The King of Fighters '98 UMFE/EX Andy

Introduction

EX Andy is a well-rounded character who leans towards safe pressure and a bit of zoning. He has a fast fireball that can be used for full screen zoning and as a blockstring ender up close. He has some nice normals for poking at midrange, and some good jumping normals that cover both the air and ground. For mixups he has lows, a safe-on-block overhead, and a slow running command grab that can be used to call out rolls and dodges. His kit is rounded out by an invincible DP and a rekka for hit-confirming. His weaknesses include fairly low damage and a lot of moves that will whiff on low crouchers.

Changes from Previous Versions

98 to 98UM

Normals:

• cl.D has 5 frames less recovery

• st.D has 1 less frame startup and 3 frames less recovery

• cr.D has 1 less frame startup

• f+B has 6 frames less recovery

• df+A's first hit can now be special- or super-cancelled.

Specials:

• Added qcb+K, a rekka that can hit up to 4 times

• Added hcf+P, a moving command grab

Supers:

• Added qcb,hcf+K, a super version of hcf+K

98UM to 98UMFE

Normals:

• clC's hitbox changed so that it doesn't whiff against short characters

Specials:

• db,f+C has slower startup but less recovery

• qcb+P's recovery decreased by 5 frames

Normal Moves

Close

• cl.A: Hits very high up, so it whiffs on low crouchers. Chainable and cancelable.

• cl.B: Hits a bit lower than cl.A, so it will hit low crouchers. Cancelable.

• cl.C: One of Andy's fastest attacks at 3f, and one of his best combo tools. Hits twice, the second hit will whiff on low crouchers but hit on tiny crouchers. Cancelable.

• cl.D: Hits high up, so can be useful as a close-range anti air.

Standing

• st.A: Far-ranged st.A that hits very high up. Good for stopping hops. Whiffs on regular and smaller crouchers.

• st.B: Good neutral poke, excellent hop anti-air. Whiffs on regular and smaller crouchers.

• st.C: Long-range poke with a lot of recovery. Important tool for Andy's game as it is his furthest-reaching poke that will hit crouchers.

• st.D: Very slow kick that hits high up. Hits twice, once above Andy and once in front of him. Because it has slow startup and recovery, this move is best avoided.

Crouching

• cr.A: A standard crouching jab. Good to use in blockstrings since it's +0 on block. Chainable and cancelable.

• cr.B: Your main low combo option. Comes out fast and is cancelable, so it's a great normal. Chainable and cancelable.

• cr.C: A decent poke with a bit shorter range. Good to use in combos on low characters where the full cl.C might whiff. Cancelable on hit, block, and whiff.

• cr.D: Long-range sweep with average startup. Good as a long range low poke. Fairly safe when spaced out to hit at the tip, but punishable when closer up.

Jumping

• j.A: Fast startup and a good downwards hitbox. Can crossup standing characters and the tall crouchers.

• j.B: A kick that hits high up. Good air to air since it has long range and a lot of active frames. Whiffs on regular and smaller crouchers.

• nj.B: Similar to j.B, but the hitbox extends further down so it will hit every croucher except the tiny ones.

• j.C: Excellent priority straight in front of him. Good for air-to-airs, and also works as a jump-in normal.

• j.D: Andy's main jump-in normal. Long range and has good priority in front and a little bit below him, so it works both as an air-to-air and jump-in.

• nj.D: Almost exactly the same as j.D, but it has slightly less forwards priority and Andy does a different pose.

CD Normals

• st.CD: Slow startup and recovery. Good to use for whiff cancelling and occasionally as a poke or meaty. Whiffs on tiny crouchers. Cancelable on hit, block, and whiff.

• j.CD: Has longer startup than all his other jumping attacks and hits high up similar to his j.B, but with less range, so it's not a great normal. However, it can be used for the extra blockstun during pressure against regular and tall crouchers. Whiffs on low crouchers.

Throws

Original Iron Press: b/f+C (close)

• Regular throw, techable. Andy picks the opponent up and jumps in the air, he then slams them down to the ground and kicks them away. it sends them 80% of the screen and deals a hard knockdown.

Wrap-around Slam: b/f+D (close)

• Regular throw, techable. Andy throws the opponent behind him, sending them fullscreen and dealing a soft knockdown.

Command Moves

Chin Raiser: f+B

• An overhead move when done raw, but it loses that property when cancelled into.

• Hits above him at first, and then in front of him, so it can both anti-air and hit a grounded opponent.

• Leaves the opponent standing on grounded hit.

• Can be combo-ed out of with a Quick MAX cancel.

• The raw version is safe on block against everything but 1f command grabs when point blank. The cancelled-into version is more punishable though.

Facelift Smash: df+A

• A two-hit move that hits in front and diagonally above Andy.

• Good to use in combos and blockstrings as, you can special cancel out of it.

• The second hit can whiff at further ranges, and when pushed out too much in combos. It always whiffs on low crouchers.

• The second hit has a good anti-airing hitbox, and you can cancel it into fireball for a juggle if it hits.

Special Moves

Zan Ei Ken: db,f+A/C

• A forward-travelling elbow attack. A version goes about half screen and C version goes almost full screen.

• His most damaging combo ender and also the most reliable combo ender, as it will combo from pretty much all of his cancelable attacks.

• Punishable both when using the ender and when not using it, so this is a move that's not advisable to use outside of combos.

• A version can be used as a decent mobility option to travel forwards quickly.

Ga Dan Koh: qcf+A/C (during db,f+P)

• Only during the hit of Zan Ei Ken.

• Causes soft knockdown.

• Makes the move slightly more safe on block, but it's still easily punishable.

Hisho Ken: qcb+A/C

• This is a full standard projectile, unlike his OG 98 version that's just a close-range blast.

• The A version travels slower and the C version travels faster.

• Good to use for zoning and as a blockstring ender, as it comes out and travels fairly fast so it can catch jumping attempts.

• Has greater-than-average recovery for a fireball, so it's prone to getting jumped over and punished if thrown at a bad spot or timing.

Dam Breaker Punch: qcb+B/D (x 4)

• Can be entered 4 times in a row, this is a close-range rekka type move.

• Great hit-confirming tool, as the first hit is safe on block when done after two light hits.

• The rest of the rekka hits are very punishable, so only do them on hit; you have time to confirm whether the first one hit and then do the later parts.

• Even though the first hit whiffs in certain situations, like after a cl.C, df+A, it's still possible to combo into the later hits by doing the followups at the right timing.

Syo Ryu Dan: dp+A/C

• EX Andy's DP. A version comes out faster and has less reach than the C version.

• A version has startup invincibility but none on the active frames. C version has startup invincibility that extends through the first 3 active frames.

• A version can function as a fast anti air as it has a good hitbox and above Andy.

• C version functions as a reversal and as a late anti air where you go through their jump-in with the invincibility frames.

• C version can be a good combo tool, as it deals a lot of damage when all the hits connect but it will easily whiff if there's too much pushback.

Sonic Split: hcf+B/D

• A multi-hitting attack where EX Andy goes through the air in an arc. A version starts up faster and travels a shorter distance than the C version.

• Has fairly slow startup and is punishable on block in most situations.

• Has good air-to-air hitboxes while flying in the air.

• Not a very reliable move, and is best avoided most of the time unless you're throwing it out to be unpredictable.

• Can go over fireballs while in the air.

Exploding Shockwave: hcf+A/C

• A running command grab.

• Has a lot of startup at 13f and no invincibility at all, so it's not a great mixup tool unless you can condition the opponent sit and block a lot.

• The best use for it is to catch rolls and dodges, since it has a lot of active frames and it moves forward, making it well-suited to chasing down backwards rolls.

• Causes a hard knockdown.

Desperation Moves

Ultimate Sonic Swirl: qcb,hcf+B/D

• A super version of hcf+K. EX Andy travels at an arc in the air, but he now has flames engulfing him. B version travels a shorter distance than the D version.

• Has startup invincibility but none on the active frames, so it can trade if used as a reversal.

• Can be combo-ed into if done after attacks with very little pushback.

• Can be a decent anti-air, as it has good hitboxes for it.

• MAX version has some invincibility on the active frames and deals more hits and damage, so it's a better reversal and anti-air.

Dan Da Dan: qcfx2+A/C (press A/C repeatedly)

• Your main combo super, as it will combo better than his other one. Mash A/C for more hits and damage.

• It's prone to whiffing if there's too much pushback though, as it has quite short range so you need to know when it will hit and whiff.

• MAX version has the same range, but deals more hits and damage.

Combos

General Notes

• Any time you can use qcfx2+P in a combo, you can also use qcfx2+AC for more damage if have the resources.

Meterless

Low

cr.B, cr.B, df+A, db,f+A > qcf+A

EX Andy's most damaging meterless low combo.

cr.B, cr.B, qcb+Bx4

Low combo that also functions as a safe hitconfirm. If you hit do all the 4 qcb+Bs, if it is blocked stop at the first one.

Mid/Jump-In

(j.X), cl.C, df+A, db,f+A > qcf+P

Your most reliable combo for punishes and jump-ins.

cl.C, df+A, qcb+Bx4

An alternate cl.C combo. The first hit of the rekka will whiff but the other three will whiff. Does less damage than his other one but it is fun.

With Meter

Low

cr.B, df+A, qcfx2+P > mash P

A low combo into super.

Mid/Jump-In

(j.X), cl.C, qcfx2+P > mash P

A heavy normal into super combo. Can be combo-ed off of a jump-in.

With Quick MAX

f+B, ABC, cl.C, qcfx2+P > mash P

A Quick MAX combo from his overhead.

Strategy & Tips

• Unblockable projectile setup: normally Ex Andy's fireball is too fast to get a command grab out in order to make it unblockable. Even at full screen the opponent will have blocked the fireball before the command grab comes out. But by setting up a meaty projectile after a hard knockdown, like his C throw or command grab, you have enough time to get the command grab out making the projectile unblockable. Use the A version projectile for this.

Videos

King of Fighters 98 UM FE: EX Andy Guide by Mash It Out