GGACR/Johnny/Strategy

General Tactics

The Quick and Dirty:

How do I hit them?: Use your long range to either out-poke characters with inferior range, or to chase down and pressure zoning characters. Use mist cancels in combination with strong pokes to hit opponents who attempt to escape your pressure. Use throws and TK Ensenga to compliment your counter-poke game, and use coins to either continue pressure or give you more close range mixup/poke opportunities.

What do I do once I hit them?: Combo into coins to improve your mist finer level for future damage output, spend tension to improve damage, combo into 1 hit ensenga for mist setups or re-coins, or end in knockdown for setups / oki.

Offense

Most of what Johnny does is +, so while you may not have amazing mixup potential, you excel at punishing players for attempting to escape or counterattack improperly. Walk forward after mist cancels, and continue harassing them with properly placed normals if they attempt to mash you out. Sneak in dash-ins if they respect your pokes too much, for extra pressure. Use coins or Killer Joker FRC to maintain air-tight or semi-airtight pressure.

Against opponents who try to jump out of pressure, use well timed 5H, High Mist Finer, or coins. Killer Joker FRC can be used to continue gapless repressure, and can also catch jump start up if timed correctly. Midscreen, you can try to chase them down with (dash) 6K, 5H, etc, and in the corner, Air Throw is an invaluable tool for cutting off their escape routes in the air (often utilizing Super Jump or double jump).

Move breakdown

6K: Low profile and moves you forward and + if mist cancelled. Stagger / cancel into Coin gives you good frame traps and combos on hit. Great for punishing lots of desperate backdashes, jumps, or pokes. A good move to use to get back in but very vulnerable to sweeps and other low profile moves. If FD'd, this move doesn't put you very close to them, so be aware of that.

5K: Jump cancellable and -2 on block, but has great range for its speed! Generally gatling this into 2S, c.S/f.S, 5H, or 2D to continue pressure. Mainly used as pressure starter.

2K: +2 on block and a low makes this a great tool for frame trapping. Especially on characters where 2D CH leads to a full combo! Very good for meaty'ing due to its fast recovery frames, 2K can be a good way to start your offence when you want to stay in. String to c.S, or delay into 2S, 2D, or 3H for a CH. Recover and 5H is also a decent option.

f.S: One of your primary pokes, f.S has amazing range. Be careful that it doesn't whiff over their crouching hitbox, and it will also go over many character's forward dashes / low profile moves. Use this move to punish attempted counterattacks while walking forward, as many characters do not have strong equivalent's to this moves range/speed. If blocked, you can gatling into 6H, or mist cancel.

5H: Huge hitbox, use this move to catch people jumping, or similarly to f.S, to mist cancel and maintain advantage. Better +frame than f.S, it also racks more guard bar than f.S as well, though much worse on block. It has less of a deadzone than f.S as well, though it will still lose to moves like Grand Viper.

2S: Slower, less +, and less range than f.S, 2S is primarily used as one of the few ways to stuff out low profile moves that throw a wrench into Johnny's plan, such as Testament 2H, I-no's Stroke the Big Tree, etc. It also functions as one of your primary lows, with longer range than 2K. Use this to keep them honest / punish people for blocking high / holding up back. It also functions as a good meaty.

3H: Similar to 2S, this move is great for beating out low profile attacks, as well as for safely dealing with DP's from a distance, but is much slower. Racks up a TON of guard bar, but puts you far from the opponent. It has as much frame advantage as 5H, making it very nice if you are able to get them blocking it close enough. Just be aware of how much pushback it has as well as it's vulnerability to FD due to its multihit nature.

6H: Similar to 5H, but with farther reach and slower startup. Due to it's range, 6H is often used as your only attack option if you're out of f.S range, and can be used to compliment dash-in f.S. It's also jump cancellable! Can also be used as a strong way to punish counterattacks if used properly. Just don't whiff this move.

Killer Joker Transport -> Killer Joker: One of the best ways to punish players who mash backdash / jump after 5H or other strings, KJ is also one of your main tools for forcing re-pressure, as it is often airtight. Use j.K > j.D or j.H > j.D afterwards to continue on block. Be aware that if they do not block high, your air moves may whiff their crouching hitbox. Delay your jump in normal and punish them in this case.

Coin: Cancelling into Coin will usually allow you a free dash in, giving you an extra chance at tick throws or more pressure games. Common strings are 5H > Coin, f.S > Coin, 2D > Coin, 6K > Coin

Up Coin: Really good in the corner especially for stopping them from jumping, as well as great for stuffing certain air techs. Works really great for your (tick) throw game as well, and will cause a lot of players to twitch when you throw it. Because of the ambiguity of it, situations like [Corner] 5H > Up Coin > 2S (hit them trying something) > Coin hits > etc, tend to occur, leading to nice confirms.

Divine Blade: Best used as a way to punish throws, or continue pressure with an FRC.

Neutral

Johnny's neutral game is very dependent on his limited movement. It's important to vary the way you move, as your movement dictates your spacing, which dictates what poke range you're at. Focus on using wavedashing, jumpcancelling your dash, and varying backdashes / other movement to be sure your opponents cannot freely anticipate when you are going to be standing still.

Another fundamental issue with Johnny's neutral game is learning how to deal with your dead zones. Moves like f.S, 5K, and even 5H/6H can whiff against a variety of low profile moves, and f.S will whiff over many crouchers / forward runs. Preventing yourself from whiffing normals is one of the primary goals of mastering Johnny's spacing game. Learn the pros and cons of each normal and understand them. Be especially wary of opponents who use FD dash or other means of abruptly changing their movement.

5K: Primary close range poke.

6P: Your primary anti air. Punish people for jumping / iad'ing recklessly at you. It's also useful as a counterpoke due to its upper body inv, allowing you to deal with moves like Ky or Faust f.S, or Slayer's Mappa. Also can be used to go through Stunedge.

f.S: One of your primary pokes due to your range. Just make sure it doesn't whiff. Great after backdashing to punish.

2S: Will not be beaten by low profile, making it a very useful tool against characters who can simply run under f.S, such as Sol.

j.S: Due to it's amazing range, j.S can be an incredible tool for getting an opponent to block at neutral as it's hard to anti-air if spaced correctly. Strong as an anti-air as well, this move is very good for chasing people with, or protecting your air retreat.

6H: A great way to punish an opponent for whiffing or incorrectly spacing their pokes.

Coin: Generally good for you on trade, coin stays out a while and covers a good amount of ground, usually resulting in forcing the opponent to block. Coin can be a very useful way to force your way in, but at the cost of spending coins. Has lots of character specific usages for beating pokes / moves.

Up Coin: Like normal Coin, Up Coin is good for temporarily gaining a lot of spacial advantage. Especially effective for characters who try and approach or contain you from the air. Also effective when you anticipate a move that extends or moves the opponent forward (like pot's Hammerfall), throwing an Upcoin in advance can be a good idea to either create hesitation or to hit them out of the move. Often times it will be necessary to FD the move in question to push the opponent to a range where the Upcoin will connect, but this is something that can be trained over time. It makes fighting against characters that like to poke at mid range in particular easier to deal with.

Divine Blade: One of your primary anti-anti-airs, this move is great for forcing opponents to block (if you can FRC it), or for punishing opponents for mindlessly 6P'ing you.

Killer Joker: Like divine blade, a strong anti-anti-air, though it can clash rather than win, unlike Divine Blade. However, the reward off of it if FRC'd is great. It's also much faster, giving you a good way to deal with anti airs such as rising j.P/K, or airthrow. It's also a good way to alter your trajectory, giving you an extra air option, which can help you get in against zoners or protect vulnerable air movement.

Airthrow: Johnny's superjump is very good due to how high he jumps, so Airthrowing is a very effective option even if they are quite high up. A very reliable anti-air if timed, airthrowing is an essential tool to utilize. Leads to knockdown, and mist / combos / coin in the corner.

Defense

2H: At 5f startup, it's as fast as your 5P or 2P, but with much better range. On Counterhit, you can combo for free if they don't shake - otherwise RC to followup. It's -16 on block, but gatlings to 5D. Won't combo, but gatling'ing to 5D can make it slightly safer. Use this move to beat out opponents who stagger or re-dash at you. Just be careful of getting baited, as it's CH the entire time, and horrible on whiff, making it extremely easy to punish.

5P: Can be used as a fast anti-air for opponents who like to airdash over you a lot.

5K: Johnny lift's his foot up, allowing him to go over some pokes such as Slayer 2K, Axl 2K/2D, etc, giving 5K some character specific use when defending.

Coin: Useful for its ability to at least trade even in disadvantagous positions, the angle of coin is good for covering an opponent who's attempting to re-dash at you or stagger. In addition, its trajectory gives it some use as an anti air as well, particularly against air dashes. Just be sure they don't run under it.

Super: One of his only defensive options, Johnny's super is great if it works, not so great if it doesn't. Loses to a lot of low profile moves such as various sweeps, as well as various upper body inv moves like misc 6P's. It's hitbox also does not extend behind him, allowing some characters to simply move forward if they're right in front of you with certain moves, like Jam's 6H. Be aware of super's weakness, and use it if you feel it necessary. However at 50% tension, it's a big gamble.

Blockstrings

Some basic blockstrings to get you started:

5K > 5H (MC): where most people will start out. Good on block, and your basic bnb starter. Pushes you out, and ideally you'd like to block confirm after 5K instead. Also weak to FD. Regardless, still a recommended starting point

2K: +2, low, fast recovery. A great way to start off pressure. Delay cancel to 2S or 2D for a very tight frame trap, or recover then 5K/2K/5H for a strong punish or repressure. Note that 2K > 2D is particularly good when its a character where 2D(CH) > Coin > f.S/5H will combo. Only disadvantages are its difficulty to hit confirm off the single hit, and poor reward as a starter (prorates)

2K > c.S: ends at +3, and still keeps you close. No delay cancel window on c.S, though, so you must recover. The extra hit gives you more time to confirm the situation, though.

6K (MC) > 5K/f.S/5H/2D: strong frame trap to force opponents to respect pressure after 6K.

6K or 5H > Coin: automatically frame traps almost anything. Most opponents just have to hold this. Very good against opponents who try and stop you from redashing or 6K'ing a lot in pressure.

f.S > 6H: usually thrown out when you think they might get CH by f.S (hitconfirming f.S into MC or 6H is unrealistic generally). Pushes you very far out, but you do have options from 6H if need be (iad, KJ, coin, etc)

Okizeme

Meaty OS options The following is a table for option selecting after Bachus Sigh setups to play around reversal options such as Backdash, DP, etc. Note that you can generally use a spaced 3H to autobait most DPs. Meaty 3H will also catch backdashes with less than 13 frames of invulnerability, but the timing will vary. Faster backdashes require earlier 3H timing.

Character	Meaty with	Beats	Loses to	Notes
A.B.A	2K or 5K	Danzai, FB Danzai, Goku Moroha		2K > 2S or 2K > 2D to catch backdash.
Anji Mito	2K > 2S (Hitstop OS)	H Fuujin, Backdash	Low Guardpoint	Input this as 2K > 2S > 2S (add an extra 2S input in between your normal 2K 2S timing)
Axl Low
Baiken
Bridget
Chipp Zanuff
Dizzy
Eddie
Faust	3H, c.S > 5H	FB Chop	Super
I-No	2P > 5K (Hitstop OS)	VCL, Super, Stroke, Backdash		2P has 3 active frames, need to meaty with 2nd or 3rd frame to block Super.
Jam Kuradoberi	2K > 2D (Hitstop OS)	Parry, DP, Backdash	Carded DP
Johnny	6P	Super		Callout vs Wakeup Super but you won't be able to catch backdash.
Justice	5K > 5H (Hitstop OS)	623K, Michael Sword, Backdash		Input as 5K > 5K+H
Kliff Undersn	2K or 5K	Lean Back (214P), Super		If he performs Lean back followup (chop), it is a straight forward punish (-11). If he doesn't, there is lockout window during Lean Back recovery where he cannot perform chop and are punishable by 5K. You can also throw the lean back, but risk getting hit by an accurately timed chop, making it a bit of a game of chicken.
Ky Kiske	2K	623S/H, Ride the Lightning, Backdash
May
Millia Rage
Order-Sol	2K	623H All levels
Potemkin	5K > 5H (Hitstop OS)	Pot Buster, Backdash, Super		Input as 5K > 5K+H
Robo-Ky	2K	623H Level 1	623H Level2/3
Slayer
Sol Badguy	very meaty 2K	623H, 623S, Tyrant Rave
Testament
Venom
Zappa	2K	Centipede (236P), Super

Up Coin Okizeme Johnny's Up Coin can create strong situations with relatively low risk for Johnny, since the coin will not disappear if Johnny is hit. A meaty Up Coin can be used in a "wait and see" style approach to play around Reversal options. Simply Up Coin, downback, and wait for the coin to connect before continuing pressure, keeping you safe from DPs etc. Layering an Up Coin to hit late after wakeup, on the other hand, creates opportunities for throws and more. Some scenarios it's particularly useful for are:

- Midscreen: While Up Coin is on screen, proximity guard will prevent an opponent from walking backwards, which, in conjunction with the threat of the Coin itself, allows for relatively safe ways to set up throw attempts.

A few examples of things you can do with the Upcoin midscreen include the following:

  - Upcoin, dash throw/low/TK Ensenga
  - Upcoin, bait jump/backdash with 6K, high mist finer, 6H, etc.
  - Upcoin, bait 2P/2D mash to beat dash throw, 6H instead and kill them

- Corner: Up Coin post-knockdown is most commonly seen in the corner, as backdash no longer becomes a strong option. Otherwise, it is similar to the midscreen scenario.

Examples of common scenarios in the corner include, but aren't limited to:

  - Upcoin, meaty 2S, 3H to catch jump/backdash (2S > 5H will combo into the Coin for a solid conversion even at Level 1)
  - Upcoin, meaty 2S, Upcoin again, 2K 3H
  - Upcoin, walk forward, dash throw/low/TK Ensenga
  - Upcoin, walk forward, wait, react to opponent's commitment and punish

The double edged sword of Upcoin is that the scenarios it creates are highly interactive. Obviously, Sol and anyone with a DP has a built-in answer to Upcoin that you will have to bait. On the flip side, Baiken really hates being knocked down against Johnny because of this move, and she's in good company with much of the cast. Finding ways to coerce the opponent to act in ways that makes it easier for you to hit them is the essence of Johnny's offense, and this move in particular is incredibly good for doing that.

DB FRC Okizeme DB FRC in the corner is another solid okizeme option for Johnny. After the FRC, you can do falling j.H into a few different options that can potentially mix up an opponent up.

  -Ensenga for an overhead - If performed low enough, can result in a meterless combo.
  -2S for a low option

Tips and Tricks

Mist Cancel

Essential Johnny technique.

Observe: 5H on block is -16, punishable by many characters. When Mist Canceled, it becomes +7. Better than safe, it's advantage!

How to Mist Cancel

Do a move that is special cancelable.
Special cancel in to a Mist Finer.
Hold button to stay in Mist Stance.
While holding button, press H to Stance Cancel (Note: Holding the button when mist cancelling is not mandatory as of Accent Core. If H is inputted during the window of mist stance startup, it will cancel at the first possible frame. However, if H is not inputted during that window, the actual Mist Finer will come out. While this technique makes it easier to perform the fastest possible mist cancelling, it is much easier to make a mistake. Thus, it is recommended to hold the button unless you have a good grasp of the timing and have good execution.)

   Example: 5H>236[PKS]~H

Mist Cancel Frame Advantage Chart

Shows the frame advantage for each attack level assuming fastest possible mist cancel by level.

Mist Cancel total frames: LV1: 11(8F+3F). LV2: 8(5F+3F). LV3: 6(3F+3F)

Attack Level	Normals	MC Level 1	MC Level 2	MC Level 3
Level 1	2P, 5P, 2K	-2	+1	+3
Level 2	5K	+0	+3	+5
Level 3	c.S, 2S, 6P	+2	+5	+7
Level 4	f.S, 2D, 6K	+5	+8	+10
Level 5	5H, 3H, 6H	+7	+10	+12

FD Dash

FD Dash, also called Wave Dashing by some, refers to Johnny's ability to cancel his dash recovery into FD in order to chain successive dashes together faster than normal. On the 11th frame of Johnny's forward dash, he can cancel the recovery of his dash into anything, except additional ground movement or a SB.

An example of a single dash into a FD-cancel: 66[PK]4

Punch and Kick are not need for the FD. You can use any combination of buttons that will produce a FD.

A FD-dash into a dash (double hop): 66[PK]4646

N FD-dashes: 66[PK]{4646}xN

there's an extra '4', inbetween each additional dash past the first, that you don't need. But for most, it acts like a mental-metronome and helps keep a steady tempo.

Coin into a double hop: Stuff > 236[H~P], 664646

MistCancel into a double hop: Stuff >236[P]~[H], 664646

Jackhound: Which, When, Where, Why

Depending on whether Jackhound is performed at neutral, in stance, or in stance dash, the properties of Jackhound will change. Below is a brief summary of when you should use each version:

Regular Jackhound

Regular Jackhound should generally be avoided outside specific scenarios, since it is fairly trivial to shake out of. At neutral, since the input is easier than other Jackhound versions, it is used most often when the quick input is preferred, i.e. done on reaction to whiff punish (most commonly in the Justice MU vs NBs). When performed during combos against airborne opponents, it has 5 less frames of untech time and they are launched slightly lower. In some scenarios, you can use Regular Jackhound instead of Stance Jackhound, but there are plenty of routes where Stance is required (Light characters, in particular). You can use regular Jackhound in places where it doesn't matter if you do not feel confident, but it's recommended to use Stance Jackhound when possible. For example, 2D(1) > Jackhound as a HKD ender will work without stance, though you will lose a bit of frame advantage, and in this particular scenario, if you are scared of dropping your Stance Jackhound input, the slight loss of frame advantage may be worth sacrificing to secure your ender.

Stance Jackhound

Stance Jackhound is a strict upgrade to Regular Jackhound. Stance Jackhound has the best air untech time, making it your preferred option against an airborne opponent (ex: off of 2D(1)). Against a grounded opponent, it has less Stagger time than Dash Jackhound, but travels less distance, leaving you closer to the opponent. Stance Jackhound is easier to shake and loses access to certain routing options, but the proximity to the opponent can allows for useful burst bait strings (typically 2P > c.S) and meterless crossover routes.

Dash/Step Jackhound

Although Dash Jackhound is the hardest to execute, it is the strongest when used as a ground conversion. In terms of being burst safe, it is more burst safe than Stance Jack in some ways, but less in others. As far as bursting Jackhound itself goes, the increased travel distance moves you out of burst range more often than the stance version. After Dash Jackhound, moves like f.S or raw Mist Finer can be used to continue comboing while burst safe, but punishing bursts from such ranges can be difficult compared to the burst punishes when using Stance Jack. Dash Jackhound is required for a good amount of high damaging routes, and thus, at the very least, worth practicing, but if you are beginning your Johnny journey, Stance Jackhound is very serviceable while also having its own slight perks. If you are learning Johnny, you should decide on when to practice Dash Jackhound based on your comfort level, but it is recommend to master the rest of his core gameplay first.

Staggering out of Jackhound

To get out of Dash Jack, you have to start staggering before the move even hits. Because of this, the tactics covered above regarding beating opponents who stagger out can also apply before you do Dash Jack, assuming your opponent has demonstrated they can indeed stagger out of it. This intensity of stagger is roughly equivalent to training mode's level 3 stagger. To get out of Stance Jack, you can stagger after verifying the move indeed hit you, but you have to do it kinda quickly. This intensity of stagger is roughly equivalent to training mode's level 2 stagger. Lastly, regular Jackhound is pretty easy to get out of and you shouldn't necessarily expect to get anything after landing it.

Using Jackhound outside of combos

If you can react to Gun Flame/Stun Edge/NB/etc. and Dash Jack through it, you absolutely should do that because your opponent is now going to have to think a lot more about throwing projectiles against you. Not to say this can't be baited (the moves above all have FRC points), but nothing says "stop autopiloting" quite like getting hit by Dash Jack from nearly full screen and dying for it. Additionally, if your opponent likes to backdash after you commit to HS in a blockstring, Dash Jack is a fairly reliable way to call that out, though be careful as both character and player differences in backdash timing can make you regret this. Do this only if you're really comfortable or if you're willing to accept the risk of perhaps whiffing a move with lots of recovery right next to your opponent. Beyond these examples, using Jackhound outside of combos is a fairly specific kind of thing. It can be used as a tech trap, but that's a bit of a gamble if your opponent has good defense. It can be used (again, VERY specifically) as an anti-air against low airdashing opponents, but it's not something you should necessarily build a strategy around. Last but not least, you can whiff punish longer recovery normals on reaction with all versions of Jackhound, as long as you're in range. This is particularly useful against characters with anti-air 2S/2H who whiff it on anticipation against a jump out attempt you didn't do, but there are other uses for it, as well.

Fighting Johnny

Johnny thrives in getting his great pokes to be hit or blocked and mist cancelling them to be always on plus. f.S and 5H are his best pokes to be mist cancelled and his 5K is good, all-rounded poke with both speed and range to used in close and further out ranges.

But to balance his safety of pressuring you at range, he has to know that his pokes will be able to hit or get blocked in order to continue pressure.
If he whiffs (or doesn't mist cancel, which he wouldn't anyways) his pokes with the exception of P and K normals, his gonna have to sit through the recovery frames which are lengthy at 21 frames with f.S to 33 frames with 5H, giving you time to close in the gap and hit him.
Not only that his pokes are horrible on whiff, f.S hitbox can be crouched or even ran under if Johnny doesn't space properly or doesn't anticipate a dash-in quick enough to hit you with the tip of f.S.
All of his standing pokes and 5K can be low profiled and even hit him if you are close enough.

2D is a two normal that can be mist cancelled in any hit. Johnny will make use of this property to mixup whether if it's a 1-hit or 2-hit using mist cancel.
2S, while subpar compared to f.S, is still a good poke to stuff out low profiles.
6P is a good anti-air tool for Johnny to stuff out air approaches. Beware of jumping in if he can 6P you.

Coin

Coin controls a good amount of horizontal space and keeps him safe when cancelled into, allowing him to continue pressure.
Up Coin controls the air so it can stuff out air approaches if you're not paying attention to his coin tosses.

Mist Finer

A godlike poke, controlling both horizontal and air space. This move is scary if he knows your approaches and can stuff you out in a single cut.
K Mist Finer in particular controls the ground and stuffs out slow projectiles like Gunflame.

General Tactics

FD is crucial if Johnny is harassing you with his superior blockstring range. Use FD to make him whiff the next blockstring his going to use.
Backdash if he's playing safe and using his big pokes to get in. His pokes only has 2-3 active frames so you can backdash and punish him for using pokes.
Low Profile Sol's 2D for example can go under and make Johnny whiff his pokes.
Staying close Johnny doesn't have a lot of get out of jail free cards to escape pressure and needs 50% meter to use That's My Name to reversal out.