Going from "I spam fireballs" casual play to "Zone and Bait" competitive play

[SakuyaSama7]

*WARNING: THIS IS A WALL OF TEXT.

(For a super brief overview of my experience, check my intro thread: http://dreamcancel.com/forum/index.php?topic=3040.0, but for the purposes of this post, treat me as a complete noob with no experience except knowing KOF and SF notations including up to, but not limited to, KOFXIII and AE2012.)



Alright so I grabbed KOFXIII on Steam a week ago because I've been itching to play it. I could have gotten it for the X360 but alas, no Gold sub. Anyways, I spent a few hours just perusing through various articles and threads about the game including character selection. Many people say that the entire cast is balanced, and because everything revolved around your execution and not some gimmick, the game is one of the most honest games out there (if not THE honest game out there).

After that, I've pretty much picked my team on the sole basis of who I remember from playing older KOF games and Fatal Fury, plus a few picks based on looks and movesets. I've actually come up with 5 picks, top 3 being Mai/EX Kyo/Leona, and the other two being Shen and Kula. Mai and EX Kyo (plus BODY-GA) because they're the ones I picked back in KOF98, Leona because I wanted to learn a charge character, Shen because I wanted a barebones character that still had amazing damage, and Kula because I well, she looked cool (and come on, Evangelion color swaps all day).



After that giant intro, finally here are my questions:
1) I am aware that while everyone is balanced, there is still the issue of skillcap, utility, and matchups with picking characters. I'd like a bit more information on the characters I have picked, and what I should be careful about using them as a new player. This will help me either revise my team, or adjust my style a little bit.

2) Knowing that KOF is an offense-based game, and my playstyle usually going for aggressive rushdown (but can play zoning characters that aren't complete turtles like Dhalsim), I'd like a top 10 picks list with disregard to their skillcap (except Ash, because I hate the character, and I heard he's got very little return from how hard he is to use).

3) Right now, I'm not spending too much time playing against people. Usually I'll get invited by a friend, but that's it. Majority of my time is spent doing drills in training mode. This includes BNB w/ mixups, low hitconfirm drills (crouch + random guard), and specific to Leona, HD Moon Slasher -> [DC] -> Grand Saber -> EX V-Slasher -> NeoMax. Any other ways to improve within training mode?

4) Watching EVO footage of KOFXIII is super hype, especially this year's. I'd like to know a few more mid and high-level player streams. I've really only got JuiceboxAbel on the guides/tips side, and the CafeID twitch channel for the higher-level side (though it's almost hit or miss with the KOF content).



That's about it, really. I hope I'm not asking too much here. Might come off as too serious, but I call it being earnest ;D

[desmond_kof]

3) Right now, I'm not spending too much time playing against people. Usually I'll get invited by a friend, but that's it. Majority of my time is spent doing drills in training mode. This includes BNB w/ mixups, low hitconfirm drills (crouch + random guard), and specific to Leona, HD Moon Slasher -> [DC] -> Grand Saber -> EX V-Slasher -> NeoMax. Any other ways to improve within training mode?

This might sound weird, but try going through combo drills in survival mode. The CPU starts off easy but just focus on landing combos most of the time while staying alive as much as you can. Then save your meters when you get to Boss Saiki and Dark Ash (who are hella cheap) and land your combos on them. Then after the bosses the CPU gets a bit harder (doing mostly weird random moves, no mindgames) and they start blocking more, then keep doing your drills until you lose. Try that.

[SakuyaSama7]

This might sound weird, but try going through combo drills in survival mode. The CPU starts off easy but just focus on landing combos most of the time while staying alive as much as you can. Then save your meters when you get to Boss Saiki and Dark Ash (who are hella cheap) and land your combos on them. Then after the bosses the CPU gets a bit harder (doing mostly weird random moves, no mindgames) and they start blocking more, then keep doing your drills until you lose. Try that.

Sounds interesting. Unfortunately, I will have to wait till Friday since I am on Steam. Beta build only has Online and Practice enabled.

[azunadrop]

4) Watching EVO footage of KOFXIII is super hype, especially this year's. I'd like to know a few more mid and high-level player streams. I've really only got JuiceboxAbel on the guides/tips side, and the CafeID twitch channel for the higher-level side (though it's almost hit or miss with the KOF content).

Other than being attentive to what is happening around in tournaments (you can look out by looking through SRK, Dream Cancel, bookmarking some twitch channels along the way... etc), you can check out Nishinippori versus. They play in a "red team vs. white team" KOF13 events on a fortnightly basis. It is fairly enjoyable to watch.

Here's the thread to Japanese match videos on Orochinagi. Check out GatoRay and Imbuedgold on youtube for archives.

[L.Valjean]

*WARNING: THIS IS A WALL OF TEXT.

After that giant intro, finally here are my questions:
1) I am aware that while everyone is balanced, there is still the issue of skillcap, utility, and matchups with picking characters. I'd like a bit more information on the characters I have picked, and what I should be careful about using them as a new player. This will help me either revise my team, or adjust my style a little bit.

You can rush down with almost any character of the game, I think for a begginer you should first adjust your playset depending on simply what you like the most, so you can spend time both learning the game and enjoying it with those characters you like the most.

About those that you already started picking,

Mai

Use pokes, standing B then low D, walk and do standing A when close, Standing C as an anti-air (so far the best she has), low B, A, + something and do not abuse Kachousens, try not to use them unless opponent is being zoned by your st A pokes, knocked down, or after standing CD if it hits, really, otherwise you will end up getting bad habits and become fish bait in which you will be the fish, Mai is great in the corner, so focus on cornering the opponent through knock downs , mostly hop CD. She is better 2nd or 3rd.

Ex Kyo,

Too balanced to tell you how to better use it, he goes better first as he does not need Drive cancels to put good pressure upon any other character or inflict good damage with almost any hit confirm, multiple jump Down Cs from middle distance until you learn the cross up set up along with low or standing Bs plus qcf As will be your standard offense, save your metter for EX qcb D, those are life savers.

Shen

Shen is a no brainer overpowered character, just trust your standing C which has auto guard properties and when close its hitbox extends for some strange reason so he ends up punishing easily things that you will have a hard time punishing with other characters, focus on learning his combos first, those are easy as hell, then abuse jump CD from middle distance and jump D both short hops and high jumps when close to mix up and land your extremely easy and abusive life taking easy combos. The advanced game with him will come after that (grab mix ups, qcf C cancels and CD feints).

Leona

One of the hardest characters to learn, you started wrong with her but if you like it, forget about long combos and focus on low Bs pressure and mix that with run then grab, down+up C,A, back forward A, control SPACING, and earrings bait,  I think her Ex back, forward AC or BD have frame advantage, not sure though.

Kula

Here is some true potential for a begginer, she is like mai, a poke character but she does land GOOD damage out of almost any hit confirm you can manage to learn and react to, down Bs plus standing B then something is going to be your base to put pressure, trust walking then st B, when close standing A then ACD, ACD, then B, avoid being rush down by using DP everytime you can force them to jump so they stay in the ground eating your pokes,  go to training mode and practice all her hit confirms after st B with CPU or random guard, if you need any combo hints hit me up online on steam so I can show you. And Yes, she is really cool. Literally XD.

[Coliflowerz]

I'm really glad you aren't playing a fireball character. Step one to actually being good at this game XD

If you need help on your offense, try and analyze your opponents defensive options (block, roll, dp, guard cancel, etc.) and find out when and where it's ideal to use them. Try and predict these options for a solid counter (Block = throw/high low mixup, roll = throw/punish, dp = block, GC = block). It's all about reading your opponent, which only comes with practice.

I'm glad you get excited watching matches! One of the best ways to learn. ^^

When playing Shen, don't focus on landing st. C > fwd. B > some special move. Doing this may cause you to lose frame advantage and the offensive pressure. Don't be afraid to use some cr. b, cr. a, and j. CD just to keep the pressure on, even if they don't net giant combos. This is a universal tip, really, but particularly for Shen because of how tempting that 400 dmg bnb is. Sometimes random hits can turn the course of a match.

When playing Kula, poke with Lay Spin sometimes. Don't abuse, it's unsafe a little bit, but it catches a lot of people by surprise. Ice breath a lot when you're opponent is blocking; if you can sneak the C version in sometimes, that's even better.

Remember to play the game, not the character. Cuz like you said, this is the least gimmicky and most balanced fighter out there, alongside like, Tekken.