DBFZ/Kid Buu/Strategy

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 Kid Buu


General Tactics

Kid Buu is a ruthless, sticky mixup character. His damage is lower than average, but you're usually getting enough hits in that it doesn't matter all that much. On top of his mixup ability, his range and diverse toolbox have made him a top-tier character, even after being nerfed in several patches. His mixups are some of the most powerful and the most consistent in the game because of how well 214S synergizes with assists. His neutral is also above average, with his 5M and j.M having both great range and the ability to pull him in like a grappling hook, on top of having 2M and it's variants which allow for pressure with lows from almost full screen. To top it all off, Kid Buu has a pretty good Ki Blast in 5S and 2S, as well as having a beam with j.236S. Overall, Kid Buu is the complete rushdown package and a reliable addition to any team.

Team positioning

Kid Buu really works anywhere on your team. He can use assists really well and has a good assist, but is also blessed by being a decent solo character with fast pressure resets.

Point

This is where Kid Buu is most potent. Having two assists for 214S pressure means your opponent is definitely getting opened up if you get them to block, and Kid Buu doesn't need many resources to get the pain train rolling. The only real downside about point Kid Buu is that no other characters on your team get to use his assist.

Mid

Kid Buu is also a good mid, mostly because it allows your point character to abuse his assist. While it may take some creative routing to work it into your combos, it is worth the reward. Kid Buu is also able to use pretty much any assist in the game to get mixups from 214S, so that also helps him a lot. Kid Buu also gets a lot of mileage from 236H, and being mid usually gives him more meter to play with.

Anchor

Kid Buu's toolbox is varied enough that he makes an effective anchor. He has good Ki Blasts, a beam, and very easy ways to continue and reset pressure. You have to condition the opponent a lot though, because raw 214S is really easy to reflect and punish. Kid Buu is also hampered by the fact that he has no real reversal outside of his level 3, and his anti-air game in general is pretty suspect.

Picking Teammates

Kid Buu works with everyone and assists everyone, but his assist is harder to use in combos than most others. That usually isn't the reason you're using this assist though, as it is really good at lockdown and making your opponent hate life. Every character in the game gets a crazy mixup off of his assist, which makes it very potent and outweighs it's difficulty to use in combos.

Standout teammates for Kid Buu are usually characters that both use his assist well and also give him a multipurpose assist. Kid Buu is one of the few characters that can do mixups with neutral assists, so those are generally the ones he prefers. Characters with beams or beam-likes can fill the hole between 5H > 214S as well as making 236H mixups gapless. If you have a Yamcha-style assist (fast with ~40 frames of blockstun) then you can use 236M more liberally as it will either frame-trap 2H midscreen or be a true string in the corner.

Using the A Assist

Call Kid Buu and blockstring into a move with decently low recovery (typically -6 or better), then superjump fastfall (28[2]). The mixup happens when you start to fall because you can airdash early for a crossup, airdash later to stay same side, or land and go low/DR. If done correctly, this will be completely gapless. The benefit of using a normal instead of a safe special is that the entire string becomes guard cancel safe. If they try to guard cancel before the mixup, there's a high chance you can 2H them. If they do it during the mixup, you can block it (but they'll take the hit from the assist and flip out). If they do it too late, then you get a free M starter.

Blockstrings

Basic Gapless Strings

  • 5LL > 1M > 5M > 5H > Ender

Basic string into a blockstring ender of your choice. Those enders are:

  1. 236L: safe blockstring ender. Not all that great as you're -4 and right next to your opponent.
  2. Assist > 214S: Assisted 214S setup. Best to use midscreen as it gives you a 4-way mixup midscreen.
  3. 2S > 236M/H: Mystic Ball setup. Best in the corner because you can't go for a crossup.

Stagger Pressure

Most of Kid Buu's stagger pressure revolves around using his 1M, 5H, and S buttons to mess with your opponent's expectations. Chaining any button into 5S will make it safe. Your options from there depend on your spacing. If you're close, you can retake your turn with 5L. If they're outside 5L range, you can attempt a dash or you can go for 1M. If you think they'll mash after 5S, delay chaining into 5H will frame trap them. If they blocked 5H, then you can threaten a similar situation with 2S. You have to be careful about superdash, but you can usually react and punish with j.236H if you see them try it.

After your opponent blocks 2S, you're in a bit more risky of a situation. 2S > 236M is a true blockstring on crouching opponents, but 2S > 236H works whether they're crouching or not. If you don't have assists available, you have to rely more on different options. j.S will keep you plus and in their face, but is unsafe to superdash or reflect. Airdash back will pull you back to a safe distance and let you 2H superdashes but also ends your pressure. Airdash forward button or a falling button will also let you steal another turn, but is vulnerable to 2H instead of superdash. 236H after 2S will leave you in about the same position as 2S, allowing you to play the RPS again.

214S Mixups

214S gives you a superjump IAD mixup. Depending on if you hold [9] or [7], you can crossup/stay same side for a high, or hold [3] or [1] for the crossup/same side low. Simple and effective.

The downside with this mixup is how telegraphed it is. Kid Buu is forced to stand still for 41 frames, which is easily guard cancelable. The assist also gives away what you're going for. You have to mix up your strings in order to make them scared to guard cancel.

236M/H Mixup

Mystic Ball is much more difficult to see coming because of its speed. Covering the M and H versions with an assist will give a simple airdash high/land low mixup that works best in the corner. 236H is faster than 236M, but the two hits means it can be guard-cancelled on reaction. It takes more blockstun to make the M version a true string into the mixup. In most cases, if your opponent gets hit after a 236H mixup, you will build the bar back in the following combo (and then some).

Okizeme

Soft Knockdown

Kid Buu gets a pretty easy airdash safejump after a vanish. 665L (whiff) > 5LL > SD > j.LL(1)L > airdash j.L will safejump any and all reversals in the game while leaving Kid Buu plus and in a position to do an anti-reflect string. Your opponent can get out of this by delay teching, but backdashing to a safe distance usually lets you whiff punish or get back in with 1M.

Sliding Knockdown

Kid Buu has access to two different sliding knockdowns. Prioritize j.H or j.DR if you can as they give better okizeme.

j.H/j.DR

Basic, standard okizeme ender. Midscreen, it's best to dash up and IAD j.H to catch uptech. In the corner, you can whiff a 5L or backdash and jump in with j.H for an easy safejump.

214L/M

These have about half the advantage of the above enders, which means the safest option to go for is a manually-timed IAD. You can technically superjump IAD but it's very hard to time and will most likely put you into the corner.

Level 3

You have about the same advantage as a 214L or 214M, but this time it doesn't take you out of the corner. Superjump IAD is the best option here, as you can SJ IAD [8]j.H for a high or SJ IAD [2]2L for the low. Alternatively, you can whiff an IAD j.H and DR once you've conditioned your opponent to block. Don't ever try 214S here.

Tips and Tricks

  • Never use Candy Beam. TK Kame is always a better choice.
  • 6S will give you repeated 5S Ki Blasts instead of 5S > 2S.
  • 214H is a great way to punish bad Vanishes.

Fighting Kid Buu

Fighting against Kid Buu can be difficult, but it can become easier once you understand which tools he uses the most. Kid Buus will use their 5M or 2M to try to call you out in neutral, but these can be punished if you jump a little beforehand. In the corner, Kid Buu players will sometimes use 236M as a way to get airborne in a blockstring, but anything he does afterwards can be 2H-ed or reflected if he uses an assist. The trick is to reflect before the 236M hits. Otherwise, 214S is a devastating lockdown tool, but it can also be guard canceled pretty easily. Just be wary about your timing, because if you do it wrong you're gonna eat a ton of damage.

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