st.FP is a little iffy after a second light attack. It is rather dependent on spacing and who you are facing. I know against Ryu you can do a c.LP x2 > st.HP, but I wouldn’t rely on it.
I know that I cannot combo into Akuma’s Ultras, but can I combo into his Super? What is a reliable combo to execute his Super? Thanks.
usually demon flip, and about the two different dive kicks, other than the demon flip kick being easier to combo after, what are the major differences between the two? Seems like the jump in dive kick falls faster, but other than that i don’t notice a huge difference.
While you can’t combo into it there are some tricks, check this out:
[media=youtube]S6PylqrGT4c[/media]
Anyone know an effective stopper to Adons Jaguar Tooth (wall dive) at present i punish the EX version with SRK, however sometimes that gets baited, so i need something a little less “all in” i know Makoto’s got her MP (7 active frames) but i’ve tried a few of Akumas & so far Far HP is the only one kinda working… Trades half the time by the looks of it though.
I though Adon sucked till i played a good one, but then he might not be good, i could very well just suck at the match up.
i just back jump roundhouse him if he’s going to try and walldive across screen. Its pretty much a free combo/knock down. Other wise, shoot air fireballs and he shouldn’t be able to get through them.
A good adon doesn’t spam jaguar tooth. I just like to standing fierce as soon as I see him hit the wall. If you see EX I’m pretty sure you can AA demon him.
You can combo into U2.
Anyone have any tips on playing a pure run-away Akuma? I don’t plan to do only this, in fact I like very much to rush. But I also like to switch gears and frustrate opponents in hopes of making their defense sloppy when I do make my move.
So far the obvious stuff seems like:
Jump back HP air FB if they stay away, LP air FB if we anticipate them inching fwd
Regular fbs to control the ground, red fbs if they try to fire fight
Teleport away but try not to corner yourself. I like to teleport into them if I think they’re going to try to rush in, but it’s def dangerous since sometimes they won’t and you look like an idiot.
Anything else I might be missing, or that I should keep in mind? I guess instant air hurricane to fly across the screen is helpful too. And maybe LK demon flips quickly canceled to build meter?
I was also thinking about that. How far can you take Akuma by just running away/ turtling to counter whiffs.
It would be fun to see someone play that way versus another top player.
Well if you’re shit and the other player is good. Doesn’t matter how much you run-away you not going to zone him out. You know there are plenty of ways to negate zoning in SSF4 for a good player. There are Ultras for starters which are anti-projectile. And FADC. And all the cast probably got some EX move which gets them in close. Bottom line you need to learn footsies and have a good keep away game otherwise just forget it. Play Dhalsim.
Tough it can work… running away the entire game almost always makes you follow a pattern, & patterns can be exploited. Not to mention there is no “100%” way for Akuma to get his ass away from a corner. That said when it’s getting close to the end or they got low health, it can really get up peoples ass.
I would advise against EVER doing this, you may as well hold up a sign saying “please combo my ass”
Why not always end a B&B combo with a standing fierce punch as opposed to an SRK?
The case for ending with standing fierce over a sweep is a lot weaker, admittedly, but as for the first case… really, why not? Even if your opponent learns to expect a reset 100% of the time, isn’t the potential for greater damage worth it?
The risk reward is not there if you’re going to get predictable with it. It is basically like doing a poorly timed wakeup mixup.
You can easily get reversal DP’d. I try to use it sparingly, but most against chars I can’t tatsu > sweep.
Oh man, my life as an Akuma player is just messed up. I’ve wanted to main him, I even did all his hard trials before anyone else and have been practicing. However, I’m still losing to random crap. I think I just need to polish myself, stop making dumb mistakes (like thinking LB = RT since I made a layout switch), and play carefully. I mean, I performed better against a VERY good Viper today than against a rookie Ken. Agh.
No you’re not. You’re losing because your defence is lacking. Akuma players must have rock-solid defence to stay in the game. Focus on this first and foremost and pick holes to hit back hard when possible. Even if you hit back with something as simple as a cs.hp xx lk tatsu, hp srk you’re going to tear off solid damage.
Try and build a defence foundation that doesn’t rely on teleport so you are actually defending and not running. Save the teleport for situations where you really need to get the hell out of hairy situations.
Once you build your defence up to a point where you can remain cool under pressure and also pick off damage when an opening presents itself, slowly start adding some attack into your game. As your confidence grows you’ll find both sides of the equation will meet somewhere in the middle with a leaning towards offence/defence depending on your personal style. These days I’m personally leaning on offence which can be a lot of work in this game as so many people sit on the back foot.
Remember the simple fact that you get hit because of one of two things happening:
1.) You’re not blocking
2.) You’re doing something unsafe
You could perhaps also argue because you’re not teching though that’s a part of defence in my opinion. Point 2 also presents itself in those situations where you’re eating something mashed out or just plain ridiculous so exercise some caution if you don’t have a good read on your opponent. A good tactic is to plug away with a couple of block strings to see if they’re prone to mashing. If they are, lean on caution and bait that shit out where possible. It’ll save you a solid chunk of life combined with giving you a chance to plug them with a solid punish. If they have any brains, they will think twice about doing it again which can dramatically cut down some people’s offensive ‘tactics.’
It also helps to keep your game very simple as you’re still feeling Akuma out. Basic punishes, no risks taken. Grow your confidence in-line with your defence little by little. When you start making progress in terms of building a good foundation of solid basics and good defence, start bringing some of Akuma’s more advanced tactics into your game one by one.
The whole process (I found) takes a lot of time though I personally found it worth it. Its very satisfying driving Akuma properly and seeing your game slowly come together. The down side is that this road is difficult and can be demoralising due to Akuma’s poor health and tendency to be mangled for the most minimal of mistakes. Using Akuma is a little bit like delivering a basket of eggs - if you act like a fool, you’re gonna get them smashed. If you pull your shit together and level your head you’re going to to be ok. Mostly.
Gamogo - I agree with you. I think why I’m losing is because I’m still unaware of what attacks are safe and what attacks are not. A good example is the following situation:
Ryu jumps with RH, does a cr. mk. I block both and throw a sweep in return. Right when the sweep is thrown he does the ultra. We know how deadly one ultra is for 'Kuma.
What I’ve been doing to improve is throwing myself in the fire and facing skilled players. I’m getting to know how to use Akuma slowly and will keep facing advanced competition in order to improve. The other thing is I’m a very competitive HDR player, I still carry some of those fundamentals with me. :S
With all this in mind, a question: What are good ways to advance with Akuma? I find that doing air hadous as a shield to jump forward gets me knocked out too much. Any solid tips, please?
EX air balls work as a good shield that allows you to advance as does a neutral jump air ball placed properly so you can’t be sweeped after releasing it.
Remember that Akuma walks exceptionally fast. Closing the gap to the point where you can poke around with c.mp and c.mk is as simple as walking forward sometimes. Walk-up grabs with Akuma are often possible due to how quickly he can simply walk right up to opponents.
Standing hk moves you forward offensively, though can be a liability against those that can duck the second hit on block.
Performing a light kick demon flip into an intentionally whiffed palm can be a good way to make some opponents uneasy about what you’re doing. After doing this try walking up again, jumping in or even performing another. Keep it varied. The idea is to mix your approach up so its difficult to predict your intentions.
Safely place fireballs of varying speeds to provoke opponents into attempting to jump or focus absorb in.
I find my offensive momentum picks up once I score a knock-down. Something as simple as a sweep can be a good way to initiate offence by way of a simple cross-up light kick into a host of mix-ups and pokes.
Demon flips can work well if unexpected though keep in mind they’re easily punished if you get predictable. Remember that EX demon flip will place you directly on an opponent irrespective of spacing. Regular demon flips require you to use the correct strength to close in on the correct distance.
I’d recommend watching some of Tokido and ShinAkuma204’s match clips and pay close attention to how they’re actually netting their damage. A lot comes by way of punishment and counters though you will still see them take the fight to opponents. Pay attention to their methods and try and determine if they are universal approaches or perhaps character specific. Don’t forget your focus attack, which is useful in many match-ups such as against Balrog and Vega. Even if you don’t react to a crumple and dash in accordingly, remember that you can simply walk up on time and perform a hp SRK to maximise your damage before they fall completely to the ground.
Try hopping into training mode and putting the CPU on maximum difficulty and practise getting in and landing damage without using demon flips or fireballs. Try not to haggle the flaws of the (horrible) AI and instead work on creative ways of landing hits. The CPU will exhibit ridiculous reactions to block, but ignore that and realise what attacks are actually connecting, blocked or otherwise. The idea is to make contact and find creative ways of doing so.
I also think its important to play folks at or close to your own level so you can focus on building up your game rather than being smashed to pieces or running a train on lesser skilled players. This will allow you to steadily adapt your game and try new things to creatively get a leg-up in what should be close matches. Its often difficult to do this if you’re getting smashed or beating people with your eyes closed. I recommend playing some ranked or random matches and if you encounter someone who really challenges you but also provides a close game - send them a message and ask them to train and play casuals against. I figure both players always benefit when they do this.
Its kinda funny you mention playing people at the same skill. I played an excellent Viper today who was definitely leagues better than me, and it showed. However, I think it was the first time I actually used some Akuma’s basics in a match. I used DF palm to setup cr. lp > cr. mk > FB strings, sweep for untechables, and I even successfully vortexed. I didn’t win any matches but came very close to snagging a few, I was quite pleased. Either way thanks for the tips, I always remember everything people here tell me.
Hey guys,
I need some help concerning a specific matchup that I hate so much; Blanka!
What’s your general strategy against a good Blanka player utilizing slides, rolls, crossups, electricity, etc.? Is this match purely about patience and counter-attacks? Because it seems so to me and it feels like the most uphill battle of all matchups for Akuma. Even Honda or Gief aren’t that much of a problem to me.
Fireballs are more like a risk than a good zoning tool, demon flip can be easily demolished by a turtling, roll-spammer of a Blanka, walking forward while playing online and hoping for a timely block is often useless, while scoring a knockdown and trying to apply pressure, there’s always electricity.
I know you can ultra a blocked ball, but that alone won’t grant a victory. I just can’t develop a valid, effective strategy against Blanka players, contrary to the rest of the cast.
Oh and I’m talking about vanilla SF4 (PC player). Thx for any suggestions, they are greatly appreciated. =)