The more characters are added to Guilty Gear Xrd, the more time you need to spend in the lab. Fear not, though–especially if you’re a Leo player. Sharizord worked on an extensive compilation that shows unsafe moves from the entire cast, and how to punish them. The playlist below includes extra videos that cover specific REV 2 changes, so skip one video to see the guide for the latest version.
At the very end, there’s punishing Baiken and Answer, the two REV 2 newcomers. What’s particularly valuable about this video guide, however, is how applicable it is to every character, even if you don’t play Leo specifically.
Another important video to highlight are some practical option selects. Sharizord displays how to more easily catch backdashes from certain cast members with a specific setup. There’s also a way to use the guard point on his normals to option-select-parry a Burst. They show some additional measures on how to do a stylish Burst counter from the back turned stance as well.
The action is slowly heating up for one of the biggest majors of this year; Combo Breaker 2017 in St. Charles, IL, is set to be the biggest Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 tournament outside of Evo 2017, just as the new version premieres.
The organizers announced that a special Team Exhibition will take place on Friday evening, May 26th. Top players from all over the country are participating in a character-locked 10 vs. 10, single-match, single-elimination format. Here are the participants and their characters:
Team Bears:
BjornSonOfBear (Chipp)
Fable|KidViper (Baiken)
daymendou (Slayer)
Fable|KizzieKay (Sin)
LordKnight (Millia)
TheArm (Ramlethal)
KBNova (Bedman)
Bloodwolf (May)
BeautifulDude (Answer)
Mr. K (Leo)
Make sure to tune in on Friday, May 26th, at 9 PM CST/10 PM EST/7 PM PDT on the Team Spooky stream for this special exhibition featuring top players from North America. Also, pray for my Baiken.
“Rick “The Hadou” Thiher, the mastermind behind Combo Breaker asked Shinsin and myself to put together a special exhibition in honor of showcasing Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 at the first major tournament upon console release with a main stage showcase on Friday night,” said Mike “ElvenShadow” Boczar. “Shinsin decided that the two team captains would be myself and BjornSonOfBear. We took turns choosing players among the registered North American players at Combo Breaker. The result is a 10v10 showcasing some of the best talent the North American GG community has to offer!
Both teams are stacked with talent and character diversity, so this should prove to be one hell of show. Whether you are a long time GG player or just interested in seeing what this great game has to offer, you won’t want to miss out on this action!”
Don’t forget to watch the other streams for Combo Breaker, as it will surely be a memorable event.
It’s not an easy task to be a pro gamer and do well in multiple titles, and yet, there are those talented enough to excel like that. A rising star is the recently signed on Keenan “Kizzie Kay” Kizzie, who joined Fable Esports.
Michael Martin from Yahoo! Esports sits down with the player for the Conversations and Fireballs segment. He asks Fable|Kizzie Kay about how the team approached one of their newest players. The signing happened during Texas Showdown with the victory at that event being “the icing on the cake.” Kizzie likes the team for their friendly, trustworthy approach.
Next, Martin asks him the big question: how difficult is it to win at multiple games? According to Kizzie, who excels at both Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR- and BlazBlue: Central Fiction, the hardest part is playing those who specialize in a single game. He manages the stress by taking things one step at a time.
Check out the full conversation below for some in-depth insight into one of the rising stars of the FGC.
It’s hard to believe, but after many weeks of excellent FT7s, we are approaching the final Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR- Super Steam Xrd Exhibition League match! As enjoyable as those sets have been, with the added opportunity of learning more about the players who participated, “it’s not over yet!” as the Guilty Gear announced would say. This weekend, a truly stacked set of Daredevils approaches the ring.
We have Fable|Kizzie Kay against Nakkiel, as well as SLP|DavidCue facing TS|NerdJosh. If you haven’t heard of those names before, not to worry–let’s learn a little more about each one and see how they feel about their competition.
Let’s get a better grasp at who’s who, and how they feel about the upcoming battles.
Fable|Kizzie Kay
On the match: “I would like to say thank you very much for the invite to SSXrdEL. I am very happy to have the chance to fight a player that I look up to in the scene.”
On his opponent: “He is a really strong player, very solid, and has a very good gameplan despite some people not understanding what he is doing. One of the things that I have to be very aware of is that when he has momentum, he is actually one of the hardest players that I have ever fought in Guilty Gear because you just don’t know what is going to happen next. It makes you feel like the next decision you make might be your last. Despite this matchup being in Sin’s favor, the player skill is so high that I feel like this matchup is even vs Nakkiel.”
On his own playstyle: “My style is very wall/read-based. One of the things I know I have as a player is once I get a complete understanding of what the opponent likes to do, I will start abusing the weaknesses of the opponent’s character. As that process happens mid-match, I will then begin to attack player habits. This will suffocate the opponent and make them feel like they have no options. With this, I am able to use non-advantageous situations to my advantage.
I really think that this is a rare style, but I have met people with similar styles that are better than me, so I know how it feels like to be on the receiving end. My final thoughts on this upcoming set is that I don’t really know what to expect Nakkiel’s gameplan to be, but I’m sure he’s going to be well-prepared. I will also be well-prepared, so I feel that there is a high chance that it will be an extremely close set.”
Nakkiel
On the match: “I’m happy to be involved with SSXrdEL! Kizzie Kay and I play each other often, so I hope we can put on a good show for the viewers and bring the REV 1 league to an exciting close.”
On his opponent: “I have a lot of respect for Kizzie Kay. A few years ago, I was feeling pretty demotivated about fighting games; I had met Kizzie Kay when he was still just getting into Guilty Gear and BlazBlue competitively (or rather, traveling out to events) and his eagerness to improve and attitude toward learning really refreshed my love for the games. It’s been a treat to watch him improve and see the difference in his skill each time we play.
“To me, Kizzie Kay has definitely proven he’s the best Sin in the States and one of the best players around. I’m expecting the match will be a difficult test of us as players, I’m looking forward to it!”
On his own playstyle: “I think my style as a player is pretty adaptive, as I’ve competed as a few different archetypes of characters. One of my strongest traits is taking any advantage I have and turning it into a victory. I work to make sure my opponent feels pressured and uneasy at all times possible. I’ve been consistent with this across zoners, rushdown and even mid-range styled characters.
“Our playstyles clash well together along with our character selection in Guilty Gear, look forward to it and good luck to Kizzie Kay!”
SJP|DavidCue
On the match: “I’m honored to have been picked to play. I hope we put on a good show.”
On his opponent: “Josh is one of my closest friends in the FGC. It’s crazy that we somehow always get matched up to play, but we typically have hype matches, so hopefully this one will be too. He’s a great dude and one of the best overall gamers I know.”
On his own playstyle: “My style is pretty unorthodox. I rely on my ability to beat you in the neutral rather than on big combos that lead into knockdowns.”
TS|NerdJosh
On the match: “Should be a fun way to end REV 1 netplay before the great journey ahead, known as REV 2 netplay.”
On his opponent: “I think he’s one of the most prehistoric savages in anime games, what kind of monster thrives off so many standing Dusts and airgrabs?”
On his own playstyle: “I think I play a very red-light, green-light style of no respect to full respect turtle, so it can be hard to call me out at times. Love frustrating an opponent into attacking me so I can counter punish. I think David vs. I will be full on haymakers. Lots of scrambles; there will be no honor in these killing fields.”
Wow, that’s quite the stacked Exhibition League match, isn’t it? These top players will surely send off -REVELATOR- in a memorable way! Clear your schedule and definitely mark your calendar now for this Sunday (May 21) on Silva_hime’s Twitch channel, starting at 9:00 PM EST/7:00 PM CST/6:00 PM PDT. HellaBrett and Ryyudo will grace the microphone stations.
In last week’s online Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR- set, Mr. K’s witty Leo engaged with NC Jin’s Dizzy. We also had Killey’s Johnny test himself against braindead2000’s Venom. If you haven’t seen it live, take a look below!
Let’s say you already have Leo Whitefang’s basics down. You know his move list well, and have the bread-and-butter combos prepared to bash some opponents. But now, you’d like to take it to the next level, because, let’s be honest, getting your pressure countered all the time isn’t fun.
Sharizord is your coach for making your Leo much better in about five minutes. They show more useful attack strings that can reliably build up the RISC gauge of the opponent as well as how to add a little extra spice to hit confirms. For instance, by adding a dash buffer to the 236HS motion, you can net more damage on your combos. This video has REV 2 in mind, so you can also pick up how to anti-air better with the character.
This tutorial should also be helpful to those who are looking to battle Leo players, so it’s not a bad idea to watch even if you’re not looking to pick up the Second King. Furthermore, remember to look back at this countering Leo guide, translated from Japanese.
In their ever-continuing attempts to encroach on all areas of your life, Facebook is looking for a piece of that esports streaming pie. While Twitch is still the dominant gaming service worldwide, Facebook has been getting into livestreaming here and there, be it casual family-friendly content, or Blizzard games. The social media mogul just announced a new deal with MLB and ESL to become more active in the esports streaming world.
The deal includes bringing more than 5,500 hours of esports content from ESL to Facebook, with an addition of 1,500 hours of original programming. ESL already has streaming deals with other services, like Twitter and Twitch, so in no way does this grant Facebook any exclusivity. Moreso, there’s a better possibility of catching some casual viewers, or people who normally don’t watch esports already.
“With over 1.94 billion monthly active users on Facebook, this is a huge step toward expanding the reach of esports among mainstream audiences,” Johannes Schiefer, Vice President of Social Media and Editorial at ESL, said in a statement. “Last year, ESL content generated over 2 billion impressions and reached over 200 million users on Facebook globally.”
While the current rage in ESL is mostly Counter Strike: GO, there’s no reason for fighting games to not continue rising in relevance, particularly on a platform with such a wide audience as Facebook. The 2016 global esports revenue reached $493 million, and is projected to increase by more than 40 percent this year.
As Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 nears its official release, many players are busy learning the ropes and grasping changes. Alongside those, newcomers Baiken and Answer provide plenty of study material.
Our latest Answer tech compilation divulges a few Business Ninpo secrets, but some of us might not be quite ready for such advanced knowledge. To get a better grasp on what’s in Answer’s box of secrets, it’s better to take a look at a more simplified guide first. Knowing what’s available in the ninja’s toolset is also very valuable in fighting the match-up.
This informative video from AXETB provides a complete breakdown of Answer’s moves. With a useful visual input display, it shows exactly how his card and scroll setting works. There’s a lot of follow-up attacks to scroll clinging, so make sure you’re at least aware of what options he has.
One of the more fun changes in Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 are new items for the series’ premiere doctor, Faust. While his items already have a (sometimes very punishing) layer of randomness, there’s a small chance of getting a “Jackpot” version of most of his items.
These items usually are golden, and have a much stronger effect than usual. Meteors have a chance to turn into one grand meteor that mercilessly covers nearly the whole screen, giving Faust some mix-up opportunities. He can throw out a much larger version of the mini Faust. If you’re lucky, he can throw out bigger versions of his food items that give more health (though it turns out that Sin’s calorie gauge doesn’t get more than normal).
Zissou’s testing is impressively meticulous. He shows comparisons of, for instance, the hit stun from the Golden Hammer vs. the Iron Hammer (and also how fast that leads to dizzying Sol), how quickly the Firework Bomb goes off in comparison to the regular one, and so on. Truly, the work of a Guilty Gear surgeon.
Check out their video below, which includes “drop rates” for every item.
If you’re more curious about the base properties of every item, Zissou has done a similar video that explains Faust’s items. Looking for some strategy to beat the surgeon? Also take a look at LordKnight’s Faust match-up guide.
Fans of Under Night In-Birth are long overdue for an update to their 2D fighter. After the initial UNIST announcement, we’ve also learned that supposedly one more character is joining the roster, as we reported from a UNIST Amazon.jp listing. It turns out the listing was accurate, and Famitsu broke the news earlier this week.
Erika Wagner, nicknamed “The Crimson Knight” and “The Void Hunter” has appeared in the game’s lore. There’s no information yet as to how she actually plays, or what her battle style involves. She does appear on the game’s key art, however.
UNIST, an update to the console version of Under Night In-Birth:Exe Late, is on track for a console release on July 20th. Enkidu is the other confirmed new character, as well as console-exclusive Chronicle and Mission modes.
Stay tuned to Shoryuken as more details about Erika Wagner arise.
New week, new Super Steam Xrd Exhibition League match! The online Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR- showdowns continue. The FT7s (with commentary) showcase players from various regions, and are a great way of highlighting particular match-ups. This time, we have Mr. K’s Leo Whitefang battling NC Jin’s Dizzy, as well as braindead2000’s Venom vs. Killey’s Johnny.
Let’s get a better grasp at who’s who, and how they feel about the upcoming battles.
Mr. K
On the match: “I’m excited! Silva is doing great things for the Guilty Gear community and I’m happy to be part of it. I’m a little nervous because Dizzy is a rare character, and I don’t play against strong Dizzy players often. I’m making sure to be prepared though!”
On his opponent: “I think we met for the first time at SuperTSB in New York earlier this year. We got to play a set and we also talked about some of Dizzy’s best anti-Leo offense. He seems to be dedicated to his character and it’s awesome to find other people who want to push their character to its limits.”
On his own playstyle: “I think I’m at my best when I can play fast and force my opponent to deal with what I’m doing directly. Leo suits my aggressive risk/reward style really well, since he basically demands responses to threats once he’s close. Really strong opponents don’t crack under pressure, though, so I’ve made a conscious effort to expand my gameplay in new directions with Leo to become more well-rounded.”
NC Jin
On the match: “I’m really excited and grateful for the opportunity to play in the Steam league. I think it’s been a great way to build up hype for Xrd, and with REV 2 on the way, I hope more people will pick up the game. As far as my match goes, I just hope to play well and make it as exciting as possible.”
On his opponent: “I’ve never played Mr.K before, but from what I’ve seen, he is a very strong Leo player. It’s obvious that he has a great understanding of both the game and his character. He places very well in the tournaments I’ve seen him attend, so I know I will have to play well to win.”
On his own playstyle: “My playstyle varies from game to game, in my opinion. I try to play a very offensive style most of the time, but in certain matches, I like to zone. It really just depends on who I’m up against. I try to adjust to what my opponent’s tendencies are and adjust accordingly. I would have to say that I focus more on player interaction rather than character-specific match-ups.”
braindead2000
On the match: “I’m a bit nervous because I’d like to play well, but I’m more so excited at the opportunity to play in this league! I’m sure it’ll be a lot of fun.”
On his opponent: “Killey has really good spacing and hit confirms, add that with good execution–he’s certainly not an opponent to be taken lightly. In my honest opinion, he’s definitely one of the best Johnny players in North America.”
On his own playstyle: “My favorite kind of style is establishing control of the screen and approaching my opponent carefully. Once I have made my approach I want to overwhelm my opponent with relentless offense.”
Killey
On the match: “I’m excited but also a bit anxious about this match since I don’t do exhibition matches that often. I’m somewhat familiar with the match up since I have two Venom players in my scene; however, every player has their own take on a character. I’m hoping that I’m able to adapt to my opponent’s style on the character as the match progresses.
I really like the format of these exhibition matches, as it forces accelerated learning of match-ups and helps refine your learning process moving forward. I had fun studying this match-up, since I involved the community for assistance. I got help from my local Venom players and the Johnny discord; I even went as far as asking KSB winner Omito for some advice on his stream… ha ha ha. While I do want to win this match, I’m not too concerned with the final results. I just want to put on a good show for the viewers.
I’m currently preparing for Combo Breaker, which will be REV 2, but since this match is -REVELATOR-, I had to revisit the specific combo routes on Venom. The issue is that Venom’s aerial hitboxes make it hard to consistently land midscreen knockdowns, which causes Johnny to lose positioning and momentum. I had to explore the specifics of Venom’s aerial hitboxes to make Johnny’s combos more consistent, and I think I found some unique solutions to this. Thankfully, I won’t have to deal with this moving into REV 2 due to the aerial hitbox changes on Venom.”
On his opponent: “I respect his Venom play since it’s very solid and centered on control. I remember playing him months ago, and he had unique answers to certain situations. We were trying to get more matches in afterwards, but that never happened, since we could never line up our schedules. I like to view this exhibition match as the rematch that didn’t happen back then.”
On his own playstyle: “Hmmm… I think I play rather textbook or systematic, and then try to fine tune my strategies based on my opponent’s habits. I like to force certain situations on my opponent and see if they have an answer to it. If they don’t demonstrate to me that they can deal with the situation then I’ll continue to exploit their match-up knowledge deficiencies until they do then adapt accordingly.”
It’s good to see a few less-popular characters in these match-ups, and it will be interesting to see what individuality the players bring to them. Don’t forget to tune in to Silva_hime’s Twitch channel tonight, starting at 9:15 PM EST/8:15 PM CST/6:15 PM PDT. Octopimp and BxA|dotNova are commentating this time.
In the most recent online Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR- set, Beautifuldude’s Zato=1 battled Dekline’s Sin Kiske. What a battle! The other FT7 involved Ryyudo’s Faust and WindGodDude’s Millia Rage. Check it out below!
