Carl Clover [CT] 101: Robots Raise The Roof

[Zeero]

Welcome to Dustloop!

We are glad to see so many new players in this community with the recent release of BlazBlue! Lots of people want information, tips, tricks, hints and overall strategies.

This thread will fulfill all of your Carl needs.


Post 1: BB Web Encyclopedia[WIP] & Table of Contents
Post 2: Overview,pros/cons,frame data links
Post 3: Normals + specials description
Post 4: Comboing techniques, Basic Combos, Advanced Combos
Post 5: Gameplay Overview + Gameplay Specifics
Post 6: Tricks n Skillz
Post 7: Best for Last: Clap Trap.

[Kyle]

Overview:

Carl is a unique character that fights with his weapon Nirvana. You're essentially controlling 2 characters at once on the screen, creating endless possibilities with your pressuring and combos! He always has been rated low tier because of the large amount of weaknesses he has but recently is being rated mid due to his 100% combos/unblockables. It almost feels like he is a 1 hit character! As a beginning Carl player, you'll likely be very frustrated at the game because everything seems so hard and worthless, but as you progress with this character, you'll be the one causing the frustration!
CARL IS NOT FOR THE WEAK HEARTED

Drive: Nirvana (Nee~san)

Use the D button and directional inputs independently control your robot "sister" Nirvana! Fairly complicated to use and will be explained in detail later on. All of Nirvana's attacks can be performed while Carl is in the air. Most of her attacks are cancelled if she is hit or if Carl is hit/blocks.

Pros:
Great Supers
Huge damage potentials
Unblockables from block strings
Unblockables from combos
Great mixup potentials
Smaller hitbox causes specific combos against Carl

Cons:
Lowest HP in the game: 9500
Lowest Guard Gauge in the game
Low damage if Carl is alone.
Negative Penalty can be gained relatively quickly
Supers don't have any invincibility
Bad mobility since his dash is a hop (Johnny) with awful recovery
Limited defensive options
Limited poking options due to lack of range/priority/speed
Risky anti-air options
Nirvana is slow and only blocks projectile hits
Limited (safe) ways to start pressure without nirvana nearby
High learning curve



Frame Data Found Here:
http://s1.zetaboards.com/blazblue/pages/carl_data/






Notes
1: 1~14 Upperbody invincible, launches on hit
2: Launches on counter hit, vacuum effect, untechable
3: Staggers on hit (27), activate 5F after button release, holding 92~95 becomes the maximum version
4: Staggers on hit (29), latest start up 100F
5: launches on hit
6: Knocks down on hit, untechable when hit on the ground
7: Jumps back on hit or guard, jumps back duration 26, counter hit vulnerable until 11F, cancel to jump A, B or C during 9~11F
8: 1~20 Invincible, blasts away on hit
9: Knocks down on hit, untechable when hit on the ground
10: Floor bounce on hit
11: Floor bounce on hit
12: Puppet gauge has a total of 8000 points, puppet's movement uses 1 point per frame, 180F after entering sleep state the gauge auto increases 3 points per frame, destroyed version increases 8F per frame instead, Nirvana doesn't have hit stun when she get hit by projectile
13: Staggers on counter hit (79), uses 300 points, continuously uses 150%
14: 1st hit launches, 2nd hit wall bounces, guaranteed start up even Nirvana gets hit, uses 420 points, continuously uses 110%
15: Hitstop 2F, uses 420 points, continuously uses 150%
16: Floor bounce on hit, uses 380 points, continuously uses 110%
17: 2nd hit has projectile property, guaranteed start up even Carl gets hit, uses 240, continuously uses 140%
18: 1~8 Invincible, 1~18 goes through opponent
19: 1~18 Invincible from head attribute, 1~24 goes through opponent
20: Launches on hit, recovery 13F quicker on hit, first hitstop 0F, only hit opponent on the ground, 2nd hit has throw property
21: Launches on hit, attack damage is 2nd hit 220, 5th hit 180, others 200
22: Guaranteed successful teleport after 1F, uses 210 points, continuously uses 100%
23: Launches on hit, Nirvana attacks even gets hit from head attribute attack, uses 270 points,continuously uses 120%
24: 2nd hit floor bounce on hit, 7F start up after touching opponent, uses 380 points, continuously uses 100%
25: Hitstop 4F, uses 530 points, continuously uses 100%
26: Blast away on hit, projectile property, hitstop 1F, static difference based on blocking back to the wall
27: 11th hit wall bounce, Carl's duration 69F, Nirvana attacks even Carl and her gets hit, uses 0 point, continuously uses 100%
28: Launches on hit, Carl's duration 52F, guaranteed startup even Carl receives attack, air version start up 2+38, duration 53, uses 0 points, continuously uses 100%

[Zeero]

Normals:

5A: Carl's little white robot punches in front of him. Standard 6F startup, but very short ranged. Use to punish since it prorates less than 2A

5B: Carl's robot stabs in front of him with a lance. Decent reach and speed. Pretty easy to punish on whiff.

5C: Carl's robot stabs the floor with a lance while sitting on a horse. Probably the longest reaching move you have. DIO likes to use this a lot for poking.

2A: Carl's robot punches low. Short ranged and standard startup.

2B: Carl's robot sweeps the floor with a lance. Reaches about the same length as 5B except with less recovery. Use this for closer range poking if you need something faster than 5C. -0 on block so also good to end block strings with.

2C: Carl's robot's horse does a hind kick into the air. Hit box is pretty vertical on this one so its only useful in 2C8D loop. Don't try it as anti air, it has no invincibility.

j.A: Carl's robot punches again. 5F startup so you can try to use it as your anti air, but its reach is really short so it is a risk to take.

j.B: Carl's robot swipes in front with a lance. Pretty good range. Use this preemptively to prevent people from jumping in.

j.C: Carl's robot swipes vertically downwards. Your main jump-in attack. Not so good as an airdash-in attack because the hitbox isnt too big under nor in front of him and this sometimes whiffs on certain crouching characters.

6A: Carl's little robot takes off his hat and hits with it at maybe a 75 degree angle on top of him. Launches on ground hit. While it is head invincible throughout the whole move and can be used as an anti air, it only has 4 active frames and a really small forward hitbox. Using it against people with further jump in reach will probably get yourself killed. Easily punishable on whiff.

6B: Carl's robot sweeps the ground with a lance. Hits low, part of your basic combo. One of his farthest normals. On CH, it will pop the opponent up a bit in the air and towards you, untechable until they hit ground. In pressure strings with opponent in between carl and nirvana, using this will put carl closer to his opponent so the pressure is harder to escape, but it doesn't hurt the guard gauge as much as 5C so the choice is yours. On IB, this is punishable if timed well.

6C: Carl's robot's horse stomps down. Overhead and chargeable, full charged = unblockable. Startup is pretty slow (feels like a whole second, remember to not hold the C) and telegraphed. If this lands, they are in crumble stun for a while, long enough to follow up with 5B/2B. Range isn't that great so use mainly off pressure strings

3C: Carl's sweep. Low profile, but unsafe on block or whiff. Use mainly as part of combos or if you are 100% sure you will slide under their attack.

J.2C: Carl drill and falls vertically down with his knife first. On hit/block, Carl bounces. On whiff and you hit the ground with horrible recovery. If you do this low to the ground and cancel into 214C, Carl doesnt bounce and drops to the floor with no recovery. This is your 2nd overhead option.

Throws:

6B+C: Carl picks the opponent up and slams him into the ground in front of him. Look at combos section for followups.

4B+C: Carl picks the opponent up with his cape and whips him down onto the ground behind him, floor bounces. Look at combos section for followups.

Drive: Nirvana

#[D]: Activates Nirvana, holding 369 moves her forward, 147 moves her back. Very quick recovery if she is hit out of this move.

4]D[: Nirvana does a 2 hit spinning move. Quick startup and first hit has super armor throughout. 2nd hit wall bounces and allows Carl to do follow up, including gear super.

6]D[: Nirvana does a punch forward. Decent startup and range. Your main move for pressure strings/loops. Takes out a good chunk of guard gauge.

8]D[: Aerial Unblockable! Nirvana claps her hands in the air and creates a circular shockwave. 2 hit move. 1hit on the shockwave, 1 hit near her hands. The shockwave still exists even if Carl is hit.

2]D[: Nirvana will slam her fist down on the ground. Slow overhead that ground bounces opponent high into the air for follow up combo. Proper use with Carl creates an unblockable.

3]D[: Nirvana spin sweeps the ground. 4 hits in total and hits low. Lots of active frames and useful for tech punishing.

22D: Nirvana teleports behind Carl. Quick and cannot be interrupted once startup is over.

623D: Nirvana extends her "nails" at an angle. Aerial Unblockable, quick startup and far range makes it a good "prediction" anti air. Has super armor. Not so good as a reaction close anti air because the angle is not high enough. Useful in combos.

Con Anima: 63214D: Nirvana's command grab where she walks forward a very far distance and grabs your opponent. Slow startup and long recovery. Breakable regardless of hit/block stun. Don't use without a plan since its recovery is really long.

Con Fuoco: 41236D:
Nirvana's arm drill. Slow startup and long recovery but moves quite a bit and lots of guard stun/damage if it lands. Use with caution as it can be jumped over and then you'll be alone without Nirvana for a good while. Can be interrupted before startup.

Specials:

Vivace: 236A:
A short distance roll (about 1/3~1/4 of the screen) that passes through opponents and Nirvana. 8F of full invincibility at the beginning but easily punishable since there is a lot of recovery. Don't use this without a plan.

Vivace: 236B:
A longer distance roll (about 2/3 of the screen) that passes through opponents and Nirvana. 18F of head invincibility makes it a good escape mechanism for jump-ins. Recovery is still horrible so don't use it if it will stop in front of your opponent.

Cantabile: 623C:
Carl sends a gadget on the ground, on hit it launches and drags opponent towards you. Drags a certain distance only so if it hits too far, follow up is impossible. Useful sometimes to extend blockstun for Nirvana. Reaches very far but whiff punishable, so only throw it out when nirvana is nearby to protect you. Punishable on block if you do it too close. Also whiffs if done too close to your opponent.

Allegretto: j214C:
Multi strikes with Carl's knife. Slow startup but good range and priority once its out, so you can use it for preemptive air dashes. Main use is to perform Alle-can (Explained later) and to end air combos with. On hit, knocks pretty far away with lots of hitstun.

Distortion Drives:

Uruwashii no Cantat: 632146C:
Carl's gear super. Does not have any invincibility, does not hit directly in front of Carl, so don't use on wakeup unless you're planning to trade hits with a far poke. Great to bait bursts as it stays even if Carl is hit. Carl recovers slightly before the super ends so it can be used to set up unblockables in the corner. Blasts away on hit allowing for follow up combos if opponent caught in between Carl and Nirvana.

Tsuioko no Rhapsody: 236236]D[:
Nirvana's 11 hit punch sequence. Has super armor throughout and does about 2k damage only but very quick startup. Quick enough to be used as a good wakeup option if Nirvana is nearby. Lots of guardstun so you can do a lot of mixups during this 11 hits. 11th Hit wall bounces and allows you to follow up with an air combo or gear super. Can be used to burst bait since it will result in opponent blocking if they burst. Does not combo in the air. Mix-up options described later.

???: 214214]D[:
Nirvana's "BIG BANG UPPER" that hits vertically upwards. Links off Carl's 2C and 3C if timed right. Good way to finish off your opponent since it can hit through bursts and it does good damage even at the end of a big combo.

[Zeero]

Must Know Carl Techniques

Controlling Nirvana:
Nee-san activates when you press and hold D. [D]
Nee-san deactivates when you release D ]D[ and her attack has finished.
Everytime you tap D with a direction to do an attack (6D for example), it is actually activating her, commanding her to do an attack, then deactivating her.
In order to make Nirvana do attacks in succession, you can [D] before her attack ends and she deactivates. This will keep her activate and vulnerable but you will not spend time (16F) activating her again for her next attack. This is crucial for using Carl as most of his combos require this to work and it makes your pressure strings much more effective.
Note: You MUST learn how to control Nirvana without letting her deactivate for all of these combos to work. There's no set time as to when to [D], its all personal preference as long as you do it before Nirvana deactivates. Practice makes perfect

Allegretto (j214C) Cancel:
I will be referring this as Alle~can. This special move of J.214C drops Carl’s elevation during start-up frames. If Carl touches the ground during these start-up frames its INSTANT recovery. Hence a low J.2C, 214C is a fast & beastly overhead with no recovery. This technique gives Carl an amazing overhead/pressure and is needed in many of Carl's more painful combos.

Basic Combos (No Summoning, no Alle~can):
Note: All Nirvana commands listed in combos is when it HITS, NOT when to input the command. Find a timing that suits you!
*

'dj' stands 4 'double jump.'

Carl Only:
1. - 2A->5B->6B->623C->5B->jc->jB->dj->jB->jC/j214C
2. - 2A->2B->3C->2A->5B->jc->jB->dj->jB->jC/j214C
3. - (corner) 5B->5C->623C->5B->jc->jB->dj->jB->jC/j214C
4. - 2A->2B->3C->632146C --good for baiting bursts

Carl-Opponent-Nirvana:
1. - [2A->5A->5B->5C->(6D)->66]xN -- standard ground loop
2. - [2A->5B->5C->(6D)->jc->jC->5A->5B->5C]xN -- more damaging ground loop
3. - 2A->2B->3C->2B->[2C->8D]x3 -- standard Raise the Roof
4a. - 2A->5B->6B->623C->(5B)->2D->[2C->8D]x3 -- 5B is optional and depends when you do 2D.
4b. - 2A->5B->6B->623C->(5B)->8D->[2C->8D]x3 -- variation of above
5. - 6C->2B->5C->(6D)-><ground loop> -- overhead starter

Nirvana-Carl-Opponent:
1. - 2A->5A->5B->6B->(6D)->236A-><ground loop>
2. - (corner) [2A->5A->5B->5C->(6D)->iad->jC]xN
3. - (corner) 5B->5C->623C->(2D)->236A->[2C->8D]x3
4. - (corner) 2B->3C->2B->[2C->jC->8D]x3 -- corner only, extra damage from jC

Carl-Nirvana-Opponent:
1. - 5B->5C->(6D)->IAD->jC->2B->3C->236A->[2C->8D]x3

Throws:
1. - (Carl only) 4/6B+C->5C->jc->jB->dj->jB->C/j214C
2. - (Carl only) 4/6B+C->632146C
3. - (Carl-Opponent-Nirvana) 6B+C->2B->[2C->8D]x3
4. - (Nirvana-Carl-Opponent) 4B+C->(8D)->[2C->8D]x3

Advanced Combos:

Note: Again, timing the summoning of Nirvana is all personal preference. I personally do summons by tapping the 22[D] and then press D immediately again before anything else, you might prefer to press (22D)->B+D for example, IT ALL COMES WITH PRACTICE. I wrote down the teleport at the spot when I think is the latest time the teleport can happen. Anything earlier will work just as well.

Alle~can:
1. - :Carl-Opponent-Nirvana: [5B->5C->6D->jc->j2C->Alle~can]xN -- Most damaging ground loop
2. - 2B 3C->IAD->j2C->Alle~Can->5B/5C->jc->jB->dj->jB->jC/j214C
3. - 6B+C->j2C->Alle~can->5B/5C->jc->jB->dj->jB->jC/j214C

Summon:
1. - 2A->(22D)->5A->5B->6B->6D->236A <ground loop>
2. - 5B/2B->6B->623C->(22D)->5B->jc->jB->dj->jB->jC->623 -- Basic combo if you landed 5B/2B from far since 3C doesn't connect from 2B after a certain distance.
3. - 2B->3C->(22D)->236A->2B->[2C->8D]x3

Summon+Alle~can:
1a -. 2B->3C->(22D)->IAD->j2C->Alle~can->[2C->8D]x3 -- harder, more damaging alternative of above
1b. - 2B->3C->(22D)->IAD->j2C->Alle~can->5B->jc->jB->8D->[2C->8D]x3 -- alternative for Arakune since 2C doesn't hit.
1c. - 2B->3C->(22D)->IAD->j2C->Alle~can->jc->jB+C->8D->Airdash->jB+C->8D->[2C->8D]x2 -- hardest, most damaging alternative

Throws:
1. - 6B+C->(22D)->236A->66->2B->[2C->8D]x3
2. - 4B+C->(22D)->236A->[2C->8D]x3 -- Move Nirvana a bit closer on first 8D.
3. - jB+C->(22D)->2C->236A->[2C->8D]x3

Tall character(Tager, Hakumen) loops:
Just so you know, these do no damage whatsoever, they exist for cool points
1. - Airdash->jA->[jA->jA->j2C]xN
2. - :Carl-Opponent-Nirvana: [5A->5B->6B/5C->8D->dash]xN

[Zeero]

Gameplay Overview:

In order to play a good Carl, a lot of time, patience, and effort is needed. This is because you need to have very good execution with him and make sure you get the most out of your opportunities. If you read the Cons I wrote, you might be thinking "What the hell? He has a horrible defensive game, hard to start offense, and dies so easily", well, that's exactly what he is. However, if done right, he also has a really good pressure game, crazy mixups, lots of reset opportunities, and really big damage. So what's "if done right"? Here are some pointers.

Carl's just a kid
Look at him, hes just a normal kid who's obsessed with his robotic gadgets You and I both know that kids can't fight badasses as Ragna. In fact, he even looks like a girl. This might even explain why he takes damage like a baby. On the other hand, that big thing behind him is a different story. Made of premium quality material, its essentially a Gundam of BB (Noel stole Nirvana's guns)! Don't ever try fighting without Nirvana nearby. If Nirvana is not there, summon her! If she's dead, run away! Fighting with Carl alone is suicidal, don't try it.

Patience is a virtue
Carl's dash and attacks are slow, they don't reach far, they have low priority, and they usually are highly punishable on whiff. Nirvana is slow, most of her attacks gets canceled when she's hit or when Carl is touched. Everything is so slow, how the hell do you chase down some cat on a high thinking she's a torpedo? Well, you can't. No matter how hard you try, you can't chase down most of the cast in the game(Tager excluded). Move in slowly with Nirvana. Hold D and move her without doing any commands. I like to keep her in between me and my opponent, within 6D range. If they jump in, I can 6A as anti-air and if it actually works (thank god), I can follow up with 8D. If I'm being pressured and there's a gap in their string, I can start my pressure (5A->5B->5C->6D). If they jump back, try a 623D.
Don't always rely on 41236D to gain distance, chances are, they'll jump it and attack you while Nirvana just zoomed half a screen away. Then you'll be alone, and helpless like I mentioned above. Carl's pokes are pretty bad as well, trying too hard to poke for openings and whiffing will just get you killed. Take it nice and easy, enjoy a cup of english tea while you're at it. Its better to be safe than sorry.

Practice makes perfect
You always hear this and you'll hear it again. Practice Makes Perfect. Lets face it, Carl isn't the "pick up and go" type of character. Using him requires a lot learning of technical commands like Alle~Can, D Hold reactivation, summoning timings. Overall, a lot harder to use than other characters. There's also not a lot of chances for you to start a lot of your pressures because getting your opponent in between you and Nirvana is no easy task. You'll want to take every opportunity you get and take the max out of it. Screwing up your loop and only end up doing 1k damage is made of lose. Carl is one of those characters that can turn the match around with just 1 opening. Make sure you don't screw up!

Make proper judgement
Packed with lower life than Ragna who drains life and V that throws swords at you at full screen away, paper thin guard libra, crappy range and damage without the proper setups, and easy to get negative penalty, meet Carl, the best character to take risks with. NOT. Carl is definitely not a good character to take risks and chances with because risks/returns are so low. A combo that normally takes off 30% of other's life will take off 50% of yours, or more . Its nice that you have a 1 frame window to punish Taokaka, but how perfect is your timing? What happens if you screw up? I for one lose 40% of my life everytime I screw up a punish. Theres only so many 40% chances I have before I lose my game. Learn to judge when you are definitely safe to do something, and when you're not. Also learn to barrier guard certain attacks only to conserve barrier, you'll need it with your small guard gauge. Carl's just a kid, give him a few more years (aka revisions) before you force him to do suicidal missions.

Don't Give Up!
At first, Carl seems really hard to win with because of all his weaknesses. But as long as you don't give up on this poor kid and keep trying, your efforts will pay off. Learning to position Nirvana isn't easy, learning to execute his combos isn't easy. Nothing is easy with this character. This all takes a lot of effort and determination to pull of. Its no easy task, but once you keep at it, you'll feel the rewards. Nothing feels better than a hard earned win with your blood and sweat.

Gameplay Specifics

Poking/Zoning
Carl isn't a character meant for poking, but you sometimes you just gotta throw pokes out and try to fish for hits. When you're throwing out a poke, you usually want Nirvana nearby to protect you incase you screw up.
1. 5C - decent poke. It has really far reach and does a lot on the guard bar. Its somewhat dangerous on whiff. Covers a good part of the screen if you use 623D along with this.
2. 2B - another good option. It has decent reach and startup, and is +0 on block. If you fish a counter hit with this, it goes into 3C into your summon combos which is also good.
3. jB - is decent for air zoning since it has such a far reach. Usually jump back or jump straight B can beat people airdashing at you.
4. 5B - is decent for ground zoning since it has better recovery than 5C.
5. 6]D[ - Amazing because it's disjointed, good recovery and trades often
6. 623]D[ - Amazing because it's disjointed, good recovery, Anti-air, Anti-jump

Movement Options
Carl has limited movement options, but a few things to keep in mind.
1. Nirvana can be pushed while doing a move. So if you're finding that shes too far away, hold D or make her do a move while dashing or airdashing into her to make her travel more distance!
2. 236B goes a LONG way. Its easy to punish, but if you judge your distances right, you won't be punished. Do 22D in the middle of your 236B and Nirvana will be summoned to where you stop rolling, quite convenient!
3. Carl's airdash isn't that good, but used with the the kara throwing technique (see below) it can travel much further than before.

Anti Air
Carl's anti air options are limited and risky, but sometimes its rewarding if Nirvana happens to be positioned correctly. Judge the risk-return value before trying!
1. jA - A good anti air option if your opponent is nearby and has a slow/short reach attack.
Risk: Your jA doesn't reach, and you eat an air combo.
Reward:Its really good if the situation is (Carl-Opponent-Nirvana) and Nirvana is further away because you can do jA->jB->214C->8D->66->[2C->8D]x3
2. 6A - Not a really good anti air, but can be useful if your opponent is directly above your head
Risk: The move whiffs, and you get punished by a ground combo. Also sometimes your 6A gets CHed if they're further away, then you eat another ground combo.
Reward: (Carl-Opponent-Nirvana) with Nirvana nearby, since you can now do 6A->8D->[2C->8D]x3 or (Nirvana-Carl-Opponent) to do 6A->236A->[2C->8D]x3 but its hard to perform.
3. 8D Always an option, its hard for this to actually work since you need to guess pretty early. But if it hits, RAISE THE ROOF!
4. 623D yet another option, Doesn't get you much on hit, but covers a lot of space.

Mixup Options
Carl is a mixup master!! But only if your opponent is stuck in between Carl and Nirvana
1. During your ground loop, after 6D do a 6C. Its an overhead. If it hits, follow up with 2B->5C->6D->ground loop or 2B->3C->RAISE THE ROOF!
2. Alternative to above, instead of 6C, walk up a bit, and do j2C->Alle~Can. Its another fast and less telegraphed overhead. Combo afterwards.
3. To hit low from the 6D, walk forward and wait a split second, then do 2A and back to your ground loop!
4. Yet another low hit alternative, wait a split second and do 2B. Connect to 2B->5C/6B (depending on distance)->623C->2D/8D->RAISE THE ROOF!
5. Throwing is always an option, especially since Nirvana is right there! Remember to wait a split second to let the hitstun end else your throw will be easily breakable!! RAISE THE ROOF!
6. 5B iad j2C->Alle~Can becomes a cross over at certain distances!!
7. (Opponent-Carl-Nirvana) Try a 5B->6B->236A+6D and time the 6D such that it hits after you've rolled to the other side. If done right, they need to switch directions to block the 6D! Hard to perform and make it work, but sometimes its rewarding.

Pressure Options
use 6B over 5C to gain ground on a barrier blocking opponent.
3]D[, J.2C, Alle~can

2A->5A->5B->5C->8D->hold 9 until u jump->jAxN till landing.

if they jump back, they get hit by 8D, you can probably react fast enough to not press jA if this happens and do something else.

If they jump straight/forward, they're forced to block jA until they're grounded. Depending on where Nirvana is, 8D might even hit as they block your jA. If it hits u can go into a combo...probably something like jA->jB->j214C->8D->loop

If they stay on ground, they just block into another 2A and so on.

Of course... they can run forward... but...

For me, the holy grail of Carl pressure midscreen is:
2/5a, 5B~22D, IAD, j.2C allecan, 2/5B, 5C~6D, sandwich stuff

It's a crossup/mixup blockstring that if blocked correctly can guard crush easily at neutral libra, and if blocked incorrectly leads into clap loop. Use it wisely (and hopefully not on me.)

Guaranteed guardbreak (at least on taokaka... I'll test it later for realsies):

In corner

(gear super>hcf ]d[)*2

Enjoy! I know I did!

[Zeero]

Trickz n Skillz:

Kara Throw (6B~C)
Apparently the furthest kara throw in the game! Use it! Carl's throw has shitty range so this will help.

j2C AirThrow Kara Cancel (IAD>2C~B)
A Kara canceled 2C~AirThrow during the start-up of an AirDash drops Carl’s elevation fast! This is useful because it allows for mixups when your opponent is being hit by Nirvana (airdash j2C AirThrow Kara 2A). Its also a good way to gain distance because there is no recovery when you hit the ground and its hard to anti air this since its so fast.
EXAMPLE @1:13- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXCo07u7nXY

Nirvana Healing
Ne~san heals two different ways in BB. One is to leave her in deactivated mode, the other is to use her till she's dead. It's actually quicker (almost 3x) to let her heal when she broke down, so if she's near dead and you have ways to survive, let her die!!

Burst Punish
Carl is one of the best burst punishers in the game!
I. While grounded, just super cancel into gear once you notice a burst. 632146C. EXAMPLE@:40 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bAdM...e=channel_page
II. While grounded, if you're guessing a burst coming but don't want to do 632146C for whatever reason, 236236]D[ works as well. They won't get hit by it but it forces them to block 11 big stunning hits. Good if you are uncertain if they'll burst or not.
III. While Aerial, if Nirvana is under you, 8]D[ works great! 214214]D[ works as well but requires some timing to make sure the punch doesn't go through the burst
IV. As always, you can jump and instant block the burst and punish when you're back on the ground.

236236D Mixup
Nirvana's 11 hit punch super is a really good mixup tool! It actually doesn't connect into itself if your combo count is 13 or 14 hits or so, which means you can end a ground loop that is 13 hits into the punch super, and it will force them to block the whole super (or get hit if they're not careful). While they're blocking, you can do whatever you want! 6C full charge for unblockable, j2C Alle~can for a quick overhead, 2A/2B for low, 236A/B through them to create a cross over.
You can also do resets if you time a 2A perfectly right after a punch hits. You can also try throwing them and forcing them to block when they throw break, but if they don't do the throw break you'll likely have just wasted a super.

Unblockables
While unblockables exist for Carl, don't expect to be pulling them off constantly. They're pretty easy to escape if done incorrectly and hard to get into position.
1. 2D + 2A/6B/3C -- Good unblockable since 2D launches for 2C8D loop.
2. 3D + 6C/j2C Alle~Can/air hit -- Hard to perform because you need to time the overhead hit so that it hits with the last hit of 3D, else you cannot combo after it
3. Gear Super->RC->66->6[C] (full charge). Notes: I.CAN be Carl exclusive if opponent is in corner. II. Can be done mid-screen IF buffering Nirvana to avoid additional push-back.
4. 236236D->6[C](full charge). Notes: Depends on position of Carl & Ne~san, have to be close enough to not waste hit-stun putting Carl into position.
5. (corner) Gear Super->summon->push nirvana/carl forward->2D+3C -- Works because carl recovers slightly before gear super ends
6. airthrow + 8D -- Unblockable because 8D is air unblockable, if they tech, it will still hit. READ ON BELOW

Bursting
Defensive: When you press A+B+C+D to burst, it activates nirvana as well. Remember to hold D when you burst with Carl else you may be wasting Nirvana's attack. Some good options to do when you burst depending on nirvana's position:
1. Burst->236236]D[ --oki game if opponent falls near nirvana
2. Burst->8D->66->[2C->8D]x2 -- if nirvana is nearby
3. Burst->4D->air combo -- if nirvana is really far away and you don't have tension for option 1.
Offensive: Keep in mind that offensive bursts (bursting when you're not in hit/block stun) breaks guard. With this you can do some devastating stuffs if you can perform the clap trap!

Recovery/Escape Traps
8D is unblockable in the air, so if you hit your opponent into the air and they tech improperly, they may get hit by 8D! Then you can follow up with your favourite combo of choice! Setups are endless but here's two so you get the idea.
1. air combo->j214C -> 8D -- j214C knocks them far away, so if Nirvana is far away from you, an improper recovery by your opponent may end up with him getting hit by 8D!
2. (opponent blocking your ground loop) 2A 5A 5B 6C 8D -- instead of the usual 6D follow up, we do a 8D, so people that try to jump away will get hit, and you can follow up with a combo.

Tech Trap
When you got your opponent on the floor in between Carl and Nirvana, they'll most likely try to tech forward or backwards to get out of there since its really dangerous. Heres some options to continue your pressure.
Roll towards Nirvana
1. 3D hits 4 times and has really long active frames (16 in total), its a good attack to punish your opponent for rolling.
2. 6D also works, but may be harder to time because it has less active frames.
Roll towards Carl
This is what sucks because Nirvana is farther away. But they're more easily punisable.
1. 2B 2C them back into the loop, this is harder to time and space
2. Throw them into a loop, again, hard.

[Zeero]

Best For Last: Clap Trap!

What it is:
"Clap Trap" is why Carl has recently raised from low tier to mid tier. In summary, it EATS your opponent. Example shown below.



LOL

Back to business, remember how 8D is air unblockable? Well by doing the unblockable airthrow + 8D, if they decide to break your throw, they'll actually get hit by the 8D when they throwbreak and fall to the ground, and you can dash in and start the 2C8D loop again.

What does this mean in practice? Throws do unprorated damage in BB, meaning getting throws in combos does a lot of damage. If you can do a bunch of airthrows and 8D in 1 combo, that means your combo does A LOT of damage, AND it is inescapable. If people tried to throw break, they'll end up getting hit, you will follow up for a combo, and the only thing that they've achieved is to eat another painful combo!

How it is performed:
Theorically:
Airthrow+8D multiple times in 1 combo.

To achieve this, look at any of the above combos that is a [2C->8D] loop. Basically you can now replace these [2C->8D]xN to [Airthrow+8D->Airdash->Airthrow+8D->land->2C->8D]xN. Thats some painful combo if you can perform it whole. I'll be calling the Airthrow+8D as clap trap from now on.

In general, keep in mind:
1. Your airthrow has to be performed low to the ground, low enough so that they cannot throw break and dash away from the 8D. Usually if your airthrow is performed no higher than Nirvana, you're on the right track. To do this, after 8D hits, you'll want to time your jump so that you're actually falling down before you throw.
2. Your airthrow has to be performed when Nirvana is close. If she isn't do 2C->8D an other time while moving Carl and Nirvana closer. Too close won't work either, because 8D will just whiff.

Practically:
In practice, its hard to do because it is very character specific. Character sizes, character weight, the actual character itself, all affect the timing and how to do it. Its easier on some characters and harder on others.

Also a video with clap loop on every character, you can see all the kinds of relaunches and such. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKhhM-57PU8

For character specific information, please proceed to the Combo thread titled:
"Carl Clover Combo Discussion: Clap Trap Inside." See 1st post.

http://www.dustloop.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6372

Relaunching off the reset
Theres a couple of options which all work. A successful relaunch depends on how high you were when they broke your airthrow, because the higher you are, the longer it takes for you to land. Pick and choose the right one to use.
1. 66->2C->8D->clap trap -- best for damage, but timing is strict, use it if your opponent techs when low to ground
2. walk forward->2B->2C->8D->clap trap -- If airthrow broke high, and you're closeby
3. 5C->jc->jB+8D->land->2C->8D->clap trap -- hard to perform, but if you're far and throw was broken high, this might be your only choice
4. 66->5B->clap trap -- Not so stable depending on character you're against

Escaping the Throw Loop
Theres no such thing as perfect in life, and same with the clap trap. Its can be escaped by certain characters, but for the others...

ThrowBreak~ J.D.
Very well placed air counter.
EXAMPLE@ 2:20- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7-eW...e=channel_page

ThrowBreak~ 6D.
The wind trajectory is a life saver!
EXAMPLE@ 3:35- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i18ku...e=channel_page

ThrowBreak~ 2D.
The wind trajectory causes Rachel to hit the ground prior to Carl often FREEZING the game. Glitch Banned in SBO.
Glitch seen here (vs Bang, but same theory vs Carl) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsowWUfMMWk

ThrowBreak~ 623C->RC->guard.
Ragna uses the invincibility on his DP, than RC when he connects with Ne~san. The RC makes him completely safe. =P RC may not be needed if it hits Carl too.
EXAMPLE@ 0:19- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfpjP...e=channel_page

ThrowBreak~[D],
Carl activates Ne~san, she takes the hit for ya. Positioning is CRUCIAL for the success of this.
EXAMPLE@ 0:53- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aniAHvaOyU0

To tech or not to tech?

A little (well not really) post about what I THINK about Carl and what to pay attention to when EATING THE LOOP AND HOW TO GET OUT that i wrote on my local thread because people are saying i'm a cheap bastard

1. Where you & Nirvana's clap is: Basically when Carl throws and Nirvana's clap is UNDER you, a simple tech + airdash will escape. If nirvana is pretty far back and only the edge of the clap may hit you, you can try to tech and airdash (unless CARL is in the corner, because when Carl throws and hes in the corner, YOU get pushed back away from corner.) Good carl player's wont make these mistakes tho. And always don't eat weak resets with air recoveries from my combos.

2. Height when Carl airthrows you: The higher Carl is, the harder it is to do the loop. Basically its supposed to work like this. When i throw you, you should be at nirvana's height, so that when i airdash, i push you towards nirvana. If nirvana isn't there, i will more than likely airdash UNDER you, failing my loop. Also, if the throw is high, then it takes more time for Carl to land and then he can't do 2C to relaunch. Same logic applies to resets. Higher Carl is, harder it is for him to reset coz it takes more time for him to land, dash, then 2C. If i'm too low and your hitbox is big, you might even end up getting the ground throw-break animation (i've done it more than enough times lol). Resets would also be harder if you have a big hitbox because u'll hit the ground faster.

3. Nirvana's life bar & your life bar: I'm not sure exactly how it works, but i think if you continuously use nirvana, moves actually cost more and more to use. So if nirvana is at low life, and you're at high life, dont even bother teching. Like that buppa vs dio match (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPJJZ4qzu4I @ 1:23), theres no way he would have died from the loop with that much nirvana life, yet he teched, ate a reset, THEN died.

4. When to throw-break/burst: If you're gonna burst, do it when you see me start my 2C, thats probably the only safe time to burst. As for throw breaking, sometimes you just gotta take a chance. The corner throw loop seems pretty impossible to escape as i did it last friday, like 30+ hits on arakune lol. But again, if its impossible to escape anyway, might as well just try it and pray i screw up. Its easier to screw up a reset than a relaunch. Also imo, if you're gonna throw break, do it on the first throw of the 2throw sets. This is because if you do it on the 1st throw break, theres a chance that i didnt expect it and then end up airdashing. Or i mistime the dash and end up air dashing. Throw breaking on 2nd throw will ALWAYS let me ground dash because my airdash count is gone and its pretty easy to time (basically my dash gets buffered).

5. Who you are using: certain characters are harder to loop/reset on because of their hitbox/falling properties. Rachel, Ragna, Haku are known characters to escape the loop. I find taokaka harder to loop because she drops pretty quickly.

Just my opinion.