66k+g: the unsung launcher. also, bonus sweep okizeme tactics!

so i had never really used 66k+g intentionally very much until recently. it does have that nifty air throw animation but it's not really worth using it outside of some character specific combos, right?

no. goddammit no.

TLDR version: 66k+g 9k+g. on ground hit, kg3kk. on tech, kk or ppk. always 4p+k after FL 2k+g or FS 2k and g-cancel FL if you whiff to guard wakeup kicks.

longer version:

66k+g is both a beautiful launcher and one of the best flamingo starters in the game. bear with me, this takes a second to work through the implications. but at worst, pressure and at best 72 damage and perfect oki positioning are worth it.

to review basic properties: 66k+g is an 18 frame jumping knee that does 24 damage and knocks down on hit. it's only -4 on block, so quite safe with fuzzy. i do not know how well the jumping portion avoids low attacks, need to test more there. it has some properties that often make it a good choice in place of 1k: superior range and safety as well as bypassing some of the counters that shut down 1k (i'm thinking brad's p+k+g in particular, some others though not aoi p+k+g goddammit). the knockdown property is what makes this move interesting, though, and why it's basically a combination launcher and flamingo starter.

(as an aside, is anyone really disenchanted with 1k at this point? it's not that much better than 2p+kk and it seems to have lost almost all its evasive properties from earlier VFs. i used to be able to duck under p with 1k and now that never works. it almost feels like you should just use 2p+kk unless it just won't connect for some reason. hell, you can even make 9k basically safe with good spacing, but 1k just kinda sucks now).

opponent gets knocked down and is down for a while after 66k+g if they don't tech. you can employ some serious OTG rapery at this point. however, you can also basically fuck them up with FS oki or emply 4k+gk or 4p+k against a tech roll. options in relative order of awesome are:

1) you have just enough time to read the opponent and see if they will tech or not. if they don't, employ 1k+gk FL 8k for around 65 damage on everybody. if they do tech, 4p+k should hit the unevadable frames of their tech for damage or FL advantage. the disadvantage is that you're screwed if you read this wrong and 1k+gk into a tech. if you misread and 4p+k and they don't tech, you should be able to g-cancel from FL quickly enough to block a wakeup kick. you can also 9p+k+g and moonsault out of there, though you basically end up at neutral. might confuse some people, however.

2) use 9k+g. if it hits, followup into the k, then 3kk. this works on everybody, does 72 damage on normal hit, and gives you face up head towards, meaning a p+k stuffs almost any wakeup attack. if they tech, you're not safe to stop the 9k+g (p will hit, though you should be able to block elbow); however, continuing into the k or p parts of the string should interrupt anything they try to do attack-wise. it won't hit in unevadable frames, but it's still very strong; keep in mind that the kk ender is a full-circular that can be FL canceled, so evading doesn't necessarily buy them very much against it. this is also braindead to do, just 9k+g as soon as 66k+g connects and act accordingly. for the moment i prefer this approach, but option 1 is technically better.

3a) FS as soon as the 66k+g recovers. if they tech, go into standard FS tech punishment. if they don't tech, immediately BS and backdash as soon as you recover from the BS. you should just make a wakeup kick whiff for punishment. alternatively, you can use BS k to beat either wakeup kick for a combo, but this is obviously riskier.

3b) use 4k+gg to go into FL from the cancel. if they tech, no attack hits in the unevadable frames, unfortunately, but you can freely use anything up to FL 1k to attack, so your mixup options are pretty much unlimited. i haven't tried an immediate p+k+g into step pp or step 41236f+p, but i will check that. if they don't tech, you can 4p+k+g to backflip and again force a whiff on wakeup kicks.

to review: 66k+g is a safe mid that can give you very comparable damage and positioning to a launcher combo if the opponent doesn't tech and forces the opponent into sarah's tech traps if they do. tech trap options are safe against wakeup kicks and can force a whiff for punishment as well. using it as part of an evade dash cancel or as a much safer attack in a nitaku situation is a great choice, and it's also better for moving in from range as compared to 66k or some other options. we should be using it more.

there's also a very similar setup off of sarah's FS 2k and FL 2k+g sweeps. if these hit in (iirc) open stance, you can use 4p+k immediately to catch a tech or damage a missed tech with 4p+k FL 8k for 60-odd damage. if you happen to hit in closed stance, 4p+k will whiff on the ground but you do have time to g-cancel and guard a wakeup kick. 9k+g may also work well here. pressuring off her 3k+g and BT 2k is a bit more difficult since it seems like any ground hits are always stance sensitive, but I have had some luck with BT 2k and using 4k right away. still working on the optimal solution to these but 3kk seems to be a decent choice.

TLDR: 66k+g 9k+g. on hit, k - 3kk. on tech, kk or ppk. always 4p+k after FL 2k+g or FS 2k.

 

Strangely enough, I think I hardly ever used that move.
Great read up though.