If you’ve ever been playing the game, and you’re just having… just a lot of trouble. Nothing seems to be working, you can’t penetrate your opponent’s defense, you lose and lose and you don’t know why.
If it’s ever happened to you, well, the million-dollar question is: Are you punishing?
If you are not punishing, you are going to lose! Besides, you want your revenge, don’t you? Don’t let your opponent get away!
Disadvantage and Punishment
If you’ve read the article on advantage and disadvantage, you’ll know that when a player is at disadvantage, they cannot do anything for the duration of the disadvantage. They can’t attack, they can’t move, and they most certainly cannot block.
Well, when there is enough disadvantage for one of your attacks to fit in- you can hit them!
Let me repeat that.
You can hit them for free and there is nothing they can do about it.
This is called “punishment”. That is to say, that the opponent has used a move that put him at severe disadvantage (“unsafe”), and as such, they are open to be punished for making that mistake.
Now, executing proper punishment is a very important skill to have, and that is because- it’s free damage! There’s no risk involved, you see the opportunity, you take it. There’s no mixup, no mindgame, no nothing. You’re open, pow, right in the kisser.
It’s damage, and it’s free. You’ve gotta take it! Don’t worry, it’s not like samples at Costco. Nobody’s watching, so take it all!
---
2/25/2013 UPDATE - Here's a supplementary video, explaining how to use practice mode to find and test punishment. I'd recommend you still read the rest of this article, but the video should help in visualizing the process.
Not Just Leather and Latex
Punishment is closely related to frame data. As such, it’s best to have the numbers in front of you when seeing if a move can be punished.
Let’s take for an example, Pyrrha vs. Pyrrha. (We’ll call them P1 and P2).
P2 does 1AA. 1AA is -22 on block.
P1 successfully blocks the low, then stand-guards the mid. Now, P2 is at -22, and likewise, P1 is at +22. P2 is open for punishment. What can P1 do?
P1 can hit with any move that is less than or equal to 22 frames. This means she can hit with AA (i11), BB (i14), 236B4 (also i14), 3B (i17), and even 9K (i22).
As you can see, P1 just got a bunch of options, while P2 is completely at P1’s mercy. (This is why you shouldn’t use unsafe moves recklessly- you’ll dramatically reduce your own options and leave yourself open if you make a mistake.)
Now, the question is, how will P1 make the most out of this opportunity?
Choose Your Weapon
So how do you choose which move you use to punish? That depends on a number of different factors.
First, you have to choose a move with a suitable speed. If you use moves that are too slow, you won’t get a punish at all, so that narrows down your choices a bit.
Second, you have to choose a move with enough reach. If you have a fast enough move but it doesn’t hit, your opponent will recover, and you won’t get your punish.
Third, you have to look at your current state. Are you standing, or are you crouching? If you are crouching, the moves you can use are limited to FC moves, While Rising moves, 236/214 moves, and moves that start with 6, 4, 66, or 44. It’s important to make note of this, because blocking lows means you have to use these moves. Blocking mids that force you into crouch can also restrict your punishing options.
From here things get a little tricky. There are two main schools of thought when it comes to punishment, and they are:
Max Damage
Or
Consistency
Let’s take Pyrrha for an example again. We’ll look at 236B.
236B is -18 on block. -18 is a lot of disadvantage, as a lot of moves can fit in that space (even standard 3B launchers).
If you were to go for max damage, you’d use a 3B here, and lead into a combo. Depending on who you’re playing you’d get some pretty good damage (50-100+).
But!
236B also has very short blockstun. This means that the -18 period almost starts immediately after the move comes out, meaning you don’t have a lot of time to react. In the worst case scenario, if you try for a 3B and you are late, it will get blocked, and you will be punished with a followup 236B! You will get punished for your punish.
The easiest thing to do is to use a move you can use easily, quickly, and without thinking. For most characters, this is a BB. BB doesn’t do half-life, but it does give frame advantage, it does do damage, and chances are you’ll be able to punish with BB every time, compared to using 3B where you might hit it some of the time.
Now, it depends on the camp you’re from, but in my book, winning all battles is more important than winning one battle. Stick to the easy, consistent punish, that you can do every day, on good days, on bad days, on days when you’re sick. Don’t go for max damage unless you are sure that you can do it- otherwise, you are only putting yourself at risk.
Of course, the ideal scenario is being able to output max damage all of the time. If you can do that, then do that and don’t look back. For the rest of us, being sensible and acknowledging one’s limits helps you make do with what you have.
How to Punish
So that’s the theory behind punishment- but what about actually doing it? There isn’t much use in knowing what’s unsafe if you can’t actually get free hits.
In reality, proper punishment requires you to be able to recognize a move, react in time, and choose the proper retaliation. You should choose your retaliation in advance, far before the fight has begun (which is why in some Soul Arenas there are punishment lists for your perusal).
First, you have to recognize that your opponent has used an unsafe move, and that you have blocked it. This comes from matchup study, frame data, training mode, and experience. Every move has a distinctive animation, and it’s up to you to recognize this animation and thus the opportunity that comes along with it.
Second, you need to react. You need to input the move you are going to use as a punish in time. Don’t be late!
When you block an attack, a white flash or hit-spark will appear at the point of contact. This will make a distinctive sound of metal clashing. The light and the sound are your signal to begin inputting your punishment.
Because there are different amounts of blockstun on different moves, the timing can be variable when it comes to punishments, but generally you want to input your punishment as soon as possible. Try setting it up in training mode using the record function, with Movement 1 Stand All Guard, and Movement 2 Replay – Record (whatever number you choose).
You may want to practice your punishment to get a sense of the right timing for punishing certain moves. If you know that a move is punishable, and that there are no spacing issues, but your retaliation keeps getting blocked, just keep trying. Adjust your input time to be earlier or later, and try different timings until you start hitting it consistently.
You have 20 frames, or a 1/3rd of a second until the entire animation ends to input your punishment, so make use of the buffer window. Remember, you are trying to hit your opponent before they recover. Don’t wait until they finish their move- hit them while they’re vulnerable!
Punish No Matter What
Now, normally, when you think of unsafe moves, -16 and up, you think of a big punish, a big chunk of damage.
Taking these big leaps in life is good, but you also need to pay attention to small punishment opportunities as well. If you can fit in a 2A, or a simple K, or a BB, do it.
It’s important not to neglect your punishes- even if it’s just for 10 points of damage.
Why?
When you punish your opponent, what this represents is a shift in momentum. The other guy has been bearing down on you, applying pressure, then you see an opening and you hit him. Now that you have the advantage, you subtly change the situation.
Even if you punish with something that leaves you at disadvantage, most players will react negatively to getting hit. The mere act of punishing, even with something simple, causes “mental damage”. It serves as a way to break your opponent’s rhythm and stop his current train of thought. While he’s confused, you can take the opportunity to start up your own offense, or lead him into a trap.
Every little bit counts! Take what you can get, and at the same time, don’t let your opponent have anything of yours. When you create an imbalance in your favor, you will consistently win.
In Closing
Anybody can attack. However, a good defense is a skill, and a coveted one at that. A good defense enables you to rapidly shift your momentum and allows your offense to shine- but more importantly, if you have a good defense and can consistently punish your opponent’s mistakes, you may not even need to have an offense in the first place.
Remember, attacking involves risk. Applying mixups involves risk. Moving involves risk.
Punishing does not involve risk (at least if it is applied correctly).
When you are taking less risks than your opponent, and still getting damage, you will easily outpace him just by waiting for his luck to run out.
Punish your opponents to the fullest. You will find that some players will end up destroying themselves, and all you have to do is pick up the pieces.
If it’s ever happened to you, well, the million-dollar question is: Are you punishing?
If you are not punishing, you are going to lose! Besides, you want your revenge, don’t you? Don’t let your opponent get away!
Disadvantage and Punishment
If you’ve read the article on advantage and disadvantage, you’ll know that when a player is at disadvantage, they cannot do anything for the duration of the disadvantage. They can’t attack, they can’t move, and they most certainly cannot block.
Well, when there is enough disadvantage for one of your attacks to fit in- you can hit them!
Let me repeat that.
You can hit them for free and there is nothing they can do about it.
This is called “punishment”. That is to say, that the opponent has used a move that put him at severe disadvantage (“unsafe”), and as such, they are open to be punished for making that mistake.
Now, executing proper punishment is a very important skill to have, and that is because- it’s free damage! There’s no risk involved, you see the opportunity, you take it. There’s no mixup, no mindgame, no nothing. You’re open, pow, right in the kisser.
It’s damage, and it’s free. You’ve gotta take it! Don’t worry, it’s not like samples at Costco. Nobody’s watching, so take it all!
---
2/25/2013 UPDATE - Here's a supplementary video, explaining how to use practice mode to find and test punishment. I'd recommend you still read the rest of this article, but the video should help in visualizing the process.
Not Just Leather and Latex
Punishment is closely related to frame data. As such, it’s best to have the numbers in front of you when seeing if a move can be punished.
Let’s take for an example, Pyrrha vs. Pyrrha. (We’ll call them P1 and P2).
P2 does 1AA. 1AA is -22 on block.
P1 successfully blocks the low, then stand-guards the mid. Now, P2 is at -22, and likewise, P1 is at +22. P2 is open for punishment. What can P1 do?
P1 can hit with any move that is less than or equal to 22 frames. This means she can hit with AA (i11), BB (i14), 236B4 (also i14), 3B (i17), and even 9K (i22).
As you can see, P1 just got a bunch of options, while P2 is completely at P1’s mercy. (This is why you shouldn’t use unsafe moves recklessly- you’ll dramatically reduce your own options and leave yourself open if you make a mistake.)
Now, the question is, how will P1 make the most out of this opportunity?
Choose Your Weapon
So how do you choose which move you use to punish? That depends on a number of different factors.
First, you have to choose a move with a suitable speed. If you use moves that are too slow, you won’t get a punish at all, so that narrows down your choices a bit.
Second, you have to choose a move with enough reach. If you have a fast enough move but it doesn’t hit, your opponent will recover, and you won’t get your punish.
Third, you have to look at your current state. Are you standing, or are you crouching? If you are crouching, the moves you can use are limited to FC moves, While Rising moves, 236/214 moves, and moves that start with 6, 4, 66, or 44. It’s important to make note of this, because blocking lows means you have to use these moves. Blocking mids that force you into crouch can also restrict your punishing options.
From here things get a little tricky. There are two main schools of thought when it comes to punishment, and they are:
Max Damage
Or
Consistency
Let’s take Pyrrha for an example again. We’ll look at 236B.
236B is -18 on block. -18 is a lot of disadvantage, as a lot of moves can fit in that space (even standard 3B launchers).
If you were to go for max damage, you’d use a 3B here, and lead into a combo. Depending on who you’re playing you’d get some pretty good damage (50-100+).
But!
236B also has very short blockstun. This means that the -18 period almost starts immediately after the move comes out, meaning you don’t have a lot of time to react. In the worst case scenario, if you try for a 3B and you are late, it will get blocked, and you will be punished with a followup 236B! You will get punished for your punish.
The easiest thing to do is to use a move you can use easily, quickly, and without thinking. For most characters, this is a BB. BB doesn’t do half-life, but it does give frame advantage, it does do damage, and chances are you’ll be able to punish with BB every time, compared to using 3B where you might hit it some of the time.
Now, it depends on the camp you’re from, but in my book, winning all battles is more important than winning one battle. Stick to the easy, consistent punish, that you can do every day, on good days, on bad days, on days when you’re sick. Don’t go for max damage unless you are sure that you can do it- otherwise, you are only putting yourself at risk.
Of course, the ideal scenario is being able to output max damage all of the time. If you can do that, then do that and don’t look back. For the rest of us, being sensible and acknowledging one’s limits helps you make do with what you have.
How to Punish
So that’s the theory behind punishment- but what about actually doing it? There isn’t much use in knowing what’s unsafe if you can’t actually get free hits.
In reality, proper punishment requires you to be able to recognize a move, react in time, and choose the proper retaliation. You should choose your retaliation in advance, far before the fight has begun (which is why in some Soul Arenas there are punishment lists for your perusal).
First, you have to recognize that your opponent has used an unsafe move, and that you have blocked it. This comes from matchup study, frame data, training mode, and experience. Every move has a distinctive animation, and it’s up to you to recognize this animation and thus the opportunity that comes along with it.
Second, you need to react. You need to input the move you are going to use as a punish in time. Don’t be late!
When you block an attack, a white flash or hit-spark will appear at the point of contact. This will make a distinctive sound of metal clashing. The light and the sound are your signal to begin inputting your punishment.
Because there are different amounts of blockstun on different moves, the timing can be variable when it comes to punishments, but generally you want to input your punishment as soon as possible. Try setting it up in training mode using the record function, with Movement 1 Stand All Guard, and Movement 2 Replay – Record (whatever number you choose).
You may want to practice your punishment to get a sense of the right timing for punishing certain moves. If you know that a move is punishable, and that there are no spacing issues, but your retaliation keeps getting blocked, just keep trying. Adjust your input time to be earlier or later, and try different timings until you start hitting it consistently.
You have 20 frames, or a 1/3rd of a second until the entire animation ends to input your punishment, so make use of the buffer window. Remember, you are trying to hit your opponent before they recover. Don’t wait until they finish their move- hit them while they’re vulnerable!
Punish No Matter What
Now, normally, when you think of unsafe moves, -16 and up, you think of a big punish, a big chunk of damage.
Taking these big leaps in life is good, but you also need to pay attention to small punishment opportunities as well. If you can fit in a 2A, or a simple K, or a BB, do it.
It’s important not to neglect your punishes- even if it’s just for 10 points of damage.
Why?
When you punish your opponent, what this represents is a shift in momentum. The other guy has been bearing down on you, applying pressure, then you see an opening and you hit him. Now that you have the advantage, you subtly change the situation.
Even if you punish with something that leaves you at disadvantage, most players will react negatively to getting hit. The mere act of punishing, even with something simple, causes “mental damage”. It serves as a way to break your opponent’s rhythm and stop his current train of thought. While he’s confused, you can take the opportunity to start up your own offense, or lead him into a trap.
Every little bit counts! Take what you can get, and at the same time, don’t let your opponent have anything of yours. When you create an imbalance in your favor, you will consistently win.
In Closing
Anybody can attack. However, a good defense is a skill, and a coveted one at that. A good defense enables you to rapidly shift your momentum and allows your offense to shine- but more importantly, if you have a good defense and can consistently punish your opponent’s mistakes, you may not even need to have an offense in the first place.
Remember, attacking involves risk. Applying mixups involves risk. Moving involves risk.
Punishing does not involve risk (at least if it is applied correctly).
When you are taking less risks than your opponent, and still getting damage, you will easily outpace him just by waiting for his luck to run out.
Punish your opponents to the fullest. You will find that some players will end up destroying themselves, and all you have to do is pick up the pieces.
