GGXRD-R/Axl Low/Strategy: Difference between revisions

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==Blockstrings==
==Blockstrings==
Axl's pressure game revolves heavily around the traditional frame trap / throw mixup. Many of Axl's gatlings have gaps in them (especially with Instant Blocking), but spacing them in a way that prevents smashing is easy since his normals have relatively good startups for their long range. Also, if you never threaten your opponent with a throw, people (who can react to 6H, Dust, Raiei and Rashousen) will hold down-back for the rest of their lives. Rensen YRC is one of the best pressure tools in the whole game, so saving tension for it is extremely recommendable.<br/>
Axl's pressure game revolves heavily around the traditional frame trap / throw mixup. Many of Axl's gatlings have gaps in them (especially with Instant Blocking), but spacing them in a way that prevents mashing is easy since his normals have relatively good startups for their long range. Also, if you never threaten your opponent with a throw, people (who can react to 6H, Dust, Raiei and Rashousen) will hold down-back for the rest of their lives. Rensen YRC is one of the best pressure tools in the whole game, so saving tension for it is recommendable.<br/>
In general, you will be finishing your strings with Rensen, regardless whether the string hits or gets blocked. After a block, you can do Rensen-up in midscreen to further push the opponent back, but good players can easily IB it (and the Rensen itself) for free tension and bigger frame advantage. Doing Rensen after a block in corner is not recommended since it leaves you much closer to the opponent (because the projectile pushback doesn't work on yourself) and the recovery is long enough to be punished, even Rensen-down (which isn't a projectile) by blocking the first hits and then pushing Axl away with FD to whiff the rest of the move. Once the opponent respects Axl enough (easiest way to accomplish that is switching between early and late cancel Rensen after f.S and 2D), going for tensionless pressure resets (c.S or 3P into dash) becomes easier.
In general it's safe to end strings in Rensen whether the opponent gets hit or blocks, but it is -13 (or more on IB) so depending on the character the opponent might get a very favorable situation (eg. escape back to neutral, close the distance with run FD break, or even directly punish with their specific tools). Doing Rensen after a block in corner is not recommended since it leaves you much closer to the opponent (because the projectile pushback doesn't work on yourself) and the recovery is long enough to be punished, even Rensen-down (which isn't a projectile) by blocking the first hits and then pushing Axl away with FD to whiff the rest of the move. Once the opponent respects Axl enough (easiest way to accomplish that is doing Rensen as a frametrap by late-canceling it after f.S and 2D), going for tensionless pressure resets (c.S or 3P into dash 5K or 3P) becomes easier.
   
   
General tips:
General tips:
*Mind the distance by reducing mid-string parts (eg. 5K > 2D when further away); c.S turning into f.S or whiffing 5H or 2D really hurts.
*Mind the distance by reducing mid-string parts (eg. 5K > 2D when further away); c.S turning into f.S or whiffing 5H or 2D really hurts.
*Always hold back for the Rensen charge; beware of accidental inputs (eg. Raiei when doing dash 2K > c.S).  
*Always hold back for the Rensen charge; beware of accidental inputs (eg. Raiei when doing dash 2K > c.S).  
*Go for a throw after 2K (shortest full recovery), 5K, 3P, or c.S; using FD dash break (eg. 66, 4KS~4H) is recommendable.
*Go for a throw after 2K (shortest full recovery), 5K, 3P, or c.S; using FD dash break (eg. 2K, 66, 4KS~H) is recommendable at short distances.
*2D and f.S have long cancel windows, c.S has a short one; vary the timing of follow-ups to be unpredictable.
*2D and f.S have long cancel windows, c.S has a short one; vary the timing of follow-ups to be unpredictable.
*Axl's Dust cancels from almost anything, has great range, and recovers quickly (only -4) which makes it decent despite the slow startup.  
*Axl's Dust cancels from almost anything, has good range, and recovers quickly (only -4) which makes it decent despite the obvious startup.  
*Options after 2H are very limited (two overheads, 6H and 5D, or anything after a -4 or worse frame advantage) and most opponents know it, so you have to be very unpredictable to get results with it.
*Options after 2H are very limited (two overheads, 6H and 5D, or anything after a -4 or worse frame advantage) and most opponents know it, so you have to be very unpredictable to get results with it.


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*Weak against FD and IB'ing the hit before 5H.  
*Weak against FD and IB'ing the hit before 5H.  
*c.S and 5H gatling into 6H for a relatively safe overhead mixup.
*c.S and 5H gatling into 6H for a relatively safe overhead mixup.
*Mixup with Rashousen or Raiei at any point, though both are easy to notice and lose to smashing at close range.
*Mixup with Rashousen or Raiei at any point, though both are easy to notice and lose to mashing at close range.
*Frametraps into 5H: 5K > 5H, 6P > 5H, f.S > 5H, c.S > late cancel 5H (when done correctly, c.S doesn't combo into 5H)
*Frametraps into 5H: 5K > 5H, 6P > 5H, f.S > 5H, c.S > late cancel 5H


====5K > (6P) > 3P > (5H) > 2D====
====5K > (c.S or 6P) > 3P > (5H) > 2D====
The 3P branch. 5K and 6P both gatling into it, and as a mid-string low it can surprise some people.  
The 3P branch. 5K, c.S and 6P gatling into it, and as a mid-string low it can surprise some people.  
*6P whiffs on some crouchers and pushes back a lot, so use it sparingly.
*6P whiffs on some crouchers and pushes back a lot, so c.S is a much better choice.
*The gatlings out of 3P have various roles: 5H is a frametrap, 6H an overhead, 2H a slower low and 2D a ground hitconfirm.
*The gatlings out of 3P have various roles: 5H is a frametrap, 6H an overhead, 2H a slower low and 2D an ender into Rensen (whiffs on CH).
*CH 3P > f.S gatling is an easy hitconfirm into 2S combos (as opposed to the harder CH 3P, 5K link), on block you can cancel into 5H and specials.
*3P > f.S gatling is an easy hitconfirm for counterhit 3P into 2S combos (as opposed to the harder 3P, 5K link), on block you can cancel into 5H and specials.


====5K > c.S > 2P > f.S====
====5K > (c.S) > 2P > (f.S)====
A long distance string that works great against FD.  
A long distance string that works great against FD.  
*2P cancels into specials and 6H for unexpected mixups.
*2P cancels into specials and 6H gatling for unexpected mixups.
*2P > f.S gatling doesn't work if you are too close (unlike 3P > f.S).
*2P > f.S gatling doesn't work if you are too close (unlike 3P > f.S).


== Okizeme ==
== Okizeme ==
*j.P - Delayed safejump, can lead into a second overhead depending on timing. Also a good tick throw.
While Rensen-up and j.H > j.D Bomber do slightly more damage as easy combo finishers, they allow the opponent to tech so you should aim to end combos with regular Rensen (and Rensen-down) and TK Bombers to score a knockdown and follow it with proper pressure on wake-up. While Axl's okizeme isn't particularly oppressive, being able to put the pressure on matters a lot in the long run, especially in matchups where you are in disadvantage at neutral, but also in average matchups since tight pressure builds your own tension, raises your opponent's Risc gauge, and most importantly forces the opponent to make decisions instead of letting them do whatever they want. <br/>
*j.K - Can be jump cancelled, can lead to big damage on jump-out counterhits, horizontal range means safer against throws
You have to always remember the opposing character's wake-up timing (both face-up (Rensen, TK Bomber) and face-down(2D)) and reversal options to stay safe. Usually you can do a safejump (even from longer ranges with IAD j.S) to avoid invulnerable reversals, but some knockdowns won't give you enought time against some reversals (eg. Rensen knockdown against 5F Volcanic Viper) so pay attention. On characters without good meterless reversal options (eg. May, Millia, Zato, Venom) meaty ground normals like 2K, 3P, and 6H are great, though you must still avoid getting too close for a reversal throw or being too predictable since correct Blitz deflects any meaty attack, a backstep will whiff your normals (which gives an easy opportunity for comeback if you aren't prepared with some sort of OS), IB makes big holes for abare in your strings, and all characters have fully invulnerable Burst Overdrives. <br/>
*j.S - Safe from a long range. Second hit done meaty can lead into Raiei cross-ups in corner and point blank ground strings.
*Finishing with a Rensen-down pulls the opponent towards you a little so a Raiei will cross-up in corner and your usual diagonal jump-in might whiff, so pay attention.
*j.H - Lots of blockstun on block, can potentially lead to big damage.
*The timing of knockdown after Rensen can also vary depending on which height the opponent is picked up (eg. plain Rensen knockdown vs. 2D > Rensen-down knockdown) and whether all hits connect or not (in worst case, later hits of Rensen-down are OTG and let the opponent recover, which is usually caused by being too far and/or a character's thin hurtbox slipping through), so look for the moment of knockdown (when opponent bounces off the ground) and adjust the safejump accordingly by jumping earlier, later, or not at all depending on the remaining time.
*j.D - The riskiest aerial option due to the recovery/landing animation but can lead to big meterless damage on hit.
*2K - Goes into a tick throw and low-profiles some reversal moves like Kai's Vapor Thrust.
*3P - Makes most DPs whiff when spaced and timed correctly. Beware of clashing and first frame airborne moves like Sol's Riot Stamp.
*6H - Aside from being an overhead, hitting it meaty gives you a big frame advantage. Opponent can easily Blitz or invuln reversal on reaction.
*Rensen YRC - If you really want to pay 25% tension for a 100% safe pressure starter.  


Finishing a combo with a Rensen-down pulls the opponent slightly towards you which means a Raiei will cross-up even in the corner and your usual diagonal jump-in might whiff, so pay attention.
===Meaty jump-in===
*'''j.P''' - Can lead into a second overhead depending on timing. Also a good tick throw.
*'''j.K''' - Basic jump normal with lots of active frames. Not as damaging as j.H, but has more cancel options (including j.P, j.D and jump cancel).
*'''j.S''' - Can whiff against low-profile moves if timed/spaced incorrectly. Meaty second hit leads into Raiei cross-ups in corner and point blank pressure, but can be Blitzed on reaction.
*'''j.H''' - Another basic jump normal with lots of active frames. Bigger damage and reaches lower than j.K, but cancelable only into j.D (which isn't really a negative on safejumps).
*'''j.D''' - The riskiest aerial option due to j.D's landing recovery but leads to big damage even on regular hit by launching the opponent into air and wallsticking in corner.
 
===Meaty ground moves===
*'''2K''' - Goes into a tick throw and low-profiles some reversal moves like Ky's Vapor Thrust and Jam's Kenroukaku. Can be done extra meaty for better frame advantage (up to +3).
*'''c.S''' - If you can get close enough without getting thrown, c.S has loads of different gatling options to confuse your opponent. Can be done extra meaty for better frame advantage (up to +6).
*'''3P''' - Makes most DPs whiff when spaced and timed correctly. Beware of clashing (ie. doing the meaty too late), low Blitz, and first frame airborne moves like Sol's Riot Stamp.
*'''6H''' - Aside from being an overhead with huge counterhit launch, hitting it meaty on block gives you a big frame advantage (up to +9). Opponent can easily Blitz, IB or backdash on reaction the more meaty it is.
*'''Rensen''' - Close to zero risk (excluding long-range invuln supers) but aside from pushback and small chip damage, the returns on block are close to zero, too. 
*'''Rensen YRC''' - Good option if you want to pay 25% meter (and suffer from tension gain slowdown for several seconds) for a 100% safe pressure starter (or a combo starter if the opponent tried something stupid).
*'''Raiei''' - Meaty Raiei must be blocked in correct direction (or Blitzed, which makes any crossup attempts pointless), but the start-up is still easy to react to and there isn't much return unless it somehow counter hits.
*'''Rashousen''' - Technically isn't a meaty because of wake-up throw invuln, but it's active enough to catch people who react extremely slow.
*'''Rashousen YRC''' - You can pick up opponents who jumped with 6K, but if they know to hold FD during it (where you can go for an airthrow as the hardest read), you're much better off using the meter for Rensen YRC.
 
===Jump-in mixups===
*'''Safejump''' - Timing the jump so that the opponent wakes up few frames before you land, making your meaty jump normal either hit a blocking opponent, or whiff on an invulnerable reversal's startup, respectively allowing you to either continue pressure with a ground blockstring, or land and recover instantly before the reversal becomes active and block it by holding back while inputting your ground string (the hitstop from jump normal or the lack of it on whiff makes the timing different). Loses to reversal high Blitz, so remember to mix up with an empty jump low, a late airdash, or (as the hardest Blitz read) a delayed counterhit for a big launch (eg. land 6P/6H/3P, late airdash j.D).
*'''Empty jump low''' - Beats the fuzzy high guard / throw option select outside throw range when timed correctly because Axl's 2K low-profiles most throw OS normals. Blocked easily by regular fuzzy high/low guard, loses to invuln reversals. 2D can also be used for better damage (ie. no 70% proration of 2K), but the low-profile is much weaker, the startup is slightly slower, and on block your cancel options are limited to special moves.
*'''Late airdash''' - j.P, j.K, or j.H into j.D launches the opponent for damaging combos by beating the fuzzy high/low guard and especially reversal backdashes (even Potemkin's), but loses to invuln reversals and throw OSes, and j.P/j.K is hard to connect on some crouching hurtboxes (even j.H can be hard to connect in midscreen). While forward airdash is the more common method since it makes landing a hit easier (especially in corner) and gives a better positioning for combo/pressure, doing an airbackdash into j.S is also possible; depending on the height and timing, it can be comboed into 2D and fS (and further into Rensen or Kairagi) and may even avoid some throw OS normals.
*'''Whiffed normal''' - Whiffed j.S, j.K, or j.H can be used for baiting a reversal Blitz by making the opponent expect a regular safejump, but it looks suspicious (especially after the first time) when the normal starts very early in the air and has barely any real returns if opponent tries blocking the jump-in regularly.
 
===Instant Overheads===
*'''Backdash YRC''' - YRC'ing a backdash gives you enough airtime for a j.K overhead, but the backdash momentum puts you at a range where the combo on hit does unimpressive damage and on block your pressure will be weak.
*'''TK Bomber YRC''' - When Axl Bomber is YRC'd with earliest possible timing (eg. plinking into 623H~SK), it completely halts your momentum in low altitude where any jump normal can be used as an overhead.
**j.D is the most obvious choice since it gives you big damage in both midscreen and corner, but is the riskiest option on block because of landing recovery.
**The height after the YRC depends on your raw TK Bomber execution speed; doing it too slow puts you at height where j.D doesn't hit crouching.
**The overheads are also possible from TK Bomber RRC (eg. during blockstrings), but the execution timing is very different and obviously costs double the tension.


==Tips and Tricks==
==Tips and Tricks==
====Rensen YRC====
===Rensen YRC===
Rensen is a projectile, which means you can YRC during its startup and unleash the "Rensen Beam". The projectile travels almost instantly and the YRC flash gives you time to read the situtation and move accordingly: run up and start pressure if the opponent blocked it, pick up with 5K, 5P or IAD (depending on the range) for a combo if the opponent didn't block, or antiair with 6K and such if the opponent jumped over it. When executing Rensen YRC in a blocksting, you must time the YRC after the opponent has left blockstun and before the projectile hits them which means the easiest way to execute it is canceling Rensen from normals with low attack levels and/or long cancel times, best choices being f.S, 2D, and 2P. <br/>
'''[[GGXRD-R/Axl_Low#Sickle_Flash|Rensen]]''' is a projectile, which means you can YRC during its startup and unleash the "Rensen Beam". The projectile travels almost instantly and the YRC flash gives you time to read the situation and move accordingly: run up and start pressure if the opponent blocked; pick up with 5K, 5P or IAD (depending on the range) for a combo if the opponent didn't block; or antiair with 6K and such if the opponent jumped. <br/>
Even though it's arguably the best YRC special in the game, it isn't the solution to everything. Obviously, using it costs 25% tension and slows down your tension gain for a while. Using it outside of Rensen's effective range leads to nothing in most cases and even if you make the opponent block it, if you can't open their guard up with the following pressure, you're back to the starting point.
When executing a Rensen YRC in blockstrings, you must time the YRC after the opponent has left blockstun and before the projectile hits them which means the easiest way to do it is canceling Rensen from normals with low attack levels and/or long cancel times, the best choices being f.S, 2D, and 2P. Delaying the Rensen too much may leave enough time for the opponent to jump away with FD, so try to leave as small gap as possible to hit them during the jump startup frames. <br/>
Even though it's arguably the best YRC special in the game, Rensen YRC isn't the solution to everything. Using it obviously costs 25% tension and also slows down your tension gain for a while, so throwing it out randomly in the hopes a hit (instead of actually paying attention to the neutral game) is a waste of resources. Also, even if the opponent blocks it, if you can't open their guard up with the following pressure, you're back to the starting point.


====TK Axl Bomber====
===TK Axl Bomber===
TK Bomber, an Axl Bomber done at the lowest possible height from a jump cancellable normal (with motions such as 6923H or 69874123H) is an important tool that extends your damage, corner carry and tension gain to new levels. The most obvious use is '''[[GGXRD-R/Axl_Low/Combos#Combo_Theory|Bomber loops]]''' in the corner for big damage, but even in midscreen doing a TK Bomber after 2S (where beginners usually follow up with j.H > j.D > Bomber) is important because it can lead to a knockdown by itself, 5P > Rensen for more damage and a knockdown, 5P > 6K (HJC) j.6P > j.S for more damage and breathing room, or even into full Bomber loop combo if it carries the opponent (and you) near enough the corner. <br/>
TK Bomber, an '''[[GGXRD-R/Axl_Low#Axl_Bomber|Axl Bomber]]''' done at the lowest possible height from a jump cancelable normal (with motions such as 6923H, 9623H, 69874123H, or 6321473H) is an important combo tool that extends your damage, corner carry and tension gain to new levels. The motion can be practiced easily with a c.S on a standing training dummy, though the timing depends on the "launcher's" hitstop and hitstun (eg. 6P has a short & unforgiving timing, while 2S has a medium & lenient timing). <br/>
Dropped TK Bombers can usually be salvaged by ending the leaked j.H into j.D > Axl Bomber, although it can leave you in a risky position (opponent recovering above you with a frame advantage). Other salvation methods in the corner are following leaked j.H with j.D which wallsticks the opponent for a while, or a neutral double jump airthrow OS after the leaked j.H which can catch the opponent's tech.
The most obvious use is '''[[GGXRD-R/Axl_Low/Combos#Combo_Theory|Bomber loops]]''' in the corner for big damage and huge tension gain, but even in midscreen doing a TK Bomber can lead to good things after 2S:
*'''Knockdown from the Bomber''', which may require delaying if the opponent is high in the air.
*'''5P > Rensen''' for more damage and a knockdown on medium characters; opponent needs to be higher in the air for 5P not to whiff.
*'''5P > 6K (HJC) j.6P > j.S(1) > j.6P''' for more damage and breathing room; j.S(1) > j.6P can be hard to connect on some characters.
*'''5P > 6K > 2S (HJC) j.H > j.D > Bomber''' for even more damage; opponent needs to be close enough for 6K > 2S and can tech after the final Bomber.
*'''5K > 2S > TK Bomber relaunch''' (ie. Bomber loops) if the first TK Bomber carries the opponent (and you) near enough the corner.  
Dropped TK Bomber salvage methods for a leaked j.H that still combos:
*'''j.H into buffered j.D > Axl Bomber''': decent damage, but leaves you in a risky recovery since it allows the opponent to tech right above you.  
*'''j.H into buffered j.D''': wallsticks the opponent for a longer time (ie. safer recovery), but still leaves you with the tech mindgames.
*'''j.H into double jump airthrow OS''': can catch tech mash attempts, but is vulnerable to late (neutral) techs.


====2K Low-profiling====
===2K Low-profiling===
While it isn't Axl's best low option in blockstrings because of the damage prorate and limited gatling options, 2K has a hurtbox that goes very low very quickly, allowing you to prone under various things. The most obvious use is dodging projectiles like Kai's Stun Edge, but it works well in regular footsies against taller normals as well. You can even use it to make some character-defining moves completely whiff: if you see a Sol coming in with a Bandit Bringer, you can respond with 2K, making the BB whiff and allowing you to throw OS on their recovery. It works well against some characters' jump normals too, but once the opponent takes notice of it, they can respond by hitting deeper (which in turn means you gain more frames to use regular AA options like 2S, 6P and air throw).
While '''[[GGXRD-R/Axl_Low#2K|2K]]''' isn't Axl's best low option in blockstrings because of the damage prorate and limited gatling options, it has a hurtbox that goes very low very quickly, allowing you to prone under various things. The most obvious use is dodging projectiles like Ky's Stun Edge, but it also works well against taller normals in footsies or for beating throw OSes as an empty jump low outisde throw range. <br>
You can even use 2K to make some character-defining moves completely whiff: if you see a Sol coming in with a Bandit Bringer, you can respond with 2K, making the BB whiff and allowing you to throw OS on their recovery. It works well against some characters' jump normals too, but once the opponent takes notice of it, they can respond by hitting deeper (which in turn gives you more frames to use regular antiair options like 2S, 6P and air throw).


==Fighting Axl==
==Fighting Axl==
====Neutral====
===Neutral===
Axl basically has to choose between closing in (run, Raiei (YRC), 6H, IAD j.S), covering the air (5P, 6K for pre-emptive jumps, antiair stand-by for 2S and 6P), or covering the ground (Rensen, 2P, f.S, 3P). Although Axl has one choice that covers them all, '''[[GGXRD-R/Axl_Low/Strategy#Tips_and_Tricks|Rensen YRC]]''', without meter Axl has to dedicate himself to one of these options, which means you can counter it with a correct guess: stand by and antiair his approaches correctly (j.S has a hurtbox going along its hitbox so it loses to or at least trades with 6Ps), run to go under his 5P/6K or to get closer while he's paying attention to air, or jump and IAD over his ground options, IAD YRC being a really strong option even against Rensen-up (though a neutral Axl might be able to respond with a pre-emptive 6K that remains active throughout the YRC flash, his own YRC after your YRC, or the 4F high-mid counter move after the YRC flash).
Axl has basically three "modes" for acting in neutral:
*'''Close in''' (run, Raiei (YRC), 6H, IAD j.S)  
*'''Antiair''' (pre-emptive 5P & 6K, stand-by for 2S, 6P, airthrow)
*'''Ground pressure''' (Rensen (YRC), 2P, f.S, 3P)  
Although Axl has one choice that covers them all, '''[[GGXRD-R/Axl_Low/Strategy#Tips_and_Tricks|Rensen YRC]]''', without meter Axl has to dedicate himself to one of these options which means you can counter it with a correct read/reaction:  
*'''Stand by''' and '''repel''' his approaches correctly; ground approaches with your long-range pokes, and air approaches with well-timed 6Ps (j.S has a hurtbox going along its hitbox so it loses to real antiairs when timed correctly).
*'''Run''' to go under his 5P/6K for a punish (doesn't work for tall run animation characters) or to get closer with '''FD dash breaks''' while he's stand-bying or after Rensen's frame disadvantage on block.
*'''Jump''' and '''IAD''' over his ground options for high risk, high return; '''IAD YRC''' is a strong option that beats Rensen-up and the antiair stand-by (though loses to Rensen YRC, pre-emptive 6K and 4F high parry-counter on reaction).
The balance of use between these three modes are based on the risks and rewards: the long range ground combos do very little damage (and are only possible with 2P or f.S on counterhit/RRC) while even basic antiair combos do loads of damage. With a theoretical probabilities of 50% 2P/Rensen, and 50% 5P/6K, you would win easily against Axl by running under 5P/6K everytime there's a chance for it, but in reality the numbers for Axl players would probably look more like 25% for ground pressure with 2P & Rensen, 65% stand-by for antiair (with much less pre-emptive 5P/6K), and 10% for closing in. Good Axl players will obviously adjust the ratio in real time according to opponent's character (which defines the basic risks and rewards) and playing habits (which gives confidence for slow premptive moves like 6K and 2H), which means you must to do the same thing in order to win the war in neutral.
 
===Pressure===
Once you have been forced to block Axl's moves, the mindgame shifts into "what to do after X": Rensen, Raiei and 6H are all pretty much safe on regular block (of course depending on the range and opposing character), which means Axl can keep up the guessing game.
*After '''Rensen''' things don't change much from neutral aside the big frame advantage against him (regular '''-15''', up follow-up '''-13''', former being less when it hits on later active frames (ie. further away) and latter being easy to '''IB for -17''' regardless of range) which isn't that meaningful in the post-Rensen range, but it nevertheless gives you a better return for your correct guess (eg. IAD after blocked Rensen into 2P or run after blocked Rensen into 5P).
*After a blocked '''Raiei''' or '''6H''', Axl is close to you with '''+1''' advantage: his 7 frame 2K has early low-profile frames which makes it able to beat many mashing options (aside from fast 5Ks and 2Ks that hit low) and even against the ones that do beat it, he can always take a big risk with Benten (full invuln 1-11F) or 4F guard-point counter (needs to guess between high/mid and low correctly). If Axl blocks or backdashes because he fears retaliation with a better normals, DP, or command throw, you can turn the tides by running in.
*Axl's only quick moves with frame advantages are '''c.S (+1)''' and '''3P (+2)''', latter being a really good pressure tool because of the great range and good follow-ups (from various frametrap gatlings to dash 5K pressure reset). Without IB'ing the 3P and acting quickly, Axl can quite freely test your patience with short strings while building his own meter and cranking your RISC gauge up, which makes the next hit with 6H or Raiei really dangerous.
*While '''5K''' and '''2K''' are both quite slow on full recovery (21 and 18 frames, advantages -3 and -1), as stagger pressure they have better range than most 5P/2Ps, better startup than most f.Ses (even with the frame disadvantage), and have hurtboxes that are strong against the opposite type of normals (5K with decent low-crush on max range and 2K with excellent low-profile), so you have to choose the abare normal and timing really carefully, especially without IB.


====Pressure====
===Mixup===
Once you have been forced to block Axl's moves, the mindgame shifts into "what to do after X": Rensen, Raiei and 6H are all pretty much safe on regular block (of course depending on the range and opposing character), which means Axl can keep up the guessing game. After Rensen, things don't change much from neutral aside from the frame advantage against him (regular -15, up follow-up -13, latter being easy to IB) which isn't that meaningful in the post-Rensen range, but it nevertheless gives you a better return for your correct guess (eg. IAD against blocked Rensen into Rensen or run against blocked Rensen into 5P). After a blocked Raiei or 6H, Axl is close to you with +1 advantage: his 7 frame 2K has early low-profile frames which makes it able to beat many smashing options (aside from fast 5Ks that hit low) and even against the ones that do beat it, he can always take a big risk with Benten (full invuln 1-11F) or 4F guard-point counter (needs to guess high-mid or low correctly). If Axl blocks or backdashes because he fears retaliation with a better normals, DP, or command throw, you can turn the tides by running in.
Axl's unorthodox mixup tools are really slow, so learning how to deal with them on reaction is important for the matchup.
*'''[[GGXRD-R/Axl_Low#Spindle_Spinner|Rashousen command throw]]''' - Jump (and hold FD in case of YRC/PRC feint) on reaction and airdash forwards for a punish on the huge recovery.
*'''[[GGXRD-R/Axl_Low#Thunder_Shadow_Chain|Raiei overhead/crossup]]''' - IB or Blitz as a reaction to Axl disappearing. If you are already jumping away when the move comes, airthrow is an easy reaction.
*'''[[GGXRD-R/Axl_Low#6H|6H overhead]]''' - Try to instant block or Blitz on reaction. Air IB gives you a free throw.  
When these moves lose their effectiveness, Axl has to start doing legit frametrap/throw mixups. While his slow run and slow normals (most of which are negative on full recovery) are much more suited for frametraps that push him back to the neutral guessing game on block, Axl gets a big return for his throw since he can combo for 100+ damage and a knockdown in midscreen (and even more in the corner) on all characters. This means blocking is much less riskier than mashing or jumping out, but be prepared to abare if Axl shows too much disrespect with pressure resets (cranking RISC) and throws.


====Mixup====
===Burst points===
If you take your time to learn how to defeat Axl's slow, unorthodox mixup tools (jump over the command throw, airthrow or IB the overhead crossup special, block or 6P the 6H), Axl has to start doing legit frametrap-throw mixups. While his slow run and normals (most of which are negative on full recovery) are much more suited for frametraps that push him back to the neutral guessing game on block, Axl gets a big return for his throw since he can combo for 100+ damage and a knockdown in midscreen (and even more in the corner) on practically all characters. This means blocking is much less riskier option in general, but be prepared to abare if the Axl shows disrespect with pressure resets and throws.
*'''Safe points''' (without 50% for RRC):
**'''Rensen''' - Rensen extends Axl's hurtbox forward a lot, so whenever he does it in a regular ground combo (eg. 5K > c.S > 2D > Rensen) a Burst hits him easily, though beware of Axl stopping at 2D and/or being too far for Burst to reach.
**'''Axl Bomber''' - While it's easy to burst a Bomber on reaction, this special is usually the final hit of the combo which means you take close to full combo damage (only preventing the knockdown which isn't that important for Axl).
***'''Bomber Loops''' in the corner is one exception that should be stopped before Axl does huge damage and gains loads of tension; beware of Axl baiting the burst after 2S or c.S with jump cancel or Bomber RRC. 
*'''Unsafe points'''
**'''2S and 6K''' - The hurtboxes of both normals take time to reach the opponent (and do not extend as far as the hitboxes) while the vacuum hits cancel immediately into other moves, which means a burst can whiff very easily.
**'''Rensen-up RRC''' - This RRC gives Axl loads of untech time to wait for the RRC proration to end, which means bursting during this period is extremely dangerous; Axl can even safely bait it by doing a run FD break.
**'''Rensen-down''' - In corner, the chain spin lifts the opponent up decently and Burst lifts you even higher in the air, so bursting outside pointblank range can easily whiff.  
**'''Counterhit 6H''' - The untech time lasts until knockdown; panic bursting immediately is dangerous because Axl can block for a while and still confirm a BnB combo with 5P, 6K, or dash 5K.
**'''Counterhit Raiei''' - Like 6H, on counterhit the untech time lasts until knockdown, so panic bursts are not recommended, especially on CH Raiei RRC which gives about as much untech time as Rensen RRC.
***Good players will wait for the CH confirm (to not waste meter on RRC) and lower level players often autopilot into RRC when avaible, so even normal hit Raiei can be a dangerous place to burst.


====Miscellaneous====
===Miscellaneous===
* Artemis Hunter (aka Benten), Axl's DP, is easily safe jumped since it has 9F startup and is freely punished on block (-27) or whiff (35F recovery). On regular hit you can tech in the air, though on CH it has more untech time and usually knocks down. The damage (46) isn't great either, so overall it's not really the best reversal out there.  
*'''Artemis Hunter''' (aka Benten), Axl's '''DP''', is easily safe jumped since it has a 9F startup and is freely punished on block (-27, usually enough for run c.S punishes). The horizontal range is also quite weak, so it can be baited with well spaced projectile oki. On regular hit (and counterhit that isn't on ground level) you can tech in the air. The damage (46) isn't great either, so overall it's not the best reversal out there.  
* Sparrowhawk Stance: Do the in-game Axl matchup Mission with your character and find out what works out best. See '''[[GGXRD-R/Axl_Low#Sparrowhawk_Stance|the Special Move entry description]]''' for the logic behind the mindgames.
*'''Sparrowhawk Stance''': Do the in-game Axl matchup Mission with your character and practice against a recorded training dummy to find out what works out best against each chain combination (low-mid, mid-low, low-delay-low, low-delay-mid) on regular block and IB. See '''[[GGXRD-R/Axl_Low#Sparrowhawk_Stance|the Special Move entry description]]''' for the logic behind the mindgames.
* Rensen's down follow-up, normally -5 on block, can be pushed away with FD to make it easier to punish.
*'''Rensen's down follow-up''', normally -5 on block, can be pushed away with FD to make it whiff and therefore easier to punish (with IADs and such).
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[[Category:Guilty Gear]]
[[Category:Guilty Gear Characters]]

Latest revision as of 20:45, 10 October 2021


General Tactics

Axl plays somewhat differently from a majority of the Guilty Gear cast. His normals give him coverage of a lot of spaces, but compared to characters that have, for example, a jab to throw out, he has to commit pretty hard to any option he chooses. Using Axl properly requires thorough matchup knowledge, and involves identifying the situations that opponents cannot handle well and forcing those situations upon them. The first step is to understand Axl's own advantages.

Axl's pressure takes place at mid-range. By mid-range, I mean outside of the range of most characters' fast pokes, such as 5Ps and 5Ks. At this range, Axl has a lot more ability to play safe, going for options like f.S, 5K, 2K, and 3P allow him to bully the opponent without much opportunity to punish him, and so while you don't have the ability to open opponents up quite as easily as some others, you can keep them in frame traps for a long time, and for many characters the only recourse is to try something risky. With Sickle Flash YRC, Axl can keep opponents in blockstun for a long time, and his mixup tools are unusual and force opponents to make big choices (jump over an unblockable, switch blocks or jump to beat a crossup, etc.).

Axl can also excel at approaching. From far away, a lot of characters will try to either set up or run in. Axl gets to stop both with fast, screen-crossing pokes that force most characters to either throw something out that will whiff if you do nothing, or get punished for running or trying to set up projectiles or whatnot. A full-screen knockdown can still often net Axl a safe jump overhead that puts him in the middle range he wants to play neutral/pressure from. A Sickle Flash YRC can simply force the opponent to concede offensive momentum in most situations where they can't immediately hit you.

Lastly, Axl is good at reactively stopping approaches from just outside his optimal range. Sickle Flash and Heaven Can Wait are difficult for long-range characters to get around, and his dominant anti-air game with tools like 5P, 6K, 2S, 2K net him a lot of control over opponents trying to jump, and sickle flash, 2H, and f.S form a strong base of tools to react to ground approaches with. While whiffing an attack can be dangerous for Axl, having breathing room means you have time to react to whatever the opponent is trying.

So the basic gameplan is: Identify the matchup. Are they going to have a hard time approaching you? Stay back and stop them. Can they beat your f.S at midrange? Bully them from there and keep them in blockstun. Are they going to try to stay back and set up? Punish them from further away than they can deal with, then keep offensive momentum with oki. There's a bag of tricks to learn on top of this basic strategy, but your number one job is to identify which of Axl's three strongest games you want to be playing, and play it.

When Axl is under pressure, he can rely on FD to push opponents into the midrange he wants them to be in, but as far as fast options to get people off of you go... you're kind of out of luck if you want to be safe. If you can get a window big enough to jab, your counter is a good option if you know they'll throw an attack and which way it will hit. If you know you don't have the frames, you can DP or super, but they're pretty risky, so make sure you're right! And then Axl does have the option to throw if you can get a good IB in, so throw OS with 6P or c.S is probably your go-to breakout. Occasionally you can get away with throwing a 2K to low-profile or a 6H or 5K to low-crush, but I would consider those to be very matchup-dependent and hard reads in most cases.

Blockstrings

Axl's pressure game revolves heavily around the traditional frame trap / throw mixup. Many of Axl's gatlings have gaps in them (especially with Instant Blocking), but spacing them in a way that prevents mashing is easy since his normals have relatively good startups for their long range. Also, if you never threaten your opponent with a throw, people (who can react to 6H, Dust, Raiei and Rashousen) will hold down-back for the rest of their lives. Rensen YRC is one of the best pressure tools in the whole game, so saving tension for it is recommendable.
In general it's safe to end strings in Rensen whether the opponent gets hit or blocks, but it is -13 (or more on IB) so depending on the character the opponent might get a very favorable situation (eg. escape back to neutral, close the distance with run FD break, or even directly punish with their specific tools). Doing Rensen after a block in corner is not recommended since it leaves you much closer to the opponent (because the projectile pushback doesn't work on yourself) and the recovery is long enough to be punished, even Rensen-down (which isn't a projectile) by blocking the first hits and then pushing Axl away with FD to whiff the rest of the move. Once the opponent respects Axl enough (easiest way to accomplish that is doing Rensen as a frametrap by late-canceling it after f.S and 2D), going for tensionless pressure resets (c.S or 3P into dash 5K or 3P) becomes easier.

General tips:

  • Mind the distance by reducing mid-string parts (eg. 5K > 2D when further away); c.S turning into f.S or whiffing 5H or 2D really hurts.
  • Always hold back for the Rensen charge; beware of accidental inputs (eg. Raiei when doing dash 2K > c.S).
  • Go for a throw after 2K (shortest full recovery), 5K, 3P, or c.S; using FD dash break (eg. 2K, 66, 4KS~H) is recommendable at short distances.
  • 2D and f.S have long cancel windows, c.S has a short one; vary the timing of follow-ups to be unpredictable.
  • Axl's Dust cancels from almost anything, has good range, and recovers quickly (only -4) which makes it decent despite the obvious startup.
  • Options after 2H are very limited (two overheads, 6H and 5D, or anything after a -4 or worse frame advantage) and most opponents know it, so you have to be very unpredictable to get results with it.

(5K or 2K) > c.S > (f.S or 6P) > 5H > 2D

This is Axl's basic blockstring. Truly gapless version: 5K > (c.S > (6P)) > 2D.

  • Weak against FD and IB'ing the hit before 5H.
  • c.S and 5H gatling into 6H for a relatively safe overhead mixup.
  • Mixup with Rashousen or Raiei at any point, though both are easy to notice and lose to mashing at close range.
  • Frametraps into 5H: 5K > 5H, 6P > 5H, f.S > 5H, c.S > late cancel 5H

5K > (c.S or 6P) > 3P > (5H) > 2D

The 3P branch. 5K, c.S and 6P gatling into it, and as a mid-string low it can surprise some people.

  • 6P whiffs on some crouchers and pushes back a lot, so c.S is a much better choice.
  • The gatlings out of 3P have various roles: 5H is a frametrap, 6H an overhead, 2H a slower low and 2D an ender into Rensen (whiffs on CH).
  • 3P > f.S gatling is an easy hitconfirm for counterhit 3P into 2S combos (as opposed to the harder 3P, 5K link), on block you can cancel into 5H and specials.

5K > (c.S) > 2P > (f.S)

A long distance string that works great against FD.

  • 2P cancels into specials and 6H gatling for unexpected mixups.
  • 2P > f.S gatling doesn't work if you are too close (unlike 3P > f.S).

Okizeme

While Rensen-up and j.H > j.D Bomber do slightly more damage as easy combo finishers, they allow the opponent to tech so you should aim to end combos with regular Rensen (and Rensen-down) and TK Bombers to score a knockdown and follow it with proper pressure on wake-up. While Axl's okizeme isn't particularly oppressive, being able to put the pressure on matters a lot in the long run, especially in matchups where you are in disadvantage at neutral, but also in average matchups since tight pressure builds your own tension, raises your opponent's Risc gauge, and most importantly forces the opponent to make decisions instead of letting them do whatever they want.
You have to always remember the opposing character's wake-up timing (both face-up (Rensen, TK Bomber) and face-down(2D)) and reversal options to stay safe. Usually you can do a safejump (even from longer ranges with IAD j.S) to avoid invulnerable reversals, but some knockdowns won't give you enought time against some reversals (eg. Rensen knockdown against 5F Volcanic Viper) so pay attention. On characters without good meterless reversal options (eg. May, Millia, Zato, Venom) meaty ground normals like 2K, 3P, and 6H are great, though you must still avoid getting too close for a reversal throw or being too predictable since correct Blitz deflects any meaty attack, a backstep will whiff your normals (which gives an easy opportunity for comeback if you aren't prepared with some sort of OS), IB makes big holes for abare in your strings, and all characters have fully invulnerable Burst Overdrives.

  • Finishing with a Rensen-down pulls the opponent towards you a little so a Raiei will cross-up in corner and your usual diagonal jump-in might whiff, so pay attention.
  • The timing of knockdown after Rensen can also vary depending on which height the opponent is picked up (eg. plain Rensen knockdown vs. 2D > Rensen-down knockdown) and whether all hits connect or not (in worst case, later hits of Rensen-down are OTG and let the opponent recover, which is usually caused by being too far and/or a character's thin hurtbox slipping through), so look for the moment of knockdown (when opponent bounces off the ground) and adjust the safejump accordingly by jumping earlier, later, or not at all depending on the remaining time.

Meaty jump-in

  • j.P - Can lead into a second overhead depending on timing. Also a good tick throw.
  • j.K - Basic jump normal with lots of active frames. Not as damaging as j.H, but has more cancel options (including j.P, j.D and jump cancel).
  • j.S - Can whiff against low-profile moves if timed/spaced incorrectly. Meaty second hit leads into Raiei cross-ups in corner and point blank pressure, but can be Blitzed on reaction.
  • j.H - Another basic jump normal with lots of active frames. Bigger damage and reaches lower than j.K, but cancelable only into j.D (which isn't really a negative on safejumps).
  • j.D - The riskiest aerial option due to j.D's landing recovery but leads to big damage even on regular hit by launching the opponent into air and wallsticking in corner.

Meaty ground moves

  • 2K - Goes into a tick throw and low-profiles some reversal moves like Ky's Vapor Thrust and Jam's Kenroukaku. Can be done extra meaty for better frame advantage (up to +3).
  • c.S - If you can get close enough without getting thrown, c.S has loads of different gatling options to confuse your opponent. Can be done extra meaty for better frame advantage (up to +6).
  • 3P - Makes most DPs whiff when spaced and timed correctly. Beware of clashing (ie. doing the meaty too late), low Blitz, and first frame airborne moves like Sol's Riot Stamp.
  • 6H - Aside from being an overhead with huge counterhit launch, hitting it meaty on block gives you a big frame advantage (up to +9). Opponent can easily Blitz, IB or backdash on reaction the more meaty it is.
  • Rensen - Close to zero risk (excluding long-range invuln supers) but aside from pushback and small chip damage, the returns on block are close to zero, too.
  • Rensen YRC - Good option if you want to pay 25% meter (and suffer from tension gain slowdown for several seconds) for a 100% safe pressure starter (or a combo starter if the opponent tried something stupid).
  • Raiei - Meaty Raiei must be blocked in correct direction (or Blitzed, which makes any crossup attempts pointless), but the start-up is still easy to react to and there isn't much return unless it somehow counter hits.
  • Rashousen - Technically isn't a meaty because of wake-up throw invuln, but it's active enough to catch people who react extremely slow.
  • Rashousen YRC - You can pick up opponents who jumped with 6K, but if they know to hold FD during it (where you can go for an airthrow as the hardest read), you're much better off using the meter for Rensen YRC.

Jump-in mixups

  • Safejump - Timing the jump so that the opponent wakes up few frames before you land, making your meaty jump normal either hit a blocking opponent, or whiff on an invulnerable reversal's startup, respectively allowing you to either continue pressure with a ground blockstring, or land and recover instantly before the reversal becomes active and block it by holding back while inputting your ground string (the hitstop from jump normal or the lack of it on whiff makes the timing different). Loses to reversal high Blitz, so remember to mix up with an empty jump low, a late airdash, or (as the hardest Blitz read) a delayed counterhit for a big launch (eg. land 6P/6H/3P, late airdash j.D).
  • Empty jump low - Beats the fuzzy high guard / throw option select outside throw range when timed correctly because Axl's 2K low-profiles most throw OS normals. Blocked easily by regular fuzzy high/low guard, loses to invuln reversals. 2D can also be used for better damage (ie. no 70% proration of 2K), but the low-profile is much weaker, the startup is slightly slower, and on block your cancel options are limited to special moves.
  • Late airdash - j.P, j.K, or j.H into j.D launches the opponent for damaging combos by beating the fuzzy high/low guard and especially reversal backdashes (even Potemkin's), but loses to invuln reversals and throw OSes, and j.P/j.K is hard to connect on some crouching hurtboxes (even j.H can be hard to connect in midscreen). While forward airdash is the more common method since it makes landing a hit easier (especially in corner) and gives a better positioning for combo/pressure, doing an airbackdash into j.S is also possible; depending on the height and timing, it can be comboed into 2D and fS (and further into Rensen or Kairagi) and may even avoid some throw OS normals.
  • Whiffed normal - Whiffed j.S, j.K, or j.H can be used for baiting a reversal Blitz by making the opponent expect a regular safejump, but it looks suspicious (especially after the first time) when the normal starts very early in the air and has barely any real returns if opponent tries blocking the jump-in regularly.

Instant Overheads

  • Backdash YRC - YRC'ing a backdash gives you enough airtime for a j.K overhead, but the backdash momentum puts you at a range where the combo on hit does unimpressive damage and on block your pressure will be weak.
  • TK Bomber YRC - When Axl Bomber is YRC'd with earliest possible timing (eg. plinking into 623H~SK), it completely halts your momentum in low altitude where any jump normal can be used as an overhead.
    • j.D is the most obvious choice since it gives you big damage in both midscreen and corner, but is the riskiest option on block because of landing recovery.
    • The height after the YRC depends on your raw TK Bomber execution speed; doing it too slow puts you at height where j.D doesn't hit crouching.
    • The overheads are also possible from TK Bomber RRC (eg. during blockstrings), but the execution timing is very different and obviously costs double the tension.

Tips and Tricks

Rensen YRC

Rensen is a projectile, which means you can YRC during its startup and unleash the "Rensen Beam". The projectile travels almost instantly and the YRC flash gives you time to read the situation and move accordingly: run up and start pressure if the opponent blocked; pick up with 5K, 5P or IAD (depending on the range) for a combo if the opponent didn't block; or antiair with 6K and such if the opponent jumped.
When executing a Rensen YRC in blockstrings, you must time the YRC after the opponent has left blockstun and before the projectile hits them which means the easiest way to do it is canceling Rensen from normals with low attack levels and/or long cancel times, the best choices being f.S, 2D, and 2P. Delaying the Rensen too much may leave enough time for the opponent to jump away with FD, so try to leave as small gap as possible to hit them during the jump startup frames.
Even though it's arguably the best YRC special in the game, Rensen YRC isn't the solution to everything. Using it obviously costs 25% tension and also slows down your tension gain for a while, so throwing it out randomly in the hopes a hit (instead of actually paying attention to the neutral game) is a waste of resources. Also, even if the opponent blocks it, if you can't open their guard up with the following pressure, you're back to the starting point.

TK Axl Bomber

TK Bomber, an Axl Bomber done at the lowest possible height from a jump cancelable normal (with motions such as 6923H, 9623H, 69874123H, or 6321473H) is an important combo tool that extends your damage, corner carry and tension gain to new levels. The motion can be practiced easily with a c.S on a standing training dummy, though the timing depends on the "launcher's" hitstop and hitstun (eg. 6P has a short & unforgiving timing, while 2S has a medium & lenient timing).
The most obvious use is Bomber loops in the corner for big damage and huge tension gain, but even in midscreen doing a TK Bomber can lead to good things after 2S:

  • Knockdown from the Bomber, which may require delaying if the opponent is high in the air.
  • 5P > Rensen for more damage and a knockdown on medium characters; opponent needs to be higher in the air for 5P not to whiff.
  • 5P > 6K (HJC) j.6P > j.S(1) > j.6P for more damage and breathing room; j.S(1) > j.6P can be hard to connect on some characters.
  • 5P > 6K > 2S (HJC) j.H > j.D > Bomber for even more damage; opponent needs to be close enough for 6K > 2S and can tech after the final Bomber.
  • 5K > 2S > TK Bomber relaunch (ie. Bomber loops) if the first TK Bomber carries the opponent (and you) near enough the corner.

Dropped TK Bomber salvage methods for a leaked j.H that still combos:

  • j.H into buffered j.D > Axl Bomber: decent damage, but leaves you in a risky recovery since it allows the opponent to tech right above you.
  • j.H into buffered j.D: wallsticks the opponent for a longer time (ie. safer recovery), but still leaves you with the tech mindgames.
  • j.H into double jump airthrow OS: can catch tech mash attempts, but is vulnerable to late (neutral) techs.

2K Low-profiling

While 2K isn't Axl's best low option in blockstrings because of the damage prorate and limited gatling options, it has a hurtbox that goes very low very quickly, allowing you to prone under various things. The most obvious use is dodging projectiles like Ky's Stun Edge, but it also works well against taller normals in footsies or for beating throw OSes as an empty jump low outisde throw range.
You can even use 2K to make some character-defining moves completely whiff: if you see a Sol coming in with a Bandit Bringer, you can respond with 2K, making the BB whiff and allowing you to throw OS on their recovery. It works well against some characters' jump normals too, but once the opponent takes notice of it, they can respond by hitting deeper (which in turn gives you more frames to use regular antiair options like 2S, 6P and air throw).

Fighting Axl

Neutral

Axl has basically three "modes" for acting in neutral:

  • Close in (run, Raiei (YRC), 6H, IAD j.S)
  • Antiair (pre-emptive 5P & 6K, stand-by for 2S, 6P, airthrow)
  • Ground pressure (Rensen (YRC), 2P, f.S, 3P)

Although Axl has one choice that covers them all, Rensen YRC, without meter Axl has to dedicate himself to one of these options which means you can counter it with a correct read/reaction:

  • Stand by and repel his approaches correctly; ground approaches with your long-range pokes, and air approaches with well-timed 6Ps (j.S has a hurtbox going along its hitbox so it loses to real antiairs when timed correctly).
  • Run to go under his 5P/6K for a punish (doesn't work for tall run animation characters) or to get closer with FD dash breaks while he's stand-bying or after Rensen's frame disadvantage on block.
  • Jump and IAD over his ground options for high risk, high return; IAD YRC is a strong option that beats Rensen-up and the antiair stand-by (though loses to Rensen YRC, pre-emptive 6K and 4F high parry-counter on reaction).

The balance of use between these three modes are based on the risks and rewards: the long range ground combos do very little damage (and are only possible with 2P or f.S on counterhit/RRC) while even basic antiair combos do loads of damage. With a theoretical probabilities of 50% 2P/Rensen, and 50% 5P/6K, you would win easily against Axl by running under 5P/6K everytime there's a chance for it, but in reality the numbers for Axl players would probably look more like 25% for ground pressure with 2P & Rensen, 65% stand-by for antiair (with much less pre-emptive 5P/6K), and 10% for closing in. Good Axl players will obviously adjust the ratio in real time according to opponent's character (which defines the basic risks and rewards) and playing habits (which gives confidence for slow premptive moves like 6K and 2H), which means you must to do the same thing in order to win the war in neutral.

Pressure

Once you have been forced to block Axl's moves, the mindgame shifts into "what to do after X": Rensen, Raiei and 6H are all pretty much safe on regular block (of course depending on the range and opposing character), which means Axl can keep up the guessing game.

  • After Rensen things don't change much from neutral aside the big frame advantage against him (regular -15, up follow-up -13, former being less when it hits on later active frames (ie. further away) and latter being easy to IB for -17 regardless of range) which isn't that meaningful in the post-Rensen range, but it nevertheless gives you a better return for your correct guess (eg. IAD after blocked Rensen into 2P or run after blocked Rensen into 5P).
  • After a blocked Raiei or 6H, Axl is close to you with +1 advantage: his 7 frame 2K has early low-profile frames which makes it able to beat many mashing options (aside from fast 5Ks and 2Ks that hit low) and even against the ones that do beat it, he can always take a big risk with Benten (full invuln 1-11F) or 4F guard-point counter (needs to guess between high/mid and low correctly). If Axl blocks or backdashes because he fears retaliation with a better normals, DP, or command throw, you can turn the tides by running in.
  • Axl's only quick moves with frame advantages are c.S (+1) and 3P (+2), latter being a really good pressure tool because of the great range and good follow-ups (from various frametrap gatlings to dash 5K pressure reset). Without IB'ing the 3P and acting quickly, Axl can quite freely test your patience with short strings while building his own meter and cranking your RISC gauge up, which makes the next hit with 6H or Raiei really dangerous.
  • While 5K and 2K are both quite slow on full recovery (21 and 18 frames, advantages -3 and -1), as stagger pressure they have better range than most 5P/2Ps, better startup than most f.Ses (even with the frame disadvantage), and have hurtboxes that are strong against the opposite type of normals (5K with decent low-crush on max range and 2K with excellent low-profile), so you have to choose the abare normal and timing really carefully, especially without IB.

Mixup

Axl's unorthodox mixup tools are really slow, so learning how to deal with them on reaction is important for the matchup.

  • Rashousen command throw - Jump (and hold FD in case of YRC/PRC feint) on reaction and airdash forwards for a punish on the huge recovery.
  • Raiei overhead/crossup - IB or Blitz as a reaction to Axl disappearing. If you are already jumping away when the move comes, airthrow is an easy reaction.
  • 6H overhead - Try to instant block or Blitz on reaction. Air IB gives you a free throw.

When these moves lose their effectiveness, Axl has to start doing legit frametrap/throw mixups. While his slow run and slow normals (most of which are negative on full recovery) are much more suited for frametraps that push him back to the neutral guessing game on block, Axl gets a big return for his throw since he can combo for 100+ damage and a knockdown in midscreen (and even more in the corner) on all characters. This means blocking is much less riskier than mashing or jumping out, but be prepared to abare if Axl shows too much disrespect with pressure resets (cranking RISC) and throws.

Burst points

  • Safe points (without 50% for RRC):
    • Rensen - Rensen extends Axl's hurtbox forward a lot, so whenever he does it in a regular ground combo (eg. 5K > c.S > 2D > Rensen) a Burst hits him easily, though beware of Axl stopping at 2D and/or being too far for Burst to reach.
    • Axl Bomber - While it's easy to burst a Bomber on reaction, this special is usually the final hit of the combo which means you take close to full combo damage (only preventing the knockdown which isn't that important for Axl).
      • Bomber Loops in the corner is one exception that should be stopped before Axl does huge damage and gains loads of tension; beware of Axl baiting the burst after 2S or c.S with jump cancel or Bomber RRC.
  • Unsafe points
    • 2S and 6K - The hurtboxes of both normals take time to reach the opponent (and do not extend as far as the hitboxes) while the vacuum hits cancel immediately into other moves, which means a burst can whiff very easily.
    • Rensen-up RRC - This RRC gives Axl loads of untech time to wait for the RRC proration to end, which means bursting during this period is extremely dangerous; Axl can even safely bait it by doing a run FD break.
    • Rensen-down - In corner, the chain spin lifts the opponent up decently and Burst lifts you even higher in the air, so bursting outside pointblank range can easily whiff.
    • Counterhit 6H - The untech time lasts until knockdown; panic bursting immediately is dangerous because Axl can block for a while and still confirm a BnB combo with 5P, 6K, or dash 5K.
    • Counterhit Raiei - Like 6H, on counterhit the untech time lasts until knockdown, so panic bursts are not recommended, especially on CH Raiei RRC which gives about as much untech time as Rensen RRC.
      • Good players will wait for the CH confirm (to not waste meter on RRC) and lower level players often autopilot into RRC when avaible, so even normal hit Raiei can be a dangerous place to burst.

Miscellaneous

  • Artemis Hunter (aka Benten), Axl's DP, is easily safe jumped since it has a 9F startup and is freely punished on block (-27, usually enough for run c.S punishes). The horizontal range is also quite weak, so it can be baited with well spaced projectile oki. On regular hit (and counterhit that isn't on ground level) you can tech in the air. The damage (46) isn't great either, so overall it's not the best reversal out there.
  • Sparrowhawk Stance: Do the in-game Axl matchup Mission with your character and practice against a recorded training dummy to find out what works out best against each chain combination (low-mid, mid-low, low-delay-low, low-delay-mid) on regular block and IB. See the Special Move entry description for the logic behind the mindgames.
  • Rensen's down follow-up, normally -5 on block, can be pushed away with FD to make it whiff and therefore easier to punish (with IADs and such).

Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR-e
Click [*] for character's frame data
System Explanations

HUDControlsFrame DataSystem Data


Movement/CancelingOffenseDefenseDamage/ComboAttack AttributesTension/Burst GaugeMisc