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Guide for beginners looking to get less bad

StripeyBoosh

"You're a wheel pain!"
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Painwheel Painwheel Painwheel
So I think it's time I made this thread.

First I think you should know a few things.

1. You're going to lose... WAY MORE TIMES THAN YOU WILL WIN.

2. It's okay to get frustrated; it's natural. You're doing your best and it just isn't enough.

3. The game is not going to change. You have to.

4. LEARN FROM YOUR MATCHES
--------------------------------

a.) What are you doing wrong?
b.) Are there things you could be doing that you aren't already?
(i.e. in training mode you do your little combo, but in vs mode you can't land it at all)
c.) When your opponent screws up, are you punishing them for it?
d.) Are you noticing any patterns from the other player?
e.) Are you catching yourself doing unnecessary moves that leave you wide open?
f.) Are you following up with your specials after you do your cute little 10 hit combo?
______________________________________________

But they keep trapping me in a corner and killing me in one combo!!!!11eleven
Don't freak out. Depending on the combo you can either:
1. Spam your specials *
(but be ready to move after it works otherwise you're going right back into the corner)

2. Spam your grab+back (this works sometimes, but certainly isn't reliable)*

*when you see your character about to be freed for a few frames

3. Follow their attacks with your blocks even if you're getting hit.
(This is pretty good, but it's easier said than done since they are usually change-ups.
It works eventually, but again it ain't all that reliable)
-----------------------------------------------------

The point is, there is nothing you can do that works in every scenario.
You have to think about what you're doing.

Learn Your Character(s):

It's important that you know how your character's moves are supposed to be used.

I play Painwheel, so that means I'm not going to zone people with thorns the entire match.
Painwheel=/=Peacock

You should also pay attention to your opponent's character's shortcomings.

Finally, don't just give up. If your doing the same thing over and over, change it up. Try different characters ffs.
They are all really, really good. They're just different from one another. Maybe you'll like more than one, or three.
Maybe you'll like all of them.
---
Except for Squiggly. She's dumb.

Any questions will be answered with love and honesty. TYBAI
 
Except for Squiggly. She's dumb.

Those are some fighting words.

On a related note, I like to watch games from other players. Sure Skullgirls can look like a mess to a beginner, but once you've practiced a bit, played a few games, and have some understanding of how the game works you can begin to contextualize what you see on screen and notice new Tech, combos, and strategies that you can incorporate into your own game.

Unless you are like me and forget you even learned the stuff.
 
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Those are some fighting words.
I stand by them.

But you're right; it all comes down to practice.
Every fighting game is a learning experience.
 
[quote="StripeyBoosh, post: 60253, member: 3788"
But they keep trapping me in a corner and killing me in one combo!!!!11eleven
Don't freak out. Depending on the combo you can either:
1. Spam your specials *
(but be ready to move after it works otherwise you're going right back into the corner)

2. Spam your grab+back (this works sometimes, but certainly isn't reliable)*

*when you see your character about to be freed for a few frames

3. Follow their attacks with your blocks even if you're getting hit.
(This is pretty good, but it's easier said than done since they are usually change-ups.
It works eventually, but again it ain't all that reliable)
-----------------------------------------------------
[/quote]

So while the combo is still on i.e. the hit number thing is still going up I should do this stuff? Or does it mean that once the combo stops these are the things that will help me from not just being reset and going into another combo? Getting better at defense is a top priority for me atm.
 
So while the combo is still on i.e. the hit number thing is still going up I should do this stuff? Or does it mean that once the combo stops these are the things that will help me from not just being reset and going into another combo? Getting better at defense is a top priority for me atm.

Typically when the number of hits is increasing, you can't do a whole lot until the reset.
You have to wait for the first combo to finish, wait for your frames of freedom, and pick one of the methods listed.
In other words, don't mash buttons while you're helpless. Be patient and wait for the reset before you try anything.
 
A little short, but very wise words for fresh players. Nice guide.
 
So while the combo is still on i.e. the hit number thing is still going up I should do this stuff? Or does it mean that once the combo stops these are the things that will help me from not just being reset and going into another combo? Getting better at defense is a top priority for me atm.

Defending resets is pretty tough it just takes a lot of knowledge of all the characters.

For example if someone does a cross-under reset, you can usually double jump out of it, Or mash LP on the way down and hit them. Or air super out of it.

If someone does empty reset on the ground such as Parasoul Overhead, you can mash out almost anything. Mash LP, grab, super, etc.

If someone does a reset such as Cross-up overhead with Val, you can hold upback or maybe mash super.


Basically it's a lot of trial and error trying to learn when they will reset, and how to avoid it.
Since you're playing Val+Filia, id recommend going val+updo assist.
When they reset, either hold downback, or upback and mash assist.
Upback will beat throws, and slow resets like overhead or crossups, but will lose to lows.
Downback will beat lows but lose to throws. And you have to react to overhead/crossups.

Generally i will usually hold upback until they show me they can punish it
 
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A little short, but very wise words for fresh players. Nice guide.
My Java started screwing up, so I kept it short.
I figured if someone wanted to ask something specific that wasn't mentioned, they would.
 
I've run into two problems lately.

1) Getting trapped in a corner and just dying a terrible death. I understand blocking until the combo ends, but it seems I have no frames to retaliate when I'm "free".

2) Getting locked down mid-screen by combos + assist that punish me if I do anything other than block. Ran into a dude today using Fortune with a Squigly assist. If I attempted to move to punish Fortune, Squigly was there to pull me in and eat another combo. So my only option, that I could see, was just block and pray he made a mistake somewhere.

Any advice? (I wish I could show replays or something...)
 
Try to find whatever reversals your character has. Unless you're using Squigly, Painwheel, or Valentine, you should have at least one meterless reversal move to get the opponent off of you in those brief moments you're open. Watch out if you're opponent's anticipating a reversal though--then they can punish you instead.

Alternatively, learn when to pushblock. If you time your pushblocks just right you should be able to cause your opponent to make a mistake and be able to punish them then and there.
 
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I've run into two problems lately.

1) Getting trapped in a corner and just dying a terrible death. I understand blocking until the combo ends, but it seems I have no frames to retaliate when I'm "free".

2) Getting locked down mid-screen by combos + assist that punish me if I do anything other than block. Ran into a dude today using Fortune with a Squigly assist. If I attempted to move to punish Fortune, Squigly was there to pull me in and eat another combo. So my only option, that I could see, was just block and pray he made a mistake somewhere.

Any advice? (I wish I could show replays or something...)
You need to be pushblocking. You do it by pressing MP and LP and the same time during a block.
But since you play Fortune, there are a couple of moves you can use to reverse the situation.
I recommend watching a few youtube videos of people playing Fortune, and watching carefully what they do in the corner.
Then after that, actually go practice it in quickmatches, and don't worry about winning. Just treat each match as a practice round.
 
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Pbgc into super or fiber upper
 
Pushblocking can be done by pressing any two punch buttons at the same time while blocking.
 
Thank you for makin this thread, I need to show this to my younger cousin.
 
The thing that is making me frustrated about this game is that I don't feel like I'm learning anything at all from being touched of death'd every time I go online in this game (ICP and Undizzy doesn't help me here).

Frustrating as CS:GO can be at times, I still feel like I learn something every time, even when I lose pretty hard in that game. In SG however, I don't feel like I'm learning anything at all from my loses.
 
The thing that is making me frustrated about this game is that I don't feel like I'm learning anything at all from being touched of death'd every time I go online in this game (ICP and Undizzy doesn't help me here).

Frustrating as CS:GO can be at times, I still feel like I learn something every time, even when I lose pretty hard in that game. In SG however, I don't feel like I'm learning anything at all from my loses.

I think point 4a more or less covers your problem. You need to actively look for what you're doing wrong. For instance, in the particular case of you getting "touch of death'd", you need to analyze why this is happening. Do you keep getting hit by resets? Are you blocking after their combo is over? Are you getting opened up by a mixup when you attempt to block after getting out of the previous combo? When you can clearly understand why you're seemingly getting touch of death'd, then you can move on to the learning part by coming up with strategies to deal with the problem.

Also, if you're new to fighting games, I'd highly recommend playing in beginner lobbies and avoid playing quick match as much as possible
 
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I think point 4a more or less covers your problem. You need to actively look for what you're doing wrong. For instance, in the particular case of you getting "touch of death'd", you need to analyze why this is happening. Do you keep getting hit by resets? Are you blocking after their combo is over? Are you getting opened up by a mixup when you attempt to block after getting out of the previous combo? When you can clearly understand why you're seemingly getting touch of death'd, then you can move on to the learning part by coming up with strategies to deal with the problem.
Thanks for the tips.

Also, if you're new to fighting games, I'd highly recommend playing in beginner lobbies and avoid playing quick match as much as possible
I'm not that new to fighting games. Since (almost exactly) 11 months back, I have almost 150 hours in SSF4AE on PC.

The thing is that whenever I'm trying to find a beginner lobby, there is none to be found.
 
The thing is that whenever I'm trying to find a beginner lobby, there is none to be found.

Feel free to make your own beginner lobby if there aren't any available. You can also check out the beginner's matchmaking thread at the top of this sub-forum and I'm sure there's probably a steam group or two for beginners to gather and set up matches. If all else fails, you can still fight in regular lobbies but come prepared to take a lot of notes about the problems you are having, don't be afraid to ask for advice and most importantly of all, try to not to take your losses too hard and keep your morale up.
 
The thing that is making me frustrated about this game is that I don't feel like I'm learning anything at all from being touched of death'd every time I go online in this game (ICP and Undizzy doesn't help me here).

Frustrating as CS:GO can be at times, I still feel like I learn something every time, even when I lose pretty hard in that game. In SG however, I don't feel like I'm learning anything at all from my loses.

You have to learn how to "Touch of death" them yourself.
Then, you'll see it's not really TOD, because people will escape your resets.
 
Best control layout for a keyboard? I bought the game 4 days ago and have nothing but a keyboard, and its not working out for me at all (did help my cousin though).
 
Except for Squiggly. She's dumb.
You must not have played against enough Filias, then. :P

Also, Squigly*
 
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Best control layout for a keyboard? I bought the game 4 days ago and have nothing but a keyboard, and its not working out for me at all (did help my cousin though).
It's hard to tell what's the best keyboard layout, just like it's hard to tell what's "the best" input method; it's a matter of personal taste. Some people like stick, others hitbox, game controllers and some like keyboard.

___
Anyway, this is what I use in both Skullgirls (~30 hours) and Street Fighter (~150 hours)

WASD for directions (I use this in every other game I play so why change it here)
UIO(P) for punches
HJK(L) for kicks
 
You make your descriptions sound kinda negative and scary, not that there's anything wrong with it. As terrible as I am at this game (only played it for 3 days), I have my own way of getting used to Fighting Games in General:

1. Just learn the basics, fundamentals, and inputs of the game. Do not head into Story Mode or Multiplayer Mode just yet. Do the tutorial mode if there is one.

2. Pick a character learn all the basic bread and butter stuff worth learning about them. Only pick one that personally interests you and the one you think will suit your tastebuds, don't play a character just because he's/she's high tier, don't avoid another one just because he's/she's low tier unless you're really seriously competitive. This does not mean you should completely disregard tier lists though, as high tier characters often have better matchups against other characters than low tiers do and are sometimes (but not always) require less skill to play in comparison. If your main character is Low Tier, you may eventually reach the point where you can't win with that character and now you are free to blame him/her for your losses (though the majority will still be your fault). You Don't need to know everything about your character, just the basic stuff.. at least not yet. If you lose a match with your character, you've only got yourself to blame and not your character. Next time you fight the same opponent, just change up your strategy with the character you're currently playing, don't change characters completely. You must also learn about the other characters as well (even if you don't want to play them yourself), so that you know how to fight them if you ever come across someone who plays them. Its not easy fighting someone you have no knowledge about.

P.S.: This is just me, but when I start a new game, I prefer to learn just 1-3 characters at a time (or team of characters in certain games) before attempting to try another one. It makes it easier to memorize the mechanics and combos without getting confused between the numerous characters you try to learn at once. If you have occasional memory issues or difficulty juggling multiple characters, it is recommended that you try playing only one character before you attempt to play with another one.

3. Now you can step into Single Player Mode and try out what you learned in Training Mode, start from Easiest difficulty and then work your way up to the top. Or even better: Just turn the CPU mode on in Training Mode there so you won't have to deal with the longass loading times or anything, plus you won't have to fight random opponents, you can just choose your punching bag. Just try to practice as much as possible. You know what they say: "You learn something new everyday.". In fighting games, it'd be hard not to.

4. When you feel confident enough, find someone else to play with. I heavily recommend that you avoid Ranked Matches until you've played for at least 3 days, I do this all the time and all I got was a humiliating defeat in most games I played. If you must anyway, toggle your search for opponents around the same skill level as you so that you don't get pulverized too easily. Personally, I find it best to train with another person than to do it alone by myself. Also , don't be scared of defeat, that matters is that you try your best and strive to improve yourself. In fact, you HAVE to lose, no one is gonna learn much from just winning every single time (which is nigh impossible anyway), you need to make the mistakes so you can learn. Its best to look for:

  • A fellow who is just as bad if not worse than yourself. You two can act as training partners with each other to try and progress at the same time.
  • A more experienced player who can defeat you with relative ease. Don't run away, stay and fight him/her for as long as either of you are willing to. Watch carefully what you are both doing and observe the good and bad things both of you did, and then try to incorporate them into training mode so you can try to fix them the next time you fight him/her. If possible, find someone who can tell you why you were so easy beat and have them observe your weaknesses and strengths if you can't do it yourself. Think of them as a "sensei".

And finally if the game supports it, record matches of both your wins and losses you can study them at a later time and work on them.
 
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Here's a little update:

Recently I've been asked why the more you play, the worse you get when playing back-to-back matches.
(Obviously, this is not a problem for everybody, and is probably a beginner's issue.)

I think it's a build-up of frustration from things not working out for you.
Losing is one thing, but getting your butt kicked takes its toll on your brain.

Here's what I suggest:
Do like 5 quickmatches, and then give yourself a break.
Go do something else for a little while.
Maybe watch some youtube matches of players that use your character(s).
Whatever you gotta do to calm down.

Before you jump into matches again, go ahead and hit the training room.
If you happen to know that you aren't push-blocking enough for example,
turn the AI onto nightmare and just practice push-blocking for a few minutes.
I mean it. Don't start trying to combo the dumb AI. Focus on your goal.

Jump into another quickmatch.
Oh no... It's a Peacock omg what no pls no no--

Calm down. This is your chance to practice.
It's not about winning, remember that!

Try different things on this Peacock (or whoever you're afraid of)
and make a mental note of what's going badly for you.
"But everything goes wrong!one"
No, it's not everything. You just ran out of ideas. It happens.

If you've run out of ideas, it's time to head back to youtube or the forum again.
What do other people do when they face your nemesis? Try it out.

You keep pressing the wrong buttons on accident?

Well, I have news for you. You're nervous. Mom's spaghetti. etc.

You're putting way too much pressure on yourself. Just, like, take it easy man!
At this point you're just freaking out. Go ahead and finish the match.
Now stop. Go chill out. Any further and you'll just frustrate yourself to no end.
 
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Wasd for directions is bad. Makes down up moves hard to do. Try a hit box like directional set like. A left, s down, d right, and space up.
 
Here's a little update:

Recently I've been asked why the more you play, the worse you get when playing back-to-back matches.
(Obviously, this is not a problem for everybody, and is probably a beginner's issue.)

I think it's a build-up of frustration from things not working out for you.
Losing is one thing, but getting your butt kicked takes its toll on your brain.

Here's what I suggest:
Do like 5 quickmatches, and then give yourself a break.
Go do something else for a little while.
Maybe watch some youtube matches of players that use your character(s).
Whatever you gotta do to calm down.

Before you jump into matches again, go ahead and hit the training room.
If you happen to know that you aren't push-blocking enough for example,
turn the AI onto nightmare and just practice push-blocking for a few minutes.
I mean it. Don't start trying to combo the dumb AI. Focus on your goal.

Jump into another quickmatch.
QUOTE]

The part with doing quick matches when you're a beginner/amateur who lacks confidence? Trust me, that's a bad idea, I've made the same terrible mistake in lots of fighting games. This is just me, but I argue against such an idea like this for any fighting game, when it should be obvious that your chances of winning a match are more often than not, very slim. Why do that when u could just do a beginner lobby's match instead? You don't lose any rank points (which would make you look bad if you did) and you can keep fighting the same person again and again for as long as they stick around.. unless they act like jerks and kick ya out early. If you do a ranked match and want to fight a specific person again, you might end up facing someone else and miss the one you wanted to fight, and so might the other person.

Better suggestion in my opinion: Unless you're playing avoid ranked/quick matches until you officially feel comfortable enough to do so, not recommended for beginner level in any fighting game (unless its name is Darkstalkers Resurrection, where lobbies are very uncommon) , not just SG. For me, I would rather wait until playing for at least 5 or 6 days before jumping into Quick Matches.

I do agree with all else though.
 
My reasoning is that a beginner needs to get used to the way more experienced players play.
Playing other beginners can help them get better, but when they hop into a match with someone tough it's going to be an eye-opener.
You're not wrong; that can help whip them into shape.

But in my view fighting players much better than you teaches you how to play much faster, and thickens your skin.
I'm sure it just depends on the person, though. Thanks for the input!
 
My reasoning is that a beginner needs to get used to the way more experienced players play.
Playing other beginners can help them get better, but when they hop into a match with someone tough it's going to be an eye-opener.
You're not wrong; that can help whip them into shape.

But in my view fighting players much better than you teaches you how to play much faster, and thickens your skin.
I'm sure it just depends on the person, though. Thanks for the input!

I tend to agree that you should spend the vast majority of time playing players much better than you, especially players that won't let you get away with bad habits and force you to play intelligently.

At least some play against similarly skilled players is also important, as you won't have as much leeway to try things out versus players better than you.
 
My reasoning is that a beginner needs to get used to the way more experienced players play.
Playing other beginners can help them get better, but when they hop into a match with someone tough it's going to be an eye-opener.
You're not wrong; that can help whip them into shape.

But in my view fighting players much better than you teaches you how to play much faster, and thickens your skin.
I'm sure it just depends on the person, though. Thanks for the input!

I get what ya mean and thx, and I agree that you need to play against Better Players to improve. But in my view, I still wouldn't just jump into Ranked Matches until I do feel that I'm good. In Lobbies:

1. You don't have to wait until you connect with the other person again and again in lobbies, instead just waiting in line to face the winner or send them a challenge until they accept.

2. You don't have to deal with the risk of bumping into someone else you don't wanna fight, you could just invite him to stay in your lobby and to almost guarantee that you fight them again. In Rankies, you have to fight pseudo-random opponents unless you're the only 2 people online (like that's ever gonna happen :P)

3. This is probably just me, but I find that its easier to communicate, seeing as how you could send them messages while you're waiting ur turn to fight again to give tips/tricks or ask questions on how they beat ya.

Long Story Short: It just lets you stay with the players longer without having o try and communicate with them more than once.
 
EDIT: Now with moar organization
How to play fighting games for the beyond Beginner:

Move types:
Reversal moves/Counters:
Each move in every matchup can be countered by another much like in rock, paper, scissors.
(Unless it's Filia you're fighting because she's stupid but we love her anyway. But we'll cover this later.)

Poke: Swift/Light attacks with good/decent range that can be used to jab at the opponent from a safe distance in order to test their defense.
-----------------------
If Parasoul does her infamous jumping Umbrella Slap attack there is a way to stop it.
(you know the one, beginners do it the entire match praying for a hit confirm)
How do you stop this amazing God-like air attack?
ANTI-AIRS: THE MOST OFTEN NEGLECTED TECHNIQUE IN FIGHTING GAMES
Know you character's different anti air moves. What is an anti-air?
Typically it is a move that attacks upwards. Like an uppercut. Or a sexy thorn in Painwheel's case. Or her HK Buer. Point is there are options, okay?
Sometimes your character's anti-air is a grab, sometimes it's a super. Not every anti-air beats every aerial attack, however.
So this is why you must know which ones work for each matchup.
How do you do an anti-air?
With appropriate spacing, simply wait for the idiot other player to jump at you, then execute a safe anti-air for the situation.
In other words, if they jump at you and try to attack, just uppercut them or whatever your move is.

I covered anti-airs before jump-ins because you should really focus on anti-airs more.
-------
Jump-Ins:
A beginner will often try to jump in and attack over and over again.
Consistently performing a jump-in followed by a series of low normals.

A jump-in is literally when you jump at the opponent and attack them. These are not taboo, but are often done at the wrong time, or way too often.

When should you jump in?
If you're truly a beginner, I would say almost never. But it depends on which character you're using, too.
But Skullgirls is one of those games where the air becomes a huge part of the fight. So let's assume you have to. See Cross-ups.
------
Overheads:
Refers to moves that hit the opponent even if they are blocking low. Jump-ins can be used as overheads if you are quick, but it really depends on the situation. I wouldn't encourage using jump-ins as overheads unless you have either:
A. Conditioned your opponent to lazily block low the entire time you perform a block string.
B. Noticed your opponent is only blocking low because they are special.
-----
Projectiles:
Once again, like alcohol these should be used responsibly. Don't just keep mashing them out over and over. Make sure you're out of their jump-in range, then go ahead and blast them like Vegeta. But if they get too close, stop that blasting and get ready to anti-air or something.
-----
Armored Moves:
Refers to moves that absorb damage in exchange for the character not getting stunned for a certain number of hits. These are excellent for countering certain attacks that are just slightly faster than your own. But be aware that often armored moves can be grabbed. I don't know about Fukua's armored grab, though. I believe so, but I could be wrong. Use armored moves responsibly.
-----------
Offensive Options:(To name 2)
Cross-ups:

Again with appropriate spacing, you can jump-in just behind your opponent's guard as if trying to jump right over them and attack them from the other side while still in the air. The typical Skullgirls player sucks at blocking so you'll be God-Like if you start doing this a lot on their wake-up.
Because they are blocking in front of them, they will be hit. (unless they're either A: walking forward because they are just dumb, or B: they are really smart and know how to block cross-ups. Often it is hard to tell which one they are.)

A. Wake-up: refers to when a player gets HKD'd (Hard knock down) and is trying to get up to fight some more.
B. Hard Knock Down: When a player is knocked down and cannot tech to get up quickly. Certain moves and specials cause this. But to be honest the way it works in Skullgirls has always been a bit confusing to me, so if someone else could chime in that would be great.
C. Quick Wake Up/Get Up/Ground Tech/Tech*: Performed by pressing buttons upon getting knocked down in order to get up quickly. Only works on a soft knock-down (opposite of a HKD).
*Tech is a term we will discuss a bit later, since it's used for a number of different things.
--------
Dash-in Grab:
This is your moment to really ruin someone's day; you can either tech the grab or be the one grabbing.
----------------------
Defensive Options:
Grab Tech:

when you grab your opponent at roughly the same time they grab you, you will cancel their grab.
In this case, when you grab tech your opponent, you have officially shut down their offensive. You've seen through their little game.
You're like Super Saiyan Goku blocking Trunk's sword swings with one finger. You're god-like. Congratulations.
You can either choose to counter attack, or wait to see what their frustrated mind will do next. I would recommend the later if you have a life-lead.
In the case where you're the one grabbing, it really catches most players off-guard the first couple times. Typically they don't adjust due to the speed of the game. After your block string, you dash in then grab them while they are still blocking. You can also do this by dropping the block string intentionally and just grabbing them. Talk about major mental damage.
------
Push-block: Like alchohol, this should be used responsibly. Mashing it during a block string is seldom a good idea. If they drop their block string and you try to push-block, you will have a bad day. Wait for that last hit on the block string, then push them off you. GET OFF ME GIRL. (shouting that is so important in tournaments. Just kidding, you might get disqualified don't do that.)
-----
Parrying: (Big Band only)
Only certain characters can do this, while others have armor and things of that nature. Parrying is like a block, but there is no block-stun and the timing is very specific. Typically it's done by tapping forward toward the attack. It can be extremely dangerous to attempt as it can lead to eating a full combo if you mess it up, or it can be extremely rewarding as it allows you to perform a reversal/counterattack right after the parry succeeds. Practice on your opponent's projectiles if they have any. Less risk, less reward but good practice. Low parries I believe are done by tapping down when attacked from below the belt. I'm not the parry king, though. I just played Third Strike a lot. It may be different in Skullgirls.

Terms to Remember:

Neutral game:

When both players are throwing out pokes and spacing themselves away from one another in order to get a hit confirm into a combo.

Spacing: A term to describe the amount of space required for a poke/attack to hit, as well as the amount of space required to avoid being hit
by specific attacks i.e. grabs

Hit confirm: After a poke is landed from the appropriate spacing, a combo can be initiated. When a player pokes the other successfully and utilizes this moment to perform a combo or a super, this is what is known as a super saiyan that has ascended past a super saiyan a hit confirm.

Safe: Refers to a fast recovery period after a move is done. Like a jab for example has a fast recovery period (light attacks usually, and some medium attacks) and is therefore safe to throw out at certain circumstances of spacing without fear. (Unless you're fighting Painwheel, Big Band, or Beowulf but that's another story.)

Block Strings:
When your opponent is blocking, you can still execute a combo. Yes, they will block it, but this is good to know. Knowing the end of a block string is huge in Skullgirls because the combos are fast and hard to react to online. Study basic combos for each character in the game, or simply watch carefully for when the other player's block string ends. (Usually look for the move that isn't safe, sometimes block strings are safe, though, in which case wait from the dash-in grab) On the flip side, knowing when YOUR block string will end can prevent you from getting punished.
So before you execute that last finisher attack that leaves you unsafe, if they are still blocking either:
A. Drop the block string and wait a second before doing anything else.
B. Delay your final attack by just a breath.

Life-Lead:
When your health bar is significantly more full than your opponent's.
This should alter the way you play. The other player is probably going to go ballistic on you, so you should be prepared to wax-on wax-off all of their fucking nonsense.
Be patient and do not rush them down.

Rushdown: Basically chasing after the opponent and attacking them furiously, causing pressure.

Pressure: Forcing your opponent to shut up and defend/block/grab tech/mash super for their dear life.

The Stage and You:

STAGE POSITION: THE SECOND MOST UNDERRATED THING EVER
You've probably noticed that when you get stuck in the corner, your life is very different from when you're in the middle of the stage.
You start to worrry, press buttons, shout bigotry, and all that sort of thing.

Meanwhile in the middle, you're as happy as can be. You're throwing projectiles, you're blocking pokes, you're building meter etc.

Depending on where you are on the stage, you should change your behavior.
If you are near the corner and they are walking toward you, you'd better not let yourself get put on the corner. After all, this is your house.
Nobody puts you in the corner in your house! Hold your ground! Don't back up. Wait for their onslaught of fucking nonsense and defend against it.
Then push-block them away and say "Stop that. Get off me. DON'T TOUCH ME GIRL!"

If you're in the middle, remember what we talked about in the beginning; spacing and pokes.
Don't rush them down, don't back up into the corner, just stay calm and watch your opponent carefully and respond to what they are doing with your foundational skills (pokes, anti-airs, projectiles, blocking their bullshit, you know, the basics) You can do this.

Now the moment you get an opening you must listen to me carefully: You poke them successfully, you start your combo and you are beating them in the ass with a spatula, I get it. But what about your stage position? Are you slowly cornering them? YES! NOW IS YOUR CHANCE TO PUT THEM IN THEIR PLACE! TIME OUT! TIME OUT YOU LITTLE RASCAL!

They're in the corner, and no you rush them down, cause pressure, make them pee a little bit. They won't know what to do with you. Remember your block string cancel into grab? Use it! Keep them guessing! Keep them afraid! Break their mind!


To be continued...
 
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on the topic of knockdowns:

Skullgirls has 3 types of knockdowns, commonly referred to by the color of the bounce but I don't remember the colors so I'll use terms for them: techable, OTG, and sliding (sliding is the "Hard" knockdown)

Techable knockdowns can be ground teched (recovered from) instantly. An example of this is Parasoul's j.hp, or all sweeps if the sweep does not hit OTG. You cannot combo off of these.

OTG knockdowns have a delay before they can be teched, but during that delay the opponent can be hit to continue the combo. Most knockdowns are of this type, but Filia's j.hk is an easy example. Some moves can change their knockdown types depending on the situation, for example Parasoul's j.hp is untechable when it hits "raw", but if it is chained into e.g. j.lp -> j.hp, it causes an OTG knockdown that can be comboed off of. You only get one OTG per combo however, so if you do a 2nd OTG knockdown in a combo it is instantly techable.

Sliding knockdowns are relatively rare, but they are the game's hard knockdown. They still have a short delay in which you can hit the opponent to continue the combo after the opponent hits the ground, but they cannot be teched at any point. An example is Ms. Fortune's level 1 ground super, or Big Band's Take the A-Train. Note that these types of knockdowns are only caused by special/super moves. The big thing to point out with sliding knockdowns that can cause confusion is IF YOU USED YOUR OTG IN THE COMBO BEFORE THE HARD KNOCKDOWN, THE SLIDING KNOCKDOWN IS TREATED AS A TECHABLE KNOCKDOWN (technically it's an OTG knockdown, but since you had to use your OTG for the combo it becomes untechable anyway.)
 
Character Specifics:
Obviously there are certain matchups that are harder than others depending on who is fighting who.
We all know Painwheel is the best character but even she has trouble with certain characters' attacks.
So what do you do when you just can't seem to anti-air that Umbrella Slap or react to Big Band's random Giant Step?
Adjust of course! Stop trying to do the same ineffective thing over and over again. Test your options. Change your play style.
If they keep anti-airing you, stop trying to jump-in! Sometimes the best option is defensive play, etc. Maybe you're not being brave enough!
See your character's specific matchup thread for more details.

Option Selects:
These are inputs done simultaneously that the game chooses for you. This is kind of complicated.
Let's say you have a really fast low poke: You crouch and block AND grab at the same time, your light attack should come out if I'm not mistaken instead of a grab. So crouch block + crouching grab = crouching light kick for example. I have no clue if this works in Skullgirls though. Someone should verify.
Edit: These are evidently not applicable to Skullgirls.

Meaties:
Attacks that have long active frames. These can be used on HKD's if timed correctly to safely poke the opponent as they get up.
There are a number of reasons for this but in a nutshell:
Your move is a total of 9 frames per say; 3 startup, 3 active, and 3 recovery. Something like that for example's sake. The trick is to try and get the last frame of the active frames to hit the opponent before they can do anything upon waking up.

Wake-up Reversals:
These are attacks with very short startup frames that can be done immediately on wake-up. They are the counter to safe jumps. safe jumps are the counter to these.*
A. Safe Jumps: Delivering a meaty attack from the air when your opponent is waking up, landing into a block. Visualize doing an attack that has no recovery time between the active frames and you blocking (or very little anyway) and this would be the effect of a safe jump.
*Error pointed out by Pickles. I goofed.

Your Meter and You:
Depending on your character, meter is either really valuable and needs to be saved, or really good to just use up as soon as you get it. Although I'm not a Big Band player, I'd say he puts in work with just 1 bar.
Building meter regardless of your character is important to give you more options.
Throwing projectiles, successfully hitting your opponent, and even getting beaten up can earn you some meter.

But what do I do with my meter? I play [So and So]!
See the Character Specifics section where I say, "Look at your specific character's thread"? Yeah, go do that please.

Punish Game:
Punishment. This is what you look for in fighting games ladies and gentlemen. This is where all that time spent in training mode doing your cute combos is tested. Ahem.
So your opponent performs a move, and you notice that it's taking them a bit to recover. What do you do? DON'T JUST SIT THERE!
HURRY UP AND UNLEASH YOUR BEST COMBO.

So your opponent notices you keep using unsafe moves and is beating you half to death each time. What do you do? Stop doing unsafe moves. :^)
Remember we talked about block strings? Drop that string and grab that fool!

So you notice your opponent's attacks keep missing you completely. What do you do? Whiff punish.

A. Whiff: When your opponent's attack or your own misses completely leaving either of you feeling really stupid. These can be punished by specific moves or combos. Which move? Which combo? See your specific character's thread please.

Assists:
I have no idea, I'm a solo luchador. If someone could cover this that would be greaat.
 
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Option Selects:
These are inputs done simultaneously that the game chooses for you. This is kind of complicated.
Let's say you have a really fast low poke: You crouch and block AND grab at the same time, your light attack should come out if I'm not mistaken instead of a grab. So crouch block + crouching grab = crouching light kick for example. I have no clue if this works in Skullgirls though. Someone should verify.

Skullgirls DOES NOT have crouch teching. If you are crouching you cannot tech throws. If you crouchblock + crouch grab you will get crouching jab yes, but you won't tech a throw by doing this like you would in SF4 for example.

Parrying:
Only certain characters can do this, while others have armor and things of that nature. Parrying is like a block, but there is no block-stun and the timing is very specific. Typically it's done by tapping forward toward the attack. It can be extremely dangerous to attempt as it can lead to eating a full combo if you mess it up, or it can be extremely rewarding as it allows you to perform a reversal/counterattack right after the parry succeeds. Practice on your opponent's projectiles if they have any. Less risk, less reward but good practice. Low parries I believe are done by tapping down when attacked from below the belt. I'm not the parry king, though. I just played Third Strike a lot. It may be different in Skullgirls.

This is correct but Big Band is the only character who can parry.

Dash-in Grab:
This is your moment to really ruin someone's day; you can either tech the grab or be the one grabbing.
Grab Tech:
when you grab your opponent at roughly the same time they grab you, you will cancel their grab.
In this case, when you grab tech your opponent, you have officially shut down their offensive. You've seen through their little game.
You're like Super Saiyan Goku blocking Trunk's sword swings with one finger. You're god-like. Congratulations.
You can either choose to counter attack, or wait to see what their frustrated mind will do next. I would recommend the later if you have a life-lead.
In the case where you're the one grabbing, it really catches most players off-guard the first couple times. Typically they don't adjust due to the speed of the game. After your block string, you dash in then grab them while they are still blocking. You can also do this by dropping the block string intentionally and just grabbing them. Talk about major mental damage.

Dash up throw can be a good technique on occasion but something but worth mentioning: while your opponent is in blockstun they can't be thrown, and pushblock extends blockstun. So if you try to run up throw after your opponents pushblock it will likely whiff and you will be punished. Also keep in mind that throws start up in 7 frames so many fast light attacks can beat it out if your opponent is mashing jab.

On the topic of safejumps, the best way to describe them is a meaty attack that will hit the opponent if they block, but if they do an invincible reversal the attack will go through it and you will land and be able to block the reversal. So it's a meaty that can't be reversaled, and in fact safejumps are the counter to wake up reversals not the other way around
 
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There's a lot of good content here, but you might want to try organizing it better. There isn't much order to what goes where, and the posts are everywhere.
A note about your latest post;
Wiff punish.

A. Wiff: When your opponent's attack or your own misses completely leaving either of you feeling really stupid. These can be punished by specific moves or combos. Which move? Which combo? See your specific character's thread please.
The term is actually "whiff". That's just a small typo.
Thanks for writing something to help players new to the genre. Anything helps.
 
@Pickles just to add to what you said, Crumples also count as an OTG ( PW charged cr.hp, Parasoul lvl 1 Sniper shot, Val's throw, etc... )

OTG - Red/purple bounce ( green bounce is it was an assist hit, smaller window to combo )
Techable - Blue bounce
Sliding - I don't think there is any color?
 
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There's a lot of good content here, but you might want to try organizing it better. There isn't much order to what goes where, and the posts are everywhere.
The term is actually "whiff". That's just a small typo.
Thanks for writing something to help players new to the genre. Anything helps.
Noted. I'll take the time out tomorrow to get it categorized and sorted out.
Sorry about that in advance; I'm from Texas so the whole literature thing wasn't hammered into my skull that well.
 
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Know I'm a little late to the party, but as a new player, I really do appreciate this thread. Probably gonna have to read it a few times after every few matches...
 
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