Robert is an offensive character with long reach. He's at his deadliest when he locks the opponent in the corner, where he gets to run strong pressure and mixups on the opponent. His long reach helps him control neutral and score hits that will push the opponent towards the corner. Once he has them there, he can mix them up with lows, a great overhead, and a proximity unblockable. He can also pressure the opponent with his safer special moves. His weakness is his lack of long-range tools, but other than that he is very well-rounded.
{{StrengthsAndWeaknesses
| description =Robert is an offensive character with long reach. He's at his deadliest when he locks the opponent in the corner, where he gets to run strong pressure and mixups on the opponent. His long reach helps him control neutral and score hits that will push the opponent towards the corner. Once he has them there, he can mix them up with lows, a great overhead, and a proximity unblockable. He can also pressure the opponent with his safer special moves. His weakness is his lack of long-range tools, but other than that he is very well-rounded.}}
Robert is an offensive character with long reach. He's at his deadliest when he locks the opponent in the corner, where he gets to run strong pressure and mixups on the opponent. His long reach helps him control neutral and score hits that will push the opponent towards the corner. Once he has them there, he can mix them up with lows, a great overhead, and a proximity unblockable. He can also pressure the opponent with his safer special moves. His weakness is his lack of long-range tools, but other than that he is very well-rounded.
Changes from Previous Versions
98 to 98UM
Normals:
st.C now has 6 fewer active frames, and the recovery is now 6f longer
j.A's hitbox has been moved upwards, reducing its downwards priority
j.D's priority has been reduced
f+A now has 2 more active frames
Specials:
j.qcb+K no longer bounces back when blocked
dp+K can now be cancelled into j.qcb+K on hit or block
hcf+K now starts up 1 frame slower, and it has fewer invincibility frames
dp+C now launches on the first hit, making it a stable 2-hit combo tool
Supers:
f,hcf+P has had its startup reduced by 4 frames, and now has 1 frame less recovery; A version now combos from heavy normals
qcf,hcb+AC now has less startup, so you can combo it from f+B
qcfx2+K can now be done in the air; the grounded version comes out faster and can be combo-ed from lights
98UM to 98UMFE
Normals:
st.CD now has longer reach
f+A's hitbox has been lengthened
Specials:
j.qcb+K's recovery after landing has been reduced by 4 frames for the B version and by 3 frames for the D version
Supers:
f,hcf+P's C and MAX versions now have faster startup
Normal Moves
Close
cl.A: Same as st.A.
cl.B: A standing low move. It's good for some mixups when combined with his f+A and proximity unblockable. Cancelable.
cl.C: A fairly standard cl.C. Comes out fast, so it's good for combos and meaties. Cancelable.
cl.D: Has two hits: one that goes upwards and then one downwards. Safe on block, so it can be used to push people out, but useless as a combo tool.
Standing
st.A: Good for stopping hops. Whiffs on low crouchers. Chainable.
st.B: A decent poke, but not useful for much else.
st.C: A fast poke with good range. Excellent for stopping hops. Whiffs on low crouchers.
st.D: A fairly slow far-ranged poke with nice priority. Whiffs on tiny crouchers.
Crouching
cr.A: Has short range for a cr.A. Outclassed by cr.B in nearly all aspects, with the exception that cr.A will cancel into command normals. Chainable and cancelable.
cr.B: Your main low poke and combo tool. Chainable and cancelable.
cr.C: Has two hits, the first hits in front of him and the second above him. The first part can be a good ground poke, and the second is an anti-air. Cancelable.
cr.D: Average speed for a sweep, with good range. Cancelable on hit, block, and whiff.
Jumping
j.A: Fast normal with good reach, nice priority, and a lot of active frames. Can work both for air-to-airs and as a jump-in.
j.B: Robert's only crossup, so good to use for that. Can also work as a regular jump-in, but j.D is a better tool for that. Cancelable.
j.C: Similar to j.A, but trades some priority for the added hitstun of a jumping heavy.
j.D: Robert's main jump-in normal, as it has a nice hitbox around his foot. Cancelable.
CD Normal
st.CD: Long-ranged poke. Good to use as a whiff-cancelling tool. Cancelable on hit, block, and whiff.
j.CD: Excellent air-to-air with a lot of horizontal reach. Hard to hit on grounded opponents, as it will completely whiff on low crouchers.
Throws
Ryuuchou Kyaku:b/f+C (close)
Regular throw, techable. Robert flips backwards, sending the opponent flying back 80% of the screen away and causing a soft knockdown.
Kubikiri Nage:b/f+D (close)
Regular throw, techable. Robert grabs the opponent and slams them behind him, sending them almost fullscreen away. Causes a backturned hard knockdown.
Command Moves
Kouryuu Koukyaku Geri:f+A
An overhead move, but loses that property when canceled into from a normal move.
Useful for combos and pressure in the corner.
Good to late-cancel into as a mixup, as this allows it to maintain its overhead property.
Also good as a midscreen poke.
Ryuu Hanshuu:f+B
Good to use in combos and the occasional blockstring.
Very punishable on block if not canceled.
Special Moves
Ryuu-Geki Ken:qcf+A/C
A static projectile in front of Robert that stays out for a long time.
C version stays out for longer than the A version.
A version can be used to end blockstrings with relative safety.
Good to use to catch forward movement, especially forward rolls, because of how active it is.
Not really useful for zoning, as it is slow to come out, has short range, and is easily beaten and punished if the opponent doesn't get hit by it.
Ryuuga:dp+A/C
Robert's DP move. A version only has 1 frame of invincibility, while C version has invincibility during all of the startup and first active frame.
A version comes out fast and travels pretty high upwards, so it functions as a good anti air.
C version does two hits and functions as your reversal. It can act as an anti-air as well, since it travels even higher than the A version.
C version is a nice combo tool from lights.
Ryuu Zanshou:dp+B/D
A backflip kick that does 4 hits. B version comes out faster and recovers faster than D version, but has less reach.
Both versions have a bit of startup invincibility.
Can be used as anti-air due to its good reach, though it does not have good priority, so it can be prone to trading.
Can be tricky to punish on block because of the distance Robert creates between him and the opponent with the backflip.
On contact, you can cancel the move into his j.qcb+K when he's falling after the kicks.
Kyokugen-ryuu Renbu Kyaku:hcf+B/D (close)
A proximity unblockable throw; on hit, you can juggle them with special move of your choice, or a hyperhop j.D for an air reset.
Can be combo-ed into or used as a mixup tool.
Has a bit of startup invincibility, but it disappears well before the active frames start.
Fairly slow startup, so the opponent needs to be committed to blocking for this to land and not get beaten out.
Hien Ryuujin Kyaku:qcb+B/D (in air)
An aerial divekick. B version comes out at a steeper angle, while D version comes out at a shallower one.
Good tool for changing up your jumping arc and momentum to throw people's anti-air attempts off.
Good combo and pressure tool in the corner when cancelled out of f+A, as Robert is + on block after it in this situation.
Generally safe on block unless it hits very high up on a standing opponent.
Hien Senpuu Kyaku:hcb+B/D
A series of flying kicks. B version travels a shorter distance than the D version.
B version is safe on block at -2, with enough pushback to avoid 1f grabs, making it an excellent pressure tool.
Though it is safe on block, it is also very susceptible to guard cancel rolls.
D version travels further but is a bit worse on block, so it's not as useful.
Desperation Moves
Haoh Shokou Ken:f,hcf+A/C
A giant fireball. A version travels more slowly than C version.
Can be used as an anti-air or anti-fireball move.
C version can be used in combos.
MAX version does more hits and damage.
Ryuko Ranbu:qcf,hcb+A/C
A classic ranbu DM.
Best used in combos, as it does good damage.
Has no invincibility, which limits its usefulness in neutral and as an anti-air since it's prone to trading.
On block, some of the hits will whiff on short crouchers, making it deal less blockstun.
Muei Senpuu Juudan Kyaku:qcfx2+B/D (can be performed in the air)
Another combo DM that does a series of kicks, ending in a backflip kick.
Mostly useful as a combo ender from lights, as qcf,hcb+P is too slow to combo from them.
This DM can also be done in the air, and can be useful as a surprise attack occasionally.
Combos
General Notes
In any metered combo, you can replace qcf,hcb+A with qcf,hcb+AC or qcfx2+K with qcfx2+BD for more damage if you have the resources.
Meterless
Low
cr.Bx2~3, dp+C
cr.B, hcf+B, (cl.C (whiff), f+B), dp+C
f+B can be added for more damage; it is recommended that after hcf+B, you whiff a cl.C and immediately cancel that into f+B, this helps you with timing to get both hits of dp+C to land afterwards and also lets you do this combo reliably at the corner.
Mid/Jump-In
(j.X), cl.C, qcf+A
Less damage than dp+C, but doesn't need to be hit-confirmed; safe on block.
(j.X), cl.C, dp+C
A meterless combo from a heavy starter.
cl.C, f+B, dp+C
Grounded combo, cannot be done from a jump-in as f+B will make dp+C whiff.
hcf+B, (cl.C (whiff), f+B), dp+C
Combo from raw hcf+K.
Corner
(j.X), cl.C, f+A, qcb+B
With Meter
Low
cr.B, cr.B/cl.B, qcfx2+K
You can do this as cr.B, qcf+B, qcf+K for an easier cancel.
Mid/Jump-In
(j.X), cl.C, f+B, qcf,hcb+A
A metered combo from a heavy hit or jump-in.
With Quick MAX
Low
cr.B, hcf+B(1), ABC, f+B, f,hcf+C
Try to activate Quick MAX on the second hit of the proximity unblockable.
Mid/Jump-In
(j.X), cl.C, f+A, ABC, cr.D
f+A, ABC, cr.D
Overhead combo, can be done from delayed f+A after a cl.C which retains its overhead property, can catch your opponent if they block low.
Corner
(j.X), cl.C, f+B, hcb+B, ABC, dp+C
(j.X), cr.B, ABC, cl.C, f+A, qcfx2+K
Strategy & Tips
Neutral
Robert's neutral is mainly composed of pokes, like most characters in the game. One poke often underutilized is qcf+A. Not only is it an incredibly fast poking special, but also functions as an anti-air, fireball remover, and a roll check. While it does not allow you to advance like f+A, it still is an active hitbox that you can use to keep the opponent away. Combine it with your normals and you can run a great neutral game.
Offense
Robert has great offense in the corner and has good tools to get people to the corner. However, midscreen, Robert can air reset off of hcf+K into st.A for an ambiguous left-right mixup. This allows him to potentially run up after the reset and get any confirm he wants, including another confirm into hcf+K. While this is Robert's most difficult route for damage, it's very good at grinding away health and hard to react to.
Defense
Robert's defense is pretty good with 2 DPs, one of which, his dp+P, having invincibility. No real tips other than the previously-mentioned qcf+A being a good lingering hitbox and st.D.
