadoken and Tenma Gou Zanku) Rush attacks Some Other attacks NO EFFECT VS. Teleport moves WEAK VS. Projectile attacks Anti-Air attacks Some Other attacks -Balrog dashes at his opponent and uppercuts them from the ground. Only good when used in conjunction with the other Dash moves. -Turn Punch- STRONG VS. Varies... WEAK VS. Varies.....but Projectiles are a constant weakness -The neat thing about this move is, if you charge it with one button (Px3 or Kx3), you can still attack the opponent with regular attacks using the other sets of buttons (for example, if you hold down Px3, you can still attack normally with all of the K buttons, then use this move). The problem is that you can't use any other Special or Super Special moves while you're doing this, and you can't use this move if you're forced to block real quick. Plus, it has a bit of slow startup, so it's a little easy to block. Only launch one of these out if your opponent decides to rush at Balrog. -Buffalo Head Butt- STRONG VS. Air attacks (except Zanku Hadoken and Tenma Gou Zanku) Rush attacks Majority of Other attacks WEAK VS. Projectile attacks Anti-Air attacks (if blocked or miss) -Balrog leaps into the air at a 45 degree angle and knocks the opponent down. A good quick and powerful move to launch out during the middle of a combo with regular attacks, or during the middle of another attack like Dash Straight or Crazy Buffalo. However, note that it's unsafe on block. --Super Special Moves-- -Crazy Buffalo- STRONG VS. Dash attacks Some Other attacks (Tatsumaki Senpukyaku for example) WEAK VS. Projectile attacks Anti-Air attacks Air attacks -A pretty powerful move (and the only non-Level 3 move that Balrog has). It's pretty much a serious of Dash Straights in a row, and is very good for countering your opponent's Super Specials (such as Akuma's Shungokusatsu and Ken's Shoryu Reppa). However, if blocked, it'll leave Balrog open for a short time, which can be more than enough for an opponent to pull out something like Shin Shoryuken or G-End. Try to use this as a counterattack while being pressured. -Gigaton Blow- STRONG VS. Dash attacks Anti-Air attacks Other attacks WEAK VS. Projectile attacks Air attacks -Balrog simply throws one, big punch, which hits multiple times and does a big chunk of life to the opponent. Great as a counterattack or Wakeup Counter, but dangerous when blocked. --Strengths & Weaknesses-- Balrog suffers a lot from not having anything other than Dash attacks (aside from Buffalo Head Butt, which is still considered a Dash attack). Therefore, he gets punished a lot from players who spam Projectile attacks and Anti Air moves. None of Balrog's normal moves, save for Crouching SP, is really worth using at all. On the upside, Balrog does have some pretty decent attack power, along with some nice mix-up tactics with all of his Dash moves. On the downside yet again, Balrog needs to really get in close to do any real damage to his opponent; therefore, it is worth noting that Balrog is a true Pressuring and Offensive fighter. --Battle Strategies-- OFFENSE Here, you'll want to focus on getting in close to the opponent and just wailing away with regular attacks. Use Roll to get through any Projectiles, and while you're pressuring your opponents, make sure to charge up at least one of Balrog's Dash moves, or one of his Super Specials, to let you opponent have it when you start to back away. Avoid jumping too much, as Balrog is clearly a ground fighter. DEFENSE Balrog isn't that great on defense; he has basically no moves aside from Gigaton Blow and Buffalo Head Butt to protect him from oncomers. Your best bet is to try to not make it so that Balrog has to defend at ANY time during a fight. --Matchups-- -Vs Akuma- Balrog is at a huge disadvantage here. Akuma just has way too many ways of getting around Balrog's attacks and countering him. Your best bet is to try and corner Akuma. If he uses Ashura Senku, chase him down with Balrog using a Dash attack AFTER he has phased past you (if Akuma goes towards Balrog), and hope that Akuma doesn't counter with Gou Shoryuken. Counter Shungokusatsu with Gigaton Blow or Crazy Buffalo, and counter Messatsu Gou Shoryu with Gigaton Blow as well. Try to avoid Gou Hadoken and Zanku Hadoken by using Roll, and counter with Buffalo Head Butt. -Vs. Athena- As long as you watch out for Psycho Ball and Psycho Sword, you'll be just fine. You can punish Phoenix Arrow badly using Gigaton Blow or Buffalo Head Butt, and you can punish basically anything else Athena throws (aside from Psycho Ball and Psycho Sword) with Balrog's Dash attacks. Try to use Crazy Buffalo as your Wakeup Counter if you run into a Psycho Sword. You'll want to stick close enough to Athena so that you can still hit her with anything, but watch out for her countering with Psycho Sword. Shining Crystal Bit is something else that you'll want to watch out for when you get in close (which you should be able to block if you're not in the middle of an attack). -Vs. Balrog- This is a fun fight, simply because it's just a "who hits first" deal. Try to make Balrog attack you, then block his attacks while charging up yours, and let him have it! -Vs. Benimaru- Benimaru has Balrog on this one. Unless you can somehow bypass his Lightning Fists, Iaido Spin Kicks, and Heaven's Flash Blast, you won't win here with Balrog. Your best bet is to either Roll through every single one of Benimaru's attacks and make sure to get out of range of his Benimaru's Collidor Crunch and Blec-Trigger. You'll want to avoid all of Balrog's Dash attacks, since those will land him in more trouble than help him. -Vs. Blanka- The only real threat here are Shout of Baron and Electric Thunder. As long as you block and counter all of Blanka's Specials and Super Specials with Dash attacks and/or Super Specials, you'll be able to trounce Blanka easily. Up close, you'll want to try and charge up Turn Punch while using regular attacks, but make sure to watch out for Electric Thunder and Shout of Baron. -Vs. Cammy- This can go either way. You'll have to watch out for Cammy's constant jumping by Rolling, and try to counter with Buffalo Head Butt or Gigaton Blow. You'll want to try and pressure Cammy a lot in this fight, but make sure to back out every now and again to try and land some Dash attacks, so you can avoid Cammy turning around and pressuring Balrog even harder. -Vs. Chang- Can go either way. You'll want to watch out for Spinning Iron Ball, as that'll put a halt to all of Balrog's Dash attacks. Gigaton Blow is the way to go against Chang as long as you use it as a Counterattack, and as long as you don't use it while Chang is attacking. You'll want to stay close to Chang the whole time to avoid him getting any advantages against Balrog, and focus using regular attacks and sometimes throw in a Turn Punch or two. -Vs. Chun-Li- Chun-Li can handle Balrog pretty easily. Spinning Bird Kick and Kikouken are all she needs to stop him in his tracks. Your best bet is to counter Spinning Bird Kick with Buffalo Head Butt. Hyakuretsu Kyaku and Hoyoku-Sen may be a bit of a problem for Balrog's Dash attacks, but Gigaton Blow will blow right through both of them. For Kikou-Shou, your best bet is to either not be close enough for it to hit, or to just block it and counter with Crazy Buffalo. -Vs. Dan- Dan can win this one pretty easily, but this isn't for Dan, now is it? Balrog needs to focus on trying to get in close and just wailing away with regular attacks, rather than using any Dash attacks, since Dan can counter those with either Gadoken or Kouryuken. Shinku Gadoken and Kouryurekka are also bad for Balrog here, so, in other words, DON'T USE DASH ATTACKS! Gigaton Blow is even not that great, unless Dan tries to use Dankyaku or something retarded. -Vs. Dhalsim- Dash attacks are once again useless, so your best bet is to just rush Dhalsim down and beat him up with regular attacks. Watch for all of his Super Specials and Yoga Flame, and try to block and counter with Gigaton Blow or Crazy Buffalo, if possible. Try using Roll when next to Dhalsim to avoid some of his attacks, and punish him from there. If Dhalsim uses Yoga Teleport, chase him down and beat him up! -Vs. Eagle- Here, it can go either way. Eagle has to time some of his attacks right to stop Balrog's Dash attacks, and Balrog has to time some of his attacks to stop Eagle's attacks. Your best bet here with Balrog is to make Eagle come to you, block his attacks, and counterattack with anything that you can think of. -Vs. E.Honda- Here, your best bet is to block and counter his attacks with Balrog's Dash attacks. Watch out for Ooichou Nage and Orochi Kudaki when in close. Just pummel Honda with regular attacks when in close, and watch for any of Honda's Specials and Super Specials and counter them accordingly. -Vs. Evil Ryu- This will be a very, very tough fight for Balrog to win, if not impossible. Though Evil Ryu takes double damage from attacks (one Gigaton Blow is enough to nearly kill, if not, kill him), he has everything that he needs to stop Balrog dead in his tracks. Your best bet is to try and track him when he uses Ashura Senku, or let him come to you, block, and counter. Don't expect to win that much against Evil Ryu with Balrog. -Vs. Geese- This one goes to Geese. There's nothing that Balrog can really do against him except Roll and hope to counterattack. Wind Slice, Double Wind Slice, and Gaia Slash are all Geese needs to beat Balrog down like a little redheaded step-child.... -Vs. Guile- This may take a while. Don't bother with Dash attacks, as Guile can counter with Sonic Boom or Somersault Kick. Your best bet is to just get in close and nail Guile with regular attacks. Be prepared to block and counter with Gigaton Blow whenever Guile goes for a Somersault Kick. -Vs. Haohmaru- Here, you'll want to watch for Haohmaru's Standing SP and Crouching SP, as those will stop Balrog's Dash attacks quickly and do a ton of damage to Balrog. Try to get in close without the use of Dash attacks and hammer away with Turn Punches, Buffalo Head Butts, and Crazy Buffalos. Use Gigaton Blow only when you block Secret Crescent Moon Slice, Slash of Supreme Judgment, or Flame of the Conqueror (if you're close enough during Flame). You can easily get through Secret Cyclone Slash by jumping or Roll, but make sure to watch out for Secret Earthquake Slice or Secret Crescent Moon Slash. -Vs. Hibiki- This is a tough one for Balrog, simply because Hibiki can hit him from across the screen using Distance Slash. Your best bet is to jump at her and attack (even though that's not Balrog's cup of tea) to avoid the majority of her Specials and Super Specials. Once you get in close, keep beating her down with regular attacks and Gigaton Blow. Watch out for No Fear Feint and her Going My Way Super Specials! -Vs. Iori- Can go either way, as long as your smarter than Balrog is. Jump or Roll through Dark Thrusts, and block and counter Fire Ball with Gigaton Blow or Crazy Buffalo. For Maiden Masher, counter with Gigaton Blow or Buffalo Head Butt. The rest can be dealt with by simple block and counter tactics. Avoid using Dash attacks here. -Vs. Joe- Once again, Balrog's Dash attacks are useless due to Cyclone Upper, Tiger Kick, TNT Punch, and other attacks that Joe have. Therefore, you'll need to rely on block and counterattack tactics to win against Joe. Try to use Gigaton Blow against a blocked Golden Heel Hurter or Tiger Kick, and use regular attacks in conjunction with Dash attacks and Buffalo Head Butt when in close. Watch for Screw Upper and Double Cyclone Upper when in close against Joe! -Vs. Ken- Against Ken, Balrog will have to play a little more strategically than usual. You'll have to utilize Roll a lot to dodge a lot of Ken's attacks (Hadoken, Shoryu Reppa, Shinpu Jinraikyaku) and counter with Crazy Buffalo or Gigaton Blow. Jumping at Ken is just a bad idea, so try to avoid that as much as possible. Hadoken, Shoryuken, and Tatsumaki Senpukyaku are Balrog's worst enemy here, so try to block them or dodge them, and counter accordingly (don't use any Dash attacks!). -Vs. Kim- Here, Balrog should be able to beat Kim without having to worry too much. You'll want to watch for Comet Cruncher and Flying Kick out of his Specials, and for his Super Specials, be wary of all of them! Dash attacks are only helpful as long as your opponent doesn't counter with Flying Slice or Sand Blaster (or a Super Special). Try to nail regular attacks in conjunction with Specials and Super Specials when in close. -Vs. King- Your worst enemy here is the fact that King is based a lot off of mind games and mix-up strategies. You'll have to watch for King's moves, block, and counter accordingly with the right move. If King jumps and attacks with an attack, block and counter with Buffalo Head Butt, and if King dashes at you, block and counter with a Dash attack or Gigaton Blow. -Vs. Kyo- You should be able to kill Kyo pretty easily, save for Final Showdown, Serpent Wave, and Fire Ball being the threats here. You can easily get pass Serpent Wave and Fire Ball by using Roll, but Final Showdown is pretty hard for Balrog to avoid, especially with his Dash attacks. If you want to avoid Kyo's Wicked Chew or Poison Grawfest combos, simply use Super Jump or Roll to get around to the other side and punish Kyo while he's still in the middle of his stupid combo that missed Balrog a while back. -Vs. Kyosuke- Goes to Kyosuke 80-20. Unless you can somehow get close to Kyosuke, you won't stand a chance. Lightning Upper, Shadow Out Kick, and Cross Cutter will keep Balrog away for sure, and even if you do get close, you'll have to put up with Final Grade Remix, Super Shadow Out Kick, and Super Lightning Upper. This fight is tough, but not downright impossible to win. You'll be using Roll or Dodge a lot here (Dodge is very useful except for Super Lightning Upper). Avoid Dash attacks at all costs, and don't bother with Buffalo Head Butt due to Shadow Out Kick and Shadow Wave. Stick to regular attacks and Super Specials, and don't let Kyosuke get away from Balrog at any time! -Vs. Mai- Mai's speed is annoying here. She can quickly escape Balrog's attacks and counter with Flying Squirrel or Crimson Firebird Diver, or just stay back and use Kacho San and Swan's Ranpango to attack Balrog. For this one, you'll want to either Jump or Roll through the Kacho Sen (Super Jump especially over Swan's Ranpango) and Roll through her Flying Squirrel and Crimson Firebird Diver. You can counter her Deadly Ninja Bees and Super Deadly Ninja Bees by using Turn Punch or Gigaton Blow, so don't worry too much about those. When up close, be careful of Ryu En Bu and Sun Fire Samba. Simply block them and counter with a Dash attack or regular attack, or better yet, a Super Special. -Vs. Maki- You should be able to beat Maki senseless, but that's not to say that she can't put up a good fight. Watch out for her Genko and Rappukyaku attacks, along with her Ajaratengu and Tengu Daoshi attacks. The rest can be punished pretty easily by Balrog's Dash attacks (especially Hayagake attacks). If you get in close to Maki, make sure to use regular attacks in conjunction with Turn Punches, Buffalo Head Butts, and both of Balrog's Super Specials. This fight shouldn't be that hard for Balrog to win. -Vs. M.Bison- Bison can outdo Balrog easily by abusing Psycho Crusher and Knee Press. You'll want to Roll or block those attacks, then counter with any Dash attack or Crazy Buffalo. When up close, NEVER attempt to use Buffalo Head Butt, since if it gets blocked, you can end up getting hit by Mega Psycho Crusher or the likes. Stick to regular attacks and Crazy Buffalo/Gigaton Blow when up close, and utilize Roll when Bison tries to pressure Balrog. Dodge is useful as well, and if you know how to use it, try Parry above all else. -Vs. Morrigan- This fight will remind you of figthing Akuma/Ryu here. Your best bet for fighting Morrigan is to treat her as like your fighting a combination of Ryu and Akuma. The only difference here will be to watch out for Morrigan's Carpinal Blade and Darkness Illusion specials (I guess you can include Valkyrie Turn, if you want to get technical with it...). Use Roll or Block against Carpinal Blade, and simply block the Darkness Illusion and Valkyrie Turn attacks, then counter with Gigaton Blow (if you have it) and/or Crazy Buffalo or Buffalo Head Butt. This fight shouldn't be too tough for Balrog if you can handle the likes of the two Shotokan fighters. -Vs. Nakoruru- This fight can get very nasty for Balrog, simply because Nakoruru is so much faster than him. Your best bet is to block and counter the entire time. Don't bother rushing at Nakoruru, and instead let her rush at you. Block and counter her Annu Mutsube and Kamui Mutsube with Dash attacks and/or Buffalo Head Butt (save Gigaton Blow and Crazy Buffalo for Kamui Risse and Elelyu Kamui Risse). -Vs. Orochi Iori- Fight Orochi Iori as you would Iori. -Vs. Raiden- Here, Dash attacks work well as long as you avoid Poison Spray and Flame Breath. Gigaton Blow can counter any of Raiden's other attacks, so save up your Super Meter for that Super Special. When up close, watch out for Crazy Train, Thunder Crush Bomb, and Destruction Drop! Also, when in close, try to attack using just regular attacks combined with Turn Punches and Super Specials, then block and counterattack with a Dash attack. -Vs. Rolento- Buffalo Head Butt will help you out here a lot, especially since Rolento loves to jump a lot. You may want to stay away from Dash attacks, as those can get punished easily by the majority of Rolento's attacks. Instead, try to Roll your way towards Rolento (watch out for Mine Sweeper!), and use regular attacks in conjunction with Turn Punches and Super Specials. Don't be surprised if you can't bait Rolento into coming to Balrog, since Rolento's nasty about attacking from anywhere basically. -Vs. Rock- This favors Rock a lot more than it does Balrog. You have to watch out for Cyclone Sock and Double Gust Punch when far away, and when in close, your main concern should be Rising Tackle, Raising a Stomr, Evac Toss, the Crack Counters, and Shining Knuckle. Not too favorable to Balrog at all, so your best bet is to try to land as many attacks as you can while you're close to Rock, then back away from Rock and try to bait him into coming to you. If he does come to Balrog, try to punish him using Dash attacks and Buffalo Head Butt (make sure that the Buffalo Head Butt will connect, otherwise you'll just end up in a world of pain...). If he doesn't fall for the bait, then try again. -Vs. Rugal- Even worse for Balrog here than with Rock! In addition to Wind Slice, Rugal can attack Balrog using his devastating Kaiser Wave and his annoying Dark Smash. And if Balrog goes to use any of his Dash attacks, Rugal can counter using God Press or Gigantic Pressure attacks (or Total Annihilation, just to make you even madder). Your best bet here is to block and counter whatever Rugal throws at you (except for his Projectiles and Dark Smash, in which case, Roll through them and counter). If Rugal starts to play keep-away, then chase him down using Super Jump and Roll. Gigaton Blow is nice, but stick to Crazy Buffalo unless Rugal tries to do a sneaky attack like Gigantic Pressure or Dark Smash. -Vs. Ryo- This is also a tough fight for Balrog, since Ryo has Tiger Flame Punch, Koho, Lightning Legs Knockout Kick, Zan Retsu Kan, Haoh Sho Koh Ken, and Heaven Blaze Punch. For this fight, try to avoid jumping at Ryo, as that will trigger Koho (unless you have Air Block, in which case, go right ahead and jump at him). Parry is also very nice here, if you know how to use it. Use Dash attacks only if you know that Ryo can't block or counter them, and stick to Crazy Buffalo instead of using Gigaton Blow (unless you block Ryo's Koho, then unless the Gigaton Blow!). -Vs. Ryu- Very bad for Balrog, since Ryu can counter EVERYTHING that he does. Your best bet here is to try and bait Ryu, but 9 times out of 10, Ryu won't fall for that. In that case, you'll have to somehow bring the fight to Ryu. Roll and Parry are your best friends here, so use them well! Avoid staying too close to Ryu all the time, as Ryu can counter any of Balrog's blocked Dash attacks with Shinku Tatsumaki Senpukyaku or Shin Shoryuken. -Vs. Sagat- Just as bad, if not far worse, than Ryu. Tiger Shot and Tiger Cannon are Balrog's worse enemy here, as are Tiger Uppercut and Tiger Destroyer. You'll need to learn how to Parry well and utilize Roll and Air Guard here in order to survive this beast. Try to use Gigaton Blow against blocked Tiger Uppercuts, Tiger Raids, Tiger Destroyers, and Tiger Crushes, and don't bother with Dash attacks at all. Turn Punches are a waste of time here as well, so ignore them. If you're using S-Groove with Balrog, try to find a place where Sagat won't be able to counter you so much, and charge up your Super Meter as much as possible so that you can unleash a barrage of Crazy Buffalos at him. -Vs. Sakura- This fight is a little less harder than Ryu, but can still be a bit of a pain if you're not used to fighting Sakura. Here, Hadoken is of little threat unless she starts to counter your Dash attacks with it all the time. Shoouken and Shunpukyaku are also hazardous to Dash attacks, so, in other words, avoid using them here in this fight as well. Turn Punches and Buffalo Head Butts are the better alternative to Specials here, and you can smash through Sakura's Haru Ichiban and Midare Zakura with Gigaton Blow easily (in other words, try using C-Groove for her, if you can). For Shinku Hadoken, either Super Jump or Roll through it, then counter with Crazy Buffalo or Gigaton Blow (if you're close enough to her). -Vs. Shin Akuma- Don't even try to beat Shin Akuma with Balrog, because it's never going to happen. Shin Akuma is far too strong and has way too many advantages over Balrog that Balrog can't stand against him. Unless you can somehow manage to throw in a Gigaton Blow when Shin Akuma leasts expects it, then you're not going to last that long here.... -Vs. Terry- Try to fight Terry in the same manner that you fight Rock, except expect to block and counter a lot more than against Rock due to Buster Wolf, Power Geyser, and Burning Knuckles. You can easily counter Burning Knuckles and Buster Wolf with Gigaton Blow, but for Power Geyser, your only hope to not taking any damage from that is to Roll through it or try to Parry it. When up close, focus on using regular attacks and Turn Punches, then back out and try to blast some Dash attacks at Terry. If you find that Terry is countering all of your Dash attacks, then stop using them and instead just focus on using regular attacks. -Vs. Todo- Todo is actually rough for Balrog due to all of his Ecstasy Crunch attacks. You'll want to try and use Roll and Parry the most here, and avoid using Guard. Don't use ANY Dash attacks, as those will be punished very badly. Up close, you can abuse the Dash attacks, as long as Todo doesn't counter with Mind's Eye Slingshot. Regular attacks and Turn Punches are most effective here yet again for Balrog. -Vs. Ultimate Rugal- This fight is hardly fair for poor little Balrog. Unless you can bust out Gigaton Blows and Crazy Bufflos, don't expect to survive very long against this demon.... -Vs. Vega- Buffalo Head Butt=Best friend. Gigaton Blow=Best Friend. It's that simple. Since Vega is an aerial fighter more or less than a ground fighter, the Buffalo Head Butt and Gigaton Blow will punish him pretty good (unless Vega uses Air Guard, in which case, you'll have to use tactic #2). If Vega has Air Guard, then you'll have to make him come to you and try to bash him with Dash attacks and Turn Punches combined with regular attacks and Super Specials (Crazy Buffalo would be the best one to use in this situation. Save Gigaton Blow for when you block Rolling Crystal Flash and the like). -Vs. Vice- This fight is rough, due to the fact that Balrog's Dash attacks are once again useless due to Outrage. You'll want to try and either Jump over Vice and use Dash attacks that way, or Roll through her attacks and use regular attacks coupled with Super Specials to beat her silly. However, don't stay close to her too long, as she does have Command Throws that'll beat right through your Guards. -Vs. Yamazaki- Yamazaki is a odd fellow to fight; he is pretty unpredictable, so you'll have to think of some way of getting close to him without having to rely on Dash attacks (since Yamazaki has too many ways to counter them.....go figure....). Roll and Jump are nice, but Serpent Slash can be easily used to counter those when timed right. Once again, stick to regular attacks and Turn Punch, and save your Super Meter for Crazy Buffalo. -Vs. Yun- With Yun, Dash attacks and Buffalo Head Butt work really well. Try to time each Dash attack whenever Yun uses a Special move (Turn Punch works even better against Yun's attacks, as does Gigaton Blow). Up close, you can easily hammer Yun away with regular attacks, but watch out for all of Yun's Super Specials! Not a hard fight for Balrog, really. -Vs. Yuri- Unlike Yun, Yuri's actually tough to beat for Balrog. The 100 Blows can be easily countered, but Yuri Super Upper, Saiha, Rai Oh Ken, and Tiger Flame Punch are all hazardous to Balrog's plans. Also, Haoh Sho Koh Ken and Scalding Steam Blast can put a halt to all of Balrog's moves, with the exception only being Gigaton Blow against Scalding Steam Blast (for Haoh Sho Koh Ken, use Roll or Super Jump to avoid it). Up close, stick to regular attacks to avoid being counterattacked while using a Dash move, and try to block and counter all of Yuri's moves if possible. If Yuri tries to play keep-away, then chase her down. -Vs. Zangief- This fight is deadly, since Zangief also relies on being in close, but can deal a lot more damage than Balrog can. Your best bet is to try to avoid using ALL Dash attacks, and stick to regular attacks by jumping in and out constantly while avoiding Zangief's powerful grappling attacks. You can try to land a Crazy Buffalo or Gigaton Blow if Zangief goes for a Final Atomic Buster or Spining Lariat, but only when you think that Zangief won't block the attack and counter. ------------------------------------------------------------ III. Blanka [CAP03] -Introduction- The Green Beast shows up for another game, but he's not as tough as he was back in Street Fighter II. Plus, it seems that the programmers got lazy with the lightning effects from when he hits people with his Electric Thunder....oh well. You'll have to play Blanka strategically to win with this beast! -Movelist- -Specials- Electric Thunder.......................................Tap P rapidly Rolling Attack...........................................Ch. B, F + P Back Step Rolling.....................................Ch. B, F + K Vertical Rolling.........................................Ch. D, U + K Surprise Forward......................................Kx3 Surprise Back............................................B + Kx3 -Super Specials- Direct Lightning.......................................Ch. B, F, B, F + P Ground Shave Rolling.............................Ch. B, F, B, F + K (Chargeable) Shout of Baron........................................Ch. D-B, D-F, D-B, U-F + P (Level 3 & MAX only) -Movelist Breakdown- --Normal Attacks-- -STANDING- LP (Slap) -Blanka takes his hands slaps the opponent pretty much. Nothing very special about this move at all, and it's not even that useful for comboing into any of Blanka's moves. MP (Palm Jab) -Blanka strikes the opponent with his palm. Has more reach than the LP, but is slower, and isn't all that useful. SP (Dual Jaw Smack) -Blanka takes both of his hands and swings upwards at the opponent's face. Nice reach and poke range, but is pretty slow and easy to block. LK (Low Kick) -Name should be self-explanatory. Moves rather quick, but has crappy range, and isn't all that useful. MK (Slow Low Kick) -Same as the LK, except slower. Nothing else is different besides speed and a little bit more damage. SK (Flip Kick) -Has nice range on it, and is good for poke measure. Still, it's easy to block and counter, so be careful if you try to use this move. Good as an Anti-Air attack. -CROUCHING- LP (Claw Swipe) -Has a decent range to it, but isn't all that fast nor that great of a move. You can substitue this move for better moves like Crouching MK, Crouching SK, and Crouching MP. MP (Upper Torso Swipe) -Has good reach, but is pretty slow on recovery. Nice against some Other attacks, if used at the right moment. SP (Upper Torso Fist) -This has great reach on it, and is also nice to counter Other attacks like Spinning Bird Kick. Also good as an Anti-Air attack. However, the move is a little unsafe on block. LK (Foot Kick) -A kick to the opponent's foot. Nothing very special about this move, as it has limited range and use. MK (Forefoot Kick) -This move has only one advantage over the LK, and that's the slight extra range that it has. Otherwise, useless. SK (Backfoot Trip) -This is a nice move and all, but the only good thing about it is it's reach potential. It's unsafe on block and is a little slow on startup, so you have to be able to know when your opponent won't expect it for it to work. -JUMPING- LP (Falling Claw) -This move is very useless unless you use it to knock an opponent out of an attack in the iar. It moves too fast and has crappy range for it to be of any use. MP (Diagonal Punch) -This move is nice due to the fact that it can hit both aerial and ground opponents. However, note that it moves rather quickly, so you'll have to time it for it to connect on the opponent. Still, a nice move. SP (Double Swipe) -This move isn't that great really, unless you use it to counter your opponent's move. It comes out slower than the rest of the Jumping attacks, but it doesn't have that much use. Straight-Up SP (Claw Swipe) -This move is basically there to annoy your opponents who try to jump at Blanak. It has good reach, and is great for knocking opponents out of moves. However, it's not safe on block, and can result in counteratttacks easily. LK (Aerial Heel) -This move isn't useful in any manner, so I'd avoid it at any cost in favor of SK or MP. MK (Aerial Foot) -The only real advantage this move has on the LK is the fact that it has more range than the LK. Other than that, useless. SK (Double Aerial Kick) -A very nice move in the fact that it has excellent poke range and can hit both grounded and aerial opponents when timed right. -Throws- F or B + SP (Vicious Bites) -Blanka jumps on the opponent and bites him/her 7 times. Not very strong at all. F or B + SK (Rolling Throw) -Blanka leaps on the oppnent, rolls with him/her, then throws them. --Special Moves-- -Electric Thunder- STRONG VS. Rush attacks Anti-Air attacks Other attacks Close attacks WEAK VS. Air attacks (Zanku Hadoken, Tenma Gou Zanku only) Projectile attacks -A traditional Blanka move, and a devastating and annoying one at that. Blanka can keep a lot of opponents away, and if he gets them in a corner, then it makes it really hard to counterattack. The only downside is that Blanka is vulnerable to anything that doesn't go to hit him directly (Hadoken, Kikouken, Kacho San, etc.). Still, it's a great move overall, and great to pull out when on the defense. -Rolling Attack- STRONG VS. Dash attacks Other attacks (when they aren't timed correctly) Air attacks (except for Zanku Hadoken and Tenma Gou Zanku) WEAK VS. Anti-Air attacks Projectile attacks -This is great to pull out on the defensive as well, especially if your opponent is too busy trying to hammer away at Blanka. The move comes out pretty fast, but note that it's unsafe on block and only goes forward. The distance is also determined by which P button you use for the attack. The move is also vulnerable to a lot of attacks too, so be careful when you pull it out on opponents (especially expert players). -Back Step Rolling- STRONG VS. Same as previous move.... WEAK VS. Same as previous move.... -The only difference between this move and Rolling Attack is that Blanka jumps back before he launches himself at the opponent. Otherwise, there's no real difference except in startup time. Not that great of a move at all when compared to the fast-paced Rolling Attack. -Vertical Rolling- STRONG VS. Air attacks (except for Zanku Hadoken and Tenma Gou Zanku) Other attacks Rush attacks (only when used close) WEAK VS. Projectile attacks Anti-Air attacks -This move is different from Rolling Attack in the fact that it goes diagonally upwards at the opponent. Other than that, use it like you would Rolling Attack. -Surprise Forward/Surprise Back- There's nothing special about these moves at all except for the fact that they can evade attacks a bit, and they move Blanka really quick. Not really worth the time and effort to use though. --Super Special Moves-- -Direct Lightning- STRONG VS. Same as Electric Thunder WEAK VS. Same as Electric Thunder -This move is just a souped-up version of Electric Thunder that moves relatively quick. Pretty powerful, but only useful if you can catch your opponent off-guard with it. Otherwise, you'll be wasting a Super Meter on the move. -Ground Shave Rolling- STRONG VS. Rush attacks Other attacks Air attacks (except for Zanku Hadoken and Tenma Gou Zanku) Close attacks WEAK VS. Projectile attacks Anti-Air attacks -A souped-up version of Rolling Attack combined with Electric Thunder. Nice when your opponent is trying to hammer away at Blanka, but bad due to its horrible recovery time when block