Leona Heidern (Arcade Version)

[CrazyI505]

Who are two good Characters too put with her?

[Sharnt]

It depends how you're using Leona, but basically anyone. Just try to save one/two ex at the end of your second character for her. Without it you won't be a real threat at the beginning of the round.

[SAB-CA]

Hey SAB, I haven't used Leona seriously in XIII yet.

Sounds like she can still hang based on your comments here

If you're able to, would you be able to find/point out any/which changes were not mentioned in the change log? I'm really interested to see what else they have done with her. (I realize that some of what you mention may already be doing this but getting a bit confused since I didn't use her much :P )

She can combo a deep hop A , D, or jump D into A X-calibur, not sure if she could do this in arcade of not? It's nice to see possible with the reduced hitstun on jump attacks, and gives her a meterless air combo, which she hasn't always had.

I have a feeling that the nerfs she got had to do with them thinking they needed to balance for her instant overhead to v-slasher being crackingly strong. In good hands it's almost unstoppable. This paired with the extra flexibility in V slasher angles...

Yeah... Leona has the kinda strengths that fit this game now, but her airplay normals and crouching attack range are still better than many, at the same time. I still wish she had her air throw back, she'd utterly control the air in a BIG way, then.

Anyone agree with that thought? (not saying it was completely warranted considering everyone else's buffs, but figure this is the reason)

I DO think she's a much better Leona than she's ever been, personally, she just feels more well-rounded overall. EX moves give her options she never had before, Which makes things like Baltic Launcher and Earring Bakudan able to fit into combos and uses that are very unusual.

I stil view home console version as making everyone more meter dependent. Leona way for this, is that her best damage comes from her DMs, and her abilitity to lengthen damage off counterhits and pressure strings with her much-quicker EX moves.

I do wish they gave her more utility to Slash Saber DM, I don't believe her fully disappearing from screen during it counts as invincibility (It's awkward to start with), and if it does, it takes some time to start, which keeps it from being a great reversal. I haven't personally seen a difference in button pressed for it yet either, and I think that's kinda a waste. If the weak one has instant invincibility + a quicker hit, and the strong one were to travel far, but only have, at most, late invincibility, I think the move would see more use.

Ahh well, Max cancelling with her is crazy satisfying, especially since you can cancel EX V slasher before the V even explodes, lol. Easy standing low weak kick confirms into Slashers, crouching weak kick, double hit Ds and Cs, a nice quick far C for potential HD or just general distanced punishing (It's forward momentum for punishes makes it feel more like Vice's 2K2UM Far C than Vice's own current one...), added on to being one of the few characters with a full-screen special move approach that seems to actually leave her mostly safe (D grand Saber, not even sure if she can be command throw punished out of it...), and she still can hang with the best of them! Just with such tricky execution for those HD combos... but EX moves let you cheat there, lol.

Who are two good Characters too put with her?

Anyone, lol. I normally put Leona 2nd or 3rd, and I generally like a first who'll be able to give her a meter or 2 for V-slashers threat. Her pokes can make her survive in 1st place well, though, and her awkward playstyle can make it easy for you to control the match with her, and take down their battery characters in short order.

Like Sharnt said, it all depends on how you want to use her... but meter makes her scarier.

[BioBooster]

SAB, thanks for the generous write-up!!!

Didn't know a j.A could be used to connect x-calibur, think it was always possible with D though. Would have been cool if EX could combo off of normals.

I guess Slash Saber is sort of reserved for HD combos. Suppose she's one of those chrs that is great w/meter as her HD combos are sick.

I'll definitely put in a bit of time with her once I get my dirty mits on the game.

Thanks again man

[Ironreaver]

trial 5 sucks how do connect the    lk after a  lp   

[FataCon]

trial 5 sucks how do connect the    lk after a  lp   

~ >

[BioBooster]

you should be able to do it if you charge  so you are charging both moves then  (retains back charge) then 

Can also do  so that you are charging the next 

[FataCon]

you should be able to do it if you charge  so you are charging both moves then  (retains back charge) then 

Can also do  so that you are charging the next 

You always want to charge down-back, and not down-forward, so you are still storing motions for both back and down.

[BioBooster]

Oops, yeah forgot to mention that it should be rolled back to  afterwards (^_^')

[sociald]

im stucked in her trials ...
the one with neomax coast to coast combo i thought it would have been easier . i noticed i feel better when i delay after the c.C so it does automatically the second c.C after HD but i still having problems to hit with the 2nd moonslasher after the sabre. i noticed it is slower than it seems and u have to delay the moonslasher but sometimes i wiff with the other sabre
any advice ?
if i didnt explain well : c.C delay HD automatic c.C while holding  then    C  D (after the animation hits ) moonslasher again but sometimes the sabre D whiff cause cant reach the body and i cant travel him to the corner
any advice ?

[Ironreaver]

Thanks all i should have to try that kinda like doin chunli ex-sbk into ultra......i can do it now ...appreciate the helpful reminder 

[sociald]

yayyyyyyyyyyy almost mastered her
combos and HD comes out easily since day 2 still few problems with the carry side by side HD combo since sometimes i miss the 2nd moonslasher
anyway ... i hate the baltic launcher trial
oh just a technical question u cant hd bypass a special move right ? i mean if i do c.b c.b d, u BC it bypass in moonslasher hd and this is ok but if i do just a moonslasher pressing BC come out only the hd right ?

[SAB-CA]

you should be able to do it if you charge  so you are charging both moves then  (retains back charge) then 

Can also do  so that you are charging the next 

As an interesting note, I find the shortcuts to be a bit inefficient for me? I actually have found her much easier to cancel by simple going Charge -> -> . This uses the same back charge for moth moves, letting you go from 1 down / back combo charge, into 2 forward motions.

For me, I find this makes it more reliable to land the slashers outside of hit confirms (say if you want to instantly do the cancel out of a counter Moon Slasher), and it results in less back hop mistakes.

Also, question. Does anyone have any idea how punishable Slash Saber DM is on block? It really feels like a very small window, which I was suprised about.

Sociald, I haven't been able to Bypass HD with her yet, but maybe that's a good place to use that trick from one of her early trials, where she's able to stick a crouching LP in after 3 crouch LKs, into EX moon slasher? Do the HD Cancel during the LP, and go directly into the Moon slasher from the HD cancel?

Maybe we could even HD cancel Jump-ins somehow for her? That'd be really unique, and kinda odd...

[sociald]

you should be able to do it if you charge  so you are charging both moves then  (retains back charge) then 

Can also do  so that you are charging the next 

As an interesting note, I find the shortcuts to be a bit inefficient for me? I actually have found her much easier to cancel by simple going Charge -> -> . This uses the same back charge for moth moves, letting you go from 1 down / back combo charge, into 2 forward motions.

For me, I find this makes it more reliable to land the slashers outside of hit confirms (say if you want to instantly do the cancel out of a counter Moon Slasher), and it results in less back hop mistakes.

Also, question. Does anyone have any idea how punishable Slash Saber DM is on block? It really feels like a very small window, which I was suprised about.

Sociald, I haven't been able to Bypass HD with her yet, but maybe that's a good place to use that trick from one of her early trials, where she's able to stick a crouching LP in after 3 crouch LKs, into EX moon slasher? Do the HD Cancel during the LP, and go directly into the Moon slasher from the HD cancel?

Maybe we could even HD cancel Jump-ins somehow for her? That'd be really unique, and kinda odd...

mmm the bypass hd is easy just do c.B and moonslasher with the same timing u use always, just press BC instead of C. same for the combo trial. do it like usual so c.B c.B c.B s.A ( whiff ) moonslasher pressing BC. the HD is activated at the same time  u hit with the moonslasher arch and of course u can do the same with the EX version pressing ABC.

what do u mean for HD cancel-jump ins ? u mean to find a way and a use to activate HD while jumping in ?

what would have been great is an HD activation of the single move and not just the move in combo. example if u use moonslasher as AA then u can DC but if u use moonslasher as AA u cant HD bypass ... well i think that would have been too much
sab r u on xbox ?

[Mienaikage]

A couple of 4 bar combos + 1112 damage just for the hell of it:

The King of Fighters XIII: Leona 1112 damage CH HD Combo + 4 Bar Punish Combos

Everything is using or except for the very first EX Moon Slasher/Grand Saber, and the non-drive cancelled Grand Saber which is . For the first combo (1001 damage) there is a small delay drive cancelling after the first Grand Saber so that the opponent rises a little higher.