GGReload/Baiken/Strategy

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General Tactics

Knowledge of the opposing character is helpful if not vital to success with Baiken. Mixing up air approach, command dash, Kabari, even merely walking and being one step ahead in the "guard cancel or no guard cancel" mind games are key. Tatami Gaeshi's disconnected hurtbox and Baiken's ability to counter opponents with guard cancels and Suzuran can make her opponents hesitant to throw out attacks. This allows her to get in. However a wrong guess will lead to much damage taken, as her offensive followups, Youshijin and Sakura, are unsafe on block, and Suzuran is easily interruptible with a bit of awareness.

The usage of Tatami Gaeshi during retreat lets Baiken put up a wall of hitboxes to get some distance to the opponent without giving up too much space. Tatami Gaeshi during okizeme and advance help Baiken keep up pressure on knockdown.

After her opponent is pressured into the corner, Baiken gains increased pressure capabilities, and if she can open her opponent up, she can deal large amounts of damage with her Dustloops. This is where Baiken truly shines, and your overall goal to reach during a match.

Neutral

Normals

f.S: a fast horizontal slash with a hitbox extends much further than what appears on the sword.

2S: long range club attack. Between this move and 5S, the slash button is going to be your best friend when on the ground.

j.S: this is Baiken’s main space controlling normal while in the air. It extends far and is fast.

Specials

Back Dash Tatami (7541236K): want to put space between you and the opponent? Control space in between you and the opponent by doing this move.

Kabari (41236H): Baiken’s longest range poke, pulls the opponent in if it connects and causes stagger on hit, and is plus on block. Kabari has a follow-up, Tetsuzansen (-> S), used to catch people trying to jump over the chain.

Offense

Normals

2K: Fast low with pretty good range. This move is also chainable. An example would be a blocked TK Youzansen but after you RC it, you go for a 2K to hit them with a low.

6K: This lunging forward kick of Baiken’s is throw invincible and should absolutely be used on wakeup to stuff throw attempts.

j.D: Use this move near the corner to cause minor wall bounce with becomes that stable for many of her corner combos and as one of her options for knockdown and wakeup setups.

Specials

Tatami Gaeshi (236K): Use this move to start combos or meaty on wake up when opponent is close. Likewise, you should also use her Instant Air Dash version (236966K) when you’ve knocked them down further away in order to maintain pressure. Learning to master the Kire Tatami (236956K) technique is also going to be very useful, as it travels faster and for a shorter distance compared to IAD Tatami. It requires practice to do but is well worth the effort.

Suzuran (63214K): For the duration of the move Baiken will dash forward with auto-guard against all but low attacks. Pretty risky since your opponent can just react to the autoguard with a low or a throw, but it allows you to sneak past an unaware opponent's offense and throw them yourself or punish the recovery of their move.

Defense

Normals

6P: not the best 6P in the game, but still has above body invulnerability from frame 1, and is special and jump cancellable.

2H: pretty nice startup for an anti-air, like Sol's 2H. It is jump cancellable for the first two hits only and floats the opponent on CH allowing for a followup.

Overdrives

Tsurane Sanzu Watashi (236236H): Baiken even has access to a reversal type Overdrive along her array of defensive tools. Decent startup and invulnerability, should rather be relegated to combo usage to gain a knockdown from awkward situations, though you can use it to blow through your opponent's offense with its large horizontal hitbox and fast speed. It is even pretty much safe on block, unless the opponent IB's the second hit allowing for a punish.

Guard Cancels

The centerpiece of Baiken's defensive gameplan, and her most defining feature. Baiken has three meterless guard cancels: Youshijin, Sakura and Mawarikomi. Youshijin pretty much only has use as an anti-air, or to punish multi-hit moves or attacks that leave the opponent in CH state, such as certain specials, since it launches on CH for a full combo. An example of such is Millia's 214S, which could also be punished by Sakura, but for much less reward. Use Sakura when you want to blow through your opponent's offense, but be careful, as they can use a jump cancellable move to bait you into using it and then block it in the air, where you're left at a massive disadvantage, although it has an FRC point to make it safe. Mawarikomi is a much safer choice to use if you're feeling overwhelmed, with 16 frames of invincibility starting from frame 1 and even an FRC point to cut the recovery and perhaps allow punishes on the opponent's recovering move.

Once Baiken has access to 50 Tension, she is able to use her Baku Overdrive guard cancel series, which are usually much more worth the Tension cost compared to a DAA, given their powerful effects. Their lightning fast startups and large invulnerability frames allow you to blow through multi-hit moves with ease, forcing the opponent to exercise extreme caution.

Tips and Tricks

Kire Tatami

Performed by doing 236956K. The input is tricky, but being able to do several of these in a row is really useful to Baiken.

TK Youzansen

For being one half of her powerful mixup options, it has a very difficult motion that requires lots of practice to do constantly, so that you don't accidentally super jump j.S instead losing all your offensive momentum. 62369S is a really tough input, so try 623693S or 6321473S instead as shortcuts.

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