GGACR/I-No/Coming From Xrd

Intro

Ok, so you're used to some of the Guilty Gear mechanics by now, and you have an idea of how to play I-No. You need to adapt to some system changes and some character changes.

This is still going to take some work!

I-No's damage is far more explosive in this game.
I-No's mixup options are stronger.
I-No can convert for only 25% in a lot of situations where she couldn't convert in Xrd.
I-No is even more free-form in this game.

System Mechanics

YRC does not exist. PRC does not exist. RC does not slow down time (no cancel does).
FRC exists. If you try to cancel your moves during specific windows, you can do it regardless of whether or not it made contact, and the meter cost is only 25%.
- Typically the windows are short (like 2-3f).
- As there is no time slow, there is also no prorate on the damage.
Blitz Shield does not exist.
- There is a mechanic called Slash Back that has a small (2f) window, but reduces blockstun to 3-4 frames, and has a lot of the benefits of both Instant Block and Faultless defense. It is done with the S+H button combo while blocking, similar to how Blitz Shield was input. Click the link to read all the specifics.
RISC is called Guard Bar and you can see the neutral position, which means you can see how scaled your combos are.
You cannot airthrow an OTG blue burst in this game (but otherwise, burst throws are still a thing).

I-No Differences

I-No has two airdashes.
I-No cannot hoverdash upwards by holding 3.
I-No's normals are pretty different:
1. f.S has much slower startup and a 60% forced prorate, but it's + on block normally (very + when it hits late) and launches on hit.
2. Does not have a 6S.
3. 2S is a low and moves forward further, so it has more range
4. 5H, 2H and 2D feel like they have more range.
5. 5D Is slower but active for longer, and you cannot cancel it prior to startup to make it a projectile.
I-No's special moves are pretty different:
1. Pdive behaves mostly the same, but does not have as much untech time. You will mostly use it to extend air combos, but you'll use Kdive for knockdown.
2. Kdive has no prorate and causes floorslide on CH.
3. Sdive has a prorate, but has standard scaling on the guard bar instead of unnecessary extra scaling, and floats on hit instead of causing knockdown/wallbounce.
4. Hdive continues traveling forward for the duration of the move, making it much more useful when properly spaced in some matchups (since you don't float in place for a half second before landing).
5. Forcebreak Dive travels upwards at a 45 degree angle w/ 5 hits, causes about 60 frames of untech time, can be canceled at any time after frame 6 by pressing a button, and restores jump options.
6. None of her dives get extra properties when you charge them for an extended period of time (but you can still charge them to vary your timing to make adjustments for combos, or to mess with your opponent).
7. Two meterless versions of Note: Pnote starts slow and picks up speed, and H note starts fast and slows down over time.
8. Force Break Note fires two notes at the same time, they start with 3 hits instead of 1 (max of 7 over time), and crank the guard bar significantly on block. You can control how they spread with up/down inputs like you can control regular notes.
9. No air command throw.
10. STBT-S has more stagger, so you can link 5K against most mashers instead of being minus on hit against most mashers. It floats (techable) on counter hit.
11. STBT-H floats on hit, and can be jump canceled on hit or block.
12. Vertical Chemical Love has a hitbox that reaches much further up and down. It also has a float property when used on the ground instead of staying mostly in place (but Fastfall VCL is still a thing).
13. Horizontal Chemical Love has a hitbox on I-No's body that also reaches behind her a little, the hitbox travels much farther (like 2/3 screen with the camera backed up all the way), and the "early" part of the hitbox extends a little farther, making it easier to combo with at longer range. However, there is no "derivative" follow up for knockdowns.
14. Both HCL and VCL can be input with a dash, causing them to carry forward the intial dash momentum.

I'll just warn you now: If you get good at I-No in this game, you wont want to go back to Xrd/Rev/Rev2. Even if she's stronger relative to her competition in Rev2, she feels like a better character in +R due to all the options she has available.

What's the same?

Your poking and counterpoking will be similar. Hitboxes on your normals probably didn't change too much (aside from major changes to f.S overall), so move intent is the same. STBT still goes under stuff, TK dive can still be used to jump over and punish stuff, 5P/6P are still good anti-air choices, etc.
- Be careful with regard to airthrows since you're going from having among the best range in the game (the best if you count her air command throw) to the worst.
You can use the 6P > 5H > IAD/sjIAD j.K > j.S > FFVCL string for mid-screen corner carry. It's harder/tighter than Xrd since this game's input buffer doesn't work the same and isn't as lenient. This string is much more difficult.
Your corner diveloop combos are generally the same. Launch/relaunch > j.S > j.H > Pdive > airdash j.H > Pdive, except now you get to add an extra airdash j.S > j.H > Kdive.

What's new?

HCL 6FRC6 will let you convert for 25% when/where you couldn't before.
FB dive is a new anti-air with an amazing hitbox and some invul frames, and the meterless cancel window can help you bait bursts. You also get to corner-to-corner anyone for 25% and the combo is easier than the HCL 6FRC6 route (for less damage).
Jump cancel on STBT-H helps your mixup when blocked, but it also helps your meterless combos from counterhit 5H/2H, making the reward for using them way better. They're now among your highgest damage combo starters if you fish for CH, and the combos will typically take them to the corner too.
f.S has a totally different purpose that adds a lot of utility to I-No's neutral game. You can control space with it well to force an opponent to go over/under, so that you can snipe them with AAs or crush them with 5H/2H into huge damage.
Two different notes give you some utility. Your opponent will have to make an effort to recognize which note you used in neutral if you mix things up appropriately.
Force break note is an incredible tool that you can use to get someone to burn meter on FD (or let their guard bar crank to flashing and take 80% damage), and helps in some matchups where it's really difficult to pin your opponent down.

Some of your opponents have amazing tools you'll need to learn to deal with. The May matchup is way harder in this game than in Xrd. Dizzy and Potemkin are much stronger characters overall.
You have new opponents like Testament, Kliff, Justice, Anji, etc that you need to learn the matchup for.

What should I do first?

Here's how I would prioritize things:

Start working on matchups that don't exist in Xrd. That would be: ABA, Anji, Bridget, Justice, Kliff, Order Sol, Robo Ky, Testament, and Zappa. Every existing matchup is going to have a lot more layers due to every character having more tools, but you need to start building recognition for animations from these characters you haven't dealt with before. If that means getting some VS CPU matches against these characters every day early on, do it.
Make sure you can execute some of the things you already know. I know it's tempting to work on HCL 6FRC6 right away because it's this awesome new conversion that'll give you big damage in a lot of situations where you couldn't before, but:
- You might be able to adapt the 6P > 5H > IAD j.K > j.S > FFVCL combo a lot quicker than you can learn HCL 6FRC6. The buffer in this game works totally different so you'll need to practice it.
- You'll also want to make sure you don't screw up and accidentally H-note since you don't have the Sterilization Method command throw anymore, and get used to having much shorter airthrow range.
- Also, j.d FDC has j.D's landing recovery unless you delay the jump cancel or make contact with a jump-cancelable aerial following it and land during the active frames (so that's a very specific j.S setup). Keep that in mind when you try to use it.
Work on utilizing new or different tools like I-No's force breaks. FB dive is a corner-to-corner conversion tool, and it's got an amazing hitbox to challenge moves in neutral situations, and the ability to hold and cancel it can give you a ton of mixup and mobility options. FB note actually cranks guard bar (RISC) and can help you in a lot of neutral situations. f.S has a totally different purpose in this game and offers lots of utility. When you can't oki with note following some combos you'll want to work with f.S instead. You have two airdashes, so figure out what that does for you in neutral.
You need to work on the +R versions of matchups you think you're familiar with. Even if general concepts are the same, some characters are significantly more powerful (Dizzy, Potemkin), and some matchups aren't what you might expect (I-No vs Axl is 50:50 once you dissect it and play optimally).
Ok, now you can work on HCL 6FRC6.