From: hkong@unixg.ubc.ca (Henry) Newsgroups: rec.games.video.arcade Subject: [VF2] KAGE-MARU FAQ v2.0b4 (1/1) Date: 21 Feb 1996 04:32:33 GMT VIRTUA FIGHTER 2: THE KAGE-MARU FAQ Version 2.0b4 (20 Feb 96) Written by Tan Wu Meng wumeng@pacific.net.sg Copyright 1995 and 1996 by Tan Wu Meng. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced for sale, profit, or commercial purposes without the express permission of the author. Unauthorised reproduction by game magazines is expressly prohibited. This FAQ may be freely distributed within the gaming community, so long as it is on a non-profit basis. The Kage FAQ, like any repository of information, is a work in progress. As such, comments, corrections, and contributions will be greatly appreciated. All correspondence can be sent to the above e-mail address. This FAQ (and future updates) can be obtained as follows: World Wide Web "The Home of Virtua Fighter" http://www.w3masters.com/vfhome (http://www.w3masters.com/vfhome/vf2/vf2kage.faq) The above WWW site is a very cool source of VF2 information, and has a comprehensive supply of VF2 guides and FAQs besides this one. Check it out; it's definitely worth the visit! +=================+ |Table of Contents| +=================+ PREFACE TO THE 2ND EDITION INTRODUCTION VERSION HISTORY MOVE LIST TECHNIQUES, PART I (a) Escape from throws (Introduction) (b) Stances (c) Standing & crouching (d) Crouch dashing (e) Use of guard button (f) Counters (g) Reversals (h) Getting up MOVE ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES, PART II (a) Stance strategy (b) Getting throw opportunities (c) Practical use of crouch dashing (d) Modified crouch moves (e) Staggers (f) Dual purpose moves (g) Use of low punch MANAGING THROW ESCAPES GETTING UP & KEEPING THEM DOWN (OKI-ZEME) (a) Getting up process (b) Types of rising attacks (c) Kage's rising attacks (d) Oki-zeme (e) When you're grounded (f) The invincible getting up THE SENBON PUNCH (a) What is the Senbon Punch? (b) Closing in (c) Senbon turn-around (d) After a stagger (e) Maximum float (f) Limitations of Senbon (Defeating the Senbon) OPTION-SELECT THE ART OF COMBINATION (a) Conventional Combos (b) 10-Foot Toss Combos GENERAL KAGE PHILOSOPHY COMBAT CONQUEST CPU GUIDE RANKING MODE (a) Introduction to ranking (b) Required moves LIST OF COUNTERS LIST OF REVERSALS LIST OF STANCE-DEPENDENT MOVES LIST OF COUNTERS FOR RISING ATTACKS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS +==========================+ |PREFACE TO THE 2ND EDITION| +==========================+ The second version of the Kage FAQ was originally conceived as a revision to the original, with updates to reflect the latest discussions on the Internet newsgroup "rec.games.video.arcade". However, it soon became clear that with the many recently discovered aspects of the game, a complete rewrite was needed. Since I was constructing a totally new FAQ, I took the opportunity to reorganise the structure. To strike a balance between the casual player and the VF2 professional, I have placed the more elementary information in front, with advanced techniques like the Senbon Punch and Oki-Zeme moved to the back. Long and comprehensive lists, such as the lists for counters and reversals, have all been shifted to the very end, out of sight from all, yet still available to those who want to know. When discussing the size of the new FAQ with one of my longtime VF2 friends, I was warned that nobody would read the new FAQ because of its mammoth size. It is my hope that this won't be the case. The aim of any VF2 FAQ, is to help readers play the character to his fullest potential. In line with this goal, I have tried to put in everything you will need to do that, without making it overly difficult to read. Credit must be given to all the VF2 experts from around the world who contributed information and ideas to the FAQ, of which a list can be found under the Acknowledgements. Much of the interesting and helpful information was contributed by them. On the other hand, if there are any mistakes in the FAQ, they are most certainly because of my limited skills and understanding. To conclude, on behalf of everybody who had a part in the making of the Kage FAQ, I would like to wish you an enjoyable time --- now go and start 10-Foot Tossing those opponents! :) +============+ |INTRODUCTION| +============+ According to Sega, Kage has joined the World Fighting Tournament to find out the fate of his mother, who was abducted many years ago by the mysterious group which is now organising the event. Kage's fighting style is jujitsu, which encompasses several styles of fighting. Because of this, Kage has a very large array of moves to draw on in VF2. Of all these moves, his most powerful is the Ten Foot Toss, which has spelt the defeat of many players. While it takes a while to become deadly with other powerhouses like Akira or Lau, even the average Kage player can have a strong arsenal of follow-ups to the Ten Foot Toss. If your local community does not approve of Ring Out as a way of winning in VF2, you will not be able to play Kage to his full potential. The nature of Kage fighting, is such that Kage can threaten RO from anywhere in the entire ring. An opponent who keeps his back to the edge, can easily find himself being pressured backwards until he falls out of the ring. In the reverse case, any opponent who has followed Kage across the centre of the ring, is seriously risking RO by Ten Foot Toss (TFT). In general, Kage is up there with Lau as one of the most stressful characters to play against, simply because Kage players are noted for making miraculous comebacks, even when they only had a sliver of lifebar left. Of course, if you are the one playing Kage, it means that there is always hope, no matter how badly the first part of the fight went. But enough commentary for now. The best way to discover the power of Kage is to find out for yourself. With that in mind, I hope that you will find reading the Kage FAQ as rewarding an experience as I had creating it. +===============+ |VERSION HISTORY| +===============+ 1.00 Initial public release. 1.01 List of e-mail addresses reduced to just one, for simplicity. Expanded on d+P method to avoid throws. 1.10 Added Version History. Added info on where to get this FAQ. Expanded further on d+P method to avoid throws. Now includes P+G. Corrected a few typing errors for moves. Added caveat on low kick (d+K) Expanded section on turnaround attacks (back facing opponent) Corrected move analysis on Heel Kick (d+K+G) Expanded section on rising knee (crouch,f+K) Expanded section on backward kickflip (u/b+K) Corrected serious typo in throws section. Expanded combos for turnaround moves. Added some "semi-counters" to the counters list. These are counters that do not always work, but are included because of their potential usefulness in special situations. 2.00 Completely new version. Rewritten from scratch, and reorganised for better clarity. +=========+ |MOVE LIST| +=========+ In this section, the letters "u,d,b,f" denote the directions of up, down, back and forward respectively. If the letter is in lowercase, then it signifies a tap of the joystick in the appropriate direction. (e.g. d+P means tap down and Punch together). Similarly, uppercase letters indicate that you must hold the joystick in that direction. (e.g. U+P means hold up and Punch together) Diagonal directions are indicated with a slash. For instance, d/f would mean the diagonal direction between down and forward. VF2 has three buttons: Guard, Punch and Kick. Their abbreviations here are "G", "P", and "K" respectively. Moves where buttons must be pressed simultaneously, are indicated with a plus sign. (e.g. f+P+K, means tap forwards, Punch and Kick together). Certain complex motions have abbreviations. SCR denotes a semi-circle roll of the stick, and QCR denotes a quarter-circle roll. For example, "f,SCR,b" would mean rolling the stick from forwards to backwards in a "U" shape. Similarly, "b,SCR,f" would mean rolling the stick from backwards to forwards, again in a "U" shape. The move list also includes several categories of information: Lvl: where the move hits (H=high, M=middle, L=low, G=ground, n=non-defender or airborne) Dmg: damage caused by the move (where Wolf's Twirl & Hurl is 100) Ini: initiation time, or how long the move takes to come out Hit: after initiation, how long the hit detection is active Rec: how long it takes to recover Pos: recovery position (S=standing, C=crouching, F=changes feet position, D=on ground) Rev: who can reverse these moves, e.g. PA = Pai & Akira (A=Akira, P=Pai, K=Kage, W=Wolf) In the Ini, Hit and Rec categories, the time is given in frames. In VF2, time is measured in frames, and there are 60 frames of animation every second. Using this internal clock, we would find that a recovery time of 20 frames is equivalent to 1/3 of a second, and vice versa. You should also note that for combos (e.g. P,P,K) the move descriptions and figures only apply to the last part of the move. For example, in the punch- kick combo "P,K" the information given is only for the kick. However, to help you with calculating combo damage, the total damage for the combo is given in brackets --- e.g. for the punch-kick combo, the damage is listed as "30(40)", which means that the kick in the punch-kick combo will do 30 points, and the total combo damage is 40 points. During combos, there is no recovery time between moves. Thus for the punch- kick, immediately after the punch hit detection time expires, the kick initiation time will begin. Recovery time only begins after the last move in a combo. For hopping moves, you have to tap the joystick up in the direction of the hop. If the hopping move is marked as "+P", it would mean hopping and tapping the Punch button simultaneously. For those marked "asc" and "desc", it means tapping the buttons during the ascending and descending part of the hop respectively. For jumping moves, you must hold the joystick up and in the direction you want to jump. Thus a forwards jump would be accomplished by U/F, and a forwards takeoff kick would be done with U/F+K. Apart from this, the same notes for hopping moves will apply. Certain moves can only be done from a crouch, such as Kage's rising knee. These moves will be denoted with a "FC" beforehand. Thus Kage's rising knee is "FC,f+K", which means that you must crouch before tapping f+K. BASIC MOVES Description Lvl Dmg Ini Hit Rec Pos Rev ----------- ----------- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- P punch H 10 8 2 10 S PKA d+P low punch L 10 10 2 8 C A K roundhouse kick H 30 12 4 22 S PA d+K low sliding kick L 14 16 3 24 C A d/f+K sidekick M 22 14 3 24 S PWA HOP MOVES Description Lvl Dmg Ini Hit Rec Pos Rev ----------- ----------- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- +P hopping chop n 30 43 6 22 S P(asc) hopping jab L 24 48 6 30 S +K hurdling hop kick n 20 10 4 29 S K(asc) hop kick n 20 34 2 12 S P K(desc) hopping sweep L 20 52 4 39 S JUMP MOVES Description Lvl Dmg Ini Hit Rec Pos Rev ----------- ----------- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- f+P overhead hammer n 30 97 2 43 S +K takeoff jumpkick n 30 19 4 88 S f+K front dropkick n 40 93 7 53 S K(asc) mid-air kick n 30 10 4 K(desc) landing kick n 30 93 4 10 S b+K rear dropkick n 40 95 4 43 S U/F+K 2.5 roll & slam n 30 91 6 45 S (Note: The 2.5 roll & slam can only be done at long distance.) TURNAROUND MOVES (OPPONENT IN FRONT) Move Description Lvl Dmg Ini Hit Rec Pos Rev ----------- ----------- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- b,b+P downward slap H 14 13 3 14 S PK b,b+P+G upward slap H 14 14 3 13 S b,b+K back thrust H 30 15 3 17 S P b,b+K+G toe slide L 12 18 4 18 S (Note: The b,b+K+G will always knock down the opponent if it connects.) TURNAROUND MOVES (OPPONENT BEHIND YOU) Move Description Lvl Dmg Ini Hit Rec Pos Rev ----------- ----------- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- P punch H 12 12 2 18 S PKA d+P double low punch L 28 * * 22 S A D+P punch from crouch H 12 15 3 22 S PKA K roundhouse kick H 30 16 2 24 S PA d+K sliding low kick L 30 13 4 36 S D+K kick from crouch H 30 19 3 28 S PA u+K flipover knee M 30 31 7 32 (*Note: The d+P does 14+14 damage. Ini-Hit values are 12-2, 19-3.) POUNCES (WHEN YOUR OPPONENT IS DOWN) Pounce Description Lvl Dmg Ini Hit Rec Pos Rev ----------- ----------- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- u+P (near) head slam G 30 41 9 59 S u+P (near) head slam (miss) 41 9 59 D u+P (mid) foot slam G 40 49 2 80 S u+P (mid) foot slam (miss) 49 2 25 S u+P (far) knee slam G 30 48 4 73 S u+P (far) knee slam (miss) 48 4 68 S d/f+K heel smash G 15 28 5 39 S SPECIAL MOVES & COMBOS Move Description Lvl Dmg Ini Hit Rec Pos Rev ----------- ----------- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- P,K punch-kick H 30(40) 12 4 22 S PA P,P 2 punches H 10(20) 7 2 13 S PKA P,P,K 2 punches & kick H 30(50) 14 2 28 S PA P,P,P 3 punches H 12(32) 9 2 18 S PKA P,P,P,K PPP & mid-kick M 30(62) 16 4 32 S PWA P,P,P,u/b+K PPP & kickflip M 20(52) 10 3 34 S f+P elbow M 19 11 2 21 S PA FC,f+K rising knee M 38 14 6 36 S d+K+G heelkick M* 35 14 4 28 S P u/b+K kickflip M 40 20 2 34 S u/b+K+G backward kickflip M 50 10 4 56 S f,f+K backheel sweep L 20-30 26 7 30 S,F f,f+P+K+G catapult kick L 40 20 20 76 S b+K+G back thrust H 30 22 3 21 S b,QCR,d+K sliding tackle L 19 19 6 47 S,F A f,f+K+G corkscrew kick M 30 25 14 46 S,F b/d+P dodging swipe H 14 12 2 16 S PKA u/b backflip b+G backwards cartwheel (Note: Kage's d+K+G heelkick will hit HIGH when in open stance.) (Note: the b/d+P dodge punch can be used to start any punch combo.) KAGE'S SLASH & CHOP MOVES Move Description Lvl Dmg Ini Hit Rec Pos Rev ----------- ----------- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- FC,f+P+K chopping shuto, M 16 15 4 26 S,F FC,f+P+K,P+K .horizontal shuto H 16 12 3 24 S b,f+P+K slash shuto, M 16 18 5 25 S,F b,f+P+K,P+K .horizontal shuto H 16 13 4 32 S d+P+K slash shikan-ken, H 16 23 3 19 S,F PKA d+P+K,P+K .back shikan-ken M 16 6 3 25 S A KAGE'S ROLLING MOVES AND ATTACKS Move Description Lvl Dmg Ini Hit Rec Pos Rev ----------- ----------- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- b,SCR,f+K roll fwd & sweep L 20-35 28 2 40 C f,SCR,b+K roll back & sweep L 20-35 30 2 30 C b,SCR,f roll forward 45 f,SCR,b roll backward 49 b,SCR,f+P multiroll fwd 43 f,SCR,b+P multiroll back 48 (b,SCR,f+K) roll fwd & sweep L 20-35 54 2 40 C (f,SCR,b+K) roll back & sweep L 20-35 59 2 40 C (b,SCR,f+All) roll & catapult L 40 19 10 84 S (b,SCR,f+P) shinsodan L 15 43 KAGE'S THROWS Throw Description Lvl Dmg Ini Hit Rec Pos Rev ----------- ----------- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- P+G shoulder throw H 50 78 S P+G (behind) torso takedown H/L 50 146 S b+P 10-Foot Toss H 40 83 S P+K+G toka throw H 50 90 S b,f+P reaping throw H 50 98 S KAGE'S REVERSAL Reversal Description Lvl Dmg Ini Hit Rec Pos Rev ----------- ----------- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- d+P wrist grab 50 75 S (Note: Kage's d+P reversal will grab most single palm/fist attacks.) +==================+ |TECHNIQUES, PART I| +==================+ +--------------------------+ |Escape from throws (Basic)| +--------------------------+ (i) What is a throw escape? ---------- In VF2, every character has a throw executed with P+G. All P+G throws can be escaped, if the victim taps P+G within the first 10 frames after the throw is initiated. (Jeffry's b+P+G body press can also be escaped, by tapping b+P+G instead.) Since the 10 frames make out to only 1/6 of a second, it is too late to react by the time the animation for the throw is displayed. Throw escape is therefore a matter of anticipation. If you expect the opponent to use a P+G throw on you, then you tap P+G beforehand in expectation of it. If two throws are keyed in simultaneously, things get more interesting. In this case, a P+G throw will take precedence over a complex motion throw. For example, if Wolf keys in his P+G suplex at the same time Kage taps b+P for a 10-Foot Toss, the P+G suplex will result. In some situations, people often go for a P+G throw, such as after their knee kick is blocked. At such times, you should enter P+G once you block the knee. Even if the opponent doesn't go for a P+G throw, you'll get your own P+G throw instead. Also, when going for a P+G throw or P+G escape against Jeffry, you should always key it in as b+P+G. Once this habit is ingrained, you won't have to think about it when fighting a Jeffry player who likes the body press. This split-second advantage (of not having to think about the b+P+G when playing Jeffry) can mean the difference between success and failure, so be sure to use it. (ii) P+G throw from crouch ---------- Kage can also P+G throw from a crouching position, and by extension, he can throw with d+P+G. (This applies to all characters except Akira, Wolf and Lion.) If the opponent crouches or is out of range, you get a low punch or G- cancelled low punch instead. Whether you prefer to use d+P+G or b+P+G against a Jeffry player is up to you, really --- d+P+G would help you duck attacks (and throw Jeffry if you're fast), but would not escape the b+P+G bodypress. The d+P+G throw method is useful when you're in a position where the opponent is going to standing throw you. Simply tap d+P+G rapidly. If you're fast enough, you'll drop to a crouch immediately (due to the low punch component) and the opponent's throw will fail. If you're not so fast (but still fast), the opponent will get thrown with a P+G throw (due to the P+G component). If you are slow, there is still hope, as you can still escape if the opponent decided to use a P+G throw. The "d+P+G escape" tactic becomes very useful when struggling out of a stagger, especially if the opponent is waiting to throw you just as you recover from the stagger. (iii) The controversy over P+K+G escape ---------- There has been some controversy over whether P+K+G can act as an escape for P+G throws. Apparently P+K+G works as an escape for some people, but fails for others. Whether it works for you, will depend on your finger position and how you tap the buttons. For some people, their fingers are positioned such that when tapping P+K+G, the P and G buttons make contact a frame or two before the K button does. Hence if the opponent was initiating a P+G throw, Kage will perform a throw escape. If the opponent wasn't tapping P+G, then the VF2 machine will be a little bit forgiving (as the P+G and K were only a frame apart) and a P+K+G turnover throw will result for Kage. What I recommend is that you experiment a bit in the arcade, especially against CPU Wolf and CPU Jeffry. Start the round with a single kick (K). Jeffry/Wolf will start a P+G throw against you. Immediately after the kick, tap P+K+G repeatedly, the same way you normally do Kage's P+K+G throw. If you find that most of the time, Kage escapes the P+G throw from Jeffry and Wolf, then it should be safe to use P+K+G as your preferred escape method. If it works for you, the "meta" P+K+G escape is very powerful, especially if you do it as b+P+K+G. In such situations, if the opponent keys in a P+G or b+P+G throw before you tap the buttons, you will still escape the throw. On the other hand, if you key in before the opponent does, he'll eat a P+K+G throw. In a later section, we'll look at throw escapes in greater detail, and discuss what to do when escaping somebody's throw, or if somebody escapes your throw. +-------+ |Stances| +-------+ In VF2, there are two kinds of foot stance: Open and closed. These two terms describe how your feet are aligned in relation to the opponent's feet. For a quick explanation, just look at the following diagram: YOU OPPONENT YOU OPPONENT * o * o * o * o (CLOSED STANCE) (OPEN STANCE) As shown in the diagram, you can get much closer to an opponent in closed stance, than when you are in open stance. Stance is an important factor in throwing --- it is harder to throw opponents in open stance, because you cannot get close enough as easily. One good way of determining if you are in open stance or closed stance, is to remember that in closed stance, you will see one person's front and one person's back. In open stance, you either see both persons' fronts, or (more rarely) both persons' backs. In open stance, Wolf and Jeffry have an advantage because of their longer throw ranges (1.5 versus 1.4 metres for the rest). Certain moves will also fail to connect in open stance. Other moves change their attack level depending on stance, and we'll examine this in a later section. Certain moves will change your stance, such as Kage's heel sweep (f,f+K) and his sliding tackle (b,QCR,d+K). If you find yourself in open stance and want to switch back to closed stance, just release the Guard button and hold the stick forward or backward. Kage will slowly inch into the closed stance position. It's worth noting that Kage's elbow has much better range when in open stance. Against players who like rising sweeps and elbow-counterable attacks, you should maintain the open stance. +--------------------+ |Standing & Crouching| +--------------------+ In VF2, you are either standing or crouching, unless you have been knocked over and are lying on the ground. Depending on whether you are standing or crouching, certain attacks and throws will not affect you. Another factor in this, is whether or not you are pressing the Guard button when the attack connects (i.e. touches) you. However, no matter whether you're standing or crouching when you block, there is no position where you are completely invulnerable. Low attacks will hit an opponent in standing guard. Low attacks can be blocked with a crouch guard, but then mid-level attacks will hit. Similarly, a high throw ("standing throw") will work on you only if you're standing, and a low throw ("crouch throw") only if you're crouching. The following table should clarify matters: ATTACK LEVEL STANDING GUARD CROUCH GUARD ------------ -------------- ------------ High Safe Safe Middle Safe Hit Low Hit Safe High Throw Thrown Safe Low Throw Safe Thrown Among all the playing characters, only Jeffry and Wolf have low throws. Dural (the opponent on the Bonus Stage) has low throws from Jeffry and Wolf. Guarding and un-Guarding are instantaneous, taking effect immediately when you tap or release the Guard button respectively. However, if you simply press the joystick (or release the joystick from the down position) the transition between the standing and crouching states takes 20 frames. During the transition the first 10 frames are in the beginning state, and the last 10 frames in the final state. So if you're standing, and you hold the joystick down, you are still considered as standing during the first 10 frames. Hence, if you start crouching at the instant your opponent starts a P+G standing throw, you'll still get thrown. However, the low punch and low kick will immediately put you into a crouching position, thus you can use them to avoid a standing throw. +--------------+ |Crouch dashing| +--------------+ Once you start playing against intermediate VF2 players, you'll find that conventional dashing with "f,f" and "b,b" motions has its limitations. During a normal dash, you are considered as a standing non-defender. As such, all attacks will cause damage if they hit you, as long as you're in the middle of the dash. In close combat, conventional dashing can also be a liability. If you're crouching at close range, an opponent can throw you the moment you get up, long before you've had the chance to dash back. Crouch dashing overcomes these limitations. Basically, a crouch dash is a dash that's executed while in a crouching position. To execute a crouch dash, the "f,f" and "b,b" motions are still the same. For a regular dash, the joystick briefly springs back to neutral between the joystick motions. So for a crouch dash forwards, you should use "d/f,d,d/f". For a crouch dash backwards, you should use "b/d,d,b/d". If you do it right, you'll see Kage stretch his legs out and take a step forwards or backwards, except that he'll be crouching throughout the motion. Another way to crouch dash is by tapping "d/f,d/f" or "b/d,b/d", whether you're standing or already crouching. However, this method is less reliable for some people, although it is the fastest way to crouch dash. Just pick what works best for you. Once you can crouch dash properly, it opens up many new possibilities in VF2. By crouch-dashing forwards, you can duck under many attacks, while still closing in effectively. For example, some players like to hold off opponents by high punching. A well-timed crouch dash can slide under the high punch, giving Kage a golden throw opportunity. In close combat, crouch dashing is a means of retreating without standing up, thus denying the opponent a chance to throw you. +-----------------------+ |Use of the Guard button| +-----------------------+ Proper use of the Guard button is essential for playing VF2 effectively. Here are some of the uses: (i) Distance control ---------- Normal dashing and crouch dashing do not give control over the distance moved. This can be a problem when avoiding fast attacks like Pai's sidekick, as a simple dash would avoid the attack, but leave Kage too far away to close in and counterattack or throw the recovering opponent. This problem is avoided by using the Guard button. During a normal dash, tapping Guard will cause Kage to stop immediately, and assume a standing guard position. The same applies for crouch dashing, except that Kage will assume a crouching guard position, so long as the joystick is held in any of the 3 down positions (b/d, d, or d/f) when the Guard button is tapped. The Guard button is also useful when you want to stop in the middle of a run. Normally, if you release the joystick during a forward run (you can run by tapping "f,F"), Kage will stumble to a rather clumsy stop. By tapping Guard during the run, your character will immediately assume the Guard position. This allows very precise control of distances, even when running. Making your opponent miss an attack through good distance control is a way to get throw opportunities in VF2. And as we'll see later, Kage only shows his true glory when he can get a throw. (ii) Buffering joystick motions ---------- When using moves with complex stick motions, Kage twitches a little bit before the move comes out. For example, when tapping f,f+P+K+G for the catapult kick, Kage will twitch forwards slightly before the kick comes out. A good opponent will be watching for this, and react accordingly. To get around this twitching and tell-tale signs, just enter the joystick motions while still holding the Guard button, but for the last movement, release the Guard and enter the final stick motion required. This process is called "buffering the move". Moves that can be buffered in are listed below. The motions in brackets should be done while holding Guard, and the motions outside the brackets are done without the Guard button: Turning downward slap (b),b+P Turning upward slap (b),b+P+G Turning high back thrust (b),b+K Turning toe slide attack (b),b+K+G Backheel sweep (f),f+K Flying catapult kick (f),f+P+K+G Flying drill/corkscrew kick (f),f+K+G Slashing fist (b),f+P+K Slashing fist, horizontal fist (b),f+P+K,P+K Reaping throw (b),f+P Of these moves, the catapult kick (f,f+P+K+G) and turning toe slide (b,b+K+G) can benefit the most from buffering. For the catapult kick, you can buffer in the forward motion while blocking a flurry of punches, then release Guard and tap f+P+K+G at the first opening to catch the opponent by surprise. Buffering in the turning toe slide also minimises the backward dashing effect of the "b,b" motion, thereby increasing the effective range of the toe slide. You can also combine distance control with the turning toe slide. As you dash towards the opponent, tap b+G simultaneously once you're at the ideal distance. Then release Guard and tap b+K+G to bring out the toe slide. From the opponent's viewpoint, it's as if Kage dashed forward and did a near- instant toe slide. (iii) Attack cancellation ---------- The Guard button can also be used to cancel a simple attack motion (e.g. kick, sidekick) if it is pressed shortly after the attack begins. Kage will start the kick and then retract it almost immediately, returning to the guarding position. It is good for playing mind games with your opponent, once you get the timing right for retracting the kick. Opponents with highly-strung nerves can be provoked into action with this. Using the Guard button to cancel Kage's punch-kick combo is also the foundation of the Senbon punch, which is an advanced technique we will look at later on. (iv) Combo cancellation ---------- Also known as "Guard cancellation" or "G-cancel", it is a feature of the VF2 game that tapping Guard will interrupt any combos already in progress, allowing the player to start a new combo or do something completely different. Why is G-cancel necessary? To understand the need for G-cancel, we must examine how the VF2 arcade machine analyses your joystick movements and button presses. Once you start the first move in a combo (e.g. the first punch in Kage's P,P,K), during the next few frames the computer will be watching for the next move. In our example of Kage's PPK, this will be the second punch. As long as a given amount of waiting time has not elapsed since the last move keyed into the machine, the computer will still link the moves into a combo. After this wait time (e.g. if you waited 2 seconds), the timer expires and the computer decides the user didn't want a combo after all. Because the computer is watching for the next move in a combo, it will not react properly if you start a different non-combo move during this wait time. An example would be doing a P,d+K with Kage, where the player wants Kage to punch and then low kick. Because the computer is watching only for the Punch and Kick buttons (as P can continue intp P,K or P,P,...) it disregards the joystick-down component of the d+K, and blindly proceeds with the P,K combo instead. However, if you tap Guard after the punch, it signals to the computer that you are intending to do something else, and the waiting time in the VF2 machine is cancelled. After that, you can continue with whatever you want. So to perform a punch and low kick, you should use "P,G,d+K". As a point of interest, Jacky's kickflip has a built-in Guard cancel. This means that if Jacky wants to do a punch, followed immediately by kickflip, he doesn't have to key "P,G,u/b+K". He can combine the G-cancel and kickflip together, and do it with "P,u/b+K+G". This makes Jacky particularly deadly in close combat, as there is no delay to tap the Guard button when G- cancelling combos into a kickflip. +--------+ |Counters| +--------+ (i) Introduction to counters ---------- In VF2, you can counter people's moves. Countering is hitting the opponent while he's still recovering from an attack. In this section, we'll concentrate on countering moves that you have blocked (i.e. the move touched you but did not cause damage). What exactly is a block counter? Basically, there are certain moves whereby you can always hit or throw the opponent after blocking them. An example would be Akira's double palm. If you block it, you can always retaliate with punch-kick, a throw, or a heelkick (d+K+G). These are therefore the counters for Akira's double palm. The mechanics of block counters can be quite interesting to study. To start, after blocking a move, you are stunned for a short time --- "block stun". Meanwhile, your opponent is also recovering from the attack. If the time you spend in block stun is shorter than the opponent's recovery time, you will have a window of opportunity to counter his move, also known as "advantage time". If your character has an attack with initiation time shorter than the advantage time, then that move can be used as a counter. To put it mathematically, the condition for successful countering is: Your block stun + Your counterattack initiation < Enemy recovery time Although it isn't accurate for aerial moves, a good formula is: Block stun = (2/3 of attack damage value) + 6 The block stun is also limited to a maximum of 22 frames, which occurs when attacks reach a damage value of 24 points. Certain moves are uncounterable if you block them, and are called "uncounterable moves". Either the block stun is longer than the opponent's recovery time, or the advantage time is too short to launch any counterattack. However, this does not mean it is impossible to fight an opponent who uses uncounterable moves. It just means that blocking the move is not the way to win. You should instead try to make them miss these moves, as the block stun will not apply (as the move missed and didn't have to be blocked). If the opponent's attack is not blocked, the following formula applies for successful countering: Your counterattack initiation < Enemy recovery time As you can see, for any given move by your opponent, you are generally in a better position if it misses, as compared to your having to block it. In the case of fast attacks, this can make all the difference. Take Pai's sidekick as an example; it recovers too quickly to be countered when blocked, but if you dodge back so that her sidekick just misses, you can dash back in and throw her, or punch-kick her for a knockdown and sweep. Missed attacks can often be punished by a throw. However, certain attacks are so fast that throws can be potentially risky for the counterattacking person. In such a case, simply punch-kick. PK may not be the most graceful way to counter, but it works well enough, especially against Jacky and Sarah players who use their knee attack as bait. (More on this later.) (ii) Kage's Counters ---------- There are four basic types of counters you can use with Kage: (1) Punch-Kick. Just tap P,K and the counter will come out. If it connects, follow up with the f,f+K foot sweep as the opponent will be knocked down. Don't wait until the attacker's limb retracts all the way back before keying in PK. You should hold forward while blocking the move, then immediately release the Guard button and PK the moment you see the opponent's attack being blocked. This is important when countering moves like Akira's sidekick, as the advantage time is quite limited. Holding the stick forward while guarding also increases the PK range by quite a bit, which is important when countering moves like Jeffry's sidekick, which push you back. (2) Throw. Any throw will work in this case, although you might have to buffer in a forward dash to close the distance. The best throw to use is the Ten Foot Toss (b+P). The Reaping Throw (b,f+P) is also useful in borderline cases where the opponent may already have recovered and entered a crouch to avoid your throw. This is because the b,f+P comes out as an elbow (f+P) if the throw fails, and the elbow will stagger a crouching opponent. The most common reason for a failed throw at close range, is because the opponent crouched before the throw was keyed in. (3) Heel Kick. Just tap d+K+G, and Kage will execute his heel kick. The heel kick can often be followed up with a foot sweep, and sometimes by a pounce. You can tell by listening to the normal sound of a heel kick hitting, and the powerful heel kick sound you get sometimes. If you hear the loud booming sound with a heel kick, then a pounce will have good chances for connecting. If you hear the regular sound, then a sweep is better. (4) Elbow Strike. The elbow counters are less common, but are effective for moves which leave the opponent in a crouching position upon recovery. Just tap f+P to do the elbow. If the elbow staggers the opponent (as it usually does), then follow up with a punch-kick and sweep. This is particularly useful against sweeping moves like Pai's sweep (d+K+G), and certain rising attacks. (iii) Major & minor counters ---------- If we generalise and do not restrict ourselves solely to blocked moves, hitting the opponent during the recovery time is also termed a "minor counter". If you hit the opponent during the initiation time of his/her move, it is called a "major counter". This is important, as minor counters do 25% more damage, while major counters do 50% more damage. Major counters also allow better pounce opportunities. You can tell apart major counters from normal moves, as the sound is louder and more booming in most cases. +---------+ |Reversals| +---------+ Kage has a reversal (activated by down+P), and it works against single palm and fist attacks --- he grabs the opponent's attacking hand and spins the opponent around, landing the opponent at his feet and doing 50 points of damage in the process. As long as you are in a situation where you can block the incoming attack, you can reverse it (assuming it's reversible of course). In short, a reversal isn't going to save you if you miss a kickflip and Akira decides to hammer you with his dashing palm --- since you wouldn't be able to block a dashing palm while recovering from the kickflip, neither would you be able to reverse it. This works both ways of course. If Akira whiffs a double palm and you immediately punch-kick him while he's in recovery, he can't reverse the punch even though he may have already keyed in the reversal before you attacked. You should bear this in mind when planning and using your reversals. Despite its limited range of applications, Kage's reversal can take the steam out of many attacks. For example, Lion's lunging fist thrust (f,f+P) cannot be countered by Kage, but you can reverse it. Virtually all of Lau's fist and palm attacks can be reversed as well. If you're interested, there is an exhaustive list of moves listed at the end of this FAQ, covering which moves Kage can reverse. +----------+ |Getting up| +----------+ (i) Getting up quickly ---------- When you've been knocked down in VF2, it is possible to get up faster by tapping the buttons and wiggling the stick. This is because the computer calculates the time to get up as follows: (1) You are knocked down (2) Every frame, a counter "Y" is increased by 4, if a stick motion or button press occurred in that frame. (3) If Y is larger than (D/2)-7, then you get up. Here "D" is the damage you took in the knockdown move. (4) After a certain time, you'll get up anyway, even if you remain inactive on the ground. If we simplify this to a simple formula, you therefore need (D/8 - 3/4) stick motions and/or button presses to get up. As you can see, the fastest way of getting up would be to wiggle the stick in a circle and tap all the buttons rapidly. This is how expert VF2 players seem to get up almost immediately --- just watch the sheer amount of action going on at the joystick and buttons. However, when getting up so rapidly, you sacrifice a bit of intiative, as this button-mashing forces you to lose control over which kind of rising attack results. The best compromise is to wiggle the stick in a circle, and tap only the Guard and Punch buttons. That way Kage will not launch a spurious rising attack, which can give good opponents an opening. (ii) Basic modes of getting up ---------- There are a few basic ways of getting up, all of which can be continued into a rising attack except the handspring. They are: (1) Handspring: Tap the joystick up repeatedly. (2) Roll away: Tap the joystick back (away from the opponent) repeatedly. (3) Twist away (out of the screen): Hold the joystick down and tap Guard repeatedly. Kage will roll towards the player, i.e. out of the screen. (4) Twist away (into the screen): Hold the joystick up and tap Guard repeatedly. Kage will roll away from the player, i.e. into the screen. For methods 3 and 4, it's best to experiment in the arcade to see what they are, because they are rather difficult to describe in prose. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. +=============+ |MOVE ANALYSIS| +=============+ +-----------+ |Basic Moves| +-----------+ High Punch (P) ----- Kage's high punch is the fastest punch in VF2, sharing this spot with Sarah's and Pai's high punch. It is a useful tactic when setting up an attack or closing in for a throw, as the high punch interrupts many attacks. If the high punch connects, the block stun gives Kage initiative after that. Kage can throw standing opponents after the high punch. If the opponent crouches, a sidekick will work, although even better is an elbow (f+P), as the resulting elbow stagger can be followed up with a punch-kick knockdown and sweep. The key to closing in with a high punch, is to guard-cancel the punch immediately, so that you have flexibility with your follow up. Even better than a punch is the Senbon punch, which has a section of its own in this FAQ. Low punch (d+P) ----- Kage's low punch is useful, as it slowly chips away at the opponent's lifebar, helping Kage to fight a war of attrition when at close range. The low punch also keeps Kage in a crouch, so that standing throws will not work on him. Jeffry and Wolf can crouch throw Kage after a missed low punch, but it is not an easy task. The main risk to Kage when repeatedly low punching, is Akira's low reversal. The low punch can also bring opponents to crouch, so that Kage can sidekick or elbow stagger. The elbow stagger should be used where possible, as the elbow-PK-sweep combo does a good amount of damage. At higher levels of VF2, Kage's low punch can be the winning factor in a fight. This is because if the low punch hits as a major counter, a punch- kick will connect thereafter. This is effective against Lau players, as they are always on the offensive, and a low punch will therefore be more likely to hit during Lau's move initiation phase. After the punch-kick knockdown, you should of course follow up with the f,f+K sweep. Roundhouse kick (K) ----- Kage's roundhouse kick, though it is a knockdown move, is not really useful except against beginners. Although opponents cannot counter after blocking it, they can still duck underneath it and punish you after the kick. In any situation where you would want to use this kick, a punch-kick would be better. This is because the punch gives you an opportunity to stop the combo and retreat if things are not going well for you, whereas the roundhouse kick commits Kage completely. Low sliding kick (d+K) ----- Also known simply as the low kick, this is a very good harassment move for Kage. It has very good range, and can slide under many attacks to nibble at the opponent's feet. It can also trick opponents into crouching, giving Kage an opportunity for the elbow stagger or sidekick. It is quite non-committal, and you can decide on your course of action after that. Just beware of Jeffry and Wolf. If your low kick misses, a powerbomb or some other low throw is guaranteed. A good Jeffry/Wolf player can even crouch throw you when they block the low kick. You should also use the low kick sparingly against Akira, because he can counter with a single palm after blocking it. Even if Akira chooses not to crouch and block it, he can also reverse it. So be careful. Sidekick (d/f+K) ----- This should be a basic move for all Kage players. It staggers crouching opponents, giving Kage just the correct amount of time to move in and throw them. Alternatively, if the opponent doesn't know how to struggle out of a stagger, you can punch-kick or heelkick for a knockdown. Kage's sidekick cannot be countered if blocked; it can only be reversed by Pai, Wolf and Akira. After a blocked sidekick, you only have to worry about low attacks and throws. However, Kage loses a bit of initiative when his sidekick is blocked, as the opponent is in block stun for 20.6 frames, while Kage's recovery takes 24 frames. Thus Kage is safe if he does nothing after his sidekick is blocked, but a punch (and therefore a punch-kick) from all opponents except Jeffry/Wolf will interrupt any attack he tries after that, as he is working on a 4 frame disadvantage. +---------+ |Hop Moves| +---------+ Hopping chop (hop+P) Hopping jab (hop, P while ascending) Hurdling hop kick (hop+K) Hop kick (hop, K while ascending) Hopping sweep (hop, K while descending) ----- To initiate a hop in VF2, you tap the joystick back/up, straight up, or up/for. Kage will hop a short distance forwards or backwards in the case of up/for and back/up respectively, while he will do a standing hop if you simply tap up. Kage's hop moves are generally of limited use, as in VF2 players are very vulnerable while airborne. However, the hopping chop is useful against players who always like to get up with a rising sweep. Start the hop+P just before the downed opponent starts the rising sweep, and Kage will chop the opponent for another knockdown. This is what CPU Kage does so well against players that rising sweep all the time. The hopping sweep also works well on players that stand there not knowing what comes next. Against a player who likes standing, the hopping sweep will often connect. Don't do it against a decent VF2 player, as a punch-kick will easily interrupt the hop. +----------+ |Jump Moves| +----------+ Overhead hammer (jump,f+P) Takeoff jumpkick (jump+K) Front dropkick (jump,f+K) Mid-air kick (jump, K while ascending) Landing kick (jump, K while descending) Rear dropkick (jump,b+K) 2.5 somersault roll & slam (U/F+K) ----- To jump in VF2, you again use the directions up/for, up, and back/for. However, you must now hold the joystick in the direction you are jumping. Jumping in VF2 is even more risky than hopping, as the opponent can start a jump underneath you if your first jumping attack fails. Characters like Kage, Sarah and Jacky can even kickflip you during the descent, for major counter damage and a free pounce thereafter. An up/for takeoff kick can be used as a desperation tactic, when Kage's back is to the ring edge and he is in danger of being pushed out. The takeoff kick can also be used to wait out the last few seconds of a round, when you are leading in lifebar and waiting for the Time Out win. The 2.5 roll & slam is not useful in real battle, but it is required for Kage to attain 9th Dan (1st Grade) in ranking mode. This move must be done from about 2-3 dash distances away from the opponent. Too near and the midair somersault roll will not appear --- you will get a takeoff kick instead. Too far away, and the slam will not connect against your opponent. Apart from this, the jumping moves are not very useful. +----------------+ |Turnaround Moves| +----------------+ Turn & downward slap (Opponent in front: b,b+P) Turn & upward slap (Opponent in front: b,b+P+G) Turn & back thrust (Opponent in front: b,b+K) Turn & toe slide (Opponent in front: b,b+K+G) ----- These turnaround moves serve to confuse the opponent. The b,b+K+G is particularly useful, as it comes out very quickly, knocks the opponent down, and can be followed up with the turnaround d+K if a minor or major counter resulted from the b,b+K+G. The b,b+K+G is very useful against standing opponents, due to its initiation time of 18 frames. Although this seems quite long, remember that it takes 10 frames to reach a crouching position by holding the joystick down. Until the opponent is truly crouching, the toe slide will still knock him over. Thus an opponent has only 8 frames, or 0.133 second to react to the b,b+K+G. Furthermore, Kage's toe slide cannot be reversed. Thus an Akira trying to reverse the move with G,d+P would be interrupted for major counter damage instead. Besides the toe slide, the turn & downward slap (b,b+P) is an integral part in Kage's 10-Foot Toss combos, which have a section all of their own. If you want to get fancy, close in with a b,b+P+G which is unreversible, and then tap d+K to knock the opponent over. Not very secure, but definitely fancy. Turn & punch (Back facing opponent: P) Turn & double low punches (Back facing opponent: d+P) Turn & punch from crouch (Back facing opponent: D+P) Turn & roundhouse kick (Back facing opponent: K) Turn & sliding low kick (Back facing opponent: d+K) Turn & kick from crouch (Back facing opponent: D+K) Flipover knee attack (Back facing opponent: u+K) ----- All these are Kage's options if his back is facing the opponent. Against an opponent at close range, Kage can either d+K to catch a standing defender, or u+K to hit a crouching defender. Against standing opponents, use the sliding low kick (d+K), which catches opponents rushing in hoping for a behind throw. For those who crouch in fear of the sweep, or who approach with a crouch-dash, use the flipover knee attack (u+K). Overall, you should rely on turnaround attacks sparingly, as none of them is really safe and reliable. The flipover knee attack (u+K) is slow to come out, and can be interrupted, while the sliding low kick has horrendous recovery time. For safety, use the d+P turnaround. It does not knock over the opponent, but has decent damage (14+14 points). Apart from this, the only time when you should use these attacks is as part of the "b,b+K+G,d+K" combo mentioned above. Your joystick positioning must be accurate for the d+K and d+P turnaround moves. This is because in addition to holding the stick down, the D+P and D+K turnaround moves can be done by tapping the joystick d/f or d/b. A good way of practising stick accuracy for the b,b+K+G,d+K move is to try doing Lau's sliding tackle, which is f,d+K. Once you can do f,d+K on both the left and right side controls, there should be no problem with Kage's combo. +-------+ |Pounces| +-------+ Head slam (near, u+P) Foot slam (mid-range, u+P) Knee slam (far, u+P) ----- Kage has 3 types of pounces. All are triggered by tapping u+P when the opponent is knocked down. Depending on how far the opponent is from Kage, three different pounces will come out. The most useful is the midrange pounce, as it does the most damage (40 points) and has the fastest recovery time if the pounce misses. The midrange pounce also connects well after a kickflip or major counter heelkick. The short range pounce has less range than the f,f+K sweep, so you should stick to the f,f+K sweep where possible. Following up knockdown moves with a sweep helps Kage retain the initiative against the fallen opponent. In contrast, the short range pounce has less range, and gives up the initiative completely. The short pounce also leaves Kage vulnerable if it misses and the opponent gets up in time --- good Akira players have been known to bodycheck the living daylights out of a missed short pounce. The long pounce should be avoided at all costs. The recovery is terribly long. If the opponent lands that far away, Kage is better off dashing forwards and doing the midrange pounce, or running forwards and doing the heel smash. Heel smash (d/f+K) ----- There are some subtleties to Kage's heel smash, which hits opponents lying on the ground. For instance, Kage always does the heel smash with his behind leg. Although this seems like small trivia, it is important in deciding whether or not to heel smash an opponent. In some situations, you can be quite sure about which way the opponent will roll, such as after a 10-Foot Toss, turnaround slap, PPPK combo (i.e. TFToD). This combo, if it doesn't ring out the opponent, will leave him lying at the ring edge, at a slight angle. To regain some breathing space after a TFToD from *right* to *left*, most opponents will roll *into* the ring, so that they will have more ring distance behind them when they get up. Keeping this in mind, you can therefore decide whether or not to heel smash. It so happens that in most cases, the situation just happens to favour an additional heel smash from Kage. Kage's foot alignment should always be kept in mind, because he is pretty vulnerable if the heel smash misses and the opponent rolls away --- Kage almost always gets hit by the rising attack in such cases. +----------------------+ |Special Moves & Combos| +----------------------+ Punch-kick (P,K) ----- The punch-kick is one of the fundamental combos for playing Kage. It is a fast attack, and counters many blocked moves effectively. Punch-kick is also a guaranteed knockdown after an elbow stagger, and has good knockdown changes after a sidekick stagger. The key to getting good range for the PK, is to hold the joystick forwards BEFORE entering the move. (Tapping f+P,K gets you an elbow instead.) You'll be surprised at how much extra distance the PK can reach. One way of doing this, is to hold the stick forward while holding the Guard button, then release Guard and tap PK. 2 punches (P,P) ----- This move can be used as a closing-in tactic. Just tap PP, then guard-cancel and do something else like a throw if the opponent stands, or a sidekick if he crouches. Or dash forwards and elbow the crouching opponent if you expect him to act like a turtle. But seriously, in any situation where you can PP, you might as well use two Senbon punches to close-in instead. This is because alert opponents have been known to duck under the punches and start a throw. 2 punches & kick (P,P,K) 3 punches (P,P,P) ----- These moves are generally of limited use, except to push the opponent back when he is close to the ring edge. Just remember that the punches can be reversed high, and so can the kick. This is particularly risky against Pai, as her reversal can pivot you right out of the ring and save her from being pushed out of the ring. Furthermore, if the opponent ducks under the PPK or PPP combo, you are asking for trouble, especially if you're pushing the opponent to the ring edge. This is because all characters except Lion have a throw to change places with you. In the case of Kage/Lau/Pai/Akira, you are practically asking for a loss by Ring Out if you get thrown at this stage. 3 punches & mid-kick (P,P,P,K) 3 punches & kickflip (P,P,P,u/b+K) ----- These combos are not very useful in close combat, as experienced players will simply keep a standing guard, wait for the combo to finish, then retaliate. However, the PPPK is effective in pushing opponents back at the ring edge. Just be careful to judge distances, and ensure that the opponent has been pushed out of the ring after the PPPK. The PPPK can also be used as bait. After the PPP, it is possible to delay as much as 28 frames before tapping the Kick button. Since there is no recovery time between moves in a true combo like the PPPK, the final mid-kick will come out in just 16 frames, which is quite fast. To set the bait, simply delay the last kick, just like how some Sarah players delay the knee in the elbow-knee combo. Many opponents will initiate an attack of their own after the 3 punches, as they'll think that they have the initiative. If you time the mid-kick correctly, it will interrupt the opponent for a major counter, allowing a sweep thereafter. Another use of the PPPK is as part of a 10-Foot Toss combo. The 10-Foot Toss (TFT) combos will be covered in a later part of this FAQ. Elbow strike (f+P) ----- Kage's elbow strike comes out quickly, but has limited range. However, to increase the range of the elbow strike, you can execute it as f,f+P which combines the elbow with a short dash forwards. To distinguish it from Akira's dashing elbow which is a true special move, we shall call Kage's f,f+P the "dash-in elbow". If Kage's elbow strike his a crouching opponent, he/she will stagger. A punch-kick knockdown and sweep is guaranteed after that. Alternatively, you can punch the opponent and then execute a throw. Against certain moves that leave the opponent recovering in a crouching position, Kage's elbow can act as a counter. A detailed list of counters can be found later in the FAQ. Rising knee (crouch, f+K) ----- This attack is quite useless against a defending opponent --- careful experimentation has shown that it is nowhere as useful as the knees of other characters. It is mainly useful once the opponent is already airborne, such as after the 10-Foot Toss (TFT). To be truly effective in float combos, you should learn how to get an "instant" rising knee, bypassing the requirement for a crouch before the knee appears. Doing such "modified" crouch moves will be discussed in detail later. For now, suffice it to say that some of Kage's most fearsome combos depend on the rising knee, such as (in vaguely ascending order of difficulty): TFT, knee, b+K+G, d/f+K TFT, knee, PPPK TFT, knee, P, PPPK It may seem unbelievable, but they can actually be done! Heel kick (d+K+G) ----- Fast and damaging, this is one of the most useful moves in Kage's arsenal. It will knock over opponents if it hits, allowing for a follow-up sweep. The heelkick is particularly useful against players that crouch and low punch all the time, such as Akira players who crouch and do nothing but the move for mid-reversal (G,b/d+P). Just time your heelkick so it hits them in the middle of the low punch, and you'll get a major counter, allowing a pounce thereafter. However, be careful not to use the heelkick against a crouching opponent in open stance. This is because the heelkick hits high in open stance, and a crouching opponent can punish you if this happens and they block it. The heel kick is the basis for many of Kage's counters to blocked moves. Due to the risk of being countered if the heelkick is blocked, this move is best used as a counter to blocked moves. Kickflip (u/b+K+G) ----- This move is fast and does lots of damage, although it has extremely slow recovery. Its main use is as an ambush move, since a pounce will almost always connect after a kickflip as major counter. Just make sure you're going to hit the opponent when you use this move, otherwise you're asking for trouble. You can also easily follow up the 10-Foot Toss with this, although you run the risk of being labelled a VF2 Pariah due to lack of style. Backward kickflip (u/b+K) ----- With much less range than its kickflip cousin, the backward kickflip only connects at very close quarters. It is therefore of limited use in actual combat, although it can be followed up with a sweep if it hits. Backheel sweep (f,f+K) ----- Also known as "the sweep", this is one of Kage's primary moves. It comes out very slowly, so opponents can see it coming, which reduces the sweep's use as an attack. You should instead use it after knocking the opponent down. Just make it a matter of habit, and you'll be surprised at how often the extra 20-30 damage points result. Particularly good moves to follow up with a sweep, are Kage's punch-kick, rising knee, heel kick, and his rising attacks. An important component of Kage's elbow(stagger) into PK-sweep, the sweep will also change your foot stance. This puts Kage into a slight dilemma after sweeping a knocked down opponent: Most of the time, this leaves Kage in open stance. To get back to closed stance, Kage must spend half a second holding the joystick forwards or backwards (release Guard). The restoring of closed stance sacrifices some initiative, but puts Kage in a better position for throws when the fight resumes. The choice is really up to the individual Kage player --- just use what works best for you and your playing style. Flying catapult kick (f,f+P+K+G) ----- This move ducks under virtually all attacks, including most sidekicks and all high attacks. It will knock down all standing opponents. Unfortunately, if the opponent crouches and guards, Kage will (1) fly overhead at short range, or (2) land in front of the opponent, at long range. Failing a catapult kick is a very bad thing to do, as in case (1) you will get thrown from behind (e.g. Jeffry's backbreaker!) and in case (2) the opponent has plenty of time to hammer you with the best throw he/she can muster. The catapult kick still has its uses --- against a Lau player closing in with high attacks, the catapult kick neatly ducks under the assault and can save the day. It can also be used to punish a slow-recovering attack that misses, if the opponent recovers in a standing position, particularly since the first instinct of many players is to dash back after their attack misses. An example would be Jacky's sidekick when missed. However, it's probably a better choice using a heelkick or punch-kick to counter a missed attack, as both are comparatively safer if they fail. Back thrust (b+K+G) ----- Although it is uncounterable if blocked, this move has limited use as a primary attack, since an opponent can duck under it and punish Kage thereafter. It is mainly used on Wolf and Jeffry after a 10-Foot Toss --- the combo is as follows: TFT, knee, b+K+G, d/f+K Of all the combos applicable to Jeffry and Wolf, this causes the most damage, although the Ring Out potential is not as effective as some other combos, because the victim is pushed to the side byrather than straight ahead. Sliding tackle (b,QCR,d+K) ----- Like the toe slide (b,b+K+G), this is a fast attack that hits low and knocks the opponent over. Unfortunately, if blocked, the recovery is very slow and Kage can be thrown quite easily thereafter. It is generally a better choice to use the toe slide, as Kage is in a position to run away if it fails. However, the sliding tackle ducks under many high attacks, so it still has its uses. Flying corkscrew kick (f,f+K+G) ----- This move will knock down crouching opponents. However, if blocked by a standing defender, it will leave Kage helpless due to its long recovery time. One useful tactic is to do the corkscrew kick when the opponent is standing on the "danger zone" border at the edge of the ring. Even if blocked, it will still push the opponent back, and out of the ring. Dodging swipe punch ----- Also affectionately known as the "swipe" or "sideswipe", this move allows Kage to dodge punches while simultaneously punching the opponent. The swipe can be continued into any of Kage's punch combos, so it is possible to perform combos like: b/d+P,K b/d+P,P b/d+P,P,K b/d+P,P,P b/d+P,P,P,K b/d+P,P,P,u/b+K The most difficult Kage combo in existence also makes use of the swipe. It involves a 10-Foot Toss followed by 3 swipes and a PPPK combo. However, even without this incredible combo, Kage still does fine in VF2 matches. Backflip (u/b) Backwards cartwheel (b+G) ----- Both movements have good options for a follow-up attack, especially if the opponent dashes forwards unthinkingly, hoping to press the attack. While backflipping, you can buffer in attacks like the catapult kick (f,f+P+K+G) which will catch an opponent dashing in. Alternatively, you can mix up your moves after the backflip or cartwheel, alternating between throws, sidekicks, and punches. Beware of skillful opponents who will attack you during the backflip itself, rather than wait and see. Due to its greater range, the cartwheel backwards (b+G) is often the better option, as it also presents a smaller cross-section for the opponent to hit. +------------------+ |Slash & Chop Moves| +------------------+ Slashing shuto (b,f+P+K) Slashing shuto, horizontal shuto (b,f+P+K,P+K) Chopping shuto (crouch, f+P+K) Chopping shuto, horizontal shuto (crouch, f+P+K,P+K) ----- These are the more useful of Kage's slashing/chopping moves, as the first shuto (Japanese for "sword fist") hits mid-level and the 2-shuto combos will knock down an opponent, allowing for a sweep. This is particularly so in the case of the chopping shuto, as it comes out the fastest of the lot. One use for the chopping shuto combo, is when both players are crouching next to each other. Just roll the stick to forwards, and perform the f+P+K,P+K motion to knock the opponent over. Slashing shikan-ken (d+P+K) Slashing shikan-ken, back shikan-ken (d+P+K,P+K) ----- This set of moves is not as useful, since the first move hits high instead of mid-level. Furthermore, the shikan-ken comes out slowest of all the slash/chop moves (23 frames compared to 15 and 18). +-----------------------+ |Rolling Moves & Attacks| +-----------------------+ Roll forward (b,SCR,f) Roll backward (f,SCR,b) ----- Kage's rolls are all very fast, although the multiple rolls are a bit difficult, as the entire stick roll must be accomplished within 12 frames, which makes out to 1/5 second only. They are reasonably safe ways to escape from a barrage of punches and high attacks. However, I do not recommend that you reply on them, because the roll distance is easily predictable, and Kage is defenceless during the roll. Furthermore, Kage cannot cancel the roll if he sees an attack coming halfway through --- rolling is therefore a high- commitment act that must not be undertaken thoughtlessly. In general, before you decide to roll, you should consider the situation carefully. Ask yourself what you want to accomplish by rolling, and whether these goals can be more safely and effectively achieved by crouch-dashing. After all, crouch-dashing can be controlled precisely, also ducks under high attacks, and can be stopped anywhere during the crouch dash. Rolling is mainly useful against opponents who wait till the roll is over before acting --- in such cases, you can alternate between a punch, throw, or sidekick when coming out of the roll. Beware the more experienced opponents who will attack you during the roll itself. Multiroll forward / Shinsodan (b,SCR,f+P) Multiroll backwards (f,SCR,b+P) ----- Kage can perform multiple rolls forwards and backwards, without returning to a standing position between the rolls. For a multiple roll, you must do the following: (1) Start a roll forwards or backwards, i.e. "b,SCR,f" or "f,SCR,b". (2) At the halfway point of the roll, Kage will have his back touching the ground. You must start the second rolling motion before this halfway point, and finish the second motion after the halfway point, but before the first roll ends. The second roll can be forwards or backwards, but must be executed as "b,SCR,f+P" or "f,SCR,b+P". (3) For further multiple rolls, simply repeat (2). Most people find it easier to get the multiple rolls by starting from a backwards roll. One interesting feature of the multiroll forwards (b,SCR,f+P) is that it also forms Kage's Shinsodan attack, affectionately known as the "hedgehog". Kage basically rolls and rolls towards the opponent, attacking low and chipping away at the opponent's lifebar with each roll. Each shinsodan roll will cost the opponent 15 damage points, and the opponent will be knocked over after the second roll. In VF2, a maximum of 3 shinsodan rolls can be done in succession. After the third shinsodan, Kage will stop and stand up. Another good reason for starting the multiple rolls with a backwards roll, is that the shinsodan will come out on the *first* forwards roll. In contrast, if you start with a roll forwards, the shinsodan will only appear on the *second* forwards roll. This can be a good method for reading your opponent's intentions --- if the opposing Kage does a backwards roll, it is reasonable to assume that a multiroll attack will follow, so pursue carefully. Roll forward & sweep (b,SCR,f+K) Roll backward & sweep (f,SCR,b+K) ----- These attacks come out relatively slowly compared to the shinsodan, and are therefore of limited use. Furthermore, Jeffry and Wolf can crouch throw Kage after the roll & sweep. Against opponents who like to stand when you roll, the sweeps have some use. Like the shinsodan, the roll & sweep moves can be incorporated as the final component of a multiroll. Roll & catapult kick (b,SCR,f+P+K+G) ----- This special move can only be performed as part of a multiroll. The procedure for this move is the same as that for the shinsodan, as both moves can only be done after a roll/multiroll. It is mainly effective against opponents dashing in to chase Kage when he is rolling away. +------+ |Throws| +------+ Shoulder throw (P+G) ----- This is the basic P+G throw for Kage. You should always follow up this throw with a heel smash. However, this throw is not very useful compared to Kage's other moves. Opponents can escape by tapping P+G a split-second after you start the throw. As mentioned previously, you should always key b+P+G when playing against Jeffry, if you want a P+G throw. This allows you to escape Jeffry's P+G and b+P+G throws. When playing against characters other than Jeffry, you should key in the throw as d+P+G instead. If the throw fails (opponent crouched or was too far away), you get a low punch or G-cancelled low punch instead. This is much less vulnerable than the high punch which results from tapping P+G if the throw fails. It may not seem like much, but good opponents have been known to get a throw after a P+G throw "missed". Torso takedown (facing opponent's back, P+G) ----- Also known as "Kage's backbreaker", this move is actually a torso takedown. In VF2, you will rarely get a chance to throw people from behind, unless the opponent makes an extremely bad blunder e.g. another Kage flying overhead with a missed catapult kick. It's worth noting that the behind throws will affect both standing and crouching opponents. Hence an opponent exposing his back to you is out of luck even if he crouches immediately. Overall, Kage's torso takedown is not as fearsome a weapon as other behind throws, e.g. Jeffry's backbreaker and Wolf's behind suplex. 10-Foot Toss (b+P) ----- Often referred to as the "TFT", this is Kage's most useful throw, and is in fact the most useful throw in the entire VF2 game. In the hands of a novice, it can already do significant damage. In the hands of an expert, it can end the round without the opponent even getting a single hit in. The TFT by itself is not really formidable. However, the TFT puts the opponent in the air, allowing Kage to follow up with an incredible variety of combos, most of which will push the opponent all the way to a loss by Ring Out. You should develop the habit of doing the TFT at every throw opportunity. The true Kage player rarely, if ever, uses the P+G throw. Instead, he uses the TFT almost exclusively. Once you've seen some of the 10-Foot Toss combos, the reasons will become quite obvious. One important note about the TFT: The 40 points of damage only are awarded if the TFT victim is not hit at all during his flight. For example, if you punch the opponent once in midair after the TFT, he will take no damage upon hitting the ground, and only suffer the damage of the punch. This is good for "mercy rounds". Turnover "Toka" throw (P+K+G) ----- This throw has little use apart from adding variety to Kage's gameplay. The main problem with its use, is that many players have ended up in a catapult kick after dashing in for the P+K+G throw. These disasters occured because the player tapped "f,f" to dash in for the throw, followed by P+K+G for the toka throw. As a result, the computer interpreted the commands as f,f+P+K+G and a catapult kick resulted. This is yet another reason why you should stick to the 10-Foot Toss. However, if you really must use the toka throw, you should key it in as b+P+K+G instead of just plainly P+K+G. This avoids the possibility for misinterpretation by the computer when you're dashing in. Reaping throw (b,f+P) ----- At first glance, this throw seems as mundane as the P+G and P+K+G throws. However, there are several subtle advantages in the reaping throw, especially at close quarters. Firstly, consider the motion of "b,f+P". If the opponent is standing and in range, Kage will execute a reaping throw, which can be followed up by a heel smash. However, if the opponent is crouching or out of range, the computer interprets the move as f+P, and Kage will execute an elbow instead. At medium range, this is of course no good for Kage, as a missed elbow gives the opponent an opening to throw and/or attack. However, at close range combat, when faced with an opponent who mixes up standing and crouching to confuse you and avoid being throw, simply execute the b,f+P motion for the reaping throw. If the opponent stands, he will be thrown. If the opponent crouches, the elbow will stagger him, allowing for a punch-kick knockover and sweep. Or if you want to get fancy, you can throw the opponent just as he recovers from the stagger. (More on these "fancy" things later.) +---------------+ |Kage's Reversal| +---------------+ As discussed previously in the general section on reversals in VF2, Kage has a reversal activated by d+P. Kage's reversal should always be followed up with a heel smash for extra damage. Apart from this, most of our discussion on the d+P reversal will be in the more advanced chapters. +===================+ |TECHNIQUES, PART II| +===================+ +---------------+ |Stance Strategy| +---------------+ Although most moves in VF2 will have the same attack level regardless of stance, certain moves change attack level with stance. Recognising these changes can make the difference between success and failure. Kage's heelkick (d+K+G) hits at high level in open stance, making it ineffective against crouching opponents. You should always remember this when fighting opponents --- one heelkick in open stance can spell the end of a promising game, as the opponent will have a big counter opportunity. Kage's PPPK combo also hits at high level in open stance, except at very close range. When fighting another Kage, this fact can be used to your advantage if the opposing Kage makes a habit of delaying the mid-kick. A more comprehensive list of stance-dependent moves can be found at the end of this FAQ. It is worth remembering, as the information can be used to deadly advantage in close combat. +---------------------------+ |Getting Throw Opportunities| +---------------------------+ It would be pretty accurate to say that Kage thrives on throw opportunities. Granted, having the most powerful throw combo helps in a battle, but the Kage player with better skill at getting throw opportunities, is often the one who will win the match, despite inferior skill with 10-Foot Toss combos and so on. There are several basic ways of getting a throw opportunity: (i) Block counter ----- Certain moves have such a long recovery time (compared to the victim's block stun) that the opponent can throw the attacker even if he blocks the move. Examples would be Akira's double palm and Kage's catapult kick, all of which may be called high-commitment moves --- the user commits himself greatly to a course of action, whatever the consequences may be. This is the easiest way of getting a throw. However, throwing as a block counter becomes less common as the standard of VF2 gameplay increases, simply because good players will rarely use high-commitment moves unless they are sure of a hit. A list of block counters, including throws, is at the end of this FAQ. (ii) Missed attack ----- Many moves do not give the opponent a throw opportunity if blocked, as the recovery time is too short. Examples of this would be Kage's sidekick and Akira's dashing elbow. However, if the move misses, then it is possible to throw the attacker. This is because the attack did not touch the would-be victim, and the victim therefore does not suffer any block stun, while the attacker must still ensure the recovery time for his attack. At intermediate levels of play, this is the most common form of throw opportunity. Akira players will miss their dashing elbows, Lion players will miss their sidekicks, and so on. It is here that precision movement control (with the Guard button) becomes important, as certain fast-recovering attacks like Pai's sidekick leave only a small window of opportunity to react, dash in, and throw. If in doubt about whether you are fast enough to throw after a missed attack, rely on punch-kick or the heelkick (d+K+G) where applicable. Below is a list of common missed attacks, in rough order of big to small throw opportunity: - Sidekicks - Elbows / Dashing Elbows - Heelkicks - Pai's downward chop - Punch missed overhead (defender crouched) - Punch missed (defender standing out of range) - Senbon Punch missed Of all the attacks, it is hardest to get a throw after a missed punch or senbon punch. However, the really good Kage players do precisely that. It is this skill at getting throws which scares the daylights out of opponents --- just imagine fighting a Kage who could 10-Foot Toss you after a missed punch! Yet these tactics are not really that diffcult --- we will cover them in a later section. (iii) Missed throw ----- This may sound wierd, but a missed throw can also create opportunities for Kage. This works because with many characters, if their throw is out of range or the opponent is crouching, some other move will come out. This is what happens when you play against CPU Kage and try to 10-Foot Toss him when he's slightly out of range. Because your b+P throw fails, a normal punch comes out instead, allowing CPU Kage to close in and throw you. A good example of missed throw, would be Wolf players who like to use the f+P body slam throw. As long as the f+P throw is within range, everything is fine. But if Kage maintains his distance properly and lures the Wolf player into over-reaching his throw range and missing, a totally different situation results. Upon missing the f+P throw, a body blow (also f+P) will come out. The body blow takes 14 frames to come out and 24 to recover, for a grand total of 38 frames (nearly 2/3 second). If the body blow misses, Kage can easily dash in and throw. Even if Wolf's f+P body blow connects, Kage can counter with punch-kick for a knockdown and sweep. (iv) Punch & throw ----- Whether he blocks or gets hit, an opponent who receives an attack will be stunned for a short time, although he will recover more quickly if he blocked the attack. During this stun time, he cannot be thrown. However, you can use this time to close in and prepare for a throw. The high punch and low punch are good for this. The punch will stun the opponent for a split second, allowing you to close the distance and throw. Even if you are in range, it is a good idea to buffer in a dash forwards --- this automatically and naturally takes care of the stun period, so that you throw the opponent just as he recovers. A more advanced variation of the punch & throw technique involves the Senbon punch, which will be described in full detail in another section. (v) After a stagger ----- When a crouching opponent is hit by an elbow or sidekick, he/she will stagger for a period of time. A staggering opponent can be hit with any attack, but cannot be thrown. If timed properly, you can throw an opponent just as he recovers from the stagger. Some people have a natural talent for the timing, and instinctively know when to start the throw. For the rest of us, a good method is to punch and throw during the stagger, in the same manner described above. The timing will take care of itself in most cases. +-------------------------------+ |Practical use of crouch dashing| +-------------------------------+ Used properly, crouch dashing can be a very powerful tool in VF2. Presented here are some of the more common uses: (i) Retreat while crouching ----- This is an important part of effective defense. A player who cannot crouch- dash can easily be put under pressure the moment he starts crouching. This is because the crouching player now has nowhere to go. If he stays crouching, he'll get hit by a mid-level attack (e.g. sidekick or elbow). If he stands up, the opponent will throw him. Such difficulties can be overcome with a crouch-dash. The player just crouch dashes backwards, ducking high attacks and most incoming assaults. This is particularly important when facing a high-speed barrage from Lau players, as normal dashing leaves Kage too vulnerable to the incoming rush of attacks. (ii) Ducking high punches ----- As mentioned in the section on "Getting throw opportunities", good Kage players can throw after ducking a high punch. By crouch-dashing towards the opponent, most of his attacks will miss overhead, giving an opportunity for throwing. This method is particularly useful against players who like to close in with a high punch. (iii) Limiting the opponent's options ----- When crouch dashing, Kage is immune to high attacks. Low attacks can be successfully defended simply by pressing the Guard button. Thus the only effective ways of attacking a crouch dasher is at mid-level. This severely limits the opponent's attack options. Many characters have a limited arsenal of mid-level attacks, many of which are risky or ineffective. Even the uncounterable sidekick and elbow become precarious, as the crouch-dasher can dodge them for a throw opportunity. Because of this benefit, you should practise your crouch dashing so that you can change direction "on a dime". With good control, a Kage player can crouch dash out of danger, then crouch dash back in to retaliate. +---------------------+ |Modified crouch moves| +---------------------+ Certain moves in VF2 can only be executed from a crouching position. Such moves include Akira's single and double palms (aka SgPm and DbPm), Lau's upward knifehand (aka UpKn), and Kage's rising knee. Accomplishing these moves by crouching can waste time, as it takes 20 frames to reach a crouch position from standing, if the joystick is merely held down. Using d+P to get an instant crouch is slightly better, but the low punch sacrifices initiative, and is a dead giveaway that a crouch move might be coming. These limitations can be overcome by doing what is called a "modified crouch move". Instead of using the above methods, a crouch dash motion is performed just before the move. Examples of suitable crouch dash motions are: f,d/f,d,d/f,f d/f,d,d/f d/f,d/f In all the above examples, the stick should be rolled from point to point, except for the "d/f,d/f" where the stick springs back to neutral for a split- second between the d/f motions. The "d/f,d/f" method is the fastest but does not work for all people. For most people, "d/f,d,d/f" seems to work best. So, to execute Akira's single palm (SgPm) by the modified crouch method, you could do either of the following: d/f,d,d/f,f+P d/f,d/f,f+P When using these modified crouch moves, it is the convention to prefix the move name with "m-". Thus Akira's single palm would be abbreviated to m-SgPm if it was performed using the above method. The best part of these "m-moves" is that they come out virtually instantly, as if they had been executed from a standing position. Lau players often use the m-UpKn to deadly effect in their floats. Although Kage does not need m-moves as much as Lau and Akira, this knowledge is still important for combos like the 10-Foot Toss, m-knee and PPPK. The fast but previously cumbersome "FC,f+P+K" moves can now be easily performed in the modified manner, giving Kage another weapon against crouching opponents. If you encounter difficulty mastering the m-moves, try playing as Akira for a while and practise doing modified single palms (m-SgPm). Akira has an uppercut ("yoho") done with "d/f,d/f+P", hence you will know if your joystick placement is incorrect, as either a low punch or yoho will result. Incidentally, some Akira players use the surprise exchange followed by m- SgPm for a deadly combo. +--------+ |Staggers| +--------+ In VF2, if you are hit with a sidekick or elbow while crouching, your character will stagger. (If you are hit by a sidekick by Jeffry, Jacky, or Wolf, you will be knocked over instead.) While staggering, you are defenceless and vulnerable to attacks, although you cannot be thrown. The stagger duration can be reduced as follows: (1) Hold Guard. (2) Roll the stick in a circle very rapidly. (3) While still holding Guard, tap Punch and Kick as fast as possible. This process (known as "struggling out of a stagger") works because the procedure for stagger recovery is similar to that for getting up --- the more controller inputs per second, the faster you'll recover from the stagger. Quick recovery from a stagger is very important against players like Jacky and Lau, who have very powerful follow-ups to elbow staggers. Staggering forms the basis of many Kage combos, such as: Elbow (stagger), PK, sweep. Elbow (stagger), kickflip. Elbow (stagger), "b,b+K" turning kick, "d+K" turnaround sweep. For these Kage combos, there is no way for the opponent to struggle out of the stagger in time to avoid the PK-sweep. However, certain combos like Lau's elbow(stagger) and m-UpKn can be struggled out of. You can take advantage of an opponent's natural instinct to struggle --- if the opponent likes to struggle, you can dash in and throw almost immediately after the elbow stagger. Some opponents are aware of this and will deliberately not struggle after Kage's elbow stagger. A very effective way of following up a stagger, is with a punch and throw, which is almost guaranteed if timed correctly. Senbon punch and throw works even better. Use your judgement when deciding whether to follow up with PK- sweep or punch-throw. +------------------+ |Dual purpose moves| +------------------+ Certain moves in VF2 come out differently, depending on the distance between the players, and whether the opponent is standing or crouching. This occurs because the motions can generate both a throw and a conventional move. Here is a list of dual purpose moves for the various characters: Character Move Near/Standing Far/Crouching --------- ---- ------------- ------------- Akira b/d,f+P headbutt elbow Kage b,f+P reaping throw elbow Jacky f,b+P+K trip & hammer beat knuckle Jacky/Sarah f,f+P clothesline elbow Lau b,f+P head slam elbow Wolf f+P body slam body blow Jeffry f+P body slam elbow strike Jeffry b,f,f+P+K+G backbreaker butt attack The "b,f+P" and "f,f+P" throws are particularly useful. They will throw standing opponents at close range. Against a crouching opponent, the move will come out as an elbow, which has the potential to stagger them. However, their use is limited if the opponent dashes out of range or crouch-dashes away, as the resulting elbow provides a big opening for a throw. At close range, it makes sense for Kage players to use the b,f+P throw, especially when the opponent is mixing up standing and crouching positions. DO not use it if the opponent is out of elbow range. +----------------+ |Use of low punch| +----------------+ The low punch (d+P) is an important move for Kage. Despite its lack of damage and short range, it can be very useful at close range, because of its speed. At close range, it will interrupt attacks like sidekicks, elbows, and heelkicks, all of which are designed for hitting crouching players. Kage's low punch is very special in VF2. If it hits as a major counter, the punch-kick follow up is a guaranteed hit. This can be very useful at close range, as many opponents will be initiating attacks against you. The moment you see that the d+P has interrupted the initiation of an attack, just follow up with punch-kick and sweep. The opponent won't know what hit him/her. Alternatively, you can take advantage of the stun time to close in and throw the opponent instead --- the principle is the same as that for elbow staggers. Basically, any time you can punch-kick the opponent, you can also do a throw. Best of all, Kage's low punch also doubles up as a reversal for incoming single hand attacks. Because of these factors, there are few things more irritating than a low punching Kage at close range. Just beware of Akira who can reverse low punches (especially if you overdo it), and good Jeffry/Wolf players who will throw you if a low punch misses. +======================+ |MANAGING THROW ESCAPES| +======================+ When a character escapes from a P+G throw (or b+P+G in Jeffry's case), both characters will spend some time recovering. The escaping character ("the escaper") will be recovering from the escape process, while the would-be thrower must now recover from the trauma of his prey escaping. Deciding how to handle the situation therefore depends on the throw and recovery times. To help you in this, we have provided the timings for throw escapes: Throw (P+G) Rec Dist ----------- --- ---- Akira trip & punches 46,46 1.12 Kage shoulder throw 42,44 0.97 Jacky brainbuster 81,81 0.95D Sarah belly suplex 60,60 1.12 Lau waterwheel throw 91,94 1.64 Pai wrist twist 55,55 2.04 Wolf backfall suplex 49,50 1.08 Jeffry fireman's carry 81,81 2.13 Jeffry *(b+P+G) body press 152,152 1.03 Shun dances with punches 55,55 1.28 Lion trip throw 43,42 1.67 Rec : The first number is the thrower's recovery time. The second number is the escaper's recovery time. Dist: This is the distance between thrower and escaper. Akira: trip & punches (P+G) ----- Akira is at a disadvantage if is P+G throw is escaped from. Immediately after the throw escape, Kage's punch-kick or sidekick connects well. Unless the Akira player is experienced, the reversals for Akira will not work properly due to the position of the players. Beware of Akira players who will tap "G,G,b+P" and "G,G,b/d+P". The first Guard tap aligns Akira with Kage in open stance, and the rest of the command triggers the reversal. Against an Akira player who plays it safe and dashes away, you can simply buffer in a forward dash and throw Akira as he tries to escape. Try to perfect the timing for this, as Akira's backward dash can be quickly followed by an elbow attack. Veteran Akira players will crouch-dash back in anticipation of a single/double palm opportunity. In such cases, a well-timed sidekick or dash & elbow will stagger him. Be careful of mid-reversals. Kage: shoulder throw (P+G) ----- During an escape from Kage's shoulder throw, the escaper normally has the advantage, because the escaper is facing Kage's flank. However, this problem can be overcome, simply by RUNNING forwards immediately when the opponent escapes. Do not dash forwards with "for, for". Instead, you must HOLD the second forwards motion for the run to be effective, i.e. "for, (hold)FOR". Once Kage starts running, he will run in a small circle and stop behind the escaped opponent within a split-second. Although he must pass in front of the escaping opponent during the run, it is extremely difficult to hit Kage as the run is over in a split-second. Deciding which way to run can be a problem, as both players are at a strange angle because of the throw escape. To complicate matters, the machine sometimes switches the screen. The key to picking which way to run, is to look at the escaping opponent's feet. Run in the general direction that the escaper's front foot is facing, and you won't go wrong very often. (i.e. if the escaper's front foot is facing the left of the screen, then run LEFT by tapping the joystick "left, LEFT".) Another way of remembering, is by taking note that Kage must run a circle in FRONT of the escaper. The result of this circular run, is that virtually all attacks by the escaper will miss Kage. Furthermore, Kage will now be facing the opponent's behind flank. A punch-kick and sweep works well after this (the sweep will not always connect). If you're feeling confident, a kickflip will also do the job, especially if the opponent tried an attack and is recovering slowly. Against Sarah, exercise caution --- her turnaround sweep is very fast and has a very wide arc. It is best to crouch and wait, or crouch-dash backwards. In some situations, discretion is the better part of valor. If you are sure that Sarah will try a turnaround sweep, then try a hopping attack. Bear in mind that if Sarah second-guesses you and tries some other turnaround attack, you will be in deep trouble. Jacky: brainbuster (P+G) ----- Jacky's brainbuster leaves Jacky in a bad position if it's escaped. During the escape, both opponents roll in a clump, with Jacky ending up on the ground and the opponent standing up. Why is the brainbuster bad for Jacky if escaped? Firstly, it is possible for Jacky to lose by ring out if the players roll out of the ring during the escape process. In VF2, the ring out loser is the player who touches the floor outside the ring first. Because of the dynamics of the roll, Jacky actually shields the escaper from the ring surface. Also, Jacky is now on the ground, giving the advantage to the escaper. Worse still, Jacky is lying perpendicular to the standing opponent, reducing his chances of successful rising attack. If you have escaped Jacky's P+G throw, Jacky can either get up with a "high" rising attack (his rising two-leg kick), or a low sweep. In either case, Kage can block the rising attack and throw Jacky thereafter. Sarah: belly suplex (P+G) ----- When Sarah's P+G throw is escaped from, Sarah has three options. We will examine them, and how to counter them where possible: (1) Run forwards. Sarah can run in a circle until she is behind the escaping opponent. This is quite similar to Kage's running technique when his P+G throw is escaped. Sarah's best attack after the run is the toekick (d+K), as it has good range, and a very short initiation time of 13 frames. Kage has a turnaround punch (tap P) and turnaround low punches (tap d+P) that come out in 12 frames, and can therefore interrupt the toekick. However, the error margin is only 1 frame, which is 1/60 of a second! Thus a turnaround attack is not advisable unless you are very sure of yourself. The best course of action is to dash forwards and *then* do a "senbon" turnaround punch, by tapping PKG. The purpose of the turnaround punch is to interrupt Sarah if she second-guesses you and dashes forward hoping for a behind throw. (2) Turnaround sweep. Her low sweep is very fast, has good damage, and cannot be countered. In this case, you should crouch, then wait and see. This is because Sarah has no turnaround attack which hits mid-level, thus a crouching opponent behind her is safe. Be prepared to crouch-dash backwards once she turns around, as her full arsenal of mid-level attacks will then be available. (3) Dash forward. If Sarah dashes forwards, she will be out of range from most attacks. This situation occurs with Sarah players who do not know about the running away technique, or if the run was not entered in properly. Since you are already crouching in anticipation of (2), you can now pursue Sarah with a crouch-dash. If your timing is correct, you can get a behind throw on her without too much trouble. And the crouch-dash can be stopped at any time with the Guard button, should you see her attempt a turnaround attack. Lau: waterwheel throw (P+G) ----- Lau's waterwheel throw, when escaped from, leaves both players about 1.5 dash distances away from each other. We will now examine Lau's options when Kage escapes the P+G throw: (1) Takeoff kick. The takeoff kick is Lau's best bet if Kage attempts to attack, due to its fast initiation time (10 frames) and Lau's slightly faster recovery from the throw escape (3 frames faster). The takeoff kick (UP/FOR+K) will interrupt any attack from Kage. (2) PPK. This will interrupt Kage's slower attacks like his sidekick or heelkick. However, if Kage performs a high punch immediately (or even a kickflip), it will interrupt Lau's PPK combo. (3) Sidekick. This will hit Kage if he attempts to reverse incoming high punches with d+P. (4) Lifting Palm (UpKn). This will interrupt Kage if he tries a slow attack. >From the above options, we can see that Kage's best option is a punch or senbon punch, except when the Kage player expects a takeoff kick from Lau. If you expect a takeoff kick, you should stand and guard instead. The takeoff kick will pass harmlessly overhead, allowing Kage to kickflip Lau during the descent. Incidentally, a kickflip also has good potential against Lau players who use slower attacks like the sidekick and lifting palm, as a major counter will result if the kickflip hits, allowing for a follow-up pounce. Just watch out for Lau players who will simply stand and wait before attacking. Pai: wrist twist (P+G) ----- When escaped, Pai's wrist twist results in both players some distance apart, and their backs facing each other. When Kage has escaped the throw, it is best to dash away a bit and then turn around. Unless you try a turnaround attack, the position is quite safe because of the great distance between the players. Wolf: backfall suplex (P+G) ----- Wolf's P+G throw leaves him in the worst position of all when escaped, as the opponent lands upright behind him. Wolf has two options: (1) Turnaround attack. Wolf can perform a turnaround punch-kick (P,K) or a turnaround sweep (d+K). This will stop Kage if he dashes forwards for a behind throw. But if Kage kickflips instead, a major counter will result, and Kage can even pounce thereafter. (2) Dash or crouch-dash forwards. This will avoid Kage's kickflip. But if Kage dashes forwards in hot pursuit, Wolf can be easily thrown from behind. Even if Wolf runs away quickly, Kage can attack with the corkscrew kick (f,f+K+G) for reasonable damage. One interesting technique to use, when chasing after a runaway Wolf for the behind P+G throw, is to crouch-dash forward instead of using the normal "f,f" dash. The crouch-dash is very safe because Wolf's turnaround attacks all hit at high or low level. Also remember that Kage should NEVER attack an opponent from behind with the catapult kick, especially at short range. This is because a smart opponent will crouch, and Kage will fly overhead, leaving his back open to the opponent's behind throw. In particular, you should never use the catapult kick against Wolf after escaping his P+G suplex. Jeffry: fireman's carry (P+G) ----- Jeffry's fireman's carry, when escaped, leaves Kage with his back facing Jeffry, but a substantial distance away. Jeffry's options are as follows: (1) Sidekick or axe kick (f,d+K). This will hit Kage if he attempts to turnaround, or tries a turnaround attack. However, it is not effective except against the CPU, as most people will run away instead. (2) Dash forwards. Jeffry can dash forwards and try for the behind throw, which does severe damage (backbreaker, 100 damage points). However, the dash can be easily interrupted by a turnaround attack, and Kage's turnaround sweep (d+K) will knock Jeffry over, allowing a heel smash thereafter. (3) Hopping attack. This works well against Kage players who attempt the low sweep, as it hops right over the sweep and attacks Kage during his recovery phase. Kage can defeat the hopping attack by a simple turnaround senbon punch (tap PKG quickly). (4) Crouch and wait. This is the most effective tactic for Jeffry. If Kage attempts the turnaround sweep (d+K), Jeffry can block it and throw Kage thereafter. Many Jeffrys will do the front backbreaker in such a case, for sheer dramatic effect. Kage can defeat this with a turnaround senbon punch, same as in (3), followed by a sidekick as the need arises. You should tailor Kage's response to the throw escape, depending on how you read the Jeffry player's skill and style. The two best options to choose from, would be the turnaround sweep, and the turnaround senbon punch. Jeffry: body press (b+P+G) ----- This throw is escaped differently from the other P+G throws, in that you must enter b+P+G for the escape instead. The body press escape leaves Jeffry in a bad position, equally bad as the escape for Wolf's P+G backfall suplex. Punch-Guard-sidekick works well if the Jeffry player tries to run away. Alternatively, buffer in a dash and P+G behind throw just as Kage recovers from the escape. Shun: dances with punches (P+G) ----- Shun's dances with punches is quite safe for Shun at first glance. Although Shun's back is exposed to Kage after the throw escape, Shun can roll away very quickly by tapping the joystick away from Kage. However, Shun can be thrown during the first part of his roll --- the key to achieving this, is to quickly dash forwards and throw immediately once Shun escapes. Shun can also dodge forwards out of harm's way, but Kage can overcome this by tapping Guard (to align himself with the dodging Shun), followed by a punch-kick or sidekick. Lion: trip throw (P+G) ----- The balance is quite neutral if Kage escapes Lion's trip throw, as both parties end up facing each other in closed stance. Lion players will either: (1) Sidekick. This is to catch Kage if he closes in for an attack or throw. However, if Kage dashes backwards, the sidekick will miss, allowing Lion to be thrown instead. (2) Dash backwards. If Lion dashes backwards, any attack unleashed on the spot by Kage will miss. But Kage can dash forwards, chase Lion, and then throw him during the dash. Depending on the kind of Lion player you are facing, you should choose between the defenses for (1) and (2). Against an aggressive Lion, you should dash backwards. If the Lion player is defensive and likes to retreat, then the forward dash & throw is quite promising. +==============================+ |GETTING UP & KEEPING THEM DOWN| +==============================+ Some of the most tense moments in VF2, occur when one party is on the ground. Such situations have lots of potential --- once his victim is down, a good opponent can often ensure that his victim hardly ever stays up thereafter. +------------------+ |Getting up process| +------------------+ As mentioned earlier, you can get up faster by tapping the buttons rapidly and rolling the stick in a circle as fast as possible. To recap, the methods of getting up are: (1) Handspring: Tap the joystick up repeatedly. (2) Roll away: Tap the joystick back (away from the opponent) repeatedly. (3) Twist away (out of the screen): Hold the joystick down and tap Guard repeatedly. Kage will roll towards the player, i.e. out of the screen. (4) Twist away (into the screen): Hold the joystick up and tap Guard repeatedly. Kage will roll away from the player, i.e. into the screen. Method (3) and (4) involve a bit of 3-D thinking, and are difficult to describe in words. I recommend trying this out for yourself, to get the feel of it. +-----------------------+ |Types of rising attacks| +-----------------------+ In VF2, there are many different types of rising attacks. However, they can be classified according to the following: (1) Getting up in place, twisting away (tap G), or rolling away (tap back). (2) Player is face up, or face down. (3) Player's head towards opponent, or head away from opponent. (4) "High" attack (tap K), or low attack (hold DOWN and tap K). The "high" attacks actually hit at mid-level, but since they are often referred to by that name, we'll retain the term "high" for consistency. Just remember that in the case of rising attacks, "high" actually means mid- level. Each of the possibilities (1) to (4) mentioned above can be combined independently. In short, there are 3 x 2 x 2 x 2 rising attacks in VF2 for each character, a grand total of 18! In actual practice the figure is much less, because items (2) and (3) are fixed --- once on the ground, the player's orientation does not change. In general, the "high" attacks will come out as a high sidekick or mule kick, depending on the orientation. Low attacks will come out as a sweep or sliding kick. In most cases, the person on the ground has better rising attacks when the head is away from the opponent. +---------------------+ |Kage's rising attacks| +---------------------+ Here is the list of Kage's rising attacks. The column on reversals has been omitted, because all rising attacks cannot be reversed. For recovery positions, a "high" rising attack (tap K) will leave you in a standing recovery. Low rising attacks (hold DOWN, tap K) will result in a crouching recovery. Make note of this when playing against opponents like Jeffry and Wolf, who can low throw you after a missed low attack. IN PLACE Lvl Dmg Ini Hit Rec -------- --- --- --- --- --- face up, head away (K,K,K) M 20 34 8 16 face up, head away (DOWN+K,K,K) L 20 32 8 18 *face down, head away (K,K,K) M 20 29 8 43 face down, head away (DOWN+K,K,K) L 20 25 11 24 face up, head towards (K,K,K) M 20 34 4 20 face up, head towards (DOWN+K,K,K) L 20 32 6 20 face down, head towards (K,K,K) M 20 30 4 26 face down, head towards (DOWN+K,K,K) L 20 29 6 35 TWIST AWAY (tap G) Lvl Dmg Ini Hit Rec -------- --- --- --- --- --- face up, head away (K,K,K) M 20 20 16 24 face up, head away (DOWN+K,K,K) L 20 15 10 15 face down, head away (K,K,K) M 20 24 12 24 face down, head away (DOWN+K,K,K) L 20 15 10 15 face up, head towards (K,K,K) M 20 25 13 22 face up, head towards (DOWN+K,K,K) L 20 15 10 15 face down, head towards (K,K,K) M 20 22 15 23 face down, head towards (DOWN+K,K,K) L 20 15 10 15 ROLL AWAY (tap back) Lvl Dmg Ini Hit Rec -------- --- --- --- --- --- face up, head away (K,K,K) M 20 24 4 22 face up, head away (DOWN+K,K,K) L 20 17 7 28 face down, head away (K,K,K) M 20 17 5 33 face down, head away (DOWN+K,K,K) L 20 17 4 32 face up, head towards (K,K,K) M 20 19 5 31 face up, head towards (DOWN+K,K,K) L 20 19 4 32 *face down, head towards (K,K,K) M 20 24 4 22 face down, head towards (DOWN+K,K,K) L 20 17 7 26 Certain rising attacks differ from the norm, and have been marked with an asterisk (*). Unlike the sidekicks and mule kicks for "high" attacks, and the sweeps and sliding kicks for low attacks, these special rising attacks look very different, and can catch opponents unawares. Particularly useful for Kage, is the "windmill kick". This can be activated by getting up in place and tapping Kick, when Kage is face down with his head away from the opponent. The windmill kick is very deceptive and has good surprise value. However, the recovery is very long (43 frames), so consider carefully before using it. Less spectacular but still useful, is the "rolling axe kick". This is performed by rolling away and tapping Kick. However, it is less sudden in its execution than the windmill kick, and a good opponent can see it coming and react in time. +--------+ |Oki-zeme| +--------+ In VF2, there is a technique called "oki-zeme", which was first invented in Japan (hence the Japanese name). The philosophy of oki-zeme, is that once the opponent is knocked down and on the ground, the standing player has a great advantage. Although this may not be immediately obvious, a oki-zeme expert can be very dangerous indeed. Successful oki-zeme requires a good knowledge of your opponent's rising attacks. In particular, you must be familiar with: - What the rising attacks look like. - Effective distance of the rising attacks. - Recovery position (standing or crouching) of the rising attacks. - Which rising attacks can be countered when blocked. The ideal position for oki-zeme, is to place yourself just beyond the range of your opponent's rising mid-level attacks, such as the mulekicks and rising sidekicks. This way, you need not worry about mid-level attacks, and can concentrate on incoming low rising attacks. Once in position, you simply crouch and hold the Guard button (i.e. crouch guard). Your opponent on the ground has a few options, all of which can be taken advantage of: (1) In place, rising "high" attack. If you have positioned yourself correctly, the attack will miss. Since the opponent will recover in a standing position from "high" rising attacks, immediately move in and throw once the attack misses. (2) In place, rising "low" attack. If the low attack misses, close in and elbow the opponent for a stagger. If the low attack touches you, then only block counters are possible --- check the "List of counters for rising attacks" to see which low attacks you can counter. (3) Twist away, rising "high" attack. Just as in (1), the attack will miss with proper oki-zeme position. Dash in and throw once the attack misses, as your opponent will recover in standing position. (4) Twist away, rising "low" attack. As in (2), if the low attack misses, dash in and elbow for a stagger. If the low attack touches you, then refer to the "List of counters for rising attacks" to see if you can counter it. (5) Roll away, rising "high" or "low" attack. When the opponent rolls away, the roll is always of a fixed distance and time. Only when the roll is complete, will the rising attack begin. As before, pursue the opponent, but position yourself such that you are beyond the range of his "high" (mid- level) rising attacks when the roll is complete. Once in suitable oki-zeme position, crouch and block --- the procedure is the same as above: Throw a missed "high" attack, elbow a missed "low" attack, and where possible counter a blocked "low attack". (6) Get up without attacking. If the opponent gets up without a rising attack, close in and perform Kage's reaping throw (b,f+P). The dual-purpose "b,f+P" move will give your opponent trouble, whether he stands up or crouches. If he gets up and stands, he'll be thrown. If the opponent gets up into a crouch, the "b,f+P" will generate an elbow instead, and he'll be staggered. (7) Invincible getting up. This only applies to opponents who are face up, with their head away from you, and who are getting up into a crouching position. This fascinating technique will be discussed in a later section, due to of its major implications, and because it only applies to one kind of situation. +----------------+ |When you're down| +----------------+ In VF2, once you're knocked down, the story's not yet over. Your opponent can still pounce for extra damage, or close in and hit you while you're down. Getting up quickly and in the correct manner can make all the difference between an escape and being hit. Here are a few guidelines for escaping pounces. Due to variables such as the knockdown move's damage, the body position, and how fast you try to get up, these methods may not always work. However, they are generally the most effective ways of getting up --- i.e. if these methods fail, odds are the pounce would have connected anyway. Character Pounce Escape Method --------- ------ ------------- Akira jumping punch twist away Jacky/Sarah knee hammer twist away Lau foot stomps handspring Pai knee pounce handspring Wolf jumping elbow drop handspring Jeffry body splash (near) twist away body splash (far) handspring/roll away Kage near pounce handspring mid-range pounce twist away far pounce handspring Shun roll & elbow drop handspring Lion heel smash twist away cartwheel heel smash twist away +-------------------------+ |The invincible getting up| +-------------------------+ Under special conditions, it is possible to get up and be invincible to attacks for a few seconds. This technique was first discovered in Japan, and has helped to equalise the balance in oki-zeme. The invincible getting up is only possible when: - You are lying face up. - Your head is away from the opponent. - You have not touched the controls since the knockdown. Once the above conditions are satisfied, you can activate the process. To perform the invincible getting up, you must HOLD the joystick in the DOWN, BACK/DOWN, or DOWN/FOR positions. Do not touch any of the buttons, or move the joystick until Kage has started getting up. If you have done it right, Kage will get up into a crouching position. Once in the crouching position, Kage will be invulnerable to attacks for 0.3 to 0.4 seconds. Practice this with a friend, and you'll find that sidekicks and even Akira's double palm will pass right through Kage. However, this invincibility is only temporary --- once the 0.3/0.4 second limit is up, Kage will once again be vulnerable to attack, like any other crouching character. The main advantage of the invincible getting up, is against opponents who like to rush in and attack you when you get up. If the conditions are right (i.e. you are falling into a face-up & head-away position), simply activate the invincible getting up. More often than not, your opponent will attack. Because the attack passed through you harmlessly, you will be able to counterattack the opponent as if he/she missed the attack. +================+ |THE SENBON PUNCH| +================+ +-------------------------+ |What is the Senbon punch?| +-------------------------+ (i) Introduction ----- The senbon punch technique (aka "senbon") can only be performed on Virtua Fighter 2 machines. In Japan, there is a newer edition of VF2 called Virtua Fighter 2.1, in which the Senbon punch is not possible. However, since 99% of VF2 machines outside of Japan are the 2.0 vintage, this should not be an issue for most readers. To recap, in VF2 it is possible to Guard-cancel ("G-cancel") certain moves, such that the move is retracted during its initiation (aka "winding up") phase. An example of this would be Kage's basic roundhouse kick --- if you tap Kick, quickly followed by Guard, you will see Kage lift his leg up for the kick, but retract it just after it leaves the ground, returning to the Guard position. This G-cancel can be used to bait an opponent into attack. However, by itself, Kage's G-cancelled kick cannot cause any damage --- it is only a feint to play mind games with the opponent. Certain characters can cancel their punch-kick combo. Akira, Sarah, Jeffry, Wolf, and Kage can G-cancel the punch-kick, simply by tapping "P,K,G". This is not possible with Lau, Pai, Shun and Lion --- tapping "P,K,G" will result in the punch-kick combo, with no effect from the G-cancel. Jacky can cancel his punch-kick, but the process is somewhat more complicated and is best left for other FAQ authors to tackle --- after all, this *is* the Kage FAQ. The "P,K,G" sequence (PKG) is significant, because the pulling back of the kick does not have any animation and is instantaneous. It is as if the kicking leg teleported back to its original position. (ii) Mechanics of the PKG ----- If you refer to the move list earlier in the FAQ, you'll notice that every move has a recovery time, except when the move forms part of a combo. Even Kage's punch takes some time to recover, 10 frames to be precise. However, if the PKG technique is used correctly, and the kick is cancelled on the first frame, then it is possible to generate a punch with absolutely no recovery time at all. Consider the following diagram: KAGE'S PUNCH Frame 0 10 20 |----|----|----|----|----|..... Move P Phase <-Ini-->Ex<--Rec---> Time 8.......2.10........ KAGE'S PUNCH-KICK (tap PK) Frame 0 10 20 30 40 |----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|..... Move P..........K Phase <-Ini-->Ex<---Ini----><--Rec--........ Time 8.......2.12..........4...22.......... KAGE'S SENBON PUNCH (tap PKG with correct timing) Frame 0 10 20 |----|----|----|----|... Move P..........K...G (time between Kick and G-cancel variable) Phase <-Ini-->Ex<---Ini---... Time 8.......2.12.... Note: "Ini" - initiation phase "Exe" or "Ex" - execution phase "Rec" - recovery phase As depicted above, so long as you G-cancel Kage's punch-kick before the 20th frame, the resulting combo will have LESS recovery time than the normal punch! This is the Senbon Punch --- a special punch which takes less time to recover than the "normal" punch. Ideally, the kick would be cancelled on the 11th frame of the punch-kick combo, resulting in a punch with zero recovery time! (iii) How to do the Senbon Punch ----- When starting out with the senbon punch, many players make the mistake of tapping PKG as fast as possible. This is incorrect because the G-cancel must take effect during the INITIATION phase of the KICK, for a proper senbon punch. If the PKG is tapped too rapidly, the VF2 computer starts to execute the punch-kick combo, but receives the G-cancel during the punch itself. The result is a normal punch, complete with recovery time. On the other hand, if the G-cancel is keyed in too late, the kick will not be retracted on the first frame, and the full benefit of senbon punch will be lost. Here is a good method to learn the Senbon punch: (1) With a quick but steady rhythm, tap "P,K,G" repeatedly. Do not roll the button presses --- the Punch button must be released before the Kick button is pressed, and so on. (2) Time the number of button presses you are doing in one second. It helps if you have a friend to do this. Also, you get more accurate results if you time the number of button presses over several seconds, then divide the number of button presses by the number of seconds elapsed. (3) Now calculate the number of intervals between button presses, that occur during the space of one second. We shall call this number "N". (4) Calculate 60/N. This is the average number of frames between any two button presses, e.g. "P,K" or "K,G". (5) Multiply this by two, to get the average number of frames for executing your PKG. Now refer to the initiation and execution times for your character's punch. In the case of Kage, they are 8 frames and 2 frames respectively. Thus an ideal senbon punch would be G-cancelled one frame after the punch's execution --- on the 11th frame. As a matter of interest, here are the frame rates for various characters' punches (only the senbon-capable characters are shown): PUNCH INITIATION EXECUTION IDEAL SENBON ----- ---------- --------- ------------ Akira 9 frames 2 frames 12 frames Kage 8 frames 2 frames 11 frames Kage (b/d+P) 12 frames 2 frames 15 frames Jacky 10 frames 2 frames 13 frames Sarah 8 frames 2 frames 11 frames Jeffry 12 frames 2 frames 15 frames Wolf 12 frames 2 frames 15 frames If you find that your PKG is taking shorter than the Ideal Senbon Time (11 frames for Kage), then you are doing it too fast, and should slow down a bit. If the PKG is taking several frames longer, then you should try to speed up a bit. Do not be worried if your PKG is only 2 or 3 frames longer; the difference is not significant except against experts who can also senbon punch you. Remember, I cannot emphasize this more: "WITH THE SENBON PUNCH, BETTER TOO SLOW THAN TOO FAST." As an example calculation, let's consider my personal experiences. I can average 4 PKG per second comfortably, with very slightly more than 1 second between the first Punch and the last Guard button press. This makes out to 12 button presses per second, and 11 intervals between button presses. Calculating, we find that the interval time (60/N) makes out to 5.45 frames. Doubling this, we find that my PKG time is 10.9 frames. Considering that the actual PKG