Well…if its set to all block, and it still works, I’m pretty sure its safe to say its unblockable…
Another way to test overheads is to record yourself holding d/b then replay it and try shit out.
The dummy blocks unblockables and doesn’t block other things. You need to have a player block it. So record it and block it yourself if you want good results.
It also allows you to see how other players will counter it.
You need to record for the sort of unblockables that rely on the opponent actually moving backwards before the block activates. To test whether a move hits (or grabs?) overhead having the dummy on crouch block is fine.
No, no it isn’t. What people don’t understand is that the dummies can block more than a player can and sometimes get hit by things a player can block normally.
Seriously it isn’t that much more of an effort to set up a recording and block it yourself. That is the most reliable way to figure out how the opponent has to block it. Sometimes you might even find something you didn’t expect that the dummy won’t ever show you.
After studying Paul and Julia in depth, I can confidently say Nina is not ass tier. If nothing else, her unblockable command grab provides a mixup scary enough to make sure people don’t downback her indefinitely. Julia’s and Paul’s answers to this are way more risky for less payoff.
What if you really suck at blocking?
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Cr.HP xx HK Geyser Cannon, Cr.HP xx LP Skullsplitter, Cr.HP xx EX Skullsplitter, CMD Throw a whopping 469 dmg
Nina’s most damaging 1 bar combo
With a jumpin added it does 491
Off a cr.mk instead off cr.hp it does 439.
Really easy to land if you hit the cr.hp xx lp skullsplitter late enough.
combo from the brady guide
Well, besides Paul and Yoshi, she’s pretty bad. She has the slowest command dash, no reliable anti-air, flash kicks, while cancelable, end high, Ivory Cutter is her only overhead, but is slow as shit, and while her EX snaps is unblockable, you need meter to use it, her jump ins are shitty and cross up potential for j.MK or j.HK are hit or miss. Oh, and to top it off she only has 900 hp, second lowest only to Akuma’s 850.
Because of the speed of her command dash, there is only so many times people will fall for it before they just jump over it. I think she has a strong ground footsie game, but her s.MK gets beat out by a lot of jump ins. Ivory Cutter can kinda be used anti air, but its sketchy at best. And certain characters (Ryu, Ken, Chun) beat her ground footsie game out right.
I’m certainly not going to shit on anyone for playing her. She’s fun imo, I just don’t think she has what it takes. You have to be on point in every decision you make and have relentless pressure.
Speaking of pressure, I realize c.HP is going to give more damage, but hit confirming it can be a bitch. Use MP > MP link instead. On jump ins or standing close you can get MP > MP > c.MP xx HK Geyser, or MP > MP > df.LK,LK,MK xx HK Geyser.
So, the more I talk shit about Nina, the more im determined to make something out of her.
Apparently her j.MP is her crossup. It just hits wierd, very ambiguous, and the spacing for it is kinda of tight, which isn’t exactly a bad thing because it keeps the opponent guessing just as much as you. All the more reason to use MP > MP links after jump in. Especially since MP is +3 on block.
Unfortunately, she doesn’t have much in the way of + frames when it comes to specials, but interestingly enough her Snaps on block is +6, which is huge. You can follow that up with df.LK,MP which is special cancelable and 8 frame startup so leaving you at -2, keeping them locked down even if they have a 3 frame jab.
df.LK, MP is a good presure tool because she steps forward with the MP, keeping you in that j.MP crossup range and is only -2 on block, so safe. Whereas FKs are -1 on block but push you back.
I’ve noticed a lot of people using Skullsplitter as a pressure tool too, but I’ve yet to see anyone punish it since MP/MK is -5 and LP/EX is -7. It seems to leave her a small distance away from the opponent, so I don’t know if they just can’t reach her, or they just aren’t familiar with punishing it.
Edit - Almost forgot, Hwoarang seems like a great point character for her. He has a lot of the same play style with command dash pressure, good footsies, Skyrocket for anti-air, and for people dying to get Snaps into an exchange combo, you can tag cancel out of HK Hunting Hawk then do Ivory Cutter, Snaps. c.HP xx HK Geyser, c.HP xx BB is still more damage though 
You can make ivory cutter hit once, the opponent has to be far away - almost out of reach. It’s rediculously strict and just not worth the effort as it seems to depend on where you tag in on screen, when and how you start to juggle, the falling arc of your opponent and your timing. Maybe it’s also character dependent, because i couldn’t even get it once to work on the shotos.
On the Hwo/Nina point, for two bars you can get HK Hunting Hawk into Super by tagging in right after the first hit of Hunting Hawk and charging an EX Blonde Bomb. Very good damage for two bars I must say.
Yeah, that’s a big benefit for anyone matched with Hwo.
J.HK -> Cr.HP -> H. Geyser Cannon -> Cr.HP -> H. Geyser Cannon -> Ex. Skull Splitter -> Double Explosion
586 damage and easy peasy.
edit: For corner combo, you’re gonna have to scooch back a step after the 1st Geyser Cannon if you want the second one to hit. Timing is ugly on it, too.
There’s more tricks to Nina. You can setup ambiguous stuff off command throw against tech roll and stationary characters.
elaborate?
What I found with Nina against rolls after cmd throw
cmd throw, whiff st lp, backjump MP. ambigious and a safejump
cmd throw, whiff st lk, backjump MP. Looks unblockable lol(try it for yourself), and can let DPs whiff
Command throw>whiff s.lk also works as a crossup setup. (j.lp / j.mp / j.hp / j.hk)
If the same setup work for normal and roll wakeup, does that mean that both wakeups have the same timing ? Might be useful knowledge.
I’ve watched some of Alioune’s vids. Makes me really wanna play Nina. I have a question though. Sometimes on wakeup it looks like he does a low attack into a tekken chain of hers into a combo if it connects. I didn’t think there was any way to confirm stuff from her low attacks into a combo besides a boost combo. They don’t give her enough advantage on hit to link into anything, and I’m not able to start her tekken chains if I boost a crouch lk to her st. mk. What exactly is he doing?
Edit: nvm, figured it out. He does cr lk chained to st mk. where her mk, lk string begins. I initially couldn’t do this because I was pressing lk too fast and thought it wasn’t possible. Didn’t realize you have to wait a second for some reason in this case.
what is the follow up combo after standing mk?