[CS2] Lambda vs Ragna

[cookiehours]

This matchup shouldn't be so bad but I'm having issues with aggressive Ragnas. The ones that rush at you. I know Spike Chasers is one way of keeping him away, not to mention swords (derr) but I still seem to be having trouble.

I think my zoning sucks ass in this matchup.

He's not even as scary as he was in CS1 and yet I feel like a punching bag.

[someonewhodied]

236B>214C and then force Ragna to block 214D~C>236D~C>214D~C to take out 2 guard primers (Well, thats universal advise against any non-projectile user) and then go back to spamming ranged attacks (Preferrably j.2D since you aren't left both vulnerable AND stuck in 1 spot on whiff. Just vulnerable)

[lilseph]

I find this MU was a lot easier in CS1 than in CS2. Ragna should never get in past your D spam he has next to no options to approach its almost sad. Hells fang is VERY unsafe so punish that with pretty much anything. He could jump through the air but if you time it right you can run under neath him and hes right back where he started. Air dash for him is just as unsafe as hells fang so he wont do that if he smart. The only super safe option he has is to studder step forward and block, he just take baby steps. I find that to be the most annoying for the simple fact that if the Ragna can block than he will eventually back you into the corner so you are forced to do something out of your comfort zone etc etc.

But why i was saying that he his harder in CS2 than he was in CS1 is because our defensive options are severely lacking and his block strings got better. He approach's the same so logically the MU got harder if you think about it. Instant block 5a/2a/backdash is gone for the most part. Chicken blocking is nerfed hard. We lost out DP, and if you play Lambda you will know its not fun at all to back up into the corner. My only advice there is to barrier block so that it pushes him away so he will eventually be out of range so he'll have to do something unsafe such as an air dash or a command dash and that's when you punish.

ehh that's all i got right now i could elaborate more on what I'm talking about but I really don't feel like sitting here for an hour or more just to type out what to do against Ragna. I hope this helps out because quite frankly, Ragna is my personal favourite and best MU. Ragna gets fucked so hard in this MU if you know what your doing.

[cookiehours]

I think also that I panic against Ragna at times. The fact he can just stuff Lambda's attacks scares me.

[Starkaiser]

Just don't scare him, you can think in your mind that if you aren't in corner, he can't do big combo against you. usually he will just try to do combo that push you to corner which is only 2000 damage. and you still have a lot of chance to get out of corner from him.

Dead Spike = the best chance to escape. (jump out)

Each Ragna aren't with same strength, but..

These videos might prove little use here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrKXqzjmb8g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qryTUfv2ZQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DexA5QmcgWQ

Those Ragna players in vids 've played this game since CS1, so they played around a year before me and then just had to adjusted combo when I started playing in CS2.

[Fireryda]

236B>214C and then force Ragna to block 214D~C>236D~C>214D~C to take out 2 guard primers (Well, thats universal advise against any non-projectile user) and then go back to spamming ranged attacks (Preferrably j.2D since you aren't left both vulnerable AND stuck in 1 spot on whiff. Just vulnerable)

Whaaa??

Edit: Gravity is a good ender to pressure but you're not at advantage. He's going to stuff you so hard with a 4k combo into corner and then you're going to get destroyed. If you end in gravity, keep pressure with a 5a/5b or get out.

Anyways. IMO, for this matchup you need to keep him off the ground and in the air as he has far more limited options. Throw 5d's and pre-emptive 3c's to keep him off the ground then 6d/214d/whatever his aerial entries. I find it far easier to deal with j.c and friends then 5b/5c. You need to keep him patient with aggressive safe swords.

Any specifics you need help on ?

[cookiehours]

Whaaa??

Edit: Gravity is a good ender to pressure but you're not at advantage. He's going to stuff you so hard with a 4k combo into corner and then you're going to get destroyed. If you end in gravity, keep pressure with a 5a/5b or get out.

Anyways. IMO, for this matchup you need to keep him off the ground and in the air as he has far more limited options. Throw 5d's and pre-emptive 3c's to keep him off the ground then 6d/214d/whatever his aerial entries. I find it far easier to deal with j.c and friends then 5b/5c. You need to keep him patient with aggressive safe swords.

Any specifics you need help on ?

Just escaping him in general. I think I let him get in too quickly or something.

[someonewhodied]

I'll have a few videos up tomorrow vs ragna.

[Fireryda]

Just escaping him in general. I think I let him get in too quickly or something.

Well to stop him from getting in you have to make him respect your ground game then keep him out of the air.

On the ground, don't do 214d's/ 236d's unless you're at full screen. He can reaction punish with a 5C into big damage and corner carry. His best way to get in on you is running 5b/5c when in range so you have to stop him from that. 5D's into 214D's do this, and force him to try to get around it. When he gets into the air just 6D his stuff and keep moving with jc iads and blocked normals into dash command grabs. You don't want him to get you closer to the corner as form then every hit can be easily confirmed into big damage/

-Will get around to dealing with pressure in a bit.

[kenja0]

Ragna's rushdown is pretty straightforward. The only mixup option he has you should look out for is his Gauntlet Hades since it's pretty fast and can start his combos. 6B is very easy to predict in blockstring and has probably the weakest revolver action table out of every overhead move in the game.

If he's sniping with 5B/5C then someone's not keeping him out with Ds. j.2DD stops a lot, 6D and j.DD stop the rest. Dashing 2D especially stops those jump ins. 214D walls his face in, especially if he's in the air. Dead Spike is the only thing stopping Lambda from utterly destroying Ragna. Ragna is just not as scary as he used to be: he lost options, bar building and damage.

[cookiehours]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GE8OoISfAM

I won this match but there were some freaking mistakes in here I wasn't proud of. Feel free to critique.

I know about the Calamity Sword messup. It was meant to be a Legacy Edge.

Joo also get to hear cookie's voice.

[someonewhodied]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAK_Ue-myN4

3 Lambda vs Ragna matches

2 Lambda vs Rachels.

2 matches of my secondary characters.

Video time for each match in description.

Also, I'm getting REALLY good at burst baiting. I just can't figure out what to do after my opponent bursts on the ground. (bursting in air means Backdash>5DD>236C combo)

[Starkaiser]

Here is a new match I did for Ragna, the guy already know lambda much better now, while I also know his ragna much better.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2L0Z204JFw

Hope the vid will help show something, because this guys is quite better than average ragna users, he has very high winning chance in network mode.

I think that Jp pro vids are sometimes too hard to learn from them, and we don't really see those pro users in internet anyway. so it is not so practical.

[FACE CLAIMER]

after those matchups with you and your friends i decided to try some other methods of dealing with Ragna pressure and i found one that is risky but if timed right puts ragna in a corner every time. if he pushes you to the corner and starts to rush in, 236a will send you to the opposite side of the screen. of course, the risk is that if he's already started attacking you'll eat a counter hit and big corner damage. if it works, you'll have a fullscreen crossup though. its worked for me so far, but im getting better. and thanks for the tips btw.

[someonewhodied]

Alternatively, you can jump the deadspike and airdash out.

Or IB his 5C/5D and attack him during Dead Spike's super slow startup.

[Legacy Edge]

i started today playing on hell difficulty (after easily clearing very hard) and i find myself really getting beaten down by ragna althought i manage to get some close matches.

What im doing wrong is that i cant capitalize on his mistakes/ blocks i make.

Example, he goes on me with D->214A->214D, i manage to block the entire thing and then when i try to hit him with 2b or 2a he just attacks before me and combos me down.

Anything i can do on such occasions? Can i attack before him to buy some of my distance or keep blocking is my only option?

Basically i do that mistakes on all of my matchups, i dont know when to stop blocking and go to the offensive or with what combo, Ragna is just an example, as he used to be my easiest matchup, could always block the AIs attack's in a OK for my level way.

yea as you can see i lack some pretty basic knowledge on the game:(

[toanenadiz]

You're pressing buttons too late. Hell's Fang follow-up is -24 on block. You should be able to get a CH 5D on him every time he uses (provided he doesn't RC it).

[KayEff]

at neutral, your main goal is to keep ragna away. i'm sure that concept is pretty simple to grasp.

if ragna ends up rushing you down, just block. you have no meterless reversal that you can use to get yourself out of pressure, but blocking ragna's mixup and pressure really limits his options. most players will end their pressure with dead spike or 2C, in which that's an opportune time to try and get out of his pressure.

of course if you actually see dead spike coming you can always jump over it.

[lilseph]

lol dead spike. dead spike pressure online is like spike chaser pressure online. It seems so unbeatable until you take a step back and think for a second.

[Legacy Edge]

thanks, im getting much better results after reading this thread

still having some troubles if i let him corner me but nothing fatal

[lilseph]

Yeah that happens at all levels of play so don't sweat it. Just learn his block strings, combos, etc etc.