Natsu Matchup

I've turned the game off for tonight but try NSS b:A and GS A before you're sure something is guaranteed. NSS b:A has a sidestep so it can avoid some B moves and GS A can GI B moves as long as they aren't too fast. Depends on what transition it is though. Of course just cause NM may have an option to beat it doesn't necessarily make Natsu 66B a bad option. NSS bA and GS A are both unsafe high moves afterall....


You're right, some transitions into NSS b:A beat 66B. I mapped out every NSS/GS transition on block vs notable natsu moves as a spreadsheet linked here:
NSS/GS punishment guide for Natsu

I also wrote up a punish guide for natsu vs NM if you guys are interested in the Natsu SA:
Nightmare Punishment guide for Natsu
 
Okay guize, presenting the Unholy Commandments of this Matchup:
1: Thou shalt take the bombs laying down like a bitch, or thou shalt take the air grab like a bitch. But, after the bomb hits thee on the ground, Natsu will almost always run up to thee to keep herself in distance. Thou shalt BB quickly, and maybe get damage, but at least you will steal some momentum and deal some guard damage, possibly actual damage if she didn't see it coming. If thou art standing upon the bomb's beginning animation, use 8B to score some free damage.
2: When ye notice she is going for a windroll BBB or any hover moves at all, thou shalt sidestep and punish HARD, being it CE, GS B, or another move. Keep the wench out of the air.
3: Thou shalt not EVER use stance moves, in that thou shalt not Stride Grimly, nor shalt thou Stand with the Night at thine Side, for thou shalt get A:6'd like a bitch. Combos need not apply here, though GS B without the stance transition may be used sparingly.
4: If the wench doth grab you, thou shalt remember her B command grab does more damage, so thou shalt learn to twitch with the breaking of the B grab. Don't expect it all the time though. In addition, if she doth have her back to the edge, she shalt do an A grab for a ring out. Be thou ready.
5: When the cowardly wench seeks to evade ye through the use of her teleport rolls, thou shalt always remember that FC 3B shalt not whiff upon the rolls, providing ye start thine FC 3B right after she initiates the roll.
6: Thou shalt not fight like a mewling child.
Any other Matchup must-knows, tack 'em on.
 
Any other Matchup must-knows, tack 'em on.
Break A when her back is at anywhere remotely near the edge and she has meter.
You can't do shit about her A+B spam. Project Soul apologizes for the existence of this move.
Use 8B when you see a bomb, not empty jump into an attack.
PO K essentially makes bombs safe to everything but -12 (trades with i13), but is -21 on block.
 
You don't have to stay down and take the bombs all the time. In fact, its sometimes better if you don't.

22b, 66bBE, 4a+b or 2a+b
You can tech out of both to her left.

66bBE, 4a+b or 2a+b
You can tech out of 4a+b to her left, and the 2a+b can be back teched. Its a 50/50 mixup here, and it may be better to just lie down and take it. If you DO guess right, you get a bunch of damage though. Guess wrong, and so does she.

6a+b4 PO a:6, 4a+b or 2a+b or 1a
1a is guaranteed if you don't tech. 4a+b can be blocked if you ukemi, and 2a+b can be jumped if you ukemi. Really no reason to stay down.

66B
You have plenty of time to ukemi and block the bombs or jump the UB.

Those are all I remember at the moment. I did the testing a few days ago, so my memory could be a little cloudy. For the most part though, those are the setups you can get out of that most people just choose to stay down and take the 10 damage, when they could be getting damage instead.

Also she can't kill NM's stances as well as people think. A properly timed NSS bA or K will beat her popular options, including 66K and 66B.
 
Ah, excellent. I didn't know that, seems I might actually be using NSS against her now lol.
 
Ah, excellent. I didn't know that, seems I might actually be using NSS against her now lol.
I'm not too sure but A:6 might have more range than NSS K. A:6 seems to have a small invisible tip range, it's especially apparent when you sidestep A:6 (since it's animation is like a 150 degree cone in front of Natsu). I would test the range difference to make sure this is a good option.
 
man i'm hating on this matchup, Natsu's 4A+B into PO is so damn annoying, i can't for the life of me shut this down, and PO B guard break into mixups. her 66A BE 2nd hit can be ducked but i find it hard to duck on reaction, it's so damn fast.

and those techtraps, if there's one thing i learn its never tech against Natsu.

You can block the 4A+B on reaction. It takes some time but as soon as you see purple, just guard low. You can 1K and 4K of her out of it but I don't usually bother. Obviously, don't mistake the 2A+B the 4A+B. You can't guard that shit...and then you die. A lot.
 
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