This post is geared more towards casual play since I’m a casual player, but I’m sure there are some serious tournament applications to this. What can be done with one character is often transferrable to others.
WARNING: LONG POST ALERT
This reminds me of 3 years ago when my Amingo was virtually unbeatable. It wasn’t because Amingo was a good character, it was because I was treating my opponent like a lab-rat the whole time, thus the overanalyzing part. If I do this to the mouse, how will he react? If he reacts, how can I exploit it? The entire match for me was viewed as a fun, complicated, lab experiment. Every action controlled and pre-planned [but not pre-destined]. My every tool hidden while I force out and analyze his. This is also the strength of Hulk, and now Magneto [who I’m just learning].
My goals on offence were to figure out his…
1]Evasive tendencies.
2]Blocking tendencies.
3]Coverage tendencies.
3]Create other tendencies within him [you’ll punish those later].
4]Figure out his every tendency.
5]Exploit or punish his every tendency at earliest efficient convenience.
-Hmmm, what happens if I… OH SHIT I HIT HIM!!! YES, FREE AC!!!
-He’s doing that jump-in again vs my Amingo again. He attacks every time, and since I’m at level 3 now, I’ll wait till he reaches effective combo depth, see if there is an animation change and fry him with the vine super.
It may have looked like I’m just going in to learn how to beat you during the match, but the chain of destruction often starts before then when I choose assists designed to take away yours [reducing the match to 1 on 1 where the character I’m using will beat you]. That’s how I played Amingo before I retired him [and probably how I’ll wind up using Magneto]. Never go in without some kind of intended plan.
This isn’t genius, it’s common sense. You attack his plans by giving him nothing to analyze while you constantly force his hand. Once you run out of or start repeating tricks, you get raped. It’s called being observant. If the opponent wants to use an assist, take away his ability to use it.
-Example: Justin Calls Cammy or Commando to hit Cyclops while Magneto rushes him down and kills him for example. Old example, but a good one none the less.
This is how fighting games are REALLY played. You…
1]Bait, force, and lure him into less favorable positions than yours [cornered, locked down, standing just outside of your own ground dashing range, etc…]. Sometimes, this alone is all you need to beat a character badly.
2]Let or force him do what he wants ONLY…
-When his action will accomplish something positive for you
[He walks into a deadly combo or combo igniter]
-When his action will accomplish nothing positive for him.
[You can reposition with the lead or neutral health wasting time]
[Compounds the effects of rule 1 exponentially]
3]You do what you want ONLY…
-When it will accomplish something [even minor] desirable.
-When it is unpunishable
Remember: Doing what you want doesen’t always mean doing something.
[compounds the effects of rule 1 exponentially]
4]In all other states you harass, bait, reposition, or turtle as appropriate. Controling the initiative safely is paramount to victory.
5]Attack his plans [or attempts to even engage a plan] at every turn. No static method is guaranteed to win all the time. MvC2 is too chaotic.
6]Do not compromise your safety or any of the above rules ever.
-One final thought… Many matches you should win you can’t if you are too nervous, too cautions or too apprehensive and vice versa. If you are vacillating [swaying one way or another, hopelessly indecisive when describing us people], wait till you indecision subsides and then play. If it doesen’t subside, I guess you won’t play now will you. That said, if you’re playing just to overcome a fear, that’s awesome. You’ll embarass yourself for sure, but eventually you won’t have any fear, and your opponents won’t have this as a way to beat you. Once you put your money in the machine you become one of 2 generals. The wise general cannot be manipulated.
-I think Justin knows ALL of this and based on what I’ve heard of people in this thread, what I saw in his match videos, and what I saw in the Justin’s team thread, his play is some sick variant of the above. The only way to beat someone like that is to play the same way and do it slightly better. That or constantly kill him during the initial experiment phase he’s in due to luck [so he doesen’t figure your ass out].
Good luck and remember:
1]Nobody’s invincible.
2]The past doesen’t equal the future.
You’ll get his ass eventurally :evil:
Shout-out to Justin. I know you’re probably reading this. You’ve been a great Idol to look up to and have been a wonderous goal to attempt to pass at MvC2 to this point.
Shout-out to EVERYONE : Good luck at evo 2k-3