GGST/Giovanna/Counterstrategy

Fighting Giovanna

Giovanna is a rushdown character whose goal is to get in your face with her fast step-dash and then use her plus on block attacks to smother you with pressure and put you in difficult strike/throw situations. Because Giovanna has tools to play both offense and defense in the right scenarios, understanding how to face her on a general level can often require knowledge of that specific Giovanna's playstyle. That being said, though, there's still plenty of general mistakes to look out for to avoid being dominated by basic strategies when facing this character.

Unique Attributes/Mechanics

Meter Boost
Step Dash

When Giovanna's tension gauge is filled above certain thresholds, she deals more damage, receives less damage, and her normals begin dealing chip damage. There isn’t really any counter play to this, as aside from just applying pressure that forces her to use her Tension on Faultless Defense or YRC, you can’t really force her to expend the Tension. Still, it’s important to understand what this is and why you need to keep Giovanna away from you at all costs. When defending against her, always remember to use Faultless Defense if she has Tension to negate the chip damage.

Giovanna step dash defines her playstyle. It’s fast, it travels far, and allows her to approach reliably from the ground. It can also be instantly canceled into any other action, and any canceled action retains momentum from the dash, the distance of which depends on how early Giovanna cancels it. Canceling it early gives less distance for faster start up, and canceling later gives more distance for the cost of some extra start up. Combining this with her best ranged pokes extends her effective range, combo routes, and overall neutral game drastically. Because her step dash is both cancelable and has no skidding animation, Giovanna can dash and then immediately block, allowing her to block while still moving forward. She can combine this with FD Braking to allow her to have more control of her dash without having to throw out a move. This is essential for Giovanna’s spacing, as well as her ability to get you to whiff. It also allows her to approach safely against characters with fast long range attacks that are normally able to stuff her dash-in attempts, like Axl or Nago.

Round Start

Some examples of how to beat the threatening opener of microdash > 5K

Giovanna has some of the most threatening round start options in the game. It can also be a little bit tricky interacting with her at round start. Her ability to cancel her step dash into any normal or special can cause the range of her attacks to change depending on how quickly the Giovanna player inputs the dash canceled normal. For example, her 5KGuardAllStartup6Recovery12Advantage-2 won't reach you at roundstart, but it will if she does a dash right before it, increasing the time it takes by roughly a couple frames. If the dash is cancelled as early as possible, its distance is lowered, making it a "microdash" that you are still often able to get out of range of with proper timing. If she wants to do an even bigger dash to ensure you don't go out of range, she must sacrifice even more speed for it, making her easier to interrupt, and so on. This can lead to inconsistent round start interactions that could be beneficial or a detriment to either player. It makes labbing round starts against Gio a bit tricky, and is something to consider when deciding whether or not to challenge her round start.

Her 5HGuardAllStartup10Recovery19Advantage-5 is a 10 frame disjoint, which forces some characters to open with a 6P or hold their ground. Any move that 5H can’t handle (such as a 10 frame low or 6P), she can rely on Sol Nascente (Cartwheel)GuardAllStartup7Recovery21Advantage-15 to bulldoze through it, and counter hit those options. This move is not invincible, but can be hard to punish at times because Gio’s hurtbox is so low to the ground that it can low-profile most attacks, even jabs. If all else fails, she can rely on her infamous 2DGuardLowStartup17Recovery12Advantage-8 to safely whiff punish, go under mids, or otherwise fish for counter hits. Walking back will put you out of range of any of her immediate options of value, including her mids and her 2D. If she throws these options out, you’re in a prime position to whiff punish. This leaves her with specials that you can react to easily with 6P. Her only other options is to dash in, either on the ground or through the air. Keep her movement options in check with your keep out buttons, and round start is yours.

Neutral

In neutral, remember, Gio has to come to you. She doesn’t have any projectiles. It’s not a matter of if she comes to you, but when. Use that knowledge to your advantage, but be smart about it. Don’t just throw out buttons. You have to really focus on two key things:

First, instead of placing your buttons where she is, place them where she’s going to be. You know she’s coming to you, so you don’t have to dash in yourself. Instead, aim to place them further back than you would normally, checking her movement. This requires less work and opens up less committal options in neutral. Most Gios know that you’re trying to take advantage of the fact that she has to come to you. Don’t throw out big buttons to stop her approach. Gio’s excellent ground movement and the range of her 2D and advancing special moves allow her to take advantage of the recovery of larger buttons and whiff punish her opponents into oblivion. Instead, rely on low commitment options such as long reaching P and K buttons, as proper use of them will force her to adjust her approach. She can try to air dash over your low commitment buttons, or force her way in with Trovao (aka Spiral Arrow)GuardAll [All (Guard Crush)]Startup27Recovery13Advantage+4 [+15], but you can take care of both of these options on reaction with 6P. Trovao is an advancing special move that does go through single hit projectiles. It has 27 frames of start up and is +2 on block. Most of the time this move will be used to get in on you, so just keep an eye out for it and don’t let her get in for free. She’ll try to back dash to bait out buttons with higher commitment and punish with 2D, but she can’t keep this up forever. As long as you’re steadily advancing, she’ll run out of space eventually.

The second thing you want to do in neutral is understand your options in relation to her 2D. What’s important to remember is that she’s not pressing 2D because she wants to. It’s because she has to. On block, she has nothing to gatling into, so we’ll only be defending against her 4 special moves. On whiff, it can be hard to punish, but we’re guaranteed at least a turn. Just be wary in case she’s very reliant on Sol Nascente. On hit, she gets a little damage and a safe jump. Its effectiveness varies depending on distance. If she tries to air dash in from farther away, you can use a DP or invincible Overdrive to intercept her approach. With all this considered, her using 2D in neutral is actually the least threatening thing she could do.

If you see Giovanna double jump high into the air while she has Tension, she's likely attempting to use her aerial Overdrive Tempestade (aka Divekick)GuardAllStartup3+1RecoveryAdvantage0~+6. You can punish this on reaction by inputting any invincible reversal or reversal Overdrive during the super flash. If you don't have the Tension to punish this and you're forced to block it, it's not an overhead, so it can be blocked while crouching. However, it is +6, and Giovanna can do a tick throw immediately afterwards and begin running her pressure, so bear that in mind.

Offense

Giovanna has no meterless invincible reversal. She does have a 4 frame 5PGuardAllStartup4Recovery9Advantage-2 and a 5 frame 2PGuardAllStartup5Recovery10Advantage-2 that she can mash during pressure, but that's about all she has. Otherwise, just bait and punish her invincible reversal Overdrive VentaniaGuardAllStartup5+4Recovery49Advantage-37 when she has Tension.

Defense

If Gio manages to get in, her close range pressure primarily consists of the use of frametraps, tick throws, and dash cancels for strike/throw mix.

Using Faultless Defense

Without Fautless Defense, Giovanna's c.SGuardAllStartup7Recovery10Advantage+3 can create what feels like endless pressure that forces you into dangerous guessing situations from any hit. Fortunately, it only takes a single use of FD to make her pressure much easier to escape from. If Giovanna has not be conditioned to use 2SGuardLowStartup9Recovery15Advantage-6 as a meaty, standing FD blocking is great as it has more pushback than crouching. Also IBFD on her c.S can completely end her turn. The more distance Giovanna has to travel to make her normals connect, the more time you'll have to interrupt her. The differences may seem hard to capitalize on at first due to the continued speed of her dash, but try your best to be aware of your openings and time your fast buttons preemptively to catch her in the act of getting back in.

Dealing With Her Special Moves

Both Spiral Arrow and Sol Poente (aka Flip Kick)GuardAll, HighStartup{4} 27Recovery21Advantage-5 can both be dealt with by using 6P. Sol Poente is an overhead kick with 27 frames of startup. Gio can flip over opponents and cross them up with this move. In addition to 6P, if your character has a high reaching jab, you can 5P her out of it. If you’re feeling risky, you can even go for an air throw. If the move crosses you up, you’ll have to adjust your timing for 6P or 5P. You need to delay it so that your character will turn around and hit her out of it.

Cartwheel is -15 on block, but if Gio has meter, she can PRC it and attack you with an aerial move. You cannot punish her in this case, it’ll stuff any button, even 6P.

Dealing with Post-Sepultura Options

Because of the weaknesses of her other special moves, SepulturaGuardAllStartup13Recovery20Advantage-4 is the only special move Giovanna has that she can rely on as a safe blockstring ender. This move is only -4, so it’s not really punishable with anything. Attempting to do so can lead you to getting frametrapped by Flip Kick or another one of Gio’s fast abare options. However, if you let Gio scare you into not pressing anything, she can start stealing turns. You're going to have to play a bit of RPS around what option she'll do post-Sepultura.

Two mid-hitting attacks, and then a low against Giovanna's > trap. Despite being faster, connects due to it beating the low profile.

When it comes to dealing with this special move, the first thing you have to do is assess the distance between you and her. Figuring out just how far away she is after Sepultura determines how to deal with it. The closer she is to you, the more potent Sol Nascente becomes. Even 2Ps can get counter hit in close range because of how low her hurtbox is during this move. If she's up close, you can use 2K to take your turn back after blocking it. 2Ks are low and too quick for her to interrupt. She can backdash the 2K, but you’ll still have frame advantage, meaning she can't punish you if it whiffs, only restart her pressure. Study the Gio player’s habits. If she keeps backdashing after Sepultura, then you can start using a long range button, such as a 2S to catch the backdash. In turn, it's why lows are so important against Giovanna. Beating her low profile means you're able to reliably take back your turn when she ends her blockstrings with . If Giovanna has no meter, there's especially no reason not to hit a low unless you are one of the six characters with a ~4 frame normal ( Sol 5KGuardAllStartup3Recovery25Advantage-16 & 5PGuardAllStartup4Recovery9Advantage-2, Chipp 5PGuardAllStartup3Recovery10Advantage-2, Millia 2PGuardAllStartup4Recovery10Advantage-2, Baiken 5PGuardAllStartup4Recovery10Advantage-2, May 5PGuardAllStartup4Recovery8Advantage-1, Giovanna 5PGuardAllStartup4Recovery9Advantage-2) able to land a punish.

If she’s outside of the range of 2K, you won’t be able to take your turn back this way. She can recover in time to punish longer range buttons by dashing into her own 2KGuardLowStartup6Recovery11Advantage-2 or 2PGuardAllStartup5Recovery10Advantage-2, despite the frame disadvantage. If you misjudge the distance between you and her and input your 2K, she can easily whiff punish you with these buttons. There are three ways to deal with post-Sepultura options outside of your 2K range:

1. If you use Faultless Defense, you can push her out farther and give you more room to intercept whatever approach she opts for from there. Intercept them using the same buttons you'd use in neutral: either 5K or 2K for ground approaches, and 6P for aerial approaches or Spiral Arrow.

2. Sepultura is -4 on block. If you successfully Instant Block it, it's a free grab punish. This is a difficult option however, as it will hinge on whether or not the Gio player delays the Sepultura.

3. Finally, you can simply backdash out of this guessing game. As long as you’ve got space behind you, she can’t stop you from doing it, only punish you if you’re too predictable about it.

Dealing With Her Dash Cancels/Dash-In Options

Keep an eye out for the flames that appear on the ground when Gio dash cancels her normals. This will be key for dealing with her tick throws and frametraps. All characters can only dash cancel off of either their c.S or 5KGuardAllStartup6Recovery12Advantage-2. Be on the lookout for these normals during her pressure. Once you see the dash cancel, she’s locked into the dash animation for its entire duration. She can’t shimmy or jump until the dash animation is complete. You can punish both of these dash cancels with a throw. After a dash cancel from c.S, you have a 4 frame window to throw punish her. You have a slightly longer window of time to input throw after a dash canceled 5K.

When it comes to her tick throws, remember that Gio can’t grab you immediately after a blocked c.S This move always manages to push you out of her throw range. However, with dash momentum inwards, she can throw you immediately off of her 5K/2K. These are the buttons you need to watch out for, they’re your visual cues. From here, simply grabbing not only beats her grab, it also saves you from 5[D]GuardHighStartup28Recovery25Advantage-10, Sepultura, and her delayed gatlings. This will also work if she tries to tick throw after a dash-in 5P or 2P as well.

However, just because throw is a solution in these situations doesn’t necessarily mean you should just do it every single time. She can shut you down from doing this by frametrapping her 5K with 6PGuardAllStartup12Recovery15Advantage-9 or her ability to jump cancel her 5K and hit you with an aerial. To avoid getting counter hit by these options, you’ll need to do a delayed grab. A delayed grab will block both frametraps for you and still break the grab that may come after the dash-in 5K. To get the timing for this correct, set a bot to randomly do all 3 options for about 60 seconds. As long as you don’t get hit and break every grab, you’re delaying the grab the correct amount of time.

Dealing with Common Frametraps

Like with any character’s pressure, be especially careful about mashing in-between her f.SGuardAllStartup9Recovery16Advantage-4 and 5HGuardAllStartup10Recovery19Advantage-5. The only reason to mash between these buttons is if you think she’ll go for a throw after the f.S instead of a 5H. Use Faultless Defense to push her out. You can use this to create space or challenge her directly with 6P if she inputs a delayed 5H after the f.S.

Another frametrap to avoid is a delayed Sepultura at the end of her blockstrings. To avoid this, once she’s reached the end of her blockstrings, briefly delay your next action to see if she goes for it.

The next frame trap is tricky. Some Gios like to gatling from her kicks into either her 2D, Flip Kick, or jump cancel into an aerial option. You can interrupt all of these options with a 5P or 2P since she isn’t in throw range, but if you’re a little slow to react, you’re getting counter hit into a wall break. In this situation, the safest option is hold your ground and be on the lookout for that delayed Sepultura before you take your turn.

Off of Gio’s c.S, she has a potential high/low mix, as she can do either an uncharged 5DGuardHighStartup20Recovery25Advantage-15 or 2S. She cannot combo off of the 5D unless she has meter for a Roman Cancel, and as she is punishable on block, it is not a common option. Be wary that on CH 5D, she is plus enough to be able to dash back in and restart pressure.

Dealing with Safe Jumps

When Gio gets a clean hit on you, one of three things are going to happen if you don’t have Burst: you’re going to die, you’re getting wall-broken (which means she’s getting positive bonus), or you’re getting safe jumped. 9 times out of 10, you’re likely going to just get safe jumped. After a hard knockdown, either from Sepultura, 2D, or a throw, use Faultless Defense on her jump-in to push her out. This will take some of the immediate strike/throw pressure off the table and give you breathing room to use all of the counterplay talked about up until now. Make her work for those c.Ses and you should be getting conditioned for her strike/throw game significantly less.