Shortcuts and buffering techniques Quick Reference

[Kane317]

If you would like to add something to this section, please post in this thread.


Shortcuts/Sequential Buffering:

I'll post all the ones I know from previous KOFs as well, they should all work but if they don't please correct me.

-All qcf~hcb motions --> qcf x2~back + button
-Similarly, qcb~hcf --> qcb x2~f
-qcb~hcf --> qcb~db~f
-qcf~hcb --> qcf~df~b
-dp --> hcb~f

-Dash hcb x2 command throws (e.g Clark's DM)--> (somewhat close) hcb~f x2~hcb + button

-Canceling qcf into qcf x2 (e.g Shen's qcf+P, [DC] qcf x2+P) --> qcf + button, qcf+ button
-Canceling qcf into qcf~hcb (e.g Liz's qcf+P, [DC] qcf~hcb+P) --> qcf + button, hcb + button
-Canceling dp into qcf~hcb (e.g Robert's dp+P, [DC] qcf~hcb+P DM) --> dp + button, hcb + button
-Canceling c.d~u into c.b~f (e.g Leona's c.d~u+P, [DC] c.b~f+K) --> c.db/d~ub + button, [DC] uf (or f)+ button
-Canceling dp into qcf inside HD mode only (e.g Kyo's dp+P [1hit], [DC] qcf+P...) --> dp+P~P (Liz seems to be the only character that can do this outside of HD)
-Canceling dp into qcf (e.g K' dp+P, [DC] qcf+P)--> hcb~f+P, qcf+P
-Canceling dp into dp (e.g Yuri's dp+A, [DC] dp+K)--> dp+P, K: As long as the first motion is the same as the second motion and there's not too much lapse in between, you can just press the button again.

-Tricky motions like Shen's CABC can be hard to buffer.  You can start buffering it while getting up, in the air, during the ending frames of a move or even off a s.C itself.  A useful trick is to tap in this order (just hold the down motion the whole time): d.A, d.C, d.A, d.B (this will buffer the first 3 inputs) and press C when you want to activate the DM.  By doing this technique, Shen appears to only do two d.As (since neither d.C or d.B link off of d.As), as soon as the opponent jumps, press C.
-Beni's qcf+K --> d~u+K--> qcf~uf+K, K: As long as there's no delay it'll stay buffered.  Alternatively you can do qcf+K, f, uf, u+K.
-Billy's qcb A, into rapid A (cancel startup frames) into qcb C-->qcb A, C x4


HD bypass activation and tips

Bypassing the frames of activating Hyperdrive (BC).  Although it seems much quicker than previous incarnations, pressing BC during a heated battle is ill-advised as you're vulnerable to eating a fat combo. Instead, clever techniques have been discovered over the years to eliminate those frames such as--
∟Kim or Ryo's overhead, press BC on point of contact, continue combo while opponent is in hitstun.
∟Activating as a special like Kensou who can do, d.B, d.B, qcf+BC (doing his qcf C while activating HD).
∟Clark canceling a non-cancelable normal such as his second hit of his close C into his Ex hcf K but simply
   doing hcf+BCD (all you'll see is s.C [2hits], hcf BD w/HD automatically)
∟Leona's V-Slasher DM (air.qcf~hcb+P) can be performed air.qcf~hcb+ABC which will make her do her
   Ex V Slasher while going into HD mode at the same, of course you want to MaxCancel into her NeoMax
∟Anytime you activate the BC off a normal late, a s.C will come out instead of the autodash.  
∟Anytime you activate the BC off a normal early, the autodash will be activated.
∟Ex specials like Shen's command throw, hcb~f+ABC (Arcadia says to prevent overlap do hcb~ub~up~uf+ABC).  
   You can also do the same motion in the air but you have to complete the motion before you land to
   go straight into HD.  Same applies to Goro and Clark.

Kusogaki of KOF UK Fame, illustrates the technique nicely on this clip.


Damage scaling:

- Every hit past the first one takes a 5% damage scaling cut.
- Damage scaling is normally capped at 20%. However, DMs and EX DMs damage scaling is capped at 40% whereas NeoMaxes are capped at 50%.  (Example given in the mook is if you have a 100 damage attack, no the 18th hit, you’d expect the damage to be 100 x (1- (17*0.05)) = 15, but the actual damage is 20. No actual example of a move in game is given however!) UPDATE: In console, DM's now are capped at 40% while NMs stay at 50%
- When doing a Max Cancel, the Neo Max ignores the regular damage scaling formula, but suffers damage scaling equal to the DM that was used for the Max Cancel. TLDR: Max Cancelling gives you slightly better damage scaling.
- Some multi hit DMs suffer the same damage scaling through all hits (e.g. if the first hit of a 6 hit DM suffers from 75% damage scaling, all 6 hits are scaled to 75%)
- Some moves are free from damage scaling entirely. Supposed to be common for the last hit of “Lock” type moves (once the first hit connects, the rest of the move connects as though the opponent is caught).
- Lowest damage value in the game is 4, hence if moves would suffer from damage scaling that would push them to a value less than 4, it’s bumped up to 4.