VF5FS Wolf Strategy

Introduction(top)

Wolf is a wrestler, and throws are one of his most damaging tool. If people like to crouch a lot you have also strong mids to change their minds.

Nitaku(top)

Wolf loves guessing game, especially when the 2 options are big launchers or high damaging throws. However a worthy opponent knows that is the most dangerous direction, so with that in mind throw the F5. Also people think that Wolf's Standard throw is useless but it's actually a nice setup to catch whiffed rising kicks. The only problem is that you have to walk a bit backward if you are facing Jean, Wolf, Jeffry and Taka.
Also if you don't wanna rely on a normal throw, catches are always welcome will give you a nice 3 way game that is nice rewarding if you get the correct guess, but if you are looking for instant damage the Diamond Cutter and the Standing Shining Wizard are your stuff, the draw back is that those catch throws are slow and a fast reacting opponent can even throw you while you're doing them so be sure to educate your opponent to stand still.

If you want to shake your opponent you may always try to use the guard break, although you're going back to the nitaku situation. After we may just throw a big launcher or dash in for a throw (or catch throw). But if you are close to the wall, the guard break is deadly.

If your opponent loves to dodge towards your back, remember you have one of the fastest half circular in the game: the Screw Hook ! On light weights it's also combo starter to make them pay if they dodge too much. To deal with a dodge to your stomach side, and the heavy middle kick will do the work, however the last option can be blocked if your opponent is fast enough to cancel the failed evade.

Side Turned(top)

Wolf doesn't have many option from a side turned situation. Biggest tool you may want to use to punish a dodged attack is since it's natural combo from the side.
If your opponent loves to keep attacking although he's side turned will give you a side crumple for a high damaging combo.
After this there isn't much more left. You may want to use your guard break to get a +14 but due to the distance you don't have anything guaranteed. Also in counter hit will be +10 giving you the chance to land a throw from the side ( or ), however your opponent can still escape the throw so take that in mind.
If the opponent is close to the wall the guard break assume a new prospective since the distance will be closer this time, but Wolf doesn't have any combo starter at +14, which means you don't have high damaging options.

Combos(top)

Wolf's combos have the great advantage to be high damaging and also good for oki.
Which means that most of the time all the combos that end with the screw hook () will lead to oki setups without the need to sacrifice any damage.

Wakeup Strategies(top)

When you finish a combo with the screw hook on a mid weight opponent (from Sarah to Jean Kujo) you may want to know you have a strong guessing game for your opponent. Using canceled into guard will give you the perfect timing to land as meaty. That said your opponent has to stand still without the chance to dodge or counter attack. Most of the time you'll be safe. If the opponent block every time the kick you have also a plan B: which is great against opponent who loves to stand still. If your opponent starts to stay on the ground this is the time where you may want to use as ground attack after the canceled . This will also turn into an option select where you can hit your opponent while lying down or push them away if they don't stand instantly; however this option isn't great against a perfect tech roll o quick rise so it's up to you to guess right.

Okizeme(top)

After a standard throw only big characters can touch you. If you stand still you'll be able to whiff punish a rising attack with . If your opponent like to back roll you can still whiff punish a rising attack, you just need to do a dash when you see the roll. Also after a back roll you have also the chance to see the rising kick animation, block it, and punish it since it's -15.

Ukemizeme(top)

After a you have an option select depending if the opponent rises or not. To gain the perfect time you should whiff a then press . If the opponent stands up you'll throw out a mid attack that is safe on block and gives you some gimmicks due to the push back. Otherwise the heavy ground attack will come out and it won't be avoided by rolling in any direction.

Ring Position(top)

One of the strongest tool of Wolf is controlling the ring position. You should master his catch () in order to do so. Also his guard break helps a lot to gain position in a ring, either to push away your opponent or gain space when close do the border. Just remember it's a low damaging attack of 16f execution, which means if your opponent loves to attack you'll eat easily a counter hit. Also it's a high hit so it won't work on a crouching opponent.
Experienced Wolf player won't use the most obvious option to deal damage with the catch, but the high chance to eat something like 120 damage on a wall will scare everyone, so keep in mind that from the catch, the neutral throw will push them toward the wall, and the back option will put them to Wolf's back. Also there's a third option that doesn't lead to direct damage but to another guessing game which is , it's not rare to see some players using this to get the opponent more confused but neutral and backward are the first 2 options to be scared off, so at first I would consider the catch a 50/50 guessing game.

Wall Pressure(top)

As previously mentioned the catch is one of the most effective tools to get a guaranteed wall combo with the neutral throw ( then ) there's no chance to escape that struggle and is guaranteed. Also but gives you less damage, and but the combos are character specific.
Other way to get pressure on the wall is by using the guard break. You'll be at +9 which means that is guaranteed, but of course your opponent can still escape that single throw. However you may start to use the other throws to let your opponent thinking they can start to attack from the disadvantage and that's where your big combo starters change their minds.
The only hit that can give some wall stun for guaranteed damage is but it's unsafe on block (guaranteed punishment) and it requires some angle.

Ring Out(top)

Wolf has a great ring control and the ring out is one of his most used tools. If you play in a low fence stage you may want to use more the screw hook, since it will ring out your opponent instead of giving you a wall splat.
Also is a great tool for a ring out if you 2 aren't close to the wall.
But if you are in an open ring then that's when the fun really starts. Wolf has insane combos that carry your opponent really far away, and on light weight he can even gets a ring out from the center of the ring.
Most common combo to get that is using -> as combo ender, usually after the low bound part (). Sacrificing damage to get a ring out is a smart option to get an istant win so be sure to keep an eye on the ring to be aware of your position.

Other(top)

The R.A.W.(top)

Since Wolf is an high damaging character, to balance things out, AM2 gave him just few strings, which means we can't keep our opponent under pressure. That said Wolf is more likely to feel that pressure, but don't feel sad because we have a great tool to deal with characters who loves to poke you: The R.A.W. which is done by . With this tool we may eat the damage of a single hit and go into a catch state. From here we have the usual 3 options to deal damage to our opponent.
Keep in mind the rules to use the RAW:

1) the hit you take must be made with a single arm.
2) it mustn't be circular.
3) if it has a quick follow up, the follow up is going to stop you.
4) it must be high or medium.
5) it mustn't knock you down on normal hit.

Deadly Move(top)

Wolf has also a stance that may be used in some specific scenarios (when your opponent is standing up for example) which is performed pressing or . When in this stance Wolf will start running in the direction we chose ( or ) and will keep running as long as we keep that direction. When reaching a wall Wolf will touch the wall stop the run toward that direction and go back. If we like to keep the run going we need to switch the direction or Wolf will initiate the stopping animation from Deadly Move.
From the Deadly Move we have some options that your opponents have to deal with.
: an high that is unblockable unlike his cousin although the two animation are basically the same.
: a mid that will give us a +19 advantage. Low throws are also possible to reach up to 100 dmg in total, but I recommend to go for a launcher like and take guaranteed damage (also on the mid weight there's a way to get 100 dmg in total anyway so why risk to lose that damage?).
: the fastest mid from the stance. Unlike his twin brother this time we are safe on block so no need to worry if the opponent likes to stand still.
: an high unblockable that recovers down.
: the 2nd most damaging option because we have a great combo after this catch
: kinda flashy to see but usually it's prefered to go with if the opponent loves to crouch.