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Training Dummies ... Not a Talkative Bunch

Sarcasmic

Hailer of the Tail
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Steam
idk_dune
Big Band Squigly
I noticed this subforum here, and it feels like this is definitely something I needa do. This is going to be a long one ...

As Skullgirls is the first fighter I've played that had me /wanting/ to put in any sort of effort, time to build from the ground up. I'm about 50 hours into playtime if Steam can be believed, mostly split between the Training Room, and Quick Match. I've been poking around here on Skullheart a bit, but I guess I'm at the point where I have at least enough experience getting roflstomped that I'm at least seeing why now. So here's to putting some thoughts down in text that I can look at later and keep track of.

First off, what do I play? As of right now, it's purely solo. I feel like team mechanics would be something I will do at some point, but learning my (2) characters now, and what they can and can't do, before I throw another facet into the mix is more important. Besides the complexity, having the extra cushions to damage and health for a Solo character gives me that much more time to see what's happening to me. As a trio, if I fall into a reset by a competent player, well that character is prolly dead, and I really didn't see why. A Solo will survive a few resets and gives me time to notice them, which is happening.

Execution with my Fukua and my Squigly are ... decent. I can execute a standard BnB fairly consistently for both. Fukua is definitely more straightforward, and execution-wise I find much easier. I do enjoy the Squigly Stancel shenanigans however, and I /can/ Stancel to some extent. Definitely needs work. More specifics below.

Characters:

General:
  • Hao2ThrowTech? - I get absolutely destroyed by anyone with a reliable throw reset. I'm starting to see when they're coming now, but I need to spend some time figuring out the window to tech it and actually being able to respond.
  • Getting In? - I have some current trouble initiating, character and team depending, but it definitely needs looking into. What jump-ins can cross-up? Can I high-low better? Should I/Can I tick-grab?
  • Getting Zoned - Competent Peacock players are just plain frustrating. I get that's the point of a lead zoner, doesn't bug me any less. It's less of a problem on Fukua than Squigs, but a problem nonetheless. Get in there, figure out how.
  • Assists - Stop eating assists. They aren't tasty. Napalm Pillar, Updo, Mad Bomber, and Beat Extend are the biggest offenders I need to watch out for. A-Train and Excellebella are also problems in their own right. Solutions: W.I.P.
  • Speaking of Assists - Outtakes. Doublesnaps as well. If you tag the opponent and their assist, take advantage of it. Learn some doublesnaps, and punish.
  • Spacing - Basic thing that I need to pay more attention to. What does the opponent want to do, and can they from where they are? What about you? Are late portions of your combo gonna whiff cause you're currently at the edge of your range? Can you fix it? Nothing like just flat out missing Fukua cr.mp or Squigly s.hp and getting beat down for it. Shouldn't happen.
  • Reset - A BnB is good and all, but it won't kill outright. Learn some resets and reset points to keep the pressure and damage up. Also, at what range will my BnB kill? Do I need to worry about a reset from X or should I just continue through?
Fukua:
  • Command Grabs, Use Them - Inevitable Snuggle I'm decent at utilizing, but it's slow and not for every grab situation. Why can I not Tender Embrace? MikeZ is disappoint. Go learn grabs.
  • Cross-up - Unfortunately, they're more accident at this point than intentional, change that. Your j.mp, j.hk, and air qcf.lp can cross, learn when and do it.
  • Zoning - You have fireballs, it's ok to use them, just not too much. Feel free to target practice Big Band for being huge, just watch out for Brass Knuckles. Don't try to out-zone Peacock. Lob a few to break her flow, then get in (but beware of assists).
  • Clones - Again, be careful of when. They aren't as fast as other projectiles. Clones won't outspeed Napalm Shot, Love Dart, etc.
  • Supers - Biggest thing here, Blown Kiss. Go learn the flight paths for the different Punch combos. This has lost you a few rounds, and it really shouldn't.
Squigly:
  • Stancels - You can never do this too well. More work doing these will only help. Keep cleaning them. Also mash less, definitely mash less. What can you get away with without a charge? What opens up to you if you /do/ have a charge?
  • Gap Closing - Definitely lacking here. Learn how you can use Fallen Woman, and especially Center Stage to get to the opponent better. This also means you'll get your j.hp stuffed less by initiating with it less.
  • Jumping - Don't be predictable. Jumping is your best method of moving, but if all you do is jump you're just going to get punished for it.
  • Supers - Just like Fukua, get used to the different Squigly Battle Opera inputs.
  • Fallen Woman - Use the right version for the right situation please. Don't lk when you need to continue a combo, use mk here. Don't randomly hk, reserve this to punish not blocking high. Learn how to better use lk to reset.
  • Liver Mortis - This is more for fun than practicality, but I enjoy this attack. Let's figure out some stuff we can do with it. Most likely some corner/wall bounce shenanigans. It's just so satisfying, do want.
There's some opponent specific issues I have as well, but I'll save those for an update later.
 
i would probably say not to use LK fallen woman at all (unless you are using it specifically to not make contact). if you are planning on goiing for a reset after it then use MK version instead as you are at much more frame adv than the LK version will ever get you.

i dont recall the frame data exactly but im pretty certain that you are pretty significantly in the -'s when you want to be +.
 
Yeah, the more I use it, the more I find it really only helps quick-falling for movement's sake. Will try limiting lk to only that for a while.

Spent about 2 hours with Fukua in the training room yesterday visiting our friend the Poccola effect. Repped until I was able to doublesnap, link, and then kill the assist 5 times in a row. It's not flashy, but it functions, and that's good enough for me right now. Will revisit more soon, Squigly needs the work now too.
 
Time for some more newbie musings.

General:
  • What do with Painwheel and Double? I can't really seem to find what's the problem here, but I also can't seem to accomplish much of anything. I have issues with both on Fukua, and only marginally less issue with Squigly vs Double. I guess I just don't really get the playstyle of those 2 to at least get an idea of what to expect.
  • Throw Teching: Still needs work, but it is getting better. At the very least I'm trying to not fall for the same reset twice (QM tends to give me a lot of run-backs) but doubly so if it was a throw reset.
  • Assists: I feel like, assists are getting easier to deal with. They definitely seem much less random, and therefore easier to deal with. Still have issues with Beat Extend assists. Definitely need a work around there.
  • Cross-ups: I have some consistent trouble with being crossed up and blocking the wrong way. Notable examples: Valentine j.hp, Parasoul Spiral Flare, Filia bullshit. Assistance here would be appreciated.
  • Doublesnaps: This was actually hella fun. I spent about 3-4 hours each on Squigs and Fukua learning a real basic doublesnap combo. Squigs' s.mp(1), s.hk ad infinitum is pretty hilarious.
Fukua:
  • SquiglyCommand Grabs: Tender Embrace, I still feel like I could use it more. Reset potential? Perhaps. Need to work on recognizing when the opponent is able to be grabbed, and most importantly, converting off said grab.
  • Fireballs: Tighten up the inputs on using them. I do enjoy being a nuisance lobbing projectiles once in a while, and it's getting slightly more effective at locking down. Still need to nail down the Blown Kiss versions. That's just bad habit at this point, using macro by default instead of actual button inputs.
  • Cross-ups: cr.hk is fun, and a bit safer than I would've thought. I'm prolly outta sorts saying that, but being able to cancel it at any point with Drill, Clone, Command Grab, or Fireball seems like it's something I should try to get a bit more use out of.
Squigly:
  • Stancels: Are showing marked improvement, mid-combo at least. I can semi-reliably s.hp~hp, Stancel, s.lk which makes doing s.hp~hp, Stancel, s.lp a ton easier. I do need to pay attention and Stancel out of slower pokes. See: f.hp, cr.hp, cr.hk.
  • Center Stage: Haven't put a ton of thought into how to use this better honestly. I really should. I rarely get pressure, so when I do I'd kinda like to keep it up.
  • Jumping: I really do jump a lot. I need to, for sure, but ffs if you jump into a Napalm Pillar, DON'T DO THE SAME THING. Auto pilot less, think more. Learning to use Center Stage better would definitely help with that.

Random thoughts to end with. I'm not sure if it was net-lag being funny, or if this is a thing, but I pulled a Big Band out of SSJ with Daisy Pusher. That would be interesting if it's actually a thing.

Big Band match-ups seem to be slightly less threatening in general now, well barring Flotilla that is. They still hit like a truck though. Note to self, eat less raw Brass Knuckles'.

Mentioned above, Painwheel and Double seem to be my biggest trouble match-ups right now, if for nothing else than the reason that I have no idea why.

Valentine combos put me to sleep. They take so long, sometimes I end up spacing out right through a reset, which really bites. (Or might not even be true resets, just dropped combos I handed over for free.)

Peacock is still bothersome as ever. But seeing the patterns in the George's and other assorted flying junk definitely makes the approach easier.

Filia is Filia. So much movement, it amazes me I can block anything at all.

All in all, I'm still free as hell. Eventually that should change, maybe.