GGST/Bedman/Starter

Intro

Gameplan

Bedman uses its unique airdash, long pokes, and projectiles to play a defensive neutral gameplan, and then transitions to running suffocating offense using its automatic error attacks once it gains the advantage over its opponent.

Unique Mechanic: error 6E

After 236P, 236S and 236H Bedman enters the "error 6E" state, and will perform an automatic attack after a delay. Each of the specials produces a different follow-up attack.

In addition, 214P will bypass the delay and instantly perform the attack, while 214K will delay the timing.

error 6E is cancelled after being hit, blocking an attack, or an Area Shift.

When an error 6E move has already started coming out, then blocking will not make it disappear, only getting hit will. During , even getting hit will not stop the projectiles once they are out.

8-Way Air Dash

Bedman cannot double jump, and has an 8-way air dash instead of the normal horizontal air dash. This can be performed by holding the dash button with any direction or inputting the same direction in the air twice with the direction held being chosen for movement. If the button is not held Bedman will float in the air briefly before falling to the ground.

This specific air dash can also be performed during a super jump.

Key Moves

c.SGuardAllStartup7Recovery10Advantage+1 - Strong combo starter and a good tool to start pressure with after a knockdown.

f.SGuardAllStartup11Recovery17Advantage-9, 2SGuardLowStartup12Recovery22Advantage-11, and 2DGuardLowStartup12Recovery21Advantage-10 - Long reaching pokes. 2S and 2D are tied for the longest range, while f.S is slightly faster but with shorter range. 2S and f.S both have the problem of not connecting into a combo at max range, while 2D can always at least combo into 236SGuardAllStartup14Recovery24Advantage-12.

2KGuardLowStartup6Recovery10Advantage-2 - Short range, but fast. Always combos into 2D, even at max range.

6PGuardAllStartup11Recovery24Advantage-16, 5PGuardAllStartup6Recovery8Advantage-2, and j.PGuardHighStartup6Recovery9Advantage-/j.SGuardHighStartup10Recovery22Advantage- - Anti-airs. 6P is the go-to, almost always cleanly beating aerial attacks from directly in front. 5P is faster, but is prone to trading. If these fail, then a preemptive aerial attack of your own will usually work, but it's much riskier.

2PGuardAllStartup5Recovery10Advantage-2 - Bedman's fastest attack. Key to escaping gaps in pressure, but leads to low reward.

236SGuardAllStartup14Recovery24Advantage-12 - Go-to combo ender, especially midscreen. Punishable on block, so don't autopilot into it.

236PGuardAllStartup16RecoveryTotal 46Advantage-11 - Safe blockstring ender when spaced, and key neutral tool when the opponent is far. The projectile has minor tracking properties, but the opponent can still airdash over it and punish the recovery, so don't use recklessly.

Combos

Bedman will often get weird hits with its automatic errors, requiring on-the-fly conversions. However, when you don't have any errors, combos are very simple, usually consisting of a basic gatling string into 236S.

For example: c.S > f.S/2S > 2H > 236S and 5K/2k > 2D > 236S are two combos you will use frequently.

When in the corner, new options open up, allowing you to use and in combos for much greater damage. These combos are much more flexible, but here is a basic one: c.S > f.S > 5H > 236H, 5H > 236H > WS > 66 > 5H

Neutral

Bedman's primary neutral gameplan is quite defensive in nature. Slow movement both on the ground and in the air means that you rarely get the chance to aggressively rush down the opponent, so instead Bedman primarily rotates between using big preemptive pokes and playing reactively to punish risky approach attempts.

In addition to this straight forward strategy, Bedman derives a large amount of complexity from clever use of and the resulting Error that it stocks.

236P and Error P

236P
Only use when they're far.
!P
Now you can do whatever you want.

Bedman relies heavily on these two projectiles, especially Error P. Without the error, 236P is a useful tool to needle the opponent from afar, but it's main use is for stocking Error P to create a truly threatening situation.

When cast with 214PGuard-Startup-RecoveryTotal 30Advantage-, the error is similar in function to 236P, but it is extremely strong when it activates automatically since it doesn't lock Bedman into an animation. This can actually allow you to play very aggressively if the opponent simply chooses to block the error, but players will also frequently try more risky approaches to avoid it, allowing you to punish them with ease.

Using these projectiles in clever ways, along with using Bedman's more orthodox pokes and neutral tools, is the key to outsmarting and gaining the advantage over your opponents.

Pressure

Offense is where Bedman shines, but only when it has errors available. Without errors, you are mostly restricted to very simple blockstrings A series of multiple attacks that work well against a blocking opponent. Generally, a block string will be composed of several plus on block or cancelable attacks performed in quick sequence. When blocked, these will slowly push your character out of range and prevent the opponent from counter-attacking, which makes them a very good default, low-risk option when trying to apply offense. consisting only of a single gatling chain into a special ender. Because of this reliance on errors, Bedman can only properly get its offense rolling after combos rather than knockdowns from 2D or throw (this also means that Bedman's pressure is far stronger in the corner since 236S gives poor okizeme From Japanese "起き攻め". Attacking an opponent about to wake up after they were knocked down, usually with meaty attacks or mix-ups. midscreen). Once Bedman is able to begin offense with an error available, it becomes extremely powerful, using the automatic errors to loop offense for very long periods.

Because Bedman's pressure consists mostly of extended blockstrings with only occasional mixups, it's offense is at its strongest when done unpredictably, sometimes keeping it tight and frame trapping An offensive technique where the attacker leaves a small opening in their offense, goading the defender into performing an attack. This opening is designed such that the attacker can easily counter the defender's attack with their own. to make the opponent scared to challenge the pressure, and sometimes taking advantage of the opponents fear by either throwing them or doing more greedy pressure with larger gaps but larger rewards (such as by charging 236H).

It takes time and experience to be able to create potent blockstrings and adapt to the opponents defense, but there are some principles that strong pressure sequences usually follow.

Key Principles

At the most basic level, casting errors manually with 214P serves as an effective pressure reset, but allowing them to activate automatically (usually by using 2HGuardLowStartup16Recovery30Advantage-15 in blockstrings to stall for time) is much stronger, as it gives you the opportunity to not only reset pressure, but also stock another error to continue looping pressure even longer.

Restocking errors in the middle of pressure is usually done either by:

Using a special, usually 236PGuardAllStartup16RecoveryTotal 46Advantage-11, during the startup of the automatic error in a way that doesn't overwrite the error but still leaves you plus When you are able to freely act, but your opponent cannot (usually because they are still trapped in block stun from your attack). Being plus (or "positive") in a fighting game is quite strong; it means you always have a headstart on your next attack, even if it's only by a very slim margin.; or
Using the automatic error to cover the startup of 236HGuardAll (Guard Crush)Startup24~38Recovery23Advantage+3, stocking a new error and leaving you plus, especially if you are able to charge it.

Different errors allow you to loop pressure in different ways, check the Strategy guide to see more in-depth info on how to make the most of them [[1]].

It takes experience to be able to make potent blockstrings for any situation, but here are some sample blockstrings with only small gaps to get you started and give you some ideas:

(After 236S in the corner) 9 > 662 > j.K (safejump) > c.S > 2H(1) > 236P > (!S activates), c.S > f.S/2S > 2H > (!P activates) > 236H