A Complete Guide And Introduction To Squigly

[Meow-Professor]

This is a guide I've been working on for a while. The Steam version, here, has images of the hitboxes of her moves. Please don't post in this thread until I have everything reserved if you can. I understand that is just asking people to post, but, eh... Shhh. Also yes if this formatting is better, please say so. Otherwise I can make it something readable. I really didn't like the way I formatted all my previous stuff and this was too large for one post, so I tried something different.

Table Of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Terminology And Inputs
3. Pros And Cons
4. Moveset And Normals
5. Specials
6. Blockbusters
7. An Explanation Of Stances, Canceling, And Charges
8. Combos
9. Resets, Mix-Ups, And Tech
10. Neutral, Offense, And Defense
11. Assist Choices
12. Team Composition And Synergy
13. Matchups
14. Burst Baits
15. Double Snaps
16. Afterword

1. Introduction

This is a complete rewrite of my old guide for Squigly, which now has outdated information (no major gameplay changes to her in particular have been made, but it is old and some of it is incorrect).

Squigly is one of the most difficult characters in Skullgirls as she is very deep and has difficult execution in her combos. Even though Skullgirls is very balanced, she is considered kind of weak compared to other characters.
Her main mechanic, which she revolves around, is that she has two stances. While in the stances they will charge. If they are charged, she gains new properties for moves that correspond with the stance and the ability to cancel her ground normals.
While it is faster with a charge, she can manually cancel her normals as well by inputting a stance and exiting it very quickly, but this is much more difficult.

She's a mid-range stance character with some spacing tools and scary mix-ups.

This guide is made for those new to Squigly to get a basic grasp on how to use the character, the uses of her specials, some basic combos, and explanations to how you should approach a match.

If you are new to the game in general, I recommend for you to first read this guide, which is a complete overview of all of the mechanics in the game, written by me. While I will give a brief overview of the terminology used in this guide, you can go to there to find an explanation of all of the terminology used in reference to this game and fighting games in general.
I also have a Filia guide, which, while outdated, still has information you might find useful in regards to the character.

I'm by no means an expert at this game, and there isn't a "right" way to play Squigly, but I have a lot of information about the character that will be useful. Some of this is opinion on how I value her moves and how I play her.

If there is any information that is wrong, incorrect, or bad, please point it out to me so I can update this guide to make it better.


Changelog:

-Added a few more details and removed what links that were accidentally inserted automatically.

 

[Meow-Professor]

2. Terminology And Inputs


This is an overview of the terminology and format used in the guide.


Combo Terminology

Spoiler

Combos in this guide are written as x.XX > x.XX > x.XX, with > representing canceling a move into another move.

s.XX
The standing version of a move, ex. s.LK

c.XX
The crouching version of the move, ex. c.MK

sf.XX, or s.XX
The forward version of a move, ex. sf.HP

j.XX
The aerial version of a move, ex. j.LP

Stancel
A stance cancel

General Terminology

Spoiler

Combo
A series of attacks with no gap between them

Chain
The attacks in a combo before or until you special cancel or go into the air (ex. c.LK > s.MK > c.HK > Special)

Startup
The time it takes between the input of a move to when it has a hitbox and can deal damage, measured in frames

Active
How long the hitbox of a move is present, or how long the move can do damage for, measured in frames

Recovery
How long you're vulnerable for after using a move, when a hitbox is not present, measured in frames

A Frame, or Frames
Frames are used as a measurement of time in fighting games. Usually, there are 60 frames in one second, or 60 FPS

Hitbox
The area of your move that, if touched by your opponent, either hits them or puts them in blockstun

Hurtbox
The area of your character that, if touched by your opponent's hitbox, will either make you take damage, or put you in blockstun

Neutral
What you're doing when you're not in pressure or on the offensive

Pressure
When you're in a blockstring, or your opponent is controlling your movement and having you block their attacks

QCF
Quarter circle forward, or down > down forward > forward

QCB
Quarter circle back, the opposite of quarter circle forward, or down > down back > back

DP
Dragon punch, or forward > down > down forward > forward

DHC
DHC is a term from Marvel vs. Capcom
This refers to canceling one super into a super from your next assist in line
Any super that is canceled into, as long as it requires more than 1 meter, is 1 meter cheaper

 

[Meow-Professor]

3. Pros And Cons


+Very safe pressure
+Fantastic mix-ups with her stance canceling
+High combo damage
+Great assist choices
+Good DHC
+Works good anywhere in teams
+Great range and hitboxes on her normals
+Lots of tools for different situations


-Doesn't have a good reversal option without a charge, and kind of sits in pressure
-As she relies on her charge, situations where she can't get one gives her lots of trouble, such as against zoners like Peacock and Robo-Fortune, or rushdowns like Filia or Valentine
-No good anti-air, so without meter jump-ins bother her
-While ambiguous, her resets are often easily mashed out of with invincible supers
-She has a big learning curve and is difficult in lots of ways, so she requires lots of practice
-Her pressure is easy to pushblock out of, so having a lockdown assist works wonders

 

[Meow-Professor]

4. Moveset And Normals


Lights

Squigly has a lot of useful normals that all have different applications.
s.LK
S.LK is almost exclusively used in combos as other moves do what it does better. It doesn't have much range or is especially fast, so in most situations out of combos you'll be using c.LK instead. In combos it is used as an alternative to c.LK to do more damage late in the combo or to avoid scaling early on.
Chains into itself twice, with the second hit having more range.
s.LP
This is also mostly used in combos, but it has more to it than s.LK. It has the fastest startup of all of her moves, at 6 frames, so it can be used in a variety of ways to take advantage of this. For example, it is useful for punishing when there is only a small window to retaliate, stuffing your opponent out of their attacks, and more.
It also is useful to stuff airdashes as it hits high enough.
It whiffs on Filia and Valentine when crouching.
Chains into itself twice, with the second hit having more range.
c.LK
Her main normal used for hitconfirming. It makes her hurtbox very short and has a hitbox on both sides of her, so it is very useful. It is also used in some ambiguous cross-ups as the hitbox on both sides is very useful. Keep in mind that, while still being fairly short, her hurtbox extends above her head.
c.LP
A very interesting move for a few reasons. One, the flame summoned does not have a hurtbox, which makes it a great counter-poke. You can use it from a bit of a distance without worrying about your attacks trading with your enemy. Second, it lasts as long as you hold down the button, resulting in an active lasting up to 60 frames. It is also used as combo filler where s.LP might whiff.

Mediums

s.MK
A good move to go into after a stance cancel in a combo. A situational anti-air, as while it doesn't go too far, the hitbox extends upwards slightly while lowering the part of her hurtbox without a hitbox out of range safely.
s.MP
An interesting move used for a few vortex resets. The first hit of the move pulls enemies close to you, so if you stance cancel it, it has some interesting applications. The second hit pushes enemies away again and has more range. It also has slightly long recovery and startup for the entire range, so it isn't her best option as a poke.
c.MK
A very decently-ranged move used to punish your opponent from a range and to catch them off guard.
It has longer startup than s.MK, so keep that in mind. It also does less damage, so it isn't as useful in combos at close range.
c.MP
Also mostly used in combos. It is her fastest medium at 12 frames and is also used after stance canceling in combos. It is a better option in combos than s.MP as it isn't multi-hit, and as a result, doesn't scale as much.

Heavies

s.HK
Her launcher. Used in combos to go into air chains.
It can also be used as an extremely risky anti-air as it has a high vertical hitbox and a low hurtbox, but very long startup.
s.HP
A fantastic move that is what you will almost always be stance canceling out of. It does a very decent amount of damage and has good hitstun to give you a lot to work with when you stance cancel it.
Chains into itself twice, with the second hit having more range.
c.HK
A long-ranged sweep. This serves as a poke or a sweep to stop approaching armored moves and to catch them off guard. It has a decent amount of recovery, so be careful with it as a poke, though.
c.HP
A mix-up and burst bait tool, mainly. Also a fantastic assist choice that helps with mix-ups and pressure.
Very useful for mixing up your opponent in conjunction with sf.HP.
sf.HP
Her main mix-up tool. It doesn't have as much range as c.HP does, but it hits high. Used in a variety of resets and frame traps, and is a great move.

Aerial Normals

j.LK
Easily one of the best air-to-airs in the game. It is very fast, has a great hitbox, and has an absurd amount of hitstun allowing you to combo off of it very easily. It doesn't have a very good vertical hitbox, so using it for air-to-airs while above your opponent is difficult.
j.LP
An air-to-air with a lower hitbox than j.LK and is a frame faster. It used as an air-to-air in situations where j.LK can't hit, and it also has a use as a rising overhead (on hit, you can combo off of it with MK Fallen Woman). It doesn't have as much blockstun or horizontal range as j.LK, so it isn't as effective as a standard air-to-air.
j.MK
A very interesting move with a variety of uses. It has a very wide hitbox, so it is useful for cross-ups and jump-ins. It also allows for damaging jump loops in her combos, which I will explain later.
j.MP
A move that pushes you backwards whether the move is whiffed or not. Used to create space by chaining into j.HP to give you breathing room to get a charge. It is also a big tool in her aerial burst baits, as it pushes backwards. Not really used in combos, as it makes it difficult to connect attacks that follow it.
Also used to feint cross-ups to help her mix-up game.
j.HK
A move that is great for jump-ins and combos. Not really much else to say.
j.HP
One of her biggest spacing tools. It has really fantastic range, and it can be helpful to keep your opponent out of your face too allow you to get a charge. Keep in mind, however, that the attack itself has a hurtbox for Squigly on it, so it can be caught by things like hit grabs and you will take damage if it is hit.

 

[Meow-Professor]

5. Specials


QCF + P/K
Dragon's Breath/Serpent's Tail
Her stances.
As I mentioned previously, your progress to a charge is accumulated over every time you enter the stance, so if you're just short of a charge you'll be able to get it very quickly the next time you can enter the stance. I will explain her stances in-depth later in the guide.

QCF + LP
Livor Mortis
Chargeless, the move has only a few uses. It isn't fast enough to combo from her heavier moves. It is a meterless alternate to Daisy Pusher after The Silver Chord if you want to get a charge or want the oki, though. It is invincible after the stance startup, so it can be used as a careful reversal. Charged, it is fast enough to combo and gives you a wallbounce in the corner, and is used in charged corner routes. With a charge it also has invincible active as well, although the stance startup is still vulnerable. The hitbox isn't tall enough to be a viable reversal, though.

QCF + MP
Center Stage
A very interesting move. It is very useful against zoners to close distance, although it might be difficult to find a gap in projectiles where you will be safe to perform it. Chargeless, it centers the camera on Squigly and moves your opponent close to you if they are on the edge of the screen. Charged, it gains some important properties that gives it some interesting applications. Mainly, it creates a pseudo-corner at the edge of the camera, giving you wallbounces on moves that have them. For example, you can use it after a grab to combo off of it midscreen.

QCF + HP
Drag N' Bite
Another popular assist choice. Used to combo into meter with Battle Opera sometimes, and is used in some charge combo routes. Charged, the move is positive enough on hit that you can combo off of it. Not much else to say.

DP + P
Draugen Punch
This move can also be used as a reversal, but this doesn't have a very wide hitbox. This makes it useful where Livor Mortis won't hit, primarily against jump-ins. Initially entering the stance is still vulnerable, but the startup and active of both the charged and chargless versions are invincible. Chargeless, it sends the opponent into the air on hit. Charged, it ends in a full knockdown you can combo of off of in the corner.

QCF + LK
Arpeggio
It is positive on block, and is also used to catch airdashes. Otherwise, it doesn't see much use. With a charge, the special has one extra hit that ends in a sliding knockdown you can combo off of in the corner.

QCF + MK
The Silver Chord
A great tool with a lot of uses. It is used in combos to deal damage, combo into Daisy Pusher using the stagger, or to put your opponent in a situation where you can hit them easily, such as to bring them closer to you. It is a hit grab, which means it can be blocked, but it breaks through armor, so it can be used to grab opponents out of armored moves. It has a very large amount of recovery, though, so do not throw it out often. With a charge, its range increases, and its startup and recovery decreases. Both versions provide stagger on a successful hit.
In combos, the stagger will only activate once. After using the special in a combo once, it will put them straight back into neutral after they are brought to you. This is used for resets occasionally.
Charged, it can also be used to combo off of a grab as an alternate to Center Stage, if you don't want to use or don't have your Dragon's Breath charge.

QCF + HK
Tremolo
Chargless, it doesn't see much use. It can be used as a poke but it has a lot of startup and recovery, so be careful. It does combo, but it isn't used much. Charged, it is used in Serpent's Tail corner charge combos. The charged version also has a use to catch your opponent off guard from a distance as a poke.

QCF + K In Air
Fallen Woman
Different kick versions have different properties. This is one of her best moves and is great for maneuvering around projectiles, starting pressure or jumping in, and as a combo tool.
The light version is not positive so you can't combo off of it. This version is used for resets. The MK version is what you'll use in neutral as on block you are positive and on hit you can combo off of it. The HK version is the most used version for combos (MK sees some use in combos as well as s.LP links after it) as it has two hits and does the most damage. The second hit only activates once per combo. It is also used for burst baits, which I will go into later. The heavy version is negative on block and has the most startup, so it isn't used in neutral.

 

[Meow-Professor]

6. Blockbusters


QCB + KK
Squigly Battle Opera
Each pair of kick buttons puts the projectile at a different trajectory. Light + Medium is right in front of her, Medium + Heavy is angle upwards slightly, and Light + Heavy is directly above you.
This move has tons of utility. Without an assist, it helps to keep pressure on your opponent if they pushblock. You can catch your opponent in the recovery or startup of a move from a distance, as well. Another thing it does is it allows you to convert off of j.HP if you are in range.
It also is a large hazard you can place to prevent your opponent's approach to help you get a charge. If your opponent blocks it or gets hit, you have time to charge a stance.
This is a fantastic move to DHC into as well as it is safe, and could be converted into a charge or a combo depending on how it hit.
It allows you to convert off of lots of things as well, such as a successful Livor Mortis or Draugen Punch reversal.

QCB + Grab
Daisy Pusher
A command grab. This is another reversal she can use, but it has lots of flaws. It is easy to avoid as it is a grab, which means it won't hit if your opponent is in the air. Using it on jump-ins is difficult because you need to make sure your opponent has no way to get out of it; if they have air movement left, or have specials or supers that slow their fall, they can avoid it. Because of this it is very situational.
It is very useful in meter combos as it does a decent amount of damage. Most importantly, it allows you to gain progress towards a charge as it has a crumple effect.

QCB + PP
Inferno of Leviathan
Her level 3, which creates a projectile that travels across the screen multiple times until all of the hits land or it times out. It can be used in combos and neutral to try and help you get a hit.
It is also used in combos sometimes; to combo into it, use Draugen Punch to put them into position.

 

[Meow-Professor]

7. An Explanation Of Stances, Canceling, And Charges


Her stances are very complex and interesting. I'll explain them in-depth.

She has two stances: Dragon's Breath (her punch stance) and Serpent's Tail (her kick stance). The inputs for them are QCF > any punch or kick button, depending on which of the two stances you want to enter.
For every frame you are in the stance, it will charge up slightly. To earn a charge, you must stay in the stance for a total of 60 frames. This is a total; it does not need to be accrued at once. If you leave the stance, the progress to the charge is saved for when you enter the stance again. If you enter a stance for 35 frames before leaving it, to get a charge you only need 25 more frames of time in a stance.
When you have a charge, a lot of new options open up. If you have a Dragon's Breath charge, it will provide new properties for her specials performed with punches (Liver Mortis [QCF + LP], Center Stage [QCF + MP], Drag N' Bite [QCF + HP], and Draugen Punch [DP + P]). If you have a Serpent's Tail charge, it will give you new properties on your kick specials (Arpeggio [QCF + LK], The Silver Chord [QCF + MK], and Tremolo [QCF + HK]), as I have mentioned.

Unlike with the new properties for her specials from her charges, having a charge for one stance will allow you to stance cancel normals that are both punches and kicks. For example, if I have a Dragon's Breath charge and only a Dragon's Breath charge, I can stance cancel both kick normals and punch normals.
Stance cancels, or stancels, are performed by pressing two buttons that correspond with the type of stance you have charged (P + P for canceling with Dragon's Breath, K + K for Serpent's Tail) during a move. Stance canceling is not instant; it takes 12 frames. In reality, it is more like replacing the recovery of a move with 12 frames.
"Manual" stance canceling is done without a charge in exchange for it being more difficult to perform and taking longer. It is done by inputting QCF + P/K, basically entering the stance and exiting it as soon as possible. This cancels moves similar to how doing it with a charge does, but it is slower (18 frames, 6 longer than the 12 frame cancel with a charge), preventing you from doing some of her closer links like s.HP > stancel > s.HP.

You cannot seria cancel (the term for the charged cancel) a blocked attack, so you can't use it in pressure. You can, however, manually stance cancel blocked attacks, which can be used for mix-ups and making things safe. For example, if she does a blockstring ending in s.HP without being pushblocked, she can manually stance cancel it into something like sf.HP, a grab, a low, or any other way you'd like to attack.

In most situations, you will want to focus on getting your Dragon's Breath charge first. It lasts longer (as you need to use The Silver Chord often in combos, Serpent's Tail charges don't usually last as long) so it has more of a use for stance canceling, and it is more important for combo routes.

 

[Meow-Professor]

8. Combos


Here are some combos covering some of her routes for different situations.
Her combos revolve around stance canceling. Beginner combos will be more lenient and easier to perform, while advanced combos are much more difficult and will sometimes require a manual stance cancel.
The damage is recorded in a 1.00% damage ratio.

Beginner

No resources
Damage: 5278
c.LK > c.MK > s.HP x2 > The Silver Chord > s.MK > s.HK > j.LP > j.MK > j.HK > MK Fallen Woman > s.LP x2 > s.MP x2 > s.HP x2 > Drag N' Bite
This is the combo you will use when you combo without wanting to use any resources or while you are not near the corner.
S.LP will whiff on crouching Valentine and Filia, so you can substitute it for c.LP in that situation.

With meter, chargeless
Damage: 6215
c.LK > c.MK > s.HP x 2 > The Silver Chord > Daisy Pusher > s.MK > s.HK > j.LP > j.MK > j.HP > MK Fallen Woman > s.LP x 2 > s.MP x2 > s.HP x2 > Drag N' Bite
During the crumple from Daisy Pusher, you can charge part of your stance.

Corner
Damage: 6468
c.LK > c.MK > s.HP x2 > Tremolo > s.MK > s.HP x2 > The Silver Chord > c.MP > s.HK > j.LP > j.MK > j.HK > MK Fallen Woman > s.LP x 2 > s.MP x2 > s.HP x2 > Drag N' Bite


With Charge:

No other resources
Damage: 6321
c.LK > c.MK > s.HP x2 > stancel > s.LK x2 > s.HP x2 > The Silver Chord > s.MK > s.HK > j.LP > j.MK > j.HK > MK Fallen Woman
If your charge is for Dragon's Breath and you do not want to use it up, you can substitute Dragon's Breath for Arpeggio.

Corner, charge use
Damage: 7213
c.LK > c.MK > s.HP x2 > Livor Mortis Seria > c.MP > s.HP x2 > The Silver Chord > s.MK > s.HK > j.LP > j.MK > j.HK > MK Fallen Woman > s.LP x 2 > s.MP x2 > s.HP x2 > Drag N' Bite



Advanced

As you'll find out, Squigly's advanced combos revolve around her j.MK/j.HP loops. These are difficult to perform for beginners, so this will take practice.
All of the combos ending with HK Fallen Woman do more damage with the j.HP from the burst baits, which I will explain later.
No resources
Damage: 6397
c.LK > c.MK > s.HP x2 > manual stance cancel > s.LP x2 > s.HP x 2 > The Silver Chord > s.MK > s.HK > j.MK x2 > j.HP > jump > j.LP > j.MK x1 > j.HP > jump > j.LK > j.MK > j.HK > HK Fallen Woman

With meter, chargeless
Damage: 7245
c.LK > c.MK > s.HP x2 > manual stance cancel > s.LP x2 > s.HP x2 > The Silver Chord > Daisy Pusher > s.MK > s.HK > j.MK x2 > j.HP > jump > j.LP > j.MK x1 > j.HP > j.LK > j.MK > j.HK > HK Fallen Woman

Corner
Damage: 6718
c.LK > c.MK > s.HP x2 > Tremolo > c.MP > s.HP x2 > The Silver Chord > s.MK > s.HK > j.MK x2 > j.HP > jump > j.LP > j.MK x1 > j.HP > j.LK > j.MK x1 > j.HK > HK Fallen Woman


With Charge

No other resources
Damage: 6677
c.LK > c.MK > s.HP x2 > stancel > s.MK > s.HP x2 > c.MP > s.HP x2 > The Silver Chord > s.HK > j.MK x2 > j.HP > j.LP > j.MK > j.HK > HK Fallen Woman

Midscreen, charge use
Damage: 7235
c.LK > c.MK > s.HP x2 > stancel > s.MK > s.HP x2 > stancel > c.MP > s.HP x2 > Drag N' Bite Seria > s.LP x1 > s.MK > s.HK > j.MK x2 > j.HP > j.LP > j.MK > j.HK > HK Fallen Woman

Corner, charge use (Dragon's Breath)
Damage: 7549
c.LK > c.MK > s.HP x2 > Livor Mortis Seria > c.MP > s.HP x2 > The Silver Chord > s.MK > s.HK > j.MK x2 > j.HP > j.LP > j.MK > j.HK

Corner, charge use (Serpent's Tail)
Damage: 6850
c.LK > c.MK > s.HP x2 > stancel > s.MK > s.HP x2 > Tremolo Seria > c.MP > s.HP x2 > The Silver Chord > s.MK > s.HK > j.MK x2 > j.HP > j.LP > j.MK > j.HK > HK Fallen Woman
As you'll notice, this combo is an edit to the Dragon's Breath corner combo. While there are some differences, it is fairly similar.

 

[Meow-Professor]

9. Resets, Mix-Ups, And Tech


A reset is when you cut your combo short to reset combo scaling and IPS to deal even more damage. Usually a reset is a mix-up or something ambiguous so that was the chances of them blocking it is lower.

Resets can be difficult to perform and are a more advanced part of Skullgirls. If you are new to the game in general, I would advise against learning some of these until you are more comfortable with the game.

First I'm going to cover resets that are easier to perform, or beginner resets.

With her stance cancels, you have a decent amount of options. For example, after a s.HP, you can stance cancel, and, instead of continuing the combo, you can mix-up with a delayed grab, a sf.HP overhead, or a low. If your opponent starts to block high, try to adapt to them and start attacking in other ways, such as using lows more. Paying attention to your opponent's patterns is very important. Keep in mind this is very easy to reversal out of if your opponent is mashing, though.
As I mentioned, LK Fallen Woman is used for some resets. An easy one is replacing a HK or MK Fallen Woman in any of your combos with the LK version and going straight into a grab once it hits and you land. If you want other grab resets, you have a few other options; after a s.HK, you can do a delayed jump into an air grab, or stance cancel and then air grab. Squigly's air grab can be comboed off of with LK Fallen Woman > c.LK. After a j.HP in her j.MK/j.HP loops, you can go straight into an air grab, or you could grab after your second The Silver Chord after you used up your stagger.

A "frame trap" is a type of reset that catches people mashing a move or grab. These don't work on reversals, as they have invincible startup, or on armored moves. Basically how they work is that you allow your opponent a few frames out of hitstun for them to start up a move, but then interrupt the move. One of these are c.LK > sf.HP. This is both a high and catches people mashing attacks.

For resets that are more difficult to use, one of her better mix-ups is s.HK > stancel > dash under your opponent > c.LK/air grab. This can be a cross-up low or a grab. This is mash out of with falling jabs, so keep that in mind, however if you predict them trying to mash out you can grab them. When going for the c.LK, make sure to stay directly under your opponent falling for it to be ambiguous. If you go too far to one side, it will make it easier to see coming. Keep in mind the cross-up only works on medium-sized characters, though.
A great mix-up that is safe to mashing normals in the air is using her c.HP/sf.HP after a j.HP in her jump loops. After a j.HP in her air combos, instead of jumping, you could use c.HP to mix-up low, or to dash forward sf.HP to mix them up high. You can also grab as well.

Covering her cross-up options:

In the corner, after a chain ending in j.HP, you can use s.MP for a vortex. Vortexes are resets that utilize moves that push or pull your enemies in certain ways. If you hit with the first hit of j.MP while your opponent is in the air in the corner and stance cancel it, it will cause them to fly behind you and it will cross them up. From there you can go into c.LK, or even a backthrow to send them back to the corner. This only works on medium-weight characters with the exception of Beowulf.
You can also cross-up with LK Fallen Woman after a j.HK. Neutral jump and go straight into LK Fallen Woman and walk backwards when you land, and you will cross them up. This only works on medium-size characters with the exception of Beowulf.
As a grab reset in the corner, after a j.HP in her jump loops, you can land and use s.MK. After landing the s.MK, they will be pushed upwards, so you can stance cancel, jump, and grab them.

The knockdown from Daisy Pusher allows you to do some interesting mix-ups and oki. You have lots of options off of it if you don't continue to combo, after you charge your stance up slightly. Squigly's air mix-up game is interesting; MK Fallen Woman can be very ambiguous. You can use it the right as you pass over their head to cross up with it, or you could just go for the basic high. J.MP can be used to make the way you're going to hit very confusing, as it pushes you backwards and can be cancelled into Fallen Woman. Combine this with an assist to make it very difficult for your opponent to block. You can also stay on the ground, of course, but make sure to be efficient with the time before your opponent gets out of the crumple state. You can start to charge your stances if you want, but you can also simply jump behind your opponent.

 

[Meow-Professor]

10. Neutral, Offense, And Defense


In a match your biggest priority is to charge your stances. Dragon's Breath is your priority as it is more useful for various things. Try to keep them away using j.HP, assists, and other tools to let you get a charge. Don't be afraid to go on the offensive without one, though; her pressure is still just as good as it relies on manual stance cancels. Her resets and combo damage are admittedly worse, but she still stands a chance. Don't put yourself in a bad situation just because you're desperate for a charge.

Squigly has one of the best opening options if she is your point character. Battle Opera plus an assist can beat out a lot of your opponent's attacks, although it isn't invincible. While someone like Filia doesn't have much she can do to counter it, Valentine can use EKG Flatliner, Beowulf can use Gigantic Arm, and more.

Her neutral is very jump-in heavy, revolving around j.HP, j.HK, and her divekick, so be careful with anti-airs. It can be easy to get predictable and for your opponent to counter you, so be wary. Don't abuse jump-ins too much, and try to approach from the ground if they start getting greedy with anti-airs.

When you finally get your opponent in pressure, you need to start mixing them up. After a blockstring or when you are pushblocked, manually stance cancel (you can't seria cancel blocked moves) to make yourself more positive. If you are pushblocked without an assist, you can Battle Opera if you have meter to keep the pressure on your opponent. If they block it, you can run up and try to mix-up, or you could even spend this time getting a charge.
Remember to mix up your pressure. Constantly using c.LK into a standard blockstring isn't really effective to get a combo. Throw in grabs, highs, lows, and other things to prevent your opponent from being able to feel safe around you.

When you are on the defensive, it can be difficult to get out of pressure, as she doesn't have a good reversal or a way to get out reliably. Pay attention to your opponent to see if Daisy Pusher would work in the situation, or if any of her other reversals will be effective. Otherwise, be patient and pushblock your way out of pressure if you can. Using Daisy Pusher as a PBGC can be very effective if your opponent is on the ground or doing a standard blockstring, as it will catch them in the middle of an attack while leaving you invincible from assists for the animation and having decent range.

 

[Meow-Professor]

11. Assist Choices


Squigly has quite a few options for assists that are all viable. Here's the most popular and best options, with an explanation of their uses.

c.HP
This is my personal favorite assist choice for her. It hits multiple times and low, so it is very useful for mix-ups and locking down your opponent for pressure. It makes it difficult for your opponent to pushblock or block, so it is helpful in multiple ways. One of its only problems is that is scales when it is used as a starter due to the multiple hits. Other then that, it is a very solid choice. Sf.HP is a high alternative, but it doesn't have as nearly as much range so it can be difficult to land.
Drag N' Bite
Another very good assist for her. It is also used for pressure and is a lockdown assist, but since it moves forward it can be used to help keep your opponent out of your face. It also helps approach more than c.HP as it moves forward. It does have a few small problems that c.HP doesn't, though. It pushes your opponent away on block and hit, so it can be difficult to follow and confirm on hit or continue pressure, for example.
Center Stage
This is a very gimmicky and difficult assist choice for her, as it takes lots of training to use correctly. It allows a lot of interesting setups and resets, and also helps to approach.
The Silver Chord
A weird assist that honestly isn't the best because of the startup and recovery. It allows for some odd combo opportunities and is a poke, but it can be very easy to punish.

 

[Meow-Professor]

12. Team Composition And Synergy


Squigly has something going for her everywhere on a team. She's good as an anchor and a mid because she has important assists and a great DHC option, but she's also good on point to let her get a charge. She also has a fantastic opening option in the form of Battle Opera plus an assist.
Personally I think she's best on point as her pressure really benefits from assists. Assists also help her get a charge as well. She uses a decent amount of meter, though, so she isn't the best battery.
Her place as a mid and anchor is good, as well. As an anchor, you have easy access to her assist, although her safe DHC isn't available at the start of the match. As a mid, I feel like she's a bit better. She has an assist to work with to help her with her pressure and to get charges, and her DHC is available for the point character. You also have more meter to work with.

As I've mentioned multiple times throughout the guide, a lockdown assist really benefits Squigly. Her pressure is very easy to pushblock out of, so a lockdown assist gives her lots of help. It also keeps them blocking for her various mix-ups and makes her Daisy Pusher oki even better. Assists that keep the opponent out of her face also work well to give her more time to get a charge.

 

[Meow-Professor]

13. Matchups


Filia

Spoiler

As she stays in the air so much, you don't really have any effective reversal so this can be difficult. Daisy Pusher doesn't work well as she can go into Gregor Samson while in the air to delay her landing, so don't try to use Daisy Pusher against her often. In most cases, and in this one as well, your priority is Dragon's Breath and not Serpent's Tail. Dragon's Breath charges her only reversal options, which you need to make the most of in this matchup. Draugen Punch can be useful to stop airdash attempts while in pressure, and j.HP can prevent her from airdashing towards you in neutral. Keep in mind she has Ringlet Spike, so don't be caught off guard while trying to charge a stance. S.LP is also useful to catch airdashes up close, and you can also combo off of it.

Cerebella

Spoiler

This is perhaps one of the only matchups in which having a charge for Serpent's Tail is very important. The Silver Chord and Tremolo are both very useful when charged in this matchup to stop her from approaching with Tumbling Run. Keep in mind j.HP's hurtbox as Cerebella can use Excellabella on it to catch you with it, closing distance and allowing her to push you towards the corner. Excellabella is also annoying when you are trying to jump in, try to approach more on ground. Her command grab super will beat out Daisy Pusher, so don't try to counter it with your super. Since she is also fairly jump-in heavy, Daisy Pusher sees some use. Keep in mind she has a double jump, so do not use it if she is not actually attacking. Make sure before you use it she isn't trying to bait you.

Peacock

Spoiler

This can be a tedious matchup as it can be very difficult for you to get a charge. Center Stage, if you have time to use it, is fairly useful here to close some distance between you and your opponent. If you're slightly close to her and she tries to set up projectiles or teleport away, you can catch her with Battle Opera. Don't get too carried away with getting a charge because it can be difficult and you will take damage in the process if you get too greedy. Try to work to it over time with different, short amounts of time in your stance, and don't be afraid to cut it short to block. Her divekick is also useful to maneuver around projectiles to help close distance, as well. Try to stay above most of her projectiles, and divekick under her air projectiles.
Center Stage > SBO is very quick and hard to react to, and is useful for catching her creating projectiles from a big distance.

Parasoul

Spoiler

Daisy Pusher can also be difficult to land on her as if she is high enough, she can just cancel her normals into her tear toss, which will slow her fall considerably, but not completely. Despite this, it is useful as a PBGC if she tries to mix you up. Center Stage > SBO is useful here as well, as you can catch her using projectiles, throwing tears, sending a bike, or anything else. Be careful with Napalm Pillar when the offensive as it can catch you doing lots of things. In pressure, she can PBGC and punish you if you are above her. It also makes resetting her fairly difficult if she sees it coming, and it makes her oki especially difficult.

Ms. Fortune

Spoiler

Again, and with most of the rushdowns in the game, you are going to want to charge Dragon's Breath to power up her reversals. Use Draugen Punch if she tries to IAD you to help create some space. Daisy Pusher will see some use as she doesn't have a reliable way to slow or stop her fall if she used her airdash (her head throw can slow it slightly, so if she has her head on still be a little careful), but if she has enough meter, her level 3 super will stop her fall completely and punish you, so keep that in mind. If she doesn't have her head, getting a charge might be a bit difficult because she can use her head to catch you and hit you out of it. Her air super can make some of your air resets difficult, however, so if they get too greedy and start mashing it out too much, try to feint it. S.LP is very useful to help stuff her out of her airdashes, so keep that in mind.

Painwheel

Spoiler

This is perhaps one of Squigly's worse matchups, as her armor and flight makes things very difficult. You want to keep Painwheel on the ground as much as possible, so try to poke her out of her flight with j.HP. If she is using an armored move, don't try to use j.HP, though. SBO can help you keep her out of the air as well, and using it after Center Stage it helps to catch her out of her using projectiles or her just flying around. Charging Dragon's Breath is important to keep her out of the air and to have better reversals, as Daisy Pusher is basically useless in the matchup as she can just fly away. Don't try to use Daisy Pusher at all because she can just cancel into flight to avoid it.

Valentine

Spoiler

Again, charge Dragon's Breath to power up your reversals and to have access to Center Stage Seria for catching them with SBO. S.LP is useful just like with most characters with an airdash to stuff them out of IAD attempts. This is a difficult matchup because on top of her being hard to get out of your face, if you attempt to use Daisy Pusher, she can just use her level 1 projectile super to stop her fall temporarily to be able to avoid the grab and punish you. Getting a charge might be difficult because she can poke you with her projectiles and can close distance very easily.

Double

Spoiler

Her projectiles can be annoying for a few reasons. Her straight projectile can prevent you from getting a charge, so be careful with it. Her anti-air projectile is probably your biggest worry, however, because it can prevent you from divekicking in. It can also catch your j.HP attempts, so really do be cautious with your approach. You can try to bait it out and punish it, though. Dragon's Breath is important to reversal out of her pressure and to have access to Center Stage Seria to catch her on her projectiles with SBO. As I mentioned, you will need to avoid divekicking in, and you need to be careful with j.HP and j.HK. Using empty jumps will be helpful to prevent being hit by her anti-air projectile while still approaching.

Squigly

Spoiler

Daisy Pusher is useful here if she tries to divekick you, so it will see a decent amount of use. Either of you might try to focus on getting a charge or to focus on preventing the other one from getting a charge. Personally I prefer to go on the offensive right away and to poke with j.HP to try to keep them from getting one. While it isn't a priority, having Serpent's Tail charged can be useful to prevent them from getting their charge with Tremolo. If you want a meterless way to deal with their divekicks, you can charge Dragon's Breath to be able to use Draugen Punch and Livor Mortis Seria. Draugen Punch is more useful here to hit her vertically.
If she uses a super on you, you can mash out the same super to prevent your opponent from doing much. If they use SBO, you will trade, but if you use Daisy Pusher, you will catch them out of their Daisy Pusher.

Big Band

Spoiler

His Brass Knuckles special is very annoying as a poke when you are attempting to get a charge. You should be able to start blocking in most cases, but it can be interrupting. Giant Step can also make it difficult as well, so getting a charge can be difficult. His anti-air grab can make your jump-ins unsafe, so be careful. Keep in mind it will also catch your j.HP, so don't throw it out without a reason. Try to approach more through the ground and empty jump more to prevent being grabbed. Cymbal Class will also allow him to avoid getting hit by Daisy Pusher, so be careful using it on jump-ins. If he whiffs Brass Knuckles, you can use The Silver Chord if you're fast enough to catch his extended hurtbox from a distance and start a combo. Because of this, and how Tremolo is helpful as a poke, Serpent's Tail's charge is useful here as it lowers the startup for The Silver Chord and makes it reach farther.

Eliza

Spoiler

As with most airdash characters, Dragon's Breath is more useful here to get your reversals powered up. Weight Of Anubis, her grab, can be troublesome to stop you from getting a charge. Try to prevent her air approach with j.HP. Be careful with it when she is on the ground, though, as she can use Dive Of Horus to punish you. Dive Of Horus can also prevent you from using your divekick, so you need to be careful with it. Draugen Punch is more effective as in a lot of situations against her Livor Mortis reversal will whiff if she is in the air. She doesn't have much to prevent falling into Daisy Pusher if she has used her airdash already, so it can help against her jump-ins.

Beowulf

Spoiler

This is a good matchup for Squigly for a few reasons. His super, Gigantic Arm, can be low-profiled with c.LK. If her tries to reversal out and you use c.LK, it won't hit you. It is also fairly easy to get a charge in neutral against him, so that shouldn't be too much of a problem. Daisy Pusher isn't the most useful thing here because he can just use Wolf Blitzer to get away, so don't abuse it. His chairless c.HP can be a very annoying counter to your divekicks and your j.HP, so don't try to abuse jump-ins as he will punish you. If he tries to use it, you can use Daisy Pusher to break the armor and catch it. SBO is useful on his j.HP jump-ins to keep him away, as well.

Robo-Fortune

Spoiler

This is also a very difficult matchup for Squigly for quite a few reasons. One, it is almost impossible to get a charge in neutral as her beams are fast enough to deal damage to you before you can leave the stance. Do not try to get one in neutral and wait until you get a blocked SBO or a Daisy Pusher hit in a combo. Daisy Pusher is also difficult to use against her as she can cancel her moves with a double jump, so if she hasn't already used it don't use it. Approaching can be very difficult because of her beams. Getting in the air will be hard, but try to stay high above the projectiles if you can, and dive down towards her to try to close distance. If you manage to get a charge, Center Stage > SBO is very useful to catch her summoning projectiles.

 

[Meow-Professor]

14. Burst Baits


A burst bait is when you put your opponent in a situation where they can burst but the burst will whiff on you. If you block your opponent's burst, your opponent can block and doesn't enter recovery for the burst once the active ends. This is why making the burst whiff is important, although there are setups you can do with a blocked burst.
It is also important to note that the window for the burst ends when your opponent lands or gets out of a knockdown if they are in one. Multi-hit moves are best for these situations as it gives your opponent more time to burst. Squigly's c.HP is probably her best move for burst baits because of this- it has lots of range and hits multiple times.
Another important burst bait tool is HK Fallen Woman. If you have your OTG still, it puts them in a situation that leads to a variety of burst setups. For example, her main burst, which can be added on to the end of any combo ending in HK Fallen Woman is HK Fallen Woman > walk backwards until they land > c.HP. If done correctly, if they burst it will whiff allowing you to punish. Another burst bait easy to perform and great for beginners is The Silver Chord > dash backwards > c.HP.

For her aerial bursts, j.MP is useful as it sends you backwards. While it seems like j.HP might be useful for burst baits as well, remember the hitbox has a hurtbox for Squigly as well, so if they burst near the attack it will hit you. Her air burst can be used any time IPS/Undizzy will trigger at the start of your next chain after a j.HP in her jump loops. After j.HP, jump backwards > j.MP. If they burst, you can jump again and punish. While j.MP isn't multi-hit, it is still a decent burst bait because they still have a large window to burst as they are in the air and must fall to the ground first. Another option for an aerial burst bait is that after j.HP in her jump loops, you can land and use s.MP and go instantly into your stance once it hits. Going into the stance shortens your hurtbox and makes the burst whiff.

 

[Meow-Professor]

15. Double Snaps


Double snaps are a way to punish bad assist calls. If you are in the corner and have a bar of meter when you catch both your opponent and their with assist with a combo, you can snapback both of them to continue comboing the assist character without your opponent there to defend them. Assists have a few odd properties that allow you to combo them to death on a successful double snap. Most importantly, they don't burst or are affected by IPS or Undizzy. They also don't leave the screen until they land, so if they leave hitstun while in the air you can still pick them up for a combo again.
It is best to snapback after a s.HP to make sure you catch both the assist and your opponent with it.
Two very easy double snaps are:
Snap, > c.MK > s.HK > stancel (doing it manually works as well) > s.HK > stancel > s.HK > stancel > repeat.

Snap, > c.MK > s.HK > j.LP > j.MK > j.HK > MK Fallen Woman > s.LP > s.MK > s.HK > j.LP > j.MK > j.HK > MK Fallen Woman > repeat
The meter gain on the s.HK snap is more optimal, but the other snap is easier.

 

[Meow-Professor]

16. Afterword


As I mentioned beforehand, this is the second version of my previous Squigly guide, which was frankly much worse. If any mechanic is confusing or I have said something or used terminology you do not understand, I'd again recommend for you to read this guide first, which will answer any questions you might have or to explain anything you didn't fully understand.
I'd also recommend you to check out this thread on the official forum, which has plenty of resources to help you. The forum in general is a great place to ask questions or find resources and combos.
Otherwise, I hope this guide has helped you.

 

[Meow-Professor]

The guide is basically done, for now. I had to take a break in formatting it for a period of time, and only got to finish it now. Once again, if anyone can point out any bad or incorrect information, it would be appreciated.

 

[Adwins]

I love using Liver mortis against jumpins, especially Beo's Chair jHP; i find it works against that more often than it does others for some reason.

Don't forget that uncharged gives you a sliding knockdown, setting up some oki and even leaving you time to charge (one or the other, i don't think you have time to charge-walk towards them if they're not knocked near a corner)

If you find youself against a grounded squigly and she uses a super that will hit you, mash out the same super. SBO will trade, but if you mash daisy pusher, you'll win.

Almost everything she can do can be comboed off of thanks to SBO. chargeless Mortis and DP are the biggest ones to come to mind since those two are less often used, so i'd say it's worth it to practice some DP/Liver > SBO conversions

 

[Meow-Professor]

Don't forget that uncharged gives you a sliding knockdown, setting up some oki and even leaving you time to charge (one or the other, i don't think you have time to charge-walk towards them if they're not knocked near a corner)

I didn't mention this because it is too slow to combo into. You can do it off of The Silver Chord, but I'd rather use Daisy Pusher in that situation which gives progress to a charge and the ability to pick up and is really worth the meter. I'll mention it is a meterless option, though.

If you find youself against a grounded squigly and she uses a super that will hit you, mash out the same super. SBO will trade, but if you mash daisy pusher, you'll win.

Probably should've said this, thanks.

Almost everything she can do can be comboed off of thanks to SBO. chargeless Mortis and DP are the biggest ones to come to mind since those two are less often used, so i'd say it's worth it to practice some DP/Liver > SBO conversions

Not quite sure where to put this, which is why I didn't initially add it. For now I'll just put it under SBO in Blockbusters.
I appreciate it, again. I'll add it now.
Also, as I mentioned in the Steam version it automatically put in links on some combos or moves that I wrote. I can't remove it on the Steam version but I'll go through and remove it here.