Normal Mode
- 5PGuardMidStartup3Recovery7Advantage+1 — A.B.A’s fastest button at 3 frames. Great anti-air, lots of gatlings, can tick throw into Keygrab up close
- 2PGuardMidStartup5Recovery6Advantage+2 — Slightly slower alternative to 5P. Mostly the same gatlings but better at hitting shorter characters
- 6PGuardMidStartup10Recovery10Advantage-1 — Decently fast universal anti-air A grounded attack that hits the opponent out of the air. Gatlings to 2S for anti-air combos
- 5KGuardMidStartup7Recovery6Advantage+1 — Good midrange button. Moves forward, +1 on block and confirms to rekkas from far away
- 2KGuardLowStartup7Recovery10Advantage-2 — Slightly slower than average 2K. BnB low starter
- f.SGuardLowStartup9Recovery14Advantage0 — Advancing low, whiff punish tool similar to 5K. Good for catching opponents walking forward or backward
- 2SGuardMidStartup8Recovery13Advantage-5 — Great anti-air, beats or trades with most air normals, great on counter hit for extended untech time allowing combos to keygrab even on trade
- 2DGuardLowStartup10Recovery15Advantage-4 — Close range combo ender in Normal Mode. Cancel into Keygrab for transformations or allow to recover for OTG Keygrab ender
- j.PGuardHigh/AirStartup5Recovery14Advantage- — Fast disjointed air-to-air. Combos to the air version of keygrab for transformations from air-to-airs
- j.HGuardHigh/AirStartup15Recovery0Advantage- — Slow but active till A.B.A hits the ground. Good out of a superjump or IAD An air dash performed from a standing position as quickly and as low to the ground as possible from a jump. Done by inputting 956 754, and depending on the game, using a dash macro right after a jump.
- SlideGuardStartupRecoveryTotal 28Advantage- — Evasive low profile When a character's hurtbox is entirely beneath an opponent's attack. This can be caused by crouching, certain moves, and being short. slide that goes under a ton of high hitting normals and specials
- RekkaGuardMidStartup12Recovery17Advantage-5 — Bread and butter A staple combo that is relatively simple and effective. combo tool. Has 2 followups that comprise your bnb to get into Moroha Mode
- BloodballGuardAllStartup35RecoveryTotal 40Advantage+18 — Somewhat slow fireball but can be useful for space control. Stays out even if A.B.A gets hit, can be FRCed
- BloodpackGuardStartupRecoveryTotal 38Advantage- — Uses 1 bloodpack to transform A.B.A to Moroha. Good from far away or on a knockdown but can be punished from close up
- KeygrabGuardAll(65 pixels)Startup13(4)Recovery30Advantage-32 — A.B.As most important special. Transforms her to Moroha mode on hit, functions as both a command grab and a hitgrab
- Force Break SlideGuardStartupRecoveryTotal 26Advantage- — Much improved version of meterless slide. Fully invul for entire duration
Moroha Mode
- f.SGuardMidStartup9Recovery16Advantage-1 — No longer a low but 2 hits, disjointed and still combos to Rekkas for your bnb whiff punishes
- 2SGuardMidStartup12Recovery18Advantage-7 — Slower than Normal 2S but great otherwise. Lets you kill the opponent on counter hit
- 5HGuardMidStartup15Recovery12Advantage0 — Strong poke/counterpoke and pressure normal due to its range and vacuum properties on the second hit
- 2HGuardMidStartup17Recovery6Advantage+2 — Pressure reset that gatlings from most of A.B.A's Moroha normals. Can be FRCed for more frame advantage. Briefly throw invincible during startup makes for a great meaty or frame trap An offensive technique where the attacker leaves a small opening in their offense, goading the defender into performing an attack. This opening is designed such that the attacker can easily counter the defender's attack with their own.
- 2DGuardLowStartup12Recovery23Advantage-6 — Slow but enormous ranged, disjointed sweep. Combos to Rekka Loops on most middleweights and above from far out and can bait many reversal To perform an attack as soon as possible after getting knocked down or leaving hitstun/blockstun.s due to the disjoint
- j.HGuardHigh/AirStartup12Recovery20Advantage- — Huge disjointed air normal that can beat many traditional anti airs. Ground slides on counter hit for combos and slams opponents on air hit
- RekkaGuardMidStartup11Recovery17Advantage-5 — Slightly improved hitbox, and longer ground slide on the third hit gives A.B.A corner loops
- DanzaiGuardMidStartup18Recovery25Advantage-9 — A.B.A's infamous special move. Single hit armor, throw invincible, hugely disjointed, starts combos. Amazing special. Loses to multihit moves and supers
- ButtGuardMidStartup21Recovery14Advantage-6 — Staple corner combo and grounded knockdown tool. Gives ample time to set up okizeme From Japanese "起き攻め". Attacking an opponent about to wake up after they were knocked down, usually with meaty attacks or mix-ups.
- KeygrabGuardAll(65 pixels)Startup13(4)Recovery30Advantage-32 — Largely the same as Normal Mode keygrab, but it heals 80% of self-inflicted damage A.B.A has taken. If the grab version lands can follow up with OTG Keygrab for a Moroha refresh
- FlipkickGuardAirStartup28Recovery29Advantage- — Throw and low crush "unblockable" overhead flipkick that groundbounces on hit and staggers on standing block
- Moroha BloodpackGuardStartupRecoveryTotal 40Advantage- — Exits Moroha and restores 120% of self damage taken. Can be FRCed to cut down on recovery. Great when low on Moroha Gauge
- Force Break DanzaiGuardMidStartup18Recovery25Advantage-11 — Gains infinite armor during startup and retains its throw invincibility. Groundbounces higher on hit for bigger combos. Still loses to supers
- Use 5PGuardMidStartup3Recovery7Advantage+1, 6PGuardMidStartup10Recovery10Advantage-1, and 2SGuardMidStartup8Recovery13Advantage-5 to deter opponents from jumping in normal mode as well as j.PGuardHigh/AirStartup5Recovery14Advantage- and air throwGuard88 pixelsStartupRecoveryAdvantage- to get anti-air confirms into Keygrab
- 5PGuardMidStartup3Recovery7Advantage+1, 6PGuardMidStartup10Recovery17Advantage-6 and 2SGuardMidStartup12Recovery18Advantage-7 remain your go-to anti-airs but are joined by DanzaiGuardMidStartup18Recovery25Advantage-9 and Force Break DanzaiGuardMidStartup18Recovery25Advantage-11 which act as pseudo-dps with enormous hitboxes but slow startup
Normal Mode: K.I.S.: Keep It Simple. A.B.A wants to get into Moroha quickly and efficiently. Normal Mode combos are usually short and low damage but serve the purpose of getting you into Moroha where your real damage is
throw > 66 > Keygrab
: basic BnB off a throw. 66 can be omitted vs Axl, Baiken, Dizzy, Eddie, I-No, Faust, Johnny, Millia, and Slayer
5P > c.S > 2D > Keygrab
: three piece combo into keygrab. Easy, basic, works on everyone
(starter) > Rekka 1GuardMidStartup12Recovery17Advantage-5 > Rekka 2GuardMidStartup6Recovery19Advantage-8 > Rekka 3GuardMidStartup14Recovery31Advantage-15 > FRC > 66 > Keygrab
: 25% meter transformation combo. Good damage to get into Moroha with and leaves the opponent close to the corner from midscreen
2S > SJC > j.P > j.S > j.P > j.S > Keygrab
: bnb from an anti air 2S. Substitute the Jump Cancel for a Superjump on opponents higher in the air
Moroha Mode: A.B.A gains substantially more combo options as well as higher damage combos in Moroha, these are basics to get started with the character
c.S > 5H > Rekka 1GuardMidStartup11Recovery17Advantage-5 > Rekka 2GuardMidStartup6Recovery19Advantage-8 > Rekka 3GuardMidStartup14Recovery28Advantage-12
: bnb from c.S in Moroha. Rekkas can be FRCed for extra corner carry and damage
c.S > 2H > 2S > 421H > c.S > 2S > 421H
: bnb butt loop in the corner. 2H > 2S requires a slightly delayed gatling. Deals great damage and gives an excellent knockdown with ample time for okizeme
2D > [Rekka 1 > Rekka 2 > Rekka 3 x3]
: Rekka loops from spaced 2D. Only works in Moroha and only off air hits of rekka. Builds a lot of meter
c.S > 5H > Rekka 1 > Rekka 2 > Keygrab > Keygrab
: Uses the extended stagger on Rekka 2 to combo into the grab version of Keygrab. Refreshes Moroha and heals 80% of lost health
throw > 66 > c.S > 2S > 421H
: Midscreen throw in Moroha grants limited but strong combos. In the corner can lead to butt loops
Getting into Moroha mode should be your primary objective when in Normal Mode, as in many matchups A.B.A is much weaker than the opponent when in Normal Mode, and is very vulnerable to being zoned and rushed down by savvy opponents. She's very far from helpless however, and rewards players for playing patient to get in or for punishing opponents playing recklessly
- Walking: A.B.A's walk speed is the slowest in the game, but is the least commital of any of her movement options in normal mode. Walking into blocking or instant blocking can allow you to close the distance against opponents who may be attempting to zone you. In particular instant blocking attacks will build A.B.A a lot of meter very quickly which she can use for things like Force Break SlideGuardStartupRecoveryTotal 26Advantage- or RekkaGuardMidStartup12Recovery17Advantage-5 FRC
- Dashing: A.B.A's dash in normal mode is a stepdash like Johnny or Kliff's and is rather slow, but can be interrupted by buttons or normals fairly quickly into its animation.
- Slide: SlideGuardStartupRecoveryTotal 28Advantage- is one of A.B.As most defining features, and allows A.B.A to go under a huge amount of high hitting pokes that may otherwise be difficult for her to navigate around due to her otherwise lacking mobility like Faust's f.SGuardMidStartup7Recovery28Advantage-20. Slide is very strong against a lot of characters, but is throwable for the entire duration and loses to most low hitting pokes like Sol's 2DGuardLowStartup7Recovery20Advantage-6. Force Break SlideGuardStartupRecoveryTotal 26Advantage- costs 25 meter but in exchange gains full invincibility for the moves entire duration, allowing it to beat anything your opponent may try, including things that beat meterless Slide.
- Jumping: A.B.A's jump in Normal Mode is a bit on the slow side but can be good for dealing with opponents who are attempting to call out slideGuardStartupRecoveryTotal 28Advantage-. Jumping is a risk as it always is, but carefully using thinks like jump instant block A special type of blocking done by inputting a block immediately before blocking an attack. Usually improves frame data against blocked moves or gives more meter than a normal block or both., faultless defense A special type of blocking in Guilty Gear that negates chip damage and pushes the opponent back further than usual. This type of blocking comes at the cost of a resource., and jumping using her normals to land on the opponent or air-to-air them can allow you to better navigate the opponents space
- Anti-airing: Anti-airs are a strong point for A.B.A in all of her forms and NM is no different. Your primary tools for swatting airborne opponents will be 5PGuardMidStartup3Recovery7Advantage+1, 6PGuardMidStartup10Recovery10Advantage-1, and 2SGuardMidStartup8Recovery13Advantage-5. All 3 can be confirmed into air combos to end in keygrab to allow a transformation and get you into Moroha Mode so you can start fighting the opponent better.
You've gotten into Moroha, what now? The answer is that you kill them. A.B.A gains freakishly strong normals, very strong pressure and some of the best damage in the game when in Moroha, as well as much better mobility, with a very fast run, a much improved airdash and much better air normals
How to get close. A.B.A thrives when up close to the opponent when in Moroha, and getting close to them is much easier due to her better movement speed and improved normals that she can bully the opponent with
- Walking: A.B.A's walk speed doesn't change any during Moroha, meaning its still the slowest in the game, but walking is still a very important thing to make use of when attempting to close the distance. Being able to immediately block out of a walk can prove useful vs things like Ky's Stun EdgeGuardAllStartup10RecoveryTotal 41Advantage-5 or longer range pokes
- Dashing: A.B.A's walk speed is bad, but her dash speed in Moroha is among the best in the game, with very fast dash speed and acceleration. Combining dashing with her normals, her jumps and her specials can create a frighteningly fast rushdown character who can close the gap incredibly quickly with far reaching, high damage options
- Jumping: A.B.A also gains a lot from jumping in Moroha, though like any character jumping with her inherently carries the risk of being anti-aired. Abusing her j.HGuardHigh/AirStartup12Recovery20Advantage- can be very effective, as the moves disjointed hitbox and recessed hurtbox coupled with A.B.A's stellar ability to dashjump can make anti-airing her very difficult for some characters
- Anti-airing: A.B.A gets a lot from successful anti-airs in terms of both damage and corner carry. 2SGuardMidStartup12Recovery18Advantage-7 in particular is an excellent deterrent for most characters attempting to jump at her, as a counter hit 2S combo can lead to halfscreen corner carry and huge damage off an unscaled starter
What to do when you're close. Once you've gotten close enough to start your offense you can really start to make your opponents life hell. A.B.A isn't the strongest mixup character in the game, and most of her offense is built around strike/throw and frame traps, as well as building risc. Building risc is especially important, as even a small amount of risc can skyrocket your damage output
- 2PGuardMidStartup5Recovery6Advantage+2 — Good pressure starter due to its speed and gatlings. 2P > c.S > X is a staple of A.B.A's pressure
- 2KGuardLowStartup6Recovery10Advantage-2 — Low combo starter. High scaling but important for mixups
- c.SGuardMidStartup9Recovery14Advantage0 — 0 on block with low pushback. Good to gatling into from her light normals, great for tick throws, especially with dash momentum
- 5HGuardMidStartup15Recovery12Advantage0 — Also 0 on block. Vacuums the opponent closer to A.B.A and provides her with great offensive options, though is susceptible to reversal throw. Very long cancel/gatling window on the 1st hit
- 2HGuardMidStartup17Recovery6Advantage+2 — Primary way to stop opponents from mashing throw during pressure. Most gatlings into it leave an unthrowable gap that will counter hit reversal throws. On block has natural frame advantage and can be FRCed for even more frame advantage
- 2DGuardLowStartup12Recovery23Advantage-6 — Good way to keep opponents from backdashing or walking back out of strings, especially when combined with the vacuum on 5H. Can be used as a spaced meaty to bait DPs and other Reversals
- j.SGuardHigh/AirStartup10Recovery12Advantage- — Staple safejump normal. Jump cancels for setting up her f-shiki Sometimes known as "Fuzzy Overhead". When you are in blockstun, you can switch high/low blocking, but your blocking animation and hurtbox does not change until you leave blockstun or block another attack. F-Shikis take advantage of this and use overheads that would miss on crouching characters, but not on standing characters. on offense
- ThrowGuard45 pixelsStartupRecoveryAdvantage- — Important to get them to stop blocking. Can combo off it both midscreen and in the corner. High scaling means combos are best kept short but can do great damage with high guard bar
- KeygrabGuardAll(65 pixels)Startup13(4)Recovery30Advantage-32 — Good to use to refresh Moroha in pressure. Low damage reward but good against opponents content to block a lot
Suka motion is something of a soft lose condition for A.B.A, and occurs when she runs out of Moroha gauge. Upon recovering from your most recent action you'll be forced into a lengthy (52 frames) animation where you're unable to block or attack. Think of this like a second stun. A lot of characters can IK you during this, but this can be avoided with proper resource management, patience, and above anything else good defense.
- Suka will not occur in the air. If you run out of Moroha gauge while airborne or mid combo in the air, end in air keygrab
- Save your bloodpacks when possible. Bloodpacks can get you out of a bad situation, particularly due to the extra healing granted by Moroha Bloodpacks as well as the FRC on them to cut your recovery. Even if you don't FRC it and eat a punish from your opponent that combo will almost certainly do less damage than a Suka punish combo
- Conserving your burst is another good strategy to employ to save yourself from getting Suka'd, or at the very least avoid getting IKed. Most characters Instant Kills take a long time to start up and have fairly short range, requiring the opponent to be nearby you when they activate it. OTG Bursts in particular can greatly throw off your opponents and give you some breathing room. Using OTG Burst is something of a last resort, as you'll still go through your Suka animation but you'll likely be saved from getting IKed
- Managing your bar well is the best way to avoid seeing Suka. Paying attention to how much Moroha Gauge you have left at any given point and adjusting your combos accordingly in order to either switch forms as needed will cut your damage some, but will keep you safer from running out of meter after a combo ends and eating a painful punish or going back into normal mode with half of your health gone. Easy way to think of it: if your gauge is below 40%, you're one dropped combo or mistimed meaty from possibly dying, and it's likely worth it to end a combo early to switch forms