*All close normals are cancellable. A small upside for being the character with the worst close normal activation ranges in the entire game.
*All close normals are cancellable. A small upside for being the character with the worst close normal activation ranges in the entire game.
*Ramon has the fastest cl.A in the game (2f). It whiffs on all [[The_King_of_Fighters_2002_UM/Miscellaneous#Crouching_Height|low crouchers]] except Chris, but is a good button for mashing out of pressure. You'll often get st.A by mistake but it's not a bad option either.
cl.A is the fastest of its kind in the game (2f). It whiffs on all [[The_King_of_Fighters_2002_UM/Miscellaneous#Crouching_Height|low crouchers]] except Chris, but is a good button for mashing out of pressure. You'll often get st.A by mistake but it's not a bad option either.
*cl.B is very fast, hits low and chains into cr.A but it's fairly tight and has to be done point-blank to get cl.B and not st.B. Cancelling this into Tiger Neck Chancery is a safe low mixup option but be wary of the opponent's wakeup throw.
*cl.B is very fast, hits low and chains into cr.A but it's fairly tight and has to be done point-blank to get cl.B and not st.B. Cancelling this into Tiger Neck Chancery is a safe low mixup option but be wary of the opponent's wakeup throw.
*cl.C lacks range, is on the slower side and is fairly unsafe on its own. It can lead into a string to start Feint Step pressure, but if it whiffs you'll be stuck for a while.
*cl.C lacks range, is on the slower side and is fairly unsafe on its own. It can lead into a string to start Feint Step pressure, but if it whiffs you'll be stuck for a while.
(deep jump-in or cross-up), cl.C, df+B, BC run, cl.D, df+B, qcb,hcf+AC = Up to 62%
Gameplay Overview
Ramon is a technical character who uses his feints and movement options to bait the opponent into making a mistake, then forces onto them an extensive pressure game laden with mixups. The crux of his game lies in the Feint Step, a backwards run which also doubles as a free Roman Cancel to all of his cancellable normals. This not only enables him to dart in and out of the opponent's range, but also to give himself plenty of frame advantage to rush in, either choosing from a broad range of highs, lows, crossups and command throws or simply extending his pressure until his opponent cracks. His main weakness is his poor defense, with laggy normals and no dependable reversals forcing him to buckle down and defend well when zipped in. Using KOF's system mechanics and Ramon's own movement options, including Feint Step and a triangle jump, is key to staying out of this spot, and in range to play his unique brand of footsies.
Ramon works best on point, as his constant use of feints and ability to pressure is naturally adept at building meter and he can offer high meterless damage and momentum through his microrun combo and strong mixup game. Although he can secure super cancels easily through some of his mixup options, Ramon does worse when the opponent has meter to guard cancel with, forcing him to take big risks in response lest he be on the receiving end of pressure.
Normals
Close
All close normals are cancellable. A small upside for being the character with the worst close normal activation ranges in the entire game.
cl.A is the fastest of its kind in the game (2f). It whiffs on all low crouchers except Chris, but is a good button for mashing out of pressure. You'll often get st.A by mistake but it's not a bad option either.
cl.B is very fast, hits low and chains into cr.A but it's fairly tight and has to be done point-blank to get cl.B and not st.B. Cancelling this into Tiger Neck Chancery is a safe low mixup option but be wary of the opponent's wakeup throw.
cl.C lacks range, is on the slower side and is fairly unsafe on its own. It can lead into a string to start Feint Step pressure, but if it whiffs you'll be stuck for a while.
cl.D's better range doesn't salvage its poor speed. Best used as a meaty, as it is more active than cl.C.
Standing
st.A is fast but lacks range and whiffs on low crouchers. Has good priority for checking hops and fast enough to mash out of pressure with. Special cancellable.
st.B's great speed makes up for its fairly short range. Decent poke and safe to use in pressure.
st.C has better range than st.B and is also quite fast, making it another good poke. Safe to tack on at the end of pressure as it reaches quite high and has barely any risk.
st.D as an anti-air is too slow to be used on reaction, but its upward angle, great priority and forward movement make it a safe way to call out jumps during pressure.
Crouching
All crouching normals are cancellable.
cr.A's range is on the shorter end but its speed keeps it relevant for both poking and mashing out of pressure. It chains into any light normal.
cr.B's good speed would seem wasted as it doesn't chain into anything unless done meaty but it's an excellent meaty. Hits low.
cr.C is slow but has deceptively good range to support his otherwise very short-range conversions. Staple tool in Feint Step pressure, where its slow startup is balanced out by the advantage you can make for yourself beforehand.
cr.D's decent speed, great range, forward movement, advantage when cancelled into Feint Step and low profile all make it a great sweep and trip. A tad slower than cr.C, meaning it must be spaced properly. Cannot use it for mashing out by any means.
Jumping
All jumping normals are able to hit every croucher.
j.A is his fastest air normal.
j.B stays out for longer but has worse priority to the ground and is a poor cross-up.
j.C is Ramon's go-to crossup tool.
j.D has a steep downward angle, making it an ideal jump-in. It will crossup ambigously on crouching opponents.
Blowback
st.CD's high profile, hard knockdown and Counter Wire are all nice perks. It whiffs on low crouchers.
j.CD's great speed and range make it a very threatening air to air but it whiffs on tiny crouchers.
Throws
Arm Whip - (f/b + C)
Hard knockdown.
Flying Mare - (f/b + D)
Hard, back-turned knockdown.
Command Moves
Low Altitude Drop Kick - (df + B)
A low-hitting dropkick which travels forward a bit. Has slow startup on its own but is essential for Ramon's combos and pressure.
Super cancellable when done raw. Combos from Ramon's heavy attacks into specials and supers.
Unusually small and early cancel window, but gives plenty of blockstun.
Only slightly negative on block, so it can be spaced to be safe.
Special Moves
Tiger Neck Chancery - (hcf + A/C)
A command throw with good range. Ramon leans in and grabs the opponent, tossing them behind him. This gives him optimal advantage and spacing for a hyper hop.
Hard, back-turned knockdown.
Comes out on frame 5. The startup is strike invincible, but weirdly not throw invincible.
This and Tiger Spin are the only specials which Ramon can combo into from light attacks, but it will not reach if the opponent is pushed too far out. Ramon does not have much use for light confirms but this is something to keep in mind.
Useful to sneak into feint step pressure when close to the opponent.
Rolling Sobat - (dp + B/D)
Ramon leaps for a sobat which knocks the opponent away. The light version stays in place and is faster, while the heavy version will move him forward a bit.
Hard knockdown.
Both versions hit overhead.
Will combo from close heavies but too short to combo from df + B most of the time.
Unsafe on block but the pushback is decent.
Counter Wire.
┗Flying Body Attack - during Rolling Sobat, (dp + B/D)
Ramon follows up with a body slam, tracking the opponent's position.
Hard knockdown.
Results in less frame advantage than the original move, but still plenty of time to prepare a mixup.
May whiff if Rolling Sobat connected too far and/or was cancelled at the wrong time, but this is rare.
┗Pull Up - during Flying Body Attack or Force of Will, (d,d + A/C)
Ramon pulls the opponent off the ground and clocks them with his fist. This is punishable on hit, so don't go for this unless you have two stocks ready to burn or if it will end the round anyway.
Resets the combo counter.
Super cancellable.
Feint Step - (qcb + A/C)
The A version will launch a dropkick once the button is released. The C version will release nothing at all.
When the button is held, Ramon will pace back and forth three times before committing to the action dictated by the button you pressed. This effectively gives Ramon a backwards run which is quite good in footsies, but he is left in counter hit state throughout.
Very small amount of full strike invincibility on startup. Don't use it as a reversal, but rather to assist in moving away from the opponent if you are already a step away from their range.
The startup of this move builds a tiny bit of meter, meaning you can spam the feint for meter gain if you have the distance.
The dropkick is a combo tool which causes a hard knockdown, reaches far, high profiles and can also Counter Wire, but its priority isn't the best and it's extremely unsafe.
The feint is extremely important in pressure, as it shortens the recovery of key normals (df + B in particular) to give him plenty of frame advantage. This effectively locks the opponent in place while he runs or jumps in for a mixup or to continue pressure, leaving them without much room to contest him.
Ramon is left at +8 on block after cancelling from a heavy attack, and at +14 on block after cancelling from df + B.
Somersault - (hcf + B/D)
A running throw. Ramon will run for a screen's length or until he reaches the opponent's collision box, then kick off from them if it hits.
Features some lower body invincibility like most running grabs.
Hard knockdown, but the backflip leaves Ramon a considerable distance away from the opponent, meaning you don't get any oki from it.
Can actually be combo'd into, but is suboptimal as a combo tool due to the lack of oki and is not very consistent.
Useful to tack on at the end of feint step pressure, as it will catch rolls as well as sitting ducks. However, as Ramon is in counter state throughout the run this is a big risk.
Stop - during Somersault Dashing, (ABC)
Ramon stops and takes a split second to recover. If you suspect the opponent will try to jump or poke out of a Somersault you throw into your pressure then you can stop the run rather than fully commit to anything.
Tiger Road - (rdp + B/D)
Ramon runs to the wall behind him and then leaps to it if he manages to touch it. This can be intercepted by the opponent moving forward, which will cause the move to fail. As such, it is most effectively used when Ramon is cornered, although this is predictable.
If he touches the wall without any extra input he will dive to the ground head-first, not moving very far. This and simply cancelling the move with ABC can potentially be used to bait anti-air reactions from midscreen to the followups, which track the opponent's position at the point in time when Ramon leaps from the wall.
Hard knockdown.
Hits overhead.
Unsafe on block.
┗Feint Dash - during Tiger Road, Tiger Road 2 or Savage Fire Cat, (ABC)
Ramon immediately stops in his tracks. Ramon will automatically perform this move if he doesn't touch the wall after running for a screen's distance. Ramon loudly yells the move's name immediately as he begins to run and you have enough time to cancel the move even when cornered, so if you have conditioned your opponent to be wary of this move then this is potentially one way to bait a reaction.
His butt has a tiny hitbox which connects as an overhead.
Super cancellable.
┗Cross Chop - During Tiger Road, when touching the wall, (D)
Ramon flies from the wall with a dual elbow drop toward the opponent. This is a strike which has much better speed reach than the other Tiger Road variant, but much less reward. Regardless, it can not only be used to catch opponents attempting to avoid Force of Will but as a daring neutral skip which will even beat a few air-to-airs.
Soft knockdown.
Hits overhead.
Unsafe on block.
Tiger Road 2 - (qcb + B/D)
Same as Tiger Road 1, but instead of Cross Chop you can do Force of Will.
┗Feint Dash - during Tiger Road, Tiger Road 2 or Savage Fire Cat, (ABC)
┗Force of Will - during Tiger Road 2, when touching the wall, (qcf + A)
Ramon flies at the opponent from the wall with a body slam. This move will not fly as far as Cross Chop, thus making it easier for an opponent to avoid it with e.g. a backdash or a super jump. However, this move not only leads into Pull Up, making it much more rewarding damage-wise, but is unblockable.
This move may seem like a grab, but it is actually an unblockable hitgrab. This means it can catch airborne opponents, but conversely it can not only be rolled out of but will also activate guard points and high counters. Because both Cross Chop and Force of Will can both be rolled through, they shouldn't be used as a strike/throw mixup but rather as two different air-to-airs.
Hard, back-turned knockdown.
The higher in the air the opponent is, the more damage it deals.
┗Pull Up - during Flying Body Attack or Force of Will, (d,d + A/C)
Bird of Paradise - (d, d + A • C)
Ramon performs a backflip. The input must be piano'd.
Hits OTG. Ramon doesn't get many opportunities to land this but he can cancel cr.D to land it if the opponent doesn't tech.
Not an overhead despite appearances.
Unsafe on block.
Desperation Moves
Tiger Spin - (hcb x 2 + A/C)
Instant command grab with great range for mixups and punishes. Slightly more range than Tiger Neck Chancery, but leaves them in front of Ramon rather than behind him.
Hard knockdown and decent placement, but only a small amount of time to prepare a mixup.
Ideal for super cancels, as it deals more damage than the ranbu and has better oki.
El Diablo Amarillo Ramon - (qcb hcf + B/D)
Ranbu super with some invincibity on startup.
D version runs a screen's length, while B version only reaches a bit over half of that.
Hard knockdown, but Ramon recovers at the same time the opponent recovers, and at suboptimal range for playing his game. Your next move after landing this super will almost always be to escape.
Deals less damage than Tiger Spin, overall making it much less useful for combos in general. However, this will reach at the end of a microrun sequence and Tiger Spin won't, unless you are willing to spend meter on a roll cancel.
When super cancelled into from Pull Up this actually has a chance of coming out too late to combo. Always go with Tiger Spin if you can.
Savage Fire Cat - (qcf hcb + B/D)
An unblockable version of Cross Chop which is a tad slower. Like Force of Will, this move is another unblockable hitgrab, meaning that it can be dealt with in the exact same way, but it has slightly better range.
The move's tells include the super trails Ramon gains after leaping from the wall and the bar of meter he immediately loses upon activation. The super flash only occurs if Ramon successfully hits the opponent.
Soft knockdown but Ramon recovers way quicker here than from his other supers.
Annoyingly, you may get this instead of El Diablo Amarillo Ramon if the opponent crosses you up, resulting in Ramon running towards them while in counter hit state. Cancelling the move here is essential if this happens, but if you are strapped in then it's often best to defend well rather than to fish for supers.
┗Feint Dash - during Tiger Road, Tiger Road 2 or Savage Fire Cat, (ABC)
Super Desperation Move
Tiger Spin - (hcb x 2 + AC)
Enhanced version of regular Tiger Spin with a longer, slightly different animation, but otherwise the same range, same properties and same applications.
This super will actually back Ramon a bit further into his corner, as he backdrops the opponent twice before going for the Tiger Spin proper.
Hidden Super Desperation Move
Hypnotic Tiger - (qcb hcf + AC)
Another ranbu with even greater invincibility and damage than El Diablo Amarillo Ramon. Travels a bit farther than the B version of that move.
Hard knockdown.
The final hit is randomised between three possible enders, each dealing various amounts of damage. In order: dropkick < head dive < body splash.
Combos
When doing cl.C, df+B, qcb+C, micro-run, cr.C, df+B the second df+B tends to whiff on crouching Bao if you haven't reached the corner by then.
Note that you can always micro-walk instead of micro-run. Do whichever is easiest for you.
0 Stock
Anywhere
cr.Ax1~3, far B
Decent string to mash out of a wide enough frametrap. You can add a 4th cr.A but it's very tight.
cl.B, cr.A/st.A, hcf+P
Your only form of low conversion, far from ideal but works and grants good oki. st.A will hit crouching (Bao, Choi) but will miss on crouching(Chin, K’, Joe, Benimaru, Iori, Mature, Vice, Leona, Athena, Kensou, Mai, Yuri, Chris, Kula, Foxy, Jhun, Angel).
★ cr.Ax1~2, cr.A / st.A, hcf+P
Not a low but a more reliable version of the previous route. cr.A is fast so getting a proper conversion off it after mashing out of a gap is great. st.A will hit crouching (Bao, Choi) but will miss on crouching(Chin, K’, Joe, Benimaru, Iori, Mature, Vice, Leona, Athena, Kensou, Mai, Yuri, Chris, Kula, Foxy, Jhun, Angel).
★ cl.C, df+B, hcf+P / hcf+K / qcb+A
Meterless bnb. Best as a punish or after a deep jump-in. Make sure to lightly press A to avoid delaying qcb+A. Pick hcf+P for better damage, oki and sideswitch; hcf+K to keep your opponent in the corner at the cost of worse oki; qcb+A for a hcf+K with less damage but better oki. Cancel df+B into qcb+C on block to be plus and keep up pressure.
★ cr.C, df+B, qcb+A
Bnb conversion with far better range, almost all the way to the tip of cr.C. You can end with hcf+P if you land cr.C close enough but that goes against the point of using cr.C. Cancel df+B into qcb+C on block to be plus and keep up pressure.
cl.C, (delay) df+B
Whether you delay it or not, this is extremely safe because of df+B's extra blockstun. It just looks punishable which is the point, delaying df+B makes it a low that they need to crouch for and if they do, an uneducated guess would be to use a reversal punish. One you'll be able to block and punish yourself. This also opens up the opponent for the next route.
cl.C, dp+B > dp+K > d,d+P
Less damage and oki than the bnb, and dp+B being punishable on block would be enough to invalidate this route if not for dp+B being an overhead to mix with the previous delayed df+B low. All in all, these two routes are mostly just knowledge checkpoints and are inferior to doing a bnb then canceling df+B into qcb+C on block to be plus and keep your turn going.
cl.C, df+B, qcb+C, micro-run, cr.C, df+B, qcb+A
The micro-run is a 2f window and you have to let go the punches as soon as possible on qcb+C/A. This will require hours of practice but will make a big difference in your string pressure since even if you miss the window as long as you're properly in range cr.C becomes a frametrap. Cancel the 2nd df+B into qcb+C on block to be plus and keep up pressure
Corner
★ cl.C, df+B, dp+D > dp+K > d,d+P
Damaging combo but dp+D will miss on Robert and these inconsistent characters minus the st.Kyo_Jhun-tier. Omit d,d+P if you'd rather keep some oki.
1 Stock
Anywhere
cl.B / cr.A, cr.A, hcbx2+P
You can do shortcut it as cl.B/cr.A, hcb, cr.A, hcb+P. You can replace the 2nd cr.A by st.A but then you'll have to press it outside of cl.B/cr.A's cancel window to avoid qcb+A, it's harder. st.A's extra range isn't worth it. 29%.
★ cl.C, df+B, hcbx2+P
Best as a punish or after a deep jump-in. hcbx2+P does better damage and oki, use qcb,hcf+K only if you just can't do hcbx2+P. Do qcb+C instead of super to be safe on block. 34%.
★ cr.C, df+B, qcb,hcf+K
Less damaging but longer conversion. qcb,hcf+K leaves you without frame advantage. 33%.
Much better mix of difficulty for damage but still underwhelming. 54%.
Corner
★ cl.C, df+B, dp+D > dp+K > d,d+P, (SC) hcbx2+P
Much more reliable corner variant of the 2 bar conversion with easy and great damage. dp+D will miss on Robert and these inconsistent characters minus the st.Kyo_Jhun-tier. 53%.
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