Special Note! I’m trying something a bit different with this writeup. If you see any link that looks like this it contains a link to an example of the move in action!
** Blue Mary! **
I figured I would do a writeup of what possibly is the most enigmatic character in the game: the petite bone-breakin? blonde named after an alcoholic drink (which is fitting, since the opponent will be reaching for a bottle after dealing with her mindgames :lol:), and Terry?s girlfriend: ?Blue? Mary Ryan.
To be honest, I don?t think anyone else besides me uses her, but if you?re looking for a character who?s, on the surface, pretty weak, but can be deceptively strong, then keep on readin?!
Strengths:
Speed, speed, speed. Mary?s very fast, and she?ll need that speed to make use of her wakeup / mindgames. Her mindgames are pretty good, especially since none of her specials are quick recovery-able, and if she lands any of her specials it resets her mind game. Nearly all of her specials and supers keep her very low to the ground when during recovery, making a lot of attacks whiff over her head or otherwise land improperly, thus giving her a very subtle, but effective form of passive defense. Additionally, her supers are excellent, with the Mary?s Escalation taking the top spot as the most dangerous P-Power in the entire game. :wow:
Weaknesses:
I can?t stress this enough: Mary needs mindgames to function. Her lack of combo options keep her from going head-to-head against most chars. Also, until she reaches Escalation-Mode, she only has one special that combos from a jab, and even then, it only does so in the corner. While she can effectively build meter quickly while attacking, she?s rather stuck when she needs that last little bit and the opponent has some distance on her.
Additionally, her defense is lacking, especially since her sole anti-air and breakshot (until Escalation-mode) is poor at best (the Snatcher). Until she has P-Power, her best defense is to somehow put some distance on the opponent, regroup, then go back on the offensive (which is hard to do if she’s cornered).
And finally, aside from the Mary Escalation, she’s without a proper fient. The :l:+:snka::snkc: is, undoubtedly and without question, the worst feint in the game. There are taunts shorter than this thing. Never, ever use this it, even by accident. :mad:
Normals:
:snka:
** Standing: ** Your standard jab. It?s pretty fast, has decent priority, and has okay reach (well, as much as her lil? arms will allow). In close range, it?s the same other than she jabs with her elbow. Bufferable in all forms.
** Crouching: ** A crouching version of her standing jab, similar in all respects.
** Jumping: ** A short ranged punch. No reason to use this. :bluu:
** Lineshifting: ** A hopping punch that’s also an overhead. It’s decently fast, and does as much damage as other lineshifting jabs. Something to further add to her mind-games.
:snkb:
** Standing: ** A quick side-kick to the gut. Has excellent speed, range, and chains a second hit into itself. In close range, she kicks at the shins (which, unlike KOF, doesn?t hit low). Bufferable in all its forms.
** Crouching: ** A quick, good-ranged kick to the opponent?s feet that bufferable and hits low. Like the standing, it links into a second hit and will be one of your main poking / comboing tools.
** Jumping: ** A fast, sharply-angled kick with the side of her foot. What it lacks in range it makes up for with its steep 45-degree angle. Against larger characters, this can act like an instant overhead.
** Lineshifting: ** A swift, low-hitting slide kick that looks somewhat similar to the Crab Clutch. Might even be faster than her :snka:
:snkc:
** Standing: ** At close range, Mary performs an upward slap that hits twice and is bufferable. Far away, Mary does a quick spin and backhands the opponent in the face. It?s a decent poke with good range, but the preceding spin makes it slower than the rest of her attacks and it?s unbufferable.
** Crouching: ** A double-legged sweep that has decent priority and is bufferable. While it has good range, it does have slightly less range than it appears. However, in close-mid range, it can be linked into a Snatcher, which greatly increases its damage.
** Jumping: ** A spinning roundhouse kick with a great angle, high priority, and will serve as your main jump in. When done from a hop, it changes into a spinning backhand with all the same properties aside from hitting slightly higher on the opponent.
** Lineshifting: ** A fast, long-ranged side kick that resembles her standing :snkd:, and like all the other lineshifting :snkc:'s, it can be used as a combo starter. I’m not sure what it is about this thing: it’s speed, range, or priority, but it’s one of the better Lineshifts in the game. It’s so good that I’ve been asked if it’s another one of her specials. :lol:
** Command Normals & Specials **
[media=youtube]L8LkTor6EL4"]Throat Elbow:[/COLOR[/media] (:snka:+:snkb:): Mary?s sidestep attack. It?s quite fast, but has very short range, but has high stun and can buffer into specials / super. It also has a follow-up.
[COLOR=“Red”]Jugular: (:snkc:): Mary follows the elbow with slapping uppercut to the opponent?s throat that sends them flying. Beware if this whiffs or is blocked, because it has a ton of recovery.
[media=youtube]Zkv58FiV6hk"]Dropping Heel:[/COLOR[/media] (:r:+:snkb: or :r:+:snkb::snkc:)* Overhead, Kara-Cancellable *: Mary?s axe kicking overhead. Decently fast and kara-cancellable, it?s what you?ll be using to make the opponent think twice about crouching. You can also push :r:+:snkb::snkc: to perform this move so you don?t get a Crab Clutch when trying to do this move from a block (thanks to God 2.0 for catching that).
[media=youtube]Qr9Y6X-BE0E"][COLOR=“DarkOrange”]Step Roller[/COLOR[/media] (:l:+:snkb:) Low: Mary?s longest ranged normal, she performs a rolling sobat and follows it with a sweep that hits low. The first hit looks like an overhead that can trick people into standing to be hit by the second kick. It also has a follow-up.
[COLOR=“Red”]Heel Thrust(:df:+:snkc:) Launcher: Mary performs a one-legged donkey-kick that launches the opponent into the air. You?ll want to use this any time you do the Step Roller, especially since this is bufferable. This is actually better than her normal launcher thanks to the forward motion of the Step Roller.
[media=youtube]rsGEn6c4-qE"]Leg Press:[/COLOR[/media] (:d:+:snkb: on a grounded opponent): Showing that she?s not above fighting dirty, Mary does a quick stomp to the crotch or the face of the opponent. It?s guaranteed after a Spider, Double Spider, Crab Clutch, Double Crunch, a close sweep, and (in the corner) after a regular throw or Backdrop Real. This should be attempted any and every chance you get. Even if she misses, she?s still extremely safe.
[media=youtube]D5ZGMgB-5Xc"][COLOR=“DarkOrange”]Tomi Nage:[/COLOR[/media] (close :r:+:snkc:): Mary?s regular throw where she rolls on her back and launches the enemy over and behind her. Nothing noteworthy here, except for its follow-up.
[media=youtube]QzLfYtYji7s"][COLOR=“DarkOrange”]Achilles Hold[/COLOR[/media] (:r::df::d:+:snkc:): While making cutesy tickling sounds, Mary snaps the opponent?s Achilles tendon. :crybaby: It does slightly more damage than the regular throw, but it keeps the opponent on the same side of Mary, which is important if they?re already in the corner.
** Special Note about Mary?s Specials: With the exception of an unlinked Vertical Arrow and Straight Slicer, NONE of Mary?s specials can be Quick Recovered, as they are technically grapples. **
[COLOR=“Red”]Real Counter: (:qcb:+:snka:): ?Hey!? Mary cries as she sidesteps the enemy attack. This move is a far cry from its KOF ?98 incarnation in that it only evades high attacks, and she doesn?t have as much throw range. However, this time she has 3 followups (which all do the same damage, by the way).
[media=youtube]Cj1lF_JGrLk"]Good Night Backbreaker[/COLOR[/media] (:snka:): Mary slips behind the opponent and suplexes them headfirst onto the ground. Hey, at least she apologizes. 
This is handy for quickly switching places with the opponent.
[media=youtube]4GwwKrNNYSI"][COLOR=“DarkOrange”]Mary?s Reverse Facelock[/COLOR[/media] (:snkb:): Mary wraps her arms around the opponent?s neck and drops down to the ground as she tries to twist their head off. This is my preferred followup for 2 reasons:
- Excellent setup for her nasty wakeup (okizeme) games.
- Looks really, really painful. :crybaby:
[media=youtube]aoZPJLPx5nw"][COLOR=“DarkOrange”]Backdrop Real[/COLOR[/media] (:snkc:): Mary slips behind the opponent, and throws them across the screen with a German Release Suplex. This is a followup you want to use if you want to get the opponent away from you and towards a corner. It also can be followed with a Leg Press and / or Double Swing in the corner.
[media=youtube]Rau1vuQbx8c"][COLOR=“DarkOrange”]Mary?s Snatcher:[/COLOR[/media] (:dp:+:snkb:): Breakshot, Always-Juggle: Mary does a quick spinning knee that launches the opponent into their as she leaps into the air with her leg extended, wraps it around their neck, then slams them headfirst into the ground while breaking their neck. It has much less range than you?d think, will not connect on a grounded opponent unless the first hit connects, and is her only Non-Escalation breakshot. :bluu:
However it does have one very handy property: it will combo off of any bufferable knockdown, including low :snkd:?s, sweeps, the Heel Thrust, and (in the corner) her launcher. It also, once again, sets up her wakeup games.
[media=youtube]rsGEn6c4-qE"][COLOR=“DarkOrange”]Mary?s Crab Clutch:[/COLOR[/media] (:l: 1sec, :r: +:snkb:) * Low, Juggle *: Outside of Escalation-Mode, this is Mary?s baby. She does a diving kick to the opponent?s legs, and once she latches her feet around their neck, flips them over, contorts their body into a weird, painful position as she breaks their ankle. This thing has unbelieveable priority, and will grab people out of things you didn?t think possible (I regularly grab Terry clean through a Power Geyser with this). It goes under most attacks, combos after most of her normals, can be followed with a Leg Press, and sets up her mindgames. It has two downsides, however:
- It has a bit of recovery on block, so be careful in close range.
- Because of the way RB2 handles charge motions, you may get this at times when you don’t want to (principally when coming out of a block). :annoy: It’s because of this fact that Mary cannot do her Snatcher after a block. :rolleyes: Aside from that, this is your main tool with Mary and a move the opponent will come to despise.
[media=youtube]kbDTJCVaTXA"][COLOR=“DarkOrange”]**Young Dive **[/COLOR[/media](:d: 1 sec, :u:+:snkc:): Overhead: Mary launches herself into the air and comes down with a flying legdrop. It?s not too impressive on its own: it?s an overhead, does a little bit of damage, has good priority, and with the right positioning can land as a crossup. Sadly though, it has frame disadvantage, so be very wary of using it. It has 2 additional follow-ups that makes it a move to be feared.
[media=youtube]1rMmf6KAIgg"][COLOR=“DarkOrange”]Reverse Kick[/COLOR[/media] (:l:+:snkb:): Performed as she?s on her way down, Mary will twist her body and kick the back of the opponent?s head. While oddly this isn?t an overhead, this move is very effective for catching the opponent off-guard with an excellent crossup that has great priority. While it does give her a frame advantage, it puts her out of range to connect with anything. :bluu:
[media=youtube]uYZKUjWGP_w"][COLOR=“DarkOrange”]Dangerous Spider[/COLOR[/media] (:qcf:+:snkc:): Unblockable: Performed on the way down, Mary reaches out to grab the opponent?s arm, slamming them to the ground in an armbar and breaking it. This move is scaryfor a number of reasons: she?s completely invincible when she performs it: making it a great way to bait anti-airs (especially since it has very little recovery), and beat tons and tons of moves that are otherwise unbeatable. If they?re on the ground and doing anything besides crouching, backdashing, or sidestepping, they are caught. She can follow it up with a Leg Press and, you guessed it, sets up her wakeup games. The mindgame aspect of the move is what makes it so vicious: because everyone is conditioned to stand block an air attack, however, if they try to block it, they get grabbed. If they crouch, they risk eating the overhead of the Young Dive. As completely unorthodox as it is, this is Mary’s main special.
[media=youtube]iOwanFtcNTE"][COLOR=“DarkOrange”]Mary?s Spider[/COLOR[/media] (:qcf:+:snkc: in air): Unblockable: Essentially the same as the Dangerous Spider, except that it has a hint of startup, a lot more forward range, but a great deal less of an invincibility window. However, it can be performed at any point in a jump (can even be ?tiger knee?d?), and is one of the very short list of air moves that can be done from a hop. It?s also possible for Mary to cross-up this move by preceding it with an air :snkd:; Yet another reason to hit the dirt while Mary?s in the air.
[Supers]
[COLOR=“Yellow”][S-Power] [media=youtube]04_wolxv_Wo"]Mary?s Typhoon:[/COLOR[/media] (:r:, :hcf:+:snkb::snkc:): Unblockable: Mary somersaults forward before wrapping her feet around the opponent?s neck, flipping over their head, and slamming them headfirst into the ground with an explosion of rose pedals. Extremely useful with Mary?s mind-games, as it has a nice bit of invincibility at startup, keeps her low to the ground, has little recovery, is unblockable, and does a ton of damage. Tick + Mary?s Typhoon = Profit.
[COLOR=“Yellow”][P-Power] [media=youtube]jJzXr0KAxKs"]Mary?s Escalation:[/COLOR[/media] <=Must see! :wgrin:(:r:, :hcf:+:snkc:): ?Okay!? Mary stops playing around, tucks her hair behind an ear, and puts on her dreaded rapeface?. :amazed:
For 10 seconds, Mary goes from annoying to scary as hell as her number of specials double. Her stance change is ?extremely- fast; fast enough to squeeze in between hits of a combo, and has a small window of invincibility. While she?s in her new stance (which is the Ex-Mary’s stance from Real Bout Special, with essentially regular RBS Mary’s specials ), 3 new specials, a bunch of new links, a new pursuit that she can use to her heart?s content until the meter runs out or she performs the Dynamite Swing finisher.
** Special Note: ** Unlike Duck King?s Duck Dance, Chonrei?s multi-fireball S-Power, or Rick?s Max Shooting Star, Mary?s Escalation moves do not drain her meter when she uses them. So she can spam them all she wants until her meter runs out. Additionally, whatever meter she has left at the end of the round transfers over to the next round as an S-Power. :wow:
** Special Note #2: ** The second link (the Snatchbreaker, Double Crunch, and Double Spider) won’t come out if the opponent is too far away, even if the first part hits. Also, with exception to the Snatchbreaker, they only do damage when not linked into a Dynamite Swing. Although you get more damage overall when you do the Dynamite Swing, it will end the Escalation. Despite this, in many cases, it?s better to hold off on doing the Dynamite Swing until you?re about to lose the Escalation or the opponent is close to being KO?ed.
[COLOR=“Red”][Escalation Mode Specials]
[media=youtube]c0SN6B96kt4"]Mary?s Double Swing[/COLOR[/media] (:d:+:snkc: on a downed opponent): Mary?s new pursuit, which is essentially a mini-Dynamite Swing (which I?ll describe later). This can be performed after her Leg Press as well, thus giving Mary the only double pursuit in the game! :wow:
[media=youtube]sXndlTEF1xA"][COLOR=“DarkOrange”]Vertical Arrow:[/COLOR[/media] (:dp:+:snka:) Overhead, Juggle, Breakshot: Perhaps -the- scariest of the Escalations: a powered-up version of the Snatcher, this move has insane invincibility, priority, does great damage, near instantaneous startup, is breakshot-able, and?brace yourself?it?s an instant overhead. :wow: So many things become unsafe in the face of this move: it easily beats any and every jump in, it extinguishes the Sky of Fire, it can trump the Raging Storm, the Kaiser Wave…you name it: it beats it. 
Not to mention that when mixed in with her lows, this move becomes nigh-unblockable. :looney: This not only the best anti-air in the game, it’s also the best overhead! But that?s not all! It also links into?
[COLOR=“Red”]Snatchbreaker (:dp:+:snkb:): Performed at any point once the Vertical Arrow hits, she?ll slam them to the ground and break their neck with her legs ala the Mary?s Snatcher. Between these two moves alone, you get more damage than a number of character?s bread and butters?and there?s more!
[INDENT][media=youtube]I4cVnyCsZ_o"]Mary?s Dynamite Swing[/COLOR[/media] (:d:+:snkc:): Performed during the Snatchbreaker, the screen will flash and Mary will pick up the opponent by the feet, swing them round n? round n? round in a star-spangled giant swing before sending them spiraling across the screen for big damage.
[/INDENT]
[media=youtube]dXkKa9UnSRs"][COLOR=“DarkOrange”]Straight Slicer:[/COLOR[/media] (:l: 1 sec, :r:+:snka:): Low, Juggle, Breakshot: A powered-up version of the Crab Clutch. This move, while still hitting low and slightly faster, still doesn?t combo from a jab, has slightly less range and doesn?t auto-snatch the opponent through moves as the Crab Clutch does, since you have to do a follow-up motion. However, it makes up for this by having a -ton- of invincibility, more than enough to go through projectiles such as Joe’s Double Tornadoes, the Reppuken, and even the Kaiser Wave. A very solid move that links into?
[COLOR=“Red”]Double Crunch (:l:, :r:+:snkb:): Performed once the Straight Slicer connects: she catches them in ankle-breaking motion of the Crab Clutch. It?s excellent in that it can setup her wake-up games on top of doing big damage since it can be set up into Leg Press and from there, the Double Swing (45% uncomboed, see Double Swing video link). Finally, it can be linked into a?
[INDENT][media=youtube]oHi7v1TLkAY"]Mary?s Dynamite Swing.[/COLOR[/media][/INDENT]
[media=youtube]cxPY7MKgD_M"][COLOR=“DarkOrange”]Spin Fall[/COLOR[/media] (:qcf:+:snkc:): * Juggle, Breakshot: * Mary regains her old Spin Fall, in which she flips towards the opponent and drives her heel on top of their head. While not an overhead like the Vertical Arrow, nor does it hit low like the Straight Slicer, and does less damage than both, it makes up for this by being the special with the quickest recovery, can combo from jabs, has an obscene amount of invincibility, as well as sailing over low attacks and projectiles (as if that mattered with all the invincibility :lol:). This is a great harasser, and an excellent way to get inside an opponent’s range. It also links into the?
[COLOR=“Red”]Double Spider (:qcf:+:snkc:): Performed during the Spin Fall, Mary goes into her Spider grab that then can followed with a Leg Press and sets up more wakeup games. Finally, it can be linked into?
[INDENT][media=youtube]IpbcSTnFDVA"][COLOR=“DarkOrange”]Mary?s Dynamite Swing.[/COLOR[/media][/INDENT]
** Strategies **
Mary?s a one-woman swarm: she operates best in close range and has the speed to get there. Stay on top of the opponent as much as you possibly can. At a range use her Crab Clutch to punish mistakes and setup her wakeup games. Also be sure to use the backplane. Her line-shifting :snkc: is an excellent move, so use it often, but be careful if the opponent is quick with a backplane attack. :lol:
Also, always have a down-back charge ready for a Crab Clutch or Young Dive at a moment?s notice and throw the Young Dive into blocked chain. It?s one of those moves people see and go :wtf: and panic because it forces a guessing game out of nowhere.
The absolute last thing you want is for the opponent to force you into a poking / zoning game. Mary?s pokes are okay, but far from her best asset.
Last, but certainly not least, use her S and P-Powers. If the opponent is trying to poke or is being overly defensive, a Mary Typhoon will shake them out of it in a hurry. And then there?s the Mary Escalation. Mary can end a match with this thing in a big, big hurry. :looney:
For 10 seconds, this mode shuts the opponent?s entire game down. Everything becomes unsafe: jumps, hops, back-dashes, whiffed moves, rushing, turtling?you name it. The best the opponent can hope to do is either run or force a mistake and capitalize on it (which can be a very risky proposition).
Mary?s Escalation is one of those supers that is made stronger because of the psychological aspects of it. Any time they see Mary with a P-Power, they?re going to think twice about what they?re doing. And you can use this to your advantage. :badboy:
If you really want to be dastardly, you can make the threat of an Escalation last for nearly 20 seconds. When anyone gets a full meter, it begins to drain (which takes 10 seconds to empty completely), but because the activation is so short, the threat of the Escalation doesn?t begin when she activates it, it begins as soon as she gets a P-Power meter. :wow: Once she activates the Escalation, the P-Power re-fills, her Escalation moves are unlocked, and the counter restarts, giving the opponent another 10 seconds to sweat it out. 
Chains
- :snka:+:snkb:, :snkc:
- :snka:+:snkb: xx Special / Super
- (:d:):snka:, (:d:):snkb:, :snkc:
- (:d:):snka:, (:d:):snkb:, :r:+:snkc: (Knocks into backplane)
- (:d:):snka:, (:d:):snkb:, :df:+:snkc: (Launcher) xx S/S
- (:d:):snka:, (:d:):snkb:, :d:+:snkc: (Low)
- :d:+:snka:, :snkc:, :df::df:+:snkc: (Grapple)
- :snka:, :snkc: xx S/S.
- :l:+:snkb: (2nd hit Low), :df:+:snkc: (Launcher) xx S/S
- (:d:):snkb:, (:d:):snkb:, :snkc:
- (:d:):snkb:, (:d:):snkb:, :r:+:snkc: (Knocks into backplane)
- (:d:):snkb:, (:d:):snkb:, :df:+:snkc: (Launcher) xx S/S
- (:d:):snkb:, (:d:):snkb:, :d:+:snkc: (Low)
- :snkc:, :snkc:, :snkc:
Whew, that was an absolute beast! I hope this helps at least one player out there, enjoy! :tup:
This is handy for quickly switching places with the opponent.