While we know Tron can TOD anyone and excels in the corner, landing a hit, pushing to the corner all while avoiding zoning can be problematic for her. However, it’s essential for any character to have strong movement and mobility for not only offense but defense and neutral game pacing as well.
Tron’s strongest way of getting in usually comes from her instant air dash (IAD), as it gives her a lot of good forward momentum. Her ground dash is not so terrible either. Let’s discuss these tools and how to incorporate them!
I have recently been toying with ground dash -> super jump cancel -> IAD. If you time it right it gets her across full screen but at normal jump height really quickly. You can choose j.L on your jump in to tick throw, j.M as a longer poke, j.H as a punish or crossup, and j.S as a punish. Some of these moves also have projectile invincibility/nullifcation properties so that helps when you see an opening (startup of plasma beam, maybe flame carpet or something too for example).
If you IAD backwards you can bait out reactions, and j.S has a well-sized hitbox to punish within range.
I am curious to hear your preferred movement patterns, or any problems you encounter/points you’d like to bring up to improve your neutral game mobility, and so on. This was sort of inspired by Combofiend’s awesome She-Hulk movement at LanDiego last night. Any takers?
I’m glad someone is discussing this topic, I need to learn some more tricks for getting in with Tron! I find the problem with Tron’s approach is that it can be very predictable. He movement options are limited, though drill can be a great way to get across the screen and apply pressure if you can keep yourself safe (TK or assist cover.) My preferred movement options is jump, dash, j.S. Its very predictable, but its fairly safe to throw out and the reward for a confirm is extremely high, and can easily lead to a TOD in the corner. I like using j.M as an approach, but I’ve found that even on block it seems to leave her open to punishes if you try to throw out two and they push block the first attack. The projectile nullification properties of some of her moves are great, and if you use them right you can easily get in on opponents who are just throwing out long lasting projectiles, like dormammu pillars and beam moves. Also, I find cr. L to be a great approach move because of its range and the time if gives you to follow up afterward.
Also, not quite related, but has anyone else realized that here Tron’s “safe” ground series (cr.L, s.M, s.H, f.H) can be pushblocked to force s.H to whiff? Its extremely annoying because you can only cancel the move to drill or super in that situation, and both could easily be baited.
IAD j.S is still probably her best but now I try to use it more as a punish because patient players can scope it out and airthrow her easily w/ her fatass hurtbox… I also think it would be worthwhile to investigate just how big exactly the j.S hitbox is cuz I think it has deceptive range, especially combined with the momentum of a sj IAD behind it.
As for c.L i think the range is okay, but it pales in comparison to c.M -> drill. c.M I feel is a greatly underutilized poke.
IAD j.S is still probably her best but now I try to use it more as a punish because patient players can scope it out and airthrow her easily w/ her fatass hurtbox… I also think it would be worthwhile to investigate just how big exactly the j.S hitbox is cuz I think it has deceptive range, especially combined with the momentum of a sj IAD behind it.
As for c.L i think the range is okay, but it pales in comparison to c.M -> drill. c.M I feel is a greatly underutilized poke.
IIRC Tron’s j.S hitbox is basically the entire swinging arm of Gustaff that goes from up to down. Id link the hitbox video that FingerCramp did but its not there anymore. It wasnt that good anyway.
EDIT: Oh hey I found some Tron match footage on youtube.
[media=youtube]YmCuQjyTXOU[/media]
And yeah its basically what I said, her entire arm is the hitbox.
I’ve been starting to use j.M a lot more now whether trying to jump in at an opponent or trying to get away. It’s a pretty ridiculous poking tool that might catch some off guard. I think her Servebot Launcher is also useful for defense, making a quick get-off-me if someone is looking to jump in on her. When playing from a further distance, I try to blend in the Beacon Bombs somehow with any other projectile assist. Cause if they don’t see it coming and get caught, free combo.
I’m especially fond of her multi-hit normals (c.L and s.M) when putting pressure up close, and if it actually catches them, it’s an easy converting to a combo.
I still feel Tron needs a better way to move around because while she plays nicely at normal jump height, she seems especially susceptible to airthrows and just gets beat by characters who outshine her in this range (spencer, cap, zero, etc…) not sure what to do about this problem :[
Of those three, I think Cap is the one I can handle the best, so long as I don’t let him get in. Backed with a good assist, I think Tron’s fishing with Beacon Bombs can give Cap’s fishing shields a bit of a challenge. I already know never to go jump in on fishing Cap, even if you think you’ll get him. I just play more patient with him. Spencer may be harder to deal with since he’ll be in your face much quicker than Cap with his grapple. All I can say with Spencer is try to figure out the distance he’ll go with the grapple and try to punish accordingly. Most notable situation for me is when they go grapple forward in the air, and swing on the way down, only for me to dash under and throw out a standing normal. Zero is clearly the most difficult with how crazy he can move in the air, and Tron can’t do much about it. Mostly, I try to catch him somehow with a heavy Beacon Bomb while he’s moving around, and even if you do catch him at Super Jump height, it’s easy to convert into a combo with j.S.
j.M might prove to be most helpful as a poking tool rather than j.H at times so it depends on the situation I guess…
One problem I find is that sometimes when im in the middle of dashing in, I can get clipped by pokes (e.g Wesker 2M), so Ive decided that instead of trying to dash the full distance, I would cut the amount of dashes I need to get full screen and just do 2M so I dont get out poked.
One random thing I like to do when I’m faced to eat an incoming mixup w/ anchor tron is gtfo the corner w/ a mashed h drill like a ghetto hard drive cuz well… if im tron anchor ive p much already lost B)
Funny thing I was playing casuals, I did that today, and I ended up hitting Doom and got the confirm off of it lololololol. Anchor Tron isnt too bad actually, I’ve made some pretty good XFL3 comebacks and some regular ones too. You just gotta turn up your sense of spacing to 1000… and the fact that X-Factor makes you way faster helps too (Haha im going to grab him out of his IA- OW MY FACE).