Recent Raph players?

HolyForce

I will show you...
Anyone still going strong with Raph? QQ aside on his many, many design issues, I keep checking this forum over the months hoping someone discoveres something I missed to up his game.

Instead of just checking today, I'm actively asking if any good players out there have success with Raph against other good players... and if you'd like to revive discussions on strategy. Still awhile until Sc5, might as well try to enjoy Sc4 some more...
 
I can hold my own with Raphael. However, It's just a matter of how lame you have to be with him. He mainly gets reduced down to poking and punishing consistently. On the plus side it taught me to be more careful as a player, which has helped for even my bum rushing rage-tastic Astaroth.
 
I never really liked Raph with idiot players spamming his 3B BBB or whatever it is. I guess there are just some moves where I don't like characters for them.
 
in case of "whatever it is" mind that that animation is the end of 90% of raphael granted combos...so dunno if you are asking opponents to avoid using combos just for fashion reasons but i think its asking a little too much.

In case is on block then is to step/duck/etc predicting the mixup......unfortunately for raph risk reward are absurd against him.
 
I can only stand him in small doses I think hes a solid character

just realllllllllllllllyyyyyyy boring
 
I love Ralph. He has great throw range, great closing distance, a damn good knockdown low, multiple safe TJ moves and a great gauge game. Giving him horizontal strengths would make him OP.

If nightmare becomes NightSophie in the next game, I most probably will play Ralph as my main.
 
I love Ralph. He has great throw range, great closing distance, a damn good knockdown low, multiple safe TJ moves and a great gauge game. Giving him horizontal strengths would make him OP.

If nightmare becomes NightSophie in the next game, I most probably will play Ralph as my main.

I like your positiveness.I'd like to add that a lot of his pokes are non-committal so (on block) what happens next is strictly mindgames between your opponent and yourself, and that the opposing character never has a straightforward counter against seemingly disadvtangeous pokes with raph.

However, whats so great about 2A+B again ? Unless you're talkin about prep K:K. Which I still dont' put in the "damn good" category.
 
It breaks in about 8, its safish for a knockdown low and it has a must-block post KD which leads to wakeup mixups. Its also very difficult to see and catches many people out. I use it as part of throw, 11B and 2A+B mixups etc amongst other things. Add it together with delays and step, and its almost unblockable, you have to guess.

When you actually play against a good ralph who does not whine and complain; and actually works on his game, you realise how good Ralph becomes.
 
However, whats so great about 2A+B again ? Unless you're talkin about prep K:K. Which I still dont' put in the "damn good" category.

range...
Being the longest move of raph it has his uses....expecially since few people expect a low from that distance...or against stances from distance...

(or maybe that i use it so rarely that people never expect it)

@engared raph suffers some moves really too much...its bad balanced whiffs randomly and lacks some tools (see super TC but TC also).
 
range...
Being the longest move of raph it has his uses....expecially since few people expect a low from that distance...or against stances from distance...

(or maybe that i use it so rarely that people never expect it)

@engared raph suffers some moves really too much...its bad balanced whiffs randomly and lacks some tools (see super TC but TC also).

He makes up for it with TJ moves. He doesn't need a super TC move.
 
It breaks in about 8, its safish for a knockdown low and it has a must-block post KD which leads to wakeup mixups. Its also very difficult to see and catches many people out. I use it as part of throw, 11B and 2A+B mixups etc amongst other things. Add it together with delays and step, and its almost unblockable, you have to guess.
Which force block do you mean? After 2A+B?

I'm certain that darkfender means Raphael's mids whiffing on super tech crouches. (And his BB whiffs on crouch.) I do not think that is a serious problem as I once did; Lizardman is annoyed by some things about Raphael, and any other character can be adapted to. Show me the character that will TC under WS B, and I'll start panicking again.

Engared, your analyses caused me to think of Nightmare. These descriptions sound true at least in that case. When I noticed that you identify primarily with Nightmare, doubt about the objectivity of your description surfaced. Nonetheless, I will take from this the idea that "2A+B is not to be underestimated," and see what I can do with it when at casuals next.
 
Which force block do you mean? After 2A+B?

I'm certain that darkfender means Raphael's mids whiffing on super tech crouches. (And his BB whiffs on crouch.) I do not think that is a serious problem as I once did; Lizardman is annoyed by some things about Raphael, and any other character can be adapted to. Show me the character that will TC under WS B, and I'll start panicking again.

Engared, your analyses caused me to think of Nightmare. These descriptions sound true at least in that case. When I noticed that you identify primarily with Nightmare, doubt about the objectivity of your description surfaced. Nonetheless, I will take from this the idea that "2A+B is not to be underestimated," and see what I can do with it when at casuals next.

I play Ralph in a similar way to how I play Nightmare, utilizing spacing and closing distance and it seems to be working thus far. I use his throws in order to create flinch and i hammer out 44B at range and in close to create whiff. I also use his TJs very often in close. I do not even use prep and I win with Ralph against people who play against Ralph mains.
 
ok how does TC hurt raph? he is a character based off mid verts........
super TC is a problem if you dont adapt ... you have 2B and 33K:B
2b is i16
and 33K:B is i17 and 40 damage...
yeah super TC hurts if you are spamming prep but prep is kinda meh anyway
once again... it sounds like you guys are complaining to be tier martyrs which is funny since raph isn't horrible at all.....
when you play a truly horrible character you kinda learn to see how good raph really is....his basics are really solid which allows mad stylistic differences
 
ok how does TC hurt raph? he is a character based off mid verts........
super TC is a problem if you dont adapt ... you have 2B and 33K:B
2b is i16
and 33K:B is i17 and 40 damage...
yeah super TC hurts if you are spamming prep but prep is kinda meh anyway
once again... it sounds like you guys are complaining to be tier martyrs which is funny since raph isn't horrible at all.....
when you play a truly horrible character you kinda learn to see how good raph really is....his basics are really solid which allows mad stylistic differences
This.
He has a good zoning game, good damage, reasonable punishment, great range, good pokes and good throws. And while people moan about how step kills him, he's no worse than Voldo in neutral, yet nobody mentions that XD.
Yes, he's weak to step, but he's still a solid mid-tier IMO: he's defenitely better than any low tier, ergo he isn't low tier.

Why does everybody hate Raph so much?
 
1) yeah glad everyone's on the "raph aint low tier" wago" but you must have some shit blocking your view if thats the tone you're getting out of the last dozen or so posts. It's about time you guys respect his game, but not at the expense of coming to the conclusion that there is dissidence in this sub-forum regarding his position.

2) Super TCs that force you to use your less-than-optimal moves basically changes your game. Using 2B over your other better moves isn't the end of the world though, because it is fast, good ranged and safe on block. However, on hit the positioning is ambiguous because its 0 on hit and you don't want to resort to guessing and trading CHs with your opponent. I guess i'm the only raph player here who doesn't like being in the FC position you can't move as easily as you can when you are standing.

3) People don't like him because at he looks like he's spamming because his combos all end the same way. prepBBB:B drives scrubs nuts which is great in my book.
 
However, on hit the positioning is ambiguous because its 0 on hit and you don't want to resort to guessing and trading CHs with your opponent. I guess i'm the only raph player here who doesn't like being in the FC position you can't move as easily as you can when you are standing.

FC isn't my absolute favorite place to be for Raphael, but if you're feeling cramped remember that you can buffer 44B from FC.
 
2) Super TCs that force you to use your less-than-optimal moves basically changes your game. Using 2B over your other better moves isn't the end of the world though
most characters only have 2B for super TC...
not many people have fast ground hitting mids keep that in mind
 
The Mage thinks that Raphael's style is boring; it is generally 3BBB BBB that most Raphaels spam.
 
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