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- #1
Belial
King of Hundred Swords
From what I've seen so far on this SA, there is a lot of whine and not a single attempt to actually analyze what kind of character Raphael is. Most posts are filled with doom&gloom, like author feels compelled to end "by the way, raph sucks" at the end of each his post. To my experience it's always been fun uncovering new stuff and ways to apply it, but if you feel like everything is bad before you even try yet dont give this char up - you're a masochist.
I'd like to share my opinions on Raph. I wont convince you he's not bad. That's probably still the case. But I firmly believe that last thing a normal person wants to hear is complains and excuses. If you do - you really be better off not playing video games any time soon. They're all a disappointment one way or another.
Playing Raphael you will quickly find, that he is a very repeatetive character. Frankly, though he is supposed to be reliant on gimmicks still he get extremely predictable with those. Why that happens is usually b/c you dont have much choice with your first move. For offence you usually go with 3B, for wake up, you usually go with 1K or 66A+B. Its quite easy to forsee and it negates gimmick main point - unpredictability. Thats why its usually not hard to deal with either prep, or wakeup or whatever else. I am going to talk more about adding variation to the game later.
Also there is another major weakness, that stops Raphael from placing higher in a tournament. (Just in case you think you're smart its not step). Looking at the paper Raph seems better than alot of characters, but in reality his standings are always poor. That weakness Raph lacks for succesful tournament play are alternate routes for victory. Very few people actually can or try to unitlize Soul Gauge damage. Usually if you get blocked too much that mean you're dead. Even less people try to utilize his limited, but potent, RO game (I guessed it was missed inbetween the tears and whine) and finally Raph might be the worst char for wallgame. That doesnt leave you with a lot of options.
What most people fail to realize is relativity in char knowledge. When you play character he always will seem weak to you. During my discussion with S-U at Cannes he strongly believed that Kilik is not strong character. I well know how much effort it takes to make a character win. You cannot truly tell the difference before you main a character and your opponents learn to beat this character. If you simply switch from time to time to a higher tier character to make a point - you usually win b/c of your opponent ignorance, not character strength. You lose a lot with your mains due to your opponents awareness of your character, they learned all punishment and counters.
This is a trap of self-deceit you have to get out of. If you truly believe your character is weak - STOP. Give it up, pick a different one. The longer you cling to unloved character the more disappointing the game will become for you.
I too thought mitsu was weak, before I got to play against strong mitsu. He was using all the same stuff I did and suddenly i realized how intimidating and hard to counter all this moves were. It was a real eye opener to me. Since then, I always tried to keep an open mind. B/c you never know how much your opponent goes through to beat you. Instead of looking for excuse - look for opportunities.
I hear a lot that Raphael is steppable. Well. He definitely is. But there are few things to be aware of.
1) If your opponents chose to take advantage of step, that usually means he is defencive. You must see advantage here - most important advantage you will ever get in fighting game - initiative. At the moment your opponent choses passive defence (step) - it means he is INTIMIDATED. You can now do absolutely anything you want. Bait a wiff, run up and throw, create space etc. Remember, if you do not use this, your opponent will. Do not allow yourself to be intimidated by step. It is your oponent who chose to be passive. If you miss this point you can never be succesful be it fighting game or life.
2) Raphael range is really a chore. It doesnt look like this when your opponents can seemingly easily escape everything by simple sidestep, but it really is. Better range means you can really stay away in range where wiff is safe. Your enemy will have to come closer at some point. Main point here is with proper spacing you take less risk than your opponent. If you cannot take advantage of this - you are missing a big part of your char's game.
Offence:
3B - is the most often used move. You will have to realize how much diversity this move has, and how different situation on guard/wiff can be. With entering prep~VE at bigger range you can escape punishment. 3B into prep A is a basic "frame trap" and empty 3B leave a lot of range while being annoying enough.
3B~BB is your main punishment move, use it a lot, but I dont recommend going into prep after. instead try to mix up.
A+B/A+BA - this move has a lot of uses, it TC, tracks step and if you dont end can set up a nice reverse mix up, if you're not using this, you should try to.
236B - is primarily a wiff and -17 unsafes punisher. But it is also a safe, quick mid that covers a lot of distance and deals a lot of SG damage. If you have trouble getting in - this move is definitely worth looking at.
WS B - Is a great poke, also on people who love to 8wr, since it has some tracking. Creates a lot of range, has some evasive properties. Overall it is somewhat similiar to Kilik's WS B.
44AB - Its a decent transtion to prep, but you mustn't aim for it getting blocked. Usually its a good tool if you think your opponent will 8wr. If they stay down after CH , prep K:K will get a ground stun, it works more often than one can suggest. I dont know why.
6K - is a decent poke, that will help you get around some 2A set-ups from your opponent. Its not to be overused, but the fact it is there will get you out of trouble alot of times.
66B - a long range wiff punisher. but more importantly it will track SSL at far range. It really is something to worry about, since damage is good. after stuff like 1A at far range you should try it at least once. If you want to punish from going backwards buffer it like 41236B.
Reverse mix-up:
4B - is your best friend for ducking high moves and punishing major unsafes. There is not much else to say about it.
6K
B+K (VE) - is a decent tool at evading certain situations. it can help you get around many otherwise troublesome stuff. For ex 1K (hit) B+K can get you away from Astaroth 6K and at the same time, if nothing happens. it allows you to mix your opponent up.
44K - best Raph TJ move. It serves same purpose as 6K but is better in almost every respect. It and also will track a bit. I really recomend to review your use of this move, if you lack it in your game - please implement it in your game.
44B - is a lovely move until they start to GI this. It gets worse from there. You really have to consider its placement, but it gets better and better the less life you have left, b/c it evades much more stuff, than other evades. If your opponent doesnt GI it he's probably done for.
4A - I dont like it, and think its just bad.
Punishment
3B~BB
236B
6BB - is good, IMO, only as a punisher of moves 3B cannot punish.
22_88B - you main sidestep punishment option. trouble with applying it generally comes from your opponent being defencive most of the time and you having no tools to provoke him into wiff. If that is the case - remember what I wrote at the beginning of this "guide". Learn to provoke your opponent.
Soul Gauge
To work on the gauge, similiarly to how you have to be keen on your spacing, you also will need to be good with your GI, otherwise - its not going to work so well. If your reflex is trained enough you can really pull this off. There is no point in actually trying to force your opponent too block - its too much risk and too little reward. So make a list of whats GI'able on reaction against most characters and practice this. most chars 44B's, 25+ moves are all subject to consideration.
Raph's post GI is not very impressive, going from 33K:B (46) to something like 66A+B or 4B for around 60. I really suggest using 66A+B though, since I like its position on guard.
Ring Out
33_99K:B - RO forward. (pretty poor, but yet)
THROWS. throws are a huge part of raph ro game.
A+G - will RO to raphael's right. which means, if you can align yourself correctly (its not hard) you get to mix it up with
B+G - the dreaded newbie destroyer, will RO forward at a good distance too. Dont forget how much damage star wars stage will net you off this too.
left side throw! - also RO's to the right side. its a pure mix up. So once you train your opponent to fear throws, use 33K:B or whatever you want to make them get up again.
VE K - RO left/forward. Also (i dont think its known - after WS B VE K is a full tech trap. Most people will not fall for it, but it might be worth trying anyway.
Wake up
Raphael's wake up options seem somwhat limited, but after most KD's you can opt for the following
1K - cant be rolled by most characters.
66A+B - can be rolled to the left (afaik).
Also some people will learn to detect or simply time when they get up, to block both. If they do, or if you want some variety, just use B+K~VE until they get up. Mixup then.
Stance
VE - sadly is not a very good mixup, and its the main point why a lot of prep (easiest way to set VE up) is not a good idea. Once your opponent start ducking A and punishing K you must stop using this stance as a mix up unless you can make it unexpected. Also near the edge or walls it gets significantly better. VE K into wall combos into 33K:B. There has been certain degree of sucess if an empty VE is followed by basic moves. Since throw breaks in VE require concentration and also opponent pay attention to VE A, it is hard for him to react accordingly after. Just another gimick to add to your list. To a certain extent you can cancel your combos to trade them for VE-mix up (i.e 4B~prepA 3B~prepBB~B+K~VE mixup instead of finishing prep BBB:B), thats especially useful near the edges/walls.
Prep - the key to making this stance work is make it unexpected. Only damaging option in it are SEA B and prep A, both on CH. So your best bet is to SEA A quickly and move on. However, if you use prep transition in around 30% or less of your game it can become pretty annoying. Just consider how much your opponent will have to keep in mind then. Once you annoy him enough with plain 3B or prep SEA A , you can then sneak damage in. I realize it sounds a bit overcomplicated, but its really not that hard. When people get annoyed they get predictable. A simple prep A will then be not only hitting a lot, but also safe as they fail punishment.
I pretty much missed out on some points, but right now I gotta go. So feel free to argue, ask, or curse me. I will try to post some extras later.
I'd like to share my opinions on Raph. I wont convince you he's not bad. That's probably still the case. But I firmly believe that last thing a normal person wants to hear is complains and excuses. If you do - you really be better off not playing video games any time soon. They're all a disappointment one way or another.
Playing Raphael you will quickly find, that he is a very repeatetive character. Frankly, though he is supposed to be reliant on gimmicks still he get extremely predictable with those. Why that happens is usually b/c you dont have much choice with your first move. For offence you usually go with 3B, for wake up, you usually go with 1K or 66A+B. Its quite easy to forsee and it negates gimmick main point - unpredictability. Thats why its usually not hard to deal with either prep, or wakeup or whatever else. I am going to talk more about adding variation to the game later.
Also there is another major weakness, that stops Raphael from placing higher in a tournament. (Just in case you think you're smart its not step). Looking at the paper Raph seems better than alot of characters, but in reality his standings are always poor. That weakness Raph lacks for succesful tournament play are alternate routes for victory. Very few people actually can or try to unitlize Soul Gauge damage. Usually if you get blocked too much that mean you're dead. Even less people try to utilize his limited, but potent, RO game (I guessed it was missed inbetween the tears and whine) and finally Raph might be the worst char for wallgame. That doesnt leave you with a lot of options.
What most people fail to realize is relativity in char knowledge. When you play character he always will seem weak to you. During my discussion with S-U at Cannes he strongly believed that Kilik is not strong character. I well know how much effort it takes to make a character win. You cannot truly tell the difference before you main a character and your opponents learn to beat this character. If you simply switch from time to time to a higher tier character to make a point - you usually win b/c of your opponent ignorance, not character strength. You lose a lot with your mains due to your opponents awareness of your character, they learned all punishment and counters.
This is a trap of self-deceit you have to get out of. If you truly believe your character is weak - STOP. Give it up, pick a different one. The longer you cling to unloved character the more disappointing the game will become for you.
I too thought mitsu was weak, before I got to play against strong mitsu. He was using all the same stuff I did and suddenly i realized how intimidating and hard to counter all this moves were. It was a real eye opener to me. Since then, I always tried to keep an open mind. B/c you never know how much your opponent goes through to beat you. Instead of looking for excuse - look for opportunities.
I hear a lot that Raphael is steppable. Well. He definitely is. But there are few things to be aware of.
1) If your opponents chose to take advantage of step, that usually means he is defencive. You must see advantage here - most important advantage you will ever get in fighting game - initiative. At the moment your opponent choses passive defence (step) - it means he is INTIMIDATED. You can now do absolutely anything you want. Bait a wiff, run up and throw, create space etc. Remember, if you do not use this, your opponent will. Do not allow yourself to be intimidated by step. It is your oponent who chose to be passive. If you miss this point you can never be succesful be it fighting game or life.
2) Raphael range is really a chore. It doesnt look like this when your opponents can seemingly easily escape everything by simple sidestep, but it really is. Better range means you can really stay away in range where wiff is safe. Your enemy will have to come closer at some point. Main point here is with proper spacing you take less risk than your opponent. If you cannot take advantage of this - you are missing a big part of your char's game.
Offence:
3B - is the most often used move. You will have to realize how much diversity this move has, and how different situation on guard/wiff can be. With entering prep~VE at bigger range you can escape punishment. 3B into prep A is a basic "frame trap" and empty 3B leave a lot of range while being annoying enough.
3B~BB is your main punishment move, use it a lot, but I dont recommend going into prep after. instead try to mix up.
A+B/A+BA - this move has a lot of uses, it TC, tracks step and if you dont end can set up a nice reverse mix up, if you're not using this, you should try to.
236B - is primarily a wiff and -17 unsafes punisher. But it is also a safe, quick mid that covers a lot of distance and deals a lot of SG damage. If you have trouble getting in - this move is definitely worth looking at.
WS B - Is a great poke, also on people who love to 8wr, since it has some tracking. Creates a lot of range, has some evasive properties. Overall it is somewhat similiar to Kilik's WS B.
44AB - Its a decent transtion to prep, but you mustn't aim for it getting blocked. Usually its a good tool if you think your opponent will 8wr. If they stay down after CH , prep K:K will get a ground stun, it works more often than one can suggest. I dont know why.
6K - is a decent poke, that will help you get around some 2A set-ups from your opponent. Its not to be overused, but the fact it is there will get you out of trouble alot of times.
66B - a long range wiff punisher. but more importantly it will track SSL at far range. It really is something to worry about, since damage is good. after stuff like 1A at far range you should try it at least once. If you want to punish from going backwards buffer it like 41236B.
Reverse mix-up:
4B - is your best friend for ducking high moves and punishing major unsafes. There is not much else to say about it.
6K
B+K (VE) - is a decent tool at evading certain situations. it can help you get around many otherwise troublesome stuff. For ex 1K (hit) B+K can get you away from Astaroth 6K and at the same time, if nothing happens. it allows you to mix your opponent up.
44K - best Raph TJ move. It serves same purpose as 6K but is better in almost every respect. It and also will track a bit. I really recomend to review your use of this move, if you lack it in your game - please implement it in your game.
44B - is a lovely move until they start to GI this. It gets worse from there. You really have to consider its placement, but it gets better and better the less life you have left, b/c it evades much more stuff, than other evades. If your opponent doesnt GI it he's probably done for.
4A - I dont like it, and think its just bad.
Punishment
3B~BB
236B
6BB - is good, IMO, only as a punisher of moves 3B cannot punish.
22_88B - you main sidestep punishment option. trouble with applying it generally comes from your opponent being defencive most of the time and you having no tools to provoke him into wiff. If that is the case - remember what I wrote at the beginning of this "guide". Learn to provoke your opponent.
Soul Gauge
To work on the gauge, similiarly to how you have to be keen on your spacing, you also will need to be good with your GI, otherwise - its not going to work so well. If your reflex is trained enough you can really pull this off. There is no point in actually trying to force your opponent too block - its too much risk and too little reward. So make a list of whats GI'able on reaction against most characters and practice this. most chars 44B's, 25+ moves are all subject to consideration.
Raph's post GI is not very impressive, going from 33K:B (46) to something like 66A+B or 4B for around 60. I really suggest using 66A+B though, since I like its position on guard.
Ring Out
33_99K:B - RO forward. (pretty poor, but yet)
THROWS. throws are a huge part of raph ro game.
A+G - will RO to raphael's right. which means, if you can align yourself correctly (its not hard) you get to mix it up with
B+G - the dreaded newbie destroyer, will RO forward at a good distance too. Dont forget how much damage star wars stage will net you off this too.
left side throw! - also RO's to the right side. its a pure mix up. So once you train your opponent to fear throws, use 33K:B or whatever you want to make them get up again.
VE K - RO left/forward. Also (i dont think its known - after WS B VE K is a full tech trap. Most people will not fall for it, but it might be worth trying anyway.
Wake up
Raphael's wake up options seem somwhat limited, but after most KD's you can opt for the following
1K - cant be rolled by most characters.
66A+B - can be rolled to the left (afaik).
Also some people will learn to detect or simply time when they get up, to block both. If they do, or if you want some variety, just use B+K~VE until they get up. Mixup then.
Stance
VE - sadly is not a very good mixup, and its the main point why a lot of prep (easiest way to set VE up) is not a good idea. Once your opponent start ducking A and punishing K you must stop using this stance as a mix up unless you can make it unexpected. Also near the edge or walls it gets significantly better. VE K into wall combos into 33K:B. There has been certain degree of sucess if an empty VE is followed by basic moves. Since throw breaks in VE require concentration and also opponent pay attention to VE A, it is hard for him to react accordingly after. Just another gimick to add to your list. To a certain extent you can cancel your combos to trade them for VE-mix up (i.e 4B~prepA 3B~prepBB~B+K~VE mixup instead of finishing prep BBB:B), thats especially useful near the edges/walls.
Prep - the key to making this stance work is make it unexpected. Only damaging option in it are SEA B and prep A, both on CH. So your best bet is to SEA A quickly and move on. However, if you use prep transition in around 30% or less of your game it can become pretty annoying. Just consider how much your opponent will have to keep in mind then. Once you annoy him enough with plain 3B or prep SEA A , you can then sneak damage in. I realize it sounds a bit overcomplicated, but its really not that hard. When people get annoyed they get predictable. A simple prep A will then be not only hitting a lot, but also safe as they fail punishment.
I pretty much missed out on some points, but right now I gotta go. So feel free to argue, ask, or curse me. I will try to post some extras later.