WARUI_NE
Prettier than you
PSN is down! I'm fookin bored so I'm writing a guide even though we already have one and its 12:14 at night.
Theory and game plan
Algol is a character that excels at mid range. His mid range pokes are safe fast and have great properties. At mid range he can best use his back dash, as algol you will be doing backdash 1B or 3B QI B a lot to punish and force whiffs. Causing people to over extend and punishing with a back dash into launcher is where algol gets his big damage. After algols combos he gets great oki with QI mix ups provided you use the proper setup. Just because algol is a mid range character doesn't mean he has lacking options up close. Algol has one of the best aGIs in the game 623B ( I completely changed my opinion on this move), 1K a 0 on hit low, a killer throw game, and 2B+K. At long range you should always be positioning yourself to get back into mid range in the most advantageous position possible using QI and bubbles seeing as his movement aside from his back dash is ass.
Pros:
+has cool fucking moves
+lots of options providing a lot of variety in play style
+has a ton of damage opportunities
+above average oki
+strong options to bait whiffs and punish them
+above average BB
+super long range low poke
+all of his throws give oki including his command grab
+makes people cry about how "broken" he is
Cons:
-If the character you are against has longer range its a rather uphill battle
-Low damage mix up game
-pathetic throw range
-outside of 1A rather linear at mid range, 1A stunts offense with its frames. not a big deal though backdash foo
-bubble wall is kinda gimmicky when not used in moderation
-if you don't have a life lead its GG
-Mediocre punishment
-other then his back dash his movement is ass
-TERRIBLE against force crouch
-banned
POKING GAME- its why we are all here. His pokes free up so many other offensive options. The goal of the poking game for algol is to FORCE your opponent into playing predictably so you can bait a whiff. Yes I said force, with your range and zoning abilities combined with your low pokes you can make people very antsy. In which case punish them for it....if they don't get antsy continue poking and toe tapping with 1A for the time out victory.
BB- My bread and butter excellent frames for a BB and tracks one side and sets up most of my offense. The second hit tends to whiff if you hit with B at tip range even though the second hit has longer range. Also vulnerable against a lot of TC for some reason at range.
A- note I said A not AA. the second hit of AA has much shorter range then the first hit making it whiff at poking range. still great despite lame damage being i14 with this range is great
K6- a situational tool but a great one never the less, use it when out of BB range.
1A- Yeah its an i23 half screen low that kills step........do it...a lot
2B+K- safe,good CF,good damage, good spacing on block, good oki on hit. pretty spammable...still im rarely close enough to use it...but still very spammable while in range
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Oki game- say you Just punished a whiff with 1B 2A+B aB 2B, your thinking their to far away to do anything with... Well their not theres lots of stuff you can do!
FC (A+B)- mostly if you want to stay back
FC A+B- if you fire it as soon as 2B ends then do QI, all QI options will be uninterpretable unless they step it refer to flow chart if you use this
flow chart oki
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QI B- the mid use it to mix up with QI K, also if they GI the FC A+B QI B will go over the GI'd bubble and punish the GI. if they block it this move soul crushes in 10 and is safe.
QI A- A pressure tool leaves you at +2 on block and kills step. use this if they step FC A+B. worth noting this will still hit behind him and frame trap into BT B+K. If this hits it doesn't allow a lot of oki but still a great move.
QI K- mix up low....madly unsafe but who cares...has the weird property of making people stand when it's blocked. still I have only had it blocked maybe twice ever.
6~1A-use this is just to be tricky or if you want to leave them standing
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oki situations where 4(A+B) is better then FC A+B
6k(k)
2B+K
running K
4A+B oki- the key to this is learning the spacing at which the 2 bubbles of 4(A+B) will hit at different times. Some cool options I use are-
-side throw
-22B
-standard throw if I want to get even more oki
-11K
-623ABK (rarely)
-back up
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Post throw oki and cool stuff
B+G- Allows a free jump over and BT mix up on most characters. It does not work on zas, asta, nm,or sieg. I know there is more but but I can't remember ATM. If you are not in the know about BT mix ups just do BT 2K or BT B+K
A+G- Post A+G apply 4(A+B) oki
66A+G-
FC (A+B)> 1A/2B/7A+K BBBB(for teh lulz all it does is leave you full screen...but hey might as well if they are owning you up close)/22A
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Whiff punishing- I will be going into MASSIVE detail about this part since its so damn important. 3B QI B 2B should be your ideal whiff punisher seeing as its faster and more damaging then 1B but if you aren't comfortable with 3B QI, 1B is better. 1B is better in some match ups because of its TC properties (more on match ups later). You will want to learn to whiff punish on reaction and learn to read a whiff instead of just throwing out back dash 1B/3B randomly. 1B is linear and 3B is unsafe and linear...fortunately a lot of people step the wrong way vs algol and still get nailed by 1B. You cannot rely on this though really good players will step correctly and hurt you. When baiting a whiff make sure you take into account the other characters "zone" try to have a mental image of where most of their attacks range max out , in order to counter they will start taking risks or turtling harder both of which ill discuss later.
back dash setups, you should assume these were done at poking distance IE mid range
1A hit>backdash
3K blocked >backdash
B block or hit> back dash
BB blocked>back dash lulz
A block or hit> back dash
22A blocked>back dash
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Pressure
Most of algols pressure comes from his poking and range with the threat of his back dash but he has other means to do so....using bubbles to setup 22B setups. Its a rather simple concept: 22B is rather linear but 4(A+B) makes it very difficult to step at close range against him. You aren't going to be throwing out 4(A+B) randomly up close. use it in oki like discussed before, If they do not respect the bubbles and attack the 22B will combo from the 4(A+B). 22B nets you a 2A+B aB 2B combo apply the oki mentioned previously.
Once they block 22B apply your throw game/1K/623B(its only +2 on block)/3K/2B+K
Alot of moves work in this situation use what ever you feel comfortable with .
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Cracking turtles shells- Some peoples initial reaction to algol is turtle and wait for a back dash 1B to step and punish. This can be countered by: 1. learning to whiff punish on reaction. 2. out turtling them. That is one problem faced if you are going against a turtle, Another is someone actually turtling trying to gain a life lead with low pokes so algol can't just sit back and make you come to him. This play style is very frustrating for me. IF YOU DON'T HAVE A LIFE LEAD BUBBLES ARE NEAR USELESS as is most of algols offense(less attacks=less mistakes=less whiff punishes). The best way to counter this is to never let it happen. At the start of the round Back up and start doing your shield keep your distance. Every time they hesitate you should apply a mix up, then back up and keep your bubble wall up, you cannot beat the bubble wall by turtling. Only emerge from said bubble wall to tap their toes with 1A or hit them with BB then retreat, this is by far one of the most frustrating mix ups in the game... Against this it is almost impossible to remain passive against algol without a life lead.
Breaking the rush down- Some people try to rush you down as to not give you too much space So you can't get a bubble wall up or poke all fucking day. This style is much easier for me to deal with as Algol. Rushing him down is a very risky idea. He is made to punish you for attacking predictably. You have a myriad of options vs the rush down:back dashing,623B,your strong spacing game.
Situational moves- moves for one reason or another that didn't fit into my guide but are good moves in their own right and in certain situations.
66A+B- Good spacing tool if you know the range to get all 5 hits to connect. not a true reset but it might as well be with how far they are pushed out
4(K)- post GI slow option
11K-cute low I use it more then 1K tbh
2A- every character needs one.. poor mina asta and nm...
WR B- gives BT ring out with WR B 8A+B and is a safe launcher.
FC 3B- algols best FC options in lot of situations getting forced into crouch at range is still a bad thing for you....
WR A-Only thing that works against ranged force crouch really...
66B+K- Honestly this is a great move I use it when ever I get the chance to pressure the SG AND gain space all at once...
K+G- Overpowered taunt
Mix up tools
Algol has a lot of ways to setup mix ups the mix ups themselves aren't very threatening but I felt compelled to put this here.
Close range-1K/3K
Mid range-BB/1A
long range-QI B/QI K
COMBOS- Some practical, some not.....
Note: 11B works in place of 2B after aB air hit but I prefer 2B for the oki
Practical
+1B 2A+B aB 2B
+3B QI B 3B (do 3B QI again at some ranges and it will allow a QI mix up)
+3AA 2A+B aB 2B
+22B 2A+B aB 2B
+4(K) 3B QI B
+66BA aB 2B(there are better dmg options but once again lovin the oki)
+6AAB 2K
+22A CH 2K
+11A 2A+B aB 2B
+A+B 2A+B aB 2B (only really close) at long range use 22B as it tech traps
Hilarious gimmick level practicality
http://www.8wayrun.com/threads/character-specific-33b-combos.2626/
To land these you must:
-buffer 33B through dash, if you sidestep even a little bit they will be off axis and it will not work
-hit your opponent crouching
-hit them at pointblank range
-be lucky these are all very inconsistent
BUBBLE TECH- As I said before The point of bubbles are to get you into mid range in the most advantageous position possible. Unless going for a time out you shouldn't be using bubbles a lot. (this won't work against anyone with a brain.) Bubbles are a great tool to facilitate algols game plan and should not be said gameplan. Doing that is an instant loss against anyone who knows what to do vs algol.
22A+B- fine for baiting things like cervys gunshot
6(A+B)/6A+B- Best bubble for getting into mid range in the best situation, also the most likely to be GI'd
4A+B/4(A+B)- Fastest bubble also my favorite for closing into mid range, try using 4(A+B) step for cute little gimmick
2A+B/2(A+B)- meh not really used for closing as much as staying back
FCA+B/FC(A+B)- Can single handedly win the algol vs yoda match up....literally all you need is at the start of the round 2B FC A+BX1000000000000000000 and mix in slow bubbles
QI A+B- Do you want to show boat? Like really show boat? then throw out this worthless move and laugh as you get punished on hit.
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MORE RANDOM COOL STUFFS
-3B QI A is a block string at tip range but all other QI options whiff
-you can use 9A+KK to play keep away
-if the (A+B) in 4B(A+B) hits it will combo into 1B
-algols slide kick is really good
-if they GI the bubble in 2A+K(A+B) you are at + frames same with the 4B string
-learn the correct spacing for 66A+B it's a very good move when used correctly
-66B+K is very good for CFing and it spaces at the same time!
Match ups!
VS Mina-6:4 in minas favor- I know what you are thinking "BUT MINAS LOW TIER TRASH", true but she is an algol counter pick. She beats you at mid range your forward run is ass so you can't close the distance. at long range its even because of naked QI flips vs mina just swatting you out of the air. close range you win but eh...GL getting there. To make matters worse your step sucks so lol you can't do shit at mid range.
VS Maxi- 3:7 or 6:4 in algols favor- you shit on maxi at all ranges(who doesn't lol) pepper in some 623B option select his stances. done deal
VS Raph-5:5 or 6:4 in raphs favor- Yeah seriously I'm not kidding.... Algol loses to mina and raph, He has trouble with anyone who has better space control. This isn't as bad as mina but its hard. Algol has trouble reliably stepping 3B. He can back dash it but at that range he isn't really able to punish it with anything. Raph can't really prep pressure you at least because doing so usually ends up with him being launched for around 100 damage as WR B beats both prep BB and prep A( at specific range as WR B has a weird hitbox). Raph doesn't really need prep too much in this match up though. He can out poke you and sit on a life lead well.
This match up really comes down to who ever gets the life lead first.
VS Talim- 8:2 in algols favor- Do you really need help in an 8-2 match up? Just BB backdash she can't punish your backdash attempts with anything. 623B also rapes her stances
more later
Theory and game plan
Algol is a character that excels at mid range. His mid range pokes are safe fast and have great properties. At mid range he can best use his back dash, as algol you will be doing backdash 1B or 3B QI B a lot to punish and force whiffs. Causing people to over extend and punishing with a back dash into launcher is where algol gets his big damage. After algols combos he gets great oki with QI mix ups provided you use the proper setup. Just because algol is a mid range character doesn't mean he has lacking options up close. Algol has one of the best aGIs in the game 623B ( I completely changed my opinion on this move), 1K a 0 on hit low, a killer throw game, and 2B+K. At long range you should always be positioning yourself to get back into mid range in the most advantageous position possible using QI and bubbles seeing as his movement aside from his back dash is ass.
Pros:
+has cool fucking moves
+lots of options providing a lot of variety in play style
+has a ton of damage opportunities
+above average oki
+strong options to bait whiffs and punish them
+above average BB
+super long range low poke
+all of his throws give oki including his command grab
+makes people cry about how "broken" he is
Cons:
-If the character you are against has longer range its a rather uphill battle
-Low damage mix up game
-pathetic throw range
-outside of 1A rather linear at mid range, 1A stunts offense with its frames. not a big deal though backdash foo
-bubble wall is kinda gimmicky when not used in moderation
-if you don't have a life lead its GG
-Mediocre punishment
-other then his back dash his movement is ass
-TERRIBLE against force crouch
-banned
POKING GAME- its why we are all here. His pokes free up so many other offensive options. The goal of the poking game for algol is to FORCE your opponent into playing predictably so you can bait a whiff. Yes I said force, with your range and zoning abilities combined with your low pokes you can make people very antsy. In which case punish them for it....if they don't get antsy continue poking and toe tapping with 1A for the time out victory.
BB- My bread and butter excellent frames for a BB and tracks one side and sets up most of my offense. The second hit tends to whiff if you hit with B at tip range even though the second hit has longer range. Also vulnerable against a lot of TC for some reason at range.
A- note I said A not AA. the second hit of AA has much shorter range then the first hit making it whiff at poking range. still great despite lame damage being i14 with this range is great
K6- a situational tool but a great one never the less, use it when out of BB range.
1A- Yeah its an i23 half screen low that kills step........do it...a lot
2B+K- safe,good CF,good damage, good spacing on block, good oki on hit. pretty spammable...still im rarely close enough to use it...but still very spammable while in range
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Oki game- say you Just punished a whiff with 1B 2A+B aB 2B, your thinking their to far away to do anything with... Well their not theres lots of stuff you can do!
FC (A+B)- mostly if you want to stay back
FC A+B- if you fire it as soon as 2B ends then do QI, all QI options will be uninterpretable unless they step it refer to flow chart if you use this
flow chart oki
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QI B- the mid use it to mix up with QI K, also if they GI the FC A+B QI B will go over the GI'd bubble and punish the GI. if they block it this move soul crushes in 10 and is safe.
QI A- A pressure tool leaves you at +2 on block and kills step. use this if they step FC A+B. worth noting this will still hit behind him and frame trap into BT B+K. If this hits it doesn't allow a lot of oki but still a great move.
QI K- mix up low....madly unsafe but who cares...has the weird property of making people stand when it's blocked. still I have only had it blocked maybe twice ever.
6~1A-use this is just to be tricky or if you want to leave them standing
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oki situations where 4(A+B) is better then FC A+B
6k(k)
2B+K
running K
4A+B oki- the key to this is learning the spacing at which the 2 bubbles of 4(A+B) will hit at different times. Some cool options I use are-
-side throw
-22B
-standard throw if I want to get even more oki
-11K
-623ABK (rarely)
-back up
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Post throw oki and cool stuff
B+G- Allows a free jump over and BT mix up on most characters. It does not work on zas, asta, nm,or sieg. I know there is more but but I can't remember ATM. If you are not in the know about BT mix ups just do BT 2K or BT B+K
A+G- Post A+G apply 4(A+B) oki
66A+G-
FC (A+B)> 1A/2B/7A+K BBBB(for teh lulz all it does is leave you full screen...but hey might as well if they are owning you up close)/22A
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Whiff punishing- I will be going into MASSIVE detail about this part since its so damn important. 3B QI B 2B should be your ideal whiff punisher seeing as its faster and more damaging then 1B but if you aren't comfortable with 3B QI, 1B is better. 1B is better in some match ups because of its TC properties (more on match ups later). You will want to learn to whiff punish on reaction and learn to read a whiff instead of just throwing out back dash 1B/3B randomly. 1B is linear and 3B is unsafe and linear...fortunately a lot of people step the wrong way vs algol and still get nailed by 1B. You cannot rely on this though really good players will step correctly and hurt you. When baiting a whiff make sure you take into account the other characters "zone" try to have a mental image of where most of their attacks range max out , in order to counter they will start taking risks or turtling harder both of which ill discuss later.
back dash setups, you should assume these were done at poking distance IE mid range
1A hit>backdash
3K blocked >backdash
B block or hit> back dash
BB blocked>back dash lulz
A block or hit> back dash
22A blocked>back dash
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Pressure
Most of algols pressure comes from his poking and range with the threat of his back dash but he has other means to do so....using bubbles to setup 22B setups. Its a rather simple concept: 22B is rather linear but 4(A+B) makes it very difficult to step at close range against him. You aren't going to be throwing out 4(A+B) randomly up close. use it in oki like discussed before, If they do not respect the bubbles and attack the 22B will combo from the 4(A+B). 22B nets you a 2A+B aB 2B combo apply the oki mentioned previously.
Once they block 22B apply your throw game/1K/623B(its only +2 on block)/3K/2B+K
Alot of moves work in this situation use what ever you feel comfortable with .
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Cracking turtles shells- Some peoples initial reaction to algol is turtle and wait for a back dash 1B to step and punish. This can be countered by: 1. learning to whiff punish on reaction. 2. out turtling them. That is one problem faced if you are going against a turtle, Another is someone actually turtling trying to gain a life lead with low pokes so algol can't just sit back and make you come to him. This play style is very frustrating for me. IF YOU DON'T HAVE A LIFE LEAD BUBBLES ARE NEAR USELESS as is most of algols offense(less attacks=less mistakes=less whiff punishes). The best way to counter this is to never let it happen. At the start of the round Back up and start doing your shield keep your distance. Every time they hesitate you should apply a mix up, then back up and keep your bubble wall up, you cannot beat the bubble wall by turtling. Only emerge from said bubble wall to tap their toes with 1A or hit them with BB then retreat, this is by far one of the most frustrating mix ups in the game... Against this it is almost impossible to remain passive against algol without a life lead.
Breaking the rush down- Some people try to rush you down as to not give you too much space So you can't get a bubble wall up or poke all fucking day. This style is much easier for me to deal with as Algol. Rushing him down is a very risky idea. He is made to punish you for attacking predictably. You have a myriad of options vs the rush down:back dashing,623B,your strong spacing game.
Situational moves- moves for one reason or another that didn't fit into my guide but are good moves in their own right and in certain situations.
66A+B- Good spacing tool if you know the range to get all 5 hits to connect. not a true reset but it might as well be with how far they are pushed out
4(K)- post GI slow option
11K-cute low I use it more then 1K tbh
2A- every character needs one.. poor mina asta and nm...
WR B- gives BT ring out with WR B 8A+B and is a safe launcher.
FC 3B- algols best FC options in lot of situations getting forced into crouch at range is still a bad thing for you....
WR A-Only thing that works against ranged force crouch really...
66B+K- Honestly this is a great move I use it when ever I get the chance to pressure the SG AND gain space all at once...
K+G- Overpowered taunt
Mix up tools
Algol has a lot of ways to setup mix ups the mix ups themselves aren't very threatening but I felt compelled to put this here.
Close range-1K/3K
Mid range-BB/1A
long range-QI B/QI K
COMBOS- Some practical, some not.....
Note: 11B works in place of 2B after aB air hit but I prefer 2B for the oki
Practical
+1B 2A+B aB 2B
+3B QI B 3B (do 3B QI again at some ranges and it will allow a QI mix up)
+3AA 2A+B aB 2B
+22B 2A+B aB 2B
+4(K) 3B QI B
+66BA aB 2B(there are better dmg options but once again lovin the oki)
+6AAB 2K
+22A CH 2K
+11A 2A+B aB 2B
+A+B 2A+B aB 2B (only really close) at long range use 22B as it tech traps
Hilarious gimmick level practicality
http://www.8wayrun.com/threads/character-specific-33b-combos.2626/
To land these you must:
-buffer 33B through dash, if you sidestep even a little bit they will be off axis and it will not work
-hit your opponent crouching
-hit them at pointblank range
-be lucky these are all very inconsistent
BUBBLE TECH- As I said before The point of bubbles are to get you into mid range in the most advantageous position possible. Unless going for a time out you shouldn't be using bubbles a lot. (this won't work against anyone with a brain.) Bubbles are a great tool to facilitate algols game plan and should not be said gameplan. Doing that is an instant loss against anyone who knows what to do vs algol.
22A+B- fine for baiting things like cervys gunshot
6(A+B)/6A+B- Best bubble for getting into mid range in the best situation, also the most likely to be GI'd
4A+B/4(A+B)- Fastest bubble also my favorite for closing into mid range, try using 4(A+B) step for cute little gimmick
2A+B/2(A+B)- meh not really used for closing as much as staying back
FCA+B/FC(A+B)- Can single handedly win the algol vs yoda match up....literally all you need is at the start of the round 2B FC A+BX1000000000000000000 and mix in slow bubbles
QI A+B- Do you want to show boat? Like really show boat? then throw out this worthless move and laugh as you get punished on hit.
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MORE RANDOM COOL STUFFS
-3B QI A is a block string at tip range but all other QI options whiff
-you can use 9A+KK to play keep away
-if the (A+B) in 4B(A+B) hits it will combo into 1B
-algols slide kick is really good
-if they GI the bubble in 2A+K(A+B) you are at + frames same with the 4B string
-learn the correct spacing for 66A+B it's a very good move when used correctly
-66B+K is very good for CFing and it spaces at the same time!
Match ups!
VS Mina-6:4 in minas favor- I know what you are thinking "BUT MINAS LOW TIER TRASH", true but she is an algol counter pick. She beats you at mid range your forward run is ass so you can't close the distance. at long range its even because of naked QI flips vs mina just swatting you out of the air. close range you win but eh...GL getting there. To make matters worse your step sucks so lol you can't do shit at mid range.
VS Maxi- 3:7 or 6:4 in algols favor- you shit on maxi at all ranges(who doesn't lol) pepper in some 623B option select his stances. done deal
VS Raph-5:5 or 6:4 in raphs favor- Yeah seriously I'm not kidding.... Algol loses to mina and raph, He has trouble with anyone who has better space control. This isn't as bad as mina but its hard. Algol has trouble reliably stepping 3B. He can back dash it but at that range he isn't really able to punish it with anything. Raph can't really prep pressure you at least because doing so usually ends up with him being launched for around 100 damage as WR B beats both prep BB and prep A( at specific range as WR B has a weird hitbox). Raph doesn't really need prep too much in this match up though. He can out poke you and sit on a life lead well.
This match up really comes down to who ever gets the life lead first.
VS Talim- 8:2 in algols favor- Do you really need help in an 8-2 match up? Just BB backdash she can't punish your backdash attempts with anything. 623B also rapes her stances
more later
