-GUILE FAQ- Marvel vs Capcom 2: The New Age of Heroes Arcade/Naomi V2.0 This document Copyright 2001 Dane Miner This document is for private and personal use only. This document may not be reproduced in any way or form without explicit permission from the author. __________ History __________ v2.0 -Cosmetic changes, minor corrections, additional strategy and analysis v1.5 -Minor corrections concerning command moves and combos v1.0 -First draft (and the author's first FAQ) __________ Contents __________ 1. Introduction 2. Notation 3. Move list 4. Combos 5. Strategy 6. Closing __________ Intro __________ Why Guile? -Guile is a long-time favorite in my circle of friends (we witnessed our first "special move" when my friend accidentally performed the Flash Kick in SF2), and a bit of a badass besides. This paradoxically punk-haired, fatigue- wearing, Air Force soldier has never had a large repertoire of moves, but they're solid and versatile, and his basic moves are diversified and compliment the limits of his specials. Guile's MvC2 incarnation also happens to be one the game's best characters; here's my unofficial run-down: + Balanced; good damage, good endurance, decent speed, and reach + Versatile; Guile switches from offense to defense in a blink of an eye + Combo-able; Guile thrives on combos, and they can all cancel into supers + Simplicity; Guile is easy to use, meaning you can concentrate on implementation, not execution + Guile doesn't take crap from anyone. - No beam super (hey, you can't have everything) - Guile's 'mind games' are not very hard to decipher; luckily, they are very effective...but chances are that your opponent will know what you're up to. __________ Notation __________ Joystick motions: u -up f -forward d -down b -back uf -up/forward df -down/forward db -down/back ub -up/back QCF -quarter circle forward (d, df, f) QCB -quarter circle back (d, db, b) HFC -half circle forward (b, db, d, df, f) HCB -half circle back (f, df, d, db, b) DP -dragon punch (f, d, df) RDP -reverse dragon punch (b, d, db) 360 -360 degree turn (typically: f, df, d, db, b, ub, u, uf, f) Buttons: WP -weak punch (jab) MP -medium punch (WP x2, strong) FP -strong punch (fierce) WK -weak kick (short) MK -medium kick (WK x2, forward) RK -strong kick (roundhouse) A1 -assist 1 A2 -assist 2 P -punch (any) K -kick (any) PP -both punch buttons KK -both kick buttons Start -the Player 1/Player 2 button Actions: S. -standing (i.e. performed while standing) C. -crouching J. -jumping SJ. -super-jumping ff> -dashing >> -cancel [into] (RK >>sonic boom; cancel the Roundhouse into a sonic boom) otg -Off The Ground; hit opponents while they are grounded ================= Move List ================= S.WP -Standard jab, hits high S.MP -Close uppercut, combo-filler S.FP -Fierce, lead-hand uppercut. Lacks the range of the f+FP and b+FP variations, so it's really only useful dashing combos. S.WK -Quick shin kick, though it still hits mid. S.MK -High front kick, combo-filler. S.FK -High roundhouse. Could be used as anti-air, but doesn't launch. Both FK variations have better range and are useful. C.WP -Low jab, great combo-starter. C.MP -Low cross, combo-filler. C.FP -Fierce rising uppercut, and Guile's launcher. Has great priority, and will register as a hit even after the arm is fully extended (giving it great range). Opponents will often think you struck to soon, only to start a [jumping] attack and get launched. C.WK -Low roundhouse. Has great range for a C.WK, very fast. It will probably be your main combo-starter. C.MK -Low Sweep (the second half of Guile's C.RK). Great range, but mostly just combo filler. C.RK -Double sweeping kick (essentially, WK, MK in succession). Both kicks sweep, but the move is fairly slow, and quick players will interrupt you before the second kick comes out. J.WP -Air jab, slight downward angle. J.MP -Jumping chop, combo-filler. J.FP -Jumping fierce chop. Slight downward angle; range makes it more useful for close-range jump-ins (J.WP, J.FP). Slightly faster than J.RK. J.WK -Extended knee. Great angle for jumpin combos. J.MK -High, mid-air front kick. Combo-filler. J.RK -Long-range jumping side kick. Same range as C.MK, but in the air. This Kick gives Guile a nice range advantage for jump-ins, and since the kick is totally horizontal, use it to stuff oncoming air opponents. Also an excellent jumpin, opponents will be in hit-stun long enough for Guile to dash up and combo, even if you connect at maximum range. << Command Moves >> df+ FP -the alternate, generic way to perform the launcher f + RK -Guile's famous "upside-down" kick; is rather slow, but has great range and will avoid simple low hits (like C. WK's's and sweeps). f + FP -spinning backfist; has great range, _will_ hit many crouching opponents (like Sonson, who's seemingly beneath it). Not sure, but I doubt it will connect w/ MegaMan, Roll, Kobun... b + FP -straight punch (cross); a cool-looking punch, very quick. Looks better than the standard FP, so use it to be trendy. b + RK -jumping sobat (jump reverse heel kick); decent speed and range, and a surprisingly good anti-air. This move avoids simple low hits; but is NOT an overhead attack. B + WK -lunging knee; the move that was useless...still is. I suppose this might be used as a quick poke, but Guile has better options. << Throws >> f/b + FP (air) -shoulder toss; hurls them about a screen's distance away (use to place them in the corner). The air version tosses them to the ground. Strangely, Guile is able resume attacking the opponent -as they're thrown-. So far, I've only connected with a J.WP, J.MP afterwards, so mail me if discover anything useful. f/b + RK (air) -suplex; opponent bounces off the ground (OTG in corners). The air version performs Guile's backbreaker throw, which sets them on the ground in front of Guile for a quick OTG. << Special Moves >> Sonic Boom -b, f + P (the punch used determines traveling speed) Flash Kick -d, u + K (the kick used determines height of flash; can be performed in the air w/o charge) Supers: Sonic Hurricane -QCF + PP Somersault Strike -QCB + KK Crossfire Blitz -Air, QCF + KK Assists: Alpha (anti-air) -Flash Kick/Somersault Strike Beta (projectile) -Sonic Boom/Sonic Hurricane Gamma (balance) -Sonic Boom/Sonic Hurricane Snapback: -f + FP (d, df, f + A1/A2) Ground Chain: weak to strong Jumping Chain: weak to strong SJ. Chain: hunter (magic-series) Colors: WP -green camo (original color) WK -blue camo (?) FP -light grey camo RK -brown camo A1 -green camo, tan skin A2 -grey camo, tan skin =================== Combos =================== Guile has a versatile repertoire of combos. I'll describe the basic range of combos I utilize; keep in mind that many more are available. Ground chains: 1) S.WP, WP, b + FP, Sonic Boom >>Sonic Hurricane* 2) S.WP, WK, C.RK (x2) >>Somersault Strike 3) C.WK, WK, RK >>Flash kick 4) C.WP, WP, b + RK, Sonic Boom >>Somersault Strike* 5) ff> C.WP, WP, FP (launch) *note: You will need to start charging back at the beginning of the combo if you want to insert the Sonic Boom, though it's really only for show. Air Combos (after super-jump) 1) sj.WP, WK, WP, WK, FP, RK 2) sj.WP, WK, WP, WK >>Crossfire Blitz 3) sj.WP, WK, WP, WK >>Flash kick 4) sj.WP, WK, WP, WK (short pause), f + RK* 4a) sj. WP, WK, WP, WK (short pause), f + RK, (otg) >>Somersault Strike *note: This ends the air combo with Guile's BackBreaker air throw, which allows for a quick OTG...the timing must be precise, and nothing will chain on the ground (C.WK will bounce them up off the ground); they will autoroll after landing from the OTG (i.e. C.WK). However, you can hit them mid air after the (otg) C.WK, so (otg) C.WK, C.FP will result in a re-launching. This combo can be repeated until they break the air throw, or tech roll after hitting the ground. So, given the proper circumstances, Guile can: 1) j.WP, FP, ff> C.WP, WP, FP, sj.WP, WK, WP, WK, f+RK, (otg) C.WK, FP, ... 2) j.WP, FP, ff> C.WP, WP, FP, sj.WP, WK, WP, WK >>Crossfire Blitz 3) j.WP, FP, ff> C.WP, WP, FP, sj.WP, WK, WP, WK, FP, RK -I tend to stick with the latter, since the timing on the Crossfire Blitz is so tricky, and at the cost of a level, not much more damage is tacked on. ================ Strategy ================ << General Strategy >> 1) Charging: It is fundamental that any good Guile player learn to charge (be holding down or back) whenever he/she can. Guile's specials execute almost instantly, so it's critical to have them available in a pinch. During any jump, be charging down-back; anytime you're crouching, be charging down-back; during a ground combo, be charging back. Charge, damn it, charge! Thus you will always have access to either the Sonic Boom or the Flash Kick; the uses of which are apparent below: 2) The Sonic Boom: Essential for Guile's pressuring tactics, and an excellent counter for just about everything (except beams). Assuming you already have it charged (which you will, because you're always charging), always end a blocked ground chain with a sonic boom. This will prevent your opponent from retaliating. Also since the recovery time is so quick, throwing out random SB's is recommended, if for no other reason than giving your opponent something to contend with. -"Walking your Sonic Boom": Guile's WP Sonic Boom moves so slowly that Guile can literally walk right behind it (surpass it even, if giving space). That floating SB is your best friend; enemies will have their fireballs snuffed as you approach, and at close range opponents will be stuck blocking so you can continue the pounding. One of the primary applications of this is after a blocked C.RK (x2) (usually after WK, WK, RK); cancel the SB after the first or second kick (depending on whether your opponent will slip in between, or just to mix it up). There will not be enough space for a retaliation, so follow up with [another] jump-in. Guile's ultra long-range j.RK facilitates this pressure game nicely, as you will often catch your opponent calling in helpers or maneuvering (or just stuck there ducking, bewildered) to break the pattern. A blocked jump-in will just lead into another quick chain, canceling into a SB, and the pressure continues. I find this type of pressuring gets old quick, and your opponent will make mistakes trying to get out. _If_ however, your opponent wants to wait you out (which is boring), you can use your assists to mix things up, but most effective are throws and cross-ups. And if you go with the throw (which no one likes...despite their turtling), be sure to toss them in a corner and continue the pressure game. If you're initiating an attack, follow up your SB with a f + FP, which has great range; this should keep them grounded for you to come in with a jumping attack. 3) Flash Kick: Originally designed as an anti-air attack, move canceling has made it much more versatile. Still an excellent anti-air if the opponent is at a bad angle for C.FP, especially since it executes so quickly that you can wait for your opponent to commit (instead of just jumping in with an air- block) and strike. Does great damage, especially when the projectile blade connects. The WK version is excellent for slipping between slow combos, or giving you some room from an aggressive opponent. Even if blocked, you'll land quickly enough to defend. Also, cover missed jump-ins with the WK Flash Kick, and even better, defend against jumpers that switch to your other side while you're stuck in a move (C.RK(x2) comes to mind). Even if your facing the wrong way, the Flash Kick with execute properly, and either hit them from behind, or out of whatever mischief they had planned. Use WK version in case the anticipate this, just to be safe. As a mid-air move, the flask kick isn't very useful, mostly since you're defenseless until you recover (contrary to some belief, you can block before you land after FK'ing mid-air). It looks cool as an air-combo finisher, but I doubt it does more damage than the full chain. V2.0: The mid-air FK can be used in a pinch to hit flying characters who are just beyond the reach of your basics. Characters like Dr. Doom, Magneto, Iron-Man/War Machine, etc. love to pester you with their angled, mid-air projectile (oftentime, they'll also initiate flight without meaning to). You can avoid the risk and imprecision of superjumping up to meet them, using a standard jump and the FK (air). The blade will snuff any incoming projectiles and has a guaranteed connect (since they can't block while flying). You can also use the motion of the mid-air FK to avoid launcher setups and beam traps. 4) Sonic Hurricane: A very useful super. Of course, it's guarranteed at the end of certain chains, but as a stand alone move it has certain properties that make it noteworthy. First, it has a vacuum-effect; opponents hit with only the tip of the "hurricane" will be pulled in to center for more hits. This makes it fairly easy to connect even if you're not very deep in with your combo (like after a far-reaching f + FP). It has deceiving range, and opponents will often "reach-in" with their retaliation, after you whiff or they successfully push-block you away; essentially saving your butt. Also, the hurricane extends a bit behind Guile, so if you anticipate a cross-up attempt, surprise them with the SH; worst case, you'll both be hit, and the SH will abort. The SH can also be used to counter conventional jump-ins, but the coverage isn't very good; your opponent would need to be attacking fairly laterally (and since everyone air-blocks until the last second anyway, a WK Flash Kick or C.FP is more practical). The SH is ideal for Delayed Hyper Combos, since your opponent is will be (for all purposes) stationary. And, the SH _can_ OTG on big guys like Juggernaut and the Hulk if you're quick. 5) Somersault Strike: Despite the SH being more useful, I tend to use this super at least twice as much. The OTG from Guile's sweep is simply too easy to land. BTW, always wait to see if the second C.RK connects before canceling into the SS; OTG'ing of the first C.RK seems to miss smaller foes, and your opponent can always tech-roll. As for DHC, the SS knocks your opponent around too much to be useful, and (like most of the super in MvC2), most the big damage isn't done until the last few hits. However, supers like the Maximum Spider combo quite nicely. Unfortunately, since you'll almost always be choosing Guile's alpha assist, this will be the super performed during a double/triple super...if you really want to do some damage, forgo the useful assist so Guile will use the SH. 6) Crossfire Blitz: One of the uglier auto-combos out there, the CB does have its uses outside of being a combo-finisher. It has surprisingly good contact, allowing you to snag (standing) moderate sized characters (like Ryu), and of course, big guys like Jugga and Hulk, so be sure to punish them for whiffing with those slow, ugly moves of theirs. It is also possible to cancel a J.FP or a J.RK into the CB on grounded characters. Also, if you crowd a character who's switching in after a partner's defeat, they'll tend come out striking...which sets them up for the high-priority of the CB. Lastly, if your opponent is mid-air during a DHC [of yours], you can combo with Guile's CB, and if you're clever, get it to connect. =========================== Character-Specific Strategy =========================== Guile has the tools to go toe-to-toe with any of the other characters in the game. Some characters, however, have definite advantages over the others, or present special challenges for Guile based on the nature of their abilities. Following is a brief rundown of my strategies for dealing with the champion and problem characters of the game. CABLE: Cable's moves, especially his Viper Beam (VB) and Hyper Viper Beam (HVB), are extremely effective, without leaving him vulnerable. Expert players will link in to his dreaded Triple HVB, but even lame players can just jump backward the whole match VB'ing right off the ground. For this match, it is vital that Guile can close the distance, otherwise Cable will keep you distanced the whole round, where Guile is weak. Tossing out SBs is relatively safe, as the SB will cancel out the first hit of Cable's VB, giving you time to block, but until you get within striking distance, they're just going to be snuffed out. To attack Cable, you'll slowly need to close the distance by jumping (always airblock the instant you hit the air, as Cable's Air HVB is more or instant, and a constant threat), blocking the VB, and jumping again. It's slow, and prone to plenty of chip damage, but you'll gradually corner him. Don't bother push-blocking, since you'll just be giving Cable the space he needs. Super-jumping can avoid a lot headache, but the associated lack of precision will throw off the charging Guile needs to perform specials upon landing. Once you've attained melee distance, though, Cable becomes much less of a threat. His main weakness draws from his slow attacks, as your WP's and WK's will always beat his. A competent Cable player will know this, and when cornered, will want to wait you out to gain distance. Don't let him. After Cable's blocked your jumpin and ground chain, whip out a SB to keep him grounded until you can close the distance again. Under this pressure, Cable will be forced into mistakes, or into using his relatively high-risk Psimitar. Given the range you're working with, you can hold your jumpins to J.WP and J.WK, giving you the time to airblock any surprise Psimitars, and retaliate as he recovers. Lastly, if you keep Cable within the end of your ground chains, his VB will be neutralized. There is a slight pause as he whips out his rifle, when you can hit him with your cover SB. That same pause allows you beat him out of point-blank HVB and VB with your WP's and WK's. SENTINEL: While Cable's dominance stems from his overpowered and easily abusable Air VB/HVB, Sentinel presents multifaceted superiority. He has Super Armor, superior endurance, a multitude of keep-away tools, his repeatable Drone Super (Drone Super >> C.FP >> Rocket Punch >> Drone Super...), and does insane damage. Guile's lack of quick projectile really gives Sentinel the opportunity to abuse his keep away. You'll need to change your gameplan a bit, focusing more on hit-and-run tactics than constant pressure. Sentinel has the brawn to live out your pressure games, and his Super Armor will neutralize your combo-starters (same with jumpins). Concentrate on landing single fierce attacks, and beating Sentinel out of the air with your J.RK. It will be tough, since Sentinel will likely be matching you for damage through sheer chippage (yes, that's now a word). Sentinel players will be more prone to cross-ups, since they're not used to being jumped over. Once you've closed the distance, don't bother keeping him at bay with a cover SB, but jump to his backside without attacking; he'll be expecting your jumpin, and will most likely be trying to catch you in the beginning of a combo his S.RK. As you jump over Sentinel, he won't be able to tell if you plan on attacking at the peak of your jump, or crossing over (since the peak of your jump is level with his head). Once your opponent is wise to that, time your jump-in with the moment Sentinel turns around for blocking confusion. Believe it or not, you can actually jump over and without any serious attacks, jump right over again. Sentinel players will eventually commit to a basic or special move that leaves his body vulnerable, at which point, go ahead and invest your HC levels into a triple-team or DHC. Eliminating sentinel is vital, since he's just a dangerous as an assist provider. MAGNETO: Magneto comes off as something of as a one-trick pony, since his strategy revolves around launching people into his hideous air combos. Competent players will diversify his attacks, but now that Magneto's Gravity Capture is blockable, his only immediate threat is hsi full-screen dash, quick C.WK,C.FP and powerful air combo. Magneto's beam only hits once, so you can control the midscreen with your SB's, as you can advance after tossing one out. Magneto will be prone to C.WK, C.FP rushes, but you'll have a hard time punishing him for it. If you have a level, Somersault Justice will connect after you block Mag's C.FP; a SB will as well, so you could cancel a super after that if you're quick; you'll be too far back to connect with C.WP, and I don't think C.WK is guaranteed. Guile has better basics than Mag, so you should be able to beat him on the ground. ALWAYS cancel your C.RK though, since Mag can insert his C.FP in between kicks. For this match, stick with SB's instead of FK's, since Mag is quick enough to catch you before you hit the ground. NEVER underestimate the speed of Mag's dash. Speed is his main advantage, and you should always tech roll after he AC's you, since he'll be coming down too fast for you to discern an incoming high or low attack, and you won't have enough time to FK (he's that fast). Lastly, since Magneto will be waiting for dash-in openings, he'll tend to be very passive in defense; go ahead and throw his cheap ass in the corner, and OTG into some respectable air combos of your own (ie. backbreaker relaunch). CAPTAIN COMMANDO: Though CC tends to make assist-only appearances in the lamest of matches, he is more than capable of holding his own. He has a better diversity of special moves than Guile, and matches him in terms of damage, speed, and endurance. It becomes a classic match of charge-moves versus motion-moves. In this regard, Guile will have the advantage in close-quarter combat. You'll want to focus on jump-ins in a very conservative manner; CC has two launchers and the awesome Captain Corridor. You'll find that the Corridor is the most frequently used anti-air, and as such, you should use this to your advantage. The Captian Corridor has awful recovery, so bait CC into using it frivolously, then dash in for the combo as he recovers. You will need to hold your jump-ins to the last second, or avoid them all together; your typical CC player can't outwait you since the corridor requires a QC motion, and his S.RK is too slow. You should have air-to-air superiority as well, but watch for his mid-air Captain Fire, which he can use to neutralize your far-reaching J.RK, and has enough push back to keep CC safe. Harried CC's will resort to jumping into quick Captain Fires; combat that tactic with Guile's dashing roll, which will pass under the lowest mid-air Fire, and put you close enough to combo or super. Strangely, I find that CC does more damage to my partners than Guile himself, so be careful when you summon them. Often times, they're called in as Guile jumps (to pin down the opponent), but then Guile is left blocking in the air, unable to retaliate, as his partner gets reamed by a Captain Sword. Something to watch for. ICEMAN: Priority one: grant no mercy. This guy is cheap, and your opponent knew it when he chose him. Feel free to use your nastiest cross-ups, your repeatable AC, and by all means throw his ass around as he sits there waxing whimsical about not taking block damage from moves that don't even give it (whew!). Iceman takes damage like a sissy, so a decent ground chain and a throw or two should make your opponent desperate for a tagout. Iceman's game revolves around his icebeams, his AC >> Artic Blast, and his not taking chip damage. Not surprisingly, like most of Guile's other problem characters, Iceman is content to sit back all day and chip you with his beams. Iceman will consistently snuff out your SBs, tagging you in the process, so focus on out-positioning him. Instead of hit-and-run, you'll want to get your hits in (J.RK scores most hits on Iceman, especially as he takes a step forward to Icebeam), and then plant yourself for a moment, letting Iceman react to your new position. Oftentimes, he'll fire another beam despite being too close to safely recover. Proceed to abuse him. Otherwise, it will be a-lot of airtag, as Iceman attempts to find a spot to beam safely, and you hunt him down with your far-reaching J.RK. One last thing to watch for is Iceman's launcher, C.RK. It's incredibly fast, mostly due to its lack of animation, and will out-prioritize any attack Guile can deliver from above. Focus on horizontal jump-ins with your J.RK. JUGGERNAUT: "Unstoppable!" In the right hands, it takes only seconds for Jugga to rip through all three of your characters, let alone Guile. Like most big characters, Jugga has great endurance, does insane damage, and will take every opportunity to abuse his super armor advantage. On top of that, Jugga has a meaty AC and a surprisingly mean low game (well...C.WK, WK). Juggernaut's Head Crush does around 60% damage, and is horribly easy to connect with. Much like Cable's AHVC, the Head Crush puts you in constant danger, but luckily, you'll be much freer to jump-in on Jugga. His fierce moves are extremely slow, and his weak moves have no anti-air coverage. Unless you have Jugga pinned down, always jump-in with a fierce move to break through his armor. Weak jump-ins will either earn you a Head Crush or a C.FP>>AC. Once you have him pinned down though, either with your SB's (which are fortunate to hit Jugga out of his super) or your assists, you can exploit Jugga's other weakness; his large size. You'll be able to land all 3 hits of your jump chain on jump-in, and by jumping in at different depths, along with varying the number of jump-in attacks, the hapless Juggernaut will have a hard time choosing when to low-block. After you've hammered Jugga with flurry of blocked jump-in>>ground chains, try jumping in with an air-block, and going straight in to low attacks. Your opponent will have been trained to high-block for AT LEAST a split-second every time you jump-in, but it will be a split-second too late in this case. Juggernaut will be played very defensively, since his moves are too slow to mount a decent offense, and his jump-ins are awkward. And despite its awesome power, Juggernauts will be reluctant to whip out the Head Crush, since the recovery gives you time for anything (i.e. DHC, Triple Team). Play defensively yourself (your FK out-prioritizes anything Jugga has, and his Ground Crush won't neutralize SB's), force Jugga to commit (unlikely), or pin him down with projectiles and beams, then force mistakes by mixing up your attack cadence. Some final advice; Dues to his size and speed, Juggernaut is very easy to hit. Good Jugga players will lure you into a steady, rhythmic offense, and then punish you with his Super Armor >> Head Crush (okay, that looks odd notation-wise, but you get the idea). Remember to mix things up, since it takes Jugga longer to adapt to new strategies than Guile. OMEGA RED: Omega Red is easily one of the most underestimated characters in the game. Inexperienced players will find him awkward to use, since the typical combo>>super tactics won't work with him. Instead, Omega Red dishes it out in small parcels, utilizing long-range attacks and a superior poking game. Beware, though, since Omega Red does good damage, and his myriad attacks and short combos will add up quick. Omega Red also has great endurance (plus his life drain), so you'll probably find yourself switching out first if you chose to brawl it out. The first thing you need to watch for is his incredible C.RK, and its df/db variations. This move allows Omega Red land a very quick hit anywhere on the ground, and he can link any variation to his Omega Strike (qcf+WK) for good damage. Even tossing out random SB's from across the screen will get you trouble if Omega Red anticipates it. To complicate things further, Omega Red surpasses Guile in terms of basic moves, and will beat you out of the air and on the ground (if you're careful, your J.RK can connect before his J.FP activates, and it has a bit better range than his J.RK, but it's still a gamble). This will sound like wishy-washy strategy, but to win you'll need to use an effective mix of offense and defense. Omega Red doesn't have a solve-all anti-air attack, and is limited at close-range [anti-air]. If you try to jump-in really deep, though, he can hit the underside of your leg with his C.RK, and if you come in too high, he'll use Omega Strike. Just approaching will be a test of your ability to out-anticipate your opponent, and playing defensively will allow Omega Red to take potshots at you all round long (remember, Omega can cancel all his specials if he wiffs or you block, effectively covering his ass). This isn't exactly a "winning" strategy, but truth be told, Omega Red is more versatile than Guile, and it's probably going to come down to assists if you play it safe. The major consolation, though, is that it's very difficult to play Omega Red the way I've described. If things get frantic, Omega Red tends to fall apart, since he has like twice as many things to worry about as an average player. Players will forget Omega's special cancelling, and one missed C.RK variation will leave him wide open for punishment. Take advantage of Omega Red's complexity and force errors. SPIDERMAN: Spiderman doesn't have that much going for him, but what he does have rocks. As an avid Spidey player, I know the joys of beating an opponent down with AC after AC, until they're just too bewildered to block that C.RK >> Crawler Assault. Ahh...oh, anyway... Spiderman is almost all offense, and just a little bit defense. His main weapon is his speed, and how difficult it is to block his jump-ins. His combo-starters all extremely fast, meaning he'll eventually trick you into low-blocking improperly. He has a quick jump, a wall-jump, and an air-dash, plus a C.RK that covers about half the screen...so the first thing you want to do is slow down the tempo of the match. Crouch-block in your corner, and wait for the inevitable jump-in. He's fast, but your Flash Kick will beat his jump-ins. After you've taken away his best weapon, a frustrated Spiderman will resort to mid-air Web Balls, which do neglible block damage, and baiting you into his supers or C.RK (>>Crawler Assault). There's really little Spidey can do against a charged Guile, so watch out for throws, and don't get to anxious with your FK, because Spiderman will fake you out with his air-dash, or a simple walk-up (uh, versus a dash-in; who just walks in, anyway). Guile players tend to FK too soon, and the range of Spidey's C.RK allows him to reach before you recover. Which reminds me, ALWAYS tech roll when he sweeps you. It should be habit anyway, but if Spiderman links his Crawler Assualt (and he will), it does regrettable (sic) damage. If you can pin Spiderman down, as described in the general strategy with your ground chains and SBs, feel free to jump-in. Be wary otherwise, as his S.RK will launch you out of anything except the deepest J.RK. Concentrate on a suppressing line of SBs, keeping FKs charged, and slowing down the match, all of which will disrupt Spidey's gameplan and put him at a disadvantage. STRIDER HIRYU: Although Capcom just about wrecked Strider with his puny stamina, crappified Oroboros, and botched ground chain, he's still a contender, and one of the most mobile characters in the game. His chains do great damage, he can strike right after his teleport, and he has superior basic attacks that will consistently out-prioritize yours. He'll neutralize your pressure games by sliding under your SBs and teleporting away from jump-ins. Unfortunately for Strider, he can't set anything up from a distance. His "projectiles" are all slow, and even if he lands a Grahm (dp+FP), he lacks an effective follow-up. So, much like Spiderman, you can play defensively and let Strider work his way through your SBs and FKs. Strider's such a pansy now that it only takes 2 or 3 FKs before he's hurting, and you'll wreck him with an air combo. A nice way to set him up for your launcher is to walk forward a bit as he jumps-in; Strider tends to place his jumps so that his J.FP and J.RK connect a bit beneath him (which normally kills launchers), but if you walk forward a bit, you'll pass his hit range, and be able to launch him. It's a subtle move, but if jumps-in deep, you can just FK him anyway. Strider needs carefully chosen assists to wreak havoc (i.e. Doctor Doom AA), and with decent coverage, he'll be free to come at you from any angle at all. Watch for his behind the back teleport, because he'll come out swinging; you can try to launch him, but you're at a bad angle, and he has enough time to get the full extension on his attack (you can't hit his blade). Strider can't cover his partners very well, so feel free to beat them down. He'll constatnly be sending them in to mount an effective offense, and that sort of dependence leads to carelessness. _________ Closing _________ Expected updates: -background information (for completeness' sake) -completed specific vs strategy -offensive/defensive gameplay templates If you have any questions, suggestions, or corrections, feel free to contact me at: otherdane@hotmail.com This document Copyright 2001 Dane Miner Thanks _________