GGReload/Ky Kiske

Ky Kiske

Defense Modifier: x1.03

Guts Rating: 2

Weight: Medium (x1.00)

Stun Resistance: 60

Jump Startup: 3F

Backdash Time: 16F / Invul: 1~9F

Wake-Up (Face Up/Down): 34F / 32F

Movement Options: Double Jump, 1 Airdash, Dash Type: Run

Colors

	P	K	S	H	D	Start
Normal
SP

Overview

Ky Kiske fulfills the role of an approachable and well rounded character.

Ky performs best at midrange with a variety of useful pokes at his disposal, but he has tools at every range thanks to his Stun Edge projectiles. He uses his fast and long reaching f.S to tame opponents and threaten them with high damage counter hit combos, and rounds out his spacing game with 2S, 5HS, 2K, and 2D. From well spaced pokes, experienced Ky players can cancel into Stun Dipper to secure knockdowns from afar. Frustrated opponents that jump at him will find themselves dealing with his above-the-knees invulnerable 6P and extremely long reaching 2HS. When he finds himself further away from the opponent he can use his Stun Edge projectiles to harass them, either covering his approach or playing keep away. After securing a knockdown, Ky can safely set up okizeme using Charged Stun Edge, then apply his strong pressure game by lacing in low attacks, frame traps, throws, and pressure resets with 6HS and 6K to wear the enemy down. To turn the tide, Ky can use his exceptional Stun Dipper to slide under pokes and projectiles and score knockdowns, utilize his overhead Greed Sever to attempt to catch the opponent slacking on defense, or spend Tension to use his fully invulnerable reversal, Ride The Lightning. He is a character that can rapidly switch between keeping the opponent away and turning on the offensive. His balanced movepool has a tool for every situation, though he lacks specialization in any one role. While some are quick to assume Ky is a painfully basic character, he has many tricks and tools in his arsenal that round out his game plan.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths	Weaknesses
Strong neutral game; fast, far-reaching normals that yield knockdown and damage. Stun Edge projectiles are useful for zoning. Pressure that utilizes many lows, rewarding frame traps, and opportunities to reset pressure or safely return to neutral. Has a tool for every situation, including two strong anti-airs, and two reversal attacks. Very low barrier to entry with focus on fundamentals.	Basic throw/frame trap focused mixup, requiring reads and conditioning to successfully break an opponent's defense consistently. While he has a tool for every situation, these tools are often outclassed by specialist characters. Has trouble securing a knockdown after air combos.

Overview

Combos

Strategy/Counter Strategy

Resource Dump

Full Frame Data

Normals

5P

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Frame Adv.
8	Mid	cSJR	5	4	6	±0
This move is fairly fast (comes out in 5 frames), and is used primarily as a move to help chain together combos. It is also used as an anti air under the right circumstances. For example, if the opponent is over your head and they're trying to cross you up, mashing 5P a little can work as an anti air since its hitbox is well suited for this situation (next to Ky's head) and it's fast enough where if you mash it, Ky can generally turn around and hit the opponent if he ends up on the other side of you. Generally, use this move as an anti-air if the opponent is too close for you to do a 6P.

5K

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Frame Adv.
12	Low	SJR	5	8	7	-5
5K is an all purpose attack often used in mixups (like empty jump > 5K) due to it's fast startup and animation that has Ky standing, yet is a low attack. It hits much higher up than it appears. It's also a bit negative on block, which makes it ideal for canceling into frame traps like 5HS and c.S, as well as tick throwing. Initial Prorate 80%.

c.S

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Frame Adv.
28	Mid	SJR	7	2	18	-1
An essential move in pressure due to it's high attack level, jump cancelability, use as a frame trap, high reward on counter hit, and ability to throw option select. It's safe to end pressure with normally, but it's common to jump cancel it into TK Stun Edge or to simply escape a situation. By late canceling other attacks into c.S in pressure, you can create a frame trap to catch opponents pressing buttons. Its fast startup and high damage makes it a good punish tool, too. It hits a bit higher up than implied by the animation, and works as an anti-air occasionally.

f.S

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Frame Adv.
28	Mid	SR	10	6	19	-11
Normally used in combos as well as for zoning and stuffing enemy jumps. Be careful using this against characters with sliding moves (like Ky's Stun Dipper, Sol's Grand Viper, etc.), as well as short characters (Zappa can run under it and Faust can crouch walk forward under it). Ky's farthest reaching ground normal and standard spacing/harassment tool thanks to its long range and fast startup. Use f.S at max range to threaten the opponent and prevent them from advancing or escaping. If your confirms and sense of spacing are strong, you can cancel into Stun Dipper on hit for a knockdown. Some characters can get under this attack with sliding moves like Ky's Stun Dipper, Sol's Grand Viper, etc., while others can lower their hurtbox enough to slip under (Zappa can run under it and Faust can crouch walk forward under it), so mix it up with 5H, 2S, and Stun Edge if they start to find ways around f.S.

5H

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Frame Adv.
42	Mid	SR	10	6	12	+1
5HS can be thought of as a shorter range, but safer version of f.S. It's a medium reach poke that is safe on block, and when used in tandem with Ky's other spacing tools it can be very strong. 5HS hits a bit higher up than f.S, and can be used as an anti-air + spacing tool in some situations. On counter-hit, it staggers the opponent, making it a great choice to frame trap with in pressure. This move is a key part of ending pressure because of its long cancel window and advantage on block. You can choose to end with 5HS, or late cancel into 2D to trip opponents expecting to escape. On hit you can use the late cancel window to space Stun Dipper correctly and secure both hits for a knockdown. Staggers opponent on CH (max 47F).

6P

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Frame Adv.
30	Mid	SR	9	5	15	-6
6P is an extremely solid anti-air and your go-to attack for dealing with airborne opponents. As a grounded attack, it's disjointed hitbox makes it good for countering mid range pokes. It can be used to bait certain Dead Angles in pressure. 1~6F Upper body invul. 7~13F Above knees invul. Initial Prorate 90%.

6K

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Frame Adv.
36	Mid	R	19	4	9	+6
This move has a good amount of utility,, but the primary use of this is in combos and block strings. This move links to 5P, 5K, 2P and 2K, but you should be linking into 2K since it has the most range, does the most damage, and drops the guard bar the same amount as any of the other moves. Aside from combos this move is great for extended pressure as it moves Ky forward allowing him to start a new blockstring afterward. The downside is its slow startup will lose to jumping/backdashing/mashing, so the opponent must be conditioned to block before this can be effectively used. Being +6 on block though, it can be used to frame trap opponents trying to escape by stopping them with a 5f normal such as 5K or 2K depending on range.

6H

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Frame Adv.
36*2	Mid	SJR	23	8,1	3	+15
6HS is a very strong tool on offense and okizeme because of its high frame advantage (+15) and extremely fast recovery time (2f). When timed correctly it will beat most reversals, with the notable exception of backdash. This means that it's effective as a grounded "safejump", if they block they have to deal with a move that's +15 on block, if they reversal attack they get baited and punished. Because this attack has such short recovery, whiffing a 6HS on oki can be used as a fakeout to try to get an opponent to backdash, then punish them. In pressure, 6HS can be used to catch passive opponents blocking and trap them in another +15 situation in order to reset your pressure, or to catch mashing and punish for high damage as a frame trap.

5D

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Frame Adv.
15	High	Ｒ	22	4	22	-12
Ky's Dust has decent range and speed. Any keen opponent will block it in time, though you can attempt to cover it up by hiding it behind a 236H.

2P

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Frame Adv.
8	Mid	CSR	5	4	5	+1
An essential move in Ky's pressure since it's fast, +1 on block, and easy to confirm into a combo. From here you can choose to do many things, such as frame trap to c.S or 5HS, gatling into another normal, or go for a throw. Due to its quick recovery, it can create Burst-safe points in combos. Initial Prorate 80%.

2K

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Frame Adv.
14	Low	SR	5	4	6	±0
2K has good range and fast startup. Although it is a low, 5K is preferred over 2K as a mixup tool since 2K prorates damage by 70%, and 5K by 80%. In pressure, 2K is neutral on block, which makes it strong for tick throws and frame traps. Initial Prorate 70%.

2S

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Frame Adv.
25	Low	SR	9	2	15	-3
2S is a long range low, used to supplement Ky's other spacing attacks. It can be used to stop advancing opponents who are trying to either low profile your other attacks, or attempting to rush in from the ground or air. It can be thought of as a version of f.S that exchanges range and damage with the safety of crouching to duck under aerial attacks. With good sense of spacing and fast reactions you can cancel 2S hits near the tip into Stun Dipper for a knockdown. It's often canceled from f.S on hit or block, and used in pressure to add a low to blockstrings.

2H

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Frame Adv.
28*2	Mid	SR	13	2,4	30	-7
2HS's potential as a preemptive anti-air attack is high since it covers a massive amount of space, hitting much farther and higher than 6P. It's also surprisingly functional as a ground poke, so running forward and throwing it out is like putting up a wall in neutral that covers the air and ground. It hits twice, which is great for dealing with moves with armor like Potemkin's Hammerfall, and it launches on Counter Hit which opens up high damage potential. The startup can sometimes be a bit too slow to anti-air on reaction with, but overall it's very fast for how large it is. The recovery is pretty significant though, so be wary. Isn't jump cancellable, unlike in future games you might be used to. Pulls in opponent on air hit (untechable for 19F). Floats opponent on CH (untechable for 46F).

2D

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Frame Adv.
30	Low	SJR	7	12	12	-10
2D is a fast, long range sweep that is active for an unusually long amount of time. Normally, this move is used to knock down the opponent at the end of a combo, but it is also useful for stopping characters from running in at you (like against Slayer's Mappa Punches), as a poke, as a means to stop the opponent from jumping/backdashing out of pressure, and sometimes on defense as a fast and long range counterattack, thanks all the active frames it has. Another common use is after you knock down the opponent with this move, jump cancel it and immediately do an Air Charged Stun Edge or a j.D as okizeme options.

j.P

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Frame Adv.
12	High, Air	SJR	6	6	6	-
While Ky's other jumping normals are generally better, j.P is his fastest and least risky airborne attack. j.P is a great way to interrupt opponents approaching you from above when airborne. It's not guaranteed to beat out an opponent's airthrow attempts, since it hits more high up and horizontally than low and vertically.

j.K

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Frame Adv.
16	High, Air	SR	7	8	8	-
j.K is very fast and hits very far, making it a great for air-to-air encounters. It's almost just as fast as j.P, and hits much further and a bit higher up, making this a great choice to catch opponents attempting to escape pressure by jumping, or to challenge an opponent from the air that's far away. Not only that, but it is also Ky's main air combo attack, making this the go-to air to air normal for Ky.

j.S

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Frame Adv.
28	High, Air	SJR	7	3	21	-
Ky's standard jump in attack. It's often used for safejumps over a knocked down opponent for okizeme. j.S is important in Ky's air combos due to being jump cancelable and fuzzy guard setups. It also has crossup capabilities.

j.H

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Frame Adv.
38	High, Air	SR	13	4	23	-
j.HS hits very far, as well as slightly below Ky, it's a gigantic swipe that is used to space opponents at the tip, or to cover escapes by using it while backdashing. It can even beat anti-air attacks when positioned properly at max range! j.HS is also used in okizeme, as a safejump right before landing. Its startup frames are also useful when doing empty jump mixups, where you would fake an overhead.

j.D

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Frame Adv.
40	All	-	38	13	Total: 31*8L	-
Ky creates an electric cross in the air that stays out for a little bit. Knocks down the opponent on ground hit and disappears if Ky gets hit. This move also freezes Ky in the air as he does the move and the cross doesn't go active until a little bit afterwards, so don't do it haphazardly. Mind the ground recovery of this move; however, if you double jump after doing this, you don't suffer from the ground recovery! j.D can be used for zoning such as by doing it far away from the opponent to stop them from advancing since getting hit by it means you get to do a big damage combo, or for okizeme, like by jumping over a downed opponent, placing a cross, then jumping back from where you started. Knocks down opponent on CH. Disappears if Ky gets hit.

Universal Mechanics

Ground Throw

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Frame Adv.
55	Throw: 43 Pixels	R	-	-	-	-
Basic ground throw. Knocks down opponent. Forced Prorate 50%. This is the cornerstone of Ky's mixup, thanks to his strong pressure tools, and despite its harsh proration it can lead to some nice combos in the corner if RC'd.

Air Throw

throws the opponent behind Ky. Wallbounces.

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Frame Adv.
55	Throw: 110 Pixels	-	-	-	-	-
Throws the opponent behind Ky. Knocks down opponent. Forced Prorate 50%.

Dead Angle Attack

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Frame Adv.
25	Mid	-	12	3	24	-13
A standard Dead Angle Attack, using Ky's 6P animation. Wall bounces the opponent, so you may follow it up with a combo given the right conditions. It has moderate startup and recovery, and covers a good amount of space. While always an option, Ky already has access to defensive options with Vapor Thrust or Ride The Lightning, so consider your options before using up your Tension. 1~14 Full invul. 15~32 Throw invul. Wall bounces opponent. Initial Prorate 50%. Ky is in CH state the entire move.

Specials

Stun Edge
236S

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Frame Adv.
40	All	-	10	-	Total: 46	-3
Stun Edge is an important yet risky part of Ky's neutral game. It can be used to supplement Ky's spacing midscreen, acting as a longer range but more dangerous f.S since it has significant recovery and will be punished if jumped or airdashed over. It can also be used at long range as a zoning and harassment tool, especially when the opponent is too far away to punish it with an airdash. As it only hits once, Stun Edge is outclassed by multi-hit projectiles, and characters that can quickly create projectiles for zoning. It can also be low profiled by certain moves.

Charged Stun Edge
236H

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Frame Adv.
20*3	All	F	38	-	Total: 63	+20
Charged Stun Edge (CSE) is a powered up version of Ky's Stun Edge. It is larger and slower than the normal variant, and hits three times instead of one. It's mainly used for safe, easy okizeme after a knockdown due to it's considerable startup and recovery, yet large amount of frame advantage (+14). In neutral it has it's uses, especially to attempt to cover an approach. Once it's out, you can instant airdash over it and use j.HS to lock the opponent down or follow behind it on the ground and react to jump out attempts. It's use as a pressure reset is limited and risky, but can catch opponents playing passively and give you another mixup attempt. With YRC, it becomes much easier to use in neutral, and less risky as a pressure reset. There is a glitch involved in FRC'ing this move that allows it to "jump" along with you.

Air Stun Edge
j.236S/H

Version	Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Frame Adv.
S	33	All	F	21	-	Total: 38+14L	-
Air fireball. FRC point is right after Ky lands, nullifying recovery. S version goes at about a 30 degree angle. In neutral it can be used to catch approaching opponents, and to punish anti-air attempts once they've got under you. This is always a risk, but is made slightly more safe with FRC, since you won't have to deal with landing recovery. Ky is in crouching state during landing recovery.
H	33	All	F	21	-	Total: 36+14L	-
Goes at about a 60 degree angle. Compared to the S version, it is generally TK'd from far away to cover a good portion of the screen and harass the opponent, or to call out an enemy's jump out attempt in pressure where you'd normally use S Air SE. What it does, it does well. Ky is in crouching state during landing recovery.

Vapor Thrust
623S/H air OK

You should mostly stick with the H version

Version	Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Frame Adv.
S	48	Mid	R	9	3	32+9L	-30
Vapor Thrust (VT) is a poor reversal special that easily whiffs on opponents doing low attacks. If you must perform a reversal DP, use the H version; the S version doesn't have as many invincibility frames. 1~8F Full invul. Floats opponent on hit.
H	52	Mid	R	11	4	35+9L	-45
While better than the S version, as far as wakeup reversals go, it is still risky is risky; it still loses to low profile and safe jump attacks, so players need to be sure the opponent isn't doing one of those before attempting this. It also starts up slowly in comparison to other reversals. H VT hits on both sides of Ky, making it useful for dealing with crossups (as long as your input isn't crossed up). Ky is not left in Counter Hit or crouching state during the recovery. It's integral in Ky's combos, such as Vapor Thrust loops. It's used to juggle the opponent, secure knockdowns, and end combos. 1~10F Full invul. 11~15 Strike invul. Knocks down opponent on ground hit. Lots of untechable time (unspecified) on air hit. Initial prorate 80%.
Air
Has some invincibility frames, but a combo ender at best. 1~10 Full invul. Floats opponent on hit.

Stun Dipper
236K

2nd hit won't combo if you do it too close to the opponent.

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Frame Adv.
12,32	Low,HLF	RF	5	14(7)3	26	-15
Stun Dipper is one of Ky's strongest tools in general. Its upper body invulnerability, very fast startup, and long travel distance make it useful in a wide variety of situations. Stun Dipper can be used to counter an opponent's spacing by sliding right under their attacks, and to confirm knockdowns from combos and pokes spaced at the tip. If you are spaced too close and attempt to confirm into SD, the first hit will connect, but the second hit won't, leaving you wide open for a punish. Experienced players know the general feeling for when SD is spaced correctly or not. At the end of pressure, it's often used as a last ditch attack once the opponent has been pushed far away and is attempting to escape pressure. This is risky without at least 25 Tension to FRC it; Stun Dipper is very unsafe on block. It's also commonly used to escape pressure once a hole opens up in an opponent's offense. FRC point is right after the first hit ends. 5~18F Low Profile. 2nd hit knocks down opponent.

Greed Sever
214K

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Frame Adv.
30	High, Air	R	18	15	16	-14
As an overhead, Greed Sever (GS) is a bit telegraphed despite it's speed. It's unsafe on block at most ranges, so it's primarily used in combos and as an advanced offensive option. While faster than most dusts, it has a unique animation and loud audio cue that makes it easier to react to. Though it's somewhat lacking as a pure mixup tool, Greed Server begins to shine when used to catch defensive mashing, backdashes, low attacks in neutral, and active and aggressive neutral play. Using Greed Sever when pushed away from an opponent is strong since it will catch air dashing, jumping, and some attacks. If it connects with an opponents block at the tip near the end of the animation it's safe on block. It's typically reserved until 50 Tension is saved up to RC it just in case it's blocked. 4F onwards Foot invul and airborne. Guranteed knockdown from float state on CH. Ky is in crouching state during landing recovery

Overdrives

Ride the Lightning
632146H air OK

Version	Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Frame Adv.
Ground	36*5	Mid	R	10+1	42	20	-24
Air	36*5	All	R	10+1	42	Until L+6	-
The ground one can be used a poor wakeup reversal, the air one can be used in combos if done as a low air juggle. Overall, these attacks as not used much. 1~14 Full invul. Knocks down opponent on hit. Hitstop 6F. Dizzy modifier x0. In CH state during recovery.

Sacred Edge
236236P

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Frame Adv.
27*5	All	F	5+3	-	Total 36	+13
Sacred Edge is used both mid screen and in the corner to add lots of damage to a combo and is an expensive way to keep on the pressure being +13 on block. The FRC Point is right after launching the projectile. Sacred Edge can be made unblockable through the use of a glitch.