Q
qube
Guest
So I was thinking, we should have a thread that specifically discusses individual characters strategies. Kind of like a mini-FAQ for each character, but in one easy to find location. Hopefully some of you like this idea, it is inspired by Wes's 98 thread. I know a lot of us want to participate in what those guys are doing but don't have the time or the means to make vids and rip sprites. They are doing a great service to the community, maybe we can add a little bit here 
I was thinking that we should just list the character and then the year that you are writing on. For example, I will start
KULA DIAMOND--------------2002---------
STRENGTHS
Kula is extremely fast and has great comboing ability at her disposal. Her Anti-airs are very reliable and her small sprite renders her immune to some combos that can only be done on larger characters. Her DM's are also easy to combo into.
WEAKNESSES
Being that she is so blazingly fast, the natural drawback is that she is weak. Her combos are plentiful and consist of many hits at times, but their damage is low. Obviously this means that you must attack sucessfully many times over with Kula to obtain a win. Her DM's, while comboable, are not versatile.
STRATEGY
The best gameplan that I have found with Kula is to hit and run. Her speed and fast jump make her ideal for sneaking in for a quick combo and then getting away. Distancing yourself after a sucessful attack allows you the luxury of setting the pace and playing mind games with your opponent. After getting your combo in you might sit back and bait them in for an easy anti-air, or you might run under them for a free combo!
I have found that Kula's Counter Shell (qcb+A/C) is an excellent baiting move. It gives off the impression that she will be in animation for awhile, but in actuality the move starts up and finishes its animation quite quickly wink
Although Kula should primarily be played in a hit and run style she is very adaptable and amazingly versatile! When forced to play defensivly Kula is like a fish in water. Her anti-airs, Counter Shell, Crow Bite (dp+A/C), Slide Shot (df+B), Critical Ice (df+C), and her natural quickness are all great tools in close or at a distance.
If you are being pressured or backed into a corner remember that Kula is never without defenses. If the opponent jumps in on you use your anti-airs. If they are keeping ground pressure on you either counter (f+CD), counter roll (f+AB), or wait for a break in the pressure and then use either Critical Ice to push your opponent back and give yourself some breathing room, or use Slide Shot to knock your opponent down. Kula's C Crow Bite is also very effective for getting out of a corner, as it travels almost a full screens distance!
If you are being forced to play a defensive strategy at a distace that is fine as well smirk Kula's Counter Shell is great for nullifying any kind of projectile, as well as some ranging moves such as Terry's Burn Knuckle, Kensou's Sequential Dragon Bite, Ryo's Flying Swallow Gale Kick, and many others. If timed correctly Kula will always be able to, at worst, trade hits with many "body projectile" type moves. Most of the time she will get a clean hit and take no damage!
When half screen or so remember to throw out a Slide Shot or Critical Ice every so often, you might catch your opponent sleeping! If you feel very comfortable that your opponent is not about to jump feel free to throw out a Diamond Breath (qcf+C) every once in awhile too. Remember to use the C version, as it does not knock down and enables you to combo afterwards. For Example...
Diamond Breath---> Run into standing C, qcb+B, f+D, dp+C. Easy 6 or 7 hit combo
If you are in BC mode, and close enough, after the Diamond Breath you can use Freeze Execution (hcbx2+AC) for an easy damaging combo!!
I guess that is really it for basic strategy, here are some specific instances or particular things that might be helpful about the character in general!
IN THE AIR
Kula's jump is FANTASTIC , probably the best in the game, IMO. It is extremely quick and has an excellent angle for attacking. Kula also has quite a bit of priority while off the ground, but the yin to this yang is that her most reliable move in the air does extremely low damage. If you are in the air and your opponent jumps to meet you, use Kula's B attack. It has an unbeatable angle in air to air situations and has some insane priority for a regular move eek!
Barring a few special moves, [See K's Minute Spike (qcb+B/D)], her air B will almost always win!
If you are feeling real confident,and you are in BC mode, you may want to go for the NESTS Promotion (qcfx2+BD), but this is not recommended shame Looks fancy though, heh..
ANTI-AIRS
Kula is lucky in the respect that she always has an anti-air at her disposal! Reliable anti-airs are as follows
Just learn the angle of the moves and the hitboxes of their animations and you should NEVER get hit by a jump in again!
CROSSUPS
The only crossover attack that I have found with Kula is her jumping C . I personally think that it sucks. The animation is too long and there are too many frames for it to be useful. It is easy to see coming and also extremely difficult to time oh_no Maybe someone else has some input on how to crossup with Kula more effectively, but at the present time I just don't see that being likely. Her crossup ability is one of the weakest in the game...
THROWING
Well, Kula has no command throws, so no need to worry about learning any here. Her regular throws have a decent priority over other characters throws, the pixel range however is short. Basically, if you are really close in, your throw should take priority, but you have to be very close! Kula's throws push the opponent far away from her, which can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on the situation. If you are trying to press an attack, then obviously this is bad. If the hit and run tactics are working, then this is ok, as it sets you up to range your opponent and bait in a mistake. Kula's throws are not necessarily great, but they're not horrible either. She is pretty average in this department.
Desperation Moves
Kula only has 1 (one) DM, the Diamond Edge (qcfx2+A/C). This DM is great for comboing, but not much else. It does not do very good damage, so it is kind of a waste to use it to nullify an oncoming projectile and get a couple of hits in. Not enough damage is dealt to warrent the trade for the stock.
Super Desperation Moves
In this area Kula has 2 (two) SDM's!
The first is the Freeze Execution (hcbx2+AC). I like this SDM because it can be comboed into, and it is great for cancelling projectiles and dishing out some major damage! It is also very useful for chip damage in a close match with time running out. Normally I would not recommend wasting 2 stocks on that type of strategy, but if it is the difference between a win and a loss, go for it wink
Her second SDM is the NESTS Promotion (qcfx+BD in the air). Rather useless SDM in my opinion here. Does minimal damage at best and drains 1 (one) stock from your opponent. More flash than substance I think. I only use it to show off when I am very far ahead in a match, and even then not really too much.
HIDDEN SUPER DESPERATION MOVES
Kula, like everyone else in 2k2, has a rather difficult to use HSDM. It is the Freeze Completion (AC,BD,ABC when at 15% life). I really enjoy watching this move, but I NEVER EVER use it in competition. These HSDM's are for the computer and training mode IMO. I have a couple of combos in the corner that utilize this HSDM that I will list below. Fun to do, but just not practical!!
COMBOS (the best part)
Let me start off by saying that in almost every single one of these you can substitute a standing C for a standing D , and vice versa wink
Simple combos---------------------
jD, C, qcb+B, f+D,qcb+A [6 hits]
jD, C, qcfx2+A/C [6 hits] {1 stock}
jD, C, df+C [6 hits]
C, f+A, qcb+B, f+D, dp+C [7 hits]
jD, A, d+B, df+B [4 hits]
D, f+A, dp+C [4 hits]
jD, C, hcbx2+AC [9 hits] {2 stocks, must be in BC mode}
Corner combos---------------------
jD, C, qcf+A, qcb+B, f+B, dp+C [8 hits]
C, f+A, qcf+A, qcb+B, f+B, dp+C [8 hits]
Corner combos in BC mode----------
C, qcf+A, AC,BD,ABC [11 hits]
jD, C, dp+C, cancel f+A, AC,BD,ABC [12 hits]
There are sooooooo many more combos to learn with Kula, she is an absolute monster in that department. Those were just a few to get new players started. I find new ones every week.
TEAM PLACEMENT
I guess this would really depend on the type of team you play *shrugs*. I think she goes best in the middle. I believe this because she is so versatile and can play any kind of game. Slow, fast, turtleing, attacking, with stocks, without, it really doesn't matter for a character of her type.
My team for example is Angel first b/c of her great ability to build meter and stocks. Kula second b/c of her versatility. And Terry last b/c he is a powerhouse and an excellent character to have on your team if you should be in need of a comeback in the late stages of a match. Just my opinion on why she goes well in the middle...
KULA DIAMOND---------------2002--------
Well, I guess that is it for now. Hopefully this idea will appeal to some of you and we can all learn more about the characters we already know or maybe find insight into new ones. The KOF forum should be about us learning anyway, not who is the hottest this and the best that....
*Waits for Takumaji, Orochi_Flava, SonGohan, K'_127, The Colonel, and so on*
Q-
EDIT: Multiple times for grammer and spelling.
<small>[ August 09, 2003, 03:00 PM: Message edited by: qube ]</small>
I was thinking that we should just list the character and then the year that you are writing on. For example, I will start
KULA DIAMOND--------------2002---------
STRENGTHS
Kula is extremely fast and has great comboing ability at her disposal. Her Anti-airs are very reliable and her small sprite renders her immune to some combos that can only be done on larger characters. Her DM's are also easy to combo into.
WEAKNESSES
Being that she is so blazingly fast, the natural drawback is that she is weak. Her combos are plentiful and consist of many hits at times, but their damage is low. Obviously this means that you must attack sucessfully many times over with Kula to obtain a win. Her DM's, while comboable, are not versatile.
STRATEGY
The best gameplan that I have found with Kula is to hit and run. Her speed and fast jump make her ideal for sneaking in for a quick combo and then getting away. Distancing yourself after a sucessful attack allows you the luxury of setting the pace and playing mind games with your opponent. After getting your combo in you might sit back and bait them in for an easy anti-air, or you might run under them for a free combo!
I have found that Kula's Counter Shell (qcb+A/C) is an excellent baiting move. It gives off the impression that she will be in animation for awhile, but in actuality the move starts up and finishes its animation quite quickly wink
Although Kula should primarily be played in a hit and run style she is very adaptable and amazingly versatile! When forced to play defensivly Kula is like a fish in water. Her anti-airs, Counter Shell, Crow Bite (dp+A/C), Slide Shot (df+B), Critical Ice (df+C), and her natural quickness are all great tools in close or at a distance.
If you are being pressured or backed into a corner remember that Kula is never without defenses. If the opponent jumps in on you use your anti-airs. If they are keeping ground pressure on you either counter (f+CD), counter roll (f+AB), or wait for a break in the pressure and then use either Critical Ice to push your opponent back and give yourself some breathing room, or use Slide Shot to knock your opponent down. Kula's C Crow Bite is also very effective for getting out of a corner, as it travels almost a full screens distance!
If you are being forced to play a defensive strategy at a distace that is fine as well smirk Kula's Counter Shell is great for nullifying any kind of projectile, as well as some ranging moves such as Terry's Burn Knuckle, Kensou's Sequential Dragon Bite, Ryo's Flying Swallow Gale Kick, and many others. If timed correctly Kula will always be able to, at worst, trade hits with many "body projectile" type moves. Most of the time she will get a clean hit and take no damage!
When half screen or so remember to throw out a Slide Shot or Critical Ice every so often, you might catch your opponent sleeping! If you feel very comfortable that your opponent is not about to jump feel free to throw out a Diamond Breath (qcf+C) every once in awhile too. Remember to use the C version, as it does not knock down and enables you to combo afterwards. For Example...
Diamond Breath---> Run into standing C, qcb+B, f+D, dp+C. Easy 6 or 7 hit combo
If you are in BC mode, and close enough, after the Diamond Breath you can use Freeze Execution (hcbx2+AC) for an easy damaging combo!!
I guess that is really it for basic strategy, here are some specific instances or particular things that might be helpful about the character in general!
IN THE AIR
Kula's jump is FANTASTIC , probably the best in the game, IMO. It is extremely quick and has an excellent angle for attacking. Kula also has quite a bit of priority while off the ground, but the yin to this yang is that her most reliable move in the air does extremely low damage. If you are in the air and your opponent jumps to meet you, use Kula's B attack. It has an unbeatable angle in air to air situations and has some insane priority for a regular move eek!
Barring a few special moves, [See K's Minute Spike (qcb+B/D)], her air B will almost always win!
If you are feeling real confident,and you are in BC mode, you may want to go for the NESTS Promotion (qcfx2+BD), but this is not recommended shame Looks fancy though, heh..
ANTI-AIRS
Kula is lucky in the respect that she always has an anti-air at her disposal! Reliable anti-airs are as follows
- <font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Crow Bites
- <font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Slide Shot (at a distance of course)
- <font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">down and C
- <font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">standing D (least reliable IMO)
Just learn the angle of the moves and the hitboxes of their animations and you should NEVER get hit by a jump in again!
CROSSUPS
The only crossover attack that I have found with Kula is her jumping C . I personally think that it sucks. The animation is too long and there are too many frames for it to be useful. It is easy to see coming and also extremely difficult to time oh_no Maybe someone else has some input on how to crossup with Kula more effectively, but at the present time I just don't see that being likely. Her crossup ability is one of the weakest in the game...
THROWING
Well, Kula has no command throws, so no need to worry about learning any here. Her regular throws have a decent priority over other characters throws, the pixel range however is short. Basically, if you are really close in, your throw should take priority, but you have to be very close! Kula's throws push the opponent far away from her, which can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on the situation. If you are trying to press an attack, then obviously this is bad. If the hit and run tactics are working, then this is ok, as it sets you up to range your opponent and bait in a mistake. Kula's throws are not necessarily great, but they're not horrible either. She is pretty average in this department.
Desperation Moves
Kula only has 1 (one) DM, the Diamond Edge (qcfx2+A/C). This DM is great for comboing, but not much else. It does not do very good damage, so it is kind of a waste to use it to nullify an oncoming projectile and get a couple of hits in. Not enough damage is dealt to warrent the trade for the stock.
Super Desperation Moves
In this area Kula has 2 (two) SDM's!
The first is the Freeze Execution (hcbx2+AC). I like this SDM because it can be comboed into, and it is great for cancelling projectiles and dishing out some major damage! It is also very useful for chip damage in a close match with time running out. Normally I would not recommend wasting 2 stocks on that type of strategy, but if it is the difference between a win and a loss, go for it wink
Her second SDM is the NESTS Promotion (qcfx+BD in the air). Rather useless SDM in my opinion here. Does minimal damage at best and drains 1 (one) stock from your opponent. More flash than substance I think. I only use it to show off when I am very far ahead in a match, and even then not really too much.
HIDDEN SUPER DESPERATION MOVES
Kula, like everyone else in 2k2, has a rather difficult to use HSDM. It is the Freeze Completion (AC,BD,ABC when at 15% life). I really enjoy watching this move, but I NEVER EVER use it in competition. These HSDM's are for the computer and training mode IMO. I have a couple of combos in the corner that utilize this HSDM that I will list below. Fun to do, but just not practical!!
COMBOS (the best part)
Let me start off by saying that in almost every single one of these you can substitute a standing C for a standing D , and vice versa wink
Simple combos---------------------
jD, C, qcb+B, f+D,qcb+A [6 hits]
jD, C, qcfx2+A/C [6 hits] {1 stock}
jD, C, df+C [6 hits]
C, f+A, qcb+B, f+D, dp+C [7 hits]
jD, A, d+B, df+B [4 hits]
D, f+A, dp+C [4 hits]
jD, C, hcbx2+AC [9 hits] {2 stocks, must be in BC mode}
Corner combos---------------------
jD, C, qcf+A, qcb+B, f+B, dp+C [8 hits]
C, f+A, qcf+A, qcb+B, f+B, dp+C [8 hits]
Corner combos in BC mode----------
C, qcf+A, AC,BD,ABC [11 hits]
jD, C, dp+C, cancel f+A, AC,BD,ABC [12 hits]
There are sooooooo many more combos to learn with Kula, she is an absolute monster in that department. Those were just a few to get new players started. I find new ones every week.
TEAM PLACEMENT
I guess this would really depend on the type of team you play *shrugs*. I think she goes best in the middle. I believe this because she is so versatile and can play any kind of game. Slow, fast, turtleing, attacking, with stocks, without, it really doesn't matter for a character of her type.
My team for example is Angel first b/c of her great ability to build meter and stocks. Kula second b/c of her versatility. And Terry last b/c he is a powerhouse and an excellent character to have on your team if you should be in need of a comeback in the late stages of a match. Just my opinion on why she goes well in the middle...
KULA DIAMOND---------------2002--------
Well, I guess that is it for now. Hopefully this idea will appeal to some of you and we can all learn more about the characters we already know or maybe find insight into new ones. The KOF forum should be about us learning anyway, not who is the hottest this and the best that....
*Waits for Takumaji, Orochi_Flava, SonGohan, K'_127, The Colonel, and so on*
Q-
EDIT: Multiple times for grammer and spelling.
<small>[ August 09, 2003, 03:00 PM: Message edited by: qube ]</small>
The best cross-up that she posseses is actually her ground move Beyond The Flames (hcf+B/D)
