The importance of the back dash ( b,b ) in sf4

I want to know how useful is the back dash.
For example: I get knocked down, someone do a jumping crossup, I block it, then …

  1. I mash crouching jabs or shorts: Not useful because the opponent can try to throw you, and since he has frame advantage ( from a deep crossup attack ), the throw will beat the poke. Even if the opponent did a crouching jab after the crossup, and then try to throws you it will still win against a crouching weak attack from your part.
  2. I block: The opponent throws me.
  3. I mash jab+short: In this way I try to guess that the opponent will attempt to throw me right away and I will tech the throw. Problem is that if the opponent does crouching jabs or shorts they will win against my throw ( or can I press db+jab+short? That way I will evade his crouching attacks if they have frame advantage against me while attempting to tech a possible throw ).
  4. I mash a special move like a srk: If they try to throw me or poke low, the special will beat those attacks. Also if the opponent has frame advantage while doing the crouching attacks, even if I mash a special it wont come out because I will stay in a state of blocking. Problem is that if he decides to just block right after the crossup or after a single poke or two, I will be open for big damage afterwards.

Now my question: Is backdashing here a safe option? What are the starting frames of the backdash and how much invincibility it has?

This also applies for those situations when I get knocked down and the opponent just stays close to me trying to either throw me or make a meaty attack that will beat my throw right after I get up ( like meaty balrog crouching attacks when you are getting up ).

First of all, you shouldn’t really be mashing anything. If you are looking for an option to beat throws and keep them off you without throwing out anything that’s really unsafe, yes, you can do db+jab+short. But don’t mash it.

If they walk up to you press it as they get to you, or if they’re standing right at you, you can press it as you wakeup. If they’re doing a block string, time your pressing of db+jab+short as one button press in sync with or just after the hits from their string. Once for every time they throw something out means you’re not leaving yourself open, but not wildly mashing on it so hard that even if they go for a throw you’ve already mashed it too early during a frame trap and missed the window.

As for whether or not backdash is a safe option, this is dependant on lots of things. For example, if you’re rose and you backdash and they’re abel and try to command grab you, you’re laughing and get away without a problem. But if you’re Hakan, not oiled up, and they’re rufus and do ex messiah, it travels forward so you might not get away with it so easily.

Backdashes do have invincibility frames, but like many other things in sf backdashes are character dependant. Some people have a much better backdash than others, and you still have to bear in mind who you’re fighting. If they have a fast, forward moving special then it’s maybe not as good an idea as it might be against a grappler for instance.

best bet to avoid all those situations is just to block and prepare yourself for a throw. Once yo do that, you escape the pressure of a knockdown and the cat and mouse game begins again. block most of the time and mix in some backdashes as you said and some wakeup reversals to keep your opponent guessing. wakeup reversals, maybe the the right thing to do although you are taking a calculated risk. it may be advantageous in certain situations such as when you have a life lead and are up 1 round

Back dash can be really good, but if you’re too predictable about it, you can get punished (really hard) for it.

The posters above pretty much got it. You’re better off blocking there. And seriously, stop mashing.

back-dash can be character specific. as sakura, i use the FA-cancelled back-dash for specific jump-in situations from specific characters:

-if the opponent is far enough when they try the jump in, and i know i can’t anti-air, but i also don’t want to have to contend with a blockstring from a character that has a command throw, then i’ll FA absorb the jump-in and then back-dash. that will put me far enough from where they land so that they can’t spam that cr.jab, and if they sweep, the invincibility frames keep me safe.

Thanks for the feedback. Like Jeemer said, yesterday I tried the timed db+jab+short right after every poke string ( and after crossup attack ), and it works wonders! Mostly I do a db+jab+short once after a crossup attack, then if the opponent opted to do crouching pokes, I just keep tapping back. The back dash saves me from chunlis crouching weak attacks after a blocked level 2 FA, and also from a meaty balrog crouching strong before Im getting up.

I started typing up a long list of things you should be doing, but then I read under your name “No lag online>Arcade”,

You ain’t getting shit now.