{{AttackVersion|name=Melody Chain|subtitle=Sickle Flash > 2 or 3}}{{#lsth:GGXRD-R2/Axl Low/Data|[4]6S > 2 or 3}}
{{AttackVersion|name=Melody Chain|subtitle=Sickle Flash > 8 or 9}}{{#lsth:GGXRD-R2/Axl Low/Data|[4]6S > 8 or 9}}
{{!}}-
{{!}}-
{{AttackVersion|name=Spinning Chain Strike|subtitle=Sickle Flash > 8 or 9}}{{#lsth:GGXRD-R2/Axl Low/Data|[4]6S > 8 or 9}}
{{AttackVersion|name=Spinning Chain Strike|subtitle=Sickle Flash > 2 or 3}}{{#lsth:GGXRD-R2/Axl Low/Data|[4]6S > 2 or 3}}
{{!}}-
{{!}}-
{{Description|7|text='''Sickle Flash''' (or "Rensengeki", usually abbreviated "'''Rensen'''"), a long three-hit chain projectile, is the move that defines Axl as a character. It has a relatively quick startup, a hitbox that reaches all the way to the floor, long range, and fast travel time, which makes it a strong tool for stopping any ground approaches or harassing from a distance.
{{Description|7|text='''Sickle Flash''' (or "Rensengeki", usually abbreviated "'''Rensen'''"), a long three-hit chain projectile, is the move that defines Axl as a character. It has a relatively quick startup, a hitbox that reaches all the way to the floor, long range, and fast travel time, which makes it a strong tool for stopping any ground approaches or harassing from a distance.
Revision as of 21:54, 15 August 2019
Axl Low
Movement Options
Double Jump, 1 Air Dash, Dash Type: Run
Play-style
Zoning, pressure
Overview
Axl is the resident zoner of Xrd. While his chains may remind you of the limbs of Dhalsim from Street Fighter, he has some tools to pressure opponents at close range as well. If you can react to (or predict) your opponent's jumps, Axl is more than capable of tagging them with his phenomenal anti-airs, some reaching more than half the screen (horizontally, diagonally or vertically). Most of his anti-air hits can easily be converted into high damage combos with plenty of corner carry. If the opponent remains grounded, Axl's Rensen is an extremely potent keepaway tool that rips through projectiles, has a built-in anti-air followup, and can be YRC'd to allow Axl to cover both the ground and the air.
Axl's main weakness is his subpar defense. While he is not lacking in options, he must take big risks to escape bad situations. Failing to make the correct defensive decisions will quickly lose you the round due to Axl's low health. Even after a successful reset to neutral, Axl struggles to come back from large life deficits due to his relatively basic offense, and is usually forced to slowly grind an opponent down instead. Also of note is Axl's poor mobility, which can make it hard to maneuver around characters with better movement options, as well as certain projectiles. In addition, most of his long-range pokes have dramatically extended hurtboxes and long recovery times, making Axl vulnerable if he whiffs a normal at the wrong time. In order to be successful with Axl, you must know how to correctly use his normals in order to prevent an opponent from starting their offense, and know how to take advantage of universal mechanics if you're forced to defend.
Backstory
Axl originally lived in the 20th century, about 150 years before the events of main storyline. During this period, he fell in love with a girl named Megumi. He grew up in the slums and eventually found himself in the middle of a gang war. Thanks to his strength, he was able to put an end to the conflict in six months (with no casualties). It was sometime after this victory when Axl was forced to go through his first time slip into the 22nd century. Axl enters the Sacred Knights Tournament in hopes of finding a way to get back to his own era. He was apparently led to believe that the winner of the tournament could have a wish granted to them. After the tournament, Axl has tried to find a way to return to the past while suffering from the random time-slips. He is also one the few people who knows Sol's real identity and calls him "Freddie". He even seeked help from Faust, who unfortunately couldn't anything to his condition. Eventually he decides to find That Man and his servants, I-No in particular, to ask them for help.
In Guilty Gear Xrd, Axl confronts I-No yet again to tell her to bring him to That Man with important information from The Original. I-No brings Axl to The Backyard to meet That Man. Axl tells That Man the message, and then learns that he has no way out to escape.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths
Weaknesses
Long-reaching normals and specials.
Strong anti-air game that leads to big damage and/or knockdown.
Decent combo conversion ability, especially with meter.
Rensen: a powerful neutral tool in the form of beam-like projectile that can be YRC'd.
Benten: a meterless, fully-invuln reversal.
Normals and specials are slow and situational.
Poor mobility, especially in the air.
Offense largely consists of very plain frame traps and throws.
Low damage on grounded opponents without meter, even in the corner.
As if millions of I-No players suddenly cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced
First active frame • Max Range
A long-reaching horizontal chain that reaches about two-thirds of the screen at full length.
Serves as a quick poke as well as an anti-air that stops jump attempts and some air dashes.
Whiffs on all crouching animations, most running animations, and certain forward-traveling special moves (e.g. Sol's Fafnir).
If 5P hits an opponent in the air, you can gatling into 6K or 2S for combos on normal hit. On counter hit can be comboed into Haitaka. RRC is also an option for some higher damage confirms.
Its hurtbox extends to about half of the chain's length when fully extended; beware of being counter hit by moves like Slayer's Pilebunker.
An upward sickle attack commonly used in combos and pressure.
Extremely varied gatling options, having the most out of all of Axl's normals, as well as being plus on block.
Being a proximity normal, it's usually cancelled from 5K/2K during pressure since it's hard to get this move out on its own.
Good choice for throw OS since it's faster than 6P and has much better hitbox vertically; beware of accidental Rensen if doing it out of blockstun.
Can be used to cover the vertical blind spot of 2S as an antiair, but the higher hitbox takes 9 frames to come out without any upper body invuln, so it's best reserved for specific situations.
A mid-range poke with great range and good startup.
Decently strong round start option.
Its speed and slightly disjointed hitbox makes it good for ground footsies, though options on hit or block are limited due to short hitstun and lack of gatlings.
Staggers on counter hit, but you can't really take advantage of it besides comboing into Rensen.
Long cancel window, which makes executing Rensen YRC very easy.
5H
5H
For frame traps, catching jumps, or letting your opponent know you screwed up a throw attempt
Axl's expression here is the one you should make when anti-airing someone
First active frame • Max range
2nd hit pulls in
Marvelous anti-air normal with a fast start-up and really long vertical range.
Hits twice, vacuums on the second hit, and is jump cancellable from either hit.
The hurtbox travels slightly behind the hitbox which can result in trades, though they're usually in Axl's favor.
Reaching higher takes longer than 8F so it can whiff against fast IADs from close range unless you use it preemptively. Try air throwing at these spacings instead.
Air moves that let characters stall in the air can cause 2S to whiff and/or get punished. Playing a little more patiently against these moves can help you get anti-air them more consistently.
A two-hit long-range low chain that vacuums on the second hit.
Reaches all the way to the ground to stop low-profile moves, but the long animation leaves you extremely vulnerable to jump-ins on whiff.
2.1 removed the stagger, but added special canceling, improving the moves utility (most noticeable with 2H > Rensen).
Old 2H(2) counterhit combos are no longer possible because opponent can tech before 5K links, though at close range you can do Rensen-8 > 5P instead.
Still gatlings to 6H and 5D; previously it was easy to overuse them (since they were the only two cancel options besides RC), but now they complement the special cancel nicely.
A slowish all-purpose low poke with good range and recovery.
Counter hit launches the opponent, which can be followed up with a combo.
With its disjointed sweep-like hitbox, good gatlings, and frame advantage, 3P is not only a strong neutral poke, but also a safe meaty on an opponent's wakeup and a strong pressure tool.
When baiting DPs be sure to space and time 3P correctly to avoid getting hit or clashing.
Mostly air combo filler, usually followed up with jc j.H > j.D > Axl Bomber.
Air counter hit has huge untech time that can easily be confirmed into a full combo. This plus its decent hitbox makes j.K usable as a situational air-to-air.
Hits twice, second hit vacuums and is a mid. Counter hit state recovery.
Good approach tool with IAD against passive opponents; gatlings into j.H and j.6P to extend pressure or combo.
Hurtbox traveling along most of the chain means it can be anti-aired if read; the small hitbox can also whiff if you are too close or do it too high in the air.
The second hit's hitbox travels back towards Axl, which can occasionally catch opponents off guard.
A long upwards chain with vacuum on second hit. Counter hit recovery.
The ideal followup from j.6P; cancel into Axl Bomber to end combos. Be wary that at some spacings Axl Bomber will whiff.
Good for making the opponent block in the air; while it doesn't require FD, it has a ridiculous vertical range, strong hitbox, and fast startup. Useful for intercepting characters with big air hurtboxes or poor air mobility, like Dizzy and Faust.
When not in a position to combo into Axl Bomber the second hit's vacuum can actually work against Axl by bring the opponent uncomfortably close, so when using j.6K to harass it's recommended to cancel the first hit into j.P.
A single-hit poke at a sharper angle than j.S, with lots of active frames. Counter hit recovery.
Great when used defensively to stuff ground approaches when j.S would whiff, or to prevent air throw attempts.
Fast enough to act as an instant overhead, though you generally won't get big damage off it.
The biggest extended hurtbox out of all of Axl's chain normals, covering the entire chain, so it's even easier to anti-air than j.S is.
Has a dead zone underneath Axl, so characters who are fast enough can run under Axl as he jumps and punish. The counter hit recovery can make getting hit in this situation a lot more punishing.
Hitstop 30F Slighty refills own Burst and slightly drains opponent's Burst on hit Blows opponent away and wall sticks opponent on hit (untechable for 40F/ 80F on CH) Crumples opponent on ground CH (79F)
Max Charge
[Blitz]Blitz Attack Max Chargeother
Damage
Guard
Startup
Active
Recovery
On-Block
Level
R.I.S.C. Gain
R.I.S.C. Loss
Cancel
Roman
Tension
Prorate
Invuln
50
Mid
50+13
3
20
+5
4
R
1-50: Blitz
Hitstop 30F Slighty refills own Burst and slightly drains opponent's Burst on hit Slightly blows opponent away on air hit (untechable for 50F/ 100F on CH) Crumples opponent on ground hit
Universal mechanic, click here for more information.
On midscreen hit you don't really get much other than a 5P on partial charge and a basic ground combo on full charge.
In the corner you can followup with IAD j.HD if they are low enough after partial charge.
Sickle Flash (or "Rensengeki", usually abbreviated "Rensen"), a long three-hit chain projectile, is the move that defines Axl as a character. It has a relatively quick startup, a hitbox that reaches all the way to the floor, long range, and fast travel time, which makes it a strong tool for stopping any ground approaches or harassing from a distance.
Knocks down on hit, though in longer combos the opponent may be able to recover before hitting ground.
Can be YRC'd for a great pressure and neutral tool which puts a grounded opponent in long blockstun and lets you react to opponents trying to jump over it.
Loses to preemptive air approaches, such as IAD or certain special moves. IAD YRC is also effective against Rensen, since it slows down time to where followups don't even come out.
The hurtbox extends forward a little and can lose to faster moves, so don't use this move raw at close range too often.
Rensen hitting form further away gives you a better frame advantage; don't autopilot into up followup unless you want to push opponents further back.
Cancelling normals into Rensen usually leaves a gap in between; be mindful of opponents attempting reversals.
Rensen can be done out of a microdash (done by inputting [4]66S) for additional reach.
Doesn't cause any pushback against cornered opponents, which can make a blocked Rensen dangerous if not enough distance is created.
Melody Chain ("Kyokusageki") is mostly used to catch opponents trying to jump over a Rensen, but can also put them in an unfavorable air tech situation after a hit.
Counter hit is untechable, leads to a free combo.
Ending combos with up followup sacrifices knockdown in exchange for a chance to catch the opponent's tech for extra damage.
Can be RRC'd for easy big damage combos; there is enough untech time to wait for the RC proration to cool off, which also works well for baiting bursts.
If it connects with people right above Axl's head you can link into 5P or 2S for a full combo.
Like Rensen, the up followup is a projectile, and does no pushback against cornered opponents. With it being -13 on normal block you must never use this when you have someone in the corner.
Spinning Chain Strike ("Sensageki") provides a more damaging knockdown option.
Can be used to surprise opponents trying to jump or move forward after blocking Rensen.
Although it's a physical hit, not a projectile, it can still be whiff punished by characters FDing it, so be a little cautious with it.
Gives a better knockdown than TK Bomber for corner combos, but connecting successfully is character specific.
Characters can fall out and get OTG'd when down followup is done from too far away.
Also known as "Benten Gari", or just Benten. A grounded DP with a strong vertical hitbox.
Full invuln on frames 1-11; great for interrupting pressure, and its enormous hitbox lets it stuff sudden approaches when the opponent is too close to react with anything else.
Counter hit on grounded opponents knocks down, but air counter hit usually lets the opponents recover.
The move's recovery leaves Axl standing and is not in counterhit state, which can make block/whiff punishing more awkward on it than on other DPs.
Benten RRC is a reliable, if expensive, way of interrupting another character's offense. Can also lead to damaging combos and corner carry on hit.
• It is proper etiquette to scream "YES!!" with Axl when this move lands, even if you're the one being hit.
Also known as "Rashousen". A far reaching command-grab that pulls the opponent up to the ceiling and explodes them.
Easily avoided on reaction with jumping, especially from any further than point-blank (where it loses to mashing). Avoid using this move unless you are absolutely confident that you have conditioned the opponent to sit still.
Very long startup and recovery, but very long active frames as well which can be occasionally used for catching predictable double jump or tech landings.
Can be YRC'd during the startup to bait jumps or PRC'd during active frames to recover safely.
On hit, can be RRC'd in two ways: after the explosion and at the moment the opponent is tied up by the chains (usually called the "0-hit RC"). It's recommended to do the latter RC as the opponent is held in place for about three seconds, allowing significant corner carry as well as an unprorated combo of your choice.
TK Bomber is a key combo extender and ender, especially in the corner.
Has a long, counter hit state recovery until landing so on whiff you get punished at worst or put at large frame disadvantage at best. Don't whiff this move!
A counter hit gives you a huge launch for a free combo, but landing one is very unlikely.
Can be YRC'd to act as an extra "jump". If you YRC early enough you can halt your air momentum, though uses for this are limited.
Followup moves are possible at 23F and become unblockable after waiting 150F
→High Stance > P
214H > PHighspecial
Damage
Guard
Startup
Active
Recovery
On-Block
Level
R.I.S.C. Gain
R.I.S.C. Loss
Cancel
Roman
Tension
Prorate
Invuln
40
All
23+4
16
27
2
10
7
YRP
50 / 240
Forced: 80%
Still the ultimate scrub killer
Stance P first active frame • Stance P max range
Cancelable to other attack follow-ups on hit
→Mid Stance > K
214H > KMidspecial
Damage
Guard
Startup
Active
Recovery
On-Block
Level
R.I.S.C. Gain
R.I.S.C. Loss
Cancel
Roman
Tension
Prorate
Invuln
32
All
23+5
19
26
-21
2
10
7
YRP
50 / 240
Forced: 80%
Still the ultimate scrub killer
Stance K first active frame • Stance K max range
Cancelable to other attack follow-ups on hit. Frame Advantage is measured from biggest possible range.
→Low Stance > S
214H > SLowspecial
Damage
Guard
Startup
Active
Recovery
On-Block
Level
R.I.S.C. Gain
R.I.S.C. Loss
Cancel
Roman
Tension
Prorate
Invuln
24
All
23+8
21
16
-16
2
10
7
YRP
50 / 240
Forced: 80% [Forced: 70%]
Still the ultimate scrub killer
Stance S first active frame • Stance S max range
Cancelable to other attack follow-ups on hit. Frame Advantage is measured from biggest possible range. Values in [ ] are when Low is used first after entering Sparrowhawk Stance
→End Stance Stance > H
214H > HCancelspecial
Damage
Guard
Startup
Active
Recovery
On-Block
Level
R.I.S.C. Gain
R.I.S.C. Loss
Cancel
Roman
Tension
Prorate
Invuln
Total 28
YRP
Also known as "Haitaka no Kamae". Completely overhauled in Rev2, now Axl's stance goes quickly into strong fullscreen attacks. While weaker at pressure, the 2.1 changes have made it a solid fullscreen poking tool.
Upon entering the stance, you can throw out a chain attack with P, K, and S, or exit the stance with H.
On block or whiff, Axl exits the stance automatically.
On hit, each chain can be canceled into the other followups up to six times, after which Axl exits the stance with an extra recovery animation.
The same followup cannot be cancelled into itself; the P chain can only cancel into K or S, and so on.
Dropping or prematurely ending the Haitaka combo will also force Axl to exit the stance with the recovery animation; you cannot continue waiting in stance after hitting the opponent.
After waiting about 150 frames in the stance, the initial chain become unblockable.
None of the stance followups are air unblockable, meaning that chains can be normal blocked or IB'd in the air. The chains are also all physical attacks, which means they can be blitzed.
Axl can only PRC while waiting in stance; in order to YRC to defend against opponents who get too close, you must do so during the startup any of the followups, including the stance cancel.
While 2.1 removed the hurtboxes at the ends of the chain, they still extend to about half-screen, which can be hit by projectiles or characters who manage to dodge a followup.
Overdrives
Sickle Storm
Sickle Storm 2363214H [2363214D]
For when you want to DP but you also want more fire
For when you want to DP but you also want more fire
Values in [ ] are for Burst version Minimum damage: 20% [40%]
Also known as "Byakue Renshou". Big flaming swing followed by a fiery projectile.
Full invuln on frames 1-16, throw invuln on 17-18.
Big hitbox on first two hits makes it a decent reversal, especially in range where Benten would whiff (making it safe with RRC impossible).
Easy and damaging metered ender on basic ground combos, as well as an alternative ender to corner Bomber loops. As of 2.1 the super now combos more consistently, doing more damage in more situations.
Mind distance and opponent's height as you attempt to combo into this move. Being too far causes the second hit to whiff and the rest of the super to OTG, while the opponent being too high reduces the number of hits the projectile does. In both cases damage is sharply reduced.
Punishable by blocking the first part and jumping/IADing over the second, so don't expect to be unpunished on block when using this super as a reversal.
Also known as "Kanamari Rekka". Shares its animation with first hit of Sickle Storm.
IK combo is a good choice if you fulfill the conditions since it can be hard for Axl to finish an opponent low health due to guts scaling, and Sickle Storm (even the burst version) won't always be able to finish the job.
Common ways to combo into IK include:
Rensen-8 RC: Trivially easy to set up and land.
Throw RC, Counter RC, Rashousen RC: For burst safety.
TK Axl Bomber RC: Good method from air combos. Air dash after you RC to land on the ground faster.
5D-6: The only practical 50 meter option, can be done midscreen and in the corner.
Blitz: Requires 62.5 meter. Make sure the opponent doesn't have 25 as they can blitz back.
To edit frame data, edit values in GGXRD-R2/Axl Low/Data. Be sure to update both the move and the move Full sections. One is shown on the character page, while the other is shown on the frame data page.