The Art of Mixup and Increasing Pressure

[Yggjrasil]

Can anyone explain frame traps? I don't really get the concept.

When Ragna does Dead Spike in the middle of a blockstring and someone blocks it and tries to attack while Ragna is recovering,and then gets countered because they are out of reach, but Ragna's 5B is in perfect range for countering. This is an example of frame trapping.

[MisoSowee]

I thought frame trapping was more like ragna does x move which is +y frames on block, and the opponent tries to poke out but is stuffed by ragna's next move because he had the frame advantage :o

[smooshman]

I thought frame trapping was more like ragna does x move which is +y frames on block, and the opponent tries to poke out but is stuffed by ragna's next move because he had the frame advantage :o

that's basically a frame trap.

[TD]

Learning to mixup is as easy as learning your character's blockstrings: which is the first thing l tend to address when playing a new character.

Don't know much about other chars because l only play 2-3. But Ragna can do

2b - 6b (low high mixup)

2b - 2c (low low)

6b - GH (high high)

are just a few l suppose. l find overheads to be a majority of people's weakness as l play them (including myself, admittedly.)

[Heavy_Mental]

Learning to mixup is as easy as learning your character's blockstrings: which is the first thing l tend to address when playing a new character.

Don't know much about other chars because l only play 2-3. But Ragna can do

2b - 6b (low high mixup)

2b - 2c (low low)

6b - GH (high high)

are just a few l suppose. l find overheads to be a majority of people's weakness as l play them (including myself, admittedly.)

2C doesn't hit low if I remember correctly. Go with 3C. Any "air-to-ground pressure land 6B" seems to work pretty well. People generally don't expect overheads to be thrown out at the beginning of a combo. Hell, just rushing up and doing Gauntlet Hades can work. It's pretty darn worth it as well, since Ragna can get 4K off of it.

[TD]

l knew l was off with something. Good looking out.

[Poizonous Flour]

Lemme try replying. I read the first post and kinda tl:dr the rest... so expect some repeats. I personally hate excessive blockers/turtlers. They existed in Tekken, and they exist in BlazBlue. Overheads in BB suck. Especially in CT Litchi's case in where you have to be on drugs in order not to see it coming. Since people can just jump-back out of most pressure situations anyway, the only time it ever comes apparent is when you get people to the wall.

Anyway, I have a few strategies for dealing with excessive blocking.

Nothing is wrong with being predictable, as long as you are safe. Litchi has some of the most predictable strings on the planet. 5B 5C(2 hit)... are you kidding. Truthfully, all people have to do is block low all day and Litchi is meat.

At first, I thought the basic high/low/grab would work. Wrong! BB is all about relieving pressure from attacks... therefore, you are almost never close enough to perform a throw unless it is a tick throw. With the big throw window, it is just completely bogus to count on throws to stop blockers. (May work online, but offline... you are out of luck.)

1) Predictability fake: If you are like me, you are always looking for an opening when you are blocking. A screw-up... or something. In my case, I choose 1 safe canned string. Like 5B, 5C(2 hit). Look for the gatling cancel spots... and improvise.

5B j.B. ... 5B 6A(an overhead) ... 5B 2B(low) 6A(overhead)... 5B 5C(1hit) Itsuu (Pure Straight)

This is your basic high-low. But, I butter them up with a basic string first for a few reps, then when they anticipate that I am weak... then I attack. Nothing is more annoying than a broken record. Attack them, butter them up, then switch.

2) Delay/Cancels: Well, if that doesn't work then I start playing around with delays. Usually, a blocker would keep blocking forever without end. If that is the case, I start trying to hit with meaties. Always look at your opponents blocking position when you approach them and after you've finished a move. Sometimes it can give you ideas on how to hit them next. (I use grab as a delay actually... if they break it, it resets the pressure game. If they don't, free damage.) Cancels - like Rapid Cancel or purposely stopping a move creates small opportunities as well, but they are hard to capitalize on against a blocker.

3) Invincible frames/jumping: If they start trying to punish your meaties or try to mash out of pressure, you replace them instead. Instead of an overhead, jump back instead or use invincibility (Inferno). Whiffed attacks from the opposition is all that you are looking for. Once they attack, it is a weakness. Use it against them at all costs.

4) Cross-up: This is my favorite thing to do vs. blockers. I would purposely stop a combo midway to dash and cross-up. It forces them to always be on their toes, or try to punish the dash. Blockers are passive, most of the time... there is nothing to worry about as long as you keep yourself and your moves honest.

5) Turtle-up: If all else fails, let them come in to you. BB is very very nice to blockers in this game. Too nice to blockers, it is almost BS. Anyway, they have to try and attack you sometime, and when they do... react to their moves.

The most important thing to do, is to keep yourself safe at all times. Don't give them moves that they can punish for damage. You will always lose. Instead, keep it safe. Jump back, and make sure you are looking for openings in your opponents defense.

Yomi is all about anticipation. Everyone has different levels of yomi and concentration. But, someone has to attack sometime. Game is no fun if both people are excessively blocking.

CT Litchi is almost laughable without the wall. However, it only takes one hit to get them there... so why not. Same thing for all characters. Your goal is to score that hit. The safer you play your character, the harder it'll be for the blocker... period. They'll end up opening up when they don't want to... and lose. Play safe, IB = win.

PzF...

[-Ladon-]

Learning to mixup is as easy as learning your character's blockstrings: which is the first thing l tend to address when playing a new character.

Don't know much about other chars because l only play 2-3. But Ragna can do

2b - 6b (low MID mixup)

2b - 2c (low low)

6b - GH (MID MID)

are just a few l suppose. l find overheads to be a majority of people's weakness as l play them (including myself, admittedly.)

fixed, overheads are considered Mids, not highs, highs are anything that is blockable with either low or high block.

[TD]

As long as they know they have to block high for an overhead...

[Osuna]

fixed, overheads are considered Mids, not highs, highs are anything that is blockable with either low or high block.

Are you sure? I'm under the impression that is only the case in games like Tekken. Where moves that hit the mid area aren't blockible while crouching and highs whiff crouching.

In a pure logic and visual standpoint, blocking a high while ducking makes no sense at all.

[-Ladon-]

Are you sure? I'm under the impression that is only the case in games like Tekken. Where moves that hit the mid area aren't blockible while crouching and highs whiff crouching.

In a pure logic and visual standpoint, blocking a high while ducking makes no sense at all.

blockable by both low block and high block=High

blockable by just high block=Mid

blockable only by low block=Low

[Catastrophy]

Yeah I don't think there are any special mid's in this game

[Dacidbro]

blockable by both low block and high block=High

blockable by just high block=Mid

blockable only by low block=Low

You're wrong. Tager's 6B is mid invulnerable, and goes through moves that are not overheads.

[freemoney]

its different in different fighters

in 3-d fighters like tekken/soul cal, "crushing blows or overheads" will hit someone ducking, since most highs will generally wiff a crouched opponent, its just easier to call em mids usually

low attacks need to be blocked low

in 2d and 2.5d games (street fighter/blazblue) u wont hear the term crushing so much, and "highs and overheads" mean you need to stand up to block

low attacks must be blocked low

You wont hear the term mid attacks so much as moves are generally classified as high or low. If they're not one or the other, they can be blocked in either state so it doesn't really matter.

[Master Bigode]

You're wrong. Tager's 6B is mid invulnerable, and goes through moves that are not overheads.

Tager's 6B has no invulnerability.

[Dacidbro]

Just to further make a case, Bang's 5B is classified as "High and body(mid)", and so is his overhead 5C. So overhead attribute is undetermined by where it hits the body. Same with lows, as Bang's 2B hits "Body and foot" but does not pass guard low.

[Dacidbro]

Tager's 6B has no invulnerability.

I don't know what game you're playing, but it's mid invulnerable. Try it, find any attack that is only a mid, and crush it with 6B. The weird part is most moves are high and mid, or low and mid, so there are very very few things it will actually do this to.

[Master Bigode]

Is there even a move in this game that only hits mid ? Seriously.

[Dacidbro]

There's a few. Lol. It definitely works. But like I said, it's really weird. You have to read, space (which usually requires your opponent to somehow fail), and execute perfectly to ever pull it off, so you just never see it.

Hmm. maybe I need to test this more, because I swear I've used it to pass through an opponent Tager's 4D before, and that's High and Body.

[Master Bigode]

There's not a single move in the frame data that only has a body attribute, and it doesn't mention any sort of invulnerability on tager's 6B either.

It does shrink his hitbox quite a bit on startup though.

[A.X.I.S.]

tagers 6B doesn't have low invul but haku-man's do.

also tagers 6B is a overhead so I guess its a mid? eh.

[Dacidbro]

I'll look into it o-o

But yeah, I started checking the frame data after saying it looking for the moves and there definitely weren't any just mid. So I'll see what's going on.

[Blade]

Okay, now you guys are confusing me, I've only seen in BlazBlue:

Stuff you CAN block while standing/crouching (Ragna's 2A/2C/6D, Jin's 2A/6B/6D)

Stuff you HAVE to block while crouching (Ragna's 2B/3C/2D, Jin's 2B/3C)

Stuff you HAVE to block while standing (Ragna's 6B/j.D jump moves, Jin's 6A/j.D/j.B etc)

If what you mean by "mid" is something that looks like it hits low but isn't really hitting low and can be blocked standing, then I could understand.

[smooshman]

you forgot air barrier block only.

[mAc Chaos]

What is going on here.

Highs are overheads. You have to block standing.

Lows have to be blocked low.

Mids are just attacks that can be blocked any way you want.