I’m new to CvS2 , i would like to ask what are the essentials to learn in order to be competitive in CvS2.
I’d like to know what Roll Cancelling is, what a CC is…(custom combo?) and how to effectively use sagat…
also your opinions on what are the essentials and tips on learning them.
thank you
parrying advice and dodging advice would also help (and the commands for them)
For starters try looking at old foroms everything you could possibly want to know about the basics is already there. There is a very good article on this very site that explains roll canceling, look at any of the A groove foroms to get an understanding of CCs and there is another forom in the character specific section right now explaining all the basics you could possibly want to know about sagat.
If you’re new to CvS2, don’t learn roll cancel yet. It’s more important to learn how to zone, control space, and use your normal moves and combos. K or C groove are good places to start.
I agree, the most essential part of this game to learn is learning how to play footsies. Basically using your pokes to control your opponents actions. By pressuring him with your best pokes, and punishing his whiffed attempts. Jumping is something you should not get used to either, very easily punishable.
Footsies, BNB’s, and patience are the most important things in CvS2.
thanks, but what is the command to parry O_o
Ordinarily, I’d tell you to go read Buktooth’s Systems Guide to CVS2, which you can find if you do a search on gamefaqs.com. In fact, I’d download it and keep it on your comp for future reference. Very nice guide.
But I’m tired, I just bombed a midterm, and it puts me in a good mood when I’m helping other people, so I’ll tell you anyways. To parry, you tap on your joystick right before the attack is going to hit you (tap forwards to parry high, down to parry low). Only available in P-groove.
But again, the thing is, parrying (and P-groove) is not something for beginners to pick up. If you’re new to CvS2, and especially if you don’t play SF3, don’t do P-groove.
Why? B/c in P-groove, parrying is used to disrupt the opponent’s rhythm and keep them guessing. But you can’t disrupt the opponent’s rhythm or zoning patterns with a parry unless you know those patterns to begin with, and very well at that.
So forget about parry for now. Learn to block first, and learn what you can punish after a block.
Like I said, start with C or K. Both are great grooves.
C will give you all the basics and teach you how to use dashes properly. It will also help you learn how to manage your super bar; i.e., form teams around battery, anchor, and cleanup crew. You don’t want 3 batteries, for example.
K will give you all the basics and teach you how to run and small jump. Playing K regularly will keep you from rolling or dodging too much. And, if you block at the last second (just defend) you get super bar. Heyyyy, not a bad deal.
Yea, Mr. Sparkle is right…if you’re not good enough to make your opponent afraid of your parries, p-groove is going to get owned.
And C and K are very beginner friendly grooves. C is simple to learn, you can do lots of damage pretty easily with level 2 cancels.
K groove can swing games pretty easily with Rage lvl 3 supers (if you land them), and makes your opponent play with more fear, just in case you do land the super. And Mr. Sparkle is right on about the roll thing. I started in C, rolling too much, getting thrown all over the place. Then i switched to K, learned abit of rush down, practiced some jd. It’s especially nice when you fail to Jd, you usually just get the block, so it’s not like you’re eating free damage.
If you go with K, learn when to JD -> throw (like after jd’in a relatively high jump in/some cross ups).
Using C can also teach you when to roll and when not too…but usually beginners rolls too much. You’d basically learn when not to roll from your own mistakes.
I’d suggest go with K, and play against guys that have rolls, and learn when they roll. And when you wished you had a roll to get out of something (like the corner sometimes). That way you can learn when to roll, instead of when not to roll (so you won’t abuse it and become predictable).
Another plus is that you learn how to use your supers effectively. Since you only have a limited time to pull the super, you generally want to set up situations where you can make your opponent eat the super. And from there, if you move back to C groove, you can sit with 2/3 bars and use your knowledge of making people eat supers here, and also combo the supers.
I want to preface this by saying I’m no expert. All I did was go ahead and compile a bunch of information and old threads that will be helpful to beginners and relative newbies. (Perhaps this thread should be stickied?)
I’ve been scouring the forums for good information that you and other CvS2 beginners might find helpful. All these are actual questions asked by SRK members, and actual answers by SRK members. Others are just links to helpful guides that have a lot of information.
TERMS AND STUFF
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Q: What are the abbreviations and terms used in these forums?
A: Pretty comprehensive list here: http://www.shoryuken.com/forums/thread37493.php
You can also look here: http://sonichurricane.com/articles/sfterms.html
Below are things that pop up but aren’t in either links:
BnB or B&B Combos = “bread and butter” combos, i.e. those that are most useful/important when playing with a particular character.
Block Strings = A series or pattern of moves designed to bring down the guard crush meter, but not necessarily combo.
Guard Crush Strings = see Block Strings
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CHARACTERS, TEAMS, AND GROOVES
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Q: What are the best characters/top tier/blahblahblah
A: Discussed here already: http://www.shoryuken.com/forums/thread40149.php
Although I’ll warn you ahead of time that the top tier characters still require a huge amount of technical skill and strong gameplay fundamentals to play them well and take advantage of the things that make them top-tier.
Q: Whats an anchor, a clean-up, and a battery? Asked by capconian
A: A Battery is a character that you’re good with, but you’re not necessarily going to win with this character - the primary focus with this character is to wear down and take off as much life off of the opponent as possible while building meter for your next character, which is usually your anchor. Your anchor is the strongest link in the team, and you whoop ass with this person (usually a top tier, or like A Sak or A Vega/Bison or something), usually a R2. Your clean up is simply that. If there’s any little shit leftover, you wipe the floor with them because they should, ideally, have a infinitesimal amount of life left and you have a whole frest ass whooping character. Answered by Mummy-B
Q: What is the best groove overall?
**A: **See http://www.shoryuken.com/forums/thread56185.php for other peoples opinions.
Q: Should I choose my team around my groove or my groove around my team?
A: Opinions vary. Discussed here: http://www.shoryuken.com/forums/thread50937.php
Q: Who counters whom? What’s a counter character?
A: When a character X has a very favorable matchup against character Y due to one reason or another, we can say that character X counters Y, or X is a counter character for Y.
Old discussion: http://www.shoryuken.com/forums/thread43732.php
New discussion: http://www.shoryuken.com/forums/thread58805.php
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LEARNING TO PLAY, GETTING BETTER
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Q: What is the best way to train?
A:
More general strategies and learning how to get better in this old thread: http://www.shoryuken.com/forums/thread32727.php
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GAMEPLAY QUESTIONS
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Q: What is Tripguard and what can I do about it?
A: A brief rundown of Tripguard and properties: http://www.shoryuken.com/forums/thread48727.php
Q: How can I stop getting cornered all the time?
A: See the discussion here: http://www.shoryuken.com/forums/thread54787.php
Q: What is [insert character’s name] CC?
A: Take it to the Character-specific forums in SRK and ask there.
Q: How do I do crouching shorts into [insert super here]?
A: Either search the Character specific forums first or read James Chen’s Cvs2 Systems FAQ on gamefaqs.com
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OTHER TIDBITS, ADVANCED STUFF FOR LATER:
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Wall Start, strategy discussion: http://www.shoryuken.com/forums/thread44759.php
Throw and Stun Meter Properties: http://www.shoryuken.com/forums/thread45029.php
RCing 360 and HCB+F grabs http://www.shoryuken.com/forums/thread41912.php
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Ehm there. I’ve done my good deed for today
Now if you can make one of these posts for MvC2, you will make me glad.
Something I typed up on basic strategy…
http://www.shoryuken.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=57147&perpage=&pagenumber=2
I’m in the middle of the page somewhere.
This is probably going to be the stupidest question ever.
What is a cancel and how is it performed ?
I would greatly appreciate a few examples/applications or even better…a video clip of one being done.
Many thanks in advance ! 
**
Guess this is in the wrong section…but do you guys have any suggestions on how to beat a Haohmaru whore with Akuma ? Apparently after having watched me play SF games so many times over the years…my kid brother has found quite a number of ways he can exploit my shotos…
He basically-
Spams me with s.HP if I attempt to jump in.
Jumps in on me with j.HP and proceeds to corner me and s.HP gc me.
Hops over my fireballs and j.HP.
Hops backwards from my RD and j.HP
(guess you get the point already)
I’m really thrown off by his change in tactics and my usual all out offensive style isn’t cutting it anymore…hope you guys can help me out with that too. Only way I’m able to beat him now is to use characters that can run in a poke the hell out of him…not exactly easy for a char with less range 
If he uses j hp on you, you could either use s.HK, shoryuken or c.hp.
try to know where to land… when jumpin in, it’s better to land at the back of the opponent’s head where he’ll be at a disadvantage and it’ll give you free hits. this is what they call a 'crossup"
One thing I think every beginner should focus on… is how to stop Rolls.
Learn to recognize the roll. Learn that you can throw rolls. Learn how to hit them… learn that they’re easier to hit if you use a move that stays out a long time.
Then do it… If you’re new to CvS2, rolls can be a bitch at first, because they completely change the game from normal SF. But if you practice on how to stop them, you can.
If you’re already familiar with SF in general… K-groove is a scrubby easy choice to start out on. Pick a strong character… try supers when you turn red. 
Okays…thanks a million man…I’ll try it the next time I get a chance to play with him. 
K groove is not about the Super. Alot of people don’t know how to use K groove and just burn that level 3 bam and its gone. The level 3 super in K only does 10 percent more than in C or P groove. Specials do 15 percent more and normals do a bitchin 25 percent more!!!. So throws do that much more damage and two sagat crouch fierces and the opponent is almost done. JD throw is very scrubby too. It is very easily beat if the opponent supers or cancels a special when they hit the ground. Most cases unless u have an apparent 100 percent landed K super don’t waste the meter!!! 25 percent more on normals is ridiculous. hit him a few times…break his guard or dizzy and the match will easily turn around. Throw out a wake up super or random super and you have just given ur opponent a free cheeseburger. He will eat u for breakfast if u do this when u get meter. Play smart and try to combo from a low jump or reaction combo. K is scrub friendly to other scrubs but a very hard groove to play effectively against a skilled A groove player.