GGST/Ramlethal Valentine/Strategy

From Dustloop Wiki



General Strategies

Brigadier Swords

Ramlethal's Brigadier Swords are her unique mechanic and are the key to enabling her suffocating corner pressure. The swords are consumed when using BajonetoGGST Ramlethal Valentine Bajoneto H.pngGuardAllStartup20RecoveryTotal 43Advantage+3 (236SGGST Ramlethal Valentine Bajoneto S.pngGuardAllStartup20RecoveryTotal 37Advantage+9 and 236HGGST Ramlethal Valentine Bajoneto H.pngGuardAllStartup20RecoveryTotal 43Advantage+3) With her swords equipped she commands some of the best normals in the game however she can sacrifice these normals in favor of a powerful projectile that allows her to maintain pressure in the corner. Her swords can then be picked up after they fall to the ground or they will begin slowly returning to Ramlethal after a 6 second delay.

The benefits to spending your swords can be significant however there are drawbacks to doing so. When the sword is out her normals corresponding to their respective S and H buttons will be significantly weakened, lowering the damage, reducing the attack level An attack attribute that determines the default value for hitstun, blockstun, hitstop, damage, etc.(varies by game) of a move., and most importanty receiving a significantly worse hitbox A general term showing where an attack can hit the opponent and where the character is vulnerable to attack.. Throwing both of your swords away will lead to you struggling to maintain neutral control over your opponent as well as significantly weakening many of your specials.

Sword Moves

All of Ramlethal's button's utilizing S and H swords will weaken after she throws them using BajonetoGGST Ramlethal Valentine Bajoneto H.pngGuardAllStartup20RecoveryTotal 43Advantage+3 (236SGGST Ramlethal Valentine Bajoneto S.pngGuardAllStartup20RecoveryTotal 37Advantage+9 and 236HGGST Ramlethal Valentine Bajoneto H.pngGuardAllStartup20RecoveryTotal 43Advantage+3). This is important as she will lose access to her excellent f.SGGST Ramlethal Valentine fS.pngGuardAllStartup11Recovery21Advantage-10 [-13] or her equally good 5HGGST Ramlethal Valentine 5H.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery28Advantage-12 [-13] which let's her have dominant control over neutral. The trade off for losing these move however is signficantly mitigated once you put the opponent in the corner. BajonetoGGST Ramlethal Valentine Bajoneto H.pngGuardAllStartup20RecoveryTotal 43Advantage+3 (236HGGST Ramlethal Valentine Bajoneto H.pngGuardAllStartup20RecoveryTotal 43Advantage+3) is the cornerstone of her corner pressure and the key to locking down your opponents. It iss recommended to not throw your swords away until you are close to the corner due to all of the downsides of doing so.

Round Start Options

Ramlethal has a good variety of options she can represent on round start, with buttons that reach far and can lead to solid reward on hit it can be very rewarding winning roundstart. However despite Ramlethal's excellent range and speed on her moves she generally prefers to play more passively on roundstart. This will also vary greatly in specific matchups and have a significant influence on the round start start RPS.

f.S - A massive button for it's speed, f.S can cover many options on round start and convert into a full combo to break the wall. It's strength really comes to shine however when used as a whiff punish tool. Walking back on round start and punishing your opponent for trying to play proactively is an excellent option. In order to call you out for this they would need to leave themselves vulnerable to moves like 2S.

2S - Fast and a low, 2S is much smaller than it's f.S sibling however it is slightly faster and a low. This can easily catch people trying to close the distance on you to contest walk back f.S or calling out an immediate f.S with their own 6P. On hit still leads to great reward and can easily force a burst out of your opponent.

5K - A safe and fast option for beating out slower buttons while having a low total duration to keep it difficult to punish. It can beat out many buttons that extend their hurtboxes enough for the move to hit such as  Chipp's f.SGGST Chipp Zanuff fS.pngGuardAllStartup9Recovery20Advantage-8.

j.S - On option that's almost always accompanied by an IAD An air dash performed from a standing position as quickly and as low to the ground as possible from a jump. Done by inputting 956 754, and depending on the game, using a dash macro right after a jump. back to create space. This can help create space from your opponent while having an active button out to keep them away. Can leave you at a spacing Ramlethal prefers to play in neutral.

6P - Beats a lot of moves due to it's upper body invulnerability. It's combo potential is not as scary as other moves in her toolkit but it still is no slouch. It can be an important part of the roundstart RPS against options such as  Baiken's f.SGGST Baiken fS.pngGuardAllStartup9Recovery15Advantage-7 and  Giovanna's 5HGGST Giovanna 5H.pngGuardAllStartup10Recovery19Advantage-5.

Upon landing a successful round start option, you need to consider what routing you must do to secure a wallbreak and what resources your opponent has. If the opponent has a full Burst Gauge they may opt to burst quickly in the combo preventing you from breaking the wall and pressing your advantage. Routing into shorter combos that are safer to burst can be very beneficial off round start.

Burst Baiting

While Ramlethal's ability to bait burst has become weaker over time she still has options to keep herself burst safe from the opponent. For most characters, the main method of baiting a Burst is from jump cancelling an attack or utilizing Roman Cancel on a read and then punishing the recover of the Burst after blocking it. In Ramlethal's case we can jump cancel c.SGGST Ramlethal Valentine cS.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery10Advantage+1 as well as 5KGGST Ramlethal Valentine 5K.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery11Advantage-2 which are staples in her routing. Ram is also blessed with a special that is very difficult to Burst in BajonetoGGST Ramlethal Valentine Bajoneto H.pngGuardAllStartup20RecoveryTotal 43Advantage+3 (236SGGST Ramlethal Valentine Bajoneto S.pngGuardAllStartup20RecoveryTotal 37Advantage+9 and 236HGGST Ramlethal Valentine Bajoneto H.pngGuardAllStartup20RecoveryTotal 43Advantage+3), although 236HGGST Ramlethal Valentine Bajoneto H.pngGuardAllStartup20RecoveryTotal 43Advantage+3 is not Burst safe on its own it is very difficult for many opponents to Burst and 236SGGST Ramlethal Valentine Bajoneto S.pngGuardAllStartup20RecoveryTotal 37Advantage+9 is entirely Burst safe on hit. 236SGGST Ramlethal Valentine Bajoneto S.pngGuardAllStartup20RecoveryTotal 37Advantage+9 is the core for Ramlethal's Burst safe routing off of round start after utilizing 236DGGST Ramlethal Valentine 236D.pngGuardAllStartup16~28Recovery20Advantage-4. The main other option is utilizing 50% of your Tension The name for the main resource meter in the Guilty Gear SeriesTension can be spent on Faultless Defense, Overdrives, and more. on a Roman Cancel, if you use a Red Roman Cancel and your opponent does not get hit by the shockwave, that means they input either a Burst or a Yellow Roman Cancel if done on block instead. That being said burst baiting at the cost of your meter or dropping your combo is niche and because Ramlethal has very strong neutral it is not worth spending too many resources to bait a burst. Focusing on routing that is burst safe is generally more rewarding.

Neutral

Mid Range / Footsies

Ramlethal thrives in the mid range and possesses some of the best mid-ranged space control tools, such as f.SGGST Ramlethal Valentine fS.pngGuardAllStartup11Recovery21Advantage-10 [-13] and 2SGGST Ramlethal Valentine 2S.pngGuardLowStartup10Recovery18Advantage-5 [-8]. f.S boasts excellent range and speed and can force the opponent to take risks trying to navigate around it. Having a strong disjoint can make it difficult to punish and can interrupt many grounded approaches. It can be beaten through an IAD An air dash performed from a standing position as quickly and as low to the ground as possible from a jump. Done by inputting 956 754, and depending on the game, using a dash macro right after a jump. or deep 6P however it does do surprisingly well against certain low profiles like  Ky's Stun DipperGGST Ky Kiske 236K 1.pngGuardLow, AllStartup7Recovery30Advantage-19 [-14] and  Sin's Elk HuntGGST Sin Kiske 236K 2.pngGuardLowStartup21Recovery15Advantage-8. 2SGGST Ramlethal Valentine 2S.pngGuardLowStartup10Recovery18Advantage-5 [-8] covers options that f.S would otherwise lose to such as 6P, and it can potentially recover in time to punish an IAD from your opponent. Both of these are a bit easier than most to confirm on hit due to them having an Attack Level of 3 instead of many other characters only on Attack Level 2.

Another button that sees a lot of use in mid-range is 5HGGST Ramlethal Valentine 5H.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery28Advantage-12 [-13] which fills a similar niche to f.S however it is slightly bigger than f.S while also being a frame slower. Due to it's generous disjoint it is hard to contest for most characters and can trip up people trying to hover just outside of Ramlethal's f.S range.

Finally j.SGGST Ramlethal Valentine jS.pngGuardHighStartup12Recovery24Advantage+5 (IAD) and j.214SGGST Ramlethal Valentine Agressa Ordono 1.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery24Advantage-6 (IAS) can help Ramlethal fill space from the air. j.S has a similar size to her f.S but can have less recovery due to being used close to the ground from the air. Doing a neutral jump j.S or utilizing an IAD back makes it very hard for opponents who are spaced out to contest you. j.214S is the counterpart to this where many characters need to contest with a preemptive 6P. However j.214S hits low enough to the ground that it can beat many 6P's when spacing is played correctly.

Ramlethal's dominance in mid range is one of her biggest strengths, however a keen opponent does have options for beating you if you represent one option too frequently. Make sure to mix up your button choices and timing to throw your opponent off and keep your advantage.

Close Range / Brawling

While Ramlethal is not as strong at close range as she is in neutral she can still represent a strong mix of options utilizing potent strike/throw pressure to threaten her opponent.

Like many other characters one of Ramlethal's strongest pressure start is c.SGGST Ramlethal Valentine cS.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery10Advantage+1. It is a fast, plus on block move that is offers high reward on both normal hit and counter hit while also boasting the best gatling options of any other move. It can gatling into S, H, D normals as well as command normals and while it cannot gatling directly into P or K normals, it is still +1 and can be used to vary your timing and create frametraps. Once your opponent starts to respect you, you can mix them up with a throw and take a hard knockdown and run pressure from there. 5PGGST Ramlethal Valentine 5P.pngGuardAllStartup5Recovery8Advantage-2 is Ramlethal's fastest strike, this is mostly used to set up tick throw attempts and can be useful for preventing your opponent from throwing you while still catching other buttons thanks to it's speed. On block 5P is only -2 which can make it scary to challenge.

While both moves are useful they require you to be directly on top of your opponent to find use. It's here that 5KGGST Ramlethal Valentine 5K.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery11Advantage-2 and 2KGGST Ramlethal Valentine 2K.pngGuardLowStartup6Recovery9Advantage-2 show their strength. 5K has great frame data and range, similar to  Nagoriyuki's 5KGGST Nagoriyuki 5K.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery14Advantage-2 it hits about as far as most characters' Far Slashes. Also shared between the two is that 5K is -2 on block which means you can threaten gatlings or stagger by going into another 5K or 2K. It is very rewarding on Counter Hit thanks to it's ability to combo into 6H. 2K is also a very good option however it's reward on hit is not as significant thanks to increased combo scaling.

From her K normals she has a few options on what she do, such as 2D and 6H. Ramlethal's 2D is notorious for it's short range and can be inconsistent at connecting with the opponent unless you are close to them so it's generally advised to be more wary when using it as a cancel option however it can be delayed slightly from 2K to create a frame trap and it's only -8 on block making it safe to reversal attempts. 6H on the other hand will connect much more reliably however it will lose to 6 frame buttons and trade wtih 7 frame ones, on trade however this results in a full combo in the corner for massive damage. While in the corner you can utilize 236KGGST Ramlethal Valentine 236K.pngGuardAllStartup31Recovery16Advantage+7 to go for a reset once your opponent is conditioned.

Mixing up your pressure between throws, staggers and resets are the keys to maintaining Ramlethal's close range pressure and only becomes stronger with access once you move your opponent to the corner as you gain access to looping 236HGGST Ramlethal Valentine Bajoneto H.pngGuardAllStartup20RecoveryTotal 43Advantage+3 pressure.

Long Range / Closing Space

Ramlethal has many powerful tools in the mid range however none that are particularly useful in long range or full screen scenarios. 236HGGST Ramlethal Valentine Bajoneto H.pngGuardAllStartup20RecoveryTotal 43Advantage+3 and 236SGGST Ramlethal Valentine Bajoneto S.pngGuardAllStartup20RecoveryTotal 37Advantage+9 should not be used fullscreen as they remove some of Ramlethal's best mid range options and CalvadosGGST Ramlethal Valentine Calvados.pngGuardAll (Guard Crush)Startup11+13Recovery17Advantage+16 (632146H) costs significant meter and is generally too slow to be useful. Your main goal is instead to close the gap into a more preferable range.

Ramlethal has a good run speed, and a standard movement toolset to close the gap. Dash blocking, jumping forward, and occasionally IAD can be used to move yourself forward into a range where you are more threatening and can then challenge them.

Air-To-Air

Ramlethal is strongest when playing a grounded game but that does not mean she doesn't have some good air options. There are some situations where you may need to air to air your opponents and sometimes it may be your best option when interacting with your opponent. It also helps lock down opponents who like to Fuzzy Jump A form of defence where the defender switches from blocking to jumping at a specific time in order to block a strike then jump when there's a gap. Typically used to defend against tick throws..

j.PGGST Ramlethal Valentine jP Hitbox.pngGuardHighStartup5Recovery8Advantage- - A staple in Ramlethal's toolkit and her fastest aerial attack and can gatling into itself to jail opponents all the way back to the ground. Very good at swatting out air options from the opponent and can very effective when used rising. On hit it can combo into itself and can be confirmed into j.214SGGST Ramlethal Valentine Agressa Ordono 1.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery24Advantage-6 (IAS) to secure a hard knockdown from almost any hit.

j.KGGST Ramlethal Valentine jK Hitbox.pngGuardHighStartup7Recovery13Advantage0 (IAD) - A downward angled aerial that is slower than j.P. It still can find use in stabilizing air combos can convert into better routes than j.P on hit. Still can be followed up with j.214SGGST Ramlethal Valentine Agressa Ordono 1.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery24Advantage-6 (IAS) to secure a hard knockdown on the opponent.

j.SGGST Ramlethal Valentine jS Hitbox.pngGuardHighStartup12Recovery24Advantage+5 (IAD) - A big air to air poke with good horizontal range and a disjoint on top. j.S is fairly fast but not super rewarding button on regular hit, on Counter Hit it can lead to high damage conversions and even without a Counter hit it can convert into j.214SGGST Ramlethal Valentine Agressa Ordono 1.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery24Advantage-6 (IAS). It's Ramlethal's best air-to-air option when long, horizontal range is required, but her ground-to-airs are generally better better for challenging airborne opponents.

Jump-In

Ramlethal relies primarily on playing grounded and focusing on running strike/throw oriented offense. She does however have very good air buttons and ways to mix up her air movement to catch the opponent off guard and alter the timing they need to punish her. This can important when challenging projectiles or certain long range grounded normals such as  Axl's 2HGGST Axl Low 2H.pngGuardLowStartup11Recovery26Advantage-18 [-8].

j.KGGST Ramlethal Valentine jK Hitbox.pngGuardHighStartup7Recovery13Advantage0 (IAD) - Ramlethal's fastest jump-in option. The downwards angle makes j.K a very effective jump in, useful at punishing moves that require a fast button and can combo into j.214SGGST Ramlethal Valentine Agressa Ordono 1.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery24Advantage-6 (IAS) for a hard knockdown.

j.SGGST Ramlethal Valentine jS Hitbox.pngGuardHighStartup12Recovery24Advantage+5 (IAD) - Good speed, range, and hitbox for a jump-in option j.S can lead into powerful combos on hit and at longer ranges still can be converted into j.214SGGST Ramlethal Valentine Agressa Ordono 1.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery24Advantage-6 (IAS). This combination mixed with Ramlethal's good movespeed makes it a key component to punishing projectiles. On top of that when done from an IAD it is +5.

j.H - A solid jump in option that extends deep to the ground and can beat out many 6P's. It lacks in horizontal range however when done from high up in the air it becomes a scary tool for an opponent to challenge, while also being quite rewarding on counter hit.

Defense

Ramlethal is blessed with a frightening reversal super in MortobatoGGST Ramlethal Valentine 236236S 2.pngGuardAllStartup7+2Recovery51Advantage-38 [-38] {-43} (236236S). It is tied with other's as the fastest reversal in the game at 9 frames as well as boasting a huge range making it very difficult to avoid.

Ramlethal also has a standard 5 frame jab in 5PGGST Ramlethal Valentine 5P.pngGuardAllStartup5Recovery8Advantage-2, meaning she can mash it to break tick throw attempts or to contest stagger attempts.

Ramlethal's 5KGGST Ramlethal Valentine 5K.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery11Advantage-2 and 2KGGST Ramlethal Valentine 2K.pngGuardLowStartup6Recovery9Advantage-2 are also both good at contesting opponents that are more spaced out as your 5PGGST Ramlethal Valentine 5P.pngGuardAllStartup5Recovery8Advantage-2 will whiff on further opponents. These buttons do not beat tick throws however.

Ramlethal is also blessed with good air buttons and ways to alter her movement such as her massive j.HGGST Ramlethal Valentine jH.pngGuardHighStartup19Recovery31Advantage- and j.214KGGST Ramlethal Valentine Sildo Detruo.pngGuardAllStartup30RecoveryAdvantage-3~+4 which can make her very slippery and difficult to catch escaping the corner.

Defensive System Mechanics

Ramlethal's defensive options are alright albeit unexceptional with the exception of MortobatoGGST Ramlethal Valentine 236236S 2.pngGuardAllStartup7+2Recovery51Advantage-38 [-38] {-43} (236236S), she relies heavily on system mechanics to make the most out of her defense such as Faultless Defense (FD), Yellow Roman Cancel (YRC), Instant Block (IB), and Instant Block Faultless Defense (IBFD).

Faultless Defense


Powerful defensive option, but drains Tension as you use it!
Hold any two buttons except D (or the FD Button if one was set) while blocking to perform Faultless Defense (FD). As long as the direction and buttons are held down (and the Tension Gauge isn't empty), you will continue to perform Faultless Defense.

A unique type of guard that gradually depletes Tension when used. Faultless Defense augments your block by giving it several special properties. Firstly, it increases pushback on block, making it useful to make space between you and the opponent. By using Faultless Defense early in the opponent's blockstring, the opponent will be pushed back enough that later attacks will miss, allowing you to punish the opponent's whiffed attack or disengage. When in use, Faultless Defense also prevents the R.I.S.C Level from increasing and nullifies chip damage. This is essential for survival in situations where chip damage runs the risk of finishing you off.

Keep in mind that you don't have to hold two buttons for a long time in order to use Faultless Defense effectively. It's also possible to press the buttons briefly - slightly longer than a tap - just before the opponent's hit connects. By doing this, you can let go of Faultless Defense in between the hits of an opponent's blockstring, allowing you to save some Tension. This requires some precision though, so it will require practice.


Yellow Roman Cancel


Turn the tables with this powerful defensive option!
Press any three attack buttons (except D) simultaneously while in blockstun to perform a Yellow Roman Cancel (YRC). Costs 50% Tension.

Yellow Roman Cancels can be used when blocking at the cost of 50% Tension, for the purpose of stopping an attacking opponent and resetting the momentum of the match. Yellow Roman Cancels can not be performed when your character is in a Guard Crush state. Upon activation, your character creates a shockwave that forces the opponent into a Guard Crush state, granting your character massive frame advantage. Yellow Roman Cancel is a useful tool for challenging an opponent’s pressure, especially for characters that are lacking in character-specific tools.

However, Yellow Roman Cancel is -16 on block and leaves your character in Counter Hit state during its recovery frames. Sharp opponents can block it on prediction and punish it heavily. Make sure to vary when you go for a Yellow Roman Cancel to avoid becoming predictable. In addition, the hefty 50% Tension cost must always be taken into consideration. Said Tension could be used for Overdrives or extending combos or blockstrings with other types of Roman Cancels. Practice utilizing all of your defensive options so as to not end up over relying on Yellow Roman Cancel and burning Tension too quickly.


Psych Burst


Press D + any other attack button to perform a Psych Burst. Costs a full Burst Gauge.

A powerful defensive option that can be used in a variety of situations at the cost of a full Burst Gauge. Upon activation, your character releases an invincible shockwave that knocks opponents away. If the opponent is in a completely invulnerable state, the shockwave can still hit the opponent's collision box instead of their hurtbox and ignore any type of shield or armor, which results in some invulnerable skills, such as Overdrives, still being hit during their invincibility frames. Bursts can be used at almost any point in the match, including when you’re in blockstun or hitstun. This allows Bursts to function as both a combo breaker and as a way to challenge the opponent’s pressure. The Burst Gauge refills very slowly over time, so it can be a good idea to use it early in a match to break out of a powerful combo, such as a Counter Hit combo. This will allow you to spend the rest of the round recharging it, making it more likely to have another opportunity to use it again later in the match.

While Bursts are very powerful, they are far from infallible. The activation shockwave is not instant, so sharp players can predict incoming Bursts and punish them heavily. A common method of doing so is canceling attacks with jump cancels or Roman Cancels, then blocking the Burst and punishing the recovery. Because of the risk associated with it, you should vary the timing of when you go for Burst to avoid becoming predictable. Lastly, keep in mind that Burst cannot be performed while your character is stuck to the wall, being thrown, or being hit by an Overdrive.

Counter Pokes

Counter poking is the act of attacking preemptively for the purpose of interrupting the opponent’s actions. By placing hitboxes in front of your character, the opponent runs the risk of being hit out of their forward movement or being counter hit out of their attacks. Counter pokes are key for playing a preventive playstyle, which is useful against aggression. The best counter pokes are typically long-ranged, highly active, quick to recover, protected by invulnerability of some kind, or a combination of these traits.

6PGGST Ramlethal Valentine 6P Hitbox.pngGuardAllStartup9Recovery18Advantage-9 - Thanks to its frame 1 upper body invulnerability, 6P is useful as a counter poke. It can challenge an opponent's attack in mid or close range. Many forward-lunging, plus on block special moves, such as  Giovanna's TrovãoGGST Giovanna Trovao.pngGuardAll [All (Guard Crush)]Startup27Recovery13Advantage+4 [+15] and  May's H Mr. Dolphin HorizontalGGST May Mr. Dolphin Horizontal.pngGuardAllStartup25Recovery20 (18 OH)Advantage+7, are vulnerable to 6P. In addition, many S attacks extends the character's hurtbox further out than the animation implies, due to the weapon itself having a hurtbox. This is especially prevalent on moves like  Nagoriyuki's f.SGGST Nagoriyuki fS1.pngGuardAllStartup16Recovery28Advantage-17 and  Leo's f.SGGST Leo Whitefang f.S.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery21Advantage-13. If you experiment with 6P, you might be surprised at how many attacks can be beaten with it.

2SGGST Ramlethal Valentine 2S Hitbox.pngGuardLowStartup10Recovery18Advantage-5 [-8] - Overall a solid button because of its speed, range and cancel options. It functions well as a counter poke and can lead to good reward on hit.

5KGGST Ramlethal Valentine 5K Hitbox.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery11Advantage-2 - Another good option. It doesn't have the reach of moves like f.S or 2S, but it is much faster, making it much better when the opponent is closer.

f.SGGST Ramlethal Valentine fS Hitbox.pngGuardAllStartup11Recovery21Advantage-10 [-13] - A strong counter poke thanks to its massive range and generous disjoint. It’s quite rewarding on counter hit and can combo into 236D on regular hit. Good usage of f.S can make it difficult for the opponent to approach you. Use it from ranges where it Ramlethal's shorter option would not reach.

Anti-Airs

Anti-airs, as the name suggests, are moves that are useful against aerial opponents. They are typically either fast, high-reaching, protected by invulnerability of some kind, or a combination of these traits. Ramlethal has six effective anti-airs: 6P, 5P, c.S, 2H, j.P and Air Throw.

6PGGST Ramlethal Valentine 6P Hitbox.pngGuardAllStartup9Recovery18Advantage-9 - most reliable anti-air. The universal anti air that can be used quite late and still works thanks to it's upper body invulnerability. This is your main tool to stop people from jumping in on you on reaction. Can combo into 623P or 214P depending range, also knocks down on counter hit.

5PGGST Ramlethal Valentine 5P Hitbox.pngGuardAllStartup5Recovery8Advantage-2 - It doesn't have the upperbody invulnerability of 6P but makes up for it by being faster, making it useful to contest situations where you need an immediate button and not the invulnerability, such as  May's IAD An air dash performed from a standing position as quickly and as low to the ground as possible from a jump. Done by inputting 956 754, and depending on the game, using a dash macro right after a jump.j.SGGST May j.S.pngGuardHighStartup12Recovery15Advantage+6 (IAD) It can also catch opponents trying to jump during close range brawling.

c.SGGST Ramlethal Valentine cS Hitbox.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery10Advantage+1 - It hits high enough to anti-air opponents and be rewarded with a massive combo. It doesn't have the same height as  Nagoriyuki's c.SGGST Nagoriyuki cS.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery10Advantage+3 or  Millia's c.SGGST Millia Rage c.S.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery13Advantage+1 however it can still work regardless. It lacks upper body invulnerability and suffers from being a proximity-based normal.

2HGGST Ramlethal Valentine 2H H-less Hitbox.pngGuardAllStartup14Recovery25Advantage-15 [-17] - A decent anti-air that is mostly use preemptively. Compared to other options it doesn't boast the best disjoint or the most speed and lacks the upper body invulnerability of 6P. It makes up for this by being massive rewarding on hit and even more so on counter hit. Best used sparingly as it has a good bit of recovery on whiff but useful if you have a solid read on your opponent.

j.PGGST Ramlethal Valentine jP Hitbox.pngGuardHighStartup5Recovery8Advantage- - Can function as an anti-air when used rising. It's very fast, hits slightly above Ramlethal, and on top of that can always combo into j.214S. Rising j.P can help contest enemies who are trying to stay in the air above you and is an important tool in her anti-air game.

Air ThrowGGST Ramlethal Valentine Air Throw.pngGuardAir ThrowStartup2Recovery38 or Until Landing+10Advantage- - A useful universal anti-air for all characters, especially against opponents that like to jump into block. If the opponent has a habit of jumping out during pressure, air throw will punish them hard. Comes in very handy for preventing an opponent from escaping the corner. Especially useful for punishing  Zato's FlightGGST Zato-1 Flight.pngGuardStartupRecoveryAdvantage-.

Pressure

Midscreen

Ramlethal's midscreen pressure relies heavily on conditioning your opponent to set up for strike throw situations. Utilizing stagger pressure and tick throws to open up your opponent is at the core of Ramlethal's gameplan. She also has strong mid range options that are hard for many characters to contest.

Common Midscreen Strings
  • 5K > 2K > 2D : Basic low mix-up after 5K or 2K. Beware that 2D is punishable on block however still safe to reversal attempts. This helps enforce your opponent respecting you in order for you to start throwing your opponent instead.
  • 5K / 2K > 5K / 2K : Typical stagger pressure, 5K is very good at hitting people trying to low buttons due to how high Ramlethal's leg raises.
  • 5K or 2K > 2D > 214P(1~3) or 214P~dash cancel : Although gapless normally, it can be delayed to potentially frame trap after 2D. Reward on hit is fairly low however so it's only advisable to use with meter in order to convert or prevent yourself from being punished as both Rekka 2GGST Ramlethal Valentine Erarlumo 2.pngGuardAllStartup9Recovery25Advantage-12 [-10] and Rekka 3GGST Ramlethal Valentine Erarlumo 3.pngGuardAllStartup11Recovery38Advantage-25 are significantly minus on block.
  • 5K or 2K > 6H : Used as a frame trap from spaced out 5K or 2K, however it trades with 7 frame moves and loses to 6 frame moves. On trade leads to a big combo in the corner.
  • (c.S) > 2.S / f.S > 5H > (236KGGST Ramlethal Valentine 236K.pngGuardAllStartup31Recovery16Advantage+7) / (214KGGST Ramlethal Valentine Sildo Detruo.pngGuardAllStartup22Recovery17Advantage-2): Gapless blockstring, creates a fair bit of distance between both characters. Buttons can be delayed to frame trap instead. Can end in 236KGGST Ramlethal Valentine 236K.pngGuardAllStartup31Recovery16Advantage+7or 214KGGST Ramlethal Valentine Sildo Detruo.pngGuardAllStartup22Recovery17Advantage-2 to go for frame advantage or put yourself closer to the opponent in an RPS situation.


Ramlethal doesn't have a great way to force her opponents to respect her 5K and 2K outside of utilizing solid spacing and conditioning your opponent as many of her cancel options are weaker and carry some inherent risk. It is weaker than her corner pressure however that doesn't mean she isn't still a force to be reckoned with as her strong normals as well as OndoGGST Ramlethal Valentine 236K.pngGuardAllStartup31Recovery16Advantage+7 can force her opponent to act or they will gain significant RISC while Ramlethal pools resources.

Corner

Ramlethal's corner pressure is a lot scarier simply due to Bajoneto. The sword's delayed explosion doesn't go away unless Ramlethal is hit or blocks before the explosion can trade. Fear of the explosion lets Ramlethal run up and pressure again, but the fear must be established. Every explosion is an RPS point between dashblocking, a pre-emptive f.S or 5H, or running all the way in for another turn. Keep in mind that you cannot pick up a sword until after it has exploded, which prevents Ram from infinitely looping her pressure.

Common Corner Strings
  • c.S > 236H: Ram's best option for corner pressure. she can follow up with 2K to catch someone trying to jump. and if they start to respect that she can run up throw.
  • 2S > 236H: This helps catch people who may be stand blocking on wakeup while still being able to go into your basic pressure. If you think you have the hit you can go do 2S > 5H to combo
  • c.S > f.S > 5H > 236H: Knowledge check blockstring. Most opponents who have labbed against Ramlethal will know they can jump or dash out to stop her, but Ram can run a train on people who respect it.
  • c.S > 236H > fPRC66 > throw or backdash: This is an advanced setup that forces a strike throw 50/50. If they do not tech the throw they will get hit and you get a combo. More details and video on this can be found here: Video example

Any normals can be omitted as you see fit in order to change the spacing you're left at, but none can really be added due to gatling limitations. Being closer to the opponent means you can threaten a completely safe 2K/5D/Throw mixup before the sword explodes to cover any whiff and potentially net a combo. Being closer does also increase the chance your opponent will try to reversal or burst out, so make sure to vary your options.

After 236H(Explosion)
  1. microdash f.S/5K: Important to establish respect and deal with some moves (May's [4]6S)
  2. dash c.S/2K: Basic gatling pressure reset.
  3. dash Throw: Punishes opponents too willing to block)

Opponents who are experienced fighting Ramlethal will be able to recognize spacings where there is a gap between the sword throw and the explosion. From there, their options are to jump, dash, or attempt to hit Ramlethal out of a pressure reset. Air-to-air j.P will catch people jumping out of the corner and leave Ramlethal very plus. Stopping people from dashing or pressing buttons is where f.S and other big, active buttons is useful. f.S will also check opponents who stay put, but won't give much pressure without H sword equipped. 236S can be used to stop jumps, but this is very risky (especially without H sword).

Those setups are also weak to FD before 236H and aren't as effective if done from a distance. The 236H will take a bit more time reaching the opponent. This widens the frame gap and gives the opponent more leeway and options to get out of the corner.

236H > 66.PRC

236H > 66.PRC is an advanced form of Ramlethal's corner pressure. Contrary to the meterless 236H corner pressure, it cannot be jumped or mashed out of. It also lead to various low/high mix-ups: Video sample

This isn't an exhaustive list, routes will be added/removed as more optimal options are found.

  • ... > 5H > 236H > 66.PRC > 2K > (Sword hit) > 5K > (Explosion) > 66c.S >: Gapless blockstring into low. The sword is picked up after the c.S.
  • ... > 5H > 236H > 66.PRC > IAD > (Sword hit) > j.H (Explosion) > 66c.S > ...: Gapless blockstring into overhead. The sword is picked up after the c.S.
  • ... > 5H > 236H > 66.PRC > 9jc > (Sword hit) > Delay j.K > (Explosion) > IAD j.K > ...: Gapless double overhead. The sword is picked up after the second j.K.
  • ... > 5H > 236H > 66.PRC > 9jc > (Sword hit) > Delay j.K > (Explosion) > 2K > ...: Gapless high into low mixup. Beware that since the explosion happen before 2K combos and pressure options are limited afterwards.
  • ... > 5H > 236H > 66.PRC > 9jc > (Sword hit) > Land 2K > (Explosion) > ...: Empty low setup. There is a gap before the 2K which can be DP'ed. Combos into c.S > 2H.

Likewise, those setups are weak to FD and aren't as strong from a far 5H.

Okizeme

Ground ThrowGGST Ramlethal Valentine Ground Throw.pngGuardGround ThrowStartup2Recovery38Advantage-

Midscreen
  • ... > Dash > Meaty c.S/2K: Standard meaty setup. c.S and 2K are preferred as c.S is highly rewarding on hit and gives solid frame advantage. 2K hits low and gatlings into 2D. Both options can lead to a tick throw.
  • ... > Dash > Throw: Throw into Throw reset. Good for representing if your opponent is respecting your meaty.
  • ... > 5P (whiff) > IAD > j.S: This is an autotimed safejump. Very useful against characters with meterless reversals.
  • ... > Dash > Jump > Air Dash Back > j.S/j.K: Ramlethal's mixup option off a throw. You can secure a hard knockdown with j.214SGGST Ramlethal Valentine Agressa Ordono 1.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery24Advantage-6 (IAS) : You can instead land instead of air dashing to do an empty low option with 2K. If done properly the air option can safejump.
  • ...> OTG f.S/2S/2K > 236KGGST Ramlethal Valentine 236K.pngGuardAllStartup31Recovery16Advantage+7 : OTG midscreen into meaty rock, leads to strong frame advantage and offers good meter gain. They can backdash the rock if they are prepared; however you can delay it to catch backdash at the cost of some frame advantage.

Off midscreen throw, Ramlethal has a good variety of options with a variety of safejumps to lead into her pressure. They can lead into another throw attempt as well to reset the situation. Mix up your pressure to keep your opponent on their toes.

Corner
  • ...> OTG c.S > IAD > j.S : Basic autotimed safejump to beat reversals. Unlike some other safejumps this one does not hit 6P however you can still block it.
  • ...> OTG c.S/5H > delay 236HGGST Ramlethal Valentine Bajoneto H.pngGuardAllStartup20RecoveryTotal 43Advantage+3 : Meaty BajonetoGGST Ramlethal Valentine Bajoneto H.pngGuardAllStartup20RecoveryTotal 43Advantage+3 setup. While manually timed, the timing is fairly intuitive with a bit of practice. c.S will leave you closer to resume pressure however many reversals can catch this. 5H will space you out further keeping you safe from most reversals.
  • ...> OTG c.S/5H >236KGGST Ramlethal Valentine 236K.pngGuardAllStartup31Recovery16Advantage+7 : Meaty OndoGGST Ramlethal Valentine 236K.pngGuardAllStartup31Recovery16Advantage+7 setup. An alternative to the meaty BajonetoGGST Ramlethal Valentine Bajoneto H.pngGuardAllStartup20RecoveryTotal 43Advantage+3 variation. Rock can be backdashed similar to midscreen however it can lead into gapless pressure afterwards.
  • ... > Dash > Jump > Air Dash Back > j.S/j.K: Same as the midscreen variation this mix leads to another hard knockdown to keep the pressure up.

Ramlethal's options become significantly more frightening, the threat of deadly corner pressure with high damage can paralyze many opponents. With a variety of safe okizeme options she can lock down her opponent and force them to make a mistake.

2DGGST Ramlethal Valentine 2D.pngGuardLowStartup10Recovery19Advantage-8

  • ... > Delay > IAD (sideswitch) > j.S: Safejump setup. Can block Ramlethal's 236236S and will make Sol's 623S/H whiff.
  • ... > Long dash > Meaty 2K/c.S: Meaty setup. 2K and c.S are preferred as c.S is highly rewarding on Counterhit and point blank 2K hits low and gatlings into 2D.

623PGGST Ramlethal Valentine Dauro.pngGuardAllStartup11Recovery26Advantage-10

  • Ground hit DauroGGST Ramlethal Valentine Dauro.pngGuardAllStartup11Recovery26Advantage-10 is a common string ender for Ramlethal to confirm many of her stray hits. Ramlethal is +5, in many cases she is left directly next to the opponent where she can then represent various button options. 5P is a good option as it can lead into a tick throw and is a good option for preventing reversals since it remains gapless, it also has the benefit of comboing into another 623P if they were not blocking. 2K is another solid alternative to leave a gap for opponents trying to mash while remaining safe to reversal throw attempts. Finally c.S is one of your strongest pressure situations however if not spaced out from further Slash or Heavy Slash normals it can get beaten out by reversal throw attempts.
  • When used as an ender for airborne opponents your frame advantage is high enough to do a run up meaty c.S however you do not have enough frame advantage for a safejump. One such example is when you end a combo in 214PGGST Ramlethal Valentine Erarlumo 1.pngGuardAllStartup16Recovery12Advantage-5 > 214PGGST Ramlethal Valentine Erarlumo 2.pngGuardAllStartup9Recovery25Advantage-12 [-10] > 623PGGST Ramlethal Valentine Dauro.pngGuardAllStartup11Recovery26Advantage-10.

j.214SGGST Ramlethal Valentine Agressa Ordono 1.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery24Advantage-6 (IAS)

  • Ramlethal's frame advantage is variable enough from j.214S that the best option is a meaty button or throw. However, microdashjump safejumps are possible from multiple heights.

Navigation

Systems Pages