Video Discussion Thread

[Corbenik]

Alright, thought I'd actually start the thread. For this first match I picked Dekuno vs Fuku (BA), mainly because I don't really know much about the matchup and wanted to learn more. Link is below, match starts at 4:53. On mobile so not sure how to get the link with time.

http://youtu.be/QNkex49UniA

I'm trying out the play by play, but I'm not sure if it's something I want to do in the future. First that it takes forever and second that most of what I'm writing feels obvious. Jump to analysis if you don't feel like reading it.

Round 1 Overview: Dekuno immediately jumps back while Fuku moves back slightly and then advances. They enter into a mainly air-based neutral game. Dekuno catches Fuku super jumping into barrier block with a throw, which is the second time Fuku did so. Dekuno uses safe jump j.c to open his blockstrings and catches Fuku with a 2a after a second blocked j.c. The combo that follows puts Fuku in the corner.

Dekuno again opens with safe jump j.c, this time catching Fuku with and IAD j.c. Fuku bursts out. They go back to the air neutral. After Dekuno blocks a nail he gets caught by a throw and combo'd to the corner. After Fuku jump cancels and throws a nail in his pressure, Dekuno successfully zones him with j.d. Dekuno air dashes in with j.b but after it's blocked whiffs j.c, which Fuku punishes. Fuku's pressure fails when he is pushed away by barrier and his low (2c?) whiffs. Dekuno backlashes the run up attack and starts his blockstring but gets his 5c parried.

Fuku baits Dekuno's dp. On his next wakeup Dekuno backlashes through Fuku's attack (what attack is that?) and hits with 2a. Fuku gets side switched into the corner. During Dekuno's pressure Fuku attats to punish the gap between j.c and 2a but gets blocked and RC's into block immediately. Gets caught with 2c and Dekuno spends his meter for the kill.

Round 2 Overview: Dekuno and Fuku have basically the same start, with Dekuno dashing back and Fuku waiting for a split second and advancing. Fuku attempts to bait an anti air whiff. When they both meet Fuku gets a free j.c(?) hit but drops a combo (if that combos). Dekuno air techs back towards the corner. Dekuno attempts a 6b as he lands, which whiffs, then super jumps forward while mashing j.a for an air confirm. Dekuno opens Fuku up with 2c but drops (or purposefully delays?) 236a which Fuku techs through into blocking it. Dekuno's j.c gets parried when he attempts the same jump cancel + barrier block into j.c.

Fuku immediately hits with j.b and Dekuno bursts. Dekuno immediately afterburners and barrier blocks Fuku, who ran up to pressure. Fuku crosses up into the corner and tries to bait 6b, Dekuno whiffs 2b instead. Fuku puts Dekuno in block with nails and lands a j.c(?). Combo gets dropped. Fuku hits with an overhead rapid cancel and pushes Dekuno to the corner, which he tries to roll out of but gets hit for his trouble.

After some weird crossups and a missed CA they return to neutral. Dekuno catches Fuku with a j.d but drops the combo after the side switch. Fuku backlashes out of Dekuno's pressure and they return to neutral. Fuku catches Dekuno's j.d by throwing it at contact, ending the round.

Round 3 Overview: Dekuno again retreats, Fuku immediately ground dashing forward. Fuku starts his blockstring and counterhits with a low(?). Dekuno gets repeatedly hit by pressure until he lands a dp counterhit, which he drops. Fuku incompletely punishes, then crosses up and finds a hit. Dekuno bursts with a sliver of health, but after a return to neutral gets hit by an aerial.

Analysis: As far as I can tell, Dekuno's immediate retreat at the start of every matches their means he's incredibly confident in playing defense or not confident in taking the offensive with either this player, Bang, or as Bullet in general. Going off of Fuku getting in very random hits in his blockstrings, I'd pin this to matchup inexperience. His defensive play really isn't that great. Notably that he just sits and tries to block when Fuku approaches in the second round. A snapchance would've counter hit when Fuku just runs up like that. It's worth noting that I'm not criticizing him for not snapchancing, I'm criticizing him for playing defensive like he was when he just didn't seem that good at it. His throw in round one was probably a read that Fuku would be barrier blocking.

As far as pressure goes, the jump canceling is useful but if Dekuno was going to go that route that often throwing in that crossup more often probably would've been helpful. I actually do think he could've won in the second round of he didn't drop his combo.

Third round was a steamroll mainly because of a very late burst and what I'm assuming is matchup experience and poor reactions. I actually realized that what I'd called a drop on Fuku's side was actually probably burst bait.

I would be willing to say that if I played a bang of roughly my level it would have a similar tempo as that match, with maybe me starting out well but the opponent taking the advantage once I'm forced to block. Only with much less skill involved.

In unrelated news I'm going to be dropping bbcp for a while and focusing on xrd. I wouldn't mind continuing to write for this thread, because I like spectating almost as much as playing, but I'll probably fall behind if new things are discovered. I'd also appreciate verification on bang's moves and corrections if I mislabeled them.

Edit: a couple of questions I have but forgot to write:

Why does Dekuno start with j.c so often at first and what encourages him to stop? Does bang have a meterless dp? Does bang have a parry that doesn't work on j.c?

Dekuno always seems to jump cancel in his blockstrings instead of using 6c. What are the benefits?

Do you think there was a point in which serpentine should've been used but wasn't?