What should I learn?

[Natsu]

Hey guys,

So I've decided to stick with Axl as my new Main and currently I'm learning the basis.

I've visited the combo thread and it has tons of combos... I dont really think every combo is necessary, what combos is useful and I should really learn? also the lockdown and pressure theard has tons of information.

I'm pretty lost, and I need to be directed :> Thanks

[Digital Watches]

Priority 1: Learn to block. Learn to keep blocking even when you've been blocking for a while. Learn to very quickly recognize what you can do to get out of pressure. You have some options to break out, but they're straight up worse than most characters. Learn to live with this. Until you do, you will do badly against people. Learn when to housoubako out. It's good practice because it's a much better move in +R.

Priority 2: Simple BnBs. You need to be able to turn basically any air hit into (A few normals) j.H->j.D Kokuugeki, or (a few normals) -> H benten->Followbomber. Most ground hits with 25% meter should net you pretty much the SAME COMBO, but with a rensen FRC to start it. Get this down before you learn any other combos, being able to get it every time is key to your ability to be a threat.

Priority 3: Bomber loops. Just start with simple ones. (Whatever) into 2S jD bomber x 2 into rensen->2. The damage only goes up from there, but we can optimize later. Make sure you have this *down*.

Priority 4: Start thinking about tech and burst traps. This is a major strength of Axl and a major reason he's scary at higher levels. If they are bursting or teching your combos, you want to make them die from it at least about half the time.

Priority 5: Get your ground mixup SOLID. Learn to TK bomber (Okay, granted, this is pretty much no longer a thing in AC+R), learn to TK Kokuugeki, learn to use 3P, 2K, 2H, 2D, 5D, 5H, 6H, and f.S to mix up your opponent, in that order by importance. These are your mainstays for your mixup game. Then move on to learning how to use 2K and Raeisageki to work toward a solid throw game. Then learn to mix in rashousen. If you learn it in that order, you will have way less bad habits than otherwise.

Priority 6: The gimmicky shit players like Niiyama and Nekomimi use. Stuff like falling j.P for oki, Kokuugeki as a poke, benten FRC. All that shit will improve your game ONCE YOU ARE ALREADY SOLID

Priority 7: The even gimmickier shit that players like me use. Minor optimizations like JI raei mixup and combos, more damaging bomber loops, weird tickthrows. This stuff will not win you games if you're not doing everything else right, but it will give you a bigger toolkit to surprise people with. Japanese Axl players who do well (Udei, Syuuto, arguably Niiyama) mostly play solid, but have a bag of tricks that gives them an edge against experienced players, against whom being unpredictable is more important. I admit that I rely on this shit way too much.

[Solid Gold Wall]

godlike post

[FlamesMacloud]

instead of creating a new topic i'll use this one to voice my problems with axl

1. c.s or 5sclose, is a good anti air i see, problem is it seems to not like coming out, axls 6p is just really bad to me so i cant anti air those directly above me. since 2s tends to miss. what do you do in this situation?

eg. chip bouncing ontop of you abusing his jumps to decide when comes down, then his J.hs beating your 6p

2.momentum, how do you stop someone else. i find once someone gets some on me im blocking forever, and any poke i throw our loses and get countered.

3. Frame traps, i think axl has some really good ones, which ones do u guys use? i like the double rensen, or the 5k,5hs ones.

i'll read on your about tech traps to see what i cant find, since i find none of mine work, and chars just tech out at will when i play.

i play a aggressive rushdown axl heres some old matches, any advice would be great

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlDA27SWDjw&feature=share&list=PL391F9CACE617EA71

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8gPKe7SJ_E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zmROPCyXvw

[Digital Watches]

instead of creating a new topic i'll use this one to voice my problems with axl

1. c.s or 5sclose, is a good anti air i see, problem is it seems to not like coming out, axls 6p is just really bad to me so i cant anti air those directly above me. since 2s tends to miss. what do you do in this situation?

eg. chip bouncing ontop of you abusing his jumps to decide when comes down, then his J.hs beating your 6p

Block. Or 5H. Or airthrow. Or block.

2.momentum, how do you stop someone else. i find once someone gets some on me im blocking forever, and any poke i throw our loses and get countered.

You've almost got this one right. But next time, instead of throwing something out, block more.

3. Frame traps, i think axl has some really good ones, which ones do u guys use? i like the double rensen, or the 5k,5hs ones.

Rensen-Rensen is almost always either too much time to react or a waste of meter. For frametraps, learn to use Meaty 2H, 5K-5H, 3P~5K, 5H~D, stuff like that. Learn to keep them scared of throws, and make a lot of false gaps at mid-range, where Axl wins most exchanges. Benten FRC is actually a good tool for frametraps, but hard to learn.

i'll read on your about tech traps to see what i cant find, since i find none of mine work, and chars just tech out at will when i play.

You need to know when they can and can't tech, give yourself time to recover, and throw something that's going to hit them regardless of which way they tech.

I'll get back to you on the vids when I get time.

[GatorDude]

Wow, just came across this, really really great post. I feel like closing my other one now.