[CSE] Rachel Mix-ups/Pressure Compendium (Restored ver.)

[TD]

CS:EX Rachel Mix-Ups101

Forward

Welcome, comerades, to the restored version of the CS Rachel mixup/pressure compendium! In here, you will find several ways of inflicting pain... Ah, wrong game, but the idea is the same nonetheless. The goal of this thread is to open up the opponent, very much the same as you'd open a jar or a book. I want to make that as easy a feat as possible. Whether you are a rookie fledgling or a fully aged vampire, you will find several tricks in here that will prove useful to you, and nasty to your opponent.

Let us begin.

Topics to cover:

- 5B

- Fuzzy Guards

- Frame traps

- Resetting pressure

- Zoning tools

--Approach

--Pressure

- Oki

--Midscreen

--Corner

- Crossups/Crossunders

- Resets

5B

Overview: 5b is Rachel's staple combo/pressure tool and probably her most commonly used normal. Confirming hits from 5b is easy and rewarding, and there is plenty of versatility in how you use it with all of her other attacks.

-Create unreactable 50/50 mix ups

-iad away to set up zoning

-Punish the foe with delayed frametraps for mashing

Mixups

Windless

5b 2b (can loop once before you're pushed out of range. Delay the 2b a little if you're using 2d ja mixup as well so the 2b isn't telegraphed.)

5b 3c (if it hits, press 8d or 9d to go straight into a high damaging BnB. Because 3c has multiple level 3 hits, 5b 3c(3) 236a or 5b 3c(1) summon are decent ways to keep the foe on their toes. Otherwise ends pressure.)

5b 4b (Warning- very slow overhead, use sparingly witthout summon support.

1 Wind

5b2d j.a (extremely fast overhead. does not work on Litchi, Rachel, Hazama, and Noel. Also tends go whiff at specific ranges vs Jin, Taokaka, and Lambda. Gapless. 70 p1 means a decent combo but don't overspend wind/heat squeezing damage out of this in most cases.

5b j.2db (slower than j.A, but will hit all characters. Not gapless)

5b j.2db 2b (high low)

5b 2d j.c 2b (empty jump in into low)

5b 2d j.c throw (empty jump in into throw)

5B 2d j.a/j.b throw (overhead into throw)

*Can also be done from 5A, but 5a 2d j.a is not gapless.

Fuzzy Guards

Overview: Useful setups in general, these fuzzy guards prevent your mixup from becoming stale. Use in conjunction with her lows and throws to make your mixup formidable!

Show them who's boss by punishing any who block the instant overhead.

Pummel any opposers who cannot be 50/50'd with these setups

Completely safe on block, you need not fear retaliation if these are blocked.

5B 2D (j.a) j.B j.c j.B j.A j.B j.C (especially useful on Litchi/Hazama/Noel)

5B 2D (j.A) j.B j.c j.B j.A j.B j.C 669 j.A j.2C (double fuzzy guard, no additional wind required to execute, but will need one more to confirm into a combo

Frame Traps

Often overlooked for her more potent mixups, Rachel's frametraps condition the foe to block instead of attack, except they learn the painful way: combo damage from frame traps tend to be higher than normal starters, or don't cost as many resources.

Establish your dominance by swiftly dealing with anyone brave enough to attack during your pressure

Crush their spirit with very damaging combos, or take them directly to the corner.

Destroy their dreams of escaping by alternating between frametraps and mixups.

(2a is the preferred starter of choice here because of its low hitstun and leads into 5b. There is more versatility in 2A block strings than there is with most of her other starters.)

2A 2A (delay chaining to give 1-2f gap, keeps all if your options open)

3C 214C 5A (4f gap)

2A 5C (100 p1 and air unblockable, so it's a decent anti-jump move, though it forces 5cc to be used early in the combo without sufficient wind/heat. Good confirms off this easily nets 5k. Plus, FATAL)

2A 6C (good corner carry and alright ground combo starter, it requires a wind outside of point blank range, so the foe can jump. It will keep the foe in guardstun all the way until you land and is +4 on block. A blocked 6c allows your foe to potentially gain a lot of meter by instant blocking, and it requires a wind. Very good to use with George behind the foe, otherwise use sparingly.)

2a throw (beats slower mash attempts but quick jabs beat this and so do jumps.)

5b delay 2b (a mixup and pressure tool, I like it.)

Resetting Pressure

Resetting pressure for rachel is usually considered when the foe loves to barrier block, is overly defensive, or just very good at blocking everything you've thrown at them (until now, of course). The goal is to get in (or back in) to point blank range using wind, without getting dp'd or mashed out. You have to be quick to execute these, and cunning as well.

I have made a post on this sort of thing before, and perhaps it'll be informative enough to post here.

If the foe likes to barrier, there are are few things that you can do.

Wind yourself back in - this can be done off of 5a/5b or any of her normals. In 5a/5b's case, they are jump cancellable. A quick 5b j3d will get you up close and personal, allowing for more pressure. You can also 5d3c back in for a +1, or Kara throw yourself back in using bcd, from most of her normals.

Go for a mixup - once you are in (or back in), 5a is a great starter as it is jc able leading into a 50/50 (barrier makes 5a ja gapless, 2b/3c are already gapless) and plenty of other options. It does not push you as far as 5b either.

Another thing to note is that once the foe is barrier blocking he is most likely too preoccupied or locked in block stun to retaliate. In that sense, barrier makes them more prone to slower mixups. 4b, empty jump 2b, 214b, and tk George can all work reasonably well if used quickly and effciently. Throw also works well because if they are OS barrier throw teching, you will get a throw reject miss.

Stagger pressure if a form of mixup that alters the timing of your strings so that the foe doesn't predict where to dp or whatever. 2aa dash works well, or any two attacks in which the second attack isn't ridiculously minus on block. This also works well as a frame trap.

Drain their barrier- this method isn't too great unless they are holding barrier, or their barrier gauge is low. 3[c]5d and 6cd work wonders here as they eat barrier like its cake. Both of these moves are + in this case, allowing for additional pressure.

*Warning: only use 6cd sparingly. You give your foe a TON of heat if they know to instant block it. Even if they don't, it takes one accidental IB and the rest of the attack gets IB'd as well.

Use the spacing to your advantage- this is probably the hardest one, and the most worth it. Besides making most of her more unsafe strings possible (like making pumpkin summon more safe mid-string), some windless options are allowed too. A lobelia is + on block the farther away you are from the foe, and grants you a pole. B lobelia is slow but with the foe barrier blocking, they are probably trying to jump out. They will run right into the lobelia and get sent back to the ground with you on their heels. IAD j.abc will get you in at certain ranges and might crossup should the foe not choose to stand or jump. Finally, you can use the extra blockstun and the space created to get away and start zoning.

Zoning tools

Overview: Rachel's zoning tools are extremely versatile, setting up excellent risk/reward situations, and complimenting her offense/defense quite nicely. Use George to conserve wind, or in conjunction with wind and pumpkin for one (or several) strong mixup attempts, for example.

Besides controlling spaces, there are multiple reasons for zoning that are constantly in play. For more information on zoning, check out Sakaku's restored version of the Rachel Guide.

Tiny "pole" lobelia (236a/b/c or j.a/b/c)/Sword iris (214c or j.214c)

Tiny lobelia is Rachel's extremely slow cannon fore

Approach - use d, as 236a/b/c or j.236a/b/c's recovery ends, and then jump. this will put your foe in enough blockstun to frametrap with a tk iris. hit, block, or whiff, you'll move a considerable distance from your position. the tk iris will get you very close to the foe with 5d, and with plus frames to boot.

Pressure: lobelia ends pressure safely without the use of wind. puts a big enough distance from your foe.

ln addition, except 2c all of her ground normals are cancellable into sword iris, whose startup is 19f. this creates frametraps from all of rachel's ground normals except 2c.

From 5A and 5B, you can tk (2147C) sword iris. the benefit is that by doing this you recover MUCH faster than ground iris, which grants you a huge advantage, around +24f. that's enough to make 4b alot safer for example. plus the animation lingers a bit after tk iris, making your next attack slightly ambiguous.

Impish "pumpkin" Gypsophilia (214b or j.214b)

Pumpkin, oh pumpkin. What would we do without you. The MVP of Rachel's offense, good pumpkin control enables you to do pretty much whatever you want. Train by summoning one and winding it in various angles, and using it alongside George and lobelias.

Approach - if both you and your opponent are near a pumpkin, 1/2/3/4/6d will put you safely in point blank range.

Pressure - 2d (pumpkin blocked, or P) allows for a very fast 3 way mixup and can be made completely safe; same with 3d(P).

examples:

*2a 5a jc 2d(P) land 2b

*2a 5b 6b 236a jump 3d(P) jb

*2a 5b 2b 5b 2d(P) land throw

pumpkin 1/2/3d tk george works and is safe, very good for extended blockstrings.

example

*2a 5b 6b 2147a 3d(P) land 5b 6b 236a (frog hits)

You can stagger pressure with pumpkin or make a move more safe (does not necessarily mean completely safe!) This can be applied to all of her normals including cat chair.

examples

*2a 5b 5d4b(P)

*2a dash 2c (if the foe does not dp/mash/get hit at all) late d(P)

With pumpkin around rachel's pressure is extremely varied, freeform, and safe. be creative anytime youre allowed to pressure with it.

do be aware: unwinded pumpkin will float for 6 seconds while a winded one will only last about half that time.

George "frog" xiii(214a or j.214a)

George is delighted in meeting new people, and shows his enthusiasm by slowly crawling toward the opponent. A more powerful entity than the pumpkin, he takes a bit longer to get out. He is also an excellent team player; both rachel and her summons benefit greatly from him being out.

Approach: George does his own thing, but that doesn't mean you can't help him help you. Use the appropriate wind to wind him toward the opponent. 5d/4d moves him quickly, 1d/3d/7d/9d moves him about half that space.

He is more of a supplement to you than a direct attack. Use in conjunction with pumpkin or lobelias to effectively lockdown your opponent, or get them closer to the corner. Otherwise, you can approach slowly while gaining wind.

Pressure

You get 2 seconds of free mixup if the foe blocks him directly, so use whatever you think is best.

Like kokushi musou, once the foe is blocking him you cannot green throw at all. Outside of the corner, it is recommended to go for the mixups with the highest proration (j.b, 3c), but everything is pretty effective and will get a decent combo.

Oki

Very, very strong here, and corner oki is top tier.

Midscreen

3C Frog/Pumpkin...

-Dash 2A (beats rolls/quick rise, most reliable on fatter otg hitboxes

-236b/c(will keep the pressure on if the opponent rolls bavkward)

-double summon (if the foe rolls/respects your wakeup game, summon something else for double the fun. It is safer to get out frog with pumpkin than vice versa)

On neutral tech, you pretty much do whatever mixup the summon(s) near you allows. Refer to the mixup section for some ideas on what to do.

j.2C (lvl 1) air ender

-2A whiff (leave a small gap if you suspect DP attempt, 2A again to meaty)

-J.214a/b 2d (keep the pressure on safely using a wind. For frog, push opponent into him with 2a 5bb 236a (frog hits))

-J.214b j.236c (bait them into thinking you're going to wind down, confirm ch lobelia with 2d.)

5cc ender

Not much to do mid screen. Summon something or two somethings. Watch your wind. You might want to lurk around that summon with 2 winds, for example.

Corner

5CC frog

-236a (covers neutral tech and jump outs)

-6B (punishes forward roll and sledge attempts)

-J.a2d j.b (IOH into frog)

-2b 5b (fast low into frog)

-Throw (frog will hit a few times, hard to confirm consistently)

-5B (works better on characters with smaller roll hitboxes, also better proration)

If the foe manages to block frog, go crazy. Try to only use one wind when attacking with frog, and stay on the ground, unless you are sure your mixups will work.

5cc pumpkin

2d (into standard mixup. 2d about a second into your foe getting knocked down to catch rise/rolls, and react to neutral tech. Dp safe when used with barrier)

3d (same as 2d except slower, not really recommended unless too far away for 2d.)

5d (into grounded mixup. Dp safe when used with barrier, and puts you directly in their face for an instant throw or other mixup.)

Crossups

Rachel has several ways to get a crossup.

... Iad J.2c1d

This is done after a jump cancellable normal(5a/b), after frog block stun is finished, or during neutral. It cannot be done with the foe cornered. If pumpkin is directly behind the opponent, it will hit before j.2c does, so adjust your combo accordingly.

A windless crossup involves using j.214c as a replacement to j.2c1d. The conditions are exactly the same. It will not incur the repeat proration that j.2c would in a damaging combo, but it's a quite a bit slower. Like j.2c it is very safe on block withmore options than the former.

A tricky corner crossup, made by Tari, involves crossing up after George is finished having the foe block. Samthegreat has published a video reference to this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEGfp7z5E_w

Crossunders

Tricky resets that require the foe to neutral tech in point blank range.

Throw Crossunders

-B+C/4B+C 7D dash 2A whiff (single crossunder)

3C Crossunders (does not work on Noel)

-3C 9D (single crossunder)

-3C 9D dash 2A whiff (double crossunder)

Resets

There are several nasty resets that you can sneak in on your foe.

Be warned, if these are blocked you will be in a lot of trouble, at least wind wise.

After standing combo into 6cd, you can do the following:

...6cd j.[c](w) j.b

...6cd j.c(w) 2b/throw

...6cd j.c j.214a 3d 5a 5bb 236a (frog hits)

...6cd j.c j.214b 2d mixup

...6cd j.c land into standard mixup

...6cd j.c land into grounded mixup

After standing combo into 5b, you can do the following:

...5b delay 2b

...5b delay j.2da

...5b 2d j.b

... 5b iad j.2c (recommended if you were cornered before doing the standing combo)

...5b delay 3c

...5b 4b

After 5c:

Rapid 4b (since 5c only cancels to a low

After j.2c(lv3):

214a (foe techs) 4b

After air combo ender

Sj.7/8/9d throw

[samthegreat]

Took Tari's CS2 corner cross-up idea and made a more reliable version into a cute iris set-up. Combo recovers all your wind for the next mix-up. Messed-up the wind timing a bit at the end, 2B is supposed to be 'hidden' by Iris but whatever, it's +25.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEGfp7z5E_w

Sorry about the shitty quality

[TD]

that is a good setup from the looks of it so thanks for this. l will add it to the OP tonight or tomorrow. Edit: done