Tension Pulse, the online Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 exhibition series, is going strong. After resuming last week, we have more fighters on deck for this Thursday. Make sure to tune in for some exciting FT7 matches with skilled players and witty, insightful commentary. It’s a great event to watch for newcomers and veterans alike.
We’re seeing lots of new faces, with one returning participant. Dekline will once again show off his skills with Sin against… wait, Potemkin? Has ZotBuster been thrown to the wolves? Or will his iron will show that he can win the match-up despite a disadvantage? Before them, Maadhum and autodidact will warm up the stage with a showdown between the two Valentine sisters, Elphelt and Ramlethal. It’s bound to get explosive!
Dekline
On his growth since participating a year ago: “I think I’ve gotten a lot more match-up knowledge since the last time I played, though there are definitely still some characters I rarely play against (Answer, Jam, etc). I’ve also moved away from always going for character-specific or max damage combos in favor of more consistent confirms that still get the job done.”
On his opponent: “I don’t think I’ve ever met or played against ZotBuster, but he has solid placements, so I’m expecting some difficulty. Although the match-up is notoriously bad for Potemkin, I feel like it requires a lot of patience from the Sin player or it can fall apart very quickly.”
On his individual style: “I tend to be more of a reactive player. I usually try to feel my opponent out and then exploit their playstyle, as opposed to going in with a specific gameplan in mind.”
ZotBuster
On the match: “I’m excited to be part of it, there aren’t a lot of Potemkin players out there, so I’m happy to represent my character as well. I’m not usually one for netplay, but given how the US is distance-wise, it’s pretty tough to do exhibitions regularly any other way. I rely a lot on Instant Block, so I’m a bit worried about changing the timings for netplay.”
On his opponent: “I’ve heard of Dekline, but I’ve never gotten the chance to see him play. I fight Kizzie Kay a lot, but he definitely plays Sin in a really specific way, so I’m curious how Dekline will approach the match-up. It’s easily one of the worst in the game, probably around 7-3 in Sin’s favor? That being said, if I get in, he has to guess like everyone else. Nothing will be as bad as Kanji vs. Margaret in Persona, so at this point, I mostly just grit my teeth and try my best.”
On his individual style: “I’m not one for labbing, so I mostly just play on gut feelings. I kind of just try things that I feel will work, and if they do, I laugh about it, and if they don’t, I also laugh about it, just slightly less. A lot of the time I’ll try to find a gap in my opponent’s flow I can exploit since my character is strong at doing so.”
autodidact
On the match: “I’m excited to be a part of this exhibition! Thanks to Silva for inviting me on. I always enjoy an opportunity to take place in tournaments; but, I tend to get quite anxious when it’s time to play. Hopefully, this experience will help me, as I’m attending Texas Showdown and Combo Breaker in the upcoming weeks, and I’ll be able to draw from this when keeping calm. I hope my practice and improvement can be shown off Thursday!”
On his opponent: “I actually have not played or seen any footage of Maadhum, so his expertise and playstyle will be a mystery to me going in. This might help give him an edge; however, I am quite comfortable with the Ramlethal match-up as I have a couple friends in Texas that grind it with me. As long as I don’t overcommit and get caught being greedy, I think I have a great chance!”
On his individual style: “My playstyle from the moment I picked up Guilty Gear was crazy and aggressive; however, this has proven to be a fault of mine as I have strived to improve. Learning to reel myself in and play more calculated neutral and defense (as well as adapting to opponents’ tendencies) has been my focus these past few months. Still, sometimes I can be an absolute nut if I fall into autopilot… Elphelt as a character can definitely lend a hand in that.”
Maadhum
Help keep the Guilty Gear community going strong by supporting, sharing, and watching the stream on Silva_hime’s Twitch channel. Ryyudo and BxA|dot_Nova will play hosts on Thursday, commentating the action at 9:30 PM ET/8:30 PM CT/6:30 PM PT. In case you missed last week’s Tension Pulse, here’s a video:
Sources: interviews; Silva