Is it fair to say that EX mode is useless?

[Cibernetico]

I don't think I've ever seen anyone who at least knows the ins and outs of LB2 to ever use this mode. And I never see it in any high level play videos. Is it pretty much useless?

And I take it that the deflect option is another worthless tactic at high level play.

[solidshark]

I don't think I've ever seen anyone who at least knows the ins and outs of LB2 to ever use this mode. And I never see it in any high level play videos. Is it pretty much useless?

And I take it that the deflect option is another worthless tactic at high level play.

I've seen some expert play on LB2 a while back that showed good use of both EX and deflection. I'll see if I can find what I saw for you.

[Anakron]

Uh, what makes you think this noob question doesn't belong in the training room? Instead of doing more research on EX mode and deflect, you automatically dismiss them as useless, which is very sad. It's also really funny too because it shows that you don't understand the game. You might not see players use deflect because their opponents have ways to get around it. For example, blockstrings with gaps and run in blockstrings aren't used because they're easy to deflect.

Deflecting

First off, you know should know that you can deflect while standing, crouching and in the air. Crouching deflects will generally only work on crouching attacks, while air deflects will work on almost anything. Air deflects are much stricter on timing however.
Last Blade's deflects have a miss animation on them, so be very careful when you use it, also the trail of blue shadows will make it easy to spot one.

Also, pressing D once deflects, pressing again after the deflect causes a knock-down. It's usually better to go for a combo after instead of the knock-down. Unless you're deflecting an air-attack. You can't use the knock-down if it's an air to air deflect, but you can use an air normal/special immediately after.

There are generally a few things you should deflect:

-When someone is blindly rushing down/pressuring you.
-Really obvious jump-ins
-When someone jumps straight up next to you
-To counter anti-airs/air to air attacks.

You can deflect some supers, but you cannot deflect projectiles.

How to deflect combo strings

Generally, you can only deflect light hits on the first hit. However, you can deflect any hard attack they throw in the string.

Just block the first hit high and switch to low block during the string (Or go from low to high). Then before their hard attack comes out, deflect. For some reason, switching your block position like that allows you to deflect in block stun. Think of it kind of like red parrying in Third Strike.

* You can deflect while still holding back

Know when to deflect

I listed a bunch of situations where it would be a good idea to deflect. Now obviously, the good players know these as well, so they're gonna try to fake you out. Be very careful when you deflect. I can easily jump straight up next to you, have you whiff a deflect, then run in and throw you. Also, it could seem like I'm blindly poking you with A, but then I switch it up at the last minute to a throw when you try to deflect. People who've been playing a long time, generally have a good idea of when someone is going to try and deflect or attack. So try to get deflecting down, but use it conservatively.

Gauge your opponent's patterns, and remember it's very dangerous to be deflecting too much around mashers or new players. Most of them will just mash out random attack strings like A, A *random pause* special. I can't tell you how many times I've tried to deflect what I thought was an incoming hard slash, and ended up eating a random super instead.

Also, you can greatly reduce the lag on a low-jump air deflect by deflecting late in the jump.

*Try not to deflect when you're getting up, or the other guy is getting up. You'll likely just get hit by a jump-in or late combo.

[Nocturnal]

Only thing about EX that makes it not so great from what I remember, is that you take more damage from hits overall.

[THE ANSWER]

EX is a great additon to the game. I personally think that is very useful.

[t3h mAsTarOth...!]

i played Speed Lee through my time period of playing LB/LB2... and while EX mode lets u have the best from both normal modes like chains and super cancel / SDM... iirc u either take somewhere between 120-150% ...and that's really not worth it... but super cancelling and SDMs r fun none the less...

[Tbone86]

i played Speed Lee through my time period of playing LB/LB2... and while EX mode lets u have the best from both normal modes like chains and super cancel / SDM... iirc u either take somewhere between 120-150% ...and that's really not worth it... but super cancelling and SDMs r fun none the less...

Sure you take more, but the options that are granted in that mode makes up for it.  Just for the hell of it you could say it is Magneto mode, not much def but loads of options and damage.

[t3h mAsTarOth...!]

well that mode is specially scary when u r on flashing life... cause any random chain hits... or a super cancellable move > super... can be hit confirmed and spammed... and if u have p. super then it just becomes more scary...

[MUSOLINI]

the damage differences make ex useless against power or speed. not to mention your super bars fills super slowly. ex is nice for fighting against ex. otherwise its an uphill battle vs power or speed. you wont see anybody with this mode in a tourney. and otherwise they wont be winning.

[t3h mAsTarOth...!]

ya i preferred my speed Lee... mix-ups... even though i knew power version was higher in tiers... his power version just feels stiff... only good thing is easy big damage and super cancel... what i did wanna learn was power Mukuro or Shigen...

[MUSOLINI]

mukuro is the shit.

[jinxhand]

One thing that boggled my mind was how P-characters could still combo and do more damage than S-characters, even though I was under the impression that P-characters weren't technically supposed to be able to combo... Granted, most of the combos were A, A xx Special_Super, but it still did damage than that exact character's S mode...

I will say that EX-Zantetsu is a fun character to use imo...

[Aenthin]

One thing that boggled my mind was how P-characters could still combo and do more damage than S-characters, even though I was under the impression that P-characters weren't technically supposed to be able to combo... Granted, most of the combos were A, A xx Special_Super, but it still did damage than that exact character's S mode...

I will say that EX-Zantetsu is a fun character to use imo...

P combos usually have stricter timing though and you could do the same combos with S mode. The problem with S mode is that damage tends to be weaker, not to mention the damage scaling taking effect. What's really good for S mode are easier chains and mixups, as well as changing the properties of some normals. Hibiki's d+B isn't normally cancellable on P mode, for example.

[MUSOLINI]

s mode is chain combos, p is links.

[jinxhand]

Yeah I understand all of that... It just seems like in many character's cases, you're better off using their P mode because there's still the combo factor... I know the timing is strict, but its not just frame strict... If you can do link c.LP to c.MP with a shoto/guile/seth in SF4, then you can combo in P mode...

I've seen a bunch of matches and mixups aren't really effective depending on the character, and there's only some who really benefit from S mode (Zantetsu, Mukuro, Moriya, Lee)... I won't even put Akari in that list just because her infinite can be done in both modes...