Starting out with Goh #2

Note: This post is the second of seven written by Midi and translated by Modelah.

Mid's VF5FS Beginner Blog post

1. How complete beginners can win! (part 1)
2. How complete beginners can win! (part 2)
3. Sabaki moves
4. Sideturned
5. Ringouts
6. Goh vs. Goh
7. The Wall Game

2. How complete beginners can win! (part 2)
Did you try putting the ideas in part 1 into practice? This blog is about helping you to improve, so let's try to raise the bar a little here; now I'd like to talk about Goh's important moves, including throws and launchers. Things might get a bit confusing here and there, so just skip over those parts if you like.

Even if you're still just getting used to the game, understand that:

-when at advantage and the opponent guards or tries to evade, throw them. If you think they'll abare look to get a counter hit with your strikes.
-when at disadvantage, if you think your opponent will try to throw you, abare with strikes. If you think they'll attack with strikes, guard or evade.
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As a beginner, rather than eating attacks and throws as a result of failing to fuzzy correctly, you should understand the fundamental concept of VF; nitaku. Remember VF is a rock-scissors-paper game of making choices, and is central to the game's system.

Shironuko, an El Blaze player who put together the Beginner's Blog has done a great job explaining nitaku in two videos; Applying Nitaku 1/2 and Applying Nitaku 2/2 (Japanese).

Good defense is important too, of course. Defensive techniques include lazy throw escapes, fuzzy guard, evade throw escapes and so on. Take your time practicing and applying the techniques, once you're familiar with how VF works your improvement will be smoother.

Goh's Characteristics, Strengths and Weaknesses
Being an expert in Judo, Goh has very powerful throws. His stiking attacks are also very good, and he can play a formidable nitaku game. He has reversal and sabaki moves that enable you to destroy opponents once you can get a read on how they play. He may come across as a punk or wannabe Yakuza henchman but as a character, his look and moveset is undeniably cool.

He's got a lot of one-shot attacks so he's not a character that can use fancy strings to pressure opponents. In fact, there's a lot of times where he will give his opponents opportunities to attack. Place emphasis on those one-shot blows, be accurate in your offense, and endure the storm. I think this makes Goh a very manly character to play.

I think Goh's perfect for learning how nitaku works. As you develop your skills you'll improve your defence, how you play at advantage/disadvantage, character matchup knowledge and on-the-spot decision making. As Goh the sky really is the limit.

In previous games he was labelled as somewhat plain, but in this version he can be counted among the strongest of characters. There aren't any particular matchups that put Goh at a disadvantage, and he's capable of holding his own at tournament level competition.

Basic strategy
Here's Goh's move analysis, it ended up being quite long so I hope you don't get fed up and change characters! People who are already familiar with the moves can skip ahead to basic strategy and come back later to brush up on some knowledge.

Basically, you want to put your opponent in nitaku between a knee attack and a throw.

When you hit the knee attack the opponent will start guarding more, and when they do, it's easier to throw them. When they start to abare to avoid being thrown, it's easier to hit knee attacks again.

At close distances
- If is is guarded go for a throw or an elbow. If it hits, go for a throw, an elbow, or a knee. If guarded, a backdash and then , or will hit opponents who try to or use other short attacks like an elbow.

Applying nitaku after hitting an elbow is preferable, but as it can be difficult to hit check backdashing and attacking is a great option. or a knee when you anticipate a strike is also a lot of fun too.

Remember, when they start guarding or try to evade your attacks, throw them. The best choices are Goh's strongest / throws, of course. Even though you'll be sideturned and at frame disadvantage, don't panic if your throws are escaped. It just means that your opponent got lucky with their choice of throw escape direction (, or ), and attempting the throw was still the right choice in this situation. Throws are equally as important as striking attacks in this game, and you have to train yourself to use them at the right times. If you eat damage simply think of it as losing a round of rock-scissors-paper and get ready for the next round.

At middle distances
Try to put opponents in nitaku between a mid and catching them with ~. This alone will prove effective against beginners.
- Throw this out when you're sure it'll reach.
- Use this to get in close.
- Good for scraping hits.

Against tech-recovery and wake ups (ukemizeme and okizeme)
After a combo or knockdown, pressure your opponent's tech-recovery with , , , or a throw. For opponents who don't tech-recover (like after a throw), there are ways to pressure the opponent as they get back up off the ground. Shironuko made a video: Ukemi/Oki Situations (Japanese).

If you don't want to be hit by wake up kicks (rising kicks) simply distance yourself from your opponent. If you correctly read what type of rising kick they use (low or mid) and guard against it you'll be at a large frame advantage, but it can be risky so it takes some courage trying to do this. Even if you do get hit, if the opponent's rising kick connects as a normal hit you'll only be at a slight disadvantage. As you get better at the game you'll be able to get a better idea of whether the rising attack will be mid or low.

Goh's ukizeme and okizeme game is very good. Pour the pressure on your opponents!

Defense can be hard if you don't know your opponent's moves. Their character's main moves should be easy to identify so make sure you learn which ones they're using the most often. Usually if you guard a complete string you'll be at advantage, and in most cases, if you guard a single blow you'll be at advantage, too.

It's really hard to explain good defense well. A lot of the time it's trial and error. You should check out the other blog posts made for the rest of the cast, there you'll find info on the best moves to use; these are the moves you should learn how to defend against.

Once you understand the basics of frame advantage/disadvantage and nitaku, plus the fundamental rock-scissors-paper based game system, you'll really start to see the game in a new light and enjoy it much more than before. You'll really come to appreciate the depth of game with situations such as:
Actively trying to counter hit after crouch-guarding a mashing opponent, guessing that your opponent will try to throw you after guarding your knee so you abare with , and shutting down your opponent's tech-recovery and wke up attempts, etc.

And that wraps up my strategy for beginners. Remember, kill or be killed. Keep that in mind as you continue learning the game. I'd like to add sections that deal with sabakis, walls, sideturned situations and so on later.

Basic skills
- A fast high that gives a small advantage even if blocked so it's a very useful pressuring tool. Great for interrupting strings at close range. Ideally, on hit (it gives a larger advantage) you should apply nitaku between a throw and a mid attack but this can be very difficult to hit check. For starters, throw a , if it hits or is guarded go to , if that hits apply nitaku. If gets guarded, defend.

- a high follow-up to . This is your main punisher when at +12-13 frames. As it's fast it can also be used to abare, and by entering you can put Goh into a backturned state. From there, you can apply nitaku between BT, BT (which are mid attacks) and BT (a throw).

BT throw and combo:
BT, dash, - for all characters except Taka
BT, (shoulder)- for Taka
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- The third attack in the string will automatically throw the opponent on hit. This works well against beginners but more experienced players will duck it and punish you, so use it with caution.

- A special low. An extremely important move. Gives advantage on hit, and you should apply nitaku between a throw and mid attack as soon as it connects. On guard you'll be at disadvantage, and it will be your opponent's turn to attack. When you stop mashing this blindly and strategically use this to set up the next stage of your offense you're no longer a beginner!

Elbow class ~ Upper class
- A standard mid elbow attack. Fast and only puts you at a small disadvantage on guard. This is mainly used after guarding an attack. On counter hit you'll be at a large advantage so go straight to your nitaku game. Use this after guarding your opponent's , or when your own or hits. It's also effective against crouchers.

- A fast high. Quite effective when used to abare when at disadvantage. Only leaves you with a small disadvantage on guard. Also useful as a punisher when at +14~15 frames of advantage.

Combos:
, , - for everyone except Taka
, (shoulder)- for Taka
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/ / - Black Dragon Slayer- What a cool name for a move. A valuable string and a vital component in combos. The string has 3 different moves at the end.

・- Mid, high, high. The final hit gives a slight advantage on guard. When used in a mid air combo the final hit slams the opponent to the ground, and is tough to tech-recover from. For opponents who fail to tech, follow with (shoulder) and then .
・- Mid, high, mid. The last hit will knock down. This is great for opponents who like to abare to beat string attacks. If the last hit is guarded you'll be at -13f and open to or throw punishment.
・- Mid, high, throw. Use this against opponents who guard to avoid being hit the previous strings.
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Though there are three variations of this string, and should be the ones you use most. Use these strings to harass beginners but as the second hit is high, you run the risk of being hit by or other low attacks.

Middle kick ~ Knee class
- A middle kick. A plain but very useful move move with decent reach.

- A mid shoulder attack that staggers on hit. Follow up with an attack or dash forward and throw attempt to pressure your opponent. It's also often used as a combo ender. From standing you can also do this by inputting . This will make certain moves whiff, and is also very effective against sabaki happy opponents. If guarded this will leave you with a large disadvantage.

- Goh's signature knee attack. Opens the door to high-damage combos on counter hit, and is safe on guard although you'll be at large disadvantage. It's not an exaggeration to say that whether you win or lose hinges on you being able to hit this move. Use this whenever your attack hits or you guard an opponent's attack. It's quite slow so even at small advantages there are times when an opponent's fast attacks will beat it. On normal hit the gains are paltry and if evaded you'll be at a large disadvantage.

Combo:
(CH), , , - for all characters (except Taka- @Combolammas)
When near a wall all of the above won't connect so use:
(CH), ,
(CH), , , - A high damage combo for Taka
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- A very strong mid attack. On hit follow with to throw. The timing is tricky, hit the throw input the instant the kick connects. Unlike , this does decent damage on normal hit. This also has good range, and can be used at short and middle ranges. -10 on guard so it's throw punishable. Buffer your throw escape just in case.

- A powerful move with great reach. If counter hits or hits a croucher, the follow-up will launch the opponent. The second hit is throw punishable on guard. However, the sheer power of this move makes up for the risk, so use it often. If is guarded and the opponent tries to retaliate with abare the follow-up will counter hit them in most cases. You can apply nitaku with a knee or crouch throw.

Combos:
(CH or crouch-hit), ,
(CH or crouch-hit), - for Taka (not guaranteed; although difficult Taka can tech-recover the last hit- @Combolammas)
​

Launchers
Both of these attacks launch on normal hit but have different applications, get used to using them and choose the right one for the situation you're in.

- Mostly used as abare against throw attempts and as a punisher. Quite slow at 19f so when using as a punisher be careful. -15f on guard and certainly punishable but you'll rarely be hit by your opponent's max-damage punisher.

- Slower but safer, this move an also make certain moves whiff making it a very strong attack. There are many ways to use this, for example just as the round starts and backdashing when at small disadvantages and throwing it out.

Both launchers have slightly different damage values against certain characters and in certain situations. Here are some basic combos for all characters.

Combos:
/ , , - Against crouchers the launch height is significant lower but this combo will still work
/ , , , (if the opponent doesn't tech) (shoulder)
/ , , , - Against Akira, Wolf and Jeffry in open stance will whiff, in that case:

/ , , , is better​

/ , , - for Taka​

Circulars
- A high full-circular kick that opponents can't evade. On counter hit this will give you a greater frame advantage and also side turn them.

- A mid half-circular punch that covers Goh's back. Only gives a small disadvantage on block so you can use it often. On counter hit this will give you a greater frame advantage and also side turns the opponent.

Sideturned situations are a big part of this game that I'll address in a later post. Against beginners just focus on honing your nitaku game for the time being.

Throws
and - Goh's strongest directional throws. Using these throws well in your nitaku game is an important step in improving as Goh. The risks are the same as everybody else if the throws are escaped but if you're going to throw in this game, you should try to be using the strongest throws you have.

, , , ,
If the inputs are for the above throws are still too hard or you mess up the timing, use these. After a down attack is guaranteed, and against a wall you can follow up with .

and wall throws- The wall game is another important aspect of VF, and these throws should be used in your offence when the opponent is up against one. Easy to execute and worth 70 damage points. On stages with a half-fence there's also , which looks absolutely awesome.

- This throw is unique; the opponent can actually guard against it standing or crouching. This throw cannot be escaped and will beat evades and attacks (if you have enough frames in your favor) so use it like a full-circular attack. If it hits you can combo. Though it doesn't look it, this move is particularly strong; being inescapable and able to eat certain attacks means that when used on a recovering opponent it will take care of thier ETE and abare (reverse nitaku) attempts. Throw punishable if guarded.

Combos:
, , - hitting the to carry the combo requires timing, practice this in the dojo
, - for Taka
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Throws from Tsukami- Goh can grab onto his opponents (Tsukami) from a number of moves.
・
・
・Against throws
Once in Tsukami Goh can move the opponent ,, or before throwing them with . or are more damaging, but can be escaped by wary opponents so or are still good options for inflicting throw damage.

From Tsukami inputting alone will shove the opponent forward and guarantee an elbow class attack. The opponent can easily escape this just by holding down so it's not used a lot.
And that's all for this post!

From the author
At first I thought I could finish Goh's guide for beginners in less than 30 minutes but there's so much to cover! I really wasn't sure what kinds of things beginners have trouble with,o I hope this blog post helps. I'd be happy if people can further their enjoyment of the game by reading this!

Midi

Additional posts- These can be found after the main post (edited)
No. 98
A quick question, what should I do after Goh's knee hits as a normal attack? Is an elbow or throw OK?

-Asobō-ka
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No. 100
Yes, that is most definitely OK! You only get +1f advantage if the knee is a normal hit, though. Most opponents tend to lock up after getting hit so a throw may be the better option here, which I do quite often myself.

If they try to abare a fast attack such as , or an elbow can counter hit them (though at +1f your opponent's and will beat your elbow).

You could also stop your offense there to see how they react, and guard against their next attack in preparation for your next attacking opportunity.

Sabakis are another option, I'll address that point later so stay tuned!

-Midi
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No. 146
Thanks to this article I got promoted! This has been a great help! However I feel that I can win just by applying nitaku or using sabakis off an elbow attack. Should I be trying to develop my game beyond that?

-Anonymous
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No. 148
Firstly, congratulations on your promotion!

At close range, nitaku between a throw and a knee off your elbow counter hit is an excellent strategy in terms of the damage you can cause and the returns in your favor. If you continue with that you can be promoted even further!

To improve, look for opportunities to put your opponents in nitaku whenever you have a sizeable advantage, and not just off an elbow counter hit. You'll only be able to do this when you're aware of the frames you have when you guard a certain move, and can react quickly enough to apply nitaku. This knowledge will only come from practice and experience. See what moves opponents use, learn the moves' frames and try to apply nitaku the next time you're in the same situation.

At middle distances using and have good returns for the risks so try them out, too.

If you're successful with throws it means you're reading your opponent correctly, keep it up!

-Midi​