The King of Fighters 2002/Kula Diamond

Movelist

Throws

1. Ice Coffin - b/f+C

• Kula grabs the opponent and freezes them in a block of ice before knocking them back
• this is a mash grab - that means, mashing the buttons rapidly will increase the damage, and the opponent mashing on their side will decrease the damage

2. Behind Slash - b/f+D

• Kula grabs the opponent and slashes them, throwing them behind her

Command Normals

1. One Inch - f+A (17,21,22 by itself), (12,21,22 cancelled into)

• Kula performs a slow strike that stays out on screen for a long time
• cancellable if cancelled into, and comes out faster when cancelled into
• hard knockdown and has a counterwire property if not cancelled into, otherwise opponent stays grounded
• cancellable to DMs, cancellable to special moves if cancelled into

2. Slider Shoot - df+B

• Kula slides forward low to the ground, going a little less than half screen distance
• hits low
• has fairly good recovery as long as she doesn't hit deep with it
• useful for going under some fireballs that hover above ground, such as Athena and Robert's

3. Critical Ice - df+C

• hits low an icicle extends from Kula's hand, reaching about 3/4 screen in length
• hits low
• hard knockdown on the last hit
• counterwire if only the last hit connects on counterhit

Special Moves

1. Diamond Breath - qcf+P

• Kula blows ice in front of her, which acts as a projectile
• qcf+A comes out fast and knocks down, putting the opponent into a jugglable state
• qcf+C comes out much slower than qcf+A and doesn't knock down, but stuns the opponent long enough
• free cancellable into

2. Crow Bites - dp+P

• Kula performs a rising uppercut that comes out quick
• dp+A comes out slower than dp+C and does not travel far vertically, but has some startup invinciblity. It's not possible to juggle if cancelling out of the dp+A. dp+A knocks down on hit
• dp+C comes out extremely fast but will make her fly all the way across the screen, having major recovery time
• the first hit of dp+C doesn't knockdown but the second hit does. Second hit can whiff even if the first hit connected
• dp+A and dp+C on the first hit are supercancellable on the first hit to ground DMs, dp+C is supercancellable on the second hit to air SDM
• dp+C is punishable on hit if it connects against a standing opponent, if they recovery roll the knockdown
• free cancellable into
• free cancellable out of on the first hit

3. Counter Shell - qcb+P

• Kula does a quick icy swipe with her hand, which reflects normal and DM projectiles, creating a projectile of her own
• the projectile she fires back can be juggled after and also absorbs other projectiles without dissipating
• works as a decent anti-air as long as the opponent isn't directly above her
• has very good recovery time if blocked and pushes her back on block
• hard knockdown and counterwire
• free cancellable into
• it is possible to free cancel out of this move sometimes but it isn't clear when it can work. Either way, it's useless

4. Ray Spin - qcb+K

• Kula does a twirling kick in the air that has very good recovery on block
• qcb+B does one hit, doesn't knockdown and travels vertically and horizontally shorter than qcb+D
• qcb+D will do two hits on block, where the first knocks the opponent into the air but the second doesn't
• free cancellable into
• can be followed up with her f+B or f+D, listed below

4a. Stand - f+B (after qcb+K)

• kicks forward, sending out an ice projectile that absorbs other projectiles
• not punishable on block but can be rolled right before it comes out and punished badly
• supercancellable on the first hit
• free cancellable out of on the first hit into any special move but qcb+K

4b. Sit - f+D (after qcb+K)

• looks the same as her df+B, except is more punishable if blocked
• knocks the opponent into the air, where they can be further juggled
• hits low
• supercancellable
• free cancellable out of into any special move but qcb+K

DMs

1. Diamond Edge - qcfx2+P

• sends three icicles forward, coming up from the ground
• fairly good anti-air only against opponents jumping from very far away, it will whiff against jumps that are close to Kula. It can also be rolled easily on block and punished
• not useful outside of combos as she has more reliable anti-airs

SDMs

1. Freeze Execution - hcbx2+AC

• Kula sends out Diana, who flies horizontally across the screen. If she hits, the opponent is launched into the air
• regardless of whether she hits or whiffs, Kula does full screen attack that cannot be evaded, doing multiple hits
• Kula is invincible during the move and can only be hit at the very end of it, though the recovery is very small
• does great damage if it hits, can be comboed fairly easily as well
• this move does more damage if Kula is in the corner and she is facing away from the corner when the move connects

2. La * Cachora - qcfx2+BD(air)

• slowly drops on top of the opponent, doing pitiful damage if it connects
• removes one stock from the opponent if it connects
• a useless DM, hard to connect with, cannot be comboed into and doesn't do much even if it does happen to hit

HSDMs

1. Freeze Completion - AC BD ABC

• does an attack similar to her f+A, although comes out a bit slower
• if it connects, she will hurt the opponent for about 55% damage
• overhead
• can be easily rolled behind on reaction, and punished

Notes

• cancellable normals are close A, far A, crouch A, close B, far B, crouch B, close C, far C, close D(2), crouch D
• CD is cancellable into specials and DMs

The risks of Kula's dp+C

Aside from the severe punishment you would receive if her dp+C whiffs or is blocked, if Kula hits a grounded character with a dp+C, the opponent can punish Kula afterwards with certain moves by recovery rolling and doing a reversal. The characters and their moves that can punish her are:

Clark: hcf+K, hcbx2+P

Ralf: hcf+K

Vice: hcb f+P, hcbx2+K

Daimon: hcbx2+P, hcb f+P

Yamazaki: hcbx2+P

Athena: dp+P

Orochi Yashiro: hcb f+P, hcbx2+P

Maxima: hcf+K, hcbx2+K

Shermie: hcf+P, hcbx2+P

Ramon: hcf+P, hcbx2+P

Iori: close C(if by the corner), dp+C

Kim: close C(if by the corner)

Kyo: close C(if by the corner), dp+A, dp+C(only one hit, bad idea), df+D

Kula: dp+C

K': crouch A, dp+A(second hit only)

Chang: hcb f+P, close B, crouch A

Whip: forward+B(if you just do B from that spot midscreen, you will get far B)

Ryo: crouch C(close enough that cancelling to qcf hcb+P will combo)

This means that not only do you have to avoid using combos that end in dp+C while opponent is grounded, but you can't reversal with it unless you're going to supercancel into qcfx2+P. Keep in mind that these counters mentioned above only work when the opponent was hit while grounded - if you do a juggle combo into dp+C, or use it for anti-air, then she is safe.

In addition, there are many characters in which, if dp+C hits them while they are crouching, the first hit will connect (not knocking them down) and the second hit will whiff. The crouching characters in which both hits connect are:

Maxima, Whip, Robert, Takuma, Daimon, Yamazaki, Billy, Chang, Seth, Ramon

This means that not only do you have to make sure that the opponent isn't crouching when you are going to do the combo, but also if the opponent is going to use a low attack on your wakeup when you decide to reversal. Luckily, Kula has a useful reversal move, qcb+B, that's invincible to low attacks on startup.