David Kong is here to answer your noob questions!

[DJMirror949]

for Shen jumping CD you can beat it air to air, you just have to beat it early before it comes out. It'll beat/trade with certain characters DPs but I can down C with my team just fine because I just hit him before his arc of his jump. With Kyo/EX Kyo you can just run up to him as he's starting to jump and press C as I'm doing Standing Close C. His Jumping CD is the one of the best but it not stupid that randomly crossup like EX Kyo/Kyo jumping CD.

[KarnF91]

Hi
I would like to include HD combos in my game but i dont know exactly how to do it...
I have a terrible execution and i often think that i m wasting my time in training mode..

My main team is Ash, Clark and Benimaru is this order most of the time.
My first problem is that i don t know exactly which HD combo to learn and for which character... Clark dont have effective HD combos , Ash is played first and I did not see easy midscreen HD combos for Benimaru...

I m training a Iori (and Kyo before) but i don t feel confortable with rushers...   I play sometimes Ryo mr karate and Saiki...
I thought that my team can be played effectively without HD combos but that is so important in this game and so flashy ^^...  I need advices to define reasonable training goals and methods for training maybe...  Thanks for helping me

I can't help you with combos for Ash Clark and Beni.  However the best way to become better with your execution is simply practicing. When I go to learn a combo what I do is break it down into smaller parts, or just individual moves.  Once you feel comfortable with the smaller parts, put them together and work on that bigger part.  Eventually you'll have it down, it takes time, and you might go days before you actually land it.  Asking questions here on this site is a great thing to do, there are a lot of people with lots of experience willing to help.

Thanks for the answer David Kong.  After working on the dp+P (DC) rdp+K with Kyo I'm getting to work more than not.  Something that can apply to what I said above, watching some combo videos for Kyo I saw when I need to cancel the hcb+K.  I picked this team using what you suggested earlier in the thread.  I played with each character over several days (Ended up with about 12 characters I feel confident with)  I just feel comfortable with Kyo, Yuri and Shen.  That and it's always funny to see Yuri pick up a 300+ pound man with one hand and slap him around. 

I see a lot of people panic if they drop their HD combos and look to raw Neo Max.  Most times the other person knows this is coming and plays highly defensive until the meter runs down and they get nothing out of that meter.  Would it be better to try and open them up and try to get an abbreviated combo out of that meter.  Or just sit on it and if you see a opportunity to raw Neo Max, do that?

[solidshark]

Hi
I would like to include HD combos in my game but i dont know exactly how to do it...
I have a terrible execution and i often think that i m wasting my time in training mode..

My main team is Ash, Clark and Benimaru is this order most of the time.
My first problem is that i don t know exactly which HD combo to learn and for which character... Clark dont have effective HD combos , Ash is played first and I did not see easy midscreen HD combos for Benimaru...

I m training a Iori (and Kyo before) but i don t feel confortable with rushers...   I play sometimes Ryo mr karate and Saiki...
I thought that my team can be played effectively without HD combos but that is so important in this game and so flashy ^^...  I need advices to define reasonable training goals and methods for training maybe...  Thanks for helping me

I also think it's mostly going to boil down to practice. HD combos are usually the hardest thing to grasp and do consistently for most players.

Most of what I think Clark might be capable of for HD is like these from his wiki:

-s.D / s.C, [HD] s.C, (Ex) hcb x2+P DM, [MC] Neomax (hcb x2+BD). 745 / 850 damage
-j.D / j.C, s.D / s.C, [HyperDrive], s.D, A Gatling Attack (b~f A), Vulcan Punch (rapid P){3 hits}, [DC] C Gatling x2, Vulcan Punch {1 hit}, [DC] C Gatling, Neomax ~ 750 damage

so either simply cancel from a super into a NM given enough meter, or perfect the timing of drive cancelling Gatling Attack and Vulcan Punch.

You might consider switching up the team order sometimes and putting Clark first; most likely easier to dominate and bait grabs with Clark, leaving Ash to take more HD advantage. And if Ash won't take it, Beni will certainly benefit in the end.

Not sure if this is possible, but possibly look up or try drive cancelling Iaido Kicks (qcf+K) and Raijin Kens (qcf+P) for mid-screen HD comboing. It's probably more difficult to do or master if it's even possible, so don't quote me on its' effectiveness.

[Iyokuu]

Hey all,

What characters would you say teach the fundamentals of KoF? Also would learning Leona be worth it? I'm just starting out, but I like her (along with many others). The only thing I don't like about her is her charge aspect and I've been told she was a difficult character to learn along with Hwa. Any help with all of this?

[solidshark]

Hey all,

What characters would you say teach the fundamentals of KoF? Also would learning Leona be worth it? I'm just starting out, but I like her (along with many others). The only thing I don't like about her is her charge aspect and I've been told she was a difficult character to learn along with Hwa. Any help with all of this?

I'd think someone like Kyo is the best character to work on fundaments of the game. His movement is as average in the game as you can get.

Leona is worth it. She's considered lower-tier by many, but that's only because you have to put ore work into her. She's a great charge character with lots of speed and aerial options, so best to take advantage of those. She and Hwa are more technical, that's their difficulty. Linking and extended combos are more their positives; you'll see that from any match videos featuring them.

Specifically with Hwa, if you've played Joe, he's basically Joe with no projectile but has ways to extend the same attacks and uses a lot more air properties to his moves. I suggest hitting practice mode and sampling all of Leona and Hwa's specials and supers, regular and EX. Hopefully you'll see what I mean there.

Hope this helps.

[Iyokuu]

I put some time into the lab with each of them the other night, but I can't pick a solid team. I grew a small like for Kula that night too going through her trials. Out of K', Kula, Mai, Leona, Benimaru, Shen, Hwa, and Elisabeth I can't really decide on my first three that will always be there. I like them all and I know tiers don't really matter in this game which is something else I love which means I don't have to worry about who's the "best."

I like Hwa, but it will take some good practice before I can get his BnB's/extended combos down. The same thing with Leona. Her charge moves back to back are what really grind my gears. K' seems to mainly focus around his Fire ring which is lame, but K' himself is just so cool to me. I can almost consistently do his BnB that ends with a slide into shoryuken. And why aren't these forums more active? They seem like it could be a great help.

[solidshark]

And why aren't these forums more active? They seem like it could be a great help.

Hopefully they will be, newcomers and even KOF vets are still getting into the real meat of this game. There's a lot to it, but hopefully more people will realize there are a lot more questions to ask as of now.

[Tye@l]

The moral of my rant it, this game WILL reward the effort that you put into it, guaranteed. Keep your head up high and keep working hard, knowing that everyone who is any good at this game has done the same. I hope this helps, let me know if you have any other questions!

Update! I hit the labs hard and found some characters that I not only like, but I can do basic combos with! My miracle team of Scrubbiness is K`/Goro/Shen.
K` because even though he's a GODDAMN CLONE, I like his WAY over-the-top bad boy style (who wears a one-piece leather jumpsuit in 2012? What happens when he has to take a dump?) as well as he was the first guy I could do corner and mid-screen combos with.
Goro because... He's just awesome. He's huge, he flings people towards the heavens, he can cause friggin' earthquakes with his Neo Max, and I LOVE in KoF that grapplers can combo into their grabs. And I can do a number of his okizemi setups!
And Shen, because he's that fantastically cocky asshole you just want to punch his face in. But he's so damn good at kicking ass that he's practically a Shanghai Duke Nukem. Just give him some one-liners, some heavy rock accompaniment every time he walks in or out of a room, and there you go. Dead simple combos, no flash, no form. Just damage damage damage. And I can appreciate that.

[solidshark]

Nice choices Tye@l, and I see some were made based on character type too, which is always fun to do.

That's not a one-piece leather jump-suit K's wearing, but I always figured K' to be one of the most heat-tolerant characters ever to sling flames while wearing all leather. He does have the easiet corner comboing in the game, just don't get predictable with the Iron Trigger move.

Goro's '98 Nickname was the wall at one point, so using him can really be an upwards battle for your opponent. Don't forget his Jiraishin (ground shake special) and the strong version being a feint, as well as his j.CD and st.C and st.D are very useful. The standing C and D can come out faster than most grapplers his size.

Shen. I don't have to say much more than that, though I like the nickname you gave him; "Shanghai Duke Nukem" sounds awesome. He's got some form though, with the Furu Tora Geki (overhead) and Takamen Deflect. I like to think of Shen as a forward missile, just goes after his target and doesn't stop until well-past impact. Just don't get too cocky with him as he's not as invincible as he looks on offense.

[Stone Drum]

I have some theory questions. 

1.) what is the best way to learn how to use meter effectively within a team?  Is it best to construct a certain formula such as x character uses x meter at x time, y character uses y meter at y time etc. and improvise within constructed limitations according to how the match is going, or is it best to just conserve conserve conserve until you get the gut feeling to use meter or only when you need to, which would also save meter for other characters?  If it is the latter, what things should I take into account in constructing guidelines for spending meter within my team?

2.)  Why do so many players sit on 100% hd meter for so long with a few orange bars instead of just prematurely knocking out a character with a devastating combo? why save it for the anchor and sit on 100% for so long when you could potentially kill a character and even start building hd meter again for later characters? 

3.) I don't quite understand dp's in this game.  I've read that dp's aren't meant to be used as anti airs in this game, yet I have no trouble stopping almost all jump in attempts, even the smallest ones by always having my muscle memory preemptively ready to do a dp.  I just don't understand. 

[solidshark]

I have some theory questions. 

To chime in on some of your questions before a pro comes to answer,

1) Per what team you have, generally it's best to know the ins-and-outs of what that character can do, and specificially what you can do with that character. The meter system is flexible enough to me to think that there's no one right way to do anything. Go with your gut (with as high a skill-level as you can get). Personally, I think it's best to use the HD combo when you know for sure you won't drop it, cause you can always build it back.

2) Conserving the HD could be based on several things - saving for the anchor to use, rather not use it based on the match-up, character, etc, or just forgot about it. I think most times, people are waiting to confidently use that HD combo. I've seen several characters like Andy, Beni, and a few others wait till they've got you in a corner to even start HD activation.

3) You have no trouble stopping jump-in attempts because the principle of dp's and anti-airs still applies to this game. The biggest difference is having the different jump varieties, which can make jumping even less predictable compared to other fighting games. I think those who say "dp's aren't meant to be used as anti-airs" means that people shouldn't rely on dp's for anti-airs, not a lot anyway, which I agree with. If you're good at reading when a dp can anti-air, great, but don't forget about any usualy st.A or cr.C (if apt) too.

[Stone Drum]

Thanks for the great and thorough advice solidshark. Your tips make perfect sense.

2 more noob questions though.

1.) why do players sometimes  continue to run towards a completely cornered opponent on wakeup recovery?

2.) is there a way to do practice mode where you fight the CPU and the health doesn't recharge?

[solidshark]

Thanks for the great and thorough advice solidshark. Your tips make perfect sense.

2 more noob questions though.

1.) why do players sometimes  continue to run towards a completely cornered opponent on wakeup recovery?

2.) is there a way to do practice mode where you fight the CPU and the health doesn't recharge?

1) Many times a player will think they can beat out the cornered opponent in the next attack, or so I guess. A smart player would probably run to them but stop short to see if they can bait an attack out.

2) Just checked recently, I don't think there is an option for that unfortunately.

[BioBooster]

Adding onto what solid's saying, peeps want to set themselves up for oki pressure with low starts or jump ins. Some will continue running (when already touching the opponent) and jump at the moment of wakeup to bait a throw attempt and the fail on that will lead into a successful jump (at times this even leads to evading a normal via the jump if not a cmd throw).

Putting on the breaks when approaching the opponent is one technique, but there is a brief opening before you can go to guard when you are dashing. Another approach along the same vein is to run fwd and roll backwards where there is no opening in btw actions - of course you are still open at the end of your roll and can be punished if this is expected. Good not to do the same thing every time. 

[Stone Drum]

wow, thanks solidshark and biobooster.  Never would've understood without the help