Akira Wake Up Strategies

Quick apology if this is endlessly discussed elsewhere, I searched about to no avail.

I'm looking for some advice on Akira's wake up game. Mine is pretty poor at the moment. I have a few things I try, this is how I see them working, not necessarily how they actually do, so I'm very happy to have mistaken assumptions pointed out.

1) /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/k.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/k.gif can work. It's risky, but hits low rising kicks for the most part and the second part can hit people who don't just stand and block. Beaten out by a rising mid.

2) Knee. Crushes everything, I think, but timing is the hard side of hard and, well, it's a knee. They aren't the most reliable attacks.

3) If I suspect a low attack, I block and go for shoulder ram for some stagger mix ups. Sometimes this is blocked, sometimes not. I'm never quite sure if this is guaranteed after blocking a low rising attack. Would love to know if I'm just slow here. Beaten by evades. What are the best options from a blocked low rising?

4) From a blocked mid rising there's less time to work with, but I really just don't have any particular ideas here. I just treat it as business as usual. Are there better options?

5) I've been on the receiving end of some great post whiffed mid attacks. The /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/b.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/k.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/g.gif is great here, but I don't seem to be able to replicate what I've seen. How do you learn to bait the whiffed attack? Spacing is a problem for me, I seem to either get hit or be too far away to do much.

6)Tech rollers. This seems to be mid kick and /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/b.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/k.gif territory. I think I just need to be quicker to spot tech rolling opponents. I play online a lot and a lot of people seem to have difficulty with the timing of tech rolls online, so it doesn't happen as much as it seems to when I play offline, so I'm finding it hard to drill this behavior in. Is it what I should be aiming at? I've been on the receiving end of quite a few /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/b.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/k.gif then ABC attacks from some of the better Akiras, so I suspect this is a good option. Are there more I should be aware of?

7) Other.

Akira is reputedly a great wake up character, I feel that I'm missing out a lot with my poor wake up. Help me Obi Wan Kenobi (other Akira players), you're my only hope (you're my only hope)!

 

Couple of ideas for you...

DJK is a highly dangerous move to use as oki as you'll be punished badly if it's blocked. Avoid using this asides from every now and again (for variation perhaps).

Use /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/b.gif/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f.gif/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif+/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/k.gif to catch tech-rollers, mixed up with /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f.gif/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f.gif/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif+/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/k.gif,/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif (i.e. mix up Akira's different half-circulars). /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/df.gif/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/k.gif can be used to go for backstagger combos in the right situation.

/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/d.gif/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/db.gif/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/b.gif/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif can be used to crush rising attacks and can be used just slightly out of close range. It's slow, so you'll need to be pre-emptive and time the hit to be "meaty".

PIT works well for people who tech roll or standup and guard immediately, you have plenty of options from this so you need to use them and not let your opponent get comfortable.

Knee or possibly shrm to crush mid rising attacks. Shrm is a bit less useful now as you can't combo from it.

Low reversal if your opponent is spamming low rising attacks and you knw it's coming (don't use too much tho).


With a good oki game, Akira can kill an opponent very quickly if they make 1 or 2 mistakes /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

 

Can someone explain me better the thing of "crushing rising attacks"?

I thought they had mutekizeme (invincibility) during their execution frames.

To me okizeme, from far at least, is trying to keep myself outside the range of my opponent's rising attacks and be ready with an attack that has long range to hit him in the recovery frames of the rising attack. Stuff like:

/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/b.gif/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f.gif/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif+/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/k.gif
/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f.gif/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f.gif/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif+/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/k.gif,/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif
/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/df.gif/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif+/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/k.gif+/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/g.gif,/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif

Other than that, I know that after the standard throw of Akira, the mid kick rising attack can be reversed because it's the on ethat is linear for every character.

I'm sure there's more to wake up game than this, I'd like to learn what it is...

/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/shocked.gif

 

Thanks. I did check for this yesterday in the dojo and i does work, but timing seems tight to say the least. I don't think I can include this tactic in my arsenal, but it's good to know.

/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

 

If they tech roll a lot and you hit them out it of it with /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/b.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif + /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/k.gif a few times, they'll either start to guard as they get up or evade. So his guard breaks and catch throws work well.

The timing isn't that strict for /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/d.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/db.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/b.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif, keep practicing it you'll get there /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif

 

Thanks for all this! I should point out that I don't djk very often, it's just for when I'm 99% sure it's a low kick coming and I'll get a standing block pretty much every time immediately after that, so the pay off can be huge. I do like the idea of a guard break and a second djk on that guard, just for the cruelty.

I'll be putting this into affect tonight, especially the /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/d.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/db.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/b.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif. I'll come back and tell you how I get on.

A things I'd love to hear more on.

1) Are all low rising attacks reversable?
2) Any suggestions for following a blocked mid rising kick?
3) Any advice for getting positioning/timing/conditioning right for baiting whiffed mid rising?

 

1) None of the low rising attacks are reversable by Akira. The rules are

a) you can reverse any mid rising kick from the other Akira because they're all linear
b) for the other characters, you can only reverse the kick from a face up head towards position, which is what you get after the standard throw. Lau might have a position more. Also, not sure about Aoi, Eileen and El Blaze, no data in their movelist

2) Punish according to the advantage you have, which varies according to the position, any eventual side rolling and the fact that the attack is delaye dor not. In other words you should study a lot of frame data to always do the best thing, which is why, for the moment, I'm just baiting their whiffed attacks

3) not really, especially considering that hitboxes are really crazy for rising attachs

 

I still recall that practice session in VF4 evo and it drove me nuts you have to wait for the enemy to start it then counter it with the right move at the right time as it is executed. It is one of the trickier defensive moves I know of and I don't see anyone use it consistently. I would rather counter it in other ways that are more dependable and far easier to pull off and I know of a few things. This exercise was unique it would be cool to see someone actually do it consistently it just to see it because it is so rare to see it done alot.

 

Thou art wrong /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif (As far as I know)

Akira, in face up, feet towards position has a circular mid rising attack. (also, face up, feet towards,side roll, delay)
All of his other mid rising attacks are reversable, but are NOT linear, they are half circular.

Low rising attacks ARE reversable not only by Aoi, but also by Akira, however only Aoi can reverse all of them.
Akira can still reverse some low rising attacks, as far as the attack isn't circular. Check the VFDC command list for detailed info on each low rising attack /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

 

double hop kick [ren ken tai] has enough active frames (4 I think) to crush either wakeup kick. It's less risky on low kick wakeup since Akira's considered airborn and no low attacks can hit him. [that and you get nice Ch damage]

His double overhead palm. [head crumple] supposedly has 5 active frames and though slow as sludge, can add up to 100+ damage on CH near a wall.

I'm a high risk/reward style of play so I usually go for these wakeup crushes to force my foes onto the defensive.

Then they wake up blocking, which allows for throws... ^_^

 

You are partially wrong too. I just had a look at the list and all the mid rising attacks are either SK (side kick) or MK (mid kick). They are all reversable and at best half circular.

Good to know that the low rising attacks are mostly reversable too...

 

Or /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/d.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif + /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/k.gif + /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/g.gif> /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/d.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/b.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif

I love getting a wall splat with that when an opponent wakes up blocking /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif

 

on a note, I thought that his neutral throw [punch your guts out] with an angled head position sucked.

But it gives you AWESOME wakeup strategy. I read here that if you just dash and downed punch immediately after recovering from Akira's Neutral throw, the opponent's body will 'slip' into head up towards you position.

That's when all mid and low wakeup kicks become Sabaki and Counter food. GOOD times

 

Akira can't sabaki mid and low kicks.

 

Might as well ask while were on this subject....

What classes of attacks does /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif + /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/k.gif from Teirou Kanpo sabaki?

It doesn't seem to mention this move on the command list, I know it will sabaki a High Punch but i'd like to know if it has any more uses.

EDIT: Never mind I found it, it will sabaki High Punches, High Elbows, Mid punches, Mid Elbows and High Kicks. Damn that move is useful!

 

I don't know where it's gone on the movelist - but I think it does high and mid punches and elbows.
*edit* doh, it's under reversals, and you already found it /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

 

Yeah for some reason it's listed under Reversals instead of Moves From Teirou Kanpo, that needs moving methinks.

 

It is as long as your opponent is expecting you to elbow or mid punch. I wouldn't throw it out until I've just hit someone with an attack from Teirou Kanpo. It's so beatiful when it lands. Be sure to use the follow-up!*

<span style='font-size: 8pt'>*I almost always fail to do this.[/size]</span>

 

I've been messing around with mixups from /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif for a while they work pretty well, I normally do /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/b.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif if they guard so I get a guard break or /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif + /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/k.gif + /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/g.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif for a counter hit. Because most opponents will either guard or take the counter hit but /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif + /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/k.gif + /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/g.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif + /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/k.gif is gonna be hella useful for those opponents that go to hit me out of the part where he steps back.

.....Now I just need to figure out what to do against those players that always seem to evade the second hit. Maybe doing something like /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/b.gif to trick them into evading then /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/b.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif + /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/k.gif will work well, i'll have to try that out.

There doesn't seem to be any info on the wiki about combos from /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif + /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/k.gif + /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/g.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif + /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/k.gif(sabaki) /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif, I was trying to figure out some in Dojo but didn't find anything too good. Anyone know some useful combos from this?

I'm guessing /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f_.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif> /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/k.gif will do for the heavyweights but it floats pretty high so there's gotta be some pretty nasty combos for it on the lightweights.