Compared to the HK followup, it is perfectly fine to use instead, for the most part. Both are rather vulnerable to focus attacks and mashed uppercuts; the HK followup is generally favored since the default ground block for most is low. Even though HK followup is -1 and MK 0 on block, they are both effectively safe since the number of 1-frame attacks is limited by both character and meter availability. The real key is to do the option which beats the plan your opponent has. Delayed LK if they are mashing (FADC to ultra if you can!), HK if they are stuck deer-in-headlights on downback, MK if they assume they should block high since most Rufus players use HK, or if you have been using HK generally, recover and throw if they’re waiting for a delayed LK, or do nothing and let your opponent EX SRK you rather than futilely press a button and give them extra counterhit damage.
Not sure this has been addressed before but is Hakan the only character that gets a s.HP wiffed after 2 s.LK ?
Hmm, I thought s.HP whiffs even after one. To answer your question it also whiffs on Blanka after any number of s.LKs. You can do the s.LK, s.MP link which will combo into HP Galactic Tornado on both characters.
It only whiffs on crouching Blanka. There are other characters whose hitbox can cause a fierce after 2 shorts to whiff, but it depends on standing vs. crouching and so forth.
Hey all, I recently switched from a pad to stick and I am really keen on getting my teeth stuck into Rufus. I’ve been practicing a little with him in Training Mode, a circle motion character is damn hard on a stick when your first getting used to it! I’ve seen many people online executing the dive kicks numerously and really quickly, how is this possible? And what is the ideal range to hit the dive kick at?
you can do a divekick as soon as you leave the ground, hence the name “instant divekick”.
The lower you hit the divekick, the better, gives you more time to link stuff. But for wakeup situations, it depends the char you’re fighting against, for EX, vs Ryu on wakeup, you always want to hit him in the back of his shoulders so that he cant DP you.
Hmm, it’s kinda hard doing the dive kick quickly after leaving the ground, I guess that’s what Training Mode’s for. I was trying his Bnb too (Dive kick, s.lk, s.hp, GT) and damn it’s hard! 
But anyway, thanks for the reply Diveman, much appreciated.
i just got the game. yeah im newb. i got questions vs abel.
-how do you fight abel that love to fw+mk, dash and TT or EX TT you? i cant do anything. i try jumping up, mashing, everything, nothing work lol.
-whats the best way to win vs abel?
thats all i got for now. i know theres the match up, but doesnt really answer my questions so i ask in the newb thread. hope its cool.
The Wanderer, a carefully placed stand jab will interupt Abel’s forward+mk, once you get comfortable with that, you can aim for stand jab into ex tornado, or stand jab into stand strong. TT can be bested by doing an instant dive kick or an ex messiah. The best way for you to beat a TT will be to properly predict when you opponent will be trying to do it, if you can, you will want to hold up to jump (jumping will always escape out of a TT), then you will do an immediate down forward mk. The dive kick will hit, then you want to land your lk, st. fierce, into fierce tornado. Be careful though, the abel can easily stop aiming for TT and just do stand fierce to stop your jump/dive attempt. Ultimately, it is a mix up game, but just know that both of those options lose to ex messiah.
My game plan looks like this, keep abel the hell away. Once the match starts, always focus on using cr. mp to stuff his jump ins. You will use stand jab, stand strong, crouch fierce, and sweep to keep him out of throwing range. Once you land sweep or an ex messiah, you will have to mix up your attack patterns on his wake up game. If you think they will wake up with a TT, you can beat it with dive kick, if you think they will do roll, you can throw them out of it, if you think they will wake up ultra, try to dive kick to the other side, lastly, if they wake up with air grab (to beat your dive kick) you can throw or punish with stand lk, stand fierce, into fierce tornado.
For references, check out [media=youtube]bhs4DYCY9RY]YouTube - evo match : Justin wong(rufus) vs Ryder (abel) and [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zapumT_LXLo[/media]
Look for how they keep their spacing, what attacks they are using on wake up, how they apply pressure, and try to think of why they would do these things, especially since Abel has so many options to escape.
I think a blocked C.HP from Rufus can be Ultra 1 by Abel only on reversal (1-frame punish). I think Juicebox tried doing it but got EX Sky Fall. Standing jab keeps Abel on lockdown in this match. I just hope they don’t nerf it for AE like they did to Balrog. lol
@Toiyet: thx alot for the help that some good shiet.
@ranmasama or Toi: when you two say stand jab keeps abel on lockdown… do you mean throw it out randomly or is there a specific time i should jab?
How do I deal with people OS teching my divekick pressure with something like a c.mp or c.hp?
For example, mixing in c.mp into a normal crouch tech OS with Cody basically shuts down that pressure. Sakura’s c.hp is the same way.
What are the best options for me to combat this?
Wanderer, two ways, one is abuse it, you can certainly just stand outside their forward mk range and mash on stand jab like a children. I do this a lot against boxer when he is nearly dead because you will hit him with one jab, which will stop all rush punches, or hit him once and then get smacked thanks to his ex armor, which still does one jab worth of damage, which may be enough to kill him. The risk of doing this is that Abel can then walk closer to you, knowing that you are going for stand jab to stop the forward mk, so they will close the gap quicker and aim for another strat. In all, it is better to use the stand jab when they are outside of their desired forward mk range. As I’m sure you can tell by playing an Abel, they will try to stay at a certain distance, waiting to use this move so they can move in on you. Once you see them going for that spacing, you can use your stand jab, which will most likely whiff if they don’t use their mk, but the idea is that you time it immediately after they do mk, so you stuff it. Your goal is to stop them from doing it. After your jab hits, try to go for a sweep, a dive, a combo into st. mp or a combo into ex tornado. There are so many ways to get damage off of this scenario, you just have to remember to mix it all up.
Pimpmuffin, the best way I find to deal with people who crouch tech with cr. mp or cr. fierce is to simply let them do it. Because they are commited to this idea, they are going to try and use it whenever you get close. Which means you score a knockdown, then do a couple of crouch into neutral (I love doing this because it looks like you are about to jump, telling them to crouch tech), you will just then block without dive kicking, if they do cr. fierce like sakura, you can punish with cr. jab into ex tornado, or you know it is coming, the moment you block it, you should be able to instant dive kick into combo for a better punish. If they are abusing cr. mp, like shotos or another rufus will do, you can just do a higher dive kick or aim for a cross up dive kick to beat that option. Another option is to do up back then dive, you will land quickly in front of them, then do ex messiah, it’ll win every time they crouch tech. Just be sure to mix up your dive kicks, your faints, your throws, and your messiahs. Now that I think about, you can also do stand lk into stand lk, or stand lk into stand fierce, or stand lk into mid height dive kick. The idea is to let them hit a button, knowing they are using a mp or fierce, and you will land a hit simply thanks to frame advantage.
If people are OS teching with a higher button than cr. lk, make sure you actually check the frame data and maximize the punish. For example, against Sakura you can punish a blocked cr. hp with raw u1 since it’s -10, but against Balrog, the best you can really do is cr. mk xx ex gt (it’s -8). Against Rose, you pretty much get a choice of punish; her cr. hp is -15.
PLinking lp -> HK -> GT Can I do this with negative edge without getting EX tornado?
Hi Fellow Fat People,
I’m trying to pickup Rufus and I’ve managed to learn most of his combos and Ultra setups ok but Im having trouble with this.
I learnt the HP xx HP Tornado combo through the challenge mode and I found that it was much easier to use negative edge, so Ive burned that into my muscle memory.
Now im trying to master his 1 frame BnB and although I can do the lk-> HP using plinking I find that cancelling into Tornado always gives my the EX version. Im guessing because of the second HP,MP in the command buffer.
Can any of you knowledgable Rufis give me a tip to fix this? Can I use negative edge for this combo or do I absolutely have to hit HP again after the lk -> HP plink to avoid getting the EX version of tornado?
Appreciate your help.
Bryce
If you continue to hold down strong but release fierce, you won’t get an EX Tornado. You may find it easier to just not use negative edge though.
Great, thanks heaps for your help! Im heading home from work to hit training mode and try it out! :china:
Remember that Sakura and rose can cancel their cr.hp with specials to make it safe. I don’t see people canceling those out, but they can do it so be careful of that. Also Balrog cr.hp whiffs on crouching Rufus i think
Toiyet said it best. Block and punish some, higher dive kick on cr.mp os, or just counterhit bait them. And here and there throw a EX messiah to beat all of it.
Thanks for the tips guys.
If they are abusing the OS you can also delay your HP to get a clean ch.