Greetings all personnel, fellow members, and guests,
Er… It might be a little too early for tiers in a game such as KOF XIII. I recently got a hold of NEST Kyo, who is a alternate version of the regular Kyo in the game. This Kyo is based on how he fought before during the NESTS saga (KOF 99’, 2000, and 2001 - 2002 included as a dream match).
To me, NETS Kyo is a standard character who is pretty combo friendly and has many methods of attacking… right? But, I don’t really hear too many people speaking about it, so I thought I should bring up this matter. If there is already a thread meant for NEST Kyo and his game play information then disregard this thread.
The purpose of this thread is explore NEST Kyo match ups, tier placement (hypothetical and literal), practical combos, counteracting, defensive maneuvers, pros, and cons. Feel free to describe game play experiences with NEST Kyo and/or add any criticism or beneficial information on character game play.
EX Kyo play is still developing, but ultimately, I think it’s gonna be an apples-and-oranges kinda choice. Either one’s fine. Just pick the one you like best.
I’d say most of the differences between the two emerge at the very basic level, and become less restrictive/meaningful as you get better at the character(s).
Regular Kyo has crappier blockstrings (crappier s.B, only one safely spaced special on block with fireball) , but superior meterless damage from lights (because of cancellable df+D (1), allowing for qcf+D from light hits).
EX Kyo has inferior meterless damage from lights (can’t get heavy hitstun from his light normals and retain special cancel, so he has to settle for c.B c.B s.B xx A rekkas or c.B c.A qcf+B,B and its limited enders), but superior blockstrings (much better chain properties on s.B and excellent safety/spacing/whiff cancel and autoguard idiosyncracies of qcf+A).
Once their bars light up, I’d say most of their differences emerge mid-combo. Regular Kyo doesn’t have much for corner carry (most of his corner-carrying moves end his combos midscreen, because he’s reliant on qcf+D into juggle), but he does a shitton of damage in the corner for fairly little bar (qcf+D, rdp+B xx air Orochinagi, even the basic followups hurt like hell). EX Kyo is more of a generalist and tries to compromise between damage and corner carry for the same amount of bar (eg qcf+AC,qcf+A,hcb+P,P [DC] qcf+D,D -> whatever), which is generally an okay compromise. If the opponent lives through his combo, they’re usually in the corner, where EX Kyo can get really abusive with the spacing on his normals and qcf+A to lock the opponent in.
It is really good to see that the choice between Kyos in this game is relatively difficult to make. For years fireball Kyo was kinda lacking compared to rekka Kyo (when they were in the same game). Fireball Kyo in this game is the best he’s EVER been.
NEST Kyo also shares two of the same special attacks which are QCF+LK or HK, or HCB+LK or HK, as well the same normal moves - But, it became apparent during my little test run in the mission trials that his normal moves and those specials work very differently.
… I go on practice mode against the regular Kyo - it should be understood that NEST Kyo can nullify projectiles with the first hit of his Rekka punch (the auto-block from the attack helps as well). Unlike most close-quarter characters, NEST Kyo does not seem to have a problem dealing with characters that have projectiles.
As for QCF+LK/HK, the LK version sets the opponent up for a proficient juggle, unlike the regular Kyo’s version which only leave a small window for him to attack or at least get one reset out of the opponent. The EX versions of NEST Kyo’s attack requires the player to still press the HK and Kyo will barely leap off of the ground, allowing for a better recovery in case the opponent wants to be smart and trip or throw you away.
NEST Kyo’s HCB+LK/HK can still cancel… Drive cancel into other specials which is quite pleasant… image doing that during the second LP rekka punch and drive cancelling into NEST Kyo’s special and then drive cancelling into his double lift kick and then scoring a Orochinagi on the opponent… NEST Kyo has many uses for his meter because of all of those special moves. The EX version of this move however, works completely different. NEST Kyo’s EX version involve Kyo still rushing towards the opponent, but moves so insanely quickly. It is not an auto-grab move and it would not be a good idea to use it as such. (I actually forgot about this more than a few times).
Dunno if I’m missing something, but with the QCF+LK,LK or HK I can only get a :f::d::df: LP/HP/EX to juggle when the opponent is near the top of pop up from QCF LK,LK-opponent drops through Rekkas and Supers, HCB+K everything else once the opponent is falling past the character portrait.
QCF HK,HK sets up anything for juggle… am I misunderstanding something about the LK version?
You can land rdp+B after it as well. But using it over qcf+A, qcf+A, K is pointless. I doubt anyone is going to take a midscreen untechable knock down for 180 something damage over a 200 damage bnb that pushes the opponent really close to the corner.
Yeah, from light attacks, if HD/Mu Shiki isn’t available, A rekkas into K ender is the way to go. And the soft knockdown on that ender is actually a lot more preferable to the hard knockdown P ender, because even though they can tech, they’re knocked up in the air, so Kyo gets a shitton of frame advantage compared to waiting for the elbow slam to recover. Plenty of time to set up whatever you want while they roll.
qcf+B,B -> rdp+B offers a decent chunk of stun, but IMO if stun is what you want, it’s more efficient to take them to the corner and try for stun with stuff like qcf+D,D -> qcf+A -> qcf+A,hcb+P,P. Lets you play much more evenly for damage, stun, and battery (depending on how much meter you decide to spend in the corner).
One of the more practical combo consist of Nests Kyo’s command jump-in (Air Downward C), Close C, Forward B, QCF+A, Drive Cancel into QCF+A, QCF+A, HCB+A, A, QCF+D, D, and then use Oniyaki as a combo finisher. Nest Kyo can build his gauge up pretty quickly and, while the notation looks intimidating, it becomes simple after the first few tries. (After Kyo punches the opponent with the third hit of the “Shiki - Nanase”, the opponent will… “bounce” off of the ground, leaving an extremely small window for Nest Kyo to perform a quick Shiki - Kai (QCF+ B, B or D, D).
i think that some of you need to re-access the value of being able to use hard knockdowns to remove peoples options through safejump/os setups over getting slightly more damage with soft knockdowns and forfeiting oki. its invaluable for him to be able to this, especially given how practical it is to get them
I’m not saying “hard knockdown is never worth it”, it’s just that from what I’ve seen, not all of his hard knockdown options are created equal. Air hit j. d+C seems pretty good. Throw is a given. The P ender to A rekkas, less so. Correct me if I’m wrong, but it doesn’t seem like there’s nearly enough frame advantage after that elbow hits to properly safe jump.
EDIT: Quick test seems like there IS enough frame advantage for a safe jump, but it seems kinda inconsistent midscreen. I set the dummy to do run up, c.B c.A qcf+A,qcf+P,P, and the elbow missed about 50% of the time.
But if it’s in the corner, you’re right, it is a better option than I realized. I didn’t know the recovery::knockdown time ratio on the elbow was actually that favorable. Thanks, rogueyoshi.
It’s is incredibly inconsisnt midscreen, I haven’t yet figured out what makes it hit even, like, I can record the dummy and have it hit, play back and it whiffs.
Either way. If you DO hit that final P follow up, you have a perfect guaranteed safejump on literally everyone of the cast. If you superjump instantly after the end of the P follow up (no real timing required because you can buffer it) It safejumps Ryo’s dp+A, Saiki’s 2xqcf+K, even King’s EX surprise rose. So far I have found only one move that it cannot safejump and that is King’s neomax.
So yeah, the safejump he gets off that follow up, should be a no brainer to use in the corner, and maybe it is more consistent midscreen to hit the P follow up from a naked qcf+A, which you’ll be hitting plenty of times as well.
hcb+K safejumps like regular kyo’s, instant superjump, and it safejumps all 4+ startup reversals (or something)
On the recent streams I noticed you doing some funky looking setups. especially after j.d+C. Something like qcf+D,D, hyperhop j.d+C, roll, hyperhop j.d+C into crossup?
And I guess you can also set up an ambiguous roll setup with it? Any specific tech you’re willing to share?
Also want to point out that unlike with regular kyo, it is possible to qcf,D,D hyperhop reset and do run under mixups.
I prefer XIII Kyo to NESTS because I’ve never liked his qcf+p attack. I prefer the ground fireball. In regard to 2002, XIII kyo is a lot like “Kusanagi” and NESTS Kyo is basically regular Kyo right?
XIII Kyo doesn’t have the qcb+P counter moves that Kusanagi is. NESTS Kyo has 98 Kyo hcb+K instead of NESTS hcb+K, but if the moveset is supposed to be 98 Kyo’s, it lacks 98 Kyo counter moves.
Neither Kyo is as ‘all round’ as older iterations of Kyo used to be, in return, they both do obscene amounts of damage. Their normals are a lot more limited. I think in all-roundness NESTS Kyo wins out. He still can’t anti-hop reliably with st.A, but his st.A cannot be crouched, which makes it way better than Normal Kyo’s st.A. NESTS Kyo has access to a fairly safe anti-hop move with qcf+A. st.D is terrible if you’re used to either Kusanagi or 98 Kyo. It can be crouched very easily. It literally can’t hit crouchers ever. This makes Kyo’s aerial zoning a lot less braindead, but also a lot less good. This is clearly a point where Claw/Flame Iori (The other traditional all-round characters) are vastly superior.
The differences in their st.B’s (NESTS can chain his) obviously work out in NESTS Kyo’s favour.
So what does Normal Kyo have? Damage, so much damage. NESTS Kyo does better damage at low costs, but Kyo has incredible damage as soon as he has meter and drive.
Besides that, Kyo has a more all-round specials moveset. Kyo obviously has a fireball, which is a pretty big deal, because a fireball on the screen forces people to commit to hops or blocks. Fast EXDM allows him to punish all kinds of ‘safe’ stuff. And even though his hcb+BD is not that good, having access to a command grab that leads into a safejump is a pretty nice addition to his moveset, which, due to diminished use of normals, is clearly more focused on rushdown now.
Personally I love NESTS Kyo because he feels more like a traditional KOF character. To me, there is no reason to play Normal Kyo ever. I think NESTS Kyo is superior in every way. But Normal Kyo is clearly the better anchor, and has somewhat better options to open the opponent up, while NESTS Kyo has to rely more on the opponent running into his wall of autoguarding nonsense.
Fine by me. I love characters that win by making walls of nonsense. Just ask the guy in my avatar (even though TBH I can’t stand playing his game anymore ever since console KOF 13 came out).