Aspects of your opponent's fighting style

Some things I look for to feel a new opponent out are:

-Are they defensive or offensive at the beginning of each round?
-What's their favorite throw(s)?
-frequency of Evade
-frequency of Tech Escape (do they even use it?)

These are just a few examples. I'd like to hear the other things you guys look for that I should be more aware about.

 

-What do they do at disadvantage (abare)?
-Do they hit check well?
-Do they know my character?

The first one is important and often over looked by me. The most intricate setup will fail if you don't have the frames (lets say +4 and trying to use a knee class attack as opposed to a 16i).

Some people, including my Jeffry, always finishes strings even if it is blocked. Sometimes the strings end in highs. Punish.

Character knowledge can work in your favor and against you: Vanessa (if you don't know) has awesome range and strange moves, and a damaging Aoi uses /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/g.gif-cancels. With Vanessa, you can punish a ton of whiffs and stuff a lot of attacks. With Aoi, if your opponent doesn't know the attack animations and what can be canceled, /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/g.gif-cancels are useless.

 

Good point Sebo! There's a lot of moves in this game like that. Certain setups and mind games don't work on some one who doesn't know a lot of your characters moves and animations. Stopping a string and throwing doesn't matter on a noob cause they mash any ways and always clash or counter hit you.

 

I know realy quickly if someone knows eileen if when i do 214PP they get hit by the second P by a CH I know they were trying to LP me out the second hit which gives me CH since it's a special High.

What moves do you guys have a deal breakers that let you know someone doesn't 't know your character well? The list should prove useful in teaching noobs and people learning how to fight against your char how to do so better w/o having to learn the char.

 

I play two characters and here are the tell-tale signs i use for figuring out if the opponent does know them:

Vanessa:
* when they duck and punish /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/k.gif + /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/g.gif and /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/d.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/k.gif strings
* when they continue to go for guaranteed throws even if i low punch my way out of them due to lag (usually after OS moves like /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/uf.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/k.gif + /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/g.gif or /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/b.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/df.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif + /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/k.gif )
* when they block low if they see me back turned (usually after a "whiffed" DS /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/b.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/k.gif + /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/g.gif )
* when they don't try to attack after blocking /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/b.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif

Lion:
* when they block and punish /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/k.gif + /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/g.gif moves
* when they continue to go for guaranteed throws even if i low punch my way out of them due to lag (usually after /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif or /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/df.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif )
* when they block low if they see me back turned (usually after /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/b.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/k.gif + /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/g.gif, kanpo /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif or a "whiffed" /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/b.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/b.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif )
* when they don't try to attack after blocking /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/b.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif + /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/k.gif

 

good stuff. I didn't konw a lot of that for lion, explains why I always had such a hard time against him

 

i check if there offensive or defensive..
do they fall 4 simple setups..

can they defend.. I have notice alot of people have good offensive moves with there char put cant defend others attacks 4 shit..
Also i look 4 can they tech..Yes u will be shocked 2 no alot of people cant tech or they dont do it well. i have fought 7th 8th dans who cant tech shocking they got that far and cant tech..

 

some things that i check for when playing an opponent to determine how good they are against my character.

in no particular order

1. how well they shake out of staggers
2. can they throw escape.
3. do they know how to interrupt my character's strings if i poke with them.
4. do they mix up their strings. (different h/m/l enders/cancel to throw)
5. which way they usually evade.
6. what they do after getting knocked down. (quick recover, roll sideways, lay there, rising attack, delayed rising attack)
7. do they use their character's sabaki if they have one.
8. can they land hit throws consistently.
9. do they do ground attacks, try to hit you on wakeup, spacing.
10. what combo's they do when they score counterhit/float/crumple.

i'm no pro but against beginners who mash certain strings its easy to interrupt if you know the last hit that naturally combos because after that the next hit is usually unsafe and you can get a counter hit into the combo of your choice. once you condition them to block then you can mix it up with the throws.

against good players i usually just play it by ear. i think its too hard to have a standard game plan when your opponent knows all their options. you have to be able to use all your options and for the most part stick with what works until it doesn't anymore.

i know if someone knows how to play against el blaze if they know how to nullify the rocket discharge after getting hit by dm p+k. once i see they are able to stuff it i have to switch back to a more hit check/poking game rather than a see how many times i can land hot dog on them game.

 

-Do they block, attack or OM on disadvantage?
-Do they block lows?
-Do they punish well?
-What direction do they roll after throws?


I also try to predict when they attack if I'm in advantage but do nothing. I try to get CH Knee for almost 50% of life bar.

 

You can make an opponent eat a lot of damage if they never shake off staggers.

 

Do they evade every time I block a move/string?

I love DM happy players -- throw or K+G > BT games become that much easier.