DNFD/Striker/Strategy

Striker

Overview

Starter Guide

Combos

Neutral

Striker is unable to control space with large hitboxes. She has ground buttons with good reach, such as 6SGuard:
AllStartup:
16Recovery:
33Advantage:
-18 and 2BGuard:
LowStartup:
10Recovery:
26Advantage:
-11~-20, but they move her forward while also having very long recoveries, making it easy for the opponent to react and punish, in case she whiffs.

Instead, she has to threaten speedy approaches and whiff punish, by making good use of her fast movement speed. Securing any hit leads to great damage and corner pressure, thanks to her amazing corner carry combos. After leading her opponent to the corner, she can follow up with tick throwA throw done after attacks, very soon after if not exactly when throw invulnerability expires on the opponent. A Tick Throw take advantage of that the opponent naturally expect a Frame Trap coming, making it very hard to react to or escape from.s, ambiguous reverse beatThe ability to ignore the typical Light > Medium > Heavy sequence of buttons, i.e. cancelling a medium attack into a light attack. It allows for a bit more freeform offense since riskier heavy moves can be cancelled into safer light or medium moves. pressure or gapless blockstrings that melt their guard gauge.

Stage position is a resource, and spacing is key.

Dash Blocking

Dash blocking can be the cornerstone of her neutral, if applied correctly, as it allows her to gain ground with relative safety, while at the same time collecting information about the opponent's reaction.

Make use of the guard button, in order to quickly halt your momentum. An easy way to dash block is 66 > 3+Guard.

This is not a one-step process: by observing their habits over multiple iterations, Striker is able to exploit her opponent's openings and secure a combo, or push them towards the corner to further a positional advantage.

Here are some examples of what actions an opponent might take in reaction to Striker's dash:

Calling out the dash aggressively with a low or an advancing button, in order to convert into a combo, for instance Swift Master's 5BGuard:
MidStartup:
9Recovery:
25Advantage:
-11. (Striker can make use of her evasive buttons such as 2B and j.S, or attempt to whiff punish with 6S)
Keeping out with fast-recovering buttons. (This option is generally hard to punish if used correctly)
Using projectiles. (With correct spacing, Striker can use 236MGuard:
AllStartup:
18Recovery:
29Advantage:
-8 or roll through)
Jumping and hitting a falling button. (While this option generally beats Striker's approaching buttons (6S/2B/j.S), it loses to anti-airing)
Backdashing. (The opponent is expecting a whiff, so dash blocking in this situation works out very well because they give up space and get closer to the corner, allowing Striker to dash block again)
Blocking and holding their ground. (A passive opponent can be exploited by connecting with a button and leading into a blockstring, whittling down their guard gauge and pushing them towards the corner, or alternatively by using throws)

For dash blocking to work, it's important to be aware of the opposing character's strengths and weaknesses in order to appropriately pick the correct tool.

Offense

Reverse Beat Pressure

Mastering Striker's j.S reverse beat pressure is crucial to Striker's pressure game. While j.S is a Mid Attack and can be crouch blocked, Striker can reverse beat into j.A, which is an overhead, up to two times reliably. This gives her access to tricky pressure mixups, by forcing her opponent to guess overheads, lows, or throw, all with different timings, coming out of j.S. j.S can also be done very close to the ground, further adding to mixup timings.

Example block strings:

j.S > j.A > j.A > 2A > 2B

j.S > j.A > 2A > 2B

j.S > 2A > 2B

j.S > j.A > A+B

j.S > 2A > 66 > A+B

Once your opponent starts to respect j.S, Striker can go for her more guard intensive grounded pressure. However, over reliance on j.S will get invincible reversal'ed pretty quickly by opponents who know what you're trying to do, so while liberal use of j.S is encouraged, do not become predictable with it.

Blockstrings

Guard Break setups

The contents of this page are out of date.

This can be due to patches to the game, or developments in the metagame. You can help by updating it.

Guard Break setups that go here must be gapless.

Striker has extremely potent guard break setups that can only be stopped by Guard Cancel.

Example: https://twitter.com/yomituba/status/1542480262415917057

Something to note about these strings is that they can be character specific, due to characters having differently sized hurtboxes. Because of this, some setups might not work on every character, or might need adjustments. Some routes may also require a dashing or point-blank start.

5A starter guardbreak stringWorks without any issues

Medium

5A > 5B > 5SS(1) > 5M(2) > 2M(2) > j.M ▷ 5A > 5B

5A starter guardbreak stringDrops at 2M(2)

Medium

5A > 5B > 5SS(1) > 5M(2) > 2M(2) > j.M ▷ 5A > 5B
For this string to work on Berserker, dash momentum is required, meaning Striker must have been dashing before connecting with 5A.

5A > 2B > 5B > 5SS(1) > 2S > 5M(2) > 623M(1) > j.M ▷ 5A > 5B > 5SS(1) > 4S > 6S > 2S > 2B > 5M > 236M

Corner guard Break String that is accessible after a safe jump. Must cancel into j.M low to the ground in order to link 5A after landing.

Mixups

Conversion mixups listed further down

Striker has access to practical instant overhead (IOH) j.B on the following characters: Crusader, Hitman, Lost Warrior, and Vanguard. Hitman and Vanguard must be crouch blocking instead of just crouching, as their crouch block animation shifts their hurtboxes up slightly. Striker can IOH j.B Ghostblade, but only when he is crouching, not when he is crouch blocking. Striker can hit confirm into a high damage combo on hit and continue a gapless blockstring on block. The blockstring lets her go into either a guard crush string or any other aspect of her pressure,

On Block:

rising j.B > j.S > j.A > 5A > ...

On Hit:

rising j.B > j.S > 5M > 214M > ...

Safejumps

Striker suffers from poor neutral so it is essential that she can maintain her offense once she is in on an opponent. Safejumps are effective way to maintain pressure and help Striker run her game plan.

Safejump from 214M enderEffective in the corner

Easy

...236M > 214M > j.S OTG > j.S
A simple safejump from a j.S OTG. Works best after 214M in the corner

Safejump from j.M enderworks from a low to the ground j.M

Easy

...j.S > dl j.M ▷ dl 9 > j.B
An easy to access safejump when less meter is available. By performing j.M close to the ground at the end of a combo Striker can forward jump with j.B and stay safe to reversals.