Matchup Thread Primer - Read here first!

[AMB Bakery]

Welcome to the Hazama Matchup Thread Primer! I will be detailing some of the vocabulary and organization used in the original post of each matchup thread, as well as explaining what kind of discussion should take place and how the threads will evolve as time progresses. While most of the vocabulary should be self-explanatory, the provided explanations are there to give you an idea of the structure and content of the original post. If you feel like you've got a pretty good understanding of said vocabulary, however, feel free to skip to the section at the bottom.

Overview

A synopsis of the matchup. This is where you will find the bottom-line, need-to-know facts about the matchup and whether or not it is in Hazama's favor. The opening lines will generally be a character introduction which will showcase some of their notable tools and give a feel for their overall gameplan. Following that will be a couple of points about how Hazama's tools interact with theirs (if there's any notable occurrences) followed then by an explanation on how easy or hard it is to start your offense or work your gameplan.

Neutral

When both you and your opponent have no frame advantage over each other. Generally this occurs at the start of the round or after a counter assault or burst, but going in and out of neutral happens very frequently.

Spacing and Movement

This section will cover what notable normals or specials the opponent has that cover space and what you can do to avoid them. It will also cover your opponent's movement options and what that allows them to do in terms of approaching, escaping, baiting, etc. in neutral

Chain Zoning

A look at how chains work in neutral. This will cover the distances that you should use certain chains and follow-ups and how much freedom you have to use them, as well as how effective chains are in neutral against a given opponent.

Offense

Offense is generally understood to be when you've got your opponent to block or get hit by something. However, for the purpose of the matchup threads, I will extend the definition to "whenever your opponent is reacting defensively" so that I can make a distinction between the space-covering, not-sure-if-I'm-going-to-attack-yet approaches of neutral and the oh-yeah-I'm-about-to-kick-your-face

(unless you AA me, in which case, WELP)

approaches of offense.

Approach

For whenever you're at the right space or situation to transition to offense. This section will detail which approaches are effective and which ones are less effective given matchup-specific circumstances. This will involve analyzing which normals/specials can be used to keep you from getting to the right spacing to hit them (such as an anti-air, DP, attribute-invulnerable move), and how you can beat or bait those options.

Pressure and Okizeme

Whenever you've got them blocking or you've knocked them down. This section will cover what defensive options are and in certain cases what character-specific mix-up options will work.

Defense

Well, this is where you don't want to be, but it happens. This section and its subsections will cover what to look out for when your opponent is on offense and what you can do to stop it.

Approach

Just as you have a space where you can transition to offense, so does your opponent. This is where you will find what your opponent's offensive approach options and ranges as well as what you should do to beat or avoid them.

Pressure and Okizeme

Whenever your opponent has you blocking or knocked down. This section will cover their notable mix-up and pressure options, such as what hits high or low or what is plus on block, as well as their okizeme set-ups if they have any.

Retaliation

At some point, you don't want to be defending anymore. This section is dedicated to how you transition out of defense. This includes what you can punish with IB, what you can realistically whiff-punish, when it's okay (or not okay) to burst, when you should counter-assault, or how you can escape.

その他

Miscellaneous matchup-specific information that wasn't already covered in the previous sections. This will more often than not address interactions between Hazama and his opponent that calls for knowledge of move properties to explain why a certain phenomenon occurs. For example, Hazama's chains' snake heads are unique projectiles in that they are still attached to his body, so if you hit Hakumen during the atemi/catch portion of yukikaze with a chain (or Jabaki), you'll still be caught in the superfreeze instead of being able to move around.

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Now that there's an established framework, I'd like to address the future I've envisioned for the matchup threads. First and foremost, the original post is subject to change throughout the thread's lifetime. This allows me or Lich (or future Hazamods) to edit the OP with the interest of organizing and compiling all the information that has been found in regards to the matchup and put it in one place instead of forcing the other users to scour the threads themselves. While being patient and taking the time to read is still encouraged, I understand the frustration of not being able to find the information you want. I hope for our collective sake that you all share this vision and consider this when posting in the matchup threads.

Second, I'd like to clarify that you can post anything in the matchup threads.... as long as it pertains to the matchup. Even if you find something laughworthy that's extremely situational, go ahead and post it! In my eyes, there is no knowledge that can't be beneficial, vicariously or otherwise. Everything is okay as long as you follow my third point:

Don't post what we already know. Okay, there's limits to this, such as if somebody asks a question and the answer isn't immediately/explicitly available by referencing somebody's post or a section of the OP, but it's definitely at least been hinted at in the thread. But otherwise, please read the threads before posting. Regarding this, I'd like to clarify that, if somebody asks a question in which the answer is already in the thread, it's completely okay to link a post or direct somebody to information in mine or Lich's absence, just don't let those kinds of posts clutter the thread, consolidate them if you can, etc.

That's it, everybody. Thank you for reading!