ice-9's Lion Dojo
(Version C)

Lion is a fairly easy character to be effective with, and his reputation as a character is greatly bolstered by Chibita, possibly the strongest player in Japan, if not the world, who has a 92% winning percentage with Lion. Lion is a fantastic poking character with great movement and a powerful ground game. Lion also has an assortment of good throws to go with his various strikes. A great Lion player is someone who understands spacing well and someone who prefers nitaku (50/50) guessing games without much fuss. Because of his speed and depth, it's easy to force guessing game situations with Lion relative to other characters.

Dojo Steps

Each step corresponds to a level of user sophistication/knowledge/comfort. Step 1 is for beginners, Step 2 is quasi-beginner, and Step 3 articles are tailored more for intermediate/advanced players. There may be articles of even higher steps in the future.

Step x: Lion's Dojo Mail (06/16/02)
Step 1: Select Moves Analysis (06/09/02)
Step 1: Staple Combos (06/08/02)
Step 1: Basic Flowcharts (06/08/02)
Step 2: Essential Okizeme (06/09/02)
Step 2: Counter Table (06/10/02)
Step 2: Versus Lion
Step 3: Maximum Damage Combos
Step 3: Meteor Punch (06/16/02)
Step 3: Back Stagger

Updates

06/16/02 - Step 3 Meteor Punch article published, moved from Step 2 to Step 3. Lion Dojo also updated.

06/10/02 - Step 2 Counter Table and Dojo Mail published.

06/09/02 - Moves updated for typos, Step 2 Okizeme published.

06/08/02 - First publication of Version C Lion Dojo and Step 1 Moves, Combos, and Flowchart.

Disclaimer

This Dojo is applicable primarily to Version C, the PS2 version of VF4 and the version dominant in Japanese arcades at the time of writing. The version found in most arcades out of Japan is Version B. There are many subtle differences between both versions, so applying the information in this Version C Dojo to Version B arcades requires a grain of salt. To check out the Version B Lion Dojo, click here.

Shouting Out

Many thanks to all the Lion players out there that have helped me understand the character. Also, much acknowledgement to the various mooks and videos that I have scoured and scanned for information.

As par the course, please respect the intellectual property rights of the author. If you wish to use any part of the guide, please e-mail me first.

About the Author

My name is Jeffrey Yuwono, but my Internet alias is "ice-9." I graduated from Duke University in May 2002 and am now currently working in Singapore. I am a dedicated VF3 player with a competitive playing knowledge of all the characters and hope to achieve a similar level in VF4. I am traditionally known as a Kage player, which I am actually trying to shake as I see myself more as an all-around player with a special affinity for the ninja (he was the character I first picked, from the very first VF1). If you have any feedback, questions, or insights into VF4 Lion, please do not hesitate to e-mail me at ice-9@virtuafighter.com.

ice-9; published June 08, 2002; last updated June 09, 2002