GGML/Potemkin

	Defense
	180%Raw Value: 18
	Jump Startup
	12f
	Backdash
	22f
	Meter Gain Mod
	50%Raw Value: 5
	Charge Time
	80f
	Forward Walk Speed
	60%Raw Value: 460
	Backward Walk Speed
	44%Raw Value: 256
	Dizzy Resistance
	120%Raw Value: 36
	Fastest Attack
	2HGuardAllStartup6Recovery6Advantage-27 (6F); Potemkin BusterGuardThrowStartup1RecoveryN/AAdvantageN/A (1F)
	Reversals
	Potemkin BusterGuardThrowStartup1RecoveryN/AAdvantageN/A (1F)

Overview

Starter Guide

Combos

Potemkin is god awful. Just look at the images and say "it sucks" to yourself for almost every single thing here and you have Potemkin. Potemkin's normals are horribly slow, he can't dash, he can't infinite despite having a charge, said charge is also sluggish, he lacks any future moves such as F.D.B or Hammerfall to assist him in approaching zoners or pressuring, he's gigantic, and he has twelve frames of prejump (jump startup) which renders him glued to the ground and thus susceptible to all kinds of malarkey in this game such as the near-universal CC infinites.

None of Potemkin's strengths are real. High damage normals don't matter due to the abundance of infinites in this game. Potemkin Buster has good range and comes out instantly, but the opponent can tech immediately after being hit thus rendering any follow-up pressure impossible. Even then, this begs the question of "how did Potemkin get close and grab someone in the first place?". The most practical place to use Buster is defensively, which is splendid since Potemkin will either be opened up instantly or alternatively get zoned all day rendering the strength moot. His super is an almost fullscreen megapunch that's air unblockable, a rare trait in GGML, but he'll never get to use it any way so who cares?

Don't play him. You won't have fun, and you certainly won't win.

Potemkin

Potemkin gets on his hands and knees and prays that his opponent will run at him so he can buster for 35 damage.

Pros

Cons

Can't Be Pressured Up Close: Has genuinely solid guard cancel options, with Buster acting as an instant reversal and Mega Fist evading most attacks.

Can't Infinite: While he can charge, an inability to dash makes performing infinites impossible.
Can't Approach: Potemkin has horribly slow movement, jump startup, and frame data. Additionally Pot lacks the tools to approach in Missing Link. He doesn't have Hammerfall or Flick and Slidehead is techable. Mega Fist is plus and big but doesn't go far enough to be reliable.
Can't Harness His Strengths: Potemkin's best moves are held back by the fact that he can't get in to apply them. Potemkin Buster may be amazing, but using it depends on the opponent willingly entering his effective range, because he has no good way to get into range on his own terms.
Can't Reasonably Charge: It takes Potemkin a woefully long 80 frames to increase the level of Graviton Stamp, which makes them very impractical to access. Level 3 Graviton Stamp may be the best version of the move by far, but you'll never realistically ever get the charge needed to use it, so it doesn't matter.
Can't Keep Up Pressure: Pot Buster does not lead to continued pressure thanks to all knockdowns being techable.
Can't Quickly Build Meter: Potemkin is tied for second worst meter gain in the game which means he will likely only be able to access his super while in Desperation state.
Can't Catch a Break: because he's so tall some characters, like Chipp and Millia, gain access to character-specific pressure and combos against Potemkin.
Can't.

Note: Potemkin is tied with

Justice for highest defense in the game at 18. This would be awesome, except he's super immobile and people are going to infinite you if they get in anyways. Potemkin also has a , but he will never get a chance to use it in practical competition because it costs meter, which he builds incredibly slowly, and he's probably going to be caught in an infinite before he builds that much.

Unique Mechanics

Desperation Chip

When Potemkin is below half health and has a full Chaos meter, his H normals deal a small amount of chip damage.

Normals

Damage

A quantification of how a character's health bar is reduced when they are hit.

Guard

The act of defending against incoming attacks. Guarding either negates the damage from an attack entirely or reduces it to minor chip damage.

Low: Guarded against while crouching
Mid: Guarded against in either the crouching or standing state, but not while airborne
High: Guarded against in the standing state
All: Guarded against while crouching, standing, or while airborne
Throw: Cannot be guarded against, but only applies to grounded opponents
Unblockable: Cannot be guarded against

Startup: The time before an attack is active including the first active frame. For example, an attack with 10F startup means the attack will do nothing for 9 frames, then hit the opponent on the 10th frame.
Active: The active frames of an attack refers to the amount of time an attack can hit the opponent.
Recovery: The recovery of an attack refers to the amount of time an attacker must wait before they may perform another action, even blocking.
On-Block: A measure of frame advantage when the opponent blocks an attack. Positive values indicate that the attacker can act first. Negative values indicate that the defender can act first.
On-Hit: A measure of frame advantage when the opponent is hit by an attack. Positive values indicate that the attacker can act first. Negative values indicate that the defender can act first.
Invuln: Short for InvulnerabilityA state where a character cannot be hit. A common component of reversal moves.

5P

10f jab. We're off to a great start.

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
7	All	10	4	16	-12	-5	none

Horrible jab. 10 frames of startup and ridiculously unsafe on block, requiring a CC to prevent your imminent death. You won't be getting any CC pressure either thanks to Potemkin's inability to dash. The range at least isn't awful, but why would you ever use this over 2S if you want to poke? Or just at all?

Gatling Options: 5P, 2P, 6P, 5K, 2K, c.S, f.S, 2S, 5H, 2H

5K

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
5	Low	14	6	16	-12	-1	none

Low kick. Even more horrible than 5P. The startup is even worse, and the rest of 5K's epic frame data doesn't do it any favors either. Potemkin has to CC nearly all of his normals just to avoid death, and that's no exception here.

Air Unblockable for no reason

Gatling Options: 5P, 2P, 6P, 5K, 2K, c.S, f.S, 2S, 5H, 2H

c.S

c.S

Animation deemed too goofy for future games

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
15	All	12	15	0	+1	+12	none

This button is a sin, and not in a good way. The first hitbox is a tiny box behind him on frame 12, and then it does not hit in front of him until frame 18. Only use is it's total lack of recovery, making it useful for Pot Busters

Check out those hitboxes. You waited 18 frames for that.

Gatling Options: f.S, 2S, 5H, 2H

f.S

f.S

Becomes c.S in every other game, to the joy of everyone

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
16	All	12	12	17	-18	-8	none

Outclassed by 2S in every way. Not sure why you'd use this, outside of maybe going for a silly anti-air with the first hitbox.

Gatling Options: None

5H

You're not getting any cool Counter Hit conversions in this game.

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
29	All	22	14	7	-11	+6	none

Huge, high damage normal. Unfortunately it's incredibly slow to start up, albeit with plenty of active frames and not too much recovery.

When Potemkin is below 50% HP and has Max meter, this normal deals chip damage.

Gatling Options: 2H

Fierce Strike

6P

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
9x2	All	12	6,6	13	-11	-4	none

If you're from +R, you probably saw the image and said "hell yeah I have an overhead again!"

Not an overhead, despite the animation

Unhelpful move in general. Has an anti-air hitbox but it's not great.

Gatling Options: 5K, 2K, c.S, f.S, 2S, 5H, 2H

2P

5P, but better.

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
7	All	9	6	14	-12	-5	none

Strictly better than 5P thanks to its superior startup and better range.

Gatling Options: 5P, 2P, 6P, 5K, 2K, c.S, f.S, 2S, 5H, 2H

2K

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
12	Low	15	6	18	-15	-14	none

Air Unblockable

Hilariously slow, and while it does give a knockdown, it's instantly techable so you're not getting any pressure after it. Generally outclassed by 2S in every way. Against NoTechstament, however, 2K can be used for an infinite OTG combo. This is because because Testament cannot tech OTG hits in this state.

Gatling Options: c.S, f.S, 2S, 5H, 2H

2S

Your best poke, and it's not even that good.

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
16	Low	10	19	0	-10	+1	none

Pot's best poke thanks to its large hitbox and decent speed compared to his other big normals. Like most of his normals, it's not disjointed, so it is susceptible to whiff punishes. It's also really important in combos, since most of Pot's combos are usually something like: Starter > 2S > CC, 2S > CC.

Your only actually usable normal
Unlike +R, does not vacuumTo pull the opponent towards the attacker, usually on hit or on block. the opponent.
Technically active for every frame past startup, giving it 0 recovery frames.

Gatling Options: 2H

2H

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
25	All	6	8(2)10(6)5	6	-27	-8	none

Big and fast anti-air. Good at sniping at aerial opponents, although more often than not it'll clash rather than beating anything. Unfortunately is lacking in any horizontal reach, isn't air unblockable, and launches the opponent high and away, making it unrewarding outside of the decent damage. It's also Potemkin's fastest button at 6F, so you'll need to use this sometimes for abare, although generally Pot Buster and Mega Fist are better for this.

When Potemkin is below 50% HP and has Max meter, this normal deals chip damage.

Gatling Options: None

j.P

j.P

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
7	Overhead	10	5	11			none

Would be a decent air-to-air but it's slow. Somehow still tied for his fastest air normal.

Gatling Options: j.P, j.K, j.S, j.H

j.K

j.K

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
5	Overhead	10	10	5			none

Tied for his fastest air normal. Has more active frames than j.P but a worse hitbox.

Gatling Options: j.P, j.S, j.H

j.S

j.S

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
16	Overhead	12	27	6			none

Potemkin's best air normal. Barely slower than j.P and j.K and due to Pot swinging it over his head, the hitbox covers angles above, in front, and below him. It's also incredibly active. On top of that it's slightly disjointed.

This normal is a must use in many matchups to stop the opponent from just air stalling and also to jump in, although jumping with Pot is always a big risk since he has no ways to change his air momentum.

Gatling Options: j.H

j.H

j.H

Flagrant disregard for personal safety. These are the eyes of a madman.

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
21	Overhead	11	16	11			none

Potemkin's grappler body splash. Has a decent hitbox and is one of the few normals in this game that crosses up consistently, although Potemkin has no ways to set that up. Besides that it's outclassed by j.S in every way.

When Potemkin is below 50% HP and has Max meter, this normal deals chip damage.

Gatling Options: None

Universal Mechanics

Dust Attack

S+H

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
20	Mid	18	4(2)12	19	-29	+64	none

Painfully slow mid. No idea what you'd ever use it for.

Throw

6H or 4H

Fun Fact: If you do 632146P, you do a bigger grab with better range, more damage and a better knockdown. Crazy, right?

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
25	Throw	1	N/A	N/A	N/A	-14	none

Potemkin's classic throw where he tosses the opponent behind himself. Good at making space from the opponent, which is the worst possible thing Potemkin could do in this game. Maybe useful if you're cornered and want to put the opponent in it.

Instant Kill

Nuclear Hammer

P+K > 236X

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
FATAL	Mid	12	13	23	N/A	N/A	Above Ankles All

On the worse end for IKs but not the absolute worst. It has good invuln for the entire duration and the hitbox is decent for anti-airs but annoyingly small for anything else. It's also just slow so good luck landing it against a zoning opponent.

Much lamer than Magnum Opera or Infernal Tour.

Specials

Potemkin Buster

632146P

1F Guard Cancel Command Grab

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
32	Throw	1	N/A	N/A	N/A	+8	none

The best command grab in the game, on a character who can only apply it on defense.

GGML Pot buster is a bit weird. The damage isn't great, and he doesn't have any way to apply it on offense thanks to the missing tools from his kit. The thing is, it's one of the best defensive tools in the game. It can be used as a guard cancel to instantly grip an opponent who is grounded within PB range out of their block string. Even without guard cancel, its 1 frame startup and inability to whiff makes this command grab incredibly annoying when Potemkin is defending.

Pot Buster can be option selected with Instant Kill to cover against opponents attempting to fuzzy jump against him.

This move would be absurd on any other character, but instead it's on Potemkin.

Does not have a whiff animation.
Only comes out when within range and the opponent is throwable.
Potemkin is +8 against perfect tech on hit, "knocks down" without tech.

Nitro Hook

41236P

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
31	Throw	17	22	0	N/A	+2	none

A forwards advancing command-grab that does a low wall-bounce on hit.

This move is mostly redundent because Potemkin Buster fills its role better, but it is one of the few ways to reasonably get a knockdown. It's by no means a guaranteed knockdown, because the opponent can avoid getting knocked down by teching within 2f of hitstop ending, and they can buffer the tech input during hitstop.

It probably sucks because its range is surprisingly bad, but's slow as heck, and it extends his hurtbox really far forwards.

Mega Fist

236P or 214P

FMF is actually plus in this game, so spamming it is justified.

Version	Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
Mega Fist Forward	18	Overhead	20	15	0	+8	0	High Profile All
Mega Fist Backward	18	Overhead	19	15	0	-5	0	High Profile All

One of Potemkin's few good moves in this game. It high profiles, goes a decent distance, is heavily disjointed, and leads to combos on hit. Unfortunately it doesn't go far enough to rectify Potemkin's speed issues.

Mega Fist Forward is highly plus, a way for Potemkin to end blockstrings or attempt to reestablish offense

Graviton Stamp

623P

You thought this would give a knockdown? Of course not.
Doesn't exist. You'll never get to charge for that long...
...but if somehow you do, Lv3's no longer terrible.

Version	Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
Graviton Stamp	9	All,Unblockable	27	10	21	N/A	-18	Low Profile 27~41F
Graviton Stamp Level 2	27,6x2	All,Unblockable	27	29	26	N/A	-43	Low Profile 27~70F
Graviton Stamp Level 3	47,17x3	All,Unblockable	27	29	26	N/A	-43	Low Profile 27~70F

Unblockable belly-flop whose launch is immediately techable.

It's Slide Head. Yes the move list calls it Graviton Stamp, but in the code it's Slide Head, and everybody knows it's Slide Head. The first hit (belly-flop portion) of the attack is a true blockstring into the unblockable shockwave.

It's massively disadvantaged on hit due to teching, and is very easily avoidable. GGML is already a very jumpy game, so having a move that only really impacts the ground is just making yourself a sitting duck ready to be blasted. Then again, you picked Potemkin, you probably already wanted to lose.

Level 2, in addition to it's usual behavior, fires a projectile similar to Sol's Gun FlameGuardMidStartup9Recovery31Advantage-17. Level 2 Slide Head can be punished in the same way as Level 1—tech > airdash forwards > air normal > combo.

Level 3 fires an enormous projectile. Accessing this level of Slide Head is be incredibly difficult, bordering on impractical due to Potemkin's abysmal charge time. The blessing of Level 3 is that the projectile is so enormous that it shields Potemkin from harm during his recovery frames.

Slam

6K

Anbe couldn't program a 2nd throw, so he just put it on 6K

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
20	Throw	1	N/A		N/A	-7	4F Full Invuln at the end

Can be teched and because of his awful movement, Potemkin isn't very good at tech chasing.

So, this is a fun move within the context of gear Historically. In ML, characters have 1 throw that is on both 4H and 6H. In later games, characters could pick between backwards throw (4H) and forwards throw (6H). Potemkin, our resident grappler, was ahead of the time on that concept. 4H and 6H both still give back throw, but this move acts as his forwards throw and thus gives him the choice that would later go on to be standard.

Works like a normal gear proximity throw, so it does not have a whiff animation and only comes out when within range

Supers

Gigantic Piston

632146H

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
45,14x5	Mid	26	6(2)30	21	-6	-9	none

Super is Potemkin's main way to counter zoning, except it doesn't consistently work against the best zoning tools.

Due to Potemkin's abysmal meter gain and generally poor ability to land hits, the main way Potemkin will access this move is by entering desperation state from taking a beating. Once Potemkin has reached this 50% health threshold, he will have access to this whenever he could act.

This move goes almost full screen, does good damage, and is air unblockable. Unfortunately it has long startup, isn't disjointed, and can be whiff punished by IKs.

It will destroy projectiles that are of equal or lower level compared to itself. This makes it a way to bypass zoning from moves like