Leona Heidern (Console)

[nilcam]

Notation
= Light Punch
= Light Kick
= Strong Punch
= Strong Kick

* = EX version possible

Command Normals
Strike Arch - +

Special Moves
Moon Slasher - (charge) , + / *

Baltic Launcher - (charge) ,   +   / *

Earring Bakuden - / *

Grand Sabre Run - (charge) , + / *

X-Calibur - /   (in air) *

Desperation Moves
V-Slasher - / (in air) *

Slash Sabre - /

Neomax
Leona Blade -   +

Leona's Wiki entry.

Console changes:
* Voltec Launcher chips less guard meter
- Strike Arch (directon move) comes out faster
* Fierce V-Slasher has different angle; weak travels short, fierce goes far. EX version is the same as the arcade.
- Ground Saber has longer recovery when blocked. About even when fierce version gets blocked.
- Moon Slasher has less hitback when blocked. All of them (weak, fierce, EX) are easier to get punished than the arcade.
- EX X-Caliber comes out faster. Still can’t be comboed from a normal or direction attack.

Producer Yamamoto says: Moves such as the Ground Saber and Moon Slasher are easier to get punished so be careful. We’ve balanced her so that she can do things such as attack strings with her EX X-Calibur, or break into the opponent with her Strike Arch. Her Fierce V slasher has been buffed, and she’s a character that’s good in various occasions such as air-to-air combat or against projectiles.

[nilcam]

Juicy Bits - KOF13 Character Basics: Leona

[nilcam]

Reserved

[SAB-CA]

Ok, any way we can get some concrete info on her Grand Saber recovery speed? I can tell you my anecdotal evidence, but it's not 100% backed by frame data XD (Reposting from my GAF Post):

For me, Grand Saber feels like this:

Weak: Fast enough startup to combo off Close C (Making Close C, Weak GS, Slash Saber DM very nice), but recovery is horrible on block. Probably about as bad as a whiffed Moon slasher?

Strong: I believe this gets frame advantage. I use it as a trap all the time (Strong Grand Saber from a distance on wakeup (blocked) -> Crouch B, Crouch A, C Moon Slasher), and while I have gotten thrown after such things, it seems to be because my B was slightly off time, rather than her being open.

When they mentioned in the blog translations, that Strong Grand Saber was "About the same", I figured that was more "It's about the same as arcade", rather than "Both opponents recover at about the same time.".

Generally, I move in with confidence with it.

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Anyone with more arcade experience with her feel any more differences with her on console, than were stated in SNKP Blogs?

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I love being able to use her CD to stick people into Blockstun, and then follow up with D Grand Saber. Even better if the CD landed a counter hit, and the Grand Saber lands as followup, perfect time to land Slash Saber!

Personally, I'm slightly annoyed Slash Saber has to be Super canceled off Grand Saber so tightly; It makes it a little less reliable than I'd wish, but Leona is all about extremly accurate execution... I also wish there was some difference to each button press of Slash Saber, but I've mentioned this before. I love the DM in general, though!

Oh, and does anyone else feel like Close D might leave her at small frame advantage? Since she's considered to be in some awkward half-airborn stage with the move, she can't combo anything like grand saber A off it, but it's not aerial enough to do any of her air moves without going into Strike Arch...

Hop C is such a weird crossup. Hop and Jump B is a fantastic air-to-air, and I even like using it for ground pressure myself, as it allows her to hit deep, so the enemey sticks in blockstun, and it starts up pretty fast. Hop A seems to be her best jump-in to me, as it hits deep enough to get her back to the ground for combos, starts up faster than C or D jump attacks, and can be combo into A X Calibur of V slasher.

As great as her jump CD is, it has a lot of startup (compared to, say, Hwa and Mature's CDs), so I normally depend on B and D while in the air.

Lastly, I do think I much appreciate the faster Strike Arch and EX X Calibur, now. A great little mixup with the command normal, and EX-X is a great thing to make twitchy opponenets eat big damage, or just give Leona enough time to move back in, and start her pressure.

[Sharnt]

Little trick on corner :

d.B,s.B,f.B,qcb.C,d.C (210 Dmg) (d.B,s.B,f.B,qcb.C,d~u.C (202 Dmg)) and then cancel the d.C into b~f.A, then old 3 and do BBBBBBBBBB  .

It deals more than the d~u.C ending (And it's dealing chipping damage), it can surprise your opponent.

If your opponent rolls between the d.C and b~f.A your positive, not enough to punish with d.B.
If he tries to jump or to do any normal moves the b~f.A hits.
Well your opponent can do a reversal invincible move between d.C and b~f.A., but it's risky because he must do it ASAP and he can't do it on reaction on your b~f.A. Here your losing clearly if the dp lands. So after the first time you can feint it.
If he guards you have a free pressing in corner without the reversal temptation on the okizeme. If he breaks roll you're even if not positive, if he breaks CD you guard it (And then punish).

By the way if it lands go for another loop :trollface:

Ok, any way we can get some concrete info on her Grand Saber recovery speed? I can tell you my anecdotal evidence, but it's not 100% backed by frame data XD (Reposting from my GAF Post):

D is 0 or +1 or more on block, a 1 frame throw can't punish it (i didn't succeed at least).
B is -4 or more, s.B punish

[SAB-CA]

Baltic Launcher Setups are always great XD. Nice way to pressure someone like Takuma or Mai, who have no natural DP-like skills to punish you with.

Reminds me of the random note that AC Baltic can be followed up by C Baltic (probably only in corner). The amount of damage scaling kills followups to death, but it's a nice tool to have in your arsenal.

[Sharnt]

Yeah sure but you didn't have a lot of ways to use it efficiently, here it's a nice setup which leads for heavier damage than the usual one. So why not? 

[Mienaikage]

As far as I can tell Grand Saber is 0 frames on block, completely neutral.

[Blue!]

I've accidentally combo'ed off an X-calibur into a V-slasher twice now, but I can't seem to replicate it, nor did I use the same style of inputs each time.  Is there a way to do this consistently?

[Sharnt]

Do you mean X-Calibur super cancel V slasher?

If it's this just do qcb.P qcf hcb.P, there is no shortcut or whatever else, just a bit of training.

[SAB-CA]

Hmm, so I was totally Wrong on not being able to do grounded actions off close , lol. You can do Slash Saber or Grand Saber out of it, it just has awkward timing to some small degree.

On cancelling X Calibut into V-Slasher, my best tip for it is to just start the motion as early as possible. KoF has a fairly generous move buffer built in, So if you do Hop , X-Calibur, V-Slasher, you should be starting up the V-Slash motion right after you've entered X-Calibur into the queue.

Ok, and another random note: You can actually combo EX X-Calibur after a Excalibur in corner. Do it before you hit the ground (of course), and they'll bounce for 2 hits off the projectile. Might be useful for a "Cool" combo somewhere, but itdoes not seem to have too much use otherwise....

[sociald]

Hmm, so I was totally Wrong on not being able to do grounded actions off close , lol. You can do Slash Saber or Grabd Saber out of it, it just has awkward timing to some small degree.

On cancelling X Calibut into V-Slasher, my best tip for it is to just start the motion as early as possible. KoF has a fairly generous move buffer built in, So if you do Hop , X-Calibur, V-Slasher, you should be starting up the V-Slash motion right after you've entered X-Calibur into the queue.

Ok, and another random note: You can actually combo EX X-Calibur after a Excalibur in corner. Do it before you hit the ground (of course), and they'll bounce for 2 hits off the projectile. Might be useful for a "Cool" combo somewhere, but itdoes not seem to have too much use otherwise....

isnt better a moonslasher after close D ? especcially if u have bars ?

[SAB-CA]

isnt better a moonslasher after close D ? especcially if u have bars ?

Maybe. (Don't have the numbers or anything in front of me ATM), but the whole part I like about it is that going into Slash Saber, for example, doesn't need a charge. Also makes a straightforward way to get into Slash Saber -> MC -> Leona Blade without too many places to mess up, if you'd rather just get the damage swiftly and assuredly.

[sociald]

isnt better a moonslasher after close D ? especcially if u have bars ?

Maybe. (Don't have the numbers or anything in front of me ATM), but the whole part I like about it is that going into Slash Saber, for example, doesn't need a charge. Also makes a straightforward way to get into Slash Saber -> MC -> Leona Blade without too many places to mess up, if you'd rather just get the damage swiftly and assuredly.

thats true but considering u have all the time to charge while the close D animation is finished it shouldnt be a problem.
anyway for the combo u said it means 4 bars. well it is nice there r many options after a close D anyway. maybe with some damage added for both options it ll be easier to make the right choice ofr every situation.
i was wondering why all this complaining about leona console version ? is she really so bad as lots of statements r saying ? for sure i can say the % rate of leona picked up in a team is very low than the arcade version

[Sharnt]

Personally i'm more the kind of guy who does a f.B every time after each move with Leona if i'm not going into HD mode.

No bar : X calibur (d.B,s.B,f.B,qcb.A 154 Dmg)
1 Bar : V-Slasher (d.B,s.B,f.B,V-Slasher 290 Dmg)
2 Bars : Ex V-Slaher (d.B,s.B,f.B,Ex V-Slasher 392 Dmg)

I keep my drive for HDs.

Srly i'm using charge moves in combo only for HD.