So here’s a topic that’s relatively glossed over. Devil Trigger combos/resets and Potential vs Guaranteed damage. Aside from the bar actually spent to activate it, meterless Devil Trigger combos hurt a lot. Just fooling around I was able to get like 670k which is comparable damage to something short (read: wack stuff you might see on stream ) into million dollars.
The purpose of exploring these combos is not for the possible mid-combo extension/slight damage boost, but for the potential damage that’s possible if you end your first combo with a DT reset as opposed to ending it with a hyper for far less damage overall. The first number doesn’t sound impressive by itself, but when you preface that combo with a 450k reset things start to look more attractive. 1,120,00 for 1 bar? I’ll sign up for that.
If I have to hit someone like Taskmaster twice I would rather do it in a reset where the situation is on my terms. If I’ve landed a combo ending in Million Dollars on one of these beefier characters and they survive, what does that get me? It’s back to neutral, I spent a bar for no kill, and now the player has more incentive to raw tag/DHC out to gain red life back.
You would obviously build meter if you didn’t activate DT, but the added mobility you gain adds another layer to the mixup. You’re also endowed with new options to control the match if the mixup fails.
Dante’s most powerful reset is obviously grapple into high/low unblockable. The thing with this though is that it’s highly telegraphed and can be evaded through raw tag. There are counters for the latter, but nonetheless resets have holes. There’s two problems with this reset though. The first is the low assist requirement which not everyone runs. The second is actually due in part to grapple. Grapple eliminates tech roll options, but it essentially reduces all your mixups to 1 left/right guess before they just chicken block to get out of there. In short there are not enough layers to this reset. This is why I’m starting to explore resets off of a ground bounce with st.L.
Off a ground bounce reset you get 50/50 Crossunders, Crossovers when they land, and air throw with just Dante alone. There is some tech chasing that has to be done, but when you have an assist covering you things get easier for you and harder for them. I’m just messing with this now in conjunction with Vajra, and that assist alone can help you cover every tech option. You can OS airthrow in your airdash and have Strider cover you after the throw break.
What I’m doing specifically is Volcano xx Beehive Vajra+st. L wave dash once and look for the tech.
Forward techs: I can go for airthrow and if I saw it early enough, but they still break Strider will attack just as they land. You can also iad back with j.H to put out a big hitbox and keep the pressure on.
Neutral techs: Wavedash under into low, or into iad j.M/H back to same side. Dash up air/ground throw. Dante can’t convert as well from his throws like some other characters, but it’s an option. You can also OS this throw, but generally going for the mixup is better in case you accidentally get the throw instead of da big damage.
Back tech: Chase with wavedash and go for low/iad crossover j.M. Strider will hit them as they land so they can’t mash. You also can’t chicken block this setup.
Anywho, I’m dragging on and didn’t stay focused on one topic, but this is some stuff that’s been on my mind that I think people should start thinking about. Cheers.