Pai Chan Dojo
Step 1 Strategy
By "Step 1 Strategy," this guide is meant to be a first step
for beginning Pai players. I assume the other documents in Pai's Dojo
have been read, and that the reader is of some competency in the game.
Thus this guide is ideal not for pure beginners but for players who have
some experience in the game but are just starting out with Pai.
At the Step 1 level, players should focus on Pai's traditional bread
and butter: a flow chart, poking like gameplay, complemented with a good
ground game. When thinking about flow charts, you need to have some idea
of when you have the advantage and when you have the disadvantage, and
choosing the appropriate flow charts to follow. This document is thus
divided into three parts: advantage, disadvantage, and ground game.
Advantage
How do you know when you have the advantage? The best way is to study
and memorize frame statistics, but generally, any time an attack hits
the opponent, you have the advantage. Similarly, most of the time, when
you block your opponent's attack, you get the advantage. These rules of
thumb should serve you well at the Step 1 level.
When the advantage is with you, the moves that you want to keep in mind
are her sidekick, LBF, DSKs, d/b+K+G, punches, and f+P.
Use the sidekick to attack crouching opponents, opponents at mid distance,
or retreating opponents. If your sidekick hits, you retain the advantage.
When it is blocked, you are at a disadvantage.
While the LBF doubles as a defensive move, especially in that it can
duck most attacks, including the low punch, it is slow enough such that
it is better used while the advantage is yours. Further, since the low
punch is such a powerful move, and one that your opponent is likely to
use often when you have the advantage (i.e. the opponent is at the disadvantage),
the LBF becomes a very appropriate move to use. Mix up the LBF follow
ups to keep the opponent guessing.
The DSKs are what you want to use if you have a strong ground game (or
if the opponent has a stronger standing game). While they are quick, they
can be interrupted if you try it while in disadvantage. As was mentioned
in the Moves Analysis portion of the Dojo, you want to get into the habit
of watching to see whether the first Swallow Kick connects before commiting
to the second. Besides that, the SSK is in of itself a useful move to
incorporate into your offense.
The d/b+K+G is a tricky move for Pai since if it hits on normal, Pai
recovers only evenly with the opponent (you should normally think of this
situation as Pai being at a disadvantage). Thus you should only aim to
use this move to interrupt opponents or dodging opponents.
I mention Pai's punches here because as a result of a Pai's speedy punch,
there are many moves that if she blocks she can get a guaranteed punch
counter. When the opportunity presents itself to you, don't be afraid
to go for all three punches! They give good damage (32 points) and you
retain the advantage after the three punches.
The f+P is a fast hitting move that can be used at a disadvantage or
advantage. The nice thing about the f+P is that even if blocked, Pai isn't
at that big of a disadvantage. The f+P is a nice move if the opponent
won't sit still to harrass with. You can honestly do it two or three times
in a row safely.
Disadvantage
When your attack is blocked, or if the opponent's attack hits you, then
you are usually at a disdvantage. In this state, the moves you want to
keep in mind are punches, low punch, palm sabakis, and d/b+P.
Her punch, being the fastest in the game, is a natural candidate for
interrupting opponent's attacks. At the same time, it's nice in that it
can serve to easily initiate Pai's offense.
Her low punch, like every other low punch in the game, is ideal for getting
out of trouble. It's an easy way to gain the advantage. From her low punch,
two moves that you want to keep in mind are her D,f+P and her D,f+P+G
throw.
The palm sabakis are a fantastic way to keep attacking while defending
against an opponent's counter attacks. Most opponents, when they are at
a slight disadvantage (i.e. after getting hit by Pai's f+P or sidekick),
will attempt a punch or a quick middle to regain the advantage. The first
palm will easily sabaki a punch or elbow. However, be careful of knee
characters, as the palm will not sabaki a knee.
Pai's d/b+P helps minimze her use of dodges. The d/b+P will avoid most
close to middle range attacks in its beginning animation, and will float
opponents on the actual strike. Use the d/b+P enough and opponents will
be wary of trying to interrupt Pai, even with knees.
A good Pai player will seem as though she is attacking constantly, going
from one flow chart into the next, but the reality is that she has many
attacks with defensive properties. The key is leveraging those defensive
properties at the appropriate situations, and forcing opponents to defend.
Ground Game
An effective okizeme tactic is to use the u or d+P+K whenever you think
the opponent will rise with a circular kick (a good rule of thumb is if
the opponents are facing up while on the ground), and whenever opponents
roll to the side, forward, or TR. Using the Trip Up as a threat, apply
pressure as soon as the opponent rises, with a sidekick or a throw.
If you want to implement a more traditional okizeme game of guessing
high or low, use the LBF and d/b+K+G to duck under high rising attacks
and DSKs and Blue Sky Leg for hopping over low attacks. Remember that
you can reverse or inashi a high rising straight kick.
Pai also still has an uramawari game, but at this stage for VF4, uramawari
seems less systematic than in VF3. That said, you can use the SSK to hop
over opponents lying on the ground. If the uramawari attempt is successful
and the opponent high rises in the wrong direction, exposing his or her
back to you, turn around d+P,P,f+P to float the opponent in the back.
If the uramari attempt is unsuccessful, use the turn around d+K to go
under high rising attacks and turn around u/b+K to hop over low rising
attacks.
Conclusion
Pai's strengths as a character may seem to have diminished relative to
other characters' upgrades in VF4, but she has enough weapons to implement
an effective flow chart and ground game. In VF4, moreso than VF3, it has
become critical to understand Pai's moves' properties intimately and knowing
when and how to use them. Pai has a great ground game and players should
not be shy in pressing for okizeme. While Pai can be an involving character
at the Step 1 level, she is even more interesting when her parries and
reversals are put to their full use.
ice-9's Pai Chan Dojo
ice-9; published December 31, 2001; last updated December
31, 2001
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