The new Super Nintendo fighter, Unholy Night: Darkness Hunter, may soon see release even after being unable to reach its goal on Kickstarter. The game appears to have been resurrected by video game retailer, Retroism, due to the company’s name appearing on the Amazon listing. Pre-orders are currently only shipping to the U.S., but this may soon change whenever more information about the title become available.
Developed by former SNK staff members, Unholy Night will feature supernatural characters going toe-to-toe in Story, Versus, Survival, and Practice modes, running at a cool $49.99. The game is set to release on June 19 but this may be a placeholder date without further confirmation aside from the listing.
While the potential of a SNES release is certainly a feat to be commended, a digital release on console or PC would certainly reach a broader audience, especially without the hefty price tag. That note aside, it is great that Unholy Night can finally see the light of day.
A brief overview of what to expect in the story mode is available in the video below, feel free to check it out!
For those that missed the patch notes, VesperArcade is here to cover the Cammy Changes for season 2!
The universal dragon punch changes, while buffing other characters, will end up being a nerf for the British assassin. These changes will force Cammy players to use the slower medium kick version Cannon Spike if they want to anti-air. It also negatively impacts her wake-up game due to the angle it travels. On the flipside, she gets a new air throw that allows her to switch positions–but does that compensate for the loss of light kick Cannon Spike’s invincibility?
Outside of these changes, the relatively strong Cammy remains mostly unchanged, which surprises VesperArcade.
The FGC is becoming a bigger place for independent titles recently, as evidenced by the ever increasing titles being announced on the SRK Forums lately. With titles such as Brawlhalla and Rivals of Aether drawing more interest–as well as the well-known Skullgirls that came before them–it’s a great time to be alive as a fighting game player.
Now, Combo Breaker is accepting applications for their Indiecade–a chance for independent developers to show off their wares to the fighting game community. With submissions being due on May 15th, developers will have a chance to be showcased during the entirety of the event in Chicago, Illinois, which boasts a 24-hour venue.
Eagle-eyed viewers of the ELEAGUE regular season matches, that have recently aired on TBS, may have noticed a quickly-scrolling crawler at the bottom of the screen advertising the “ELEAGUE SFV Celebrity Showdown,” scheduled to air next Friday, April 28th. Thanks to The Hollywood Reporter, we now have more information on the event, including which charities the celebs will be battling in the streets for.
The first celebrity charity tournament in ELEAGUE’s history will be a single-elimination Street Fighter V event, that will air exclusively on TBS on Friday, April 28th, at 10:00 PM ET (7:00 PM PDT, 9:00 PM CST) You can also see a tweet from ELEAGUE about the affair below.
BigBoysToys HK recently shared this image on their Facebook page, revealing that the next toy in their T.N.C (The New Challenger) series will be none other than the raging demon Akuma. While this particular detail could have been a touch added in the editing process, the admin of the toy company’s Facebook page confirmed in the comments that the figure will, in fact, have glowing red eyes.
Looking at the picture, we can see that the prototype is assigned the number 00. Since every other member in the T.N.C series have been numbered 01-07, it can be inferred that there is something different about this upcoming Challenger. Also, with almost every other figure in the line featuring some sort of projectile being hurled as part of it’s design, this render of the Akuma figure stands out in that respect as well.
Stay tuned to BigBoysToys’ news feed for more info on their latest toy’s release.
Top NRS player and notable lab rat REO has posted a shocking–and seemingly quite useful–discovery in Mortal Kombat XL, that even reaches back all the way back to 2008’s Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. It utilizes the Flip Stance button (L2 on PlayStation 4, LT on Xbox One), a function many players have felt is a superfluous or outright useless mechanic in NetherRealm’s more recent titles, aside from some situational uses involving the execution of X-Rays and certain Fatalities. However, with this new tech, players can more easily evade command grabs from characters like Kotal Kahn and Jason Voorhees by doing a neutral jump and immediately tapping Flip Stance. Due to a bug, your character will cancel the first or second frame of their neutral jump startup, before transitioning into the Flip Stance animation. REO explains the specifics of this technique.
What this does is it actually tricks the game into thinking that your character is jumping for the first two frames. Now your character won’t be considered airborne, they’ll still be hit by any ground attacks or unblockables. But because the game reads that I input a neutral jump, it will give me instant immunity to throws and command grabs for that 1 or 2 frames.
In the video, he shows Kobu Jutsu Tanya being able to punish a whiffed command grab from Relentless Jason, using this tech after making a correct read. REO notes that this bug has been around in the last four games produced by NRS/Midway, as Flip Stance was first introduced in MKvDCU, but had little usage there or in Mortal Kombat 9 due to those games’ general lack of command grabs. Perhaps this could prove useful in the upcoming Injustice 2 as well, since MK’s sister series also possesses this function?
Lastly, REO notes three important things to keep in mind about this tech in his TYM discussion thread:
Still a hard read, like jumping out of command grabs.
Makes you look like a hacker/swag god when you pull it off in a KOTH with a bunch of people (LOL)
Gives some characters better punishes/optimal combos that they normally wouldn’t get off their NJP vs. some command grabs.
You can see the full video below, and head over to REO’s discussion thread on Test Your Might for more details.
Ohayo1234 of The Jump-In Podcast was on location at Norcal Regionals floor this past weekend, interviewing a variety of players on their thoughts regarding Street Fighter V’s upcoming balance patch. Check out the video below, and see what folks like RB.CYG BST|Snake Eyez, Gllty, Nick Tanella, Romance, and Noble|Vagabond had to say about it!
Kinetiquettes, the company responsible for the Daigo Umehara diorama and other high-end gaming-inspired statues, has announced that they have a line of official The King of Fighters merchandise in the works. The announcement came via a Facebook post, that was shared by KOF WORLD, and reads as follows:
Kinetiquettes dynamic action diorama line just found its new challenger! Bringing to the collectibles hobby we are literally burning with excitement to announce that we’ll be making 1/4 and 1/6 scale statues, art prints and apparel products from The King of Fighters fighting game franchise!
Rest assured that we’re bringing all the passion for dynamic sculptures that we’ve shown in our Street Fighter, Guilty Gear and BlazBlue pieces to this renowned franchise from the SNK company. Stay tuned!
Ikuze!!!
You can view our previous reports on Kinetiquettes ‘ work here and follow KOF WORLD for updates on this forthcoming project.
In late March, Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 was released into the wild of Japanese arcades. Since then, the Guilty Gear community has feverishly been labbing up the new characters for REV 2, Baiken and Answer. Legendary Guilty Gear veteran and I-no pioneer, Koichi, took the time to learn Answer and write on strategy for the character going into REV 2’s release. Koichi has recently transitioned into a strong leadership role in the Japanese FGC, from helping run events, to writing articles, to doing commentary for a variety of scenes. He is a member of the Goziline team, a website where he and his colleagues often write about a variety of games. In order to give you a head start on Answer in REV 2, this article will translate his ideas, strategy, and mindset on Answer. This write-up is based on his article published on Goziline, here.
Next, if you want to do some further, more detailed reading, I suggest you use this Answer breakdown by Pssycch and Pen Ninja. It is a constantly evolving source of English info for the character that includes information from the Answer hashtag. consider following Ruu and Kedako (who also streams on twitch.tv), two veteran GG players and community leaders from West Japan. These two are responsible for many valuable resources, such as the Answer and Baiken frame data (which you can access here, from Ruu’s blog).
With that out of the way, let’s take a look at Koichi’s thoughts on Answer going into early REV 2.
Answer’s Primary Attacks
Far S: An easy to use button in the mid-range, especially at round start. Although it isn’t particularly fast, this poke has long reach, and can continue into 5HS, Intelli Ninpou attacks.
5HS: In addition to being capable of catching people out of jumps, or in the air, this normal has awesome reach, is jump cancelable, and is a key normal in Answer’s mid-range game.
Resshou(46+P): Answer’s Rekka. Doesn’t lead into knockdown, but even on hit and safe on block (-1), you will use this often.
Answer’s Resshou looks familiar…no? Thankfully, he only has the first hit of this classic sequence!
Intelli Ninpou: Ringi no Sho (Scrolls) (214 P,K,S, or HS): One command will give you 2 scroll placements, depending on the button used. While there are several options from scroll cling, Musasabi (scroll cling D) is a noteworthy option because of the directional control, and the ability to cancel its animation into other follow-ups! This allows for strong mix-up and mobility options! Please refer to Min’s Scroll map to get a better idea of what button command places scrolls in what position.
Intelli Ninpou: Keihi Otoshi (623+K): Answer’s Izuna drop command grab retains dash momentum, which affects how far the opponent is carried when the attack connects. Also usable in the air, and (red) roman cancel-able upon landing for combo extensions.
Answer’s main pokes will be far S, 5HS, and canceling attacks into Resshou or Business Ninpou: Makibishi, his business card throw (236 + S /HS). He can anti-air with 5k and 6p. Command grab is also a valuable attack to mix in to your offense. Furthermore, Answer’s sweep is fast, hits far, and will be useful in hit confirms into super. Business card throwing has a long recovery, so using YRC on the recovery will be the most practical application of this move. For Answer’s aerial normals, jump K can work well as an air-to-air alongside jump HS, but in general these are harder to use compared to jump S. Jump S hits 3 times, and is a useful normal for jump in’s and attacking grounded opponents.
Neutral
In the mid-range, using the far S > 5HS gatling will be your go-to poke string. From the 5HS, you can cancel into Resshou, Business Ninpou: Makibishi (Business card throw, 236 S/H), or IAD. Since Resshou is a little advantageous on hit, after your hit you can backdash and 5HS to reset the spacing, or dash in for a surprise command grab.
*Note, on hit, 5HS can be used to confirm into Super Jump IAD loops on several cast members. The loop is [5HS > Super Jump > IAD > j.P > j.S > j.HS]. This loop works on crouching Potemkin, and standing Johnny, Bedman, Kum, Axl, Zato. It also works on Sol, Ky, Chipp, Slayer, I-no, Venom, Sin, Ramlethal, Dizzy, and Answer from certain ranges.
When separated by a safe distance from the opponent, take advantage of the opportunity to set up scrolls. Koichi recommends using the P or HS versions to allow for more movement across the screen. He recommends using forward jump into the HS version, and clinging to the scroll. Although the scroll summon animation recovery is long, the follow-up options you have during the scroll cling will allow you to mount an offense. Using the P and HS versions of scrolls, clinging, and then using the D follow-up dash is a strong offensive tool.
When you have meter, using YRC with Business Ninpou: Makibishi is a good option because the YRC point is very early in the attack. The YRC window is so wide that you can do it, safely cancel the throw animation, and the card will still appear on the ground in position given the respective button (S or H). Using this in blockstrings is particularly strong for catching an opponent off guard. Makibishi+HS > YRC > Gatling xx Business Ninpou: Hakenshanin (421 + S/HS) > Dash Attack/Command Grab/Throw/Another block string.
In summary:
Using Answer’s mobility, find the spacing to connect far S -> 5HSxxResshou
When separated from the opponent at a safe range, take the opportunity to set up P or HS scrolls!
Using Musasabi (D follow-up) from scroll cling to fly around the screen, or towards your opponent for a rushing attack.
Focus on setting up Makibishi strings, or going for command grabs to catch opponents off guard after Resshou!
Scroll Cling
When Answer sets up scroll and the stick goes to neutral when he is near them, he clings to the scroll in a strange pose. To understand this character’s potential, you must first understand the options and follow-ups he has from this position.
By moving the stick to neutral near a scroll, Answer will cling to the scroll. If you don’t want to cling, simply keep the stick out of neutral.
While clinging, using Musasabi (D follow-up) you can fly to other scrolls.
During Musasabi (D follow-up) you can cancel into other followups (this allows for awesome options on offense and oki).
Scroll Cling followups (this will detail follow-ups done while clinging to scrolls):
P- Intelli Ninpou: Utsusemi – A scroll cling version of uuzemi, his 1f counter used to counter enemy attacks.
K- Intelli Ninpou: Amakudari – A straight down divekick that hits mid.
S- Intelli Ninpou: Shikkyaku – A teleport slide hitting low (think like Yosuke from P4U). Launches on CH, but is unsafe on block.
HS- Intelli Ninpou: Katatataki – A high-hitting, small leaping swipe with a large hitbox that can hit as a crossup. Long untechable time, but can be difficult to combo in some situations.
D- Intelli Ninpou: Musasabi – Similar to Bang’s Furinkazan, Musasabi is a command 8 way dash that is cancelable into other follow-ups.
22- Cancel Cling – Answer slowly falls from the scroll without doing anything.
Defense
Answer’s hurtbox is tall, and he doesn’t have any invincible reversals outside of Burst super. This can make it tough on defense, but that is where Utsusemi comes in. Utsusemi (22+P) is (estimated to be) a 1 frame counter that activates against mids/highs, and is airborne (thus, beating throws and lows). If nothing connects with it, he will fall and be open to counter-attack during recovery. Note that since it is active so quickly, it cannot be YRC’d. If the counter connects with an opponent’s normal, Answer will teleport and Amakudari the opponent. If it connects with a projectile, Answer will teleport Amakudari in place of where the counter was performed. The Amakudari can be used with YRC, giving Answer an opportunity to escape.
If the counter whiffs, Answer can still cling to scrolls and PRC during recovery.
Using Business Ninpou: Kumogakure (22+S/HS) to teleport to the card is also a strong escape option. Koichi estimates the invincibility frames on the disappearance is fast (he guesses around 3 frames) and it is similar to Chipp’s teleports in that you can YRC the recovery frames when he reappears. This makes it a safe option when you need to take evasive action!
Okizeme
Answer scores knockdowns off of sweep, his shadowclone shuriken super (236236K) and Intelli Ninpou: Katatataki (HS follow-up after Scroll cling). After finishing a combo or connecting these attacks, you have a chance to run oki. The preferred scroll setup for mid-screen okizeme is the K scroll set (214+K). Using this set with Answer’s 6HS, a flip kick Answer can use to go airborne, gives him the ability to quickly cling to scrolls from the ground. This attack not only allows for scroll clings, but because he is considered airborne, it also beats throw attempts! Musasabi will allow you to beat mashing, and if you can read a blitz or an opponent willing to patiently guard, simply Musasabi into the ground and go for a command grab! Amakudari can also be used this way if you anticipate your opponent will commit to blocking. Simply whiff the Amakudari into the ground, and snatch them up with command grab! You can also use Musasabi to go back and forth between scrolls to beat mashing opponents.
Many players initially thought, “Isn’t this kind of okizeme weak to Blitz Shield?” However, reversal Blitz Shield can be countered by activating the K set of scrolls, then throwing the HS version of Makibishi and activating YRC. Though this option costs meter, it leaves Answer with very strong okizeme options, and outside the range of Blitz.
When you score a knockdown mid-screen, try to use K or S Scrolls and utilize Answer’s airborne 6HS. In the corner, try to focus on S scrolls rather than K scrolls, putting stronger emphasis on the high/low mixup.
Note: Since this article was published, the Answer army has discovered a trick that may open up even greater combo and mix-up potential, especially using K scrolls. Since Utsusemi goes airborne from frame 1, we can use special cancelable normals to cancel into Utsusemi, and using that, cling to the scroll. This allows for faster access to cling state (and thus, cling commands) compared to jumping (3f) or using 6HS. As Desire shows us in this example, this allows for new possibilities off of 5HS on crouchers.
1.【2K→far S→5HS】xx Resshou (26+P) or HS Makibishi (236+HS)
The Answer bread n butter combo. If you want to continue offense, use Resshou. If you want to return to neutral, use Makibishi.
2.【2K→far S(3)→6K】xx P Scrolls (214+P)→ Neutral Jump【K→HS】xx Cling ～9 Musasabi (Move the lever to neutral, then 9+D)～Katatataki (HS)
Another bread n butter from 2K. One scroll will remain when you are finished, so you can still run oki afterwards.To counter things like DP and crouchers, use【Close S→2HS→6K】to force standing.
3. 5K or 【6P→5HS】[Jump Cancel] Jump【K→5S(3)】[Jump Cancel] Jump【K→HS】xx Air Shuriken Super ( Air 632146+S)
A go-to anti-air combo for when you don’t feel like ad-libbing. Offers damage and knockdown. If you don’t have meter, on the second jump, use【K→S→D】xx P Scrolls (214+P) to continue your attack.【6P→6K】→ Jump HS xx Air Shuriken Super ( Air 632146+S) is also an important anti-air combo.
4. Command Grab（623+K）[(Upon landing) RRC] P Scrolls(214+P)→Dash 2HS[jc] Back Jump HS xx Cling ～N Musasabi (5D)～9 Musasabi (9D)～Katatataki (HS)
A command grab combo that leads into corner oki. If you RRC the instant you land, you can do P Scrolls. The point is using P Scrolls and ending around the corner. Command Grab（623+K）RRC P Scrolls (214+P)→K Scrolls (214+K)→【6P→5HS】Jump Cancel Back Jump HS.
5. HS Scrolls (214+HS)→(Top scroll) Cling～N Musasabi (5D)～N Musasabi (5D)→【6P→6K】xx P Scroll (214+P)→ Jump【K→HS】xx Cling ～9 Musasabi (9D)～Katatataki (HS)
Meter-less freestyle combo. For the 6P→6K portion and what follows, you can go into this off of anti-air hits or counter hit Shikkyaku (Scroll cling S follow-up).
6. Sweep xx Shadow Clone Super (236236+K）
A strong hit confirm combo you can use to kill. Use K Scrolls (214+K) after to set up oki.
7.【far S→5HS】xx Resshou (26+P) or HS Makibishi (236+HS) [RRC] Dash【cl. S(2)→2HS→6K】xx P Scroll (214+P)→ Forward Jump【K→HS】xx N Musasabi (5D)～Amakudari (K) Whiff→ Dash Forward Jump [K→HS】xx N Musasabi (5D)～Katatataki (HS)
A high utility combo route. Note this does not work on lightweights. For heavyweights (Johnny, Pot) you can connect two loops of the 5HS [Jump Cancel] Jump【K→HS】。Remember that after you use the HS Makibishi (236+HS)[RRC], you can also do HS Kumogakure (Teleport) (22+HS)→【Close S(2)→6K].
8.【far S→5HS】xx HS Makibishi (236+HS) [RRC] Dash→5D～5HS→5HS→HS Scrolls (214+HS)→Close S→5HS xx Utsusemi (22+P)～Cling～N Musasabi (5D)～Amakudari(K) Whiff→5HS[High Jump Cancel] Jump D xx Cling～9 Musasabi (9D)～Katatataki(HS) Corner Carry dust combo you can try to execute at round start. When you start the combo off of corner Dust, use 5HSx3 xx HS Scrolls (214+HS)→6HS xx ～Cling～N Musasabi (5D)～Amakudari (K) Whiff→5HS [High Jump Cancel] Jump D xx Cling～9 Musasabi (9D)～Katatataki (HS) for a damage boost!
The above is simply basic winning strategies for the outset of Answer play in REV 2. Koichi thinks you can make people angry by using far S > 5HS well.Just like getting hit by Fafnir after a string from Sol, getting tagged by Answer’s mid-screen string is rather unpleasant.As long as you can convert into knockdowns from your bread ‘n’ butter (through Roman Cancel or otherwise), he is a pretty cool, fun character from day one. Thus, try to practice the combos without getting discouraged or shying away from them. He says one trick that might help you execute some of his combos is to hold diagonals while you are using the air attacks (note how some of the combos above require diagonal inputs) since returning to neutral makes you cling to scrolls.
This concludes Koichi’s article on day one Answer prep. Exploring new characters in fighting games is a fun, exciting experience. Arc System Works titles usually makes their characters highly nuanced, so there is a lot to explore! Work together with folks in the community to discover new techniques and strategies for your character! Enjoy the process of learning!
While we wait for Rev2’s console release, try watching some live footage from Mikado, and look out for Answer players like Koichi, Min, and Hossa. Watch footage of them and try to see how they apply the concepts discussed in this article!
In late March, Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 was released into the wild of Japanese arcades. Since then, the Guilty Gear community has feverishly been labbing up the new characters for REV 2, Baiken and Answer. Legendary Guilty Gear veteran and I-no pioneer, Koichi, took the time to learn Answer and write on strategy for the character going into REV 2’s release. Koichi has recently transitioned into a strong leadership role in the Japanese FGC, from helping run events, to writing articles, to doing commentary for a variety of scenes. He is a member of the Goziline team, a website where he and his colleagues often write about a variety of games. In order to give you a head start on Answer in REV 2, this article will translate his ideas, strategy, and mindset on Answer. This write-up is based on his article published on Goziline, here.
Next, if you want to do some further, more detailed reading, I suggest you use this Answer breakdown by Pssycch and Pen Ninja. It is a constantly evolving source of English info for the character that includes information from the Answer hashtag. consider following Ruu and Kedako (who also streams on twitch.tv), two veteran GG players and community leaders from West Japan. These two are responsible for many valuable resources, such as the Answer and Baiken frame data (which you can access here, from Ruu’s blog).
With that out of the way, let’s take a look at Koichi’s thoughts on Answer going into early REV 2.
Answer’s Primary Attacks
Far S: An easy to use button in the mid-range, especially at round start. Although it isn’t particularly fast, this poke has long reach, and can continue into 5HS, Intelli Ninpou attacks.
5HS: In addition to being capable of catching people out of jumps, or in the air, this normal has awesome reach, is jump cancelable, and is a key normal in Answer’s mid-range game.
Resshou(46+P): Answer’s Rekka. Doesn’t lead into knockdown, but even on hit and safe on block (-1), you will use this often.
Answer’s Resshou looks familiar…no? Thankfully, he only has the first hit of this classic sequence!
Intelli Ninpou: Ringi no Sho (Scrolls) (214 P,K,S, or HS): One command will give you 2 scroll placements, depending on the button used. While there are several options from scroll cling, Musasabi (scroll cling D) is a noteworthy option because of the directional control, and the ability to cancel its animation into other follow-ups! This allows for strong mix-up and mobility options! Please refer to Min’s Scroll map to get a better idea of what button command places scrolls in what position.
Intelli Ninpou: Keihi Otoshi (623+K): Answer’s Izuna drop command grab retains dash momentum, which affects how far the opponent is carried when the attack connects. Also usable in the air, and (red) roman cancel-able upon landing for combo extensions.
Answer’s main pokes will be far S, 5HS, and canceling attacks into Resshou or Business Ninpou: Makibishi, his business card throw (236 + S /HS). He can anti-air with 5k and 6p. Command grab is also a valuable attack to mix in to your offense. Furthermore, Answer’s sweep is fast, hits far, and will be useful in hit confirms into super. Business card throwing has a long recovery, so using YRC on the recovery will be the most practical application of this move. For Answer’s aerial normals, jump K can work well as an air-to-air alongside jump HS, but in general these are harder to use compared to jump S. Jump S hits 3 times, and is a useful normal for jump in’s and attacking grounded opponents.
Neutral
In the mid-range, using the far S > 5HS gatling will be your go-to poke string. From the 5HS, you can cancel into Resshou, Business Ninpou: Makibishi (Business card throw, 236 S/H), or IAD. Since Resshou is a little advantageous on hit, after your hit you can backdash and 5HS to reset the spacing, or dash in for a surprise command grab.
*Note, on hit, 5HS can be used to confirm into Super Jump IAD loops on several cast members. The loop is [5HS > Super Jump > IAD > j.P > j.S > j.HS]. This loop works on crouching Potemkin, and standing Johnny, Bedman, Kum, Axl, Zato. It also works on Sol, Ky, Chipp, Slayer, I-no, Venom, Sin, Ramlethal, Dizzy, and Answer from certain ranges.
When separated by a safe distance from the opponent, take advantage of the opportunity to set up scrolls. Koichi recommends using the P or HS versions to allow for more movement across the screen. He recommends using forward jump into the HS version, and clinging to the scroll. Although the scroll summon animation recovery is long, the follow-up options you have during the scroll cling will allow you to mount an offense. Using the P and HS versions of scrolls, clinging, and then using the D follow-up dash is a strong offensive tool.
When you have meter, using YRC with Business Ninpou: Makibishi is a good option because the YRC point is very early in the attack. The YRC window is so wide that you can do it, safely cancel the throw animation, and the card will still appear on the ground in position given the respective button (S or H). Using this in blockstrings is particularly strong for catching an opponent off guard. Makibishi+HS > YRC > Gatling xx Business Ninpou: Hakenshanin (421 + S/HS) > Dash Attack/Command Grab/Throw/Another block string.
In summary:
Using Answer’s mobility, find the spacing to connect far S -> 5HSxxResshou
When separated from the opponent at a safe range, take the opportunity to set up P or HS scrolls!
Using Musasabi (D follow-up) from scroll cling to fly around the screen, or towards your opponent for a rushing attack.
Focus on setting up Makibishi strings, or going for command grabs to catch opponents off guard after Resshou!
Scroll Cling
When Answer sets up scroll and the stick goes to neutral when he is near them, he clings to the scroll in a strange pose. To understand this character’s potential, you must first understand the options and follow-ups he has from this position.
By moving the stick to neutral near a scroll, Answer will cling to the scroll. If you don’t want to cling, simply keep the stick out of neutral.
While clinging, using Musasabi (D follow-up) you can fly to other scrolls.
During Musasabi (D follow-up) you can cancel into other followups (this allows for awesome options on offense and oki).
Scroll Cling followups (this will detail follow-ups done while clinging to scrolls):
P- Intelli Ninpou: Utsusemi – A scroll cling version of uuzemi, his 1f counter used to counter enemy attacks.
K- Intelli Ninpou: Amakudari – A straight down divekick that hits mid.
S- Intelli Ninpou: Shikkyaku – A teleport slide hitting low (think like Yosuke from P4U). Launches on CH, but is unsafe on block.
HS- Intelli Ninpou: Katatataki – A high-hitting, small leaping swipe with a large hitbox that can hit as a crossup. Long untechable time, but can be difficult to combo in some situations.
D- Intelli Ninpou: Musasabi – Similar to Bang’s Furinkazan, Musasabi is a command 8 way dash that is cancelable into other follow-ups.
22- Cancel Cling – Answer slowly falls from the scroll without doing anything.
Defense
Answer’s hurtbox is tall, and he doesn’t have any invincible reversals outside of Burst super. This can make it tough on defense, but that is where Utsusemi comes in. Utsusemi (22+P) is (estimated to be) a 1 frame counter that activates against mids/highs, and is airborne (thus, beating throws and lows). If nothing connects with it, he will fall and be open to counter-attack during recovery. Note that since it is active so quickly, it cannot be YRC’d. If the counter connects with an opponent’s normal, Answer will teleport and Amakudari the opponent. If it connects with a projectile, Answer will teleport Amakudari in place of where the counter was performed. The Amakudari can be used with YRC, giving Answer an opportunity to escape.
If the counter whiffs, Answer can still cling to scrolls and PRC during recovery.
Using Business Ninpou: Kumogakure (22+S/HS) to teleport to the card is also a strong escape option. Koichi estimates the invincibility frames on the disappearance is fast (he guesses around 3 frames) and it is similar to Chipp’s teleports in that you can YRC the recovery frames when he reappears. This makes it a safe option when you need to take evasive action!
Okizeme
Answer scores knockdowns off of sweep, his shadowclone shuriken super (236236K) and Intelli Ninpou: Katatataki (HS follow-up after Scroll cling). After finishing a combo or connecting these attacks, you have a chance to run oki. The preferred scroll setup for mid-screen okizeme is the K scroll set (214+K). Using this set with Answer’s 6HS, a flip kick Answer can use to go airborne, gives him the ability to quickly cling to scrolls from the ground. This attack not only allows for scroll clings, but because he is considered airborne, it also beats throw attempts! Musasabi will allow you to beat mashing, and if you can read a blitz or an opponent willing to patiently guard, simply Musasabi into the ground and go for a command grab! Amakudari can also be used this way if you anticipate your opponent will commit to blocking. Simply whiff the Amakudari into the ground, and snatch them up with command grab! You can also use Musasabi to go back and forth between scrolls to beat mashing opponents.
Many players initially thought, “Isn’t this kind of okizeme weak to Blitz Shield?” However, reversal Blitz Shield can be countered by activating the K set of scrolls, then throwing the HS version of Makibishi and activating YRC. Though this option costs meter, it leaves Answer with very strong okizeme options, and outside the range of Blitz.
When you score a knockdown mid-screen, try to use K or S Scrolls and utilize Answer’s airborne 6HS. In the corner, try to focus on S scrolls rather than K scrolls, putting stronger emphasis on the high/low mixup.
Note: Since this article was published, the Answer army has discovered a trick that may open up even greater combo and mix-up potential, especially using K scrolls. Since Utsusemi goes airborne from frame 1, we can use special cancelable normals to cancel into Utsusemi, and using that, cling to the scroll. This allows for faster access to cling state (and thus, cling commands) compared to jumping (3f) or using 6HS. As Desire shows us in this example, this allows for new possibilities off of 5HS on crouchers.
1.【2K→far S→5HS】xx Resshou (26+P) or HS Makibishi (236+HS)
The Answer bread n butter combo. If you want to continue offense, use Resshou. If you want to return to neutral, use Makibishi.
2.【2K→far S(3)→6K】xx P Scrolls (214+P)→ Neutral Jump【K→HS】xx Cling ～9 Musasabi (Move the lever to neutral, then 9+D)～Katatataki (HS)
Another bread n butter from 2K. One scroll will remain when you are finished, so you can still run oki afterwards.To counter things like DP and crouchers, use【Close S→2HS→6K】to force standing.
3. 5K or 【6P→5HS】[Jump Cancel] Jump【K→5S(3)】[Jump Cancel] Jump【K→HS】xx Air Shuriken Super ( Air 632146+S)
A go-to anti-air combo for when you don’t feel like ad-libbing. Offers damage and knockdown. If you don’t have meter, on the second jump, use【K→S→D】xx P Scrolls (214+P) to continue your attack.【6P→6K】→ Jump HS xx Air Shuriken Super ( Air 632146+S) is also an important anti-air combo.
4. Command Grab（623+K）[(Upon landing) RRC] P Scrolls(214+P)→Dash 2HS[jc] Back Jump HS xx Cling ～N Musasabi (5D)～9 Musasabi (9D)～Katatataki (HS)
A command grab combo that leads into corner oki. If you RRC the instant you land, you can do P Scrolls. The point is using P Scrolls and ending around the corner. Command Grab（623+K）RRC P Scrolls (214+P)→K Scrolls (214+K)→【6P→5HS】Jump Cancel Back Jump HS.
5. HS Scrolls (214+HS)→(Top scroll) Cling～N Musasabi (5D)～N Musasabi (5D)→【6P→6K】xx P Scroll (214+P)→ Jump【K→HS】xx Cling ～9 Musasabi (9D)～Katatataki (HS)
Meter-less freestyle combo. For the 6P→6K portion and what follows, you can go into this off of anti-air hits or counter hit Shikkyaku (Scroll cling S follow-up).
6. Sweep xx Shadow Clone Super (236236+K）
A strong hit confirm combo you can use to kill. Use K Scrolls (214+K) after to set up oki.
7.【far S→5HS】xx Resshou (26+P) or HS Makibishi (236+HS) [RRC] Dash【cl. S(2)→2HS→6K】xx P Scroll (214+P)→ Forward Jump【K→HS】xx N Musasabi (5D)～Amakudari (K) Whiff→ Dash Forward Jump [K→HS】xx N Musasabi (5D)～Katatataki (HS)
A high utility combo route. Note this does not work on lightweights. For heavyweights (Johnny, Pot) you can connect two loops of the 5HS [Jump Cancel] Jump【K→HS】。Remember that after you use the HS Makibishi (236+HS)[RRC], you can also do HS Kumogakure (Teleport) (22+HS)→【Close S(2)→6K].
8.【far S→5HS】xx HS Makibishi (236+HS) [RRC] Dash→5D～5HS→5HS→HS Scrolls (214+HS)→Close S→5HS xx Utsusemi (22+P)～Cling～N Musasabi (5D)～Amakudari(K) Whiff→5HS[High Jump Cancel] Jump D xx Cling～9 Musasabi (9D)～Katatataki(HS) Corner Carry dust combo you can try to execute at round start. When you start the combo off of corner Dust, use 5HSx3 xx HS Scrolls (214+HS)→6HS xx ～Cling～N Musasabi (5D)～Amakudari (K) Whiff→5HS [High Jump Cancel] Jump D xx Cling～9 Musasabi (9D)～Katatataki (HS) for a damage boost!
The above is simply basic winning strategies for the outset of Answer play in REV 2. Koichi thinks you can make people angry by using far S > 5HS well.Just like getting hit by Fafnir after a string from Sol, getting tagged by Answer’s mid-screen string is rather unpleasant.As long as you can convert into knockdowns from your bread ‘n’ butter (through Roman Cancel or otherwise), he is a pretty cool, fun character from day one. Thus, try to practice the combos without getting discouraged or shying away from them. He says one trick that might help you execute some of his combos is to hold diagonals while you are using the air attacks (note how some of the combos above require diagonal inputs) since returning to neutral makes you cling to scrolls.
This concludes Koichi’s article on day one Answer prep. Exploring new characters in fighting games is a fun, exciting experience. Arc System Works titles usually makes their characters highly nuanced, so there is a lot to explore! Work together with folks in the community to discover new techniques and strategies for your character! Enjoy the process of learning!
While we wait for Rev2’s console release, try watching some live footage from Mikado, and look out for Answer players like Koichi, Min, and Hossa. Watch footage of them and try to see how they apply the concepts discussed in this article!
