Let Me See That Tron [MvC3 Combo Notes]

Tron Extended	j.H, H Drill, M, Gustaff Fire, j.L, j.M, j.H, (land), j.M, j.M, j.S, (land), S, sj.M, sj.M, sj.H, sj.S, (land), A2, Beacon Bomb, Servbot Beatdown, H, Lunch Rush
Tasky Rushdown	cr.M, H, Spidey Swing, j.M, j.M, Spidey Swing, j.M, j.M, j.H, (land), Shield Skills, S, sj.M, sj.H, Vertical Hyper Arrows
Pool 2x Quick Work	L, M, H, H Quick Work, L, M, L Quick Work (Cuttin' Time??)

As they say, no rest for wicked. Finally got my 100 ranked wins, but this only means it's time to stop punishing scrubs and to start getting down to the ol' nit'n'grit.

The team that earned me those hundred ranked wins (Hulk, Tasky, Pool) is being put on the back burner while I work on a more versatile, more powerful team. I've put Tasky on point and I'm retraining myself to execute his powerful rushdown in contrast to my lame keepaway methods of yore. Tron is in for her high HP, and her long combos. Deadpool is keeping his anchor spot for now, though I need to work out a few assist situations, and I may find I don't need him for his quick OTG.

The extended Tron combo is something akin to Clakey D's signature sequence. I've yet to master the rejump, but another round or two in training and I'll have it. It builds a lot of meter and does respectable damage. For the assist (A1) after the OTG (cr.H), I am hoping Tasky's Horizaontal Aim Master assist will function like Sent's Charge Drones in setting up the Beacon Bomb. If not, I will likely rework the end of the combo in to something akin to [(land), Pool OTG Assist, Beacon Bomb, H, Beatdown, H, Lunchtime]. Will probably need some fine tuning. [UPDATED: Yep. (land), OTG Assist, Beacon Bomb, Servbot Beatdown, H, Lunch Rush.] I didn't include it, but there's always the option to DHC Lunchtime, or XFC into another Lunchtime.

(Without Hulk on point, I don't need Tasky's Parabolic assist to accompany my Gamma Wave spam.)

For the Tasky rushdown, it's tough to reliably hit the [Shield Skills, S] against some characters, and it is vital to superjump vertically to stay with the opponent. Against a big hitbox like Sentinel, I can actually go into another Spidey Swing instead of the Shield Skills, and keep that sequence going a little longer, though hitstun decay haunts the end of that combo.

I was messing around with some Deadpool combos to give me more options up close. I found that double Quick Work combo to be pretty flashy, but I have yet to test if I can tag on a Cuttin' Time Hyper after the second QW. Here's hopin'. [UPDATED: Nope.] Also of note, Cuttin' Time DHC to Parabolic Hyper Arrows is stylin' sweet, though it's easy to mix yourself up and activate Tasky's Hyper Counter instead. (It doesn't look very pro...)

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.

Odds and Ends: Year of the Rabbit Edition

First off, My man HebeGB threw down some heat to cap off 2010 on Dirtbox Radio. You can grab the recording from the Dirtbox Radio archives or directly here.


Secondly, last I battled Legoman, the impending arrival of his blushing bride and some distractions arising from his distribution gig may have taken his eye off the ball. Leave it to Killa to make the most of the situation. We played only three matches: Dudley vs. DeeJay, Makoto vs. Dhalsim, and Cody vs. Honda. I won all three.

Step ya game up, Lego.

I feel like I can maintain optimal spacing in the Honda match better than before. Fake rock and roundhouse Ruffian keeps him guessing, and I've started to take more control on the ground from midscreen, readying Bingo to punish his Focus attacks, or using Crack Kick > EX Criminal to stuff most of his other advances.


Thirdly, Phoenix and Mike Haggar were revealed today for MvC3. Looks like the Lupinko list I inscribed here is dead on. If they're going to throw a curveball, it better be soon. I think the only surprises will be the DLC down the road. The Dark Phoenix mechanic, seen at about 0:50 in the clip, seems really cool. And, as I stated before, I would've taken Alex or Cody over Haggar.




Finally, as expected, I've picked up Caitlyn, the new sniper champ in League of Legends. (Not Legal Legends, ffs. Due to my poor pronunciation a couple of cohorts assumed I was playing a multiplayer online courtroom drama, to which I objected.) Took me a little while to wrap my head around the build. At this point, she is strong, but requires a high degree of discretion. I'm running armor penetration quints and marks, and mana regen per level seals and glyphs. Masteries are 9/0/21 for cooldown reduction and movement speed. Ghost and Cleanse as summoner skills for escapes.

I start her with Doran's Blade and one health potion. From there I buy the new CDR boots, then Brutalizer, then Phage. I then ditch the Doran's to make Black Cleaver, then upgrade Brutalizer to Ghostblade and Phage to Frozen Mallet. This set inflicts a lot of damage on enemy champs she can outrange, as every hit lowers their movement speed and armor. While this doesn't always set up a kill, it does disincline enemy champs from trying to take her on directly.



The concept artwork is by Eduardo Gonzales, who also did the Miss Fortune concept design I liked so much.

It's Not Over Yet [Best Videos of 2010 Street Fighter]

The best videos in the Street Fighter world from the past year, for your enjoyment.

The Combonauts Zero Damage series of combo vids are very original. Credit to them for doing something no one else has done. This third one (embedded) has some really flashy stuff with double Seth, double Rose, and a great Ibuki-Juri scene. Hot.



Start this one at the 8:00 mark, there are a couple of moments in the last two matches, notably Warahk's reverse Super to Ultra, and Tatsu going taunt crazy in the final round. This may not be a big tournament final, but it's an extremely exciting and very competitive match.



Marn knocking Daigo out of Seasons Beatings Redemption. The most hype SF moment in quite some time, and it wasn't even Top 8.



Previously mentioned here on Killa Blog, Tokido's Top 8 match against Clakey D's Ibuki at SCR, including Tokido's godlike projector pose.




Happy New Year.

Better Early [Killa Blog GOTY GAME OF THE YEAR 2010]

What's Killa Blog's Game of the Year? (It's pretty obvious when you look back, just like it was last year...)

(Please keep in mind all games involved with KB GotY are games that I've played and were released in calendar '10. League of Legends was released in 2009, making it ineligible, even though I didn't play it until 2010. Starcraft II should be a huge presence, but I didn't play it, so it's not up.)

GAME OF THE YEAR: Super Street Fighter IV

Well, if this isn't a weak knock off of last year's KB GotY's, I don't know what is. Vanilla Street Fighter IV dominated last year, and its Super upgrade keeps the industry's most uncoveted award on lock. SSFIV featured ten more fighters than its predecessor, (two of which were completely new), a new Ultra combo for every single character (and two for Gen), and the relatively unnoteworthy new locales and the return of bonus stages.

I'll have to take a look, but I've likely dumped even more hours into SSFIV than I did Vanilla, and my rivalry with Legoman has only intensified as our execution and overall gameplay has leveled up considerably. While we both still enjoy some Tekken or Soul Caliber when a guest suggests it, by default, the game we play is SSFIV. I don't know how things will change when Marvel 3 drops in February, but I have a feeling if the pendulum of playtime does swing away from Street Fighter, it'll swing back right around the time Arcade Edition DLC drops. (Smart Capcom.)

Super edged out some strong contenders including BioShock 2, Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom, and Final Fantasy XIII. I never played Mega Man 10 or Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker as I had intended, but that is emblematic of my gaming this year. BS2 and FFXIII were the only singleplayer games I chose. The rest of my gaming was devoted to competition, either LoL'ing with Big Sis Prinny or testing my Theory Fighter against Legoman and the trolls of PSN.


To review:

BEST NEW CHARCTER DESIGN: Juri (SSFIV)
BEST NEW ENEMY: Big Sister (BioShock 2)
BEST NEW LEVEL: Taejin's Tower (FFXIII)
BEST NEW GAMEPLAY MECHANIC: Baroque (TvC)

You're welcome for the early arrival. Figured I'd make amends. Thoughts?

Better Early [2010 GOTY BEST NEW GAMEPLAY MECHANIC]

BEST NEW GAMEPLAY MECHANIC: Baroque (TvC)

To be honest, this was the toughest category by far, sadly only because none of the nominees really stood out. The Baroque from Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom narrowly edged out FFXIII's Paradigm Shift job-changing system which was slick, but ultimately not that much fun. BioShock 2's Protect Little Sister segments were a lot of fun, but ultimately not very original. SSFIV's Ultra Select has been quite a game changer, but when compared to SFIII's Super Art select, it's really not all that new.

The Baroque is not tremendously original either, borrowing heavily from Guilty Gear's Roman Cancel, better known these days as BlazBlue's Rapid Cancel. The SFIV series also has the EX Focus Attack. All of these expend meter to cancel an attack during its animation, normally to either extend a combo, or to cancel out of a blocked move to avoid punishment. The X-Factor in the upcoming Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 performs a similar cancelling function, bestows boosts based on when it is activated, and has been seen in early videos to allow characters to X-Factor cancel one Hyper into another, or the same Hyper. Double Magnetic Shockwave == "Welcome to Die".

The Baroque has a couple of interesting characteristics that differentiate it from the aforementioned. Instead of using meter, or a one time activation (ala X-Factor), Baroque sacrifices a character's recoverable red health to activate the cancel. Once activated, subsequent attacks in the combination recieve a damage bonus based on the amount of red health used to execute the Baroque. This all adds up to some intense comebacks, wherein the more badly beaten a character is, the greater the potential damage they can unleash.

In the VS series, traditionally, a character will slowly recover their red health while tagged out. The choice then becomes, swap characters so that the injured partner can come back strong later in the match, or throw caution to the wind and go for Baroque.



And, man, do I like comebacks.

This pic is actually from Marn vs. Keits at the 2010 Midwest Championships. To be clear, Marn does not use Baroque for comebacks in TvC, since he's never behind in TvC. Baroque is kind of broken on a rushdown character with extended combo's like Martin Phan's Zero because it can be used over and over again in a match.

Better Early [2010 GOTY BEST NEW LEVEL]

BEST NEW LEVEL: Taejin's Tower (FFXIII)

SSFIV's Solar Eclipse and Crumbling Laboratory were fun, but I can't really give a KB GotY award to a background. Siren's Alley in BioShock 2 really stood out as well, using a relatively small space to convey a great deal of action and narrative, but it was not as impressive as the Tower.

Taejin's Tower was one of many visually stunning environments in Final Fantasy XIII, along with Orphan's Cradle, Oerba, and Gran Pulse in general, and it was one of the relatively few with bearing on gameplay. It is actually a little talked about series hallmark, joining the ranks of FFVII's Shinra Tower, FFVIII's Deep Sea Research Center, and FFX-2's Via Infinito, among others, as vertically oriented dungeons with enumerated levels.

While not labyrnthine, Taejin's Tower contains some of the more robust puzzle elements in all of FFXIII, which isn't really saying much.


(I really would have liked to have had LoL's Magma Chamber up for the award, but , *cough* riot *cough*.