Claw Iori (Console)

[Matt Alder]

dp+A is very fast... it's just picky about where the enemies have to be in order to hit. the EX dp+AC is upper body invulnerable, so you could use that if they're not trying to cross you up, and if they're high up enough you can get a combo from it. close C and close D are fine anti airs too, but yeah Iori has no trouble with just blocking. He has many tools to turn an enemy's pressure into a combo for him. I know crouch C LOOKS like a good anti air... but I'm pretty sure that most jump-ins will snuff it.

[Gimnbo]

Crouch C is ghetto as hell. It doesn't cover the space above your head.

[hiltzy85]

I've noticed that standing (close) C has really good coverage over the top of Iori's head, so it's good against people who try and jump over him a lot.  I will have to further explore this idea of just blocking jump in attacks...
My main problem with using dp+A/C is the previously mentioned weird hitbox, and how horrible it is when it magically wiffs.  I think it really must be his worst move, overall, by far...hitbox issues (it will go over smaller character's heads if they are standing right next to you and I'm sure that everybody can just duck it), bad recovery on wiff, and horrible on block.  Is there a worse dp in the game?

[Ufgt]

It's not really a DP and shouldn't be considered one. The attack angle is super weird and has terrible startup. In my mind, iori doesn't have an actual DP to anti air with outside of close C. I suppose if you anticipate a jumpin, you can nail them with dp, but... I wouldn't lol. Just block those jumpins and deal with it.

[Matt Alder]

I nail plenty of hops on reaction with the dp+A, it comes out extremely fast and it does have great priority. But I suppose I played lots of XII compared to most people, so I'm fairly used to its strange hitbox by now. I think it's a fairly decent anti air, but it does take getting used to.

His best anti air is easily the EX dp+AC, it's his only viable upper body invulnerable option. Without meter, Iori lacks anti air a little bit, but close C and close D will trade with most early jump-ins and beat most combo-able jump-ins.

[Gimnbo]

I tend to do hop D when I think someone's going to jump at me, but I don't really know what it beats.

[BiGGDaddyCane]

Hop is good. Mixing up with LK or Command Grab up close is a good strategy to try out. If you land the LK. You can hit ( LK,HP, + LP, Rekka.) If a grab connect's, you know reset HP blah blah.

[Gimnbo]

So I came up with this combo while trying to come up with an HD combo off of the magic cross-up kick.

Midscreen: St. C | df. C [HDA] st. C | df. C | qcb B [HDC] qcb C (2 hits) [HDC] DP A [HDC] qcb D [HDC] DP C | juggle EX Maiden Masher | MAX CANCEL

949 dmg, 4 stocks, almost goes corner to corner. Doesn't actually work IN the corner, but there are more damaging combos for that anyway.

Of course, if anyone knows a midscreen 100% combo I'm all ears.

[Dobiqwolf]

Yeah, I was straight up wrong. The EX dash'n'slash goes through projectiles but has no invulnerability otherwise. I think the problem other people and myself are having is that we think the move goes farther and thus h as more invulnerability time than it actually does.

EDIT: Aha. Found the issue. The projectile invulnerability lasts about half as long as the move itself. The dash goes a bit more than half screen but the invulnerability lasts for about 1/4 - 1/3 of the screen.

qcb+BD goes through anything wich isnt a physical hit, like Kyo,s orochinagi or neomax, Iori will go through those move not just fireballs/projectiles and the non physical move invulnerability doesnt last long, if you are full screen it will last for half the run, if you are close then boy opponent is getting it.

[hiltzy85]

So I came up with this combo while trying to come up with an HD combo off of the magic cross-up kick.

Midscreen: St. C | df. C [HDA] st. C | df. C | qcb B [HDC] qcb C (2 hits) [HDC] DP A [HDC] qcb D [HDC] DP C | juggle EX Maiden Masher | MAX CANCEL

949 dmg, 4 stocks, almost goes corner to corner. Doesn't actually work IN the corner, but there are more damaging combos for that anyway.

Of course, if anyone knows a midscreen 100% combo I'm all ears.

How much less damage does it do if you just use normal masher?

The one I use (doesn't have to be directly in the corner, but it has to at least be approaching it) is St. C | df. C [HDA] st. C | df. C | qcb+BD (into corner) qcb+A, (dp+A [HDC] qcb+D)x3 | qcf hcb+A [MC] (qcf)x2+BD.

This does 968 for 4 stocks (998 if you start with jump C).

[Gimnbo]

My combo does 878 with level 1 masher. Considering the nature of Claw Iori, I don't even know if that's considered good output.

[Reiki.Kito]

Dude, that's actually insane amounts of damage.

[Saitsuofleaves]

Yeah, one meter?  Even arcade Betty goes DAMN.

[desmond_kof]

Damn both of those combos have crazy damage and they aren't terriblely hard either.

[hiltzy85]

another HD combo I use in the corner when I don't have much meter is (IE not enough to do a MC at the end):

St. C, f+A,A xx qcb+BC (activates HD with special) (2 hits) [HDC] dp+C | (qcb+B [HDC] dp+C)xN | qcb+B, qcf hcb+A/+AC. 
I'm not positive on the number of loops of (qcb+B [HDC] dp+C) you can do before you run out of HD.  I think its 3 or 4.  If you end with EX ya otome the combo does 780.  I also can't currently remember if you can add a qcb+A at the end, before the ya otome, but if so, it might add a couple more damage.

It's pretty much a variation on the already-known 1000+ damage HD combo without using the dp+A [HDC] qcb+B [HDC] dp+C starter to get into the qcb+B/dp+C loop (which I personally have trouble hitting consistently after st. C df. C [HD activate] st. C df. C starter), and without using a max cancel at the end.