David Kong is here to answer your noob questions!

[Kane317]

One last thing about using HD on the last round:  Meter transference.  If you do a bunch of HD combos on the 2nd-4th round you're basically begging to get HD'd back, quite early on.  Unless you're Clark who doesn't give much/any meter for combos, some people like to HD on the 5th round to seal the deal without having to worry about retaliation.

[Stone Drum]

So in a way, the 5th round is like a battle to the first one to hit confirm into an HD combo?  If this is the case, wouldn't it make sense just to kill their second character quick with an HD combo, or even the first character?  You'd probably already get full HD by the 5th round anyway?

[davidkong07]

Also, sometimes it's a good idea to run forward on a soft knockdown so you can throw a tech roll. Tech rolls have no grab invincibility, so they can be grabbed on the first frame. Running forward allows you to throw them as soon as possible if they tech roll.

[Stone Drum]

Also, sometimes it's a good idea to run forward on a soft knockdown so you can throw a tech roll. Tech rolls have no grab invincibility, so they can be grabbed on the first frame. Running forward allows you to throw them as soon as possible if they tech roll.

oooh, I get it, so no tech rolling in the corner?

[Kane317]

So in a way, the 5th round is like a battle to the first one to hit confirm into an HD combo?  If this is the case, wouldn't it make sense just to kill their second character quick with an HD combo, or even the first character?  You'd probably already get full HD by the 5th round anyway?

Well that's when the strategy falls in.  If you kill their second character with HD and let's say he kills your second character effortlessly without using much meter...then he's going to be entering the 5th round with a pretty significant lead. 

Of course, if he kills your second character with and HD combo then he's kinda back at where he started so most experienced players don't do that unless they're super confident with their third.

[davidkong07]

Also, sometimes it's a good idea to run forward on a soft knockdown so you can throw a tech roll. Tech rolls have no grab invincibility, so they can be grabbed on the first frame. Running forward allows you to throw them as soon as possible if they tech roll.

oooh, I get it, so no tech rolling in the corner?

Well, tech rolling is always safe, because you can still tech the grab. You can tech roll whenever you want as long as you're aware of what your opponent is trying to do. However, sometimes it's better to not tech roll if you know your opponent has a very strong mixup in that situation (such as an invincible command grab).

[Kurdijef]

My problem is this:
So, I fiiinally got a friend to try this game with me. I really like KOF and would want to start a scene here, but I'm still a beginner myself so it was hard for me to defend it when my friend complained that "this game is horrible and all you can do is reversals". He feels that there was nothing he could do when on defense except DP'ing everything.

I did try to explain that if I was a better player he shouldn't even get those DPs on me and that heavy attacks generally push him out of close pressure. I don't know what else to say because I don't feel qualified enough to say anything else. I'm sure he was salty for losing so many in a row (we usually play even in SF/Marvel), but yeahh...

I wanna get people to play this game and if I can't counter their arguments.. It's like doing a disservice :D

PS. Dunno if it matters but I was mostly using Andy/Mai/EX Kyo. Dabbled with Iori (claw), Yuri, Shen, Terry and Clark.

[BioBooster]

Where to begin.... sure other peeps will have a lot to say about this, but KOF offers far more in terms of defense than most fighters.

Guard Cancell roll/blowback: always good for recovering momentum
Wakeup backdash: avoid throws or minimize damage from ground combo mixups
Ashi-taiku: crouch B taking advantage of some chr's lower stature during the move making jump ins miss, if you hit you get a combo
Air to air: Hugely important, attack early on a jump pre-empting an opponent's jump attempt. Can also use jumping blowbacks to get the advantage or more dmg on counter hits with a follow up. Using weak attacks in the air is good with chrs who have attacks with range as weak attacks mostly startup faster and stay active for longer.
Rolling.
Guard points.
Running under jump-ins.
Ground to air normals, etc.

There's certainly plenty here, but that's different from the game lending itself to turtling if that's what he means.

Hope this helps!

[davidkong07]

My problem is this:
So, I fiiinally got a friend to try this game with me. I really like KOF and would want to start a scene here, but I'm still a beginner myself so it was hard for me to defend it when my friend complained that "this game is horrible and all you can do is reversals". He feels that there was nothing he could do when on defense except DP'ing everything.

I did try to explain that if I was a better player he shouldn't even get those DPs on me and that heavy attacks generally push him out of close pressure. I don't know what else to say because I don't feel qualified enough to say anything else. I'm sure he was salty for losing so many in a row (we usually play even in SF/Marvel), but yeahh...

I wanna get people to play this game and if I can't counter their arguments.. It's like doing a disservice :D

PS. Dunno if it matters but I was mostly using Andy/Mai/EX Kyo. Dabbled with Iori (claw), Yuri, Shen, Terry and Clark.

Seth Killian once said something like "You can lead a scrub to the arcade, but you can't make him THINK." If your friend has this attitude, that is unfortunate. I would recommend showing him some footage of high level play. Obviously, he is very wrong about defensive options in KoF. All the things biobooster listed are good. It sounds like your friend doesn't know how to anti air. In the long run, just keep playing the game, and get good at it yourself. Like you said, it'll be easier for you to explain to others when you have achieved more game knowledge on your own part.

[Kurdijef]

Yeah, I wouldn't say he's a scrub but when it comes to new games he is definitely very judgemental. He's made so many sweeping statements about Tekken too. It's like he becomes a total scrub everytime he's learning a new game.

It's hard to get good at a game by myself, but I guess it's the only way to go. Thanks for the answer!

Another noob question! Are there any known (or less known) safe jump setups for EX Kyo? He gets a hard knockdown from a couple of things.

[solidshark]

Considering your friend is brand-new to things Kurdijef, and has a SF background, has he or you check this vid out: The Beginner's Incomplete Guide to KOF

[Sharnt]

Look there, a french top player demonstrate the basics of the char, it's mostly in french though, but the stream speaks by itself.
http://fr.twitch.tv/frionel26/b/319959726

[Kurdijef]

Yeah, I've seen that a couple of years ago and it was actually the original spark for me to get into KOF. I've rewatched this video a lot of times. It's just so good. And this friend of mine has seen it too, but I don't think it left as big of an impression on him. I already liked Garou alot and seeing that video opened my eyes in a totally new way.

However, XII just received so much hate along "not being true KOF" I decided to leave it be altogether. My internet has also been too unstable for me to play GGPO or I would've gotten into 98 that way. Then came the console release for KOFXIII finally, but pretty much none of my friends bought it with me. UMvC3/Tekken rules our local weekly and beyond that, Tekken, is by far the most popular game in Finland. The only likeminded person lives too far away from me and on a different console... :D

I've kept the flame alive but kinda low. Thanks for all the tips you guys.

[DJMirror949]

Yo David I have a quick question for you

How come you don't use Robert HD Bypass with EX Dive Kick into Neo Max? It does about 550 dmg and if they block the EX Dive Kick you're safe (I believe) and you can go for EX command grab into HD combo? I

[Diavle]

Yo David I have a quick question for you

How come you don't use Robert HD Bypass with EX Dive Kick into Neo Max? It does about 550 dmg and if they block the EX Dive Kick you're safe (I believe) and you can go for EX command grab into HD combo? I

Its a huge risk when it comes to meter.

The neomax by itself is much faster (one of the fastest moves in the game) and has complete invincibility so if they are in the midst of anything you have a much higher chance of punishing them than with an EX Dive Kick.

Also, you can activate his neomax via an air HD bypass so his air neomax is essentially 2 power bars+HD (instead of 3+HD).

His ex command grab isn't instant and has no invincibility so banking on it isn't really a good idea, they can easily hit you before it comes out.