I definitely feel like the d input option does add lag. Almost like online lag in which inputs just don’t happen. Doesn’t seem to happen in x input mode.
If you were using a third party tool to use d input in S1, that alone gives you lag anyway. But you are saying there’s even more lag than that now?
Yes indeed
Before season 2 70-80% of my matches were against Ryu or Ken. Now I barely see them at all. Really nice that I get to see the rest of the cast now.
Can we agree that reading a backdash after L Bolt and punishing it with st. HP is the single most satisfying thing in this game?
Yeah, for me it’s all Uriens and Akumas now with the occasional Guile, Rog or Gief. I don’t think I’ve played more than 1 or 2 Nash or Mika players since the balance patch. RIP 
Nash was already an even or slightly favorable match for Laura. Them trying to play us now must be how I feel against a good Gief.
I’m starting to figure out how Laura was designed from a gameplay standpoint as far as her v skill is concerned:
Of course it’s an overhead but I also think it’s a check against people pressing buttons to fuzzy cover against command dash… that’s how I’ve been using it to a certain extent. But looking at the frames it seems kinda obvious that it has built in mixups. Not so great mixups, but they are there and knowing them can always be helpful:
Vskill back>overhead. A simple 2 part training mixup. Teaches the opponent to block high after seeing vskill back. Also teaches the opponent to be **complacent for 20 frames **after they see the v skill backdash since the overhead can CC the opponents preemptive button.
Once the opponent is looking for this particular series is when Laura can start using the vskill back>forward movement option.
Now I’m not saying this is a particularly good “mixup” but it’s pretty obvious after studying the character that this canned “mixup” is one of the ways she is designed. And knowing where the canned mixups are can help to create new opportunities when the other shit has worn down.
As an example, some people like to sweep Laura when they see her doing vskill back cause they think she’s going to charge a fireball. Doing an overhead instead though can punish the sweep.
Once again not as a rote mixup but just a little something extra to give the opponent a new look if they are onto most of the other stuff, and may just be fun to try and do… sometimes.
Laura’s v trigger into ex command throw seems like it should see more play imo. 220 damage for a command throw that hits half screen is pretty crazy.
Half screen? Come on now, that thing has about the same range as her st.HK. Which of course works fine if you cancel a blocked HK into VT and go straight into EX Sunset Wheel. For some reason lots of people just keep standing there when that happens.
VT ex sunset wheel has about 40% more range than st.hk. Corner your opponent then look at the squares for range on the training stage.
I’ve successfully used that a lot towards the end of a round when you’re both way down in life and afraid to hit a button.
As far as ex sunset range and blowing through projectiles, when it works it’s amazing but I’ve still misfired plenty of times and ended up a few pixels shy which can end in death. D’oh.
Command dash + EX grab in VT catches anyone from full screen unless they back away after the dash.
Right, in the last part of my post I was referring to non-VT projectile reads.
Yeah, the range is surprisingly tricky. It’s super satisfying to get through Aegis and a fireball with it, but I have missed it maybe twice as many times as it’s landed. EX Bolt is way more forgiving.
I’ve seen I think exactly one Ryu and zero Ken since the start of S2. Lots of the mirror match though. I actually don’t mind since they always seem to have new setups that I wasn’t thinking about lol.
Never mind, misread the VT part. Was still surprised at the range in VT when I tried it out earier, never really used this move from that far away. But then again S1 pretty much taught every Laura player to just use EX Clap in VT so I still need some time to adjust.
I dunno what it is. Direct Input is built into the unreal engine. It doesn’t use external software to go, it runs as a straight-shot to the OS. It is either Capcom’s mistake (given their track record for season 1 I’m not surprised), or my rig. It could be either, but I don’t buy second hand machines, I build gaming rigs from scratch with quality parts.
I find it odd that switching modes on the Brook Ultimate Fighting board from generic Direct Input to X-Box mode would make such a difference in input lag… but whatevs man, I’m actually winning matches and I got out of bronze this morning into low silver, and Imma get to gold soon. Laura is such a blast to play now. 
I like ex.sunset, but at my level (ultra silver) I can’t use it that much because people still mash on reaction to any of my movements instead of blocking.
Once you know the range, EX grab is fantastic in neutral when your opponent keeps walking back and forth. Also I think the move might be confused with EX bolt, which means some people will see the flash and block instantly only to get grabbed. AND you get a sweet meaty L Bolt after that.
Yeah ex grab is the shit. I think higher level players can react if they expect it, but that’s only if they expect it. If they are looking for the overhead though chances are they won’t be able to see the ex flash and jump unless they are like world class.
A string I’m liking right now to keep the defensive opponent on their toes is cr.lk,cr.lp>ex grab (after the opponent has been trained to block after the cr.lk,cr.lp string of course)
The great thing about ex grab is that it’s so useful as a surprise at the end of blockstrings and also good when people leave themselves at a non punishable disadvantage from range. Like when a cr.mk is blocked from the opponent and they expect to be at minus frames and so they look to block the next attack.
Something gimmicky I’m working on is experimenting with Laura’s juggle knockdown enders. Yeah a lot of them do less damage than the ground knockdown enders, but they give Laura the ability to safejump the opponent and more importantly start up her offense at frame advantage on block, something that she basically very rarely gets outside v trigger.
Frame advantage is key so I think studying these options like ex clap into L bolt or fhp x2 xx L bolt, deserve some consideration at least outside of v trigger.
The biggest problem is that I can’t find ways to cover both rises just yet, but I’m working on it. If I can find something that is even gimmicky I’ll use it.
I’m a bit tired of giving up turns with st.hk/fhp/L bolt on block for oki, and doing anything more offensive like dash throw puts me at negative frames. That just seems like weak sauce if something can be found to get Laura consistent plus frame pressure against a waking opponent.
-edit
Now that I think about it, a safe jump timed move against a quick rising opponent, into an SF4 os wiff move might be able to cover backrise into 3 frame attacks!
This will be some major good tech if it’s possible.
Ok so it seems the tech does and doesn’t work:
Fhpx2 xx lp bolt>jump forward mk is a safejump setup and it crosses up to boot and has mad frame advantage on block so it’s perfect against quickrise. The problem is that on backrise it wiffs and if Laura uses on OS st.lp it will trade with the opponents 3 framer.
So conclusion on this particular setup:
GREAT against characters with no reversals and no 3 frame jabs or those that have reversals but can be safe jumped and don’t have 3 framers… basically a great option against characters with no 3 framer because if they backrise into a jab, Laura’s st.lp will ch them. So Laura basically gets up close frame advantage against these characters for free.
Unfortunately this same thing doesn’t apply to ex clap as that has 3 frames less knockdown advantage and while Laura can hit the quickrise with a meaty jump in, if the opponent backrise Laura will wiff the jumpin and be at -2/-3 and the os jab can’t win and will get countered.
HOWEVER!
ex clap to L bolt (+37) leaves Laura at +3 after double dash. And the dash dashes into a backrise. So Laura can do a st.mp here and hit both rises and this counters 3 framers on both rises with the same timing!
So is this any better than just going for something like ex clap st.mk xx VSF juggle? NO. I’ll let you be the judge as to its effectiveness. But this doesn’t crossup and the double dash pushes the opponent closer to the corner so there’s that, and there’s also the fact that this is just another look for the opponent and can keep them from properly evaluating the situation if you mix between it and the crossunder mixups.
I do lp bolt enders all the time! For example whatever>ex clap>lp bolt then immediately 6hp will put you in perfect position for your choice of meaty grab/throw or meaty 5MP if they quick rise. If they slow rise and you did command grab, well you’re SOL but if you do 5MP you still have time to get them again lol.
Re: EX grab, I agree with Ocean. I’m convinced some of my opponents see the flash and think it’s EX bolt.