Scarlett Mirage in CvS was charge back though, not down back.
I meant QCF. Don’t know why I typed HCF 
Are there even any U commands in SF4 that are? LOL. More of a KOF thing forcing you to use HCF x2 instead of easy mode QCF x2.
I’m sure Niah will come around soon. lol
lol @ niah. this is always going a thing isn’t it?
Well Vegaman, I guess we are opposites because I find myself with the life lead the majority of games. Come to think of it, I rarely lose anymore. I’m not saying that I play rock solid opponents every time but most rounds I find myself commanding the life lead.
For as many wins that I manage to get, every once in a while, I receive a big slice of humble pie and a fat reality check of how lacking Vega is defensively in this game. In those circumstances, I am reminded of the reason why Vega has never won and will never win a major unless there is change. Thankfully change is happening.
The situation I speak of is having to play a skilled opponent using a vortex heavy character PROPERLY. I emphasize on properly because there are A LOT of akuma players out there but most do not possess the skill that truly exposes Vegas’s weaknesses.
As a Vega player, my defense is rock solid as well, and I can place myself statistically in the same category as you defense wise. However, no amount of defense can save you from the vortex.
I’m sure everyone here has experienced the hopelessness of being vortexed to death. It’s one of the worst feelings in this game to realize that you’re losing to game mechanics and not the skill of your opponent. During a long set against a skilled vortex player, you slowly lose hope of winning as you come to realize that your efforts are futile because although you’re giving it your all, playing your heart out, your opponent isn’t even breaking a sweat and yet they’re earning back to back to back wins. They’re earning these wins by simply being on autopilot. You realize that in order for you to win you have to play damn near perfect every round because one knockdown means an almost guaranteed loss. Simply blocking will not get you out of that situation.
You state that blocking is very strong in this game Vegaman, but I disagree. Throwing is greater than blocking in this game. If you’ve gotten your opponent to simply block, then you’ve already won. It means you’re already in their head and they fear you. Once fear has been established, a person is easier to read and the game is in your control because they start to react in fear.
I don’t want to sound all preachy but under those circumstances, I would give anything for an invincible option.
PS…I forgot to mention the lack of fear your opponent has during the vortex rushdown. There’s no fear because Vega lacks safe escape options and reversals. An invincible reversal would at least instill fear and doubt in your opponents mind. But without it, they’re free to do whatever they want.
I include throwing in my example above in the “walking” category
For Vega the vortex is nothing but a 50/50 mix-up game. The fact Vega lacks an invincible reversal makes the vortex easier to deal with not harder.
Think about it… blocking beats every option in the vortex except demon flip throw and empty palm throw. If you’re quick on the reactions, you can force them to corner themselves on the regular jump cross up or tatsu cross up. The vortex is by no means invincible and doing anything except a meaty on you is a pretty big risk to Akuma. That’s 7 options it beats to the 2 that it doesn’t. So yes, solid defense will beat the vortex. It’s the only thing that can without risking combo damage.
Blocking beats frame traps, throwing does not. As a matter of fact, throwing only beats ANY move if done on start up, and ONLY if it’s not an airborne move.
Blocking is so strong that the only option that can beat it AND deal significant damage is a throw.
Throws have a 10 frame tech window, and can be teched while crouching, and 90% of the throws in this game have completely shitty range.
Lastly, there aren’t too many bnb combos in the game that do less damage than their character’s throws. In terms of risk, you’re always better off taking the throw.
Blocking does something else that both reversals and throwing can’t do. It lets you see the opponent’s offense. It gets the opponent to show their cards early… when you have the health to spare. If throwing was greater than blocking in this game you’d be better off never or rarely blocking and almost always throwing whenever you’re on defense.
If your defense was as good as mine, why does Akuma’s vortex (or anyone’s offense for that matter) make you feel hopeless but not me? I find it hard to believe that I’ve never played a “good” akuma since I adopted my defensive attitude with Vega back when SSF4 was released and the tournaments I’ve gone to. The only time I feel “hopeless” is after the loss, because I can’t go and “un-lose.” This isn’t meant as a knock at you, but I find it difficult to understand how someone who has solid defense can’t see exactly how strong blocking is in this game… when that is the single best defensive option there is.
You do have me curious though. Where do you live? If you’re close enough to me and on PSN, I’d like to test your offense against my defense. I could use some ideas to break down defense like you can.
I live in NYC. I have a PSN account but I’ve been strictly playing on PC recently because the connection is much better. I’ll move my PS3 into my room so I can have a wired connection to play you. My PSN ID is nicfurious29 and my windows live ID is Nicolaus29.
I’ll hook everything up tonight so we can spar. I suggest you choose your alternate character so I can effectively show you how I play. The mirror match nullifies too many of my options, so it wouldn’t give you a good example of how I truly play.
I can see that our meta game is completely opposite. I view blocking in this game as a weakness, you view it as strength.
If you’re on a good connection it won’t be too bad to Atlanta.
I have solid service but only when wired. My wireless connection is ass, but I’ve had to deal with it because my PS3 is in a room that doesn’t have a wired connection. I’ll move it specifically for our match, so connection should be solid.
Use a bridge to get wired quality wirelessly
only oni u2 have 2xhcf command!
also ST invincibility does overlap with the first active frame. ST STARTS on the 4th frame, not after. so there you go 
No I meant it needs to overlap with ALL active frames on first hit. Not just the first
Hi, I read on the official change list that RCF is -8 on hit? WTF?
It’s changed.
Err… It changed to what?
Dunno yet. We just know it’s changed.
that’s a bit bs if it’s all active frames! it’ll turn it into cammy’s dp!. fei long has invincibility only on the first active frame as well, and it turned out alright for him. still a great anti air
I agree it’s BS but you also have to remember…
Fei long doesn’t have to have downback charge, AND it can be FADC, AND it can combo after, AND it has better hitboxes/hurtboxes, AND all versions of the move have invincibility, AND it’s not his only invincible reversal…
Just saying it’s a bit difficult to compare the 2. I agree that it would be BS though, but then it actually becomes a good AA, which adds to its usefulness. 4 frames by itself is insufficient though.
that down back charge is a bloody problem. fadc don’t matter, combo don’t matter and hitbox/hurtbox don’t matter when using it as a pure anti air though. of course, it does suck how we can’t use it whenever we feel like it. i hope it we we’ll be able to auto correct it when the opponent crosses up
really…???
so moves like cHP from Sakura and cMP from Juri… hitboxes don’t matter when using it as a pure anti-air…
Hitboxes are more important than invincibility. This adds more usefulness.
FADC gives it the ability to be safe on say, trying to anti air a safe jump. That adds more usefulness.
You can already autocorrect it when the opponent crosses up. Just not on meaty crossups. 4 frames of invincibility won’t change that. But if you extend it to cover all active frames on the first hit of EX ST… then you can.