Real match execution.

[Light]

 So I need help >.>. I got KOF today trained for a ton of hours, unlocked Saiki and, trained with him more. I got some combo's down but, when I got to a actual match with moving opponents, it seemed as if I couldn't get any combo's in. Well unless my opponent whiffed some hella unsafe DP. I find myself in matches doing mostly crouching light kicks into Nivose with Ash or, other DP's with Kula and, Saiki. In training mode I can land J.D combo starters with Athena but, in real battles I can't land them or, they end up being to early.

Well what i'm asking for are tips if anyone could give me a little guidance for what I should be aiming for as a beginner. Most of the knowledge I have down but, i'm very poor at execution. BTW how much time should I spend learning a character before, learning another character on my team?

[DarKaoZ]

Learn to start combos from crouching LP/LK and or vertical hops + attacks in corners. Is harder to pull j.C/j.D to start combos in the console version, you must attack almost before landing. Also j.CD is your friend, use it to throw you opponent to the corner and keep the pressure there.

[Raynex]

Everyone faces this problem at one time or another. Don't go running around looking for combos, the game is about more than just copy/pasting training mode combos into real matches. The reality is that sometimes you won't get a big combo 30 seconds into a match. Maybe not even during the entire round...but that's how it goes. Strategy is the vehicle great players use to make sure their combos connect.

KOF is a primarily a TEAM based game. I wouldn't suggest going headfirst into matches without first constructing one you're confident in. That means selecting 3 characters and grinding with them ALL, so that you're team functions as a unit. You should have a strategy for your point/2nd/anchor characters and try your best to implement them as you work on your execution/develop better strategies. If throw more than 3 characters into the mix it'll be tough to focus and improve, especially for beginners. Good luck!

[MUSOLINI]

Also j.CD is your friend, use it to throw you opponent to the corner and keep the pressure there.

hmmmmm, im geting flashbacks of my98 with o/n-chris.

[Saitsuofleaves]

Yeah, combos aren't everything.  Learn the basic stuff like your 2-1's and basic hitconfirms, get the trickier stuff later.  You'll get farther on fundamentals rather than being stylish.

[Light]

Thanks. Unfortunately I had to learn the hard way. I'll only focus on 3 characters and, fundamentals for the moment.

[desmond_kof]

Do you practice in training mode with a standing and in-guarded dummy or do you have the the cpu on?

[nilcam]

My problem is that I generally don't know how good a character fits me until I'm in a match. Training tends to fill me with false confidence and the match quickly tears that down. I recommend playing matches with different characters to see who fits your style best.

[thec0re3]

I agree with you Dark. My biggest issue has been confirming a link. A lot of times landing the contact to even start the combo is very challenging in this game. I have plenty of people tell me that I need to practice more of my combos but in truth I do practice them its just that most times I miss the opportunity to start because I'm never expecting it to land half of the time(especially when landing cl. FK or cl. FP). I still have a lot to learn about waiting my turn to attack after block and finding out what beats what with my characters. Mastering three characters let alone one is probably the most challenging thing about this game but that is part of the enjoyment.

[Light]

Do you practice in training mode with a standing and in-guarded dummy or do you have the the cpu on?

Good point. When I practice it's usually against just a standing dummy but, I should turn on the cpu to attack so I get that in-game experience. Still cpu can't compare to a real offline/online opponent but, I get your point.

[Sanger Zonvolt]

I agree with you Dark. My biggest issue has been confirming a link. A lot of times landing the contact to even start the combo is very challenging in this game. I have plenty of people tell me that I need to practice more of my combos but in truth I do practice them its just that most times I miss the opportunity to start because I'm never expecting it to land half of the time(especially when landing cl. FK or cl. FP). I still have a lot to learn about waiting my turn to attack after block and finding out what beats what with my characters. Mastering three characters let alone one is probably the most challenging thing about this game but that is part of the enjoyment.

and online, if it isn't four bars, you usually can't hit confirm ever. D:

[ZeroSoulreaver]

Combos aren't that important if you don't know anything else.  What I mean by that is if you try for an entire match to go for only 1 combo and constantly fail, it's not worth it. I always see people do this it's like if they miss 1 combo they act like they are completely lost and start becoming predictable.

Stick with the basics and slowly get into combos, don't worry about always hitting them perfectly.  Look at characters like Ash who need basics like good timing and spacing instead of just hitting long combos.

[desmond_kof]

Do you practice in training mode with a standing and in-guarded dummy or do you have the the cpu on?

Good point. When I practice it's usually against just a standing dummy but, I should turn on the cpu to attack so I get that in-game experience. Still cpu can't compare to a real offline/online opponent but, I get your point.

It doesn't but it can help with hit confirming, and even trying to punish some of the moves they spam out...

[jetjaguar72]

I am absolutely CRAP at combos in a match.
I can get by with smartly timed specials, normals, DMs and NMs, but as far as doing crazy 20-30 hits? Nah.
After playing for years (from 95 onward), I got used to playing a more "basic" way. Back in the day, we didn't have these huge combo strings and to be honest, the level of play at the college I went to was waaaay weak so I thought I was all that!

Don't get discouraged man, practice WILL help! I just don't the time, but my game always improves when I spend a few hours playing against real people with a decent level of skill.

[Ben Reed]

More than just understanding basic combos from c. B/low jump attacks, it's also important to understand your characters' basic mixup options so that you have ways to open your opponent up (or with a zoning character, keep them at a manageable range).

Even if you're not always landing optimal combos, if you understand how to limit the opponent's options with your character, you can kill the opponent with repeated small victories instead of one or two decisive blows. Learn how to create traps for your opponent's common reactions (roll? DP? CD counter? keep blocking? mash from disadvantage? jump predictively or on reaction?), and exploit those with simple but consistent punishes to keep your momentum. (You bait your opponent's roll out of your corner pressure, but you don't know/can't do any good combo punishes for it? Then you can at least throw them back into the corner and try to counter whatever they try next to escape. Any punish beats NO punish, any day of the week.)

This game scares a lot of people due to the high-end execution requirements, but many new players don't realize how easy and rewarding it is to create a fundamental game to build on. If your combos are still developing, there are plenty of universal offensive and defensive tools to fill out your basic mixup and zoning. Worry first about learning how to poke, zone, move and mix up at the basic level, and grow into bigger and better combos as you get better at creating opportunities for them.