Gem Synergy & Optimization (NO ASSIST GEMS)

Classic Fighting Games Street Fighter x Tekken
1

http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/7519/gems2bymelodycphotograp.jpg

Love it or hate it, the game is balanced around them and makes for a lot of interesting decisions players can make based on how they choose to implement these into their teams.

With WNF and IPW enabling gems in their weeklies, the selection of proper gems for teams become a necessity. We will assume only boost gems will ever get enabled in the long run. All assist gem discussion is prohibited.

There are a few conditions of gem activations that are absolute and then there are some which are a little more randomized and not guaranteed to go off at the right times in need. A prime example of absolute activation gems, or as I’d like to call them “on demand”, are ones with such conditions met at the players’ disposal:
[LIST=1]
[]Your partner connects with a launcher - Enter the fight boosted for the next 20 seconds.
[]Connect with 1 launcher - You tag out with the damage activated but your tag in character has none. A way to bring your character back in is to tag cancel or restand and manually launch once more. The former scenario is more likely.
[]Activate Cross Assault (absolute for teams)
[]Perform a Cross Cancel (“Alpha Counter”)
[*]Use a Super Art
[/LIST]
Below is the list of BOOST gems in the game that are default with the game upon purchase along with the extra free activated gem packs that released in April.

What characters are on your teams and what gems do you use?

*I’ve highlighted some of the better ones in my opinion in **bold *to get the ball rolling.

Attack Gems / Immense Power Gems:

  1. Attack +10% Connect with 5 normal moves
  2. Attack +20% Speed -10% Connect with 10 normal moves
  3. Attack +20% Connect with 10 normal moves
  4. Attack +20% Get hit by 8 normal moves
  5. Attack +10% Block 5 times
  6. Attack +10% Have your attack blocked 4 times
    007.Attack +20% Block 10 times
  7. Attack +10% Connect with 3 special moves
  8. Attack +10% Have your attack blocked 4 times.
  9. Attack +10% Connect with 3 special moves.
  10. Attack +20% Connect with 4 special moves.
  11. Attack +10% Get hit by 2 special moves
  12. Attack +10% Get hit by 2 EX special moves
  13. Attack +20% Get hit by 3 EX special moves
    015. Attack +10% Perform a Cross Cancel
  14. Attack +20% Perform a Cross Cancel 2 times
    017. Attack +20% Connect with 1 launcher
    018. Attack +30% Connect with 2 launcher
    019. Attack +10% Your partner connects with a launcher
    022. Attack +20% Use a Super Art
  15. Attack +30% Activate Cross Assault
  16. Attack +30% Activate Pandora Mode
  17. Attack +30% Opponent uses Pandora
    027. Attack +10% Connect with a combo over 10 hits.
  18. Attack +20% Your partner performs a knockdown recovery 3 times.
  19. Attack +10% Your partner rolls forward after a knockdown 2 times.
  20. Attack +20% Your partner rolls forward after a knockdown 3 times.
  21. Attack +20% Escape 1 throw

Defense Gems / Iron Wall Gems:
041. Defense +10% Connect with 5 normal moves
042. Defense +10% Get hit by 4 normal moves
043. Defense +20% Attack -10% Get hit by 8 normal moves
044. Defense +20% Get hit by 8 normal moves
046. Defense +10% Block 5 times
047. Defense +20% Attack -10% Block 10 times
048. Defense +20% Block 10 times
049. Defense +30% Block 15 times
050. Defense +10% Get hit by 2 special moves
051. Defense +20% Attack -10% Get hit by 3 special moves
052. Defense +20% Get hit by 3 special moves
054. Defense +20% Get hit by 2 EX special moves
055. Defense +30% Get hit by 3 EX special moves
056. Defense +10% Perform 1 Cross Cancel
057. Defense +10% Connect with 1 Launcher
059. Defense +20% Opponent uses a Super Art
060. Defense +20% Opponent uses a Cross Art
061. Defense +30% Opponent activates Cross Assault
062. Defense +30% Opponent uses Pandora
063. Defense +20% Opponent gets First Attack
066. Defense +30% Land 3 Counter Hits
067. Defense +10% Perform 1 Reversal
069. Defense +30% Perform 3 Reversals
074. Defense +10% Escape 1 throw
075. Defense +20% Escape 2 throws
076. Defense +20% Your partner escapes 1 throw.
077. Defense +30% Your partner escapes 2 throws.

Damage Reduction Gems / Fortitude Gems
082. Damage Reduction +100 Get hit by 4 normal moves
083. Damage Reduction +130 Get hit by 8 normal moves
085. Damage Reduction +100 Block 5 times
086. Damage Reduction +130 Block 10 times
087. Damage Reduction +160 Block 15 times.
088. Damage Reduction +100 Have 4 of your attacks blocked
090. Damage Reduction +100 Connect with 3 special moves
091. Damage Reduction +100 Get hit by 2 special moves
092. Damage Reduction +130 Get hit by 3 special moves
093. Damage Reduction +100 Get hit by 1 EX special move
094. Damage Reduction +130 Get hit by 2 EX special move
095. Damage Reduction +100 Perform a Cross Cancel
096 .Damage Reduction +100 Your partner connects with a launcher
097. Damage Reduction +130 Your partner connects with 2 launchers
098. Damage Reduction +130 Opponent uses a Super Art
100. Damage Reduction +160 Activate Cross Assault
101. Damage Reduction +160 Activate Pandora Mode
104. Damage Reduction +100 Get hit by a combo over 5 hits
105. Damage Reduction +130 Get hit by a combo over 10 hits
106. Damage Reduction +160 Get hit by a combo over 15 hits
107. Damage Reduction +100 Land 1 Counter Hit
111. Damage Reduction +100 Perform a knockdown recovery once.
113. Damage Reduction +100 Escape 1 throw
114. Damage Reduction +130 Escape 2 throws.

Speed Gems / Divine Speed Gems:
117. Speed +10% Connect with 5 normal moves
118. Speed +15% Defense -8% Connect with 10 normal moves
119. Speed +15% Connect with 10 normal moves
121. Speed +10% Get hit by 4 normal moves
122. Speed +15% Get hit by 8 normal moves
123. Speed +10% Block 5 attacks
124. Speed +15% Block 10 attacks
125. Speed +10% Connect with 3 special moves
126. Speed +15% Defense -8% Connect with 4 special moves
127. Speed +15% Connect with 4 special moves
128. Speed +20% Connect with 5 special moves
130. Speed +20% Get hit by 4 special moves
131. Speed +10% Perform 1 Cross Cancel
132. Speed +15% Perform a Cross Cancel 2 times
133. Speed +10% Connect with a launcher
134. Speed +15% Connect with 2 launchers
135. Speed +10% Your partner connects with a launcher
137. Speed +20% Your partner connects with 3 launchers
139. Speed +20% Activate Pandora Mode
140. Speed +10% Land a counter hit
145. Speed +20% Perform 2 Reversals
146. Speed +10% Your partner performs 1 Reversals
151. Speed +20% Roll forward after a knockdown 2 times.
152. Speed +10% Escape 1 throw
153. Speed +15% Escape 2 throws
154. Speed +15% Your partner escapes 1 throw.

Vitality Gems / Life Force & Harmonize Gems:
158. Vitality gradual restoration +120 Get hit by 12 normal moves
1****61. Vitality gradual restoration +80 Get hit by 2 special moves
164. Vitalty gradual restoration +100 Connect with 2 Launchers
165. Vitalty gradual restoration +120 Opponent uses Pandora
166. Vitalty gradual restoration +80 Perform 2 Reversals
169. Vitalty gradual restoration +100 Roll forward after a knockdown 2 times
172. Vitality gradual restoration +80 Your partner escapes 1 throw
177. Vitalty instant restoration +100 Get hit by 12 normal moves
179. Vitalty instant restoration +80 Block 10 times.
181. Vitality Instant Restoration +60 Get hit by 2 special moves
182. Vitalty instant restoration +100 Get hit by 4 Special Moves
184. Vitalty instant restoration +60 Connect with 1 Launcher
186. Vitalty instant restoration +80 Use a Super Art
187. Vitalty instant restoration +100 Opponent uses a Super Art
190. Vitalty instant restoration +100 Opponent uses Pandora
191. Vitalty instant restoration +80 Opponent gets the First Attack
193. Vitalty instant restoration +100 Get hit by a combo over 15 hits.
194. Vitalty instant restoration +80 Land 2 Counter Hits
196. Vitalty instant restoration +60 Perform a knockdown recovery 2 times.
198. Vitalty instant restoration +100 Roll forward after a knockdown 3 times.
199. Vitalty instant restoration +60 Escape 1 throw.
200. Vitalty instant restoration +80 When vitality is at 50%
201. Vitalty instant restoration +100 When your partner’s vitality is at 25%

Cross Gauge Gems / Onslaught & Proficiency Gems:
203. Acquisition +40% Block 10 times
205. Acquisition +20% Have 4 of your attacks blocked
207. Acquisition +20% Connect with 3 special moves
208. Acquisition +40% Connect with 4 special moves
212. Acquisition +40% Connect with a launcher
213. Acquisition +60% Connect with 2 launchers
214. Acquisition +40% Your partner connects with a launcher
220. Acquisition +20% Perform a Reversal
225. Acquisition +40% Escape 1 throw
230. Cost -10% Connect with 5 normal moves
232. Cost -10% Get hit by 4 normal moves
233. Cost -20% Get hit by 8 normal moves
234. Cost -20% Block 10 times
236. Cost -10% Connect with 3 special moves
238. Cost -10% Get hit by 2 special moves
239. Cost -20% Get hit by 3 Special Moves
245. Cost -40% Activate Pandora Mode.
247. Cost -20% Land 2 Counter Hits
250. Cost -10% Perform a knockdown recovery once.
255. Cost -10% Escape 1 throw

My current team is Bison on point and Law anchor. My current load out for them are:

M.Bison:
[LIST]
[]Onslaught #205 & #214 – A lot of Bison’s pokes are safe and unpunishable on block so it is easy for me to stab and build extra meter as a battery for both characters when needed through two opportunities being first and coming in through a launcher.
[]Immense #019 - If I get a launcher through Law, I will make sure Bison comes in with a strong ender via Psycho Crusher. Boosted, it’s about 155. This ties in with one of the meter gems as I can get some semblance of wake up pressure and continue building meter.
[/LIST]
Law:
[LIST]
[]Onslaught #205 & #220 – Same reasons above almost, but with the reversal gem giving more meter, I need to make up some of back through post-reversal bound or juggle. This technically minimizes my meter usage as it inherently negates some.
[]Immense #22 – Law has one of the better damaging Super Arts in the game, this is a no brainer especially off a clean launcher to finish up the mess as Law comes in.
[/LIST]
Discuss.

2

For my Yoshimitsu/Vega team, I like running 3 boost gems on Yoshi, and 3 Attack gems on vega. Reason being that yoshi builds hella meter and vega can be very aggressive with his overhead, strong pokes, and aerial shenanigans. With all the meter I can switch between characters freely off most blocked attacks. Especially yoshis windmill and vegas overhead, aerial shenangians and his roll attack

3

I’ve got tons…but im running into snags with Asuka right now, but i’ll list out what im currently cooking up.

Main Team: Poison(On Point) x Jin(Reserve)
Poison:
-Onslaught lv.2 and EX Onslaught lv.2 # 208 & #305
Notes: Both Activate via Connect with 4 special moves, total boost is 80% C.Gauge Boost and 10% in Power. This help’s build 2 stock for Jin’s Super Art. Tagging in Via Boost combo will give Jin a 30% boost in power and depending on damage scaling, it can deal a large chunk of damage and may 1 shot the opponent’s character. This Gem build is very momentum heavy.

Jin:

  • Immense Power lv.1 #019 , Immense Power lv.2 #022 and Onslaught lv.2 #214
    Notes: The Immense Power and Onslaught Gems Activate via Boost Combo(Partner lands a Launcher) So Jin comes in super charged and if 2 stock is available then all 3 Gems can activate at once for a total boost of 30% in Power and 40% in C.Gauge Boost. The C.Gauge Gem is there as a fail safe if the Super Art doesn’t kill, I can build enough meter to ride the rest of the round out as most if not all my gems are exhausted(note to the weakness of my build).

Alt. Team: Poison(On Point) x Lili(Reserve)
Poison: (same as above)

Lili:
-Onslaught lv.1 #207 , Onslaught lv.2 #208 , Onslaught lv.2 #214
Notes: When Lili is brought in via boost combo she will get the first 40% boost in C.Gauge gain, once she lands her boost combo ender she would have almost activated all her gems, the next hit confirm will ensure that all 3 will be activated for a total of 100% C.Gauge boost. Lili is a monster with meter and honestly I can carelessly do EX Drills and build the meter right back via block strings! Because I have no Immense Power Gems, I have to rely mostly off the raw damage from Lili’s extended EX combos to deal damage…and it’s the only downside as without meter, this team has trouble.

This last build was just for kicks but through some testing…it’s annoying to deal with.

Geif:
-Fortitude lv.2 #098 , Fortitude lv.1 #104 , Fortitude lv.1 # 091
Notes: This set will for the most part, always reduce at least 200 points of damage…and on Geif…that isn’t fun to deal with. Bare in mind you want to Super him, hes going to cut that down by 130 points…so its going to be a long match if there is doubles of the Gem loadout(i’ve actually increased the number of timeouts effectively with this BS). Only one thing to say after that…DEFENSE!

4

Do any of them overlap? Which conditions for the damage gems are you using?

5

Why would you ever pick Iron Wall over Fortitude? Isn’t the latter pretty much guaranteed to prevent more damage?

6

Fortitude is most certainly very useful as it’s guaranteed damage cuts when you get hit. But imagine you having to work your way toward zoning characters, you’ll need a lot time and all the mitigation you can get.

I didn’t thoroughly test the fortitude that much, but from what I know, it cuts the first 100 damage or so in the attacks and then goes away or until the duration is over.

7

Pretty much, there is no real need for Iron Wall however it’s funny to nullify Immense power Boost sometimes…and thats what they are good for.

if you noticed the iron wall will always beat the immense power gem to activating. get hit with 4 normals? or with 2 special moves? yeah…its weird but you can essentially guess and effectively nullify their power gems by doing so…but why the hell would you do that when you can just stop the damage in general? honestly…I don’t know.

8

Oh, yeah. Iron Wall is useful for staying alive a bit longer against Zangief and Hugo in general if you use them. Because a 100 off 360’s and stuff isn’t much if you are prone to getting grabbed a few times surprisingly from wake up games or just bad decisions especially if they use +10% or +20% attack boosts. I think Hugo’s EX-SPD is 250 damage base? 275 boosted? That’s one guaranteed mitigated SPD, but for the following attacks it’s going to be raw too. So negating damage boosts is good as well.

9

it depends on the Iron Wall % at the time to tell if it was worth it or not…or how many mistakes you make during the duration of the Gem. Almost every time i ran the math and tested it, it was mostly always better to just use the fortitude gem.

I think Iron Wall is only effective in creating a stalemate among other Gems. So like the example I used before…lets use Asuka this time. She does :mp: - :lk: - :mk: - :d: :mp: > :hcb: + :p: > :p: > :f: :p:
This (should be-Edit: this works) 4 normals and 3 special moves…this sets off 2 defense gems, either two fortitude or two iron wall.
with the two fortitude it easy to see it’s -200 damage. with the iron wall gems it’s only -20% of the combo.
If Askua had a immense power gem lv.1 activated during this time she would still be doing -10% of the normal damage given your fighting the iron wall gems. but on paper the fortitude gem still works better(im not at my system to run the test again).

It’s hard to give a example when iron wall comes out on top…

Edit: Full Damage Transcript:
the above Asuka combo does 277 normally with no Gems active. I did all the test on Guile who has 950 vitality. Asuka is equipped with 1 immense power gem, land 3 special moves. Guile will be equipped with 3 iron wall and 3 fortitude gems in each test with them all having the same 3 conditions, get hit with 4 normals, 2 special moves, 3 special moves.

-Combo damage in real time gem activation vs no defense gem: 279
-Combo damage after gem activation vs no defense gems: 305
-Combo damage in real time gem activation vs Iron Wall gems: 262(see below for details)
-Combo damage after gem activation vs Iron Wall gems(full boost): 182(details below)
-Combo damage with no boost gems vs Iron Wall gem(full boost): 167
Activation timeline:

:mp: - :lk: - :mk: :d: :mp: <IronWall :10%> :hcb: + :p: - :p: <IronWall :10%> - :f: :p: <ImmensePower :10%><IronWall :20%>

This shows when each gem activates in the real time test(this will be the same for fortitude). note that Gem effects are instant and will start taking effect the moment the condition has been fulfilled. In this test the max defense was 40% while power was 10%, at max it was reducing 30% of Asuka’s combo damage shown in the figures above. Next is Fortitude.

-Combo damage in real time gem activation vs fortitude gems: 189 with around 146 points of fortitude left.

There are no other test needed for fortitude because of this info alone, now compare and contrast. Fortitude Damage reduction values, -100, -100, -130. in that order.

after all this testing it’s clear to see that Iron Wall once activated can reduce a significant amount of damage, however fortitude just flat out prevents damage…

Feedback would be nice.

10

The bolded gems that deal with blocking or escaping throws are not good IMO. The speed gems are only good if your character is normally slow and it opens up a lot more options, but it better be significant and it better be triggered off of something that puts you in a position to continue pressure.

I believe that the ironwall/fortitude gems that trigger off of getting hit by normals are the best. My reasoning is that they will ALWAYS help reduce damage, and if they don’t get activated it doesn’t matter because you are perfecting your opponent anyway!

Attack/meter boost gems are good too, but if you get hit first you might not have a good chance to use that character’s attack boosters before you find yourself at 10% life with them.

11

I think the damage gems that go off on blocked attacks are really good for grapplers. Maybe not Zangief, but that plus a tag in damage gem is pretty damn deadly for Hugo and Abel. Upfront starting gems and latter round tag in gem all for damage.

12

Just use Autoblock. Nuff said.
I just came from another ranked match involving auto block gem usage…
Its actually popular that Ive come across this gem more often -______-

13

…there wouldn’t be any auto-block gem or auto-tech gem of any sort allowed in competitive format. They’re meant to be “training wheels”

14

Right now I have at least one Attack Gem equipped to all of my characters. Thanks to how important time management is to this game, I need to deal as much damage as quickly as possible so those red gems really help me win matches.

15

Ugh. Well in regards to you saying theyre training wheels…
Why in Gods name am fighting so many auto blocking B ranks? >.<
-i read op-

16

Can’t regulate online players. You can regulate tournaments of course. It’s just assumed (for me anyway) that auto-block would not be allowed. Just because things are there doesn’t mean they are allowed. Turbo function buttons facilitate under this category too.

My solution for online play: Play with people you know and agree on disabling assist gems. Capcom needs to put in a filter for it along with the match settings.

17

This honestly should have been a non-issue in this thread…it clearly states (Boost) Gems in the opening, i’ve stated multiple times before boost gems can work in competitive play, Assist gems not so much(outside a few being the extent gems).

can you shed some light on which power Gems you use and in what combinations? I’m not asking for a replication of my post(that would be ideal) but I kinda like to know what people think when in comes down to building gem loadouts because i don’t really believe there is a wrong way in doing it…only better and more effective ones~

I remember you saying you use Heihachi before in GD, I can imagine you using speed gems.

18

Yoshimitsu: Onslaught

-partner performs a launcher
-have 4 attacks blocked
-perform a reversal

Juri: same except for the first once since I rarely use launcher/cross-rush with Yoshi. So I replace this one with something like connect 2-3 special moves or whatever.

I also have a pandora build with Juri/King. And some fortitude gems that activate on hits but I rarely ever use those.

19

Heihachi: Hulk Smash config

Gem #s: 001, 009, 019 - (connect with 5 normals, 3 specials, partner launches)

One of Hei’s bnbs can trigger the first two gems, and if you spend a bar to tag cancel and then manual launch to get Hei back in, you end up with a 30% more hulked out hei.

Example (w/King): (confirm into), f.lp>lp, mp dp, cl.hp, mp dp, cl.hp, dp. hk > p (tag cancel into King) JKL x 3, hp+hk (manual launch)

Now you’ve got Hei standing over a knocked down opponent rocking that old man rage.

Edit: JKL is King’s Jumping Knee Lift - uf+mk

20

Right now he’s packing the “Hot tag Onslaught” Gem where your partner hits two launchers and you get a big Meter boost + 20% Attack power, and the recently released “Do a Super Art” Onslaught Gem for 20%. Since he can do so much damage as is, having him do even more damage would end the match quicker or at least build up enough of a life lead so if it’s late in the match, I can survive a Time Over.