DNFD/Ranger/Strategy: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 10:22, 7 July 2022

Ranger

Overview

Neutral

Offense

Blockstrings

Ranger's A and B normals don't grant him true block strings with the only exceptions being 2A to an immediate B normal and a jump-in j.B into 2A or 5S. His main MP and Conversion free string is:

(j.B >) 2A > 5B or 2B > 5S > 4S or 6S > 5M

5B and 2B are interchangeable while 4S and 6S present an actual choice. 4S is generally a better choice as it has high push back and is only -4 but it's range is poor and will often whiff. 6S has much better range but it keeps Ranger close at -8 which is punishable by most of the cast (everyone can punish with throw at point blank range). 6S~S can be quite useful when a j.S grenade is active as the explosion makes a follow-up j.B a true block string which leads into a strike/throw mix-up. 5M is likewise reserved for guard breaking.

4M, (2A > 5S > 4M) * 2, 5S, 2A > 5B > 5S > 6S~S

True block string guard break set-up from a 4M. The number of 4M uses depends on Ranger's maximum and currently available MP which maxes out at 3 when he has 65% health remaining (150 max MP). Guard damage increases with each use, starting at 500 for one use, 780 for two uses, and 1060 for three uses (260 per added use). If Ranger does a meaty 2A during grenade oki into his basic true block string (using the grenade explosion to set up 4M), the guard damage is increased by 340. This guarantees a guard break on the entire cast, including Crusader with his Awakening Passive active!

Mix-ups

As the block button invalidates left/right mix and he has no overheads, Ranger must rely solely on strike/throw to open up his opponent. Thankfully, his j.S and his Revenge Awakening Passive blesses him with arguably the strongest throw mix in the game (only DNF Duel's resident grappler, the aptly named Grappler can compete). Note that grenade set-play into a true mix-up requires either a knockdown from 6S~S or a Conversion after using 4M that the opponent then blocks. If the throw or normal hits meaty, then they both beat non-invincible attacks and rolling on wake-up. Meaty throw goes through blocking, armored attacks, and counters, dealing about 210 damage without resources and over 540 with max resources. Meaty 2A catches jumps and stuffs counters, dealing similar damage with or without resources. It can also be spaced such that some character's reversals will whiff, forcing the opponent to block low or back dash. If 5S is used instead, it can beat back dashes while dealing much more damage, about 320 without resources and over 700 with max resources, though at the cost of losing to counters and all reversals. Note that any meaty strike can potentially lead to a guard break if the opponent chooses to block on wake-up.

Defense

Anti Air

lol lmao try pressing 5A at mid-range and maybe sometimes 4S up close. 623M is a last resort.

Conversion

Without the ability to generate white health on demand, Ranger is completely at the mercy of his opponent when it comes to utilizing Conversion. He also doesn't benefit much from its use as lacks any highs for instant overheads nor does he have neutral or offensive tools that becomes frightening when canceled. Note that Ranger's awakening is so strong that using Conversion to incur the extra 5% health loss to drop below 30% health is a trade-off worth taking.

Neutral

Used almost exclusively to protect himself from a punish when he commits to a risky option. The only exception is 4M as it not only makes using it much safer, it also allows Ranger to block the opponents abare options and punish them with the still active hitbox of 4M.

Mix-ups

With no high/low or left/right mix to speak of and easy access to hit/throw from 4M, jump-in j.B, and j.S grenade oki, Conversion is borderline useless at traditional mix-ups. Instead, it is much more effective as way to punish rolls, guard cancels, and reversals on reaction, and discouraging opponents from using them to escape Ranger's set-play.

Combo Conversions

Grants much more frequent access to grenade oki, even after his MP using combo enders 5M and j.M. Also used for minor and specific combo optimizations when trying to close out a round.

Matchups

Berserker

Berserker is a rush-down monster that also has huge range normals, allowing him to contest Ranger in his optimal spacing. Normally, when fighting characters who control mid-range as well or better than him, Ranger could hang back and use his A and B normals to zone the opponent out until the opportunity to get close presented itself. However, Berserker's 6SGuardMidStartup15RecoveryAdvantage-5 out-prioritizes Ranger's gun shots, flipping the script on who benefits from full-screen spacing. The follow-up launches the slashes forward, forcing Ranger to block or roll through it. However, it's start-up is somewhat slow requiring preemptive use to stop Ranger's projectiles so don't completely disregard them. They can also catch Berserker's sword pokes and the only time 6S can actually punish Ranger is if 5AA is used after it has already absorbed 5A. It can also be out-right beaten by Ranger's 2S so if they use it carelessly he can get a hefty punish.

Keep in mind that 5MGuardN/AStartup18RecoveryTotal 23Advantage- gives Berserker consistent access to Conversion so he can keep himself safe or extend his pressure. For example, after using 6S he can Conversion Cancel it and use j.MGuardHigh, MidStartup27RecoveryAdvantage+4 to catch Ranger if he tried to use 2S. His high damage combos, constant health loss from Frenzy and Conversions, and the massive damage boost Ranger gets from entering Awakening is a recipe for a sudden and explosive comeback. One slip-up from either fighter could cost them the round. Overall, this is a relatively even match-up.

Crusader

Crusader is a slow and bulky mid-range fighter with a full suite of defensive option; an install[[File:|130x200px]]GuardMidStartup1RecoveryAdvantage- that grants super armor, an armored reversalGuardMidStartup15RecoveryAdvantage-30, a physical counterGuardMidStartup3Recovery40Advantage-, a projectile invincible lariatGuardMidStartup15Recovery64Advantage-14, and severalGuardMidStartup20RecoveryAdvantage-6 highGuardMidStartup15RecoveryTotal 45Advantage+5 priorityGuardMidStartup15RecoveryUntil landing+15Advantage- projectilesGuardMidStartup200RecoveryAdvantage-. What might look like a tough fight on paper is in practice quite the opposite thanks to a couple of Crusader's odd quirks, his poor frame data, and his lack of true invincibility.

Crusader is the only character in the game who cannot crouch under Ranger's 5AA, which is he can spam with impunity. This is exacerbated by the high start-up and recovery of most of his moves which results in Crusader's defensive tools either being stuffed on start-up or punished severely on block or whiff. Even if he does manage to get something out, all of them have significant issues. 6S is completely invalidated by both Ranger's 2B and 2S, both of which go underneath it and can be done on reaction. 4M's single hit of armor doesn't do anything to stop both hits of 5AA. Ranger's combo structure also means that the mid-combo invulnerability of the install running out will almost never help him, instead it grants Ranger a free counter-hit starter reset. 4S is useless against the vast majority of Ranger's moves. 2S loses against Ranger's 4M (his best pressure tool), throw (his strongest mix-up during grenade oki), and 2M (which he can use on reaction to any normal being armored). That last one is particular damning as 2M can be combo'd after during grenade oki into another grenade set-up.

Even Crusader's infamous 6M can be used against him as Ranger's 6M reverses the situation, putting Crusader's back up against his own wall. To make matters worse, Crusader is very MP hungry and Ranger's Awakening Passive drastically slows down his MP regeneration while also overwhelming Crusader's own Awakening Passive with a defense debuff. Crusader better start praying because this gun-slinging devil's reading him his last rites.

As of DNF Duel's launch, Crusader has access to an easy and powerful infinite that can lead any hit into a TOD. As such, the match-up can potentially be in his favor if his pilot can pull it off consistently. This is very likely going to be patched and thus not put into consideration for this match-up.

Striker

Let's not mince words here. Striker is Ranger's worst match-up by far as her tools exploit the biggest weakness of his kit; poor abare, bad anti-airs, and a reliance on projectiles. She can dash under 5A and 5AA so 9 times out of 10 using them just gives her a free punish. She can slide under 2B with her 2S which makes any mid to close range projectile use risky (and that's not even her best tool for doing that). Has fantastic air moves (primarily instant j.S) that Ranger's poor anti-air options cannot stop without preemptive usage, a gamble that he cannot afford to take. Her reverse beat and fantastic frame data combined essentially makes her immune to Ranger's 10 frame abare options, thus only highly committal options such as roll and 2M can hope to escape her onslaught. This leads straight to her strong guard breaking abilities that can only be stopped by guard cancels, which means anytime that Ranger enters exhaustion he must either stall for time or win the neutral, otherwise he'll eat a huge amount of damage. To top it all off, her 6M shuts down all of Ranger's projectiles (i.e over half his moveset) and can true block string into 5M, which is only -3. As long as she has the MP for it, she can essentially skip neutral on demand with little risk to herself.

So is there anything going Ranger's way in this match-up? A few things, though none of them can be considered an ace up his sleeve. Striker's 2M has great vertical range but terrible horizontal range. This means that a spaced meaty 2A during grenade oki is immune to reversals which helps him maintain momentum whenever he manages to get it. He also plays a grounded poke heavy neutral game so she'll rarely ever need to anti-air him anyway. Her lack of long range pokes and high forward movement during most attacks means that Ranger's 2M fully connects most of them time. But when parts of his kit actually functioning can be considered a plus, anyone can see that this match-up leaves him up a creek without a paddle.

Navigation

Ranger

DNF Duel ^e

Click [★] for character's full frame data

Essentials
• Controls • HUD • FAQ •
The Basics
• Movement/Canceling • Offense • Defense • Gauges •
Detailed & Advanced Information
• Damage/Combo System • Frame Data & System Data • Misc •

@@ Line 42: / Line 42: @@
 ==Matchups==
 ==={{Character Label|DNFD|Berserker}}===
-Berserker is a rush-down monster that also has huge range normals, allowing him to contest Ranger in his optimal spacing. Normally, when fighting characters who control mid-range better him, Ranger could hang back and use his {{clr|1|A}} and {{clr|2|B}} normals to zone the opponent out until the opportunity to get close presented itself. However, Berserker's {{MiniMoveCard|game=DNFD|chara=Berserker|input=6S|label={{clr|3|6S}}}} out-prioritizes Ranger's gun shots, flipping the script on who benefits from full-screen spacing. The follow-up launches the slashes forward, forcing Ranger to block it. However, it's start-up is somewhat slow requiring preemptive use to stop Ranger's projectiles so don't completely disregard them. They can still catch Berserker's sword pokes and the only time {{clr|3|6S}} can actually punish Ranger is if {{clr|1|5AA}} is used after it has already absorbed {{clr|1|5A}}. It can also be out-right beaten by Ranger's {{clr|3|2S}} so if they use it carelessly he can get a hefty punish.
+Berserker is a rush-down monster that also has huge range normals, allowing him to contest Ranger in his optimal spacing. Normally, when fighting characters who control mid-range as well or better than him, Ranger could hang back and use his {{clr|1|A}} and {{clr|2|B}} normals to zone the opponent out until the opportunity to get close presented itself. However, Berserker's {{MiniMoveCard|game=DNFD|chara=Berserker|input=6S|label={{clr|3|6S}}}} out-prioritizes Ranger's gun shots, flipping the script on who benefits from full-screen spacing. The follow-up launches the slashes forward, forcing Ranger to block or roll through it. However, it's start-up is somewhat slow requiring preemptive use to stop Ranger's projectiles so don't completely disregard them. They can also catch Berserker's sword pokes and the only time {{clr|3|6S}} can actually punish Ranger is if {{clr|1|5AA}} is used after it has already absorbed {{clr|1|5A}}. It can also be out-right beaten by Ranger's {{clr|3|2S}} so if they use it carelessly he can get a hefty punish.
-Keep in mind that {{MiniMoveCard|game=DNFD|chara=Berserker|input=5M|label={{clr|4|5M}}}} gives Berserker consistent access to Conversion so he can keep himself safe or extend his pressure. For example, after using {{clr|3|6S}} he can Conversion Cancel it and use {{MiniMoveCard|game=DNFD|chara=Berserker|input=j.M|label={{clr|4|j.M}}}} to catch Ranger if he tried to use {{clr|3|2S}}. Overall, this is a relatively even match-up, if slightly in Berserker's favor.
+Keep in mind that {{MiniMoveCard|game=DNFD|chara=Berserker|input=5M|label={{clr|4|5M}}}} gives Berserker consistent access to Conversion so he can keep himself safe or extend his pressure. For example, after using {{clr|3|6S}} he can Conversion Cancel it and use {{MiniMoveCard|game=DNFD|chara=Berserker|input=j.M|label={{clr|4|j.M}}}} to catch Ranger if he tried to use {{clr|3|2S}}. His high damage combos, constant health loss from Frenzy and Conversions, and the massive damage boost Ranger gets from entering Awakening is a recipe for a sudden and explosive comeback. One slip-up from either fighter could cost them the round. Overall, this is a relatively even match-up.
 ==={{Character Label|DNFD|Crusader}}===
@@ Line 54: / Line 54: @@
 * As of DNF Duel's launch, Crusader has access to an easy and powerful infinite that can lead any hit into a TOD. As such, the match-up can potentially be in his favor if his pilot can pull it off consistently. This is very likely going to be patched and thus not put into consideration for this match-up.
+==={{Character Label|DNFD|Striker}}===
+Let's not mince words here. Striker is Ranger's worst match-up by far as her tools exploit the biggest weakness of his kit; poor abare, bad anti-airs, and a reliance on projectiles. She can dash under {{clr|1|5A}} and {{clr|1|5AA}} so 9 times out of 10 using them just gives her a free punish. She can slide under {{clr|2|2B}} with her {{clr|3|2S}} which makes any mid to close range projectile use risky (and that's not even her best tool for doing that). Has fantastic air moves (primarily instant {{clr|1|j.S}}) that Ranger's poor anti-air options cannot stop without preemptive usage, a gamble that he cannot afford to take. Her reverse beat and fantastic frame data combined essentially makes her immune to Ranger's 10 frame abare options, thus only highly committal options such as roll and {{clr|4|2M}} can hope to escape her onslaught. This leads straight to her strong guard breaking abilities that can only be stopped by guard cancels, which means anytime that Ranger enters exhaustion he must either stall for time or win the neutral, otherwise he'll eat a huge amount of damage. To top it all off, her {{clr|4|6M}} shuts down all of Ranger's projectiles (i.e over half his moveset) and can true block string into {{clr|4|5M}}, which is only -3. As long as she has the MP for it, she can essentially skip neutral on demand with little risk to herself.
+So is there anything going Ranger's way in this match-up? A few things, though none of them can be considered an ace up his sleeve. Striker's {{clr|4|2M}} has great vertical range but terrible horizontal range. This means that a spaced meaty {{clr|1|2A}} during grenade oki is immune to reversals which helps him maintain momentum whenever he manages to get it. He also plays a grounded poke heavy neutral game so she'll rarely ever need to anti-air him anyway. Her lack of long range pokes and high forward movement during most attacks means that Ranger's {{clr|4|2M}} fully connects most of them time. But when parts of his kit actually functioning can be considered a plus, anyone can see that this match-up leaves him up a creek without a paddle.
 ==Navigation==