Roll Tactics 101: Class is now in session

Classic Fighting Games Marvel VS Capcom 2
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taps chalkboard

Howdy.
So, you’re probably wondering why I’m doing this.
Well, long story short, a member here asked me for some input on a Roll combo video they were working on, and, while I felt like I didn’t have much to put up video-wise, I felt I could do some justice by making this thread and putting up some tactics that I use with Roll when I use her.

Now, let’s begin, shall we?
The first thing you guys need to know about Roll is this.
Roll is a VERY terrible character in this game.

Okay, so you probably know that already.
But, if you choose to believe it, Roll was once capable of holding her own in MvC1.
Sure, she was still bottom tier, but she still possessed a few skills that allowed her to survive in the hands of an expert player. Hell, I beat somebody 2 times in a row with her alone, and the FP on that machine was broken.

So, because Capcom decided to be utter a-holes, they nerfed Roll further. How?
Well…

  1. Roll takes insane damage in MvC2. Previously, she took less than Mega Man.
  2. Beat Plane can no longer be done in mid-air. This makes NO sense.
  3. All of her moves have less priority than before. Painfully obvious with Hyper Roll, which used to catch people off-guard a lot.
  4. Flower Bomb is a DP motion now. 90% of the time, you’ll get Roll Buster while trying to do the move.

On the bright side:

  1. Roll can now double jump.
  2. Her special weapons have quicker startup and recovery times.

So, now that we have that out of the way, time to begin.

Basic Combos:

  1. C. LK, LK, FK xx Roll Buster (4 hits) [Trust me, you’ll be using that a lot.]
  2. :dp: + :k:, C. LK, LK, FK, :qcb: + :p: (Tornado Hold, 6 hits)
  3. Jumping LK, FK, :r::r:, Combo #1 or #2 (6-8 hits)
  4. Jumping LK, FK, :r::r:, LK, FK, Air Combo ending in FP, FK, :u:+FK or Roll Buster.

…not really much to it, to be honest. However, with an opponent backed into a corner, Roll tends to fare a bit better combo wise:

Corner Combos:

  1. LK, FK, SJ, LP, LK, LP, LK xx Roll Buster xx Hyper Roll
  2. Above, but double jump after the last LK, LP, LK, LP XX Roll Buster xx Hyper Roll
  3. C. LK, C. LK, C. FK xx Roll Buster xx Hyper Roll (only works on bulky characters, otherwise, omit the second C.LK)
  4. (With Tron) Call Assist, C. LK, LK, FK, Hyper Roll

Roll has an OTG combo which acts as a ‘fake launcher’, this combo is LP, FP when an opponent hits the floor. (Sometimes, LK, FK works too, but it’s a tad less reliable.) In a corner is where you can make the most use of it:

OTG Combos:

  1. C. LK, LK, FK, LP, FP, Corner Combo #1 or #2 (Warning, tricky)
  2. Rush Drill, LP, FP, Corner Combo #1 or #2

You can tack on an additional hit by going over and opponent’s head and using Flower Bomb, but what are the chances your opponent’s going to just stand there and let it fall on them?

RECOMMENDED ASSIST TYPE: Projectile Assist (Roll Buster)

If you’re going to play with Roll, then I must advise using this. The fireball’s fairly quick, and it’s a lot easier to cross-up.

Now, I know some people would swear by the Flower Bomb Assist, and at times, it’s okay, but that’s really if your opponent’s constantly jumping at you at predictable angles. Otherwise, it comes out too slowly, does pitiful damage, and most with Fly or a double jump will avoid it anyway and punish her SEVERELY for it.
It also only covers a short distance ahead of you, making it useless for distance.

BEST ASSISTS PARTNERS:

- Tron Bonne (Sonic Rings)

  • Iron Man (Anti-Air Assist or Unibeam for Doom Rocks)
  • Sentinel (Ground Assist)

Tron is Roll’s best friend. If you do manage to drive an opponent into a corner, abuse the HELL out of Tron’s Assist, and continually attempt to mixup overhead and low attacks on your opponent (who will instinctively attempt to block low). If you do manage to break through, launch and combo. The rings would have already done a good share of damage. Roll seems rather adept at causing people to fall for this with Tron. One good way to break through is by doing this:

  • Call Assist, Jump towards opponent, J. LK, J.LK or J. FK

See the very last attacks? Most people would be only expecting ONE overhead attack, but by tacking on a MK or a FK while in mid-air, you’d actually cause them to lose focus and get caught. A lot of inexperienced players do get caught by this, so take this in mind when trapping with Tron.

Iron Man gives Roll some good Anti-Air coverage (which she fails at save for Rock Balls,) and can also setup for Hyper Roll or, in certain cases (like in a corner), her fake launcher.

Sentinel is a no brainer, really, since it’s one of the better projectiles that you can use to backup Roll when she advances.

Gameplay footnotes about Roll:

  • Remember than Roll lacks in a LOT of aspects (and that’s putting it mildly). She lacks stamina, range and even decent attacks to keep her opponents on edge. If you must play with her, play defensively and look for openings. Even pro players tend to overlook a few things, Basic Combo #1 being one of them.

  • Choose GOOD Assists for Roll. Other than the ones I’ve mentioned before, make those assists capable of giving her opponent HELL while giving Roll a decent opening to attack. God-tiers, Commando and Blackheart are feasible options.

  • Rock Ball is your friend. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve knocked Sentinel out of Fly because he’s too busy ignoring my antics on the ground and not looking out for that soccer ball about to nail him in the nads. It works…somewhat against Storm and Doom, but their projectiles can negate the ball. Still, use this to keep your opponent at bay, but don’t be predictable with it.

  • Stun opponent, use Beat Plane. Some players still fall for the good old cross-up, but because of the crappy 'STAY ON THE GROUND BI-YOTCH" rule, you’d have to either use an assist to put them in block stun or attempt to pull it off when you are somewhat safe.

  • Use that Double Jump! Some players tend to forget Roll can. And they whiff attacks and leave themselves open because of it. Just don’t be predictable with this, because a smart opponent can and will time you on it, and adjust to suit.

  • Roll Buster and Flower Bomb to slow down your fall. If there’s danger below you, remember that these two moves will slow your descent by a lot. Use this in tandem with the double jump to stay airborne (God help you if you attempt this against Storm or Blackheart.)

  • Punish with Hyper Roll or Air Combo. Especially with Cable, if he misses you with HVB.

FUN THINGS TO TRY WITH ROLL:

  • You can slide under Ryu’s Hadouken. This actually applies to a LOT of projectiles here, but I make note of this because Ryu’s fireball seems like the type that hugs the floor. It doesn’t.

  • If you stand in front of Ryu/Cable as they do their Projectile Super Combos, the beam will not harm you. As a matter of fact, you’d be sitting in the dead space between their hands and the laser beam. This is also true for Servbot, though I’ve never tried him against Ryu.

  • If you gain a huge lead, be the Rock. Roll is puny and small, and can double jump. If time is running out and you have a BIG lead on your opponent, three words. RUN LIKE HELL. Chances are, moves that severely damage or chip big opponents will sail over Roll’s head or do less damage on block.

So, yeah, those are my two cents.

And now, I leave you guys with a couple of videos, courtesy of a fellow Roll player, Talon-Icehawk:

Part 1: [media=youtube]OSol2Hy1-II[/media]
Part 2: [media=youtube]M3Bk0unyitw[/media]

Adios, class is now dismissed.

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Crouching heavy kick beats charging star every time so don’t forget to use that.

Make them angry.

standing light kick is 1 frame i think. I trade with mags and then run all the time.