So we all know by now that Naoto has subpar normals, which basically allows Yu and Mitsuru players to run all over us by converting lucky random hits into 2K-3K combos. Well I’m starting to think that “intelligent spamming” of Naoto’s F-Action is one of the best ways to get them to calm down and respect us. Don’t just use it as a Reversal, if you can tell that an opponent likes to throw out random 5A pokes to play footsies, like Mitsuru, run up > F-Action will work if you can tell when and where the gap will occur. I’m starting to incorporate this into my gameplay. Now, obviously this has a backside to it of course.
I agree. Entire fights have been completely reversed for me cause I landed a few of those on my opponent. At 2-3 fate counters a pop, if the opponent isn’t careful from there on, all their efforts could be for not. (Good ol’ mudo)
Yarg, still getting bodied because I either don’t know the matchup at all or my hands get stupid during matches still. Looks like this week’s training is entirely player match online and local offline until I can get my shit in gear, no training mode until I can hit what I already know. I usually never touch online, so I haven’t gotten to play against a majority of the cast just yet… mostly have experience against Yosuke, Akihiko, and Kanji.
Finally got to try out a solid Yu yesterday, dear sweet jesus that match is going to be so hard to win. I was told that not teching after he calls his persona to eat the yellow combo into late tech wasn’t smart because there’s ways to just put you back into the mixup anyway. So I dunno what to do once he mounts an offense other than get a tiny bit of room to EX roll.
The problem I have with the F-action in response to simple things like Mitsuru’s 5A is that a single 5A is quick enough to recover that you can’t seem to truly counter it. Tried it yesterday and it landed probably once, the rest I would catch the poke but the actual counter wouldn’t come out quick enough and I just got death’d. Maybe I’m using the wrong one?
If you use the normal one, aka not the bullet one, it’s supposed to put them in a special hitstop so they cant block it, according to xie. I guess if you do it too late it doesn’t matter much. If you counter i see no reason not press a button just in case you do counter a hit.
Naoto is really hard character. Even though the SMP combo has found, most of people started to know how to treat Da traps and gun shots…
It makes me sad x(
Someone was telling me yesterday about how Naoto is C tier. I thought he was crazy.
That said, she is still kind of tricky to use and to be honest, I like that about her. Her trap are nice, her gun is nice, and the Loop is good too. She very much seems to be out thinking your opponent.
Anyone here versed in her combos know if there’s some trick to getting the A double fang to connect in the loop set-ups or throw combos? I’ve been trying to grind some of them out in training mode for a few days now and haven’t had both hits land without the hit counter turn yellow yet. At all. Seems like every single time it either whiffs or they recover right as it hits. It’s the only thing that’s been giving me problems.
The two I’ve been working on are throw, 236236D, 214C, 214D, 236A, B, D cancel, 2[C], 2B, 5C, 236B
and
throw, 5B, 5C, 236B, D cancel, 5C, 2A.
It’s hard to explain in words. Use the same delay timing between 214C/214D/236A every time you do the combo, and adjust the timing of 214C from there based on your needs, because 214C has a massive input window. The timing isn’t that important as long as it works for you consistently. I got it in a few tries using this method, and here’s what worked for me:
-Sticky tape them with 236236D
-214C at about the earliest opportunity
-214D at the start of the blue flash from Sukuna-Hikona disappearing
-236A with the exact same delay timing you just used between 214C/214D
-If you failed, do the exact same thing again with different timing on 214C until you get it.
Not familiar with combo #2, which part of that is giving you problems?
I sort of do this combo too, but differently: Corner Throw -> C Follow up, 5C, 236B, D cancel, 5C, 236A, BBBBBB
The part I have trouble with is connecting the second 5C before 236A at the right height. If it’s too low, they’ll jump out before the 5C hits. If it’s too hit, the 236A won’t hit at all (except for like a mix up… which might have it’s values)
Her normals suck and you know it, that’s what it comes to at the end of the day. If your character doesn’t have super quick start up, long reach, and/or +4645645645649846153 frames on block then your character is ass.
/jokejoke
Updated the OP:
[LIST=1]
[]Added spoiler tags around the combo section so it’s a lot less unwieldy looking
[]Added a video section, which currently only contains Denpa’s set with Yu-sama.
[/LIST]
In related news the Yu matchup still seems awful.
Started working on more powerful midscreen -> corner and corner combos off EX stance since I seem to hit that a lot. Nailing 60% from either of that is nice considering things like trying to get a fatal counter seem really tough to get the easy damage. I know 1 SMP starter still and will probably stay that way until I get the previously mentioned things under control and get my overall gameplay up. I don’t want to rely on SMP at the moment, only use it to be more dangerous when I get to that level.
Speaking of which, I keep trying to do B double fang as an early anti-air and throw it in where it seems that they are trying to stagger their strings (for a tick throw/whatever). It seems to work sometimes but gets stuff other times, is there any invincibility on this move on startup or are you airborn during the startup… which would defeat the tick throws but get stuffed to certain jump ins (which is more what I’m seeing).
Oh, if you aren’t doing it, something akin to AA, B, [2]C, C work really really well as nice frame trap. 2C has a fuckton of priority at the right ranges and catches counter hits for dayyyyys from people who are pressing buttons. Obviously this isn’t a perfect string, so frame trap isn’t the “correct” term for it, but you’re still baiting late button presses and getting counter hit combos from it.
One little trick I like now is this instead of just going for oki: Something like AA, B, C, 2AB, A double fang, B shots, D cancel (working on QCB A for faster response but it’s hard to time), jump into air throw. The reason I like this is because they’re higher than you when they tech and it’s harder to see you jumping for the air grab. It’s also relatively safe if they tech backward. Obviously doesn’t always work and is pretty “duh, why wouldn’t you do that?”, but it’s a nice little test to see if your opponent is paying attention. IIRC you can pick up a low air throw off j.A (I think Narcowski pointed that out, no?).
I’m having trouble connecting the sweep in the first SMP combo, have only been able to do it once. Any tips?
Practice more, no offense. It’s not a very tight link, and if this helps, the hitbox on Naoto’s 2AB is more than double the width of her legs. Just do it any time before they hit the ground and you’re good.
Added a couple more videos to the OP.
Phreakazoid: This is really late, but yes, you can falling j.:snka: after a low airthrow for an easy pickup into pretty much whatever combo.
What are you using to time the :qcb:+:snkd:? If you’re using the IAD method I listed in the OP, you just do :qcb:+:snkd: on landing and immediately :d::snka:+:snkb: with no delay after the :qcb:+:snkd:, buffering :qcf:+:snka: into the sweep. If you airdash slightly later instead of IADing, or delay too long after inputting :qcb:+:snkd:, the sweep will whiff.
oh, I didn’t see that you added an IAD to the combo. That’s…strange?
Just do the combo without that IAD, you can lay D trap whenever and the margin of error on the sweep is huge. In most cases you even have time to just walk before placing the trap instead of dashing.
You can do pretty much whatever; the IAD is for timing much like the backdash between 236A~D and 2[C]. Learn it however works for you, pretty much, but using the dashes makes the timing easier to pick up.
Alright it must be because I’m doing a regular AD instead of an IAD, that’s pretty much what I have to practice most anyway. (really need a stick already, fightpad isn’t cutting it)
Thanks for the help.
That’s why I said you should just do it with regular walking/running instead of the IAD. In the end, adding timing tricks (like that IAD) just makes the combo more difficult to execute in a real match setting since it contains more moving parts. As for IAD on pad though, it’s definitely possible, I do it, but it requires a little more practice than on stick. You may want to find something with a more distinct D-Pad like the PS3 controller.
I think IAD is probably easier to learn on pad than stick (though I only ever played on PS2 pad when I was a pad player), and feel like it’s easier to execute SMP loops with timing tricks than worry about manually timing anything. To each his own. Haha.