Match Ups
This is a compilation of advice that different people have given concerning dealing with different match ups. Post up any match ups that you might want to be addressed.
I’ll color coordinate the posts according to who made them.
Dasrik
Stiltman
BlackHeartKing
Vs. Sentinel
This must be played carefully, but it’s winnable because of the priority of Blackheart’s jabs and shorts. A good tactic in this match is to super jump and throw demons, then airdash back or forward and mash on jab. It basically keeps Sentinel from following you. And, this is important always fighting Sentinel, but I have to reiterate - stay out of the corner.
I played this match awhile today. It’s a fairly comfortable match for me, but it’s tempered by the fact that BH can’t usually do much in terms of damage to Sentinel. He has to carefully pace this match.
Anyway, here’s some advice for any of you that are wondering about this fight…
SJ.Fierce is THE BEST MOVE at any given time on grounded Sentinel. It keeps him from flying, and the fact that you are waiting to airdash means he can’t peg you for free with an unblockable low fierce on the way down. Wait it out to see what he does. If he jumps after you, airdash. Whether you do this forward or backward depends on how far out the fierce demons will cover you. You shouldn’t be too scared of frying pan, since mashing on your jab stuffs the move clean.
SJ.Roundhouse are also good moves to throw on the screen, but keep in mind that this move doesn’t actually PIN Sentinel, and you have to take that into account if he ever figures it out.
Most of the time, if you can isolate Sentinel from his assist and are in an in-close situation, best move is to call your projectile assist and jump short x2. This is hard to respond to.
Sentinel flying? If you have an anti-air, this is pretty easy to deal with actually. Call the anti-air and inferno. He has to stop flying. Don’t try this if he’s in unfly mode and a bit too close to the ground. But you could always go for a superjump jab, airdash tick grab instead though. That’s a really good move on Sentinel.
Air judgement day is fun if Sentinel gets cute and decides trying to launch you out of the air is the thing to do.
I’m really tired, so I’ll just leave it at that. More later.
Something people are going to start doing after awhile of playing this matchup is throw “random” rocket punches. ie. if they superjump and think you’re going to superjump with them and fierce in anticipation of flight, they’ll throw a rocket punch timed so you get hit by it.
To counter this, you have to wait a split second before deciding what to do. If you see that your opponent is trying to set up a “psychic” rocket punch, stay on the ground. You can Inferno xx HOD if they do a fierce rocket punch. After that, they’ll probably start throwing jab rocket punches trying to hit you out of Inferno. This is where you have to start getting tricky.
My preference is to keep Sentinel from wanting to superjump at all by mixing up jab and fierce infernos. Sentinel can’t rocket punch through infernos or he’ll get hit, so as long as you cover yourself adequately, you can throw infernos to make your opponent think twice. It works better than it looks on paper.
BH will need any of his best assists (Cammy, Cyclops, CapCom). Against Sent I’d say Cammy specifically is the best here. This match is difficult to describe but I’ll do my best. I’ll assume Sent has Capcom’s assist. This match is a loss for BH in general but BH does have options. BH’s goal here is to keep the screen filled with EVERYTHING in the world. Doing this will limit Sent’s mobility greatly. Flying Sent can maneuver around nearly everything but at least you keep control of the match and keep Sent on the run. When in the air FP demons are best against Sent, he can’t rocket punch through them, can’t FP them and is difficult do dodge and punish. FK demons shouldn’t be abandonded, but should be limited to a grounded blocking Sent or a Sent who simply super jumped away or straight up. BH can catch Sent with FK Demons if timed right in the air to start the infinite… if this happens, like Cable, just snap him out and get the annoying assist on screen. If Sent is rushing you like nuts, you NEED to stay in the air. If BH is on the ground and sent is stomping and fly/unflying and assisting, (even if you’re blocking perfectly) BH has already lost this match. When in the air FP Demons should be used but not abused. Against Sent jumping pokes beat out everything sent has (except rocket punch) but at close range no Sent Player is going to be rocket punching in the air. This match has so many varied scenarios that it’d be impossible to truly describe how to try to defeat Sent with BH. Honestly depending on the team you have it might just be better to switch BH out for a better character and use BH’s assist against Sent, which does work.
Playing against Sentinel is similar to playing against Cable, Strider/Doom, or Spiral in the sense that no matter how hard you try to avoid it, you?re going to get chipped. However once you come to terms with this, you can handle the match up fairly easily, actually getting the best of it in the end. As has been said many times, sj.FP demons are your best friend in this fight, so they are what you?ll be using for the most part. Just be smart with them so as not to get caught with quick sj.FPs or ?random? RPs. In between these you?re going to want to throw out a combination of sj.jps and sj.RHs depending on how the Sentinel user tries to pursue you. If Sent is trying to fly under everything you?re throwing you?ll want to toss some delayed sj.RH to pick him off. If he?s trying to fly over everything you?ll want to meet him with your sj.jps. If you?re playing right you shouldn?t really have to use your assist to keep him off of you. Actually it will be the Sent user that?s calling his assist. This is when you?ll want to use yours to punish his.
That brings me to what I think is the best strategy for playing against Sent. Go for his assist! You can use the meter you?re building up to try and equalize the chip damage that Sent is doing to you or get space/relief, but why not kill two birds with one stone. Wait for his assist and hit it with an AAA to inferno to HOD/JD. Hurt their assist enough and they?ll stop calling it, which is when you can move on the offensive. Sentinel with no AA is at the mercy of BH and his AA. Use your j.lks and sj.jp to [ad.jp, ad.lk, ad.mp] strings to leave him immobile while you continue to get meter (just watch out for random HSFs). Not a lot of Sentinel users will use this since a miss means they get punished though. Counter call if he?s still trying to call a bleeding assist, and if ever you catch Sent in the air with a sj.RH demon, snap that assist in to really throw their team off with some serious damage and a disrupted order.
Vs. Magneto
In this match up you?re going to want to keep as much distance as possible between the two of you for the most part. Your main weapon will be the (super) jumping FP demons. Know the angles that Mag can get to you from depending on where he is and use those demons along with your assist to block that path. You?ll also want to throw in the occasional (super) jumping RH demons to try and catch Mag making a mistake since you can go from defense to offense quite easily from there. This is the general idea but you might want to change this up depending on the assists that you both have. If ever Mag has an assist that you can beat out it might be a good idea to pressure him with j.lks and s.lks/c.lks since this can throw the Mag user off due to his lack of any real defensive abilities.
Conventional wisdom dictates that Magneto will lose this match unless he finds a way to get in. Don’t give him the opportunity! There’s not a lot I can tell you about this matchup, it’s mostly reliant on knowing your opponent, and choosing your fights depending on what assist he has.
Vs. Storm
Stay out of her roundhouse range and don’t throw a lot of demons. Instead, use drones or rocks to get in. Drones are best because they make typhoon into hail not as effective. Remember, jump back fierce is not safe in this fight because Storm’s standing roundhouse combined with wavedash could mean you die, and lots of people can do it now.
This fight is in some respects a lot like BH vs. Magneto, and in other ways a lot different. It is the same in that if Storm is rushing down, you deal with it in much the same way as you would vs. Magneto. See my thread there for details on that.
The differences are in Storm’s distance game. Typhoon xx hail storm makes you think twice about countercalling on Storm’s assists, whereas with Magneto you don’t really care. So you probably want to ignore Storm’s assists unless you know she is not in a position to counter with typhoon xx hail. Alternately, from fullscreen you could throw an inferno to trade - just be sure the inferno comes out before or at the same time as hailstorm.
If Storm is doing nonsense in superjump space, either charge meter or throw infernos to try to get her. From a certain height up, non-cancelled infernos are pretty safe (especially if she’s already lightning attacked). If she tries to do vertical typhoons, stop that retarded nonsense immediately with inferno xx HOD. If you can’t do one in time, just block - she can only do one safely (if she does another, you know what to do. Can you tell I hate this retarded bitch tactic that doesn’t even work?)
Random hail storm is something that can annoy Blackheart, since he spends a lot of time throwing demons to charge meter. However, if you watch the icon at the bottom of the screen when superjumping around, you should be able to tell when Storm begins a hailstorm and airdash to go into block when the hail comes out. Contrary to popular (read, stupid) belief, random hail storms don’t own BH.
As Dasrik said, this match up is to be followed the same way you?d follow Mag?s if Storm is trying to rush you down. That?s actually what you?d hope for. If she?s running away you?ll want to pay close attention to how she?s doing it and why. Storm followed by anything but Sent can be handled the way Dasrik said. If they just throwing FPs and stay at the top or off the screen in order to build meter and HS you, you should use your AA if you have it and/or stop that nonsense with well played infernos. If they?re hovering around normal jump or low super jump height you?ll want to watch what you do very cautiously since they can easily switch from running away you pressuring you in a second. Also the threat of HSs will always be present.
In the case that they are backed by Sent and trying to build meter using the second method explained above you?ll want to be more aggressive. Try to pin her down and not let her get meter. If she manages to get 3 meters you?ll be stuck on the cautious side since she can present a constant threat with HSs all the while toting the threat of a one hit kill via the DHC of death. I actually prefer to bring another character in so that I can stop this form of meter building with the BH-B assist rather than try to out maneuver and pressure a Storm that only needs one hit to kill you.
Vs. Cable
There’s basically no way you can rightfully come from behind in this match-up. To win this fight, you have to keep the pressure on and never let it up. Know what assists Cable has. If he has anti-airs or drones, you’ll have to superjump for entry, otherwise get in jump in range and keep on doing it. However, this is a good match to test your skills of reaction, as BH can do some things safely that often try to get shot but fail (sj. Roundhouse, airdash back).
I’m not going to mince words. Blackheart does not beat Cable. All other things being equal, BH gets pasted by him. But if you choose to play BH seriously, it is a match you will run into over and over again, and you don’t always have the option to DHC into Storm or someone who can handle the match better.
So what’s a BH player to do? I can tell you that many times I can handle this match just because my knowledge of this fight is so good, whereas my opponent’s knowledge boils down to “AHVB him when he Inferno xx HODs” and little else. But that’s not always enough. Here is what I keep in mind when I run into this fight:
DO:
Try to stay directly above Cable. This is the position you want to be in, where you are safest from his AAA and he is in a poor position to hit you. The thing about this is that Cable doesn’t have a lot of good ways to KEEP YOU from doing this once you’ve gotten above him. If you can isolate Cable from his assist, you can get an offense going.
Remember: Cable can’t change the direction of his jump. THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THIS MATCH-UP. BH has more freedom to move up and down than Cable because of this. If you can goad Cable into superjumping, you get an opportunity to get in on him. Even if he jumps, if you can maneuver your way past his line of fire, you can get in on him. Remember - you don’t want Cable directly in front of you. He can stop your movement with jump fierce xx viper beam easily and chip some decent life to boot.
Use the ground dash. I used to try to superjump past a descending Cable to get in on him whenever I successfully made him superjump, but this just gives him a chance to shoot you. It doesn’t matter if you block it or not, it’s not what you want. The best way to close distance when Cable superjumps is to ground dash. You avoid grenades, you get in. Throw an AAA or some other roadblock for Cable to fall on and get above him, or superjump up and tick grab him. You can also use the ground dash to avoid stand fierce traps (although I’d be really careful about how you use this). The ground dash is one of Blackheart’s underrated tools, it should be used.
Save your airdash when possible. When fighting Cable, the tendency is to get a lot of random superjump shorts that don’t really go anywhere. If you keep your airdash, you can get a bit more damage off those hits, plus you have an easier time evading AAAs and actually getting in on Cable. Also if your shorts are blocked, you can go for a tick grab.
Try to have an assist that lets you hurt Cable. BH/Commando is a fairly common configuration, but it has problems on Cable because you don’t get anything more than an Inferno after a connected low short. A more beneficial AAA would be Cyclops (Armageddon hurts quite a bit), or A-Sentinel/A-Magneto (low shorts into judgement day). If you score hits on a grounded Cable
Rush a Cable without a viable anti-air. Blackheart has a way easier time on a Cable carting only drones or rocks as defense. Jump in relentlessly and get him to the corner where you can safely chip and get some damage in.
Follow connected roundhouse demons with a snapback. If you catch Cable out of the air with roundhouse demons, try to get close and snap in his AAA. This isn’t easy, because BH’s snapback sucks, but it is DEFINITELY worth it.
Get Blackheart out if you have someone better. If Storm is next, just get her in. Don’t even think about trying to kill Cable with Blackheart, even if you can do it. He’s much more useful to Storm as a HEALTHY assist.
DON’T:
Try to chip Cable out of the corner. It’s not worth it to give Cable an opportunity to zap you. I wouldn’t even try to chip a team with Cable on it unless they didn’t have the meter it took to hurt me. Using Inferno xx JD is crap too, since the chip it does isn’t enough to warrant using unless it’ll kill Cable (and if it hits, it does less damage). Just don’t.
Bait out AHVB. Also not worth it, unless you know the timing. There are only two ways I bait out AHVB with BH - calling Sentinel on a Cable that can’t kill him, and superjump rh xx airdash back. The latter is exceptionally risky unless you know the timing, and I’ve done it often enough for it to work, but the times I fail… I kick myself.
Throw demons on unguarded Cable. The rule I generally follow with people who can throw stuff down is, DON’T DO IT unless they’re blocking something first. This is exceptionally important with BH vs. Cable. Make sure they’re blocking Cyclops assist or possibly another set of demons before throwing them.
Lose confidence. After getting hit once, it’s easy to get into panic mode. Don’t, you’ll just die quicker. Don’t get nervous because it’s BH vs. Cable. If you know your opponent likes to stand still, you already have a good chance of pulling this off, so don’t back down because of nerves. You have to do it, so make the most of it. Confidence and bravery!
Best advice against Cable is don’t line up against him. Stay above him when he’s on the ground and bait superjumps.
BH can handle Cable very well as long as you aren’t just SJing and throwing demons. This is actually my preferred match up. I really like playing against Cables with BH.
Now, for “handling” Cable. Basically do what Dasrik said. Doesn’t sound like helpful advice on it’s own, but that’s the basis for putting together a strategy against him. With this in mind, you’re to follow your opponent?s habits so that you pretty much know where they’re going to be on the screen. Once you get to this point, there is really only three scenarios that you have to consider along with where you are on the screen opposed to Cable.
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If they’re at SJ height they’re probably calling their assist to control the ground while they take to the air. Depending on the assist they’re calling you’ll either want to j.F over it or ground dash under it. If you’re already on them, you can just sj.jp after them to keep the pressure on or wait for them to come down.
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If they’re at NJ height, they’re probably doing a j.FP to unibeam or throwing grenades while calling their assist. Again depending on the assist they’re using, you’ll want to handle this differently. You can either sj.RH and ad cancel to pressure them with attacks from the demons, or ground dash under everything and potential punish them and their assist.
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If they’re at ground height, they’re probably repeating FPs and calling assist to keep you pinned while they chip. In this case, you can try to pin them with a sj.RH and follow the demons after an ad, nj and ad to get closer and try to counter with an assist, or ground dash under the shots and beware of skimitars and aa assist. The ground dash is risky in this case, but the payoff is huge if you get in with it.
Basically instead of trying to jump your way in, which is what Cable wants and is prepared for you to do, let them do their zoning crap and dash under everything since BH has a 4th plane to work with that Cable virtually can’t cover. I’ve been preaching the use of his ground dash for years and no one seemed to consider it, but it’s so good when used right. Once they’re hesitant to take to the air due to his GD you control the air and the match. Keep in mind that you can also use InfernoxxJD to keep them honest as well when they’re overly aggressive in the air. Pressure them into the corner, and keep them there, and you’ll gain a huge advantage.
Also, another idea I advise you explore is one in which you focus on their assists. He’s going to have to call his assist a lot to get you off of him. You should be punishing them until they either die or stop getting called. With this tactic you’ll find that Cable has life but also has severely bleeding assists. All you’ll have to do is kill the cable (easier said than done, I know) or snap in one of the assist to cripple them. As is the case with any tactic against him, these tactics are most effective when Cable doesn’t have tons of meter. When he does you just have to be more careful with your choices/assists.
One last thing. Keep in mind that you ARE going to get chipped by Cable. However, as long as you except this fact, you’ll find that you can more than make up for the chip your taking with the damage you’ll deal when you get through a pattern that they think is safe. This idea is the same as when playing Sentinel, Strider/Doom, or Sprial.
Vs. Strider/Doom
Throw a lot of demons and don’t be afraid to take a few hits if it means you can get out of the trap. If you have good assists, you can make your hits mean something. Just don’t try to come down on him from above too much. (Dasrik)
This is one of those match ups that I?ve mentioned as being fairly easy as long as you can deal with taking some chip. The general rule is this? Pressure with j.FPs followed by j.lks and your assist to stop the Doom-B assist and pressure Strider in a safe manner when he doesn?t have his ouroboros activated. Run like hell when he does activate if you can. Too be honest, I don’t see a problem with wasting a bar to save strider staying in control of the match if I can get away. What I do first though is sj.RH, air dash to an immeadiate RH so that you get the float animation that keeps you in the air longer. Then, if the angle is right and you have them pinned, air JD. Not only does this avoid the chip fest but it put you on the offensive in the form of chip damage. Another tactic that works well b/c of BH?s tail is to learn when to push block so that you can just hold up and j.lk plus a decent AAA to get out of the trap and possibly punish Doom-B.
Vs. Spiral
If she superjumps to get swords, do an Inferno, it’s not like she can punish you. If she does get swords, superjump and demon spam. You want to try to kill her quickly since Spiral players usually cart Cable and no BH player wants to fight a loaded Cable for very long. (Dasrik)
Dasriks advice is pretty much as good as it gets. Pressure her while she?s on the ground with sj and nj demons accompanied by j.lks. They?ll usually try to get the space to activate by calling an AAA so watch out for that. I like to bait the assist and punish it. If it?s Cable like Dasrik mentioned, doing this will kinda defeat the purpose of their team since you can hurt him so much that they won?t want to bring him in. If that happens you win. Look for that sword activation if she takes to the air to punish with infernos. Should she get the swords out you?ll want to spam those demons to cancel out her swords and try to get in to stop her madness. Another tactic if you get caught in her trap, is to pushblock so that you can just hold up and ad + your AAA as you go over the swords, so that you can get on the offensive again.
Vs. Ironman
I don?t think this match up has been explained in any of the BH threads but I think it should be addressed since you?re sure to come across it. For the most part you?ll want to play a game of keep away as if you were playing against Magneto. However, the way you do this depends upon the assists that IM has backing him up. If it?s anything but Doom-B you?ll stick to using mostly the FP demons. However, if it is a Doom-B assist you?ll want to add in an adequate amount of sj.RH demons to stop that assist from pinning you as you land. Failing to do that will make it easier for IM to get to you and harder for you to get him off of you. Other than that this match up is pretty straight forward. With proper demon placement you should be able to cut off his path to you and even stop him from DHCing out safely.
Vs. Doom
This match up can be extremely easy or very difficult depending on how the Doom user plays and what assists they?re using. If they?re just taking to the air to spam rays while calling an assist to cover the ground it?ll be smooth sailing for you. You can just dash under everything as long as the assist they?re calling isn?t the kind that covers the ground like a Storm assist. If they?re running away or pressuring you with his j.FPs you?ll have to be a bit more patient and maneuverable. Take advantage of how short BH is when he ducks to reduce the effectiveness of Doom’s gun. Use his air dash and demons whenever you?re clear to create an opening and get in on him. Just make sure you don?t let up the pressure once you get in since he doesn’t have many ways of creating space once you’re close.
