GGST/Goldlewis Dickinson/Strategy

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General Strategies

Goldlewis does best at close range. He has extremely good pressure up close and does insane amounts of damage. He also has very good meter usage, being able to roman cancel his behemoth typhoons to extend his pressure. Your main gameplan is to score a hard knockdown which can be done by hitting someone with a 684H or 268H both of which can be cancelled from almost any grounded normal. Once your opponent is knocked down you have a large variety okizeme options. Cross ups with j.H and several Behemoth Typhoons j.486H/j.684H. Safe Jumps with j.H. ThunderBird (input: 214S) as a safer oki option and of course meaty c.S and Behemoth Typhoons to continue pressure.

Once you are up close and personal with your opponent, you have a variety of options to open up their defense, mainly with your Behemoth Typhoons.


Behemoth Typhoon Buffering leniency

Advice for Buffering Behemoth Typhoon

Behemoth Typhoon is a complex move with odd input requirements that is central to Goldlewis's gameplan. Learning how to perform them efficiently is the first step to unlocking his true potential, but many new players may find it difficult or unconventional to perform them. This is especially true for pad players, as letting go of the control stick resets it to a neutral position and can cause players to mess up their Behemoth inputs. Even so, Behemoth misinputs can be very common for new Goldlewis players due to the moves' unconventional control scheme.

As a piece of advice, try to hold the control stick for a bit at the end of a Behemoth Typhoon when inputting the move, then hit Heavy Slash. As an example, let's say you're performing the 624 Typhoon. Instead of inputting 63214 and then hitting Heavy Slash, hold 4 while you input HS and then let go after the move has come out. This makes it much easier for the game to determine which specific Typhoon of the many available that you specifically want and prevents you from accidentally inputting a corner direction after buffering a Typhoon.

Running 8X2 Behemoth Typhoon Buffers

As there are no easier ways for inputting a standing 862H or 842H outside of skipping one of the optional directions as mentioned or as a cancel; however there is a way to do a normal, micro dash after the move has ended then have one of the aforementioned Behemoths still come out. While in the recovery of a normal, special, or Roman Cancel you can input the directions for a Behemoth Typhoon or in this case 862~5dash~2H, you must use the dash macro for this. If done correctly Goldlewis should finish his normal, special, or Roman Cancel then run for a few frames then do the Behemoth Typhoon buffered. Note: You can input the dash macro at any given point after the 8 input as long as you return to 5 before finishing the motion or returning to the last input while pressing H. You may also press the dash macro on the 6 of Behemoth Typhoons that use it somewhere within its input. See [1] for a demonstration.

Neutral

Close Range / Brawling

Goldlewis has a fairly good close range game. 2P is plus three on block and combos into itself on hit, giving Goldlewis an easy spot to sneak in a throw. It also can frametrap or crouch confirm into c.S which can lead to great damage or okizeme. His K buttons are also great up close, but those rely on cancelling into a Behemoth Typhoon in order to keep pressure going because of their limited gatlings. Behemoth Typhoon itself is core to his close-range pressure, and more details can be found in its section.

Mid Range / Footsies

Goldlewis' midrange is dominated by his S buttons and 684H. His f.S in particular is his fastest poke and almost always combos into the aforementioned BTs. 2S is slower and can drop in cancels in some ranges, but comes with the bonus of being disjointed.

Thunderbird

Thunderbird is one of if not the most important move for you to use in neutral. It is your primary tool at long range to close space and can be really hard to contest. Goldlewis' goal in neutral is either to get thunderbird out by staying at distance. Staying at this distance often forces your opponent to approach you, and goldlewis' fantastic counterpokes such as 5K and 684H can catch people trying to approach to keep you from throwing out thunderbird.

Air-to-Air

Goldlewis' j.P and his j.S are both excellent high anti-airs. Cancelling into an air BT will give him a knockdown and let him get started.

Jump-In

j.D is an absurd neutral tool and jump-in. The hitbox is massive and it synergizes very well with his low jump arc. Jumping forward and doing j.D is a phenomenal midrange tool that will beat a lot of low and mid pokes. It loses to 6P's if they are timed right, but can sometimes be difficult to challenge. If it is blocked, you can go into a delayed j.624H or j.684H to frametrap, or airdash cancel into j.K j.248H to reset and leave yourself close and plus.

Defense

Counter Pokes

5K and 2S are disjointed while active and tend to counterpoke lows. Compared to most other characters, Goldlewis' 6P is subpar as a counterpoke due to its slow startup and high whiff recovery. Despite its speed though, it still works effectively as a counterpoke in many situations. With this in mind, make sure to practice hitconfirming these into 684H, as one knockdown can turn the match in Goldlewis' favour and give him that one chance that he needs to win.

Anti-Airs

6P, the elephant in the room, is very strange. It will work for the most common case of stuffing an IAD, but you'll find that its long startup and high hitbox will fail you in many situations where another character's 6P would have hit. You will also find that its long recovery will get you punished unlike other characters. Its reward is good, however. Having a hard knockdown on counterhit means you'll get a real setup into Skyfish (236S). As such, this likely should still be your response to an IAD. Due to his odd 6P, Goldlewis tends to prefer non-disjointed but quick anti-airs like his 2P or 5P. These are less committal, only slightly less rewarding, and simply more reliable. 2H's long startup (20 frames) and pitiful hitbox make it fairly useless as anything but combo-fodder. Some versions of Behemoth Typhoon that swing forward in front of Goldlewis (426, 268, 684) can be used as situational anti-airs, but this approach isn't recommended outside of hard reads due to long startup and whiff recovery.

Abare

2P is your fastest button at 5 frames. It cannot gatling into itself, but can link into itself on hit. Its range is often disappointing and it can be low-profiled by many lows, so other buttons such as 5P or 2K may be used if a gap allows it.

Reversals

632146P is slow, somewhat small, and your only reversal. Good luck.

Alternatively, at any level of 632146P, you can PRC before the super flash to take advantage of the invincibility. This is most beneficial at 1080P, as it has the longest startup and thus the most invincibility frames to take advantage of. Somewhat more difficult to perform compared to Faust's super PRC, but is much more rewarding.

It also has a cleanhit property in which 1-3 drones depending on the number of rotations of 632146P will be sent out to deal additional damage during an invulnerable cutscene.

Size

Like other big body characters, Goldlewis is sometimes subjected to a worse (or better) set of options due to his size. The details are all very matchup specific, but to name a few: Chipp's Alpha Blade Diagonal (236K) cannot be crouched, I-No's Chemical Love (214K) hits Goldlewis standing, and Millia's OTG 2P > 214K setup can only appear on one side. Little things like this are covered in more detail under Matchups. Being aware of these details is very important in Goldlewis' tougher matchups.

Pressure

Behemoth Typhoon

This is the core of your pressure game. Your primary BTs to use in pressure are 268H, 842H, 486H, and 862H. While there are more BTs that are plus on block, those will be the primary ones you will be using. 268H is your basic plus on block BT, but comes with the bonus of converting into more damage. 842H has short range but hits low and combines well with his overhead BTs. 486H is a slow but heavily plus overhead BT that also sets up fuzzy guard mixups with BRC. 862H has a lot less range compared to 486H but is much faster. The only fault with 862H is that you need meter to convert off it.

In this Behemoth Typhoon

268H

268H is your best friend. It can be used to frame trap from some grounded normals and is a true block string from c.S. It is +3 on block and can be +12 if you get the late hit. It is extremely good at catching your opponent mashing because of the plus frames and it can also lead to massive damage on counter hit. If your opponent is respecting your pressure or not using Fautless Defence (FD) you can loop 268H multiple times to get massive chip damage.

684H

684H is your second best friend. It is used mostly as a blockstring ender. Once your opponent blocks it your turn ends (-5 on block). This is great for catching opponents trying to backdash your 268H or mashing to beat it. It leads to great damage if you PRC (purple roman cancel) on hit. On block you can also PRC this move to continue your pressure. However, unlike 268H it does not link to anything on hit unless you spend meter. It also has a deadzone when your opponent is right next to you so don't use it at point blank range. This is a great BT to use to catch your opponent mashing to beat your other BTs.

842H

842H is a quick low behemoth typhoon. It has extremely short range however it is very plus on block (+16). If your opponents are using FD this move will commonly miss unless used as a meaty option or buffered after a roman cancel. On hit it leads to great reward, being able to link into your 2S > 684H hard knockdown. On block you are +16 allowing you to continue your pressure. Your opponents can also challenge the startup with a fast normal to beat it.


862H

862H is a quick overhead behemoth typhoon. It has slightly longer range than 842H. Its main purpose is to catch people off guard if they are constantly blocking low if you've conditioned them with 842H or any of your low hitting moves like 2K. On hit it doesn't lead into anything without meter making it less rewarding than 842H but it can be used to condition them to block high. However, it frametraps after c.S and can lead to a small combo on counterhit. On block it leaves you about +12 giving you significant frame advantage to continue your pressure.

486H

486H is a massive overhead behemoth typhoon. It has amazing range, amazing reward on hit and is +16 on block. However it has abysmal startup, your opponent can block it on reaction and also easily challenge the startup. You can use this if you read your opponent's backdash to gain massive reward or as a mixup tool to catch your opponents of guard. If they don't mash fast enough they are extrememly minus on block. On counterhit you can get massive damage.

624H

624H functions similarly to 684H but it is not as good. You are mostly much better off using 684H as it leads to better oki because your opponent gets knocked down much closer to you and it leads to more combos off PRC. The only upside this BT has over 684H is that it is much easier to input and does not have a deadzone. It can also be easily input after a dash.

426H

426H is not a particularly useful BT to use in pressure. Much like 624H, it is a less useful version of 486H. It is provides the same usage in pressure without having the bonus of being an overhead. However, it has more range and in the corner it leads to wall bounce on hit and will lead into massive damage without spending any meter.

248H

248H is a very quick low, faster than 842H. This is mostly used as a combo extension but can be very useful if your opponent likes to block high. It can be used to side switch to put your opponent into the corner. Leads to good damage on hit and is +3 on block. It isn't as plus as the other low BT but has the added reward of side switching and a faster startup. It also has the same drawbacks however, being extremely short ranged and also easily wiffed if your opponent FDs

Pressure Resets

Goldlewis' P buttons are all +3 on block which can merit pressure resets. His c.S is only +1 but he can force respect with BTs and 5H. He can also go for shimmies off of c.S as he is just outside throw range on normal block if he lets it recover. Any of his plus on block BTs are also great places to steal turns, but be careful anytime you have to dash. Goldlewis' slow dash can let some characters mash you out even though you're plus, so use a BT or a short dash into an S button.

Basic Strings

  • button > 268H > 684H

Basic BT double frametrap string. Combos on hit from K and S buttons.

  • button > 268H > 268H

Same string as above but meant for when you're more spaced out. The second 268 is there specifically to catch IAD out attempts. Be warned, depending on the spacing this string can lose to fast mids such as a 5frame 5P, as 268HS does not hit on initial startup, and only beats moves that extend their hurtbox into the BT such as 2K on frame1.

  • button > 486H/862H/842H > f.S/2S > 684H

More double BT frametrap strings, meant to demonstrate basic high/low mixups. Using 862 or 842 requires cancelling from a button with low pushback in order for them to connect.

Corner Pressure

Cornering an opponent is essentially checkmate for Goldlewis. His BTs become incredibly difficult to escape and his Thunderbird oki becomes even stronger. The only real problem Goldlewis can have is breaking the wall without a super, as it forces him to play neutral again.

Dash Kara Behemoth Typhoon

The dash cancel from 5K and c.S can be Kara Cancel A type of cancel where the beginning of an action is quickly canceled into another before the first action completes its startup.ed in the first 2 frames of the dash into any special move. This technique greatly helps Goldlewis overcome the pushback on block during pressure strings especially if the opponent is using FD. Doing this can be difficult, but with some practice can be made consistent. To do the dash kara, you first have to buffer a dash cancel from c.S or 5K. When you dash cancel, make sure you hold neutral as holding some directions will override the dash cancel. You then have to input your desired typhoon right after you dash cancel. Gauging the timing can be difficult, but start by doing it late and shifting it earlier until you find the sweet spot. Some examples of strong karas (and their benefits/drawbacks), are as follows-

  • c.S kara 268H - c.S kara 268H is a strong option. On normal block it is a true blockstring. It leaves you close and plus. However, it really shines when the opponent FDs the c.S. FDing c.S usually forces Goldlewis to commit to an option in rps. If you do 268H, the opponent can backdash it and it will whiff. You have to hard callout backdash with an option like 486H, which the opponent can mash, which 268H will beat due to being a frametrap. However, kara 268H behemoth will beat both of those options. If they choose to mash, they will get counterhit and take big damage. If they choose to backdash, they will get caught by the 268H and looped into oki. They can choose to reversal in between c.S and 268H, but this can be called out for huge reward. There are a few things to note about this however. If you have dash momentum, the 268H will be a true blockstring. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, as you still have plus frames, but it can prevent you from beating out their options and getting bigger reward sometimes. The second is that at very tip range, the 268H will whiff on backdash. Overall, c.S kara 268H is a strong option to utilize in pressure.
  • c.S kara 862H - c.S kara 862H is another strong option you can utilize in pressure. This has a few benefits and a few drawbacks from c.S kara 268H. One of the benefits is that 862 is an overhead, which means your opponent will get hit and looped into oki if they block low. Another benefit is that it is slightly more plus than kara 268H, making it better if they block it. Like kara 268H, it will catch opponents backdashing at closer ranges. However, there are a few drawbacks to doing this. The main one is that there is a larger frame gap. If normal blocked at close range, it is mashable with a 6 frame button or a throw. At farther range, it will beat throws as well as any button that will not reach, the spacing depends on the button the defender is pressing. Kara 268H may be preferable in some scenarios to avoid being mashed. On FD, it will more consistently beat buttons due to being farther away.
  • c.S kara 486H/842H - These two karas are only used once the opponent is conditioned to block. They have large gaps and are easily mashed, especially because of the kara and you being closer than usual. However, they grant incredible plus frames and will grant you very strong offense on block. Kara 486H will also beat backdashes, and 842H when point blank on normal block. Keep in mind that these should only be used when your opponent is conditioned to block. Using this otherwise is asking for your pressure to end early.
  • 5k kara 268H - Highly range dependent. At very close range with dash momentum, will frametrap 5 frame normals on block. Without dash momentum, it will trade highly in your favor and allow you to get a full combo. At slightly farther range it will consistently lose to 5 frame normals that will reach. Weak if the opponent FDs, as a 5 frame normal will always beat it. Still somewhat useful as it allows you to be closer to them after hitting 268H on their block, but inconsistent with frametrapping 5 frame normals. Also catches backdash anywhere but far range.
  • 5K kara 862H - Even larger gap than 5K kara 268H, and is easily mashable. Catches backdashes at close range on normal block. On FD has to be done point blank with dash momentum to catch backdash. A decent low-high but overall not worth going for often.

In general, kara behemoth typhoon is a very strong pressure tool, and is useful for catching multiple defensive options that Goldlewis may have previously had to play rps around. They are worth learning if you already know your basic pressure structure well.

Okizeme

When in doubt, if you don't know specific knockdown setups, simply meaty with c.S or 268H, as these open up the most pressure options for Goldlewis. 268H is particularly useful, as it will catch both mashers and backdashers with the right timing. That being said, specific setups for Goldlewis are very powerful and worth learning, and are covered below. Goldlewis generally does not like to do OTG hits unless it is to close out a round, as being close and plus is far more valuable than one extra hit and the prospect of his difficult neutral.

Throw

Throw reliably gives you enough time and space for Thunderbird (214S) if the Security Level is 2 or 3. This is hands-down what you want to do in the corner. At midscreen they can and should backdash, but this gives incredible corner carry. As always, manual safejumps and meaties are also an option if you have another use in mind for Security.

2D

Goldlewis' 2D leads to a meaty Thunderbird setup no matter the Security Level.

684H

This is your most common knockdown as Goldlewis. It does not reliably give time or space for Thunderbird, but is still important. it provides enough frame advantage for a manually-timed j.D/j.H safejump. At some spacings, this safejump can cross up the opponent. You can also reliably land most meaty options off of this knockdown.

214S Setups

Thunderbird 214S is Goldlewis's primary okizeme tool, but it also serves an important purpose in taking back control in neutral. Goldlewis already has relatively strong okizeme pressure with meaty Behemoth Typhoons, but using Thunderbird's blockstun can help him safely run a high/low mixup without worrying about interruption from invincible reversals. For opponents that do not have strong reversals it becomes more important to save security meter for closing the gap in neutral rather than enhancing Goldlewis's already strong okizeme.

  • (while juggling) 248H HKD, 214S
    • Cuts this combo route short, but leads to huge knock down advantage midscreen
    • Sets up a reverse BT mixup
    • Sets up a cross up and cross-up feint with airdash back
  • 486H HKD, dash 214S
    • Similar to above with a bit less knock down advantage
  • 268H HKD, dash 214S
    • Not air tight midscreen
    • Weak to backdash midscreen
  • ... > 2D > 214S
    • Thunderbird can be meaty depending on how close you are, but it usually won't be at practical ranges.
    • Not usually airtight, but close enough to catch jumps in the corner.

Corner Throw

  • 4/6D, 214S, jump block, land 842H/862H
    • Drone hits meaty.
    • sets up 8X2 BTs.
    • Reversals will lose to the air block. Anji's parry reversal will activate on Drone, but whiff Goldlewis.
  • 4/6D, Whiff 5P, 214S, [dl 4/6D or 2P]
    • The drone will pick up the opponent after throw enabling extended combos.
    • Sets up a meaty 2P that is safe against reversals. (Not safe against parry reversals).
    • A successful throw will almost always lead to a wall break from the drone pickup.

Safejumps

Goldlewis is capable of safejumping off many knockdowns. Notably, he can safejump off throw, as well as 684H, his most common ender. Off throw, he can safejump by immediately jumping (jump forward for same side, forwards for crossup unless in corner), delaying and airdash, then doing j.H and blocking when landing. This will leave you plus to continue pressure. Off 684H, you can do the same setup of delay airdash j.H. Keep in mind that this safejump can have very different timing based on scaling.

  • ... > 684H > whiff 5P > 9 > j.D
    • Doesn't work if 684H was used more than once in the combo.
    • Doesn't leave Goldlewis in the best position for offense
  • ... > 684H > 6[6] > dl 9 > j.D
    • Doesn't work if 684H was used more than once in the combo.
    • Needs to be manually timed
  • Throw > whiff 5P > IAD > j.D
    • Auto-timed
  • Throw > 8 > dl j.66 > j.D
    • Delay the airdash until right after the peak of Goldlewis's jump arc when he begins falling.
    • Needs manual timing, but some may find this easier than the buffered IAD in the setup above.
  • Air Throw > [28, j.D] or [29, j.H]
    • Can be inconsistent, since knock down advantage is height dependent.
  • 862H > 9 > dl j.66 > j.K
    • Needs a delayed airdash right before Goldlewis lands form the jump
    • As a bonus, this setup can be feinted into a high/low mixup with a whiffed j.H into land 2K at the cost of no longer being reversal safe.
  • Wall Break 632146P > IAD > j.D

Backturned/Reverse BTs

Explanation video

Goldlewis's aerial Behemoth Typhoons have a unique property where they will auto cancel into their grounded versions if performed just before landing. What's especially interesting about this is that this happens before Goldlewis can turn around to face the opponent if he jumps over them. Now factor in that many Behemoth Typhoon versions have a hitbox behind Goldlewis and you get situations like this:

Comparing reverse 862H with 842H

With the right Thunderbird setup this can be applied as a pure 50/50 indistinguishable high/low mixup. To get a backturn BT, perform the air version just before landing. To get the regular version, perform the BT just after landing. There is only a 2 frame window to get the backturn BT. In training mode, turn on combo recipe to see which version comes out. A backturned 862H, unlike the regular version, can be followed up without meter while still being an overhead. This makes the mixup with 842H powerful, since it also grants a combo on hit and hits low.

Comparing reverse 842H with 862H

Reverse 842H has a similar —and even faster— mixup to the reverse 862H mixup. However, the reward on the regular 862H mixed with backturned 842H is very skewed towards the use of backturned 842H because it's the only one of the two to grant a combo, which makes the mixup easier to 'ignore' by simply blocking low.

Another interesting reverse BT is reverse 684H which acts just like 486H, being overhead on the back swing.

Whiff 5P 862H/842H

A strong but risky setup in the corner is knockdown, then whiff 5P into either of the 8 to 2 Behemoths. Normally, the 8 to 2 Behemoths can be tricky to pull off and are better reserved for use in pressure, where the heavy hitstun or blockstun of c.S allows the move to be buffered easier. However, throwing out a 5P as your opponent wakes up from your knockdown offers just enough time to buffer either 862H or 842H, allowing Goldlewis to do a standing mixup.

This setup has its strengths and weaknesses. For starters, throwing this out after a round of heavy conditioning will almost certainly open people up, as the mixup is extremely hard to see coming and is a true 50/50. The damage off of a Behemoth starter is also great, and if you have enough meter to RC you can convert into any number of Goldlewis's devastating corner combos. Even better, if you successfully time either of his Behemoths then it counts as a true meaty with all the plus frames that Goldlewis usually gets, making this remarkably safe.

As for weaknesses, this setup is rather easy to DP through if you have a reversal on the quality of Volcanic Viper. As well, the setup may require a microdash depending on the spacing of the knockdown, since 842H does not have the reach to hit your opponent off of knockdowns like 5D without movement. Lastly, meter is required to convert into a full combo, which may lead to worse reward compared to the standard frametraps that Goldlewis has on offer.

All in all, this setup is a great kill confirm and conditioning setup when used properly. Scare your opponents into blocking either further while you run mindgames on them, or just kill an opponent as they reach low life.

Matchups

See GGST/Goldlewis_Dickinson/Matchups.

External Resources

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