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AndyrooSC
IVE WAITED FOR THIS!!!
Inspired by @DrakeAldan and his articles the basics of soulcalibur.
You have been playing for a while now and at this point you have a fairly good understanding of how SCV's mechanics work. Then 1 game you go up against a skilled high level opponent and he manages to JG your follow up attack after he whiffed a GI. (say wha?? i thought he was completely open he whiffed?)
Or your watching a offline tournament on YouTube and Natsu goes for her whiff punish combo to end the set - 66B BE > 1A and somehow they got out the guaranteed combo and JG'd the 1A.
Its pretty game changing stuff you've managed to free yourself out of your seemingly inevitable doom and completely switch the momentum.
Oh you didn't know about this stuff? It seems alot of players don't or simply have no idea how to do so.
Lets list these fabled mechanics.
446G
This mechanic is a fairly easy one to master. Usually if your opponent CEs while your in the middle of a backstep you would be caught however if press 446G during the CE animation you will cancel your backstep and be able to block the CE and punish it.
This can be practiced in training mode by setting the computer as Pyrrha and recording her do 1K > CE. Backstep after the 1K and press 446G during the CE animation. (Yoshi CE would be done by 4462G).
22/88G
Certain CEs have step catching/tracking properties to them however they is also a way to cancel your step into block to avoid punishment. If you step with 8 before the CE animation press 88G or if stepped with 2 press 22G both with allow you to go into guard.
All you have to do is remember which way you stepped before the CE so it will help to have this in mind when that Hlide has a bar of meter half screen :P
(Thanks Hyrul for this one)
Step 6G
This one isnt spoke of much at all probably because its forgotten about. When you step sideways (not quickstep) and press 6G if you were to get hit by a horizontal move the move will still hit you but it will not get its CH properties. This means two slightly better outcomes could occur - you possibly take less damage from the move (Pyrrha 66A does 28 on NH and 33 on CH) and if the moves has additional effects on CH such as a knockdown, extra frame advantage or a stun combo they will not occur, Xiba 6A, aPat 8A+BA and Leixia wrA are examples.
This can be practiced in training setting the computer as Leixia and recording her do 2K > wrA.
This mechanic isn't exactly Step G from SC2 but its a slightly safer way to step and learning to react to whiffs if you step a vertical is possible too.
4214214... (Backdash cancel)
This movement manuver has a few names for it - Tekken backdash, korean backdash it all means the same thing, the input is 4- 214 - 214 etc. Its basically a quicker way to backstep repeatedly often used at a distance to effectively “dance“ in and out of your opponents killzone (range).
Characters with a 214 stance must perform it as 4 - 874 - 874 etc.
Whiffed GI into JG
When you whiff a GI you usually cant do anything until you've recovered and when this happens to you vs a higher level player you're going to get whiff punished for it. However they is 1 way out you still have the ability to JG the next oncoming attack, its simply done by JGing the attack they use as normal. Ofc this is easier said than done if they use an attack around i25 or lower its practically impossible to react to which move they have chosen and JG it at the correct time, in this situation you should option select JG roughly when you think your about to get hit.
This can be done to otherwise guaranteed CEs and delayed post GI attempts. Its in these situations where you can react and JG or if the opponent uses the same slower GI response for example ZWEIs 66A+B post GI and Pyrrha 4B post GI.
Effectively you could always GI straight away vs an opponent and have JG as a fail safe option (unless they throw or use a low attack).
Just Ukemi Guard (JUG)
JUG is the second but more risky option to get out of tech traps (the first one being don't tech or you will use a lot of life). When you ukemi you are still able to JG allowing you to get out of otherwise guaranteed damage for example Mitsu's 33K CH > 1A or Nightmare's 6K CH > 1A .
JUGs unlike redJG(which i will explain next) can be done at any point, in order for it to work you cant be mashing ukemi, instead when you get knocked down by Nightmare 6K for example you must ukemi as soon as you can but without mashing the ukemi you need to find the timing when you can ukemi asap once you have this your half way to JUG.
At this point you can JG the oncoming techtrap as if it was a regular JG.
Which way you ukemi is just preference but if its a low tech trap you may find it easier to ukemi down then keep holding down or if its a mid tech trap to ukemi back. This can be practiced in training by setting the computer as Nightmare and recording them doing 6K > 1A.
A list of some JUGable combos -
Mitsu CH 33K > 1A
Nightmare CH 6K > 1A
Nightmare 66A ->1A
Maxi 66B > 4 > BL K BE
Voldo 66K > BT wrB
aPat 66B > 8A+BB > 2A BE > 2143A+B
Aeon's CE
It should be noted that if you fail these JUG during an actual game your going to be eating alot more damage however if your about to lose the round or game anyway you have no reason not to go for them.
Red JG
Now a"red JG" isn't actually red, I believe its called that due to the redish colour of the stun because your are that colour as you JG. What a red JG is when you JUG out of combos which have stun in them, for example Natsu 66B BE > 1A as mentioned before and Nightmare CH NSS K > 2A+B. It is basically a tighter window than JUG still requiring you to ukemi then JG but the two taps of G will be slightly closer together. However unlike JUG they is an extra requirement -
You must be on at least orange health to perform it.
This means if your on blue health you cannot perform this at all so they is no reason to tech and take a tiny bit more damage during this stage.
This also means you cant simply test this training you have to either go on vs mode and have a friend help you or an online friend by making a 1v1 room and setting it to 5 rounds so you can try it together.
You might as well go for this when on yellow health as its a combo which would happen regardless.
List of some red JGable combos -
Patroklos 66B > 66B+K
Natsu 66B BE > 1A
Seigfried Chef hold B > 3B
Cervantes 2A+B > FC > 2A+B
Nightmare CH NSS K > 2A+B
Astaroth CH 6B > 22K > 22B
aPat JFT > JFT
Mitsu 22B > CE
Conclusion
After reading about these lesser known maneuvers i hope you go try a few out in training. All these ive mentioned can be used by all characters so you never know when your in these situations and performing one of these mechanics would safe you and give you that 1 extra shot of making the comeback.
They're some glitches/mechanics which only a few characters can perform or a glitch with a certain move from a character such as Nightmares 33B grim stride cancel/ Patroklos' A+B glitch or ZWEI and Viola's ability to JG a GI as if it were an attack if they can move when Ein or the orb is GI'd.
I would check regularly on your characters soul arena for finds like these or anything which could increase your characters effectiveness.
Shout outs to @TxA and SsyluS for helping me construct this.
You have been playing for a while now and at this point you have a fairly good understanding of how SCV's mechanics work. Then 1 game you go up against a skilled high level opponent and he manages to JG your follow up attack after he whiffed a GI. (say wha?? i thought he was completely open he whiffed?)
Or your watching a offline tournament on YouTube and Natsu goes for her whiff punish combo to end the set - 66B BE > 1A and somehow they got out the guaranteed combo and JG'd the 1A.
Its pretty game changing stuff you've managed to free yourself out of your seemingly inevitable doom and completely switch the momentum.
Oh you didn't know about this stuff? It seems alot of players don't or simply have no idea how to do so.
Lets list these fabled mechanics.
446G
This mechanic is a fairly easy one to master. Usually if your opponent CEs while your in the middle of a backstep you would be caught however if press 446G during the CE animation you will cancel your backstep and be able to block the CE and punish it.
This can be practiced in training mode by setting the computer as Pyrrha and recording her do 1K > CE. Backstep after the 1K and press 446G during the CE animation. (Yoshi CE would be done by 4462G).
22/88G
Certain CEs have step catching/tracking properties to them however they is also a way to cancel your step into block to avoid punishment. If you step with 8 before the CE animation press 88G or if stepped with 2 press 22G both with allow you to go into guard.
All you have to do is remember which way you stepped before the CE so it will help to have this in mind when that Hlide has a bar of meter half screen :P
(Thanks Hyrul for this one)
Step 6G
This one isnt spoke of much at all probably because its forgotten about. When you step sideways (not quickstep) and press 6G if you were to get hit by a horizontal move the move will still hit you but it will not get its CH properties. This means two slightly better outcomes could occur - you possibly take less damage from the move (Pyrrha 66A does 28 on NH and 33 on CH) and if the moves has additional effects on CH such as a knockdown, extra frame advantage or a stun combo they will not occur, Xiba 6A, aPat 8A+BA and Leixia wrA are examples.
This can be practiced in training setting the computer as Leixia and recording her do 2K > wrA.
This mechanic isn't exactly Step G from SC2 but its a slightly safer way to step and learning to react to whiffs if you step a vertical is possible too.
4214214... (Backdash cancel)
This movement manuver has a few names for it - Tekken backdash, korean backdash it all means the same thing, the input is 4- 214 - 214 etc. Its basically a quicker way to backstep repeatedly often used at a distance to effectively “dance“ in and out of your opponents killzone (range).
Characters with a 214 stance must perform it as 4 - 874 - 874 etc.
Whiffed GI into JG
When you whiff a GI you usually cant do anything until you've recovered and when this happens to you vs a higher level player you're going to get whiff punished for it. However they is 1 way out you still have the ability to JG the next oncoming attack, its simply done by JGing the attack they use as normal. Ofc this is easier said than done if they use an attack around i25 or lower its practically impossible to react to which move they have chosen and JG it at the correct time, in this situation you should option select JG roughly when you think your about to get hit.
This can be done to otherwise guaranteed CEs and delayed post GI attempts. Its in these situations where you can react and JG or if the opponent uses the same slower GI response for example ZWEIs 66A+B post GI and Pyrrha 4B post GI.
Effectively you could always GI straight away vs an opponent and have JG as a fail safe option (unless they throw or use a low attack).
Just Ukemi Guard (JUG)
JUG is the second but more risky option to get out of tech traps (the first one being don't tech or you will use a lot of life). When you ukemi you are still able to JG allowing you to get out of otherwise guaranteed damage for example Mitsu's 33K CH > 1A or Nightmare's 6K CH > 1A .
JUGs unlike redJG(which i will explain next) can be done at any point, in order for it to work you cant be mashing ukemi, instead when you get knocked down by Nightmare 6K for example you must ukemi as soon as you can but without mashing the ukemi you need to find the timing when you can ukemi asap once you have this your half way to JUG.
At this point you can JG the oncoming techtrap as if it was a regular JG.
Which way you ukemi is just preference but if its a low tech trap you may find it easier to ukemi down then keep holding down or if its a mid tech trap to ukemi back. This can be practiced in training by setting the computer as Nightmare and recording them doing 6K > 1A.
A list of some JUGable combos -
Mitsu CH 33K > 1A
Nightmare CH 6K > 1A
Nightmare 66A ->1A
Maxi 66B > 4 > BL K BE
Voldo 66K > BT wrB
aPat 66B > 8A+BB > 2A BE > 2143A+B
Aeon's CE
It should be noted that if you fail these JUG during an actual game your going to be eating alot more damage however if your about to lose the round or game anyway you have no reason not to go for them.
Red JG
Now a"red JG" isn't actually red, I believe its called that due to the redish colour of the stun because your are that colour as you JG. What a red JG is when you JUG out of combos which have stun in them, for example Natsu 66B BE > 1A as mentioned before and Nightmare CH NSS K > 2A+B. It is basically a tighter window than JUG still requiring you to ukemi then JG but the two taps of G will be slightly closer together. However unlike JUG they is an extra requirement -
You must be on at least orange health to perform it.
This means if your on blue health you cannot perform this at all so they is no reason to tech and take a tiny bit more damage during this stage.
This also means you cant simply test this training you have to either go on vs mode and have a friend help you or an online friend by making a 1v1 room and setting it to 5 rounds so you can try it together.
You might as well go for this when on yellow health as its a combo which would happen regardless.
List of some red JGable combos -
Patroklos 66B > 66B+K
Natsu 66B BE > 1A
Seigfried Chef hold B > 3B
Cervantes 2A+B > FC > 2A+B
Nightmare CH NSS K > 2A+B
Astaroth CH 6B > 22K > 22B
aPat JFT > JFT
Mitsu 22B > CE
Conclusion
After reading about these lesser known maneuvers i hope you go try a few out in training. All these ive mentioned can be used by all characters so you never know when your in these situations and performing one of these mechanics would safe you and give you that 1 extra shot of making the comeback.
They're some glitches/mechanics which only a few characters can perform or a glitch with a certain move from a character such as Nightmares 33B grim stride cancel/ Patroklos' A+B glitch or ZWEI and Viola's ability to JG a GI as if it were an attack if they can move when Ein or the orb is GI'd.
I would check regularly on your characters soul arena for finds like these or anything which could increase your characters effectiveness.
Shout outs to @TxA and SsyluS for helping me construct this.
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