GBVS/Ferry/Strategy

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 Ferry


General Tactics

Ferry is a setplay/zoning type character with a whip and uses her pets to set up favorable situations.

Neutral

Ferry uses her massive normals (f.M, 2M, f.H) to harass the opponent from long range and condition them to block. Each time one of her normals connect, she has the option to cancel into one of three main options: 236X, 22X(or Geegee), and 4G/Dodge. This sets up her basic RPS game at long range. 236X prevents opponents from pressing buttons and moving forwards, while 22X stops jumping and forces a response from her opponent. Sitting still against Geegee is a free in for Ferry. Using Geegee does not come without risks. Its long startup can leave it vulnerable to fast advancing moves and pre-emptive pokes (which are stopped by 236X, creating the RPS).

Playing neutral at closer to half screen gives Ferry access to her f.L, an incredible checking tool. It's blazingly fast at only 8 frame startup and can be cancelled into 214L and 236X moves. Playing at this range comes with the disadvantage of being too close to safely use Geegee, but typically she's close enough to run up and establish pressure on her own. Each of Ferry's poking normals are useful in different situations so you must pick which normal you use very carefully.

f.L

This is Ferry's go-to button to check an advancing opponent. It fills a ton of space while having relatively low recovery, letting her safely stop opponents dashing at her carelessly. Can be cancelled into 214L or 214H for a combo on hit and frame trap on block.

f.M

Much bigger than f.L at the cost of being 10 frame startup instead of 8. Can be low profiled or rolled through but is Ferry's main midscreen poke outside of f.L range.

f.H

Shares similar reach to f.M, but slower at 14 frames. The main advantages this normal has over f.M is that it will combo into 236L on counterhit and its higher clash level can let it win where f.M would clash or lose.

2M

Ferry's biggest low and almost an intermediary normal between f.M and f.H. 12 frames of startup means it's on the slower side, but it hits low and stops rolls. Its lower hitbox means it is easier to jump over.

2U

If 2M is the low complement to f.M, then this is the low complement to f.L. Pretty fast for its reach at 10 frames and also very rewarding on hit, giving Ferry a hard knockdown to work with.

236X

Most often used as a cancel. Completely disjointed unlike Ferry's normals, letting it beat mashing at a distance. Won't combo from any of Ferry's far normals without a counterhit, except f.H > 236H at slightly closer than round start distance. Don't use this move frivolously, especially the H version. If she doesn't have this available, her opponent has no reason to respect her far normals. Cancelling into 236X is not a true blockstring and due to the high recovery, allows opponents who are prepared to roll and punish the cancel.

I really want to emphasize here that strong opponents will roll your 236X on reaction if you use it in blockstrings and punish you for it. Use it sparingly as it's a very bad habit that will get you killed at higher levels of gameplay

22X

This is what people are really afraid of in neutral. Ferry should only be throwing this out if her opponent has been conditioned to block, as big pokes or advancing special moves will blow it up. It can be used to pre-emptively stop jumps, but a dedicated AA is better served for that. Getting this out in neutral means the opponent has to do something about it, lest they get pinned down and Ferry gets in. Worst case scenario, you are able to walk up behind it to take space. Your opponent is forced to do something, which is exactly what Ferry wants.

214X

214L and 214H are ferry's best frame trap tools and safe blockstring enders in up close pressure. The pushback from 214H especially is perfect for resetting to neutral and deals a good amount of chip damage. Both versions will combo off a f.L and frame trap off most of her normals. They will also true blockstring off autocombo if done immediately and frame trap if delay cancelled. 214M is a situational frame trap option against opponents who like to press a button late. The startup is high enough that you can be mashed on, so only use when you have a good read on your opponent's timing.

j.8U/j.7U

Ghostswing allows Ferry to reposition in the air. j.8U allows Ferry to take an airborne approach from almost fullscreen. j.7U lets her make space quickly and/or fake out j.8U. Her air normals comolement Ghostswing quite well. j.L lets her change her jump arc with relatively low committment. j.M is a great ranged air-to-air which can stop opponents jumping to challenge her. j.H is best used against grounded opponents thanks to its angle and high blockstun.

j.4U/j.5U/j.6U

More than just a Dhalsim reference, her Drills let her alter her jump arc in combination with Ghostswing. If spaced to hit at an opponent's toes they can also be quite plus on block, but it's very hard to get a combo on hit.

Nothing

Not a move, but it is important as a zoner to understand the power of not pressing a button. The onus is often on your opponent to make something happen and approach. Players will roll, jump, or run at you to get in and waiting and reacting to which option they choose is often the best strategy for scoring hits.

Anti Airs

Ferry struggles more than most characters to anti air due to having a very slow and air-blockable 2H. As such, she is forced to use a variety of different options depending on the spacing of her opponent's jump.

623H is her premier anti air option. It covers a very large horizontal and vertical space and is her only air-unblockable move that hits high above her. However, using this move means giving up her only reversal. It is often still worth it due to the power and reliability. Opponents that are quick to press jump in attacks or are using moves that lock them into attacking such as Seox or Beelzebub's divekick can be anti aired using 623L. This gives a worse knockdown and does less damage, but saves a very important cooldown while being fast, reliable, and safe. Do note that both the L and M versions of her 623L are air-blockable so it will give the opponent a chance to run offense if they block it, especially if the move is done late.

Against most far jump-ins, 2H is Ferry's main anti-air. It leads to decent reward on hit as it can be special canceled, primarily into 236H/L, or 236M on counterhit. Closer jump-ins make things more difficult for her, as 2H is only really built to cover the 35 degree angle from her head. It is also air-blockable and minus on block at most heights. Usually off a blocked 2H, special cancelling into 5U is one of her stronger options, giving her good chip, meter gain, and space creation.

Closer jump ins that go past 2H can be anti-aired using cl.M. It is air-unblockable and hits slightly above her, making it very useful vs deep jump in attacks. It is also very rewarding on counterhit, comboing into c.H 236H.

Another potent anti-air option not to be overlooked is Ferry's air throw. Opponents who are overly respectful of 2H are vulnerable to being air thrown. This tactic is especially potent when combined with a geegee on screen, as good timing on the geegee release will score you a full combo at the right spacing.

Jump ins can also be stopped using 22L. While very low reward on hit, getting a geegee on screen for free and forcing your opponent to block it is valuable and gives a big advantage in the subsequent neutral interaction.

One option vs opponents that like to jump at far spacings outside the range of moves like 623H is a late f.M or f.H. These moves are air-unblockable and can be timed to punish opponents trying to gain space by jumping and blocking outside Ferry's traditional anti-air range. f.M f.H and c.M can also garner increased reward using rush to convert. fM > rush > 236H for example sets up your oki game. Just be aware that there are ranges of fM and fH where rush will whiff.

Lastly, Ferry's 236236H super can be used as a high reward anti air. Even if the opponent blocks the ball, it will suspend them in air allowing you to get a free hit with c.M or 623H and get good damage. You can also do a true unblockable by timing a c.H to catch them as they fall to the ground, though the timing for this is tricky and requires practice.

Defense

Ferry's c.L and 2L are both 6 frames, one frame slower than average. They also don't offer much frame advantage on block. Outside her jabs, Ferry has 623H as an invincible reversal alongside her SSBA. It should be noted that 623H is on the slower side, making it easier to meaty than other reversals. Her jabs being 6 frames also means that they will lose to tick throws due to how throw invul works. Outside close spacings f.L is a very good tool to check opponent's who want to repressure as it has great range and only 8 frame startup.

Blockstrings

Ferry's main goal up close is to push her opponent out (and ideally towards the corner). Once she gets out of close normal range she can start to bully opponents with her f.L, but she also has several options up close to make her opponent respect her offense.

Frame Traps
  • c.H > c.M (c.H is +3, though the high pushback makes tick throws impractical)
  • c.H > c.H (this frame trap is a 6 frame gap. Due to the high pushback, only Soriz, Ladiva, and (Avatar) Belial will be able to successfully mash in between the gap and not have it whiff)
  • c.H > 214M
  • c.M > c.L (not great but it's there)
  • f.L > 214L/236L (forces respect of f.L)

In most cases, if you can't open your opponent up with a frame trap, the best option is to push them out with autocombo into 214L or 214H. Having your tick throw teched means you're about in f.L range (and late tech means you're in).

Okizeme

For those unfamiliar, Okizeme refers to attacking your opponent as they recover from a combo. Ferry in particular focuses on Okizeme due to the mixup potential given to you with geegee and her install. The core of her gameplan revolves around knocking down your opponent, setting geegee on top of them with and then threatening to either hit them with an instant overhead using j.L or a low with 2L2L 2M or 2U

Your core, basic okizeme setup is: 236L/H > 4X > 22H > j.L/2L2L video example

This setup is simple, but extremely effective. The high option is safe to most reversals and is unmashable and if done correctly a true unreactable 50/50 (For reversals that cannot be avoided this way, see matchup section for specific notes on how to play around them).. You can combo into this setup off any far counterhit (except fL) or any close normal into autocombo.

It's important to note for many of these setups that you will have to "negative edge" geegee. This is done by holding down a button (usually the skill button) and then releasing it right before you want geegee to go off. This gives you control of the timing for when geegee activates and allows you to vary when you go for the overhead or low option.

The major downside to the 22H oki is that it spends both your 236X and your 22X cooldown, meaning that you no longer get to run your setup for a short time. To get around this you can use a 22L setup that saves your cooldown, but is less consistent and can be mashed on. 236L > 4L > 22L > 2L > cl.LL > j.L/2M video example To deal with players who mash against this setup, use cLL > 214L instead of going for the overhead or low to frame trap them see example


On both the 22H and the 22L setups mentioned above, you can throw opponents into geegee with a well timed activation. Use this to open up opponents who block too much or ones who use parry style reversals such as Seox, Lowain, or Anre.

In the corner, your options open up considerably for how you want to set up your oki. Ferry's 236X and 214H both push her far enough back to be able to throw 22L and have it land on your opponent as they are waking up, creating an extremely powerful situation. Experiment with options such as 22L > walk forward > 2U > activate geegee or 22L > walk forward > jL to keep your opponent guessing. Even if the mix is unsuccessful you will have them locked down in the corner with plus frames and can run standard strike throw pressure after. You can increase the power of this mixup by performing a rush on a slight delay after the 22L. This, along with a properly timed negative edge activation can completely lock your opponent out of any reversal and give you an unreactable 50/50 mixup. The timing to get this perfect is tricky and you will need to use cL rather than a cH after landing from the overhead.

Ferry's best okizeme option possible is 236M 4M > 2U > 22H (or 22L to save cooldown but be slightly less potent). This setup is safe to nearly every reversal in the game on the high option and is extremely difficult for your opponent to escape without just guessing correctly. 236M is difficult to route into, but generally can be done off a successful mix if your timing is quick enough.


Install gives another powerful okizeme tool. You can go for an instant overhead by doing jL > j4U > combo

There are wide variety of routing options in install, but generally you want to end your sequence using 2U, especially midscreen, to maintain okizeme. An example would be this clip:

https://twitter.com/NecroUndine/status/1225298213239971841?s=19

In the clip, ferry uses 2U to end a combo, and then superjump > j.H to safejump. Afterwards, use j.L or 2L for mixup and convert accordingly. The combo section of this guide contains notation on some basic, high damage routes that install gives you.


Playing Around Reversals

Your main way to play around dps is the previously mentioned overhead setup or 9j.L setup. 236H 4H > 22H > 9j.L This sequence will give you an instant, unmashable overhead that avoids the hitbox of most dps and will often give you a modest punish afterwards https://twitter.com/ForestsOfMars/status/1616883594059984898?s=20. This works on all dps except for Charlotta, Avatar Belial and Yuel (also Beelzebub even though it's not technically a dp functions the same).

The next class of reverals are parries. These options will always beat your overhead but are vulnerable to throws. Characters with parries include Anre, Seox, Lowain, and Narmaya (in one of her two modes). For Narmaya, you can use a low option as the parry does not protect against lows. For Lowain, you are able to react to the parry activation. This lets you do a setup with 236X 4X > 22L > meaty (triggers parry) > 623H > release geegee to score a full combo https://twitter.com/ForestsOfMars/status/1616884609194790912?s=20. Even without this setup, you can dodge against his parry to maintain offense.

Lancelot has a unique reversal that telports to the top of the screen. This can be beaten by using a 22L setup and then reacting (or OSing) the teleport up with air throw which combos into geegee https://twitter.com/ForestsOfMars/status/1616885565387075584?s=20.

Roll can be used to escape the overhead setup, but loses to lows and also meatys and also just waiting and reacting. Score massive damage on players who like to use roll with counter hit cl.H.

Rush is an often used option to escape Ferry pressure, but it is only invulnerable starting on frame 3. Just meaty players who like to do this and get a huge counter hit combo.

Backshift is a powerful escape option. This can be OS'd by using a 236X 4X > 22L setup and then pressing 2L > 6L > (if they backshift) rush. If they backshift the 6L becomes a f.L and allows you to link into rush and that into geegee activation for a full combo on reaction. https://twitter.com/ForestsOfMars/status/1616892938696679425?s=20

Most supers are slow enough to be safe jabbed with cl.L and many can be jumped over with the 9j.L setup.

Overdrive can be reacted to if you are using a meaty cl.L and also loses to the instant overhead as it will whiff. If a player likes to overdrive prioritize going for the overhead option off 236H 4H 22H for huge reward.


Matchup Information

General Information

Ferry has a tougher time almost instantly if your opponent has a projectile. As well Ferry's anti airs can be a bit lacking so learning how to use Shortcut Skill DP as an anti air is important to maintaining neutral control.

Matchup Chart

 Ferry 5:5 The mirror match boils down to whoever gets a lead first. Then the leading Ferry can play patient and force the opposing Ferry to approach and utilize highly committal options.
 Gran 5.5:4.5 Be careful when pressing buttons near the corner, Gran will use his Power Raise or Override Surge and convert into massive damage on counterhit. Patience and using her DP is essential to escape his pressure. At longer ranges, abuse your pokes and don't let him rush in on you with his advancing specials without punishing him. Notably, his overdrive surge goes over your 2M and 2U, so be very careful when using them, especially with your back to the wall.
 Lancelot 4:6 Ferry needs to control the pace of this match to avoid letting Lancelot getting in or else the match can get very difficult. If Lancelot gets in on Ferry it is very difficult for her to get out and if he baits her EXP DP the round will be significantly harder to win. 66H from Lancelot can sometimes be used as a skip neutral tool because it is fairly fast, can tag Ferry as she tries to control neutral with some of her buttons, and at certain ranged can be plus. The best option for Ferry in this regard is to 2U or EX DP his 66H while 2U is best at mid range and EX DP is best at further ranges. Ferry can cover a few options with her DP when he jumps in but due to his j.U, Ferry's weak anti air, and her L and M DP being air blockable, it can make anti airing Lancelot difficult if he knows the matchup. Ferry’s sweep is really good at close-mid range, especially since that trading with it is advantageous for her and recovers very fast. The main issue lies when Lancelot gets in as his offense is extremely oppressive against Ferry. Because Ferry's close range normals are on the slower side, lancelot's pressure(c.M, 214X rekka, f.M, 2L, 2M) can be very difficult to deal with when properly space and utilized due to her fastest far normal being 8 frames. Overall, the risk-reward is heavily skewed in Lancelot's favor in most situations. The one advantage Ferry has is she can OS his 22H reversal and throw him into Geegee for a full combo. This OS is done using 236X 4X > 22L > cl.L 9L+U. If Lancelot does his 22H reversal he will be airthrown into geegee for a full combo. Stay patient and you can either take risks or try and get a read on what your opponent is going to do next when he gets overly committal with his pressure.
 Percival 5:5 Percy is a very strong character, but Ferry has the tools to deal with him. Respect the range on his far reaching moves and play the zoning game patiently. Try to stick within f.H range to avoid letting him get free charges as this will make neutral much harder and give him a huge damage increase on the hits he manages to score.
 Katalina 5:5 Watch out for Katalina's f.H, it will beat your pokes because it's faster than most of your ranged options and it's active frames will crush their extended hurtboxes. Your only real answer outside of 236X is 2M or 2U to try to go under it. She also has a DP that cannot be jumped past in most setups, which adds another layer to your setups. There's no way around this option other than to bait it most of the time. Still, Katalina suffers somewhat in this matchup as her ideal range to keep opponents at is even better for Ferry. Play the standard footsies game and use your superior oki and range to win out.
 Metera 4.5:5.5 Metera's speed, projectiles, and air mobility make this a tough matchup. Play patient and approach slowly. Metera lacks any metered reversals and has relatively slow buttons so you need to take advantage once you score a knockdown.
 Ladiva 6:4 Ladiva is slow and susceptible to Ferry's zoning tools. Ferry players can normally have a field day with Ladiva players that are inexperienced with the matchup due to her long range pokes.

If the Ferry player is using 2M, 5M, 5H a lot Ladiva can sometimes use superjump and jump to try and get closer to Ferry or force a more favorable situation. Be careful of Ladiv'a 2U as this button will crush nearly all your options. She can be easily punished if this move is blocked though so force the Ladiva player to be afraid of throwing this out.

At mid range most Ferry players should want to try and be careful or use 2U > 214L/H to generate space. Ferry's DP is a powerful tool for defending against Ladiva's oppressive strike throw game. On the other hand Ladiva has no real way of dealing with Ferry's okizeme besides super which can be safejumped similar to many dps.

Ladiva players that are willing to take risks can get big payoff to at least make the Ferry player rethink their options. Ladiva hitting a random counter hit f.H into EX lariat(214H) can swing a round more than a lot of poking Ferry can do.

 Charlotta 4:6 Considered one of Ferry's hardest matchups. Charlotta has great tools to rush past ferry's zoning, her jump arc is difficult to reaction anti-air, and her dp cannot be jump passed with any oki setup. You will have to bait her into using her options poorly and take advantage when her cooldowns are down to win this matchup.
 Zeta 6:4 Zeta lacks a good reversal option and is thus extremely vulnerable to your mix. If she tries to parry your overhead setup geegee will lock her in place allowing you to score a free combo. Ferry is also uniquely able to contest Zeta when she does her retreating spear thrust thanks to the range on f.M.
 Vaseraga 5.5:4.5 Vaserage is slow, has a poor jump arc, and no meterless reversal; a perfect recipe for Ferry to take advantage. The most important thing in neutral is making sure you keep within striking distance and save your 236X cooldown to avoid letting him get armor. Without armor, this matchup is very difficult to navigate for Vaseraga, but armor gives him a chance to get in close and pressure you. Tackle is also a very good tool vs Ferry as it will crush your buttons and give Vaserage plus frames on block. Learn to HDP this move on reaction to deny him an in. Your goal is to keep Vaseraga at the tip of fM range at all times.
 Lowain 5:5 Lowain's 2U is a phenomenal button against Ferry due to how it crushes or low profiles all her normals. Make liberal use of j.5U to beat it. Lowain is fast and will run away and try to setup his summons, but with good patience you can gain space and kill the summons before they have a chance to lock you down. Lowain's reversal is a unique parry that can be avoided on reaction after it is triggered. This not only allows you to throw him during your oki setups, but also adds a unique new setup option to counter his parry. 236X 4X > 22L > meaty (triggers parry) > 623H > release geegee. This setup will allow you to react to the parry activation and counter it with your hdp, launching lowain into geegee and giving you a full combo.
 Beelzebub 4.5:5.5 Ferry struggles against Beelzebub's divekick. Playing reactively and punishing his teleports with cl.L and his divekicks with 623H will allow you to navigate neutral. His reversal is also very difficult to play around and will usually require a good read.
 Narmaya 5:5 Ferry has the tools to keep narmaya away, but struggles once she's in. The most important thing to note for running oki on Narmaya is to look at her cooldowns to see which stance she is in. Her traditional DP can be avoided using the jump past technique (236H 4H > 22H j.9L) discussed earlier. Her other reversal is a parry that cannot be avoided with the overhead, but is vulnerable to lows and throws. You should be noting which stance she is in on every knockdown and adjusting your decision making accordingly.
 Djeeta 5:5 Ferry is one of the better characters at keeping Djeeta away. The only struggle with this matchup for Ferry is the raw damage output of Djeeta's H rekka series. Aside from that, this is a standard matchup and one that would probably be Ferry favored.
 Soriz 5:5 Soriz is incredibly potent against Ferry once up close, but he struggles to get there. His reversal 5U only becomes invulnerable after a few frames, allowing Ferry to run her mix without fear. If he does use his 5U against your instant overhead geegee will lock him into the animation giving you a free throw. Play wisely around his M lariat and don't let him get those plus frames for free!
 Zooey 5:5 Ferry struggles against Zooey's L dragon throw and her air lasers in neutral. Zooey similarly struggles with Ferry's pokes and her oki game due to lacking a good reversal. Get the lead early and maintain it.
 Belial 4.5:5.5 Belial has great speed, an amazing jump-in, great grounded pokes, incredible up close pressure, an incredibly difficult to deal with fireball, good damage, and a dp that will completely disrupt some mix setups. He also can 5U in reaction to your 236X for a free knockdown. Smart reads on your opponent's habits and patient zoning are the key to winning this one.
 Vira 4.5:5.5 Vira can struggle with Ferry's zoning at first, but once she gets into install mode, it is more difficult to do so. Her install pressure and damage is oppressive if you let her get in on you. Keep her locked down and take advantage of your oki before she is able to get 100 meter and activate Luminiera form.
 Avatar Belial 6:4 Avatar Belial has some of the same strengths in the matchup that Belial does (amazing DP, great movement, good pokes) but lacks the oppressive up close pressure and the one-of-a-kind fireball that regular Belial has. His projectiles are non-threatening and can be easily dodged. Air laser is especially vulnerable to being dodged as it can be punished with f.H if you are within range. The most important thing to note in this matchup is that he has multiple dive-in options including a command grab. Make sure you are reacting to these dive ins with a DP, but do not be baited into using it early as Avatar Belial can cancel his fly and punish if you do so.
 Cagliostro 5.5:4.5 Cagliostro really struggles with Ferry's midrange pokes. She also has no meterless reversal so you are free to run your mix game with little risk. The only saving grace for the Cag player is that Ferry struggles to deal with Cag's evasive air options. Play slow and be ready to react to her teleports to deny her up close pressure.
 Yuel 4.5:5.5 Yuel has incredible speed and can easily take advantage of Ferry's poor options up close. Deny her from getting in at all costs.
 Seox 4:6 Seox divekick, and air fireball are incredible tools for winning neutral against Ferry. Make sure you understand how to play around his 5U (press f.M to stop him from teleporting to the clone) and how to deal with his rekka series (fuzzy mash is a strong layer 1 option here). This matchup is tough but far from unwinnable. (Shuaboo told me Ferry wins the matchup cuz Seox can't punish 22L throw in neutral, but idk he's just scarred from fighting so many Japanese Ferrys).
 Eustace 6:4 Eustace has no meterless reversal, his up close pressure is quite manageable, and he is unable to safely zone inside of f.H range. Grenades are the only tricky part of the matchup, but once you understand how to play around them (don't forget about j.5U!) this matchup becomes Ferry favored.
 Anre 5:5 His parry is a strong tool against your mix game. Incorporate throw more often to discourage and play around this option. Each of you has the range to poke at the other so be patient.

Further Resources

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