I’m back with new stuff. Sooner or later I’m going to come back to the guide, fix up some of the typesetting/syntax errors, and reincorporate this info I’ve been compiling for a while.
STRINGS/DODGE BUFFER
[details=Spoiler]As alluded to when referring to Fighter’s Destiny’s crude “wakeups”, Guard/Hirari are permitted in that order. However, what I didn’t realize before was that this “grace period” extends to normal block/hit stun, and other actions as well. As a result of this, a wide assortment of strings prevent the enemy from dodging out on hit or block. Some strings even have guaranteed hits–attacks placed too closely together, to the point that shifting elevation or from block to dodge isn’t fast enough. These aren’t excessively common, but will have to be added to the guide as required.
This causes some strings to have very odd confirms–it’s safer to eat the second hit of Leon’s 5AAB in most circumstances, for example.[/details]
FRAME DATA
[details=Spoiler]I’ve taken hitstun rules for granted…
In just about any fighter I can think of, hitstun is just what it is. This is not the case in Fighter’s Destiny.
You can recover from hitstun sooner by jumping/ducking. Much of my research was built on the “hit stuff and hold up” method, so many attacks I ruled minus (or worse, unsafe) on hit before aren’t…technically. This is a character-dependent thing; certain advantages prevent this from being useful, and there are ways to counter it (read: dash-ins to chase jumpers, etc.). I’ll cover the defensive applications in greater detail later, but be aware that many attacks that appear to be very minus (like 5A) aren’t as bad as I once thought.
EDIT: Neglected to mention that this is useful because you can avoid High/Low situations with this from disadvantage, whereas you can’t with Hirari.[/details]
REST HOLDS
Spoiler
Just a quirk I realized when trying certain setups. You’re under no obligation to mash for damage if you Lock someone–why not just hold the buttons down and heal while they escape? Depending on the character, this can cause a big differential in life. Due to its eerie resemblance to rest holds in pro wrestling I decided to adopt the name.
THROW PRIORITY
[details=Spoiler]I’m stunned that I failed to see this sooner–in yet another foreshadowing of Virtua Fighter 5R, throws are zero-frame moves that still “lose” to attacks. In other words, strikes are universally throw immune. Unless the throwing character has advantage (and is close enough), you cannot be thrown out of an attack based on my research.
Throws in general are a bit weaker than my prior evaluation–they’re fast, but it can be really hard to find attacks that truly allow for throw punishes, or proper throw callouts for dodge baiting. More to come.[/details]
OPTION SELECT: “FUZZY DODGE”(?)
[details=Spoiler]Aside from basic OS stuff like extended throws (3A+B, Bob’s 62A+B), here’s the Johnny-come-lately for Fighter’s Destiny defensive tech: Fuzzy Dodge (for lack of a catchier name).
This is essentially a sibling of Yutori that exploits basic attack speeds (particularly in context to their frame data above). When placed at a small disadvantage (but not punishable), input H~+G+A+B(+2 if you like). 5B/5A are the fastest punishers in the game, but lose to Hirari. Meanwhile, 3B–the fastest Mid option–can be blocked at either elevation. By doing this input, you will dodge fast High/Low attacks, and still be able to block in time to stop any Mid cold. By adding A+B you also immediately transition to Yutori, affording yourself a throw escape (should it come to that).
There is a flaw to this, however: it’s a commitment. Unlike Yutori which ignores Hirari to simply guess high/low, Fuzzy takes precious frames engaging the dodge. Combined with reaction time, the delay in defense can be exploited: walk-in Locks still work, as do slower Highs or Lows. Additionally, this enables opportunities to engage KD attacks and force the Fuzzying player’s hand. In this way, the situation can be equated to something like Soul Calibur II’s post-GI game.
(Theoretically you can probably throw the player on the frame they’re only pressing H, but I can’t say that there’s any practical situations which allow that)[/details]
TIER ADJUSTMENTS
[details=Spoiler]Unsurprisingly, I probably overrated Joker. He has problems with Fuzzy and Yutori, and is unsafe on his key throw–but man oh man can he Rest Hold like a champ. His 4B is also unparryable, even by Leon, so it’s a real headache.
The discoveries to frame data and the dodge buffer benefit Ryuji, and to a lesser extent Abdul as well, so both may go up a bit.
Bob warrants a great deal of mention: throws are less reliable than I once thought, so he’s weaker in that regard. But the 62A+B into Palo Special is basically free. It’s a massive headache to escape from since he essentially has to botch it. His 42B may have good application to kill fuzzy. He can also get a free 42B after a launch, not unlike Abdul. Bob will probably go up.
Valerie’s Push is really, really good. She can safely combo it into 44B or snipe you with 46B(G), it can lead into will-she/won’t-she parry/Counter guessing game, and she can dash in for Push shenanigans or jump in for CH flipkick nonsense. She probably won’t move up, but be advised.[/details]
LEDGE OPTIONS
[details=Spoiler]Not a revelation, but there’s an unlisted “jump” as an option from the ledge. Press 9 and you’ll see: it’s floaty, not invincible, and can high-profile like crazy if they don’t react to it in time. Not a one-size solution, but it is present.
In regards to getting them there, going for raw launchers and pushing the corpse to the ledge is a low-risk/reward means of turning a round in your favour. Robert is in dire need of something like this since he’s pretty bad at winning in other ways.[/details]
