Darun Mister Character Guide Street Fighter EX (Arcade) version 1.0 By John Culbert (tigeraid@geocities.com) INTRODUCTION: ------------- For once our arcade actually got a game fairly early!! This should help me get a fairly good head start on doing some strategy and such for EX. Street Fighter EX IMO could be thought of a LOT like SSF2T. There are NO chain combos (Except of course things like C.Short -> C.Short with Ken/Ryu), NO ACs (YES!!!! YES, YES, YES!!!), and also thankfully, no CCs. Yes, Street Fighter EX is, for the most part, a collection of all the things we classic SF players like--it has no CCs, ACs, or chain combos, but retains good ol' Super Combos (wouldn't be a fighting game without them these days), tech hits (I'd prefer if these weren't there, personally!), and a rigid combo system. And of course, probably the biggest thing about SFEX is the fact that it is the FIRST Street Fighter game that is polygon-based and 3-D! In my opinion, it's kinda nice, and doesn't detract from the gameplay that much (some of the basic movements like jumping are a little different and require some getting used to, however). WHO'S DARUN MISTER? ------------------- A Zangief wannabe! (Just kidding!) Darun is a wrestler, who studies Pancratium (Jeffry McWild!) and seeks to defeat Zangief (yeah, right!). He doesn't have the raw power and effect that Zangief has, but he's got a lot of cool moves. He's also got a really funky mustache! :) NOTE: In the "A word about..." section, I use examples in my explanations involving OTHER fighters. I prefer to leave Allen for the actual Allen guide, and I find examples with other fighters are easier to use. Therefore, I recommend you find a general SFEX FAQ, like Darklancer's, if you don't know what moves I'm talking about. ############################################################################ ******* LEGEND: BUTTONS ******* .-------------Jab D-PAD | .-----------Strong | | .---------Fierce U/B U U/F | | | \|/ | | | B--o--F | | | /|\ O O O D/B D D/F O O O | | | | | | | | | | | ----------Roundhouse | ------------Forward -------------Short QCT= Quarter Circle Toward (roll the joystick from D to F) QCB= Quarter Circle Back (roll the joystick from D to B) HCT= Half Circle Toward (roll the joystick from B to D to F) HCB= Half Circle Back (roll the joystick from F to D to B) + = enter commands simultainiously N = Neutral (return D-Pad to center) J. = Jumping S. = Standing C. = Crouching XX = indicates buffering Some Short Forms Used in This FAQ: ---------------------------------- SF2= Street Fighter II: the World Warrior (may also refer to it as Classic) SF2CE= Street Fighter II: Champion Edition (may just be CE) SF2T= Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting SSF2= Super Street Fighter II: the New Challengers SSF2T= Super Street Fighter II Turbo (may refer to it as Super Turbo) SFA= Street Fighter Alpha: Warrior's Dreams SFA2= Street Fighter Alpha II DP= Dragon Punch- can be referring to Ryu's, Ken's, Akuma's Special move, or to the similiar joystick/D-Pad motion (F, D, D/F) HK= Hurricane Kick- can be referring to Ryu's, Ken's or Akuma's Special Move, or to the similiar motion (QCB+any kick) FB= Fireball- can be referring to Special Move possessed by many characters, or to the similiar motion (QCT+any punch) SC= Super Combo CC= Custom Combo- pertaining to Custom Combos from SFA2 FK= Flash Kick- Guile's (and Charlie's) move, or similiar motion (charge D, U+any kick) SB= Sonic Boom- Guile's (and Charlie's) move, or similiar motion (charge B, F+any punch) YF= Yoga Flame- pertaining to Dhalsim's OLD Special Move or similiar motion (HCT+any punch) SBK= Spinning Bird Kick- pertaining to Chun Li's pattened move TBK= Thousand Burst Kick- Chun Li's Super Combo SPD= Spinning Pileriver- Zangief's pattened move, or similiar motion (roll 360 degrees) FAB= Final Atomic Buster- Zangief's pattened SC, or similiar motion (roll 720 degrees) A WORD ABOUT... *************** THROWS AND GRABS: A Throw or Grab (including SPD or other Special Move Throw) must be done right up close, and is unblockable; it can only be avoided (some exceptions, like Zangief's Running Bear Grab, and Cracker Jack's Lazy Buffalo do exist). ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- TECH HITS: To perform a tech hit, hold B or F and hit Strong or Fierce (or Forward or Roundhouse if your fighter has a Throw with those buttons) just as the opponent grabs you; basically, you perform a Throw at the same time the enemy tries to Throw you. YOU CANNOT TECH HIT SPECIAL MOVE THROWS (eg. Zangief's SPD) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- BLOCKING: To block an oncoming attack, hold in the opposite direction. To block a low attack (i.e. the enemy hits low, like a sweep), hold D/B to crouch and block. There is NO Air Blocking SFEX! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- GUARD BREAKING: --------------- The only truely new (non-combo) feature of SFEX is the Guard Break; taking up one level of the Super Meter, a Guard Break will break through an enemy's block, and stagger them for QUITE a long time, allowing you to set up some devastating combos. To perform a Guard Break, press Fierce+Roundhouse, or Jab+Short, or Strong+Forward. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- TICKS: A tick is an attack that, if you connect with it, you can go into a combo or some other follow-up of your choice, and if blocked, you will recover in time to throw another attack before your opponent can; note that they also recover from their blocking frames at relatively the same time, so they will also be able to block the follow-up. But, since Throws are unblockable, you can nail them with a Throw! A fine example is to hit the opponent with Zangief's S.Short; if they block, quickly buffer the SPD and it will be almost unavoidable! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- SUPER METER: Underneath your Health meter is a meter which will fill up when you perform Special Moves or when you hit the enemy. Once filled to one level, it will flash and you can now perform one SC (or one Guard Break). It can also continue to be filled to a max of 3 levels. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- SUPER COMBOS (SFA2 and SSF2T): Your fighter has the ability to perform a powerful multi-hit attack known as a Super Combo (SC). You will know a character has executed a Super Combo because the screen will grow dark for a moment as they gather "chi" (spirit). ALL ANIMATION except for the gathering of the character's energy will stop, so your opponent cannot move. If you finish your opponent with an SC, the screen will flash brightly, and for some ODD reason in SFEX, a METEOR will fly through the screen! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- COMBOS: A combo is a series of attacks that, once the first hit connects, are totally unblockable until the opponent is knocked down or the attacker is pushed too far away to continue. In SFEX, the combo system has been ALMOST returned to the original system in SSF2T. Combos in SFEX generally follow the pattern of Jump-in -> Standing or Crouching Attack buffered into Special Move. You can also start simply from a Standing or Crouching Attack and buffer into a Special Move (see "buffering" below), and in some cases, more than one Standing or Crouching attack can be used (eg. two S.Jabs). ONLY CERTAIN REGULAR ATTACKS ARE BUFFERABLE! So what's different about SFEX's combo system? Well, first off, there is a juggle system now, moreso than ever; for example, one time I was using Guile, and I hit a jumping opponent (Ken) with my Jab SB. I then jumped and actually hit him with a J.Fierce before he landed, for a 2-hit combo! Still, the only big difference is that you can now buffer a SPECIAL MOVE into a SUPER COMBO, and a Super Combo into a Super Combo! There are no longer different SCs depending on the Super Meter level (except in some cases, like Akuma's dreaded Raging Demon) but this is remedied by the fact that you can string together up 3 SCs to make, in essence, a L3 Super Combo anyways. And hey, all you whiners who complain about no more huge multi-hit combos, take this example combo for Chun Li! J.Roundhouse XX Roundhouse TBK XX Kikosho This is an excellent example of how easy it is to pull of a HUGE multi-hit combo, if you have the timing down pat. For this reason, it is a VERY good idea to cancel Special Moves into Super Combos for MASSIVE combo damage. RESTRICTIONS: Their are TWO restrictions to the Super Combo buffering: 1. If the SC is ground-based, your character's feet MUST be on the ground when you perform the buffered SC. The best example is with Ken; a powerful combo for him is a Fierce DP buffered into a Shoryureppa--but wait, doesn't the DP cause Ken to rise into the air? This problem is solved if you perform the Fierce DP. This is because the first 2 hits of the _Fierce_ Dragon Punch leave Ken grounded, then he takes off for the the 3rd (now non-flaming) hit. The buffered SC WILL work IF you buffer it in before the 3rd hit of Ken's SC. So this means that, for example, you cannot perform a Flash Kick with Guile, then quickly cancel it with a Double Flash Kick SC, because Guile will be off the ground with the first FK! BTW, this restriction does of course not apply to air SCs; for example, the CPU Ryu did this HORRIBLY powerful combo to me: J.Roundhouse, C.Forward XX Roundhouse HK XX SUPER HK Ryu cancelled the 2nd hit of his regular HK into the mid-air Vacuum Hurricane and juggle me repeatedly in mid-air! This combo HURT. I would assume that he could do the same thing with his DP, perhaps cancelling the DP near the peak of its ascent! 2. You CANNOT BUFFER AN SC INTO ANOTHER OF THE SAME SC. The big mistake that lancer pointed out to me is that you cannot buffer two of the same SCs. For example, you cannot buffer C.Jack's Crazy Buffalo into ANOTHER Crazy Buffalo. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- BUFFERING: This is a technique used in 90% of all fighting games out today. To buffer means to do the motions of one move while the animations of another move are still being performed. Here's an example for Guile: -C.Strong XX Roundhouse FK a) hold D and hit Strong, then U+Roundhouse In order to perform this as a true combo, you must "cancel" the Strong with the FK, in other words, the Flash Kick must come out before the animations of the Strong are finished (before he draws the punch back after it connects). If you are too late the Kick will be blockable and won't count as part of the combo. Eg. 2- (same button buffering) -C.Strong buffered into Strong Sonic Boom There are two ways to perform this combo: a) begin holding D/B, then hit Strong, then F+Strong b) hold D/B, then press and HOLD Strong, then F and release Strong Some may find the second easier, but I actually use both. Again, the idea is to make the Sonic Boom come out before the punch is finished. The second way is easy simply because there are less things to do, and may keep some big combos a little more simplistic. Remember of course that you can now buffer Special Moves into SCs and SCs into other SCs; the same idea applies, i.e. perform the motion before the first move's animations are complete. ############################################################################# DARUN'S MOVES: -------------- -Lariat: F, D, D/F+any punch -Ganjitsu DDT: F, D, D/F+any kick -Brahma Bomb: roll 360+any punch (close) -Indra Bridge: roll 360+any kick (close) -Darun Catch: B, D, D/B+any punch -Air DDT: F or D or B+Fierce in mid-air (close) -Sidearm Suplex: F or B+Fierce (close) -Back Drop: F or B+Roundhouse (close) -Guard Break; Ganjitsu Chop: Jab+Short or Strong+ Forward or Fierce+Roundhouse -Super Combo 1; Tasogane Lariat: QCT, QCT+any punch -Super Combo 2; Indora Hashi: QCB, QCB+kick -Super Combo 3; Dynamic Bomb: roll 720+any punch REGULAR MOVES ANALYSIS: ----------------------- Jab: Besides being bufferable, the Jabs are great moves to use up close, and if the opponent isn't really quick, they can tick well. Strong: C.Strong is your basic, bufferable low punch; now big deal. S.Strong is AWESOME, to say the least; it is an upward stab with his fingers, like Jeffry's Hell Stab from VF2. This is a good up-close move to take out high attacks because of its speed, and more importantly it's a great air counter. USE OFTEN. Fierce: The C.Fierce is a slow low punch, and kinda useless. The S.Fierce is an AWESOME overhead chop, that does great damage and is good to hit crouching attacks; it is slow however so you will have to anticipate. Short: S.Short is a GREAT tick; use often. The C.Short will also provide decent ticking ability, but otherwise no big deal. Forward: Both crouching and standing are fast kicks, low and mid-level respectively. The standing version is an awesome pecking move, like Zangief's. Roundhouse: S.Roundhouse is a good high roundhouse, and is a decent regular air counter; however, the S.Strong is often better. The C.Roundhouse is your basic knockdown trip, with good range and great damage. It can be taken out with some fast high-priority moves, so be careful. ############################################################################# MOVES ANALYSIS: --------------- -Lariat- (Darun lunges forward with a mid-level roundhouse punch, then spins around and repeats) Certainly not like Zangief's Clothesline, Darun's Lariat is more of a main weapon. The Jab version knocks away projectiles, so use it to get close to the opponent, since Darun is too slow and cumbersome to jump in easily. It also does good damage and is an anchor for SCs (see combos). It also comes out fast initially, and will take priority over low attacks and most standing as well. This is the key to getting in close with Darun (see tactics). If blocked, it pushes the enemy away far enough that you can aviod MOST counters, not including SCs, and some other moves. -Ganjitsu DDT- (Darun leaps forward with his arms spread; if he connects, he wraps his arm around the enemy's neck, spins around, exclaims "Ganjitsu DDT!" and slams their head backwards into the ground) Definetely one of the coolest moves in the game, and one of the reasons I use him. For the most part you can think of this as Darun's Running Bear Grab; however unlike 'Gief's, his is of course airborne. It will grab jumping foes, but they must be landing a fair distance away. Basically the big place to use this is if the enemy whiffs a move from mid-range. There are also other special applications, as seen in the Vs. Strategies. Note that this move can be taken out with FAST high attacks and especially DP moves, so you still have to be careful with it. Also it is a good surprise move against defensive opponents, since it is unblockable. Advance and peck with the S.Forward, then toss this out of the blue... A good follow-up to a Guard Break! -Brahma Bomb- (Darun grabs the enemy, inverts them and grabs hold of their waist, leaps into the air, spins around once and slams them head-first into the ground) A visually stunning move (though it doesn't have the same "brutalness" as 'Gief's SPD :), the first thing you must know is this: 1. It has less range than Zangief's. 2. It is also slightly weaker. Because of the range, it is more difficult to tick with, and even more difficult to counter a blocked move with. For this reason, the best place to use this is RIGHT up close if the enemy leaves themself open, OR after a few select ticks (eg. S.Short). -Indra Bridge- (Darun grabs the enemy, leans back, and bounces them off his chest) By far one of the stupidest moves in SFEX, it looks just plain SILLY. It is also slightly weaker than the Brahma Bomb. Other than that, it is exactly the same. Use it if you want, but it sucks. -Darun Catch- (Darun raises his arms; if he grabs you, he whips you to the ground) So far I've only been able to grab jump-in attacks... Additions? -Air DDT- (Darun grabs an opponent in mid-air and DDTs them to the ground) A great move that helps Darun out a little in the air; it's a cool counter to a DP (jump up as the recover), and has decent priority overall in air-to-air combat. It won't be used often, but it's still good to have there. -Sidearm Suplex- (Darun grabs the opponent around the waist, twists to the side and slams them the ground in a suplex) A fairly powerful Throw with good range. -Back Drop- (Darun grabs the enemy around the waist and hoists them over his head, slamming them into the ground) IMO slightly more effective than the Sidearm Suplex, because it leaves the enemy slightly closer, where you can work on a meaty attack (see tactics). -Guard Break; Ganjitsu Chop- (Darun breaks through the opponent's guard with a terrific hand strike) Won't be used often, as Darun doesn't have many cheesy setups to use here. This is a fairly fast GB, so use it on turtlers, primarily. A great follow-up especially from maximum range would be the Ganjitsu DDT. -Super Combo 1; Tasogane Lariat- (Darun performs repeated Lariats) A GREAT move, one of Darun's best. Like Zangief's Cossack Kicks, it will take priority over any regular attacks, ESPECIALLY low ones. It also does greater damage than Zangief's Cossack kicks. It is also put VERY well into combos. If blocked, it can leave you open to a QUICK counter, however. This is an IMPORTANT tick!! (see tactics) -Super Combo 2; Indora Hashi- (Darun rears back almost like he's limboing, then leaps high into the air stomach first) Like the Indra Bridge, this move looks just plain goofy. However, it has the bonus of setting the enemy up for a juggle, in one of Darun's big combos. Its recovery is horrible, so stick with it in combos, or if the opponent is RIGHT above you in a jump, you can hit 'em with this. -Super Combo 3; Dynamic Bomb- (Darun grabs the opponent, inverts them and grabs their waist, flies HIGH into the air (past the clouds!), spins repeatedly and slams them to the ground) Use like a more powerful version of the Brahma Bomb, it will not come out unless the opponent is within its range. Use best with the S.Short Tick, or SEE TACTICS FOR A BIG CHEESE! :) ############################################################################# TACTICS: -------- The first thing you need to know about Darun is that he is DAMN SLOW. His jump is laughable and his walking speed is like a slug. Therefore it is VERY important to get close and STAY there. Try to never get further than mid-range; from here, use the Lariat and the standing or crouching Forward to deal with their moves and poke at them, and when they leave themselves open, go in for the Brahma Bomb. The Ganjitsu DDT is an important tool, because it is the only QUICK way for Darun to cover some distance. It can be used simply to surprise (NOTE: it will not grab crouchers!), or to counter a missed attack. This is good mixed in with the S. and C.Forward. Also don't forget to use the S.Fierce to deal with crouching opponents, and the occasional Guard Break. :) If the opponent goes offensive, it can be a little easier. When they jump, the S.Strong deals with them nicely, but it is even easier to sac-throw (risky) or block their jump-in and Brahma Bomb (or the Dynamic Bomb). With proper timing, they CANNOT avoid it. Once you have a level charged, The Tasogane Lariat becomes very important; against offensive or poking opponents it deals with just about every regular attack. More importantly, it is better to build up to 2 levels, and somehow actually FORCE the opponent to block the Tasogane Lariat; you heard right--the second they block it, buffer into the Dynamic Bomb--BAM! They're goin' for a ride! :) This, like Zangief's Cossack Kicks XX FAB, is pretty much inescapable when blocked (note that this will not work if the Tasogane Lariat is not blocked; you cannot COMBO into the Dynamic Bomb). Once you've knocked the enemy over, meaty attacks are a good idea, do deal some more damage. The ideal setup, besides the obvious C.Roundhouse knockdown, is the Roundhouse Back Drop, which will leave the opponent right at your feet. From here, you can time the S.Short to snag 'em as they rise and if they blocked, go for the Brahma Bomb (hell, even if they get hit by it, pause slightly then do the Bomb anyways!) You can also try a jump-in, but Darun doesn't have a Body Splash or Knee Drop to work with :(. ############################################################################# COMBOS: ------- Unfortunately, Darun doesn't have much combo potential until you get a level on the meter. However, this is solved by his grappling moves and fairly effective ticks (not as good as Zangief's, though :). NOTE: any combo with "tick" in parenthesis means that it will only work if the opponent BLOCKS IT. 1. J.Roundhouse, C.Roundhouse Comments: basic 2-hit knockdown, decent damage. 2. J.Roundhouse, S.Strong (or C.Short) XX Fierce Lariat Comments: all-purpose 4-hit, it also anchors well for a Super Combo. 3. (tick) J.Fierce, S.Short XX Fierce Brahma Bomb (or Dynamic Bomb) Comments: again, remember that the opponent must block at least the S.Short. If the J.Fierce hits the opponent, you probably won't have time to switch to another ground attack (your finger would probably be right about to hit the Short as you begin the 360 spin), but you can still buffer a Fierce Lariat out of the S.Short (or C.Short if you started the 360 spin!). So, this won't be a total loss if it hits the enemy. As in parenthesis afterwards, you can also use the Dynamic Bomb... 4. (tick) S.Forward, Ganjitsu DDT Comments: not actually a combo, since you cannot buffer out of the S.Forward (as far as I know). This is just a good surprise move, and if the enemy is REAL quick they can counter the DDT. 5. J.Roundhouse, C.Short XX Tasogane Lariat Comments: nice, damaging SC combo. 6. J.Fierce, S.Strong XX Fierce Lariat (1 hit) XX Tasogane Lariat XX Indora Hashi, S.Roundhouse Comments: nice, powerful multiple SC combo. There are of course better juggles than the S.Roundhouse... 7. (tick) Tasogane Lariat XX Dynamic Bomb Comments: see tactics for more info. ONLY IF IT IS BLOCKED! 8. J.Roundhouse, C.Forward XX Fierce Lariat (1 hit) XX Tasogane Lariat XX Indora Hashi, Indora Hashi, B, D, D/B+Fierce Comments: juggle after the first Indora Hashi with a second (you may have to take a step forward), then juggle with the Darun Catch. As I said, I have never grabbed the enemy with the Catch, but this is a confirmed combo. HELP! Does anyone know if you can catch the enemy after the Indora Hashi with the Ganjitsu DDT (damn, that'd be cool!) ############################################################################# Vs. Strategies: --------------- Vs. Ryu: An annoying fight, 'cause he'll most likely play keep-away. Go through his FBs with the Jab Lariat and try your best to get in close. Refrain from jumping unless you're fairly close and sure that you'll hit him. Up close you can usually deal with him, with the S.Short and fast Brahma/Dynamic Bombs; from mid-range you can peck and possibly snuff his FBs with the S.Forward. Once he has a level charged, try not to throw out low attacks near him, or his Vacuum HK will take them out for sure. NOTE: it is actually possible, albeit difficult, to grab Ryu out of his HK with the Ganjitsu DDT! He is ever-so slightly vulnerable in-between kicks (with his back turned slightly). It's probably better to block+Brahma Bomb, or duck and counter, but this is just plain COOL. Vs. Ken: Similiar to Ryu because his FB has been sped up to around HF speed and recovery. For the same reasons, refrain from jumping and counter the HK, FB and DP appropriately (his HK is slightly faster than Ryu's, so the DDT trick is even MORE difficult on Ken). Watch the regular attacks when he has a level charged, 'cause he'll take 'em out with either SC. The thing that's different about Ken is that the mid-range fight is a little more difficult because he has that awesome S.Roundhouse--and he has the Roll. If you anticipate the Roll you can grab him as he rises with a Brahma/Dynamic Bomb. However he can mix up the speed/distance so that you may not know where he's gonna show up; one way to avoid him fairly easily is to do a Ganjitsu DDT OVER his Roll and land safely on the other side. Vs. Chun Li: She's SOOO much faster than you; you have to play on her mistakes. STAY ON THE GROUND, and if she jumps, you can usually nail her with the S.Strong or S.Roundhouse. If you block the SBK, you can counter with a Tasogane Lariat or MAYBE the Brahma Bomb (or for sure the Dynamic Bomb), but it's not a good idea to duck it, because the last hit is an Overhead and you have no upward crouching attack to take her out early. Once she has a level charged, don't jump for SURE because you'll get a Kikosho in the ass--likewise don't throw out a lot of regular attacks from close because she can snuff them with the TBK. Vs. Pullum: Damn, she's annoying; my friend's a monster with her! She will peck from mid-range with her high-priority S.Roundhouse, and you MAY be able to deal with her here with the S.Forward. If you block her Hopping Overhead Hammer, you can buffer in a Brahma/Dynamic Bomb most of the time. Don't jump because she has great air counters and better priority in the air. You can counter her damn annoying Drill if blocked with the Fierce Lariat or the Tasogane Lariat; the S.Strong SOMETIMES takes out the airborne version, but it will trade hits often--it is better to block it and buffer in the Brahma/Dynamic Bomb. Her Overhead Flip Kick can be taken out with the Indora Hashi or SOMETIMES the S.Strong. If you block her Flip Kick, you can counter with whatever you wish. Once she has a level, her Overhead Kick SC will take out most of your low attacks (you can recover in time to block with the fast ones, eg. C.Short), so be careful here; thankfully, she performs her Flip Kick at the end of this, giving you plenty of time to counter if you block. Vs. Zangief: I still like Darun, just not as much as Z! :) This will be primarily an up- close battle, but one attack that works well here (from mid-range) is the Ganjitsu DDT, which he can only take out IF anticipated with a Clothesline. Remember that his SPD is faster with a greater range, and will frequently counter-throw (block your tick but Throw you first!), so instead stick to mid-range with the S.Forward and Ganjitsu DDT, and build your levels. Once you have 2, try for the Tasogane Lariat XX Dynamic Bomb tick, or just take out his regular attacks with the Lariat SC. When he has a level charged, don't throw any low attacks because the Cossack Kicks are basically the same as the Tasogane Lariat. Likewise, if he has TWO levels, he can perform the same tick with the Cossack Kicks XX FAB. And if he has 3 levels, this is even more dangerous because he can use a L2 FAB... NOTE: check out my in-depth Zangief Guide, located wherever you got this! Vs. Guile: He'll be defensive mostly, but you can get through the SBs with the Jab Lariat; just watch for his fast recovery and don't go through the SBs from close range! Don't jump either, as his air defenses are a nightmare. Up close/mid range, the only really good attack he has is the C.Forward, so stick with your S.Forward, and S.Short tick for the Brahma Dynamic Bomb. If he has a level on the meter and is charging in a crouch, don't throw out any attacks short of another SC (or maybe the S.Short tick), because he's charging for the Double Flash Kick. If you block either of his SCs, counter as you like... Vs. Hokuto: She's fast and powerful, but not invincible. She will pester you with her F+Roundhouse Thrust Kick, and her Backslide Sweep/Roundhouse. If you block the Sliding moves, you can frequently nail her with a Brahma/Dynamic Bomb (especially the Sweep version). Likewise, if you block EITHER part of her Dashing Elbow/Palm Thrust combination, she's wide open for some slamming! Jumping in on her is not too dangerous if distanced correctly; because of Darun's short jump, you can frequently jump, and when she slides back for the Backslide/Roundhouse, you can usually land in time to block and counter! Note that she does have other air counters, so this isn't fool-proof. Once she has a level charged, do NOT jump at all because she can nail you with her Super FB. Basically, you just have to play on her mistakes. NOTE: My Hokuto FAQ should also be up soon, wherever you got this one! Vs. Doctrine Dark: Smack through his Snap Wire with the Jab Lariat and edge closer; whatever you do, don't jump unless you're ABSOLUTELY sure he's recovering from the Snap Wire, because not only can he counter with the Rising Slice, but he can also lay an Explosive so you land on it, and open yourself up for a big combo. Once you get close he's not so tough; once he has a level, don' throw a lot of regular attacks or he'll take 'em out with the Slice `n' Dice. One really nice thing Darun can do that others can't is use the Ganjitsu DDT to leap OVER Dark's Explosives if you're fast enough! Vs. Skullomania: Not much on this loser, 'cause not too many people play this silly character. If you block the SkulloSlide, Super SkulloSlide or Super SkulloCrusher, he's open for a slam. Nothing else much for now... Vs. C.Jack: Like Zangief, any blocked dashing move=Brahma/Dynamic Bomb! You must however be VERY fast, because the recovery on his Dashing Straight and especially Upper is good enough that he could Throw you first! Note however that the only REALLY easy to counter dashing moves are the Dashing Upper and his Crazy Buffalo; the Turn Punch, Dashing Straight and other Special Moves can be countered with the Bomb when blocked IF you walk forward a step or two (or, just counter with a C.Forward XX Fierce Lariat). Don't jump when he can anticipate it 'cause he has deadly air counters. From mid-range, peck with the S.Forward, which can snuff a lot of his Special Moves, but NOT his SCs. NOTE: remember to check out my big C.Jack FAQ, posted wherever this one was! Vs. Blair: Just have fast reflexes! If you block her Shoot Kicks, counter FAST with the Brahma/Dynamic Bomb. Watch your high attacks, or she'll take them out with the Sliding Arrow (Bomb her if you block this too!). Her Mirage Arrow SC also takes out low attacks, so watch for this up close. NOTE: I also have a FAQ for Blair... Vs. Allen: Jab Lariat through his FBs, but watch for his Justice Fist. If you block this move, you have an ETERNITY to counter however you wish, so take the opportunity. Also watch for his Hop Kick, which can take out low attacks, and the Triple Break SC, which can also take out most attacks up close AND set you up for a big juggle. If the Triple Break misses from a distance, you can counter with the Ganjitsu DDT fairly fast. From mid-range he will also peck at you with his S.Forward... NOTE: remember that I have a FAQ out on Allen, wherever you got this one... Vs. Kairi: Basically the same as Ryu; however, once he has a level charged, watch when he jumps for his Super Air FB, and also yourself refrain from jumping because he has a high-priority rising SC. NOTE: See my Kairi FAQ, wherever you got this one! ############################################################################# WHAT'S MISSING? *************** -MORE COMBOS! -more Vs. Strategies -any correction on tactics -ANY CORRECTIONS -possibility of Ganjitsu DDT after the Indora Hashi -more info on Darun Catch ############################################################################# CREDITS: -------- Thanks to ARIKA for a great game, and thanks again to Lancer for his info... Also a big thanks to Happy Man Arcade for finally getting a game in fairly early! Finally a big thanks to Jason Jamieson (cka@efni.com), Jarvis, that dude with the pink hat, that guy who gave me a few good fights with Blair Dim (especially him!) and all the other guys at Happy Man for playing me. :) This and other FAQs can be accessed at my homepage: http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Heights/1910 You can also e-mail me at: tigeraid@geocities.com "I said it before and I'll say it again--democracy simply doesn't work!" -Kent Brockman, the Simpsons