GGXRD-R2/Ramlethal Valentine/Strategy

From Dustloop Wiki
 Ramlethal Valentine

General Tactics

The Rundown

Ramlethal is an interesting hybrid character. She switches between long-range neutral and close-range okizeme quite easily, and excels at bringing her opponents to the corner. In the right hands, Ramlethal can be a devastating snowball character that can win a round in as little as two exchanges.

Unfortunately, Ramlethal can struggle to get to that point. She can be a tricky character to play in just about every possible fashion. Her neutral can be tricky, as while her options are very good, sacrificing a sword to try and win neutral can spell disaster. Her corner carry and damage are similarly great, but require tricky combos and constant decision making. Lastly, while her okizeme is extremely powerful (arguably the best in the game) it requires constant decision making and good execution to perform consistently.

If all of this is scaring you off of playing Ram, don't be frightened! Ram can perform well at all levels of play, as even her most basic setups are still quite effective. It may take a while to properly master her (and it will likely take some work to learn her ins and outs), but mastering Ram is highly rewarding and gives you access to one of the most exhilarating snowball characters you can pilot in a fighting game.

How is this Ram different from the one in Strive?

 Ramlethal from Strive is a very different beast from Xrd Ram. While they share similar designs (poke with big sword normals, sacrifice sword normals or neutral/okizeme, high corner carry combos, powerful pressure), the ways in which they achieve those goals are very different!

The main differences include:

  • Ramlethal in this game has a very different special list. Erarlumo, Bajoneto and Sabrobato are not here yet, though each one has a relative replacement. Erarlumo can be mapped onto Ram's Combination Attacks (more on that later), Bajoneto functions similarly to her 6S/6H, and Sabrobato is not necessary due to the lack of Wall Break. Ram also has Cassius, which is an upwards-angled fireball, and Flama Kargo, a command grab that launches into a full combo.
    • Some of the specials that Ram has between both games have different applications. Agresa Ordono has a counterpart in Marteli and Forpeli, which can be used independently of each other. Slido Deturo is a mid in Strive but is actually an overhead in Xrd, as well as being plus on block and launching on hit. Dauro still launches on hit, but has a "perfect" version akin to the EWGF technique from Tekken. It's not as strict as the EWGF, thankfully. Perfect Dauro (or "Green Dauro") launches higher on hit for better combos.
    • Similarly, her Overdives are different. She still has Calvados, but it changes to Trance if both of her swords are deployed. She also has Explode for ending certain combos or invulnerably punching through an attack. Mortobato is not here at all.
  • Ram's Combination Attacks allow her to chain her P and K attacks together to perform unique combinations. For example, PPP is a different attack sequence from PPK. A detailed breakdown of each Combination Attack can be found by clicking this link.

Ultimately, you should approach learning this Ram as though she is a similar, but not identical, character as she was in Strive.

Note: Ram's main method of building meter is through sword hits. This includes the following moves:

  • f.S, 2S, j.S, 214S, 6S/2S (Deployed)
  • 5HS, 2HS, j.HS, 214HS, 6HS/2HS (Deployed)

Neutral and Zoning

(WIP)

Anti-airs

Let's model it off of Machaboo's article on the fundamentals of Guilty Gear.

Fast moves with a tall Hitbox Upperbody Invincibility High/large moves Invulnerable moves Air-to-air Air Throw
5P and 5K somewhat fall into this category 6P
  • 2S
  • 2H
  • 5H
2141236K, Blitz Shield
  • j.P hits upward and fast
  • j.S hits forward and fast
  • j.D can be aimed vertically
  • 214S/214H hit forward
Input 4H or 6H when near the opponent, if you didn't know this already.

If you can't tell already, Ram's anti-air options aren't great. Many of her ground-to-air options involve high-risk, high-reward moves that are extremely vulnerable to whiff-punishing

With this known, it's probably best to engage the opponent in the air, or to out-maneuver the opponent on the ground when it comes to anti-airing.

Positional Zoning

Let's continue using Machaboo's fundamentals article to understand zoning. Keep in mind that the loose RPS is the following: Hard reads beat run-up buttons. Run-up buttons beat whiff punishes. Whiff punishes beat hard reads. Zoning involves controlling space to bait the opponent into choosing an option that loses to the RPS.

Note: This requires deep match-up knowledge.

Oki-waza

Def: Pre-emptively make a move. "Stuff the opponent." "Throw out the hitbox." "Hard read." "Buffering Specials"

Many of Ram's normals fall into this category. Based off of positioning, here is how the following moves can be used as Oki-waza. The bolded moves have more utility.

Ground-to-Ground Ground-to-Air Air-to-Ground Air-to-air
  • 2D -- Fast sweep that trips approaching opponents.
  • f.S -- Fast poke that keeps opponents out. Combos on counter-hit.
  • 6P -- Upper-body invulnerability.
  • 5H -- Slow move with short range. Launches on counter-hit.
  • 2S -- Slow move with a large range. Launches on counter-hit. Combos into 2H or D.
  • 2H -- Slow move with a large range. Knocks opponent down.
  • 6P -- Upper-body invulnerability. Great against IAD jump-ins and straight-forward jump-ins.
  • 5H -- Tall, narrow hitbox with similar utility to 6P. Can catch super-jumps.
  • 2S -- Huge hitbox that is inescapable at close-mid range. Catches aggressive jump-ins.
  • 2H -- Similar to 2S.
  • j.H -- Large, disjointed hitbox that can beat out most anti-airs. Useful for catching run-up lows.
  • j.S -- Fast, forward hitbox that walls out the opponent. Catches dashes.
  • j.S -- Use to anticipate air-to-air pokes.
  • 214S/214H -- Stuffs most mid-range pokes.
  • j.D -- Use to create space in-between Ram and the opponent.

Ate-waza

Def: Throw a move to hit waiting opponents. "Run-up buttons."

Because of Ram's limited offensive pressure many of the options she has for Ate-waza are limited. Still, the section above on "Offensive Pressure" highlights how Ate-waza can be safely set-up.

Ground-to-Ground Ground-to-Air Air-to-Ground Air-to-air
  • 5P -- Run-up jab.
  • 5K -- Run-up poke.
  • 2P -- Can set up a tick throw.
  • f.S -- Run-up poke.
  • 2K -- Run-up low, sets up into combination attack
  • 2D -- Run-up low, trips. Can combo into 623P.
  • 623P -- Dash special. Can be thrown.
  • 214K -- High-profile Overhead. Can be thrown.

Use to catch forward/backward jumps.

  • 5P -- Run-up jab. If catches, converts into a juggle.
  • 5K -- Run-up poke. Can also convert into a juggle.
  • 6P -- Run-up anti-air?

Ram's IAD range makes this a difficult option to take advantage of.

  • IAD j.S -- Forward hitbox, hits full-screen.
  • IAD j.K -- Diagonally down hitbox, hits 3/4 screen. Crosses up at half-screen.
  • IAD j.H (deployed) -- Downward hitbox, similar range to j.K
  • IAD j.H (undeployed) -- Crosses up at half-screen. Hits 3/4 screen. Depending on delay of attack, will combo into ground combo or j.214S > j.214H

I'm having a hard time imagining this type of option and positioning.

Sashi-kaeshi

Def: Waiting for a move, then reacting to it. Whiff-punishing. Reaction-based playstyle.

Standard Street Fighter-esque whiff punishes aren't really available to Ram without meter. Other than her f.S, 5K, and 2D (of which, only the last leads to a substantial meterless corner-carry), her whiff-punishes consist of punishing the recovery frames of high-risk moves. Again, knowing the match-up is crucial to utilizing this aspect of neutral.

Ground-to-Ground Ground-to-Air Air-to-Ground Air-to-air
  • f.S -- Combos on crouch and counter-hit.
  • 2D -- Combos into Dauro or trips.
  • 5K --
  • HS --
  • 6S --
  • j.3D -- Delays fall, large hitbox.

I have no idea how to whiff-punish in the air. Please enlighten me, I am dumb.

Use equipped f.S to poke your opponent on the ground and j.s in the air to control space.

On counter hit, hit confirm into daruo(623P) and start a juggle.

Perform a combo and bring your opponent to the corner, set up your swords and maul your opponents to victory.

Offensive Pressure

Note: Ram's offensive pressure mimics that of her okizeme with the exception of the easy set-up. Still, its concepts can be applied.

Her offensive pressure requires deployed swords to be in position to lock the opponent down in block stun, or meter to extend her normally short gatling combos into two short gatling combos.

That said, it's important to understand the general interactions of offensive pressure and throw pressure.

Let's start with the deployed swords and the type of offensive pressure they exert:

  1. 6S (Summon) -- If timed correctly, can cover landing or backdashing opponents and extend normal strings into a high-low or throw mix-up.
  2. 6S (Deployed) -- Similar to summon, but it can be used in the middle of a blockstring as a delayed attack.
  3. 2S (Deployed) -- Threatens a wide amount of space in front of the opponent. Prevents the opponent from jumping/IADing out of pressure. Slightly slower start-up compared to the Summon version.
  4. 6HS (Summon) -- Faster summon that can cover opponents trying to jump out of pressure. Can lead to air-to-air pressure strings. Similar properties to its 6S counterpart.
  5. 6HS (Deployed) -- Difficult to use in the middle of blockstrings due to pushblock mechanics.
  6. 2HS (Deployed) -- Covers jumping and blocking opponents. Prevents the opponent from super-jumping out of pressure. Fast start-up.

Once swords are in position, the following combination attacks/gatlings can be used to open up the opponent:

  • 2K/2P -- Low that can follow into a tick throw or a combination attack or a dust attack.
  • 2D -- Low trips. Is a gatling into 623P.
  • 2KPP/KPP -- Overhead (gap between each P). Gives frame advantage.
  • 2PPK -- Low (Gap between P and K).
  • 3K -- Low that can catch backdashes.
  • 6K -- Overhead that's relatively fast.
  • 5D -- Overhead that has a slow start-up.
  • 236K -- Command throw. Slow start-up.
  • 214K -- Overhead special. Honestly, unless the timing is ultra-tight, this move is easily thrown. It does give a slight frame advantage, which is alright.

Safely Summoning/Retrieving Swords

What makes knockdowns so powerful with Ram is that she is able to set or retrieve swords without being punished and use that to start her offensive pressure.

However, in neutral, in order to establish meaningful offensive pressure Ram, again, needs to summon her swords without being punished.

Set-ups

(Placeholder)

Blockstrings

4PPP xN > f.S (frame trap to catch people mashing, f.S will counter hit in between the gap, and allow you to confirm into daruo)

6P>c.S>2D>214S

KPP / 2KPP blockstring into overhead, canned mixup.

2KPK low option instead.

KP>2D if they expect an overhead, with a low option.

c.S>2D> special cancel or jump cancel into 623P/214S/214P/214K

Defense

(WIP)

Tips and Tricks

in order to break one of her tekken strings, input 4(back) while pressing a button. For example:

If you input 5P>5P>5P, she will do her 5PPP string.

However, if you input 4P>4P>4P, Ramlethal will instead do the first jab 3 times.

Green daruo(enhanced daruo) can be performed by hitting P within 3 frames of hitting the 3(down-forward) input. You want 623P to be an ideal dragonpunch input.

If you become too used to hitting green daruo, you can force an imperfect daruo by hitting the same motion, while inputting P+H to get an imperfect daruo. This is mostly useful for combos on females/light weight characters.

She has on offensive throw option select if you do not want to use her command grab(236K). This OS is done by inputting 6P+H, which will give either a throw or 6P( the fastest forward input normal ramlethal has).

This OS can also be done in the air with jP+H, and instead of 6P gives her j.P if you're in the air.

You can OS her wakeup super via proximity as well. The input for this would be 2363214 K+S, which will option select between Faultless defense and her explode super based on proximity.

Fighting Ramlethal

Whenever Ramlethal sets a sword, there is a certain amount of startup before the sword becomes active. If you're in neutral, be sure to hit the swords before they hit you. The hurtbox for the swords are the circular familiars she has, you'll want to either run up and 5P or jump and press P to hit the familiars.

Ramlethal's swords will also go away if she blocks, be sure to keep the pressure on. Do not allow her to setup swords.

Be sure to understand her tekken strings, as they have pre-determined follow ups. Learn them.

She will followup f.S and often 2D with Darou, IB it on block. A few characters can punish from this, but all can take their turn.

Navigation

 Ramlethal Valentine

GGXRD-R2/Navigation