Izayoi's Guide for Beginners BBCPEX

[TheLaughingJackal]

Warning! This guide is for beginners only, if you are looking for frame data or advanced combos, then I am afraid you've come to the wrong place. This will talk about things beginner Izayoi's should know starting out and building the foundation for a strong Izayoi game

Overview

Izayoi is a unique character who can switch between two modes throughout the match, her normal mode and her Gain-art form. Izayoi is a character who changes her play-style depending on her mode, in her normal mode the general play-style is to manipulate range and control the field with her long ranged specials and teleports, I like to refer to her as a point-to-point fighter (more on this later) in her normal mode. In her Gain-art mode, her play-style changes drastically from a control character to an aggressive character who specializes in getting past an opponents defense using a very powerful mix-up game unlike any other characters and the added bonus of a powerful whiff punishing game, but falls flat due to some limitations (more on this later).

Scarlett Justice (Drive)

Her drive allows her to switch back and forth between her two modes which alter Izayoi's play-style and alter some of her normals, alters her dash, and adds follow ups to her specials which allows them to be extended into combos. Her Gain-art mode is limited by a gauge on top of the heat gauge called the zero-type gauge which has 8 little circles to be filled. These circles can only be filled by Izayoi in her normal mode by using her specials on the opponent. To be more specific when Izayoi hits an opponent with a successful special (any), she would gain two bars of the zero-type gauge, however if Izayoi's special attack is blocked she would only gain one bar of zero-type gauge.

Move Breakdown (Normal Mode)

Normals

5a-  Izayoi's hits the opponent quickly with the hilt of her weapon

This is one of her fastest moves, usually used when izayoi is extremely close to the opponent or used to start a combo from a dash, can also whiff crouching opponents due to it being a high hit, though if your opponent is tall like hakumen or tager it will not whiff.

5b- Izayoi will thrust her weapon forward

This move has very good range, it has good speed for its range but if the opponent is close enough it can be easily punished, it confirms most specials and can cancel into the sonic saber special. One of her most useful tools in staring combos due to its range, however be careful not over use this since it can be easily predictable.

5c - Izayoi steps forward and slashes with her weapon

Can also confirm specials and like 5b can be canceled into sonic saber , this is used to quickly close the gap between Izayoi and the opponent and strangely enough also used as one her best air combo starters/anti-air. Also if blocked Izayoi moves back after the slash to maintain some range, can also OTG to start air combos.

2a-  Izayoi crouches and kicks low to the ground

 decent range (good for a low)  and speed, can be used twice per combo string and can be throw canceled into your opponent's dismay

2b- Izayoi crouches and sweep the ground

Its range is longer than 2a but however it is slower, but for its range its worth it and is very useful for quick and reliable OTG's

2c- Izayoi swings her sword upwards from crouching position

This has again amazing range, though it is slow it is a great tool for controlling space, however on C.H this move shines due to its catastrophic fatal counter stun allowing for Izayoi to switch into her Gain-art mode and combo her victim into oblivion. Can be tricky since it looks like an low hitting move but its a actually not.

6a- Izayoi bashes her weapon downward

Has decent range (more than 2a), slow on start up, it can force the opponent into a crouch state on hit and can be added into a combo to increase damage.

6b - Izayoi jumps and flips for an overhead

It can be delayed by holding it, It is invincible to low moves, on knocks down enemy's on air hit

6c- Izayoi uses her armor to attack.

It has long range and it can deal high damage on Fatal counter. This is mainly used for punishing opponents with its invincibilty .

3c- Izayoi sweeps the ground with her sword

It has short range, decent speed but not recommended since there are better options but regardless it is an option.

j,a- Izayoi jumps and hits using her hilt

Fast overhead, especially for her mix-up game, can cancel into air throw

j.b- Hits using her sharpened part of her cloth

fast overhead, once again great mix-up tool, can cross-up if used correctly

j.c diagonal slash 

Great for jump ins, can beat some anti-airs , used primarily for jump ins and as a combo starter/ender. It will cause a knockdown on air hit.

5d/2d/j.d - switches modes

I won't get into these much due to it being too complex for a beginner guide but just note that j.d stops izayoi's movement in the air and is also the safest

 

 

Specials

Crusade Seraphim A or Alpha(623b)- Izayoi slashes diagonally upwards

This is primarily used as an anti- air, it is also quick and it has good range against aerial attackers. It also throws the opponent the farthest out of the Crusade Seraphim varieties. 

Crusade Seraphim B or Beta(236c)- Izayoi slashes horizontally in front of her

One of Izayoi's best tool for spacing and controlling range, It is quick, has a long hit-box and is the safest of the the three if used in the right range, it is also a great tool for punishing whiffs at a safe range. On CH it sends the opponent sliding, which can lead into potential combos. It throws the opponent a good distance from Izayoi, 2nd farthest out of Crusade Seraphim varieties.

Crusade Seraphim Y or Gamma(236b)- Izayoi horizontally slashes her opponent's legs

Slowest of the Crusades Seraphims however it is a low, and the startup animation is the same as the others. It allows for OTG combo extensions and one of the few ways Izayoi can break 2k in her normal mode without meter. Even though it is a knockdown it manages the knock them backward quite a bit.

Crusade Seraphim in general

All Crusade Seraphims can be delayed and canceled, with the addition that they can all be mirage thruster canceled.

Aegis Blade(623c)- Izayoi slashes vertically upwards on top of her head. 

Her reversal, offers invincibility on release and not on start up, similar to crusade seraphim in where it can be delayed and stance canceled, allows for combo extension in the corner.

Stance Canceling and delaying- Izayoi cancels her delayed stance

This is used for tricking the opponent since all crusade seraphim variation's delayed stances look the same, also for when you know your attack won't reach them or when you accidentally do the wrong attack such as 623b instead of 236b. Also allows for Stance Cancel mix-ups which can take the enemy on surprise.

Mirage Thruster (in place)(214a)- Izayoi teleports in place

This is used primarily to cancel the recovery of the crusade seraphims, allowing for quicker recovery and reaction. This has the same start-up as all mirage thrusters and the fastest recovery in normal mode, so it can be used as confusion tactic.

Mirage Thruster (Forward)(214b)- Izayoi teleports forward

This can also be used to cancel the recovery of the seraphims but it is a little bit slower. If close enough,  Izayoi will go behind the opponent instead just appearing in front of the opponent.  This is primarily used to cross-up the opponent if a seraphim is blocked, it can also extend combos by following them with this certain mirage thruster.

Mirage Thruster (Backwards)(214c)- Izayoi teleports backwards

Usually used for ranging yourself from the opponent or running away from a possible reversal, It also able to cancel the recovery from the seraphims although it is not used for combos.

Sonic Sabre (236a)- Izayoi throws a projectile sword while moving backwards

This is used as an excellent zoning tool since it moves back and since it just needs to touch the enemy to gain Zero-type gauge bars, it can be used to evade possible reversals if a combo string is blocked.

Aerial sonic Sabre (j.236a)- Izayoi jumps and throws a swords at an angle.

Thanks to its angle it can stuff the opponent while Izayoi stays safe in the air. It is slightly faster than the ground version and intstead of moving backwards while throwing her projectile she will now go up and rise after throwing the projectile.

Noir Edge (j.236c)- Izayoi flip kicks causing her armor to strike upwards

Used as a combo ender in normal mode and will throw the opponent the farthest out of any special. It is not recommended to use it without hit confirming it first. Some people think just because it is an aerial it is a overhead, it is not and the range is to risky to just throw it out there since it can be easily be D.P'd or punished.

 

Distortion drives

Justice Phorizor(236236c)- Izayoi summons a large sword in front of her.

This is a good option as a reversal, however can also be used as a finisher. Good range, relatively safe on block due to it pushing the opponent back quite a bit. however if it whiffs or predicted it can easily be jumped.

 

 

 

Strategies While in Normal Mode

While in normal mode Izayoi's job is to collect bars for the Zero-Type gauge while staying alive long enough to transform into her Gain-Art form. Though this is her primary objective it doesn't mean she's useless. Many people make the mistake of making "Izayoi is trash simply because she cannot combo without her Gain-Art form". This is wrong it is true she does not have many combos but if used correctly izayoi can keep her range to control the field long enough to transform to Gain-Art form. Izayoi's neutral game is important in her normal node due to her range and the fact that some specials such as 623b and 236a move her forward and backwards. I refer to her as a Point-to-Point fighter due to the fact most of her offensive combos are going to be quick and short almost like a game of tag except in her case it's "tag, now get away from me" since most her combos end up throwing her opponent far away from her.  In terms of combo starters, if the opponent is in midrange use either 5b or 2b, if they are close use 5a and 2a and if they are in the air use 5c. If they try to attack you from the air and you aren't close enough for 5c then 623b it will be your best friend for anti-airs unless they come from directly above, in these special cases 623c will work wonders. In terms of spacing and zoning in neutral 236a and 236c are your go-to's due to the their hard to punish range and safety. For Whiff Punishing, your best bets are either 236c for a far away whiff or 5b for a close punish. If your combo strings are being blocked you could instead end with a 236a or use either crusade's then cancel them with mirage thruster to either cross them up or move away completely. Remember your job in normal mode is primarily to accumulate bars for the Zero-Type gauge.

Pay close attention on how you finish your combos this is important so you can try to predict your opponent. For a basic example if you end a combo with 236c on Ragna, his initial reaction would be his 214a or jump-in due to their range from this you can either try 236a or 623c, and from that instance you already have half the zero-type gauge filled. Experiment with this and possible reactions in training for different characters to get better, you don't have to master this just yet just pay attention to your combo enders and you will be okay. 

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Move Breakdown (Gain-Art Mode)

In Gain-Art mode, Izayoi's dash and moves are altered to fit a more mix-up oriented play-style, her moves remain the same with the exception of 5c,2c,3c,j.c,and 6c. Her Crusade Seraphim,Aegis Blade and Noir Edge moves gain follow-ups in exchange for one Zero-type gauge bar  and she gains D version moves of Sonic sabre and Mirage thruster. Also Izayoi no longer gains Zero-type gauge from specials and she can revert and transform from normal mode at any time.

Dash

66/44-Dash

This now instead of running flies upwards and backwards at an arc. This allows for jumping hits to be used while dashing instead of jumping allowing trickier and faster mix-ups. On the negative side she can't barrier block while dashing to protect herself, meaning you have to watch yourself when dashing.

Normals

5c-Quick Slash

Compared to normal mode, It loses range and gains speed but it becomes a really essential combo part due to its speed as well as being good for pressure and can cancel into 6c if needed.

6c- Izayoi steps forward and kicks high

On hit it launches the opponent in the air, due to its high hit-box it can catch opponents who jump away during a combo. Allows for extended combos in the corner with 5c

2c- Izayoi slashes twice downward then horizontally

Used mainly for corner combos in conjunction with 5c and 6c, second hit creates a vacuum like effect and can be canceled into 6c. Small range, great pressure tool .

j.c- Izayoi hits downwards with her armor

A key part in her offensive play-style, beats most aerial moves and has a huge hit-box, it is all purpose move which can useful in many situations and mix-ups.

3c- Sliding low kick

Can cause fatal counter, and it can be canceled on hit into any special and OD canceled making for some interesting options on hit.

 

Specials(Normals)

Valkyrie Astrea (6D during 236c/236b) -Izayoi lunges forward quickly  (Uses one gauge of zero-type)

Used to extend combos, decent range and fast speed. Can be used from delayed stance and used to punish those who try to punish a delayed stance, can also be used on block. Can also be mirage thruster canceled to follow the opponent.

Strike Fall (D during 632b/623c)- Izayoi teleports and slashes down on the opponent. (Uses one gauge of zero-type)

Used primarily as a combo finisher since it can't be used on block and can lead to Valkyrie Astrea. Can be mirage thruster canceled after the hit allowing for further mix-ups

D Sonic Sabre and aerial Sonic Sabre (236D or j.236d)- Izayoi summons a bigger sword with smaller swords following it.  (Uses 2 Gauges of Zero-type)

Compared to 236a it is slower but now causes insane block stun and can allow for devastating mix-up and cross-up options, While the aerial version can be used as an okizeme tool and shoots at a better angle.

D Mirage Thruster(214D)- Izayoi quickly teleports behind the opponent (Uses One gauge of zero-type)

Compared to the other variations this version is the quickest and always appears behind the opponent, allowing for very useful whiff punishes which can lead to big combos. Will pursue opponents even in the air and can be performed in the air allowing for a really good whiff punishing tool.Can be performed with D sonic sabre to cross up and create very hard to react to mix-ups.

Distortion Drive

Slaver Trans-AM(632146D)- Izayoi summons small guns to shoot while attacking (uses Four Gauges of Zero-type)

This is mainly used to increase pressure in your block-string and to potentially increase damage but requires special combos to use it well.

Strategies while in Gain-Art Form

While in Gain-Art form you find that Izayoi gains rather aggressive move extensions, this combined with her new dash and new normals allows her combos to be extended as well as her pressure/mix-up potential to be increased, This form shines with her mix-up and cross-up game and is unlike any other in the game. Most anti-air option remains the same but are now extended for further mix-up possibilities due to strike fall and mirage thruster. Due to dashing turning normals into overheads this gives you the options to either jump or dash to get overheads other than 6b and to force your opponent into a guessing game of determining where to block. The main strategy is to rush the opponent down with continuous pressure while abusing mix-ups and cross-ups to crack your opponents defense to go in for the kill. While izayoi has many tricks at her disposal to be tricky such as double teleporting , stance cancel mix-ups, stance delaying, whiff baiting that can take opponents by surprise. Valkyrie Astrae is used to close the distance and to punish careless frontal attacks and whiffs. The new D version of sonic sabre is useful due to its hit-stun and the d version of mirage thruster being able to go behind the opponent while the opponent is forcibly blocking allowing for a mix-up and a cross-up at the same time. It is also still notable that using 236a in a block-string while avoid a D.P or punish. Remember that to use your Zero-Type gauge wisely and never use it without thinking and never dash in without thinking, you will easily get punished because you can't block what so ever.

 

 

 

Stance Canceling and Delaying

A stance cancel mix-ups and delaying are a good way to trick the opponent into either attacking or opening up their defense. A stance cancel mix-up is when you cancel Crusade Seraphim in the middle of a block string or combo, then dash to hit either overhead or low. An example of this is 5b~5c~6c~236c(a)~66~6b or 2b. This isn't something to just keep throwing out there, its more of a surprise move as it is possible to punish. This is usable in both modes but really shines when used in Gain-Art due to the dash and various other tools such as D mirage thruster. Stance delaying is when you hold the stance in crusade seraphim in hopes of the opponent counter attacking. Also used to trick to wait people out the entire duration or to attack. This is useful thanks to 236c,623b and 236b having the same starting animation often forcing them to guess which it is and even better you cancel this stance for a mix-up!

 

 

 

[SixWingedAngel]

Nice initiative, yesterday I was also thinking of making something like that :D

one very small correction(?)

j.c diagonal slash 

Great forjump ins, can beat some anti-airs , used primarily for jump ins and as a combo ender

(btw j.b supposedly hits with the sharpened metal part of her cloth)

 

can't wait to see the complete thread

[TheLaughingJackal]

Nice initiative, yesterday I was also thinking of making something like that :D

one very small correction(?)

(btw j.b supposedly hits with the sharpened metal part of her cloth)

 

can't wait to see the complete thread

Thanks for catching that error

Well j..c can start combos if followed by 5a but I did mean to put combo ender.

and the animation for j.b happens to fast to see but your right now that I look at it.

[Citadel19]

Thanks so much for this, this was helpful!

[ascle]

Hello, thanks for the nice guide..

I'm having trouble using her gain mode to rush my oppenent.  What moves do I need to start the initiative? I realized I rely too much on my 5b-5c attack to start something (mean I rely too much on her range), it's probably why I'm having so much trouble in her gain mode. Any advise what move should i rely on when I'm in her gain mode to initiative the fight?

thx in advance and sorry for my bad english.

[TheLaughingJackal]

Sorry about the late reply

but to answer your question 5b-5c only works when close and gets harshly punished when it whiffs so when you aren't in range for 5c try 5b-236c or 5b-236a to gain some distance, 236d might be costly but it is a great pressure tool when paired with 214d since it crosses up and gives you time to go in for a risk-free mix-up. 5b is very solid for this mode since it has good range, links to almost all her tools and provides space control but is punishable on whiff, so be careful using it. Another move to look at is j.c due to its very huge hitbox and has lots of utility but when used with her dash it can be a bit slow. Fastest move to use when dashing would be j.a, you should keep this in mind if you want to rush down your opponents with a fast but weak overhead.

Hope this helped, thank you guys for the positive feedback

[Ichipoo]

Here's a lazy reply but IMO, learning how to hitconfirm off of just 5B alone will get you far as well. It's easy to go auto pilot with 5B 5C due to how it works more often than not in general in fighting games but with Izayoi, that's not always the case due to how much range 5B has over 5C and you'll sometimes find yourself whiffing 5C if you continue to autopilot with her should 5B hit at a distance.

[ascle]

Hello, so I think I finally understand her basic, my hit confirm is getting better, my movement is also getting better (especially her gain mode) and etc. Now I'm back with another problem about her gain stock. Against certain match up I find it difficult to stock my gain, for ex recently I've been playing against good nu13 and carl player, while nu is able to neutralize my sonic saber and pressuring from safe distance, carl is easier but still hard since doing special on nirvana doesn't give me stocks. Using OD definitely help me, but I was wondering if there is any other option I can use when I'm in this kind of situation (hard stocking gain situation)?

 

Btw how useful/important is her  632146D (trans-am)? It's costly and I rarely see izayoi player use this.

 

Also thank you for the reply about my previous problem.

[TheLaughingJackal]

3 hours ago, ascle said:

Hello, so I think I finally understand her basic, my hit confirm is getting better, my movement is also getting better (especially her gain mode) and etc. Now I'm back with another problem about her gain stock. Against certain match up I find it difficult to stock my gain, for ex recently I've been playing against good nu13 and carl player, while nu is able to neutralize my sonic saber and pressuring from safe distance, carl is easier but still hard since doing special on nirvana doesn't give me stocks. Using OD definitely help me, but I was wondering if there is any other option I can use when I'm in this kind of situation (hard stocking gain situation)?

 

Btw how useful/important is her  632146D (trans-am)? It's costly and I rarely see izayoi player use this.

 

Also thank you for the reply about my previous problem.

Honestly against nu and lambda, it's very hard to get stocks regularly but your best friend would be aerial sonic sabre, i recommend learning nu or lambda's pattern and range and moving around alot trying to find holes in certain moves, It's honeslty kinda fair since izayoi's gain mode destroys them with ease.

Against carl, i usually fight them at midrange since nirvana is his meat shield against projectiles and i can safely poke carl or i bait him into my dp when he closes the distance.

Trans-am is decent but not worth it, it increases pressure but is combo specific and drops regular combos, I'm actually trying to test it out as a defensive tool, by activating it, then switching to her regular form and increasing my poking potential and stock gain. 

[ascle]

10 hours ago, TheLaughingJackal said:

Honestly against nu and lambda, it's very hard to get stocks regularly but your best friend would be aerial sonic sabre, i recommend learning nu or lambda's pattern and range and moving around alot trying to find holes in certain moves, It's honeslty kinda fair since izayoi's gain mode destroys them with ease.

Against carl, i usually fight them at midrange since nirvana is his meat shield against projectiles and i can safely poke carl or i bait him into my dp when he closes the distance.

Trans-am is decent but not worth it, it increases pressure but is combo specific and drops regular combos, I'm actually trying to test it out as a defensive tool, by activating it, then switching to her regular form and increasing my poking potential and stock gain. 

Oh well I guess I need to be more patience against her. Thanks