[MATCH-UP] Algol

Heaton

A Soul in the Purgatory
Discuss the Algol match-up here. A guide can be found here, and the string defense guide can be found here.
 
algol is one of the most linear characters in the game. He's also pretty unsafe, a lot of his moves and strings can be punished by Raph's 3B or at least his 6BB, take a quick look at his frame data. Spacing and punishing is the best way to go, avoid close and mid ranges. if you do get into these situations, learn your interrupters, raph's 6BB is pretty strong against Algol both as a punisher and as a interrupter.

Algol's greatest strenghs are his meter game and his rushdown game. He's very similar to Nightmare on his strenghs and weaknesses, the difference being that Night has worse meter game but better step killers. GI is very good on this matchup, meter is too important for Algol to throw it out on guard impact mixups. And if he does, that's advantageous for you on almost any case. Algol's bubbles are good to stop rushdowns and predictable mid ranged backdashes, so watch out for those. I'd say this muchup is 4.5-5.5
 
So I was promised I would get bodied for free tomorrow at GC by a Algol player just because I use Raphael... any tips on the mu?
 
Lol another guy who disparages Raph huh?? Show him Raph's power Delloso!! My knowledge of this matchup is poor but do what Zanaken said and basically know that you can 6BB punish many of Algol's moves. His bubbles have no tracking, so if you see him doing this move, QS to either side will make him whiff all of his shots and you can attack from there. If you are good enough and go under him before he starts shooting bubbles, you can hit him hard with your unblockable. Study the String Defense Guide for more information.
 
My two cents.

You have the speed advantage and to an extent, the range advantage when it comes to poking. As with many MUs though is that Algol's damage output severely outweighs yours. So when you force Algol into certain neutral situations a la 11K and 6BB you have the edge in speedy options, and if you read an aGI you can block punish with 236B for respectable damage. Hell, even when Algol himself forces his neutral situations (22A on block, 1K on hit) that speed comes in handy not to mention predicting an AA can be countered with 4B and predicting a 2A can be countered with 4A+B. I feel like you need to play with a certain degree of safety and be conservative with stuff like 11K as that's a free FC 8B for Algol when blocked. Algol has phenomenal options for block punishment for a non greek. You can't freeze up and block crap like 22B and 44B or you'll start to eat gauge damage and a guard break from Algol is pretty much a lost round.

As Delloso said given your great i12 punisher you can punish an alarming majority of Algol's attacks and peck away at him that way. If only one bad mistake didn't cost you an obscene amount of life. That damage man
 
As Delloso said given your great i12 punisher you can punish an alarming majority of Algol's attacks and peck away at him that way. If only one bad mistake didn't cost you an obscene amount of life. That damage man

Yeah, as long as you can stay ahead on life Algol gives up a ton of his own life on block. Patience during bubble bullshit is also a must.
 
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