Leona Heidern (Arcade Version)

[nilcam]

Notation
= Light Punch
= Light Kick
= Strong Punch
= Strong Kick

* = EX version possible

Command Moves
Strike Arch - +

Special Moves
Moon Slasher - (charge) , + / *

Baltic Launcher - (charge) ,   +   / *

Earring Bakuden - / *

Grand Sabre Run - (charge) , + / *

X-Calibur - /   (in air) *

Desperation Moves
V-Slasher - / (in air) *

Slash Sabre - /

Neomax
Leona Blade -   +

Leona's Wiki entry.

Console changes:
* Voltec Launcher chips less guard meter
- Strike Arch (directon move) comes out faster
* Fierce V-Slasher has different angle; weak travels short, fierce goes far. EX version is the same as the arcade.
- Ground Saber has longer recovery when blocked. About even when fierce version gets blocked.
- Moon Slasher has less hitback when blocked. All of them (weak, fierce, EX) are easier to get punished than the arcade.
- EX X-Caliber comes out faster. Still can’t be comboed from a normal or direction attack.

Producer Yamamoto says: Moves such as the Ground Saber and Moon Slasher are easier to get punished so be careful. We’ve balanced her so that she can do things such as attack strings with her EX X-Calibur, or break into the opponent with her Strike Arch. Her Fierce V slasher has been buffed, and she’s a character that’s good in various occasions such as air-to-air combat or against projectiles.

[Remxi]

Leona
- Feels almost exactly like her KoF2k2UM version
- Charge times are short but in Hyper Drive mode the charge is not instant.. but it could be me being scrubby with inputs. Still so far I still have to buffer charge asap to Drive Cancel specials into each other in time.

Normals
- Normals are good,


- Ground normals
Standing
-far C is her f+C in 12, it pops out quite fast unlike the previous far Cs. It's a decent normal to advance forward with since it covers some of her upper hitbox.
- stD is the same as 12, it's a good anti-jump or anticipatory antiair move. On reaction it's abit too slow (got smoked by Iori's jC+D when I tried to do it on reaction).
- clD The twin knees return and they're still fast. Long active time makes it ideal for meaties.
Crouching
-crA- Abit shorter than before but it pops out fast. Middle hitbox makes it more favourable for punishing rolls and interrupting attacks that can go over lows. Max range crA won't guarantee the C slash move.. perhaps EX Slash.
-crB- Excellent poke as always. Comes out fast, has range.
-crC- Pops out really fast, very good anti crossup tool. Up close it's liable to stuff alot of things.
-crD- Low hitbox is still present. It can beat Iori's dp clean.

Jumping
-jA- Still a good air to ground. Not as reliable as an instant overhead compared to 2k2UM.
- jB- Solely for air to air poking.
-jC is almost Heidern's quality in the sense that it's more liable to crossup now. It can beat Kyo's and Iori's dps cleanly if spaced right above. Trades with Kula's but loses to K's.
- Straight jD is back and it snuffs out everything when it's active and it punishes rolls. Hit-confirmable into V-Slasher. Leona's sweetest mixups actually come between straight jD and crB especially against a cornered opponent.
-jD hits deep as usual and is great for jumping in. Hitconfirm into super to bring the thread.
-jC+D also hits deep, has 'good priority' and is her main tool to maintain pressure on a blocking opponent.

- Specials.. I'll get into the new stuff..

-- Ground specials--
- Moon Slasher-
Same hitbox as 12 interms of size. EX version takes a good chunk and has invincibility till very late (when her arm almost touches down) so Leona actually has a more reliable wakeup move this time. The longer range for the EX one makes it comboable from max range crA too, if desired.

C and EX versions are bad on block.

-Grand Sabre-
Running slash is back to old school style. Still good on block (faster startup too I think) but hitbox also feels bigger than before.  Does not go under middle stuff unlike 98 or even 2k2. >.<

-- Air specials--


-Xcalibur-
A version is mad unsafe on block, (projectile),
C version is safe depending on how it's blocked, but it has insane priority... If blocked very early, Leona will pass right above the opponent and lands far where she can recover intime to jump away from the punish attempt.

However, if blocked at middle or low where she lands infront of her opponent it's unsafe where it can be punished by close hard normals for the former case or weak normals for the latter case.

When it's active it beats out alot of moves. When spaced right I even snuffed out K's Heat Drive very cleanly in the middle of the dash punch. It also has a record of snuffing out Kyo's dp through the upper portion of the flames. It does not hit overhead. It does have abit of startup compared to Mai's.

A version is comboable from <crC/close C/D> fB at any point of the screen. Puts them at a distance with not too much advantage.

C version can be combo'd from the combo above by the corner and it puts Leona at a much better position to mix the opponent up.

EX is great in setting up mixups (free mixup, but slow startup). Handy in blockstrings but it's a free dp if opponent is twitchy.

- Supers-
-Vslasher kills everything in the air as usual. VSlasher can be done from jA/B/D like 2k2 again!
-New super is like Rebel Spark that can actually punish more stuff as the effect of her disappearing is reflected well in animation. It's rollable which is a minus compared to what rebel spark can do. There's no EX version.

-NEOMAX- At the very least it has the same threat as a dragon punch.

I heard someone mention that f+B now connects from lights (e.g. c.A or close s.B). Is this true?

[Kane317]

UPDATE2: (damage included and additional notes added)

Combos:
-s.D, B Grand Sabre (charge b~f+K) (141dmg)
-d.C, Moon Slasher (charge d~u+P) (146dmg)
-s.C, f.B, X-Calibur A (air.qcb A) (202dmg)
-d.B x1~2, s.B, f.B, X-Calibur A (154dmg and 175dmg for two d.Bs) / V-Slasher DM (air qcf~hcb+P) (~290dmg)
-s.C, Slash Sabre DM (qcb~hcf+K) (292dmg)
-s.C, f.B, V-Slasher (338dmg)
-s.C, Ex Earring Bomb (qcb+BD), Slash Sabre (393dmg)
-s.C, f.B, Ex V-Slasher (423dmg)

-Vertical j.D, X-Calibur A / V-Slasher DM

-(anti-air) Moon Slasher, [DC] D Grand Sabre, Slash Sabre DM (332dmg)
-d.B, d.A, Moon Slasher, [DC] Ex Grand Sabre, B Grand Sabre (307dmb) / Slash Sabre (420dmg)
-(Corner) s.D, B Grand Sabre, [DC] Ex Earring Bomb, D Grand Sabre, V-Slasher
-(Corner) s.C, f.B, X-Calibur C, C Moon Slasher , [DC] D Grand Sabre, Moon Slasher (344dmg) / V-Slasher (456dmg)
--> Note, you can charge db~ub+P (Moon Slasher), f+D (buffers into charge b~f+D)

HD:
-d.C, HD, d.C, B Grand Sabre, [HDC] C Moon Slasher, [HDC] D Grand Sabre, Slash Sabre DM, [MC] Leona Blade NM (qcb~hcf+AC)
-s.C, HD, d.C, (A Moon Slasher, [HDC] B Grand Sabre) x5, A Moon Slasher, [HDC] D Grand Sabre, (Ex) V-Slasher
-j.D, s.D, HD, s.D, f.B, X-Calibur C, ( C Moon Slasher, {HDC] B Grand Sabre) x3, Slash Sabre, [MC] Neo Max (qcf~hcb+AC) (901dmg)
---

Notes
-Slash Sabre dashes fullscreen.
-Ex X-Calibur doesn't seem to connect to anything ground or corner.  EDIT: Read, but needs confirming, if you catch your opponent in the air with a Baltic Launcher (charge b~f+P), probably the C version, j.D, Ex X-Calibur connects (cool!)
-j.A, j.B, and j.D are all cancelable
-Mid screen, only the B version Grand Sabre connects from d.C/s.C/D
-Both hits of s.C or s.D cancels; s.C does more damage (78 vs 106)
-(Ex) Baltic Launcher doesn't seem to connect off d.C/s.C/D, even in the corner
-Easier way to buffer Vertical Jump D into V-Slasher: qcf (no button)~up+D --> (buffers DM) qcb+P
-Charging moves: charge db~ub+P works for Moon Slasher
--> ub~f+K works for Grand Sabre but ub~df+K does not work hence you need to return to db if you want to charge a Moon Slasher again
-Only Ex V-Slasher can be Max Canceled, normal version does not (Slash Sabre still can be MC'ed)
-(air) qcf~hcb+ABC does a V-Slasher while activating at the same time, great shortcut to MC into his Neo Max

---

HD Combo
- (mid-screen) cr. Bx2, [HD] cr. C, b~f+B, [HDC] (d~u+C, [HDC] b~f+D]x5, qcb hcf+K

- cr. Bx2, [HD] cr. C, b~f+B, [HDC] d~u+C, [HDC] b~f+D, [HDC] d~u+AC, [HDC] b~f+Dx2, d~u+C, [HDC] b~f+D, d~u+C, [HDC] b~f+D, (SC) qcb hcf+K

[Diavle]

Haven't seen any good footage of her at all yet.

Any opinions on her?

Heh still not very happy that they gave her sprite moe proportions instead of the supermodel ones she had before. That always differentiated her for me as a character. At least her gameplay looks better and more interesting compared to her old self.

[4leaf]

I heard someone mention that f+B now connects from lights (e.g. c.A or close s.B). Is this true?

I vaguely remember doing it a couple of days ago. I'll confirm tomorrow.

[davidkong07]

hey nilcam,
just fyi all your QCB inputs are appearing as  instead of  in leona's moveset

[Kane317]

I heard someone mention that f+B now connects from lights (e.g. c.A or close s.B). Is this true?

Confirmed. Just avoid charging down back coz you'll get her [back]fwd+K instead.

[TheEmoGuyFrom3S]

Is V-Slasher possible after Grand Saber? Thx

[Remxi]

Nice, I heard the same rumor when XII came out and it wasn't true then so I was skeptical this time around lol.

[SkatanMilla]

Has anyone tested how many lights you can do into b+B, j.qcb+A before the x-calibur doesn't combo?
And also does j.qcb+C combo now from b+B?

Does her EX Moon Slasher have full invulnerability, if it does then that would be seriously good.

I'm also cursious to find out what her drivecancel combos look like, I hope she can combo into baltic launcher from moon slasher in the corner :3

[Judge Fudge]

What are the charge times like in this game?  In the technical reference video, she was able to combo from EX Moonslasher into Grand Saber, which tells me that it must be pretty fast.

[MrZaKaGi]

EDIT: Thanks for the write up, I moved it to the top - Kane317

[Judge Fudge]

Wow, thanks for all that!  If she plays like she does in 2002, does this mean that she doesn't have her low run like in 98?

[SkatanMilla]

Man, her air normals being comboable into v slasher like 2k2 again is awesome (and broken which is why we love it).
Her having a better j.D is probably going to help a lot in her mixup game.
EX Moonslasher having that much invul is extremely good, will keep people scared when she has that super meter.

"A version is comboable from <crC/close C/D> fB at any point of the screen. Puts them at a distance with not too much advantage."
Doesn't it knock down anymore?
Either way I hope she can work some nice mixups with her ex version of it.

[MrZaKaGi]

A version does knockdown but she flips back far. So the knockdown time isn't so much + the distance means that the opponent has more room to avoid the mixup. On the other hand, the C version puts her next to the opponent fast giving her more knockdown time which is more feasible in the corner imo.

EX version is a nice one to use in blockstrings/jumpins. It's better not to do it standalone in mid range since it's so slow the opponent can just roll past during startup and punish from the back. Still if this makes contact in any form it's a free mixup for Leona at the very least.

Her run is not low despite the animation being similar to 98 run.

If things go well on my end which means I can play this game more regularly, I'll explore more things and do a more detailed writeup. As for now, the info above is all I can provide. I'll tidy it up abit in a few days time.