No one has a 100% reliable AA. I think Asuka has it better than most Tekken characters.
That’s not to say you can’t AA, but they’ve definitely made it so that you don’t use only one move to AA.
She has a few moves that are safer than the frame data would indicate, either because they push you back or because they’re cancelable (someone above said only the second hit of leg cutter is cancelable, actually the third is cancelable too.) Her regular hopkicks in particular are a better move than I expected, for the ability to dodge lows and the huge reward for landing one compared to the risk of being punished (depending on the opponent’s character.)
So I agree with the assessment that she wants to be at about f+HK range where she has some good options that can bring her in close. Her SF ground game reminds me the most of Ibuki. She doesn’t have much range on any normals but they’re reasonably okay, and she has some slow-ish special moves that are worthwhile to use at mid-range (hopkicks already mentioned, hcb+K is actually a decent poke.)
Today I was noticing Asuka’s alpha counter. Don’t forget about it when you’re at that f+HK range and people are bullying you with heavy range pokes. I think it has longer horizontal range than others do. 120 damage for 1 bar is respectable, more than you would get for using it in a combo at least.
For this and other reasons I switched a gem out for a meter gem. I feel like Asuka simultaneously doesn’t need meter and makes excellent use of it.
EX airthrow, hopkicks, and sweep throw are all useful, EX hopkicks switch cancel is 100% safe, and her alpha counter has some abnormal applications even though you can’t switch cancel it for more damage. And while her meterless combos are dangerous enough to not need it, they actually do become that much scarier with meter, because at least in the case of punish combos you haven’t done many low-damage hits to scale the damage.
Fun fact: alpha counter Rufus’s EX messiah kick early and you’ll whiff through him. Afterwards there’s a small window where you can dash up and combo him.
Honestly, I think Asuka’s a pretty damn bad character. She has very little footsies and counters to quite a bit of the Street Fighter cast and zoner cast without a massive amount of yomi or a huge tilt in your risk/reward matchup. But I will main the shit out of her because of DAT DAMAGE.
Either way, here’s my gameplan or not (including some homework that I would LOVE for people to research on!)
The current state of the game is researching CHARGE ATTACK DASH CANCELS (CADC) and although Asuka has some pretty bad pokes and a very poor footsie game, almost all of her chains have a cancellable point hidden in them, which turns to make her pokes, although pretty bad, dash cancellable for pressure. Why is this important to my current gameplan?
Asuka’s longest two pokes which can actually outfootsie someone (good luck with this one in all honesty) is her df.hk and b.mp xx s.mk string. Both of these in the second hit are hitconfirmable into launchers but most importantly, are CADC-able and you’re placed right up in that face.
FOR THE LOVE OF ASUKA PEOPLE SHOULD CALCULATE THESE ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES.
After a blocked b.mp xx s.mk string, you have DAYS to hit confirm to Upkicks into DAT DAMAGE. But what if it goes wrong? Onikubigari dash cancel. I’ve tried testing it (really hard testing on your own) and it seems like… we have advantages for days. What does this mean? It means you’re point blank and get to mixup throw, low, or overhead. INTO DAMAGE.
I’ve tested it out doing computer on all block while standing, and pausing it while in the middle of my dash and setting him to jump afterwards. I dunno if the training mode dummy jumps on the first frame, but this is how I’ve tested it, and the light at the end of this shitty Asuka tunnel is looking good.
I was testing HP Exorcisor’s Anti-projectile hitbox and it is pretty crappy actually. EX Exorcisor always works but I’m really disappointed that HP is only selectively useful. I think her hurtbox is just a little too high on HP.
HP Exorcisor Passes Through
Akuma/Ken/Ryu Hadoken
Sagat’s High Tiger
Juri MP Fuhajin
Jin’s Orbs
Yoshimitsu’s Breath
Steve’s Punch flames
Ogre’s Indigo Punch
HP Exorcisor Fails On:
Guile (9-1 matchup?)
Chun Li
Dhalsim (But counter works on any grounded limb so…)
Sagat Low Tiger
Juri LP Fuhajin
Ibuki’s Kunai (EX fails as well)
Rolento’s Knife (EX fails as well)
Poison’s shots
Raven’s Shuriken
Well, first thing’s first, and that’s that b+MP is at least -3 on block, but b+MP >MK is a solid string, so you don’t really have to worry about that. Just make sure to ALWAYS do the followup, because the followup is safe, and you can stop your pressure there if you want.
b+MP>MK is at worst neutral on block. It is completely safe to Ryu DPs, which I think are still 3 frames, and SPDs.
Working on calculating the advantage after CADC but it is at least safe to DPs.
Edit: this is also safe to SPD, you don’t have time to walk backwards or anything but you can jump back or forward to beat it.
Without the frames on Asuka’s normals I don’t know how I would check the actual advantage, but I know it’s neutral at worst if SPD is still 1f startup.
Rolento’s Patriot Circle is -1 after the first rep.
Law’s 1-1-1-1-1. I couldn’t figure out a way to punish it given Asuka’s tools.
There’s no real way to play patient with these two as both of these characters can outrange Asuka everything. What have you guys figured out? it’s already weird enough getting in with the character, but y’know, still. I want to give Capcom the benefit of the doubt that they have given my character a fair shot at winning.
So it seems b+MP > MK > CADC is at least a few frames advantage, as you can follow up with c.LP and have it still be a true blockstring. If you’re looking to frametrap and possibly continue pressure, c.MP does that pretty well as far as I can tell.
Also, turns out, b+MK > MK > CADC > c.LP > upkicks > juggle finisher is a true combo. So it’s not just a useless poke for getting in and starting pressure. This is probably already known, heh. But in case people don’t know, you can start meterless combos with b+MK, and if they block, you have advantage after the CADC for frametraps. The low/overhead/throw/counter mixup can probably be pretty overwhelming if your yomi is on point.
Edit: this loses of course to fast pokes to keep you out but you have counters for those for a reason. Not to mention f+HK which is also completely safe on block but beats out all those shoto c.MKs etc
her df+ HK can be CADC on the second hit for advantage as well. its not a true string, there is a gap where you can get reversed, but anything not invincible will get counter hit. without the frame data to check for sure i want to say its +2.
I am running Asuka on point for now and her poke/mid range mixup is decent at best. It works sometimes, but it seems you eat a lot of damage just to get in.If we could just find one thing thats spammable that would make people think twice when in that range with her. I know spamming sounds like a bad word but its necessary right now to get people used to the idea that Asuka needs to be respected in some type of way. All good characters have spammable buttons or specials. Not that Asuka is good…
I’ve tried spamming upkicks at the correct timing and distance until people realize its more or less safeish (lk is -1 correct?) and it goes over lows, and leads to good damage. Maybe this special is better than we think? Any thoughts?
She has a weak weak footsie game. Ive tried standing MK. I think it has some priorities…but everything she has is just too short. Ive tried the toward HK overhead just to try and knock them down. Im going to try :df::hk: :df::hk: as a poke if im in range for block.
I havent found a good low attack yet. Ill see what I can find.
Wow. footsies made me want to jump out a window at first.
After a ton of experimenting, I’ve settled on :f::lk: buffered into :f::lp: as counterpoke spam as our best option. :f::df::d::db::hk: at poke range works as well, since it moves us forward- I think it may be negative on block but it puts us within counter, cancan, and :mk: range.
Asuka’s fastest normal is st. jab which has 3 frame start up. +2 on block +6 on hit.
It has the worst range this side of the mason dixon, but against someone who’s trying to do a block string that pushes really close against you, this is probably your best option of getting out. As I’m beginning to think more about my matches last night, i’m beginning to realize that we need to figure out a normal that gives us a starting momentum first. It really dictates the pace of the match and i feel like Asuka can do that if she just gets 1 good hit (but then again, that could be said about a lot of other characters as well.)
First hit of leg sweep is -2 on block.
Has the longest range out there, and if it hits, second hit can be canceled into Leg lift / cancan. Speaking of; Leg Lift / Cancan is -5 on block. so it’s alot more unsafe than I thought it was. But it pushes you far enough to not get jabbed, maybe poked but I have to do more research on that. :V
:hcb::k: is -1 on block and has a pretty safe range. That’s probably the best thing to a bully tool as we’re going to get from a footsie range unless you want to use :mp::lp: with Asuka all day.
Like I said in the other thread, you should experiment with cr.mk. It moves her hitbox backward and might work as a late AA. I’ve only tested it a little but give it a shot.
:hk: at poke range works as well, since it moves us forward- I think it may be negative on block but it puts us within counter, cancan, and :mk: range.