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Safe jump: after tackle super, whiff crouch A, neutral jump D. Works on 3f moves.

Crossup: after tackle super, slight step back, normal jump forward C.

On that note, I've been messing with guard point OS.

Examples:

Qcf+D~qcf+C: far D into DM if guard point activates. Great for ground game and counter hit leads to huge damage. However, if they take to the air this is fairly useless and the DM is too slow to connect. You can use EX for that.

Same concept works with stand C pretty well (qcb+AC is faster than level 1 DM - maybe that will work better for one bar). Nice part about DM though is its really difficult to punish (may not be possible outside of GC roll if you're not Andy/mai/Robert using neomax).

The most consistent is probably EX dp+K, if they're hopping around a lot. Too far and especially grounded and it won't connect though.

Sometimes just to see if they're paying attention I'll cancel to hcb+D slow cmd grab. Always amusing when it works.

- Stand B is super underutilized.

- I have a question: under what circumstances does the second hit of close C whiff? I was practicing against chin trying to find the best (consistent) HD confirm. Cr.B cr.A late activate (auto close C) seemed really consistent. Is it just spacing? Would it be better to use df.C after the first hit?

cr.B xx st.A

Lets talk about this string. If you do cr.B cr.B cr.D, then try cr.B cr.B st.A(whiff), cr.D it's actually a tighter frame trap.

cr.B xN into run up cmd throw is a great setup but if its your only one it may become telegraphed.  The st.A whiff may help mix it up to keep them on their toes. I also think the standing up just adds a visual component - a lot of people do crouch A xx overhead for the visual or crouching shen into an overhead... I see high level Shen's sometimes do cr.B st.A cr.B x2-3 into HD confirm.

^Wowwww! Nasty. I love it.

GuttsCL posted a cool video with some stuff including dp brake, hyperhop C, j.D that gets them to do the backwards blocking  double crossup nonsense.

does anyone knows the proper timing for commandthrow, delay df.C? I have the difficulty to do it consistenly, thx.

There's no real easy trick to timing it, if you mean meterless cmd throw. You could try holding forward and as soon as iori moves go for it. That may even be too much delay though. Try watching the opponent instead of iori - as they reach the top of the bounce and are coming down... Press it. Find whatever cues work for you.

If you're using EX, I have seen someone use whiff cancel st.CD into dp+C then link df.C.

~

Fun trick: cr.B cr.B qcf+B... If confirmed, hcb+P and you get short short super!

I find myself getting cmd grabbed out of resets into Baltic launcher (ball) but I like the idea of jump back x-calibur.

I just started using backdash X-Calibur (ex is really the useful one) when I'm in a pinch and need to surprise them.
Also I like to go for backdash V-slasher purely for wtf factor. Qcf, backdash~hcb+P works.

Also I've discovered the usefulness of mixing in crouch B st.A in pressure. You can link (maybe its a late cancel but it feels like a link) into s.B f.B for normal combos. Crouch B, back+A+D gives you a back throw OS if they are trying to roll out of the corner too. Just requires a slight delay in the string.

Corner, post rekkas: whiff st.A, hyperhop C. Fairly easy safe jump.

[quote
[KOFXIII] Anti Roll Option Select
[/quote]

Wait a sec - you can input fbf and it will option select a roll in both directions!? How does that work?  I see two forward inputs but how would it run the other direction?

Who doesn't tech that knockdown though? If they're in the corner they won't for fear of command grab but then you can't crossup.

What's more useful to me is setups off cmd throw. Slight pause into sj.D is a great meaty crossup.

sj.D xx dp+B (input backwards) gives you a level 1 or 2 DM combo. Instead of sj.D, do an early air dp+B or a late air qcb+B for non-crossup.

If the opponent is rolling from this just go for the meaty sj.D but buffer/OS a run input and you can catch them with another cmd throw or normal throw. Dirty.

Oh, if they're smart and inputting a backwards dp, air qcb+D will evade it! And you can punish some with DM/EX DM.

Turns out that Chin's df B is actually -2, like the arcade version.  *Rejoices*

Is this from max blocked range? I feel that it is range dependent. I've been trying to poke more with far C xx df.B (even as a whiff cancel) but if done at the wrong range, it definitely feels like less than -2.

The frame data man himself, Keykkako, replied with:
―――カントク――― (@Keykakko) tweeted at 1:26 AM on Sun, May 12, 2013:
@DC_Kane317 @ManChest 二起脚1 (df B) is actually -3～+2F,Contact state～tip hit for his 硬直差 (recovery)
(https://twitter.com/Keykakko/status/333498492859318275)

Cool!  I thought it was worse.

I'll definitely have to come up with some stance cancel strings that space it well.

I've been messing a lot more with his 'coward crouch' dd+P stance. It comes out a lot faster than I thought. I forget all the options I have sometimes though like counter/barrel roll... Reset in the corner into it makes close-C-happy characters whiff which is great. To make it less telegraphed you can reset with st.A/C into dd+k, hop back-hop forward-crouch. Quite tricky!

Turns out that Chin's df B is actually -2, like the arcade version.  *Rejoices*

Is this from max blocked range? I feel that it is range dependent. I've been trying to poke more with far C xx df.B (even as a whiff cancel) but if done at the wrong range, it definitely feels like less than -2.

I don't know if this is an issue for any other Leona players out there but it's driving me nuts.

Leona's HD starters

I find that the HD bypass route is SO much easier than anything else. She doesn't have much time to combo into her normals otherwise.

cr.B cr.B cr.B d~u/b+BC (then from u/b to forward or u/f+D for the HD loop). You can activate and do a special move at the same time and I find this confirm a shit ton easier than anything else for her. All you have to do is one input!

So I switched to a Korean stick recently and I'm having some issues doing Leon's V-Slasher( along with some other stuff but that will come with practice) I'm winding if doing the qcfX2~b short cut would be good to learn to help with the circle gate or should I just practice doing the move normally( which would be my preferred method). Also is it worth using these short cuts at all?

The "short"cut seems extraneous. Think about trying to hit u/f and or u/b in the motion. That helps me especially if I'm trying to do it raw as an anti-air or punish to a roll (i.e. through an earring bomb).

qcf, u/f, hcb+P gets me a jump forward V-slasher for further reach
qcf, hcb, u/b+P gets me a very low to the ground V-slasher for when I need it more quickly (i.e. they're very close to hitting me already)

I just played leona on an octo-gate the other day for the first time and V-slasher motion felt SO CRISP compared to my square gate. KOF motion supers are a little more intuitive without the corners (but I'll never switch from square gate and it helps me with her HD combo to have corners).

I suspect that the reason things work midscreen and not the corner is less pushblock in the corner meaning Vice connects with her grab sooner than if you were midscreen.

There's a shortcut for dp into qcf motion - do dp normally then just tap forward again.