Strats and combos, go–
Red Venom –
Main Tools-
Throws:
Crazy Walk Speed + Awesome Throw + Infinites = Throw KOs.
This much everyone knows. Most “bad RV players” I see seem to depend on walking forward and mashing MP, in the hopes that they’ll get a throw and snuff poking games with fast MPs. They generally ignore what I’d consider the second part of his game.
Poking:
Strong Frame Advantage + Hot Normals = Screen Control
Red Venom’s crouching fierce is pretty retarded. With it, he can keep people within ~1/2 a screen from doing anything in particular. Most people, fearing RV’s throws, play very offensively, minimizing the chances to sit around blocking and get thrown. RV’s crouching fierce and jumping roundhouse(air to air, even level) and jumping forward(under the enemy) take advantage of this, and beat out most other normals, and teach them to block and get thrown. Crouching Fierce in particular, along with assists, can control the ground and let him close in to throw or combo.
Combos:
RV’s combos are very, very solid. It’s easy to learn how to do his infinite after a throw, or launch, etc. In order for RV to compete, these combos have to be practiced, and reliable, or he’s just a weak venom.
Learn his corner inf. The jumping FS variety([j.hp -> j.hk] x n, with occasional j.mk -> j.hp -> j.hk reps to raise them) is easiest, and has multiple setups from throw, un-rolled sweep, or assist.
It helps to either have a solid throw game, so you can turn a non-corner-option into a corner-option, or to learn his air combo juggles(one-hit Air Roundhouse relaunches and jumping reps) to carry them to the corner.
Also important, is learning how to turn stray hits… be it assist hits, or successful Air vs Air pokes… into jumping reps, into combos, etc.
Stupid Stuff-
RV’s mobility can be used for resets and mixups easily, mostly revolving around walking under them while they jump / fall.
IMO, RV does best on point. He doesn’t need much meter, and the danger of him coming in to a guard break or option threat, etc, hits him hard.
Often, if someone fears RV on point, they’ll spam assists. Sometimes it’s best just to bait them out and play safe. Sometimes c.fierce is still best. If c.fierce trades with someone calling Collossus / Psylocke, etc, because of it’s range, RV can still easily Roll / Block the rest of it.
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Matchups*-
A lot of people think GWM and Metal Gief, or… super armor in general… trump RV. GWM is a threat to RV because of Duos, but in regular play, they don’t wipe the floor with them. RV just needs to play differently, mainly, Safe with a focus on Punch Throw. Against GWM, RV can Throw -> strong -> c.fierce -> c.roundhouse safely, with the exception of getting hit by a switchout. RV has throw options by running under shoulder cannons, and after kneedrops, fairly easily.
Gief can Lariat ASAP, so you don’t want to do more than c.fierce. If he lariats, block, and throw again. Rinse and repeat, with occasional c.fierce pokes if he’s playing too defensively.
