Next scrub question from me: What is my best option after connecting a level 1 focus, both for when it hits and when it stuns? My instinct is to dash forward when I release the focus, maybe this is bad? I find myself eating damage even when I hit the focus :((
It depends… Before a big tournament or major, I can play up to 25+hrs a week. Normally I play around 10 or so. You don’t need to mass-game to lvl up, you just need to make the best out of the games you play.
As for online, it’s seriously underrated. I use it to learn weird match-ups as well, and to play people I have a good connection with that I normally can’t. You can’t base your whole experience online though, just use it as a tool to learn little tidbits or general flow of match-ups, but you should really spend as much time in offline matches or training mode as you do online.
Best way to use online IMO is to hop on training mode, practice a couple setups/punishes/shenanigans, and try to incorporate them to your game via online matches.
Don’t use online as a measure of skill though, that shit is silly.
Training mode…can’t stress it enough
You probably suck
When it stuns? You mean when you crumple, right? I usually backdash after a lvl 1 FA since they leave you at frame disadvantage. It’s also a good throw/tech bait, as you can usually punish those options with step kick after you backdash. If I get a crumple, I either do a step kick combo, sweep, or dash up cr.lk -> forward dash for the ambiguous reset.
If you hit with lvl 1 FA and forward dash, you are at frame disadvantage, and if they have 3-frame normals, you can’t do shit other than block. That’s why I recommend you backdash instead.
Thanks for the Akuma write-up. I just got beasted by an Akuma that showed up out of nowhere doing solid demon flip mixup. I haven’t dealt with that matchup in Local/Major tourneys more than once or twice and this guy was better than Auto-Demon’s Akuma. Makes me really wish Breathless was still an option, but I hate relying on that ultra.
I’ll get to see what happens this ranbat on Saturday.
I had a long session with Japan #2 Ibuki (arcade ranking, not sure about xbox ranking but he has 15k BP on xboxlive)
As expected, I got owned pretty bad for the first 10 matches or so… I think the final results is me 4-14 or something.
There were definitely times where I couldve take the round/match but I messed up a combo/ultra big time though…
I’m recording the replays at the moment, will upload to my channel later
So yeah, strider, thoughts on the ibuki matchup?
eventhubs has abel’s level 1 focus attack, dash cancel on block as being 0! I’m at work so i can’t test this but if anybody is abel to play real quick try and have gief ultra abel after his dash…
Ibuki is actually one of my weaker match-ups…since I don’t play against top-tier Ibuki’s often. I will grind out this match-up in Japan and post my thoughts when I come back though.
I played a beast Ibuki when I was in town for Evo. No idea who he was though.
Its one of those fights where the first knockdown counts for a lot. its one of the only fights where I’m hesitant to spend tons of meter, because unless you have EX for roll or TT her okizeme is very strong and difficult to escape. meanwhile, her wakeup really sucks. she’s vulnerable to safejumps, dies quick, and since she has a good backdash players seem to rely on it more = OS everything. my main gameplan in this fight revolves around just doing regular CoD combos into safe jumps, no FADC unless it’ll kill her or put me one oki mixup away from a win
her standup pressure game is annoying but not especially dangerous especially if you have EX. just stay frosty and watch for her overhead. its slow as hell but starts big damage combos.
imo Ibuki is one of those frustrating matchups like Gen, where the matchup is actually even or in Abel’s favor but since they have so many gimmicks and tricks it takes a higher-than-usual amount of invested time to be able to play it properly
makes friends with a good ibuki and have him or her do the kunai 50/50 100x and learn to block it… Block that and bingo!
I didn’t realize I was at a frame disadvantage, I will train myself to backdash, thanks.
except that its not about the kunai 50/50 at all…
the matchup is way deeper than the kunai 50/50…
vs gen, if youve learned the matchup well, the gen will never beat you (maybe once in a while)… my friends is a master gen and ive played him countless times, at first sure he owned me and all, now he doesnt even wanna play me and counterpick with yun or akuma instead lol
though i know an abel player who said that he knows the ibuki matchup well enough to win more than lose, and not against shitty players either. so ill try to pick his brains later. he did teach me how to punish point blank ex kazegiri(works against both with or w/o the kunai follow up)
as for the ibuki stuff, im probably gonna write something up but will post it in the matchup thread instead, i guess.
I know the Gen matchup now. took awhile though. last time I played him i got him for 18 wins straight before I finally dropped one.
and yes… Ibuki is much more than kunai crossups. she’s got the low kunais, ambiguous crossups with her j.lk (I think that’s it?) so on so forth
I think after the beating I got last night, I can do a decent write up, though dont expect it to be high level stuff… 
Will post the links to the vids in a bit, still uploading. As for the write up maybe later tonight since I’m off to Tokyo for a tournament today…
after crumple, why not go for dash up cr.hp into falling sky? that’s good damage for free no?
because he backdashed.
If you dash up cr.hp, easier to mess up and not get both hits of the cr.hp to land and you’ll get a reset instead. Basically, following with f.mk combo is a more stable option?
If you can react quick enough and make dash up cr.hp work, more power to you!
ooh sorry about that.
HP Falling Sky
i forgot to add “that can lead to ultra”
basically after blocking point blank ex kazegiri, dash forward, cr.lp st.mp xx cod.
if the ibuki threw a kunai, the cr.lp will whiff but st.mp will still be able to punish the recovery
but yeah, at other range, falling sky is probably the best (i kept forgetting to use it in the latest vids of me vs ibuki… i was too focused on wanting to use the dash thing lol)
Yeah, I agree with the Gen match-up, shit is hella free.
I’m leaving to Japan tomorrow, I have the Shiozawa 5v5, SBO, Daigo Kumite, and NSB all planned out. Daigo Kumite will be fun, I heard he’s been hella leveling up after Evo, I want to experience The Beast v.2.1 myself and see if I can tame it.
Yo dont forget to contact me bro