Raphael Tournament Discussion

Fendante said:
Raph's long rapier gives him range superiority against tiny daggers and nunchucks.
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I kinda laughed at this part from the wording of it, but it's true. More specifically, combining his excellent movement/backdash with long range whiff punishment tools like 3B, 22B, and 66B will allow you to threaten Maxi/Natsu from range by doing nothing at all. Just playing patient, moving with them to keep your space, and forcing them into whiffing attacks. If they're choosing to close that gap by running straight up to you, Raph has moves for that. If they're trying to play their long range moves against you at tip range, proper movement will make them lose that strategy too. If you do get stuck in close, you're looking to use your quick pokes to work your way back out to range, but generally avoid committing to your longer pokes like 3B at this range.

Gotta be patient if you get stuck in close, work your way out carefully. Don't be an arrogant shithead like me and just start throwing moves out for no reason.
 
Fendante said:
Sorry about that Kowtow. Could have said it in a better way.
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Oh no nothing to apologize for, just something about it made me chuckle though. You're absolutely right, we have a range advantage over both characters. They have ranged options, but if they're using them at mid range, a backstep is usually sufficient to force the whiff.
 
Something I find myself doing from time to time against pitbull characters is that when I defend myself properly against whatever moves they used to get in with, I would be confident enough in my frame advantage to make a play. Except I'm playing Raph whose risk vs reward at that range is simply not worth my troubles. My choices are literally throw or doing something that doesn't give me enough advantage even on hit to avoid handing the momentum right back to the faster character. I would have been better off using that moment of freedom to get back out instead of pressing a button, and that's something I will always struggle with during actual matches unless I'm absolutely focused and disciplined when it comes to my decision-making. While it's counter-intuitive to not take advantage of a shift in momentum when you technically have the frames to do something, us Raph players should really focus more on getting back to a safe range rather than making an immediate play.
 
After scoring an AA or a CH 22A or blocking an opponent's -10 move means its a good time to start back peddling lol
 
Hudathan said:
While it's counter-intuitive to not take advantage of a shift in momentum when you technically have the frames to do something, us Raph players should really focus more on getting back to a safe range rather than making an immediate play.
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That's what it's all about. toucher et pas l'être
Don't get hit. Be an irreverent prick. A prick with life bar.

Fencing fangasm aside, I haven't won anything Kowtow hasn't, against the same people. But seeing this post, I been there, and I think it's about having confidence in the A game. With pressure and plain bad decisions past, there's , I think, that voice that says "I'm so beast , I'm going to see his next move because I'm Neo and I see the code, then people will phear my sk1ll when I show them they don't stand a chance against Sheng Long."

Depending, your mileage may vary with cohabitant nerd levels, but you have to realize this voice is the demon that doesn't have your best interests at heart. You have an A game; that plan is to maximize your chances at winning exchanges and the round, not to snipe with mad reads 20-30 times no mistakes. You know that's your best chance. Breathe, watch tempo, believe in your ability to make good of your best chance. Or your worst chance will drag you down to its level and keep you there with minuscule triumphs. (seriously: breathe, tempo, what helps me)

Other characters as well have to not do dumb shit and deploy a deliberate technique in pressure. They probably attack; Raphael GsTFO. Same game, looks different. A bit less glory.
That's why we have Raphae-lul.
 
There are so many things that aren't part of my game yet. Proper use of Prep 4, 11K/1B/throw game when the opponent gets knocked down near the wall, situational stuff like B+K vs Ivy's 1B BE, not to mention having perfect defense and knowing when to block and punish or when to move/evade. Raph is a character who exploits his match-ups rather than impose his own game and that takes a lot of experience to pull off properly. Gotta keep playing and keep leveling!
 
i can not agree enough hudathan. Ive been having huge success just exploiting MU knowledge, that and the fact that almost every one wants to step raph. it makes them predictable and easier to zone.
 
Raph can win - you just have to make twice as many right decisions than your opponent per round. Enjoy those equal skill level match-ups.
 
Mandritti said:
Why don't you just. . . do that?
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Why don't I just duck 66B EXes from scrub trash Natsu players who aren't any good? I mean, Calibur much like life is full of mysteries lol. The 11k/1B mixup is something I been doin though, when I'm in my right mind I don't think my Raph game is lacking many tools, tbh. Just a matter of not mentally defeating myself because I missed a punish here and there.
 
KowtowRobinson said:
Just a matter of not mentally defeating myself because I missed a punish here and there.
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You mean like spending time in training mode countering Ivy's 1B BE with B+K and then missing your chance during game 3 of a best out of three tournament set, after which you have to win by breaking her guard with 6BB BE because she messed up her counter too? One day I'll play this character properly according to his full potential and won't have to shake my head even at my wins.
 
Hudathan said:
You mean like spending time in training mode countering Ivy's 1B BE with B+K and then missing your chance during game 3 of a best out of three tournament set, after which you have to win by breaking her guard with 6BB BE because she messed up her counter too? One day I'll play this character properly according to his full potential and won't have to shake my head even at my wins.
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Wouldn't know, I don't have any good Ivy players near me haha.
 
Hudathan said:
It's not the same when you're playing.
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I can follow if it's on guard against something. But on my action, after I just tossed you on the ground? No way I would miss it. It's the same when I'm playing.

... Maybe if I was attentive as I should be to everything else, I'd get confused enough to miss this.

My foremost problem is huge. I don't wake up. I can go hours just not feeling the game (which is just... lame). Then in games I'm asleep. I watch the game play out and don't hunger for victory. Block a move here and there, and eat slower lows just because... I didn't try to block them.
For these things I don't answer it's not "damn I know about that, gotta force through my training" it's "damn... why am I not trying to do anything ?" I "smarten up" against traps every time, but then, (then, long story short, attentive players spot what I just don't... do anything about, repeat, and knock me out.)

You would guess that I don't take the game seriously. But nothing would make a day of casuals less pleasant than someone taking me as a casual player. A bad ignorant one , but I want to learn something that day.
Any idea what's wrong with my mind ?

This is why I have only respect for rage. From my point of view, rage is at least a sort of commitment to wanting to prove something. (But rage is still scary.) And I think it's a problem how consistent I am, I think it is related to how I don't do the actual things it takes to win. I guess I wish I would push myself to the limits that would make me inconsistent.
 
Mandritti said:
This is why I have only respect for rage. From my point of view, rage is at least a sort of commitment to wanting to prove something. (But rage is still scary.) And I think it's a problem how consistent I am, I think it is related to how I don't do the actual things it takes to win. I guess I wish I would push myself to the limits that would make me inconsistent.
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That's because you missed the last Toronto tourney lol. Nobody should accept RAGE in the gaming scene, poppin off a bit or getting salty isn't the same as totally losing your shit like I do. Completely unacceptable behavior, if I ran that store I would have thrown me out of the joint.
 
Just had a decent showing at FRXV (top 40) and the most important things I've learned so far are - parlor tricks are generally well known and countered well (such as prep KK ringout) so I had to do more actual playing than I did at Winter Brawl. Xiba 3BK is a bitch, couldn't deal with it. I had practiced against it during the week, but didn't realize also how long the K could be delayed. Mostly just stood there like an idiot and then got RO'd like a chump (but, then the same thing happened to Hates and Linkrkc so I didn't feel that bad). Need more practice against this crap. Dominated against Pyrrhas cause I have been practicing so much so that was nice. 22B is fucking good, 2A, hooray, I have been told to use more 22K, but I'm not a huge fan of throwing out random slow highs? What are your thoughts on this?

TL;DR - People caught on to the shenanigans, Xiba is balls, 22B is the shit (set it up)...what are your thoughts on 22K?
 
I guess I've just been eating too much TC crap, which is why I avoid 22K, but it is my new toy to play with this week.
 
22K sucks imo. Too slow for a high that is also short ranged (and that works very badly with Raph's design). I only like it's horizontal property. I like it on hit of course, but i can barely land it.
 
Yeah I don't like 22K. Not only is it high but it requires a CH to do any real damage, and the range is pretty awful for something that's supposed to hit step.
 
This is what I always felt, too. Also, I feel like if you are close enough to use 22K, you are doing it wrong. People kept saying "Why aren't you using 22K more" and I wanted to say "I dunno...why are you 1-2" but I didn't.
 
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