Experimenting with some other sequences after the L.Tatsu, but not sure if they are safe. I look at frame data, but it’s kind of beyond me in this scenario to analyze. The idea is to find a safe way to buffer into Ultra 1 or Super from the L.Tatsu:
L.Tatsu -> cr.LP -> Ultra 1 / Super
L.Tatsu -> st.MP -> Ultra 1 / Super
L.Tatsu -> cr.MP -> Ultra 1 / Super
L.Tatsu -> cr.LK -> Ultra 1 / Super
L.Tatsu -> cr.MK -> Ultra 1 / Super
I would say that 1) would be the preferred way as it has the fewest startup frames and it corresponds to a direct input for the Ultra/Super. But I found all the other combinations work just as fine (with the exception of 5), which I found doesn’t work on all opponents). The point is to just land a buffer to get the opponent airborne so you can input the Ultra/Super and catch the opponent exactly as they land.
How can I confirm if the above sequences are safe or unsafe?
Sorry to break your dream, but you can’t grab no one landing for the first 2 frames. There’s no unblockable meaty throw setups possible in this game.
All you gona get is a wasted ultra whiffing and the opponent insta jumping away to catch you free for a pretty good combo.
If at least you let the opponent a chance to do a normal in the air you could catch this recovery with a throw, but reset bounce = no cookies.
Not breaking my dream at all! I’m just playing around trying to learn Akuma (and SF in general) through my own trials and errors so I get a better intuitive feel for him instead of just going straight to the “how to” guide. What got me interested to investigate is watching Infiltration play and noticed that he used L.Tatsu -> cr.HK instead of the more “standard” L.Tatsu -> H.DP. So playing around with normals following the L.Tatsu I thought maybe give this a try.
Also, I’m still relatively new to analyzing stuff via frames and a bit shaky on how to integrate all that stuff together to be able to answer my own question.
You’ll have to read what was the big thing about knock down, for years, before delayed wake up kicked in in Ultra street fighter to understand why some chars chose to end combo with a hard knock down instead of a soft one. Then what is vortex and all will be clear to you.
For other ender after a tatsu, it’s usually a “reset”, another word to look for.
All methods can be escaped by holding up. Ultra’s startup is so lengthy (and also includes a game pausing cue) that you can also just react with a counter reversal, ultra, etc.
You might want to consider using Super to perform a tic-throw demon however. Using your setup, you could try this:
This will invoke a tic-throw using Super, which is effective at catching people as Super is a 1+0 frame grab. The catch here is that you need to have a fully stocked Super bar and you need to fully commit. Akuma otherwise gains a lot more from his meter use outside of Super, but that’s not to say his Super isn’t useful (personally, I use it a lot - tic-Supers are awesome).
Another thing to keep in mind with the setup you are toying with is to simply reset them after the lk tatsu (i.e. lk tatsu > c.lp, wait) and then just wait. See what they do. Some people might commit to something stupid and you can score a free punish. Some may wait with you, after which you can try your hand at continued pressure, frame traps, a grab, whatever. Though ultimately, opting for this kind of approach means you’re intentionally foregoing guaranteed damage that you could otherwise take (i.e. by instead following up with a DP or sweep). Depending on the situation, often taking what you can get in damage (especially if you are on the backfoot health-wise) is the better option.
