The King of Fighters XIII/Benimaru Nikaido/Strategy

Spacing

Far Range

• Not much he can do without meter except zone with air Raijinkens (j.qcf+P) to stop incoming aerial advances. Stop super jumping opponents with a preemptive ground Raijinkin, or a Super Inazuma Kick (dp+K).

• Using a neutral jump D can also stop opponents that are jumping or super jumping towards you. Take advantage of its long horizontal range.

• His air and ground Raijinkin (qcf+P) can negate normal projectiles. His EX Benimaru Collider (qcb+AC) used preemptively can zap opponents while they are throwing projectiles and even while they are jumping if timed correctly.

• His NeoMax (qcfx2+BD) can override projectiles and hit the opponent at the same time. It can also be used as an anti-air option full screen. If you hit the opponent with his EX Benimaru Collider, you can hit them in the air with his NeoMax without a counter hit.

Mid Range

• Keep opponents out by zoning with st. B for hop and hyper hops, along with st. C at more closer distances. Use his st. D when you get much closer then try to read what the opponents does after they are either hit by it or when they block it.

• If you have good reflexes, use dp+D to sting regular and full jumps. If you are not confident in using his dp+D, try using his cr. C which has a rather low profile and is a good grounded anti-air.

• Use the range and priority of his j. D while hopping to keep opponents from jumping towards you in advance.

• If the opponent respects your j. D too much, empty hop and perform his hcb~f+P command throw.

• Benimaru's qcf+C can also be used to tag jumping opponents because of it's large hitbox. But it should be used rather preemptively since it's start-up isn't very fast.

• Once you have over 2 stocks punish any jump movement towards you with his qcfx2+AC super. It has extremely fast start-up which will catch any opponents jumping towards you at a mid to close range.

Close Range

• Pressure the opponent with cr. B's, cr. A's, st. C's and cl. D's to confirm into qcf+K or qcf+P. Try not to do qcf+K on block because it is unsafe.

• Use his hcb~f+P command throw if the opponent is blocking too much.

• If the opponent respects your low attacks too much, hop over them and cross them up with j.D.

Cornered Opponent

• Combine low attack pressure with neutral hop pressure to evoke the fear of getting command thrown or normal thrown.

• Tag any opponents trying to jump out the corner with a pre-emptive qcf+P or a dp+D, or jump with them early on to air throw them.

• Catch opponents trying to roll out of the corner with a command throw or normal throw.

Cornered

• Use extreme caution when in the corner. Try your best to shimmy your way out by walking out while defending yourself with st. B.

• Hit opponents trying to jump towards you with qcbx2+P or qcfx2+AC when you have meter.

Safejumps

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Benimaru combos & safe jump set ups

Tips

Frame Traps and Links

• (L) = Link, can be a frame trap as well.

• "(n) frame gap" = The amount of frames that opponent has to counter a frame trap.

1.) st. A > cl. C (L) - 2 frame gap between st. A and cl. C. St. A whiffs on crouching opponents, except on Raiden and Maxima when they are in guard position.

2.) st. A > far C - 3 frame gap between st. A and far C. St A whiffs on crouching opponents, except on Raiden and Maxima when they are in guard position.

3.) st. A > cl. D (L) - 2 frame gap between st. A and cl. D. St. A whiffs on crouching opponents, except on Raiden and Maxima when they are in guard position.

4.) st. A > cr. C - 4 frame gap between st. A and cr. C. St. A whiffs on crouching opponents, except on Raiden and Maxima when they are in guard position.

5.) st. A > cr. D - 3 frame gap between st. A and cl. C. St. A whiffs on crouching opponents, except on Raiden and Maxima when they are in guard position.

6.) cr. A > cl. C (L) - 2 frame gap between cr. A and cl. C.

7.) cr. A > far C - 3 frame gap between cr. A and far C.

8.) cr. A > cr. C - 4 frame gap between cr. A and cr. C.

9.) cr. A > cl. D (L) - 2 frame gap between cr. A and cl. D.

10.) cr. A > cr. D - 3 frame gap between cr. A and cr. D.

11.) cr. B > cl. C - 4 frame gap between cr. B and cl. C.

12.) cr. B > cl. D - 4 frame gap between st. A and cl. D.

Best Team Position

• Benimaru is extremely flexible in any position the player places him in. At the starting position he can build meter adequately (not as much as Andy or Kyo) while at the same time not being required to use any of his meter immediately. Instead, the player can utilize frame traps, with constant pressure and mix-ups using his command throw and normal throw. His aerial options are quite annoying especially since he can brake his full and normal jumps with an air qcf+P or his Flying Drill (down+heavy kick in the air) and can cross-up opponents easily with his j.D (heavy kick).

• In the second and third positions when Benimaru has more meter, his damage and offensive options are increased; especially in the corner. In the corner he can use his super meter and drive cancels for rather long corner juggles either off a stray standing heavy attack or crouching light kick or from his normal throw. Mid-screen he can anti-air opponents with his fast start-up qcbx2+P super or his qcfx2+AC super or full screen against projectiles with his NeoMax (qcfx2+BD). He can also extend his combos midscreen by ending his qcf+K~down, up+K with his command throw (hcb,f+P) for an easy hard knockdown. His easy HD combos mid-screen can deal anywhere up to 500 to 700+ damage with 2 or 3 bars while his HD combos in the corner can deal a bit more damage with less meters. All of these possibilites mixed in with his already strong corner pressure can make Benimaru very threatening when placed in a 2nd or last position on a team.

Character Matchups

Andy Bogard

• Andy's db~f+A can be punished by Benimaru's qcf+K

• Andy's hcb+K & hcf+BD can be punished by Benimaru's hcb,f+P/A+C

• You can punish Andy's qcb~hcf+K can be punished by Beni's cr.B, st.C, st.D and qcf+K

Ash Crimson

• Ash's blockstring of cr.Bx2, back+B can be punished with an EX qcf+K.

• Use Benimaru's hcb,f+P or hcb,f+AC against Ash's charge b~f+AC attack on block.

Athena Asamiya

• Use Benimaru's hcb,f+P against Athena's light kick Phoenix Arrow (air qcb+B).

Benimaru Nikaido (mirror match)

• Without any normals placed beforehand, Benimaru's qcf+K can be punished by his own qcf+K.

Billy Kane

• Use qcf+A/C or qcf+K against a player who uses Billy's j.C frequently. Benimaru's qcf+P or qcf+K will hit Billy's because there is a hurtbox placed on his stick.

Chin Gentsai

Clark Still

Duo Lon

• The common blockstring of (beginning with s.C, f+A or cr.Ax3 etc.) qcf+Px2 rekkas, qcf+B teleport can be punished with a Benimaru Collider (hcb,f+P) performed very quickly in the opposite direction while Dou Lon teleports. If the Dou Lon player does not teleport, he will get hit by a s.C.

• Dou Lon's f+B can be avoided by Benimaru's stand D.

Elisabeth Branctorche

• Elisabeth's dp+A can be punished with Benimaru's qcf+BD

• Elisabeth's dp+AC can be punished with Benimaru's qcf+K and his qcfx2+AC.

• Elisabeth's qcf+AC up-close can be punished with Benimaru's hcb,f+P or hcb,f+AC

Goro Daimon

Hwa Jai

• You can punish Hwa Jai's blockstring of st.A, df+B with EX qcf+K or EX dp+K. Be careful of the distance from push-block though. If someone is using the blockstring repeatedly, just use qcf+K to hit them before they place another jab.

Iori Yagami (Claw)

Iori Yagami (Flame)

Joe Higashi

K'

Kim Kaphwan

• Kim's qcb+K (both light and heavy kick versions) can be punished by Benimaru's qcf+K. Kim's qcb+B can be punished after a blocked st.CD or crouching D regardless of pushback.

King

Kula Diamond

Kyo Kusanagi (XIII)

• In between Kyo's qcf+K kicks, you can dp+D, qcfx2+AC, and qcbx2+P for a counter hit. On block, you can punish the second kick with the Benimaru Collider (hcb,f+P or hcb,f+AC).

• You will have to GCAB roll the first hit of his df+D during his cr.B, cr.A, df+D block string. Benimaru does not have anything to reach him in time during his recovery from the second hit of the df+D during that string.

• If someone is trying to spam Kyo's hop or hyper hop j.2C against you on block, simply dp+D them to score a counter hit.

Kyo Kusanagi (NESTS)

Leona Heidern

• Punish Leona's b~f+D with Benimaru's hcb,f+P command throw.

Mai Shiranui

Mature

Maxima

Raiden

Ralf Jones

Robert Garcia

Ryo Sakazaki

Saiki

Shen Woo

Sie Kensou

Takuma Sakazaki

Mr. Karate

Terry Bogard

Vice

Yuri Sakazaki