How to properly escape from a combo?

[PetitDwarf]

Hi guys!

I've been playing SG for six months and I'm fascinated with it. Bizzare, fast and the best of all: traditionally animated.
I've learned some combos and managed to remember the most of aspects of the main tutorial, but there's something I just can't figure out. When I'm trapped in an opponent's combo I use to press <- + LP or LK with the hope of taking advantage of an oversight and counter-attack. However it's imposible for me to do it when I face a skilled opponent. It's like they know when they did a mistake and inmediatly defend themselves so I can't counter-attack. Also, sometimes they do fail but I'm so desperate pushing LP or LK that I hit them without realizing so it's too late to keep hitting.

Any advice?

 

[zarkingphoton]

In general, you don't escape combos. Mashing lp will only work if they drop the combo, or attempt a reset that wasn't very good. If you absolutely have to mash something while you are being comboed, go for mashing a special or super that is fast and invincible, or something with armor. Otherwise, don't mash. If an opponent notices you like to mash, then they can burst bait you, and really ruin your day.

 

[MysteriousJ]

Don't mash normal attacks unless you're confident it will work. If you get hit out of an attack, it will be a counter hit, which is worse than if you just didn't block

Supers like bella's diamond dinamo and beo's arm are great for getting out of the corner. Even if the opponent blocks and you just get hit again, it can still benefit you, because then the opponent will be more cautious. The more you try to reversal out, the more your opponent will block instead of going in hard for a reset, trying to bait out the super, and that will give you more chances to escape in other ways (like just jumping out).

If you manage to block the reset attempt, keep in mind other mechanics like absolute-guard and push-block-guard-cancel (PBGC).

 

[skull person]

You get to move when you stop getting hit.
If you stop getting hit and then mash a light, you leave yourself open to getting hit again, and you take bonus damage.
Focus on blocking and pushblocking after they are finished hitting you.
If you want to counter attack when they leave a small opening because you think they will try and hit you again, use an invincible attack.

Here's a list of attacks are considered each character's basic reversals.
These are the attacks you should try and use when you want to do something after the opponent is done hitting you and attempts to reset you / hit you again.
You can also use these during your opponents pressure to try and counter hit them out of their attacks.

Just in case you are not familiar with Resets vs Combos and bursting mechanics with Undizzy, check out this <video>
Every reversal has varying success and some are better than others.

Filia:

(Updo) [Invincible]
(Gregor) [Invincible]
(Fenrir) [Invincible]
(Level 3) [Invincible]​

Cerebella:

Charge , + (Battle Butt) [Armour]
(360) [Invincible]
(Level 3) [Loses to grabs] [Armour]
(Diamond Dynamo) [Invincible]
(Devil Horns) [Invincible] [Bad Hitbox]​

Peacock:

(M Bang) [Loses to grabs] [Strike Invincible]
(L Bang) [ONLY INVINCIBLE TO GRABS] ​

Parasoul:

Charge , + (Napalm Pillar) [Invincible]
(Level 3) [Invincible] [Loses To Some Supers Point Blank: Gregor, Daisy Pusher, Car, etc..]
(Bikes) [Invincible] [Can Be Hit Immediately After Calling But Before Bikes Arrive] [Only Useful With Back To Corner]​

Ms.Fortune:

(Fiber H) [Invincible] [Can Cancel Into A Jump On Whiff Only]
(Cat Scratch Fever) [Invincible]
(Level 3) [Invincible]
(Feral Edge) [Air Only] [Invincible] [Frequently Loses Post Flash]
(Head Roll) [Invincible] [Safe On Block]​

Painwheel:

(Death Crawl) [Invincible]
(Level 3) [Armour]
(Thresher) [Air Only]​

Valentine:

(Scalpels) [Air OK] [Invincible]
(EKG) [Air Ok] [Invincible]
(Level 3) [Invincible]
or (Level 5) [Invincible] [Revives Dead Characters]
(Counter) [Freezes / Counters Opponent If Stricken, Not Grabbed]​

Double:

(Hornet L) [Invincible]
(Level 3) [Invincible]
(Car) [Invincible]
(Level 5) [Invincible For Long Duration But Cut Short As Soon As Double Hits Any Button, So Wait If It Whiffs]​

Squigly:

(Charged Draugen Punch) [Invincible] [Only Invincible Immediately When Charged]
(Orb) [Invincible]
(Daisy) [Very Invincible] [Grab]
(Level 3) [Invincible] [Often Misses Standing Targets]​

Big Band:

(Beat Extend L) [Strike Invincible] [Loses To Grabs] [1F Vulnerable Start Up] [Good Anti-Air Hitbox]
(Beat Extend M) [Strike Invincible] [Loses To Grabs] [No Vulnerable Start Up] [Vulnerable By The Time Anti-Air Hitbox Comes Out]
(Beat Extend H) [Fully Invincible] [Vulnerable By The Time Anti-Air Hitbox Comes Out]
Charge , + or (Brass M / H) [Armour, 1 And 2 Hits Respectively] [Loses To Grabs]
Charge , + or (TrainM / H) [Armour, 1 And 2 Hits Respectively] [Loses To Grabs] [Only Hits Jumping Characters] [Unblockable If Opponent Is Rising Upwards When It Connects]
(Super Sonic Jazz) (2F Start Up) (1 Hit Of Armour)
(Super Sonic Jazz + Taunt Boost) (Almost Infinite Armour)
(Level 3) [Invincible]
(Timpani) [Air Only] [Invincible]

(Level 5) [Invincible] [Armour]​

Fukua:

(H Drill) [Strike Invincible] [Loses To Grabs]
(Armour Grab) [Almost Infinite Armour] [Loses To Grabs] [Slow]
(Best Friends Forever) [Invincible] [So Slow Opponent Can Recover In Time from Whiffing To Block Super]
(Level 3) [Invincible] [Breaks Opponents Armour]
(Level 5) [Invincible] [Grab]
(Note: Drill And Fireball Super Don't Have Invulnerable Start Up For The First Frames)​

Eliza:

(Upperhkat) [Strike Invincible] [Loses To Grabs]
(Level 3) [Invincible]​

Beowulf:

(H Chair) [Strike Invincible] [Loses To Grabs] [+ (Safe) On Block]
(Arm) [Invincible]
(Level 3) [Invincible]
(Level 3) [Invincible] [Grab]
(Wolf Shoot Escape Thing) [Invincible] [Can Be Punished By The Whole Cast If They Are Sitting Still Waiting For You To Attempt It]​

Robo-Fortune:

For some reason Robo doesn't deserve a working reversal sorry.

Try these if you want to die:

(M Spin) [Grab Invincible] [Only Beats Throws And Nothing Else]
S. (Standing Heavy Punch - Chainsaw) [Slow As Heck] [One Hit Of Armour] [Lets You Get Counter Hit So You Can Die + End The Round Sooner]
(L Spin) [Robo Fortune's Head Has An Invincible Hurtbox, Rest Of Her Body Can Be Hit] [Lets You Get Counter Hit So You Can Die + End The Round Sooner]​

 

[fenster]

Big Band can also Wake up and parry if you have the correct timing down.

Robo-Fortune:

LMFAO for some reason Robo doesn't deserve a working reversal sorry.

Try these if you want to die:

(M Spin) [Grab Invincible] [Only Beats Throws And Nothing Else]
S. (Standing Heavy Punch - Chainsaw) [Slow As Heck] [One Hit Of Armour] [Lets You Get Counter Hit So You Can Die + End The Round Sooner]
(L Spin) [Robo Fortune's Head Has An Invincible Hurtbox, Rest Of Her Body Can Be Hit] [Lets You Get Counter Hit So You Can Die + End The Round Sooner]​

You can also try Magnet Super ( for PetitDwarf here) with an immediate release to catch if the opponent is above you. It works out more often than you'd think since most common offensive setups people are using now aren't truly meaty so you have a gap to work with and the grab animation will let you go through the assist. If they aren't already blocking or are on their way up from a jump, they'll likely get caught by the super. It's also risky and ballsy as hell if the opponent has an air super and they aren't right next to you, or sometimes just won't work cause ayy lmao Robo Reversals.

Seriously not joking, wouldn't recommend it if someone (either Peck or PME) kept doing it to me, making me try it out myself to see it's more effective than you'd normally think.

 

[missingno]

Robo can also level 3 (), see if they pressed a button, and either DHC or just do nothing. Kind of costly, and for some reason the DHC window is small and frustratingly easy to miss, but sometimes it can be a decent last-ditch panic button. Magnet can kinda work too as a cheaper alternative, but I think it has some vulnerable pre-flash startup, and is punishable point blank whiff so "do nothing" isn't always an option like level 3.

 

[skull person]

Big Band can also Wake up and parry if you have the correct timing down.



You can also try Magnet Super ( for PetitDwarf here) with an immediate release to catch if the opponent is above you. It works out more often than you'd think since most common offensive setups people are using now aren't truly meaty so you have a gap to work with and the grab animation will let you go through the assist. If they aren't already blocking or are on their way up from a jump, they'll likely get caught by the super. It's also risky and ballsy as hell if the opponent has an air super and they aren't right next to you, or sometimes just won't work cause ayy lmao Robo Reversals.

Seriously not joking, wouldn't recommend it if someone (either Peck or PME) kept doing it to me, making me try it out myself to see it's more effective than you'd normally think.

I specifically didn't list it as a reversal because it has no strike I frames or armour.
It's as much of a reversal as Eliza's sMP.
It just hits things like a standing jab but it has a super flash.

I didn't list level 3 because you still have to keep blocking after.

This is off topic and not worth discussing here however.
@ me in the Robo thread we can move there.

 

[PetitDwarf]

Wow, thanks for your replies, guys! Very detailed :)

So I must focus on blocking and pushblocking before ever think in a counter-attack, right? I'll keep that in mind.

Thanks for that list, Liam. I though some armoured attacks such as Lock n' Load could work as well, but they don't when my opponent uses a grap or a mult-attack assist. I'll remember those reversals. Also, your videos look pretty useful! You've just earned a subscriber.

If Big Band's parry Fenster mentioned are like Street Fighter 3rd Strike's, then I wouldn't have too much trouble by playing with him. Btw, why is he the only character that has it? Wouldn't that unbalance the game?

 

[skull person]

If Big Band's parry Fenster mentioned are like Street Fighter 3rd Strike's, then I wouldn't have too much trouble by playing with him. Btw, why is he the only character that has it? Wouldn't that unbalance the game?

The window may be bigger in Skullgirls for parries, but it's still not practical.
The punishment for getting hit is a lot bigger in Skullgirls, and parrying is a big risk most of the time.

Most times a player is thinking about going for a parry it's a better idea to go for something else.
Usually players tournament players use parry in checkmate situations like avoiding chip damage KO since you can't die from parrying.

I though some armoured attacks such as Lock n' Load could work as well, but they don't when my opponent uses a grap or a mult-attack assist.

Battle Butt is much better as a reversal yeah.
Battle Butt is airborne which prevents it from getting grabbed, and it's much faster than H LNL with the same armour count.

 

[zarkingphoton]

@Liam The command for Megalith Array is actually just .

 

[gllt]

Battle Butt is airborne

Which removes your super cancel window, never forget!

 

[fenster]

That's fair about the robo supers, especially for players just starting out. Though I will say one of my favorite things with robo is wakeup level 3'ing, seeing they did a throw, and react with using a jLP or jMK to freely jump out since you can't get hit by it.

If Big Band's parry Fenster mentioned are like Street Fighter 3rd Strike's, then I wouldn't have too much trouble by playing with him. Btw, why is he the only character that has it? Wouldn't that unbalance the game?

Parrying in SG is different than it is in 3rd strike. Besides the input stuff Liam said, it's also just in terms of what mindgames are there. On a basic level, it's because a lot of similar situations (aside from 3S footsies range) are just more difficult in SG due to how the game is. Parrying projectiles in 3S (aside from super optimal Charge Partitioning Remy and certain unblockable Setups with Urien/Oro supers) is pretty easy to do that can nullify a lot of zoning, but any given projectile in SG is usually much harder to parry. Parasoul leaves behind tears after a Napalm shot even on a successful parry, which will detonate from a second Napalm shot traveling across it which will itself explode as well, meaning you will have to parry 2-3 things that can be variable timing due to spacing of the explosions (and she can mix it up with just detonating the tear immediately with Napalm Trigger as well). Robo's beams all have different startups and speeds making them always a guessing game of when to parry. Peacock's item rotations are all sort's of different timings that she can throw out on the spot. There are tricks to parrying them that you can do for sure, but right out of the gate it's not as easy as for example when Remy players try to throw out normal projectiles for spacing (that's not Charge Partitioning/throwing out several booms at the same time).

Or consider any jump in, most of the time SG has faster options for jumps thanks to IADs, made even worse when characters have good cancelable buttons to vary up their timing on top of that (basically the problem with Parrying Ms. Fortune). And Trying to parry neutral things like assists can also be tough to time as well given that they can be varied in timing as well. Characters neutrally having lots of things to vary up their timing or having multiple options to cancel into/out of on the regular is something you usually don't have to worry about in lower level 3S but is up there even at Basic SG play.

tl;dr - SG has a lot more weird variable timing things that make Parrying more difficult on a basic level than 3S which prevents it from opening things wide up. There are OS's and tricks you can do, and BB parrying is still being explored, so at high level there is likely a lot yet to be gained, but the on the surface application isn't as apparent.

Hopefully some parry expert can come in and talk about it further though, cause I'm not great at parries lol.