VF5 Techniques from Tougeki Damashi Vol 7

<span style='font-size: 17pt'>VF5 Techniques</span>
Source: Tougeki Damashi Vol 7
Thanks to Chibitox for the scans, and nin for the translations.

<span style='font-size: 14pt'>Introduction</span>
So you can hit check pretty well, perform ETEG, and know your guaranteed counter attcks, but why do you still struggle against human opposition? A reason could be that when you play in an ideal or textbook style, it becomes easy for people to predict your strategy.

So let's look at techniques known as "Hito Zuyo". Hito Zuyo translates to "man strong" and indicates that the technique is good against human opposition, even if not sound in theory.

<span style='font-size: 14pt'>Technique 1: Fuzzy Guard Attack</span>
This is a popular technique. When you're disadvantaged, use fuzzy guard to avoid/guard the throw/mid then immediately attack. Basically, you have to watch until the timing of the standard mid attack (from your opponent) has passed and do your attack.

This technique is good against a delayed throw, but will not work against delayed attacks.

<span style='font-size: 14pt'>Technique 2: Fuzzy Guard Crouch</span>
This is good against the opponent's nitaku which can aim to result in a throw whiff but also guard a low circular and duck a high circular.

Even though you may eat a mid attack since you're crouching, the risk is usually not that high on Normal Hit. In a -4 to -5 situation, if you wanted to guard the knee, you will be vulnerable for 1 to 2 frames to a guaranteed throw. So sometimes it's OK to risk a normal hit by a knee as a trade off for not being thrown.

<span style='font-size: 14pt'>Technique 3: Whiff Punishment</span>
Back dashing when you have advantage is sometimes a useful wait to bait a whiff from the opponent. If you do this, you should always be prepared to punish the whiff appropriately.

The basic idea is to buffer /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f.gif/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/f.gif or /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/df.gif/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/df.gif after your back dash (/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/b.gif/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/b.gif). Then you check your opponent's attack motion and decide on whether you input any buttons or not. If you don't input any buttons (for an attack), then your back dash will just go into another movement (standing or crouch dash), so the risk is not that high.

<span style='font-size: 14pt'>Technique 4: Hospital Throw</span>
This term was coined after a VF3TB team called Team England Hospital, who were known for their intercepting style of throwing.

With 0f throw in VF5, the strong technique of the "hospital throw" from VF3TB has made a come back. In mid range, if you see your opponent dashing towards you, you dash towards them and throw!

This technique will lost to an attack, so you have to mix this in well with the "whiff punishment" technique (above). If you condition your opponent with accurate whiff punishment, they may be hesitant to poke as much which opens up chances for you to hospital throw.

<span style='font-size: 14pt'>Technique 5: Use OM to break defence</span>
Since opportunities for true nitaku aren't so abundant in VF5, it's hard to hit an opponent who can fuzzy guard well. You can use OM to close the distance as well as waste some frames while the opponent performs a fuzzy guard.

So, use OM with a slow(er) mid attack to break down this defence. Examples include Akira's /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/d.gif/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/db.gif/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/b.gif/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif or Jacky's /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/df.gif/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif+/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/k.gif. These are low risk moves to use.

 

Thanks Chibitox, Nin, and Myke for the two translations -

I think it might have been mentioned in other places before, but while doing some tests with OM, I noticed certain slow moves of Pai have their move properties changed after doing OM. Basically when Pai is to the side or back of opponent, /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/b.gif/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/p.gif 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 will crumble opponent on normal hit.