Special Option Selects: Buffer Window, Command Interpreter and Special State

In this post I'll explain the two option select I found a few months ago and just shared with Nero (he wrote about them in this post of the Lau's Ukemizeme Guide) and why they are "special".

They are very helpful defensively on your wake up and in other situations when you are in a "special state" (more on this later).


Guard Meaty + Evade Non Meaty + LTE

If you perform a Fall Recovery this OS will let you guard a meaty (provided you guarded standing the highs/mids and crouching the lows), evade a non meaty (provided you guessed the correct side for the evade) and lazy throw escape (forward, neutral and back).

I want to remind that if the opponent tech rolls to the side you cannot do an high meaty (the defender will regain all his options)

Please beware that if you quick rise (aka tech in place) instead your actions will be limited (block/don't block + standing/crouching) for 20 frames (instead of the 3 on a side tech roll) and you'll be susceptible of high meaties.

Spoiler: A little history on how I came up with this OS

It all started in december 2012 when in preparation for Cannes 2013 while playing online the Kingoflagabuser I got Tenchied out of Kage's meaty.
So I went to dojo and try to see if it was just lag, me misstiming it or I was missing some properties about the wakeup mechanichs.

I recorded my knockdown with the proper meaty and while using Aoi I tried to mash Tenchi to see if it worked and by my surprise while holding down for tenchi I was able to guard the meaty .

At the time there was so much to be discovered in the game and I was trying to find a way to analyze the frame data for the meaty mechanic that I left this on hold and then forgot to investigate further.

Then later, during 2015 Nero told me about this OS for blocking a meaty and attacking if the opponent went for the throw (the shortcoming of this OS is that a non meaty blows it up for CH damage)

So I remembered I had still on hold that thing to understand and went to study it.

I found this OS but beacuse this last year I was so much into Xrd I forgot to post it.

A few days ago after Nero wrote the first post of his Lau's ukemizeme guide it took back on my mind my findings and so I told him about this new OS.

After that I had developed some minor improvements and I'm going to share what I know at this point.

Spoiler: How to perform it: the optimal way

How to perform it: the optimal way

This way of applying this technique is the safest possible but input wise it is a little bit harder then the easier version.
The easier one suffers of more risks tho.

When you perform a Fall Recovery before the buffer can register any attacks press again and hold or or .

I recommend using for a few reason:

- if you input it late you get what your charchter does with a standing and any hit should be on normal hit while if you have inputted a late or you'll get a throw or an attack and you'll be hit on counter hit

- you get one more input for the Fall Recovery if you missed your previous attempts

- if by mashing while trying to perform a Fall Recovery you pressed them one time too many then holding the buttons down will count as holding and you'll guard but no evade will be exectued



The steps of this OS are:

1) As soon as you have inputted to perform a Fall Recovery press again and hold //.

2) During the window when you can buffer an attack, while still holding //, tap or for the direction you want to evade.
The timing for this step varies depending if you performed a side tech roll or a tech in place.
In the case of tech in place you have to wait a little bit more compared to the side tech roll.

3) Then you'll have to decide to stand in order to block a high/mid meaty or hold down a few frames in case you want to block a low meaty.
In case you want to guard a low meaty you have to just input at the very end of the Fall Recovery.

4) If you want be safer you can OS a forward or crouch dash to cancel a possible failed evade.

5) Then you let go off // while still holding to enter the guarding state.

6) Finally you pressed and hold down // to perform a Lazy Throw Escape.

Spoiler: How to perform it: the easier version

How to perform it: the easier version

With this easier (input wise) version you'll be able to guard the meaty, evade the non meaty (provided you guessed the direction) and escape the throw (still provided you escaped the direction).

1) As soon as you have inputted to perform a Fall Recovery pressed and hold

2) During the window when you can buffer an attack, while still holding , tap or for the direction you want to evade.
The timing for this step varies depending if you performed a side tech roll or a tech in place.
In the case of tech in place you have to wait a little bit more compared to the side tech roll.

3) Then you'll have to decide to stand in order to block a high/mid meaty or hold down a few frames in case you want to block a low meaty.
In case you want to guard a low meaty you have to just input at the very end of the Fall Recovery.

4) Finally you pressed and hold down // to perform a Lazy Throw Escape.


The flows of this version of the OS are:

- If you press late you'll get a throw attemp resulting most probably in being hit on CH.

- Not inputting a failed evade cancel you'll get tracked during the failed evade recovery.

- After the failed evade recovery is over you'll find yourself NOT GUARDING. To be able to guard again you need to release but then you'll not inputting a throw escape anymore.

Spoiler: How and why it works

How and why it works

Now let see how and why this OS works.

As soon as you start a Fall Recovery you enter a state during which no input are accepted except for the one.

After this recovery ends you're still in the Fall Recovery animation and the window buffer will start accepting commands.

While you're getting up just before being able to regain all your options (attack and movement) there are some frames when you can only guard or not guard while standing or crouching.
This particular state is 3 frames in case of a side tech roll or 20 frames in case of a tech in place.

During this particular state the command interpreter will enter a special state and will only check if is pressed and if you are standing or crouching, ignoring all the other buttons that are held.

After these frames are over the command interpreter will exit this special state and process normally whatever it has been buffered.

So holding down // before the window buffer starts will count as you guarding only during the frames when you can only guard or not guard while standing or crouching.

This way after the wake up animation is over and you regain all your options (attack and movement) you'll find yourself not guarding but being able to freely move.

And if in this state you let go // you'll have yourself guarding.

This means that while holding // after you perform a Fall Recovery if you input an evade, before you regain all your options (attack and movement) but within the window buffer, the command interpreter will process the evade as soon as you exit the state where you can only guard or not guard while standing or crouching.

Spoiler: Risk/Reward

Risk/Reward

This OS is really powerfull but has its owns risks:

- You still need to guees between mid or low meaty

- You need to guess the correct side where to evade.

- Loses to non meaty full circulars and if you chose the wrong side to evade even to meaty/not meaty semicircular.

- If you have put an evade cancel after it you'll be in a jail evade situtation if the opponent really delay his attack.

- If you didn't cancel your evade you'll be tracked by every delayed attacks.


Let see what you'll get as a reward:

- You'll guard the meaty (provided you guessed the level by standing or crouching)

- You'll evade a non meaty (provided you guessed the direction where to evade)

- In case you'll evade a non meaty most of the time if it is off by a couple of frames (most of the meaties don't cover all of the 5 frames when you can QR or TR) you will not be able even to punish it with .
So treat it as as very strong side turned situation.

Spoiler: Mixing it up

Mixing it up

This OS, like all other techs in VF, gains effectiviness if you mix it up with other stuff:

- no Fall Recovery

- Fall Recovery with normal defense

- OS for guardind meaty + Attack to beat throws (later on the OS for attacks that requires a in the input)

Spoiler: Uses outside of wake ups

Uses outside of wake ups

The concept behind this OS can be applied to all of those situations where you can only guard/not guard because the command interpreter will act as described before.

I didn't put too much reserch but I found a couple of situations where it can be applied.


Akira ! > > /

When hit by the hit throw hold down (in this case there's no drawback for using because the window of the animation is very long and so it's easy to enter before the window buffer begins) wait for Akira to enter the stance and do a couple of steps forward (look at his feet to get the timing) then input your evade and then guard standing and immediately after tap .

Because the followup is a a few frames faster then the one you'll be able to block both and in case he delays the followup or goes for a guard break or something else not from the stance you'll get the evade (provided you guessed the correct direction for the evade)


Jean

You can do the same as for Akira's hit throw except here you have to guess between the mid (usually the knee) and the low ( ).
But with this OS you'll evade his guard break and other slower attacks.

Guard meaty + Attack with commands that require

I'm explaining this OS only now but in reality I discovered this one first and it then led me to the one I explained above.
Infact after Nero told me about the OS involving on wake up to guard the meaty and beat the throw I thought of a way to get the same result but with .

The concept obviuosly is the same.

Spoiler: How to perform it

How to perform it

You press while outside of the window buffer and hold it.

Then while in the buffer you input your attack that requires the button (I'm still trying to figure out if it's possible to buffer somthing like ad still be able to guard a mid meaty).

The command interpreter will then execute if an attack is going to make contact durig the inability frames otherwise it will execute the attack done with .

This OS is helpful for those character with good launcher involving

Spoiler: Where to use it

Where to use it

You ca use this OS in the same cases as before when the command interpreter enter its special state.

 

That is correct

Pressing alone you'll end up just blocking even after the inability frames are over.

You need to press other buttons at the same time of to take advantage of the command interpreter' special state and have it just block only during the inability frames and freely move after them.

To see it more easily use the Akira's hit throw example.

Record Akira doing ! > (input the follow up asap)

Make it hit you and during the long animation after it conected, but outside the window buffer, press simultaneously and hold any buttons combination with in it.

Doing so you will be able to block the followup and after it, with still the buttons held, you'll be able to freely move (and if you have the P or K button not pressed you'll be able to execute any / move/string).


Please if the "How and why it works" section it's not clear please let me know and I'll adjust it accordingly.

Spoiler: How and why it works

How and why it works

Now let see how ad why this OS works.

As soon as you QR or TR you enter a state with a recovery longer than the window buffer and except for alone the command interpreter will read the button/combination of buttons you pressed but will not execute it later on no matter what.

If an attack is going to make contact during the inability frames (3 frames when you can only guard/not guard while standing/crouching) the command interpreter will enter a special state and will only check if is pressed (and if you are standing or crouching) ignoring all the other buttons that are held.

After the inability frames are over the command interpreter will exit this special state and process normally whatever it has in its buffer's queue.

Anything held before this window buffer, except for alone, will not be put in the queue.

So holding down // before this window buffer starts will count as you guarding only during the inability frames and nothing when you regain all your options.

Waking up this way you'll find yourself not guarding but being able to freely move.
And if in this state you let go // you'll have yourself guarding.

This means that while holding // after you QR/TR if you input an evade, before you regain all your options but within the window buffer, the command interpreter will process the evade as soon as the inability frames will be over.

Then input :/ while still holding // and after that let go // to guard.

Immediately press and hold again // to LTE

Releasing all the non-Guard buttons (and holding down ) after the inability frames are over will count as blocking.

But if you are in the process of a failed evade you cannot guard and pressing / will let you cancel your failed evade and guard cancel asap.

You can release but you are making the execution thighter because you have to press again first and then risking of not being fast enough and pressing resulting in a throw attempt.

 

Edited the OP:

- full icons notation added

- easier (but riskier!) version of the OS added

 

All of that thanks to my Kingo Option Select, and I didn't get any credits ?? !!!

 

I did give you the credits...for mashing tenchi like a monkey and forcing me to check why your mashing was surprisingly successful!

Do you really want the credits for discovering it more than 1 year later than me???

Sei lento!!!

 

@Myke.
I think this tech must appear in the defense technics compendium. Here a lot of people don't find even if he knows this technique exits.

 

Strongly support this being in another section

 

OP has been edited in order to accomodate some needed rephrasing as pointed out by @Tricky
I hope that now the post is more clear.

As a side note i want to thank @Superspacehero for helping me remembering a related tech that I completely forgot to share.

With this tech you'll be able to perform a "Goroshiki" with moves that have inputs with or with when not possible to use due to an overlap in the command list.

I'll edit the OP with the new tech as soon as possible

 

It is only now in 2021 that I'm finally understanding the implications of this tech.

 

What's the counter to this defensive tech?

 

Thanks for the heads up.
Now it's fixed

 

I'm confused by this line, it sounds like using goroshiki with would require a attack to execute successfully. If one were to use a attack, one would have to use , like in this video.

And to double check my understanding, it's impossible to use goroshiki with multiple-input attacks, right? So you aren't talking about a attack, right?

Wait, goroshiki with is possible?! Please explain. Brad would need to use or to goroshiki with a launcher, but I don't understand how that would be possible.

Additionally, is there really no thread on goroshiki on VFDC? I searched for both "goroshiki" and "goro-shiki" and found only this thread. Also also, there's no link to this thread from the Defensive Techniques Compendium, but I really think there should be.

 

@G0d3L when you adding that P+K version of the tech? Don't need all details on why it works, just inputs is enough to start.

 

P+K move > P+G

 

Inputs from tech roll please.

 

like myke did here @G0d3L