[CS2] Litchi Basics Thread v2 (Read the first post!)

[Lord Knight]

Here are some commonly asked questions that new players tend to have when picking up Litchi.

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1. Should I even play Litchi? What are her pros/cons?

If you're reading this, you're already halfway there! I can't decide who to play for you, but I can list pros/cons for the character:

Pros:

Decent damage off any hit, coupled with high meter gain

Some of the best mixups in the game

Can corner off random hits well

Great ukemi game - she's able to stop anyone from rolling out of the corner

Can rushdown and zone effectively

Great range

Fast

Cons

Lacks a solid anti-air - most of her anti-air options are pretty bootleg

Reversals all got weakened in CS

Hard to get out of pressure

High execution barrier

2. Wow, I really don't understand some of the terminology you're using. What's ________ supposed to mean?

Here's a list of Litchi specific shorthand terms. Anything like "tk" or "236" is a universal term, so if you don't know what that is you should look at the General FAQ, but I will explain numerical notation:

Basically, look at the numpad on a keyboard. It should look like this -

789

456

123

5 is when your stick (or pad) is in neutral state, so 6 is forward, 7 is jumping back, etc. 236 would be the same as a quarter circle forward.

Haku/Hatsu/Chun - These are her rekka's, 236A, 236B and 236C, respectively.

Staff2 - This refers to the second hit of the staff launch, on its return. Main thing to keep in mind when you see this in a combo is you aren't actually hitting a button here.

Itsuu - Short for Ikkitsuukan, Litchi's guard point stance performed with 41236D~ (half circle forward)

[m] - denotes holding the Mantenbou.

Tsubame - Short for Tsubame Gaeshi, Litchi's DP when holding the staff.

Kote - Short for Kote Gaeshi, Litchi's DP when the staff is placed. A "6" or "4" before it lets you know which way you should move it.

{D} - This is holding the staff in place by holding D, then releasing it after she recovers.

[D], ]D[ - [D] is holding D, ]D[ is releasing. Normally this notation is only seen when she uses other moves in between holding and releasing the staff

[A+B] - This is Litchi's Barrier Cancel, a technique described more in the CS guide.

3. Ugh, I can't get ________ combo to work. What am I doing wrong?

Keep in mind that any combo involving launching the staff requires that you are on a certain spot on the screen, and may be character specific. Before posting and asking for help, check the guide. In CS it's likely a timing problem, or you're picking the wrong part of a combo to use.

4. I know Litchi has two modes, but which is better? I personally like playing ____________.

You don't want to just focus on one mode. Litchi's play naturally flows between both modes (as seen in her combos). Each has advantages over the other - playing with the mantenbou means you have big range, but it limits your pressure and your damage is low. Playing without it opens up mixup options and has higher damage, but your range is smaller.

4. I can't combo smaller characters/Carl!!!!

As far as universal combos, don't treat smaller characters as if they are special. As far as other things, read the combo list and practice!

5. I can't do Haku > Hatsu > RiichiA > IppatsuA at all!

There are several things you can do. First off, dash 6Kote will make this work 99% of the time. Input it with 6623D. There are a couple of situations where you won't have to use it (ie, off forward/airthrow). Make sure to judge your distance properly! There's a really specific distance where it is actually detrimental to do dash kote, but that comes with experience. More often than not, dash kote is the way to go. Also, keep in mind that ItsuuA has set untechable time (when they hit the ground), so if they are really high in the air, you have more time to do dash kote.

ATG Matenbou made a helpful video which showcases different methods, but don't forget - if there's any doubt, just do dash kote.:

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If you have a question besides one of these, make sure you read the guide first, because it's likely that it's answered in there.

Edited December 28, 2011 by Lord Knight