Saturday, February 26, 2011

KILLA SMASH [MvC3 Progress]

So, I know KB has been quiet lately. MvC3 is here. Connect the dots.

I am proudly reporting a 55-6 record in ranked matches at the moment. (I had started 10-0, went up to 19-2, and then had chalked up four more losses on my way to 37-6. Since then I've enjoyed an 18 game win streak.)

My ranked team is Hulk/Tasky/Deadpool. I commence nearly every match the same way: spamming H Gamme Waves and calling Tasky's Parabolic assist constantly, forcing most opposing teams to try to find a way in, and typically taking decent damage in the process. Eventually they resort to super jumping over my zoning, which prevents them from seeing Hulk's hyper-armored H intercepting their jump-in. From there, the games begin.

Catching an opponent in the aforementioned armored standing H gives a ground bounce, resulting in a combo along the lines of [H, cr.H, S, sj, M, M, H, S, Gamma Tsunami] and then DHC into Tasky and Pool's projectile Hypers if meter is available and the damage is necessary. If I am fortunate enough to have them in the corner following the super jump S, I OTG with Deadpool's Katana-rama assist, popping them up for Gamma Crush (which is significantly more damaging than Tsunami). I also use Hulk's [jump-in H, S] or the Anti-Air Gamma Charge bounce to start the sequence.

After Hulk has bullied one of them into nonexistence, I typically play a really lame keep away game with either Tasky or Deadpool, building meter and getting in as much free damage as possible. The opponent will often get desperate to get back in at this point, and, when they do, I usually bring Hulk back in to clean up at close range. Once I've trained an opponent to fear Hulk's armored normals, they're ripe for being command grabbed, which sets up Tsunami DHC into whatever else.


It is a cheap, lame, dickish way to play the game, but if there's one thing I know about the Marvel series, it's that a smart opponent will never hesitate to win through any cheap, ruthless, unsportsmanlike means possible. Dark Phoenix stall teams can be problematic, mostly due to my tendency to stay with my lame zoning too long into a match. The few teams that can outplay me in keep away (normally teams repping Arthur and/or Dormammu) likewise tend to be troublesome. I've run into a couple of solid rushdown teams, and in particular one of my last few losses was against a very capable Wesker/Dante combo. The vast majority of teams I face are really weaksauce rushdown (typically Wolvie/Dante/Akuma) and my above referenced strategy makes short work of them.

I had Super-Skrull in the line up because he is so cheap and easy. I received a number of messages from a displeased individual on the receiving end of these tactics, that repeatedly called me a "cheap pussy" for using Skrull, so I dropped him from the line up in favor of Deadpool. But, for the record, Skrull's teleport into 'He Loves You' (Inferno) is, like, braindead easy. I would still use him against a troublesome Sentinel, I think.

So far Legoman hasn't really gotten into the groove as I have, which I'm sure is due in no small part to my prior experience with the VS series, as well as the tremendous amount of time I've spent with the game since release. I am sure he'll find his niche given more time with the system. In our one foray back to SSF4 since MvC3's arrival, he dominated every match up except for Cody vs. Honda, which I came away with somehow.

Back to MvC3, I'd like to become proficient with more of the cast. I want to learn Phoenix so that I can understand how to counter the Dark Phoenix transformation, and can employ the strategy myself if necessary. I also would like to learn a rushdown character (probably Dante or Wesker) to diversify my team, as that could both speed up easy wins, and give me more options against lame stall/keepaway teams. I've been impressed by both Weskers and Dantes for their ability to teleport passed zoning defenses.

Stay tuned for more. Also, I'm K1774771K on PSN, if you're looking to get fucking smashed.

You fight with Hulk, and they say Hulk not smart?