What exactly SHOULD I be using in regards of defense vs. characters who are completely on top of me at all times, or to be specific, Vakiha? On offense, I'm fine, but neutral gets kinda scary if I can't keep her out with keys (this is worrying me especially considering her movement options) or score a knockdown, and once she's at point blank and on top if me, I'm not sure what do so, since I can't block forever and get mixed up at one point. I'm not sure if I should be trying to nail a reversal or a charge 4B or something here, or if there's something specific I should be trying to beat out or avoid. Or should I just be trying to get the hell out of there and create a gap again? I'm really kinda lost here, some footage of this match would help greatly if you have.
Not sure if you mean "on top of you" as in literally above your head on or on the ground set at point blank range. In any case, I can provide some insight on how you can try to manage composure in both situations.
Above your headI feel that F-ciel's greatest strength is her ability to hold her ground very well at mid range (just outside of Hi Flicker range or in as close as 2B range). Showing your opponent that blind rushing is not an option and ground-based footsie is limited will usually get the player to fall back on other means of approach i.e. by IAD's and jumping or retreat further to initiate zoning if that option is available for the character. The obvious answer to the former approach (via aerial assult) is to make use of F-Ciel's many anti-air choices, each holding it's own unique purpose decided by spacing, positioning, speed of approach and most importantly, the defender's (that being you) reflexes to a situation.
The most basic answers for a aerial approaches would be to:
(Held) Shield>SC OR 22A
Moderate to High Risk: Moderate RewardWhile this is a handy universal mechanic, overuse is not recommended as it's relatively simple to bait out and can sometimes be punished inadvertently. Vakiha has the ability to air dash twice and can thus bait out your shield attempting using a rather common double airdash maneuver (usu. seen on oki, however). Shielding is probably strongest when used very sparingly and mixed in with F-Ciel's other AA options. **SHIELD>22A is useful against extremely deep jump-ins as SC has more startup (9F iirc) and while 22A will not score you solid damage, its startup (3F) makes up for it and will usually get you a CH launch and down (6236C followup can punish all ground techs if executed properly after opponent lands from CH 22A).
22B
Moderate to High Risk: Low to Moderate RewardAnother extremely simple AA answer and as with shielding, it won't get you much in return but is still useful when applied in moderation. Its weakness lies again in its likeliness of being baited. Counter-solutions can be as simple as double jumping back, causing the somer to whiff and be punished. Also, it can be rather difficult to B Somer on reaction to some of the linear IAD's (e.g. Ries, Shiki, Kouma) and can too result in a whiff if mistimed. In most cases, it's far easier to react with, say, 5[C] or [4B] or [4D] in a short period of time than it is to mash 2's. 22B is still good for nailing obvious jumps and pedictable post-airtech movements.
Most practical answers include:
BE5C or BE4C
Low to Moderate Risk: Moderate to High RewardAs you should already know, these are the most reliable answers to obvious aerial approaches and to some extent can be used as reactionary AA tools.
Its weakness comes mainly from improper positioning and on occasion the depth of your opponent's attack. Both are vulnerable to super-deep jump-ins (4B more so) but fortunately, human error will not allow for such consistency in this type of approach so it's safe to say that these options are for the most part very reliable. Positioning should be highly considered as its other weakness lies in its inability to clash hits that strike directly above (I'm talking about smack dead on the center of her head) or behind. Usually a simple adjustment such as walking back for a bit will set the approriate spacing to force the clash. If you're still feeling uncertain about spacing in this matter, you always have the option to fall back on the basic options again or use some more "unconventional" AA's.
Alternative answers:
Dash under>normal 5C(10F) OR 2B(8F)>236A (*Stole this from some of the very early verA F-Ciel matches lol)
Low to Moderate Risk: Moderate RewardNow one may ponder: Why in the hell would someone want to dash head in on a jumping attack? Well, considering that Ciel has one of the lowest profiles/states in the game while performing a dash, slipping under and behind an attacker can be quite simple and is certainly viable . A simple 6A+B[4] input will get you under most IAD's (just don't do this against ries IAD cus the bitch goes nowhere lol) and can sneak you, at the last second, under and behind basic air approaches. If executed properly, the 5C can score you a CH from behind or tag landing recovery (If they chose to attack from a normal jump). This technique becomes useful in the event that you are positioned in a spot where 5C or 4B can be hit from behind. It can also be a means to trade places if you're backed into the corner.
J7B>dj.7>airdash (6A+B)
Low Risk: Moderate to High RewardFor whatever reason...F-Ciel's jB is a valid air-to-air answer. This has given me excellent results, yielding either a CH hit (into airdash>jC followup) or at the worst, a trade (which is sometimes in my favor by allowing me to land first). The best spots to go for this is in the general area where you would want to go for a clean hit 22B AA. When you're watching your opponent's approach from the air and get the urge to B Somer but they have yet to exhaust all air movement (potential bait), j7B can take it's place for far less risk. To some extent, j7B can be used as an anticipatory defensive attack vs high-speed, linear IAD's (e.g. Vermilion =D). The risk is relatively low as you are jumping away from the opponent while air defending AND you move to a more favorable position upon landing. To make matters worse for the offender,
j7B>dj7>6A+B(airdash)~[4]>(confirm CH)>jC is an OS against air-to-air shielding attempts (lol).
BE3C>dj9>airbackdash(4A+B)
Low to Moderate Risk: Moderate to High RewardDo not sleep on this. As retarded as it may sound, BE3C can be effective for striking down overaggressive players but spacing should be HIGHLY considered. First off, the start up on this is immense so it's best to fish for it when well outside of your opponent's attack range (roughly 3/4 screen away from opponent's corner or further). Second, the intention of executing from so far away is to strike down an anticipated aerial approach while being able to score solid damage in the event of a counter hit. Last, should the BE3C whiff all together, F-ciel is able to double jump and retreat (or advance!) to a favorable landing position. When BE3C does strike as a CH, it will launch extra high and provide ample time to freestlye a juggle combo. SDJ can also be used on whiff to scout the opponent from above and strike with j214A/B at safer distances.
Grounded At Point-BlankIf you managed to lose the upperhand and can't keep the opponent outside of your "comfort zone" you can try some of these tools to help you turn things around so that you can establish offense again:
Conventional Reversal options:
5B (5F)A fast normal, hits low, and has more range that 5A or 2A. If an opponents strings run on too long and they push themselves out too far, you can slip one of these out for them to run into. 5B>236A or 5B>2B>236A are easily confirmable on hit but can also give you more breathing room if you choose to commit to the sequence when it has been guarded. The downside to this is that: 1) You're standing, can't protect legs while poking out, 2) are neutral(5) can't defend while attacking. With that being said, it's very important to judge distance when tossing one of these out (hit with tip) but most importantly you need a good understanding of how the character's guardstrings work as well as a good read on when the attack gaps will show on said guardstrings. 5B is also capable of stuffing predictable redash 5A/2A garbage and the threat of being lvl armored can make it a pain to deal with for the offender.
236A (7F)TSA got away with this often in his matches (when he used to play F-Ciel! T_T) and considering it's range and speed it's easy to see why. Application is a bit tricky, however. Low Flicker reversal is best when used after an opponent has pushed themselves well out of range of a whiffed 5B (which is just about the tip-hit of Low Flicker range). Often times this will tag an attempt to dash back in to close space or snatch jump startup against an IAD attempt after a guardstring has ended abruptly.
Alternative options:
Jumping & Ex GuardingPretty universal. Jumping is probably a bit more safe than trying to press buttons when it's not your turn. This of course doesn't guarantee escape as you are vulnerable to lows and some characters have easy confirms from dash attacks that may strike you in the air. As for ex guarding, more pushback is induced in addition to the defender reducing disadvantage by a bit (+2) and can create enough space to couple in a jump out attempt. Not as free as it is to type out this option though.
4A>4CWhen reading opponent's IAD attempt to close the gap or reset pressure at closer proximities, 4A>4C can either clip jump startup (remain grounded) or tag the opponent while the are airborne. Should 4A>4C hit grounded, end with 236A to force a down, otherwise confirm aerial hit and finish the combo. Rember that there is the risk of being lvl armored attempting this defensive strat.
Exguarding & 623A(5F)Again, Exguarding will produce more pushback and reduce guard disadvantage by 2F. The successful combination of the two will allow you to get off a 623A reversal if distance is well judged. 623A is 5F startup and is confirmable to 236C OR 623C (The confirm is moderately difficult and maytake a bit of practice though). It's also assumed that you will be cornered when attempting the A syncher reversal so 236C confirm will yield favorable positioning (since followup damage on 623C will be impossible at this point).
"Gimmicky" Reversals:
22A>j214CJust as it says, this shit is kinda gimmicky (you've been warned). While 22A has no invulnerability its startup(3F) is ridiculously fast and can slice through sloppy strings when cornered. Shadow Snipe after will of course make the reversal safe should it be guarded.
623CIf you've been given far too much breathing room than you deserve (just outside of 2B range), have the meter to spare, why not? Well, it's not invulnerable for one but it can get you out of the corner (while attacking) if the opponent is unable to close the gap in time.
I feel that ALL of the grounded reversal options are of high risk and don't yield much reward. However, (calculated) risks can sometimes pay off and will allow you to gain the upperhand for lucking out. In the long run I feel that guarding (with occasional EX-guard attempts) is the best to fall back on, while watching for mistakes in excution (not uncommon) and looking for patterns in attack strings. The above options become more viable when you display (or feign) extreme patience and develop good reads. Hope this post wasn't tl;dr material for you lol.
Vs VAkiha (Assuming it's Half Moon here)
@Neutral
If Vakiha is trying to estabilish a runaway game, then they're asking for trouble. 214B's shoot her out of the air when trying for high positioned j22s. It's best to go for these at what I reffer to as Range 4. Range 4 is approx. a character space to a full backstep's range (or further) starting at the point where 236B (High Flicker) would just whiff a grounded opponent (There's another range where 214B is useful but will have to explain in another post). At this point it will be hard for Vaki to get around the fan of knives w/o having to use double jumps, sdj's and airdashes. You want her to either exhaust more air movement to approach/evade or to stay grounded and try to move in with dashes. Should the player choose the latter, then you can go to work with the stronger ground game (2B's, 236B/A's, BE5C, 214A, 623A). Smart movement, however, can get players around the fan but this usually requires anticipation. If they start getting antsy about knife fan and going to the air early w/o you actually having to throw knives, then you already have the upperhand. Their options then are to either continue an aerial pursuit (which you'll be ready to counter with multiple and RANDOM AA options) or use double jumps/airdashes to back off (which you in turn pursue to place them nearer to corner).
Should Vaki still be grounded after a 214B read has been launched, keep watch for the player to approach by ground to punish the recovery. It may not seem like a good idea but 214B>214C is actually a good option in this situation and can cover your tracks in the event of a bad read. Also 214C can be ex canceled to 623C if opponent has already positioned above your head allowing you to escape to a favorable spot.
For a surprise attack, Sj.922B can be effective vs the overzealous j22x Vakiha user. Confirm into throw on hit or double jump out and reposition your landing to a favorable spot if whiffed.
Unfortunately, this is the best info I could provide with the little experience I've had with this match up. Hope it was at least insightful. Below are some old TSA matches against a F-VAkiha user. When I say old, I mean '09 - hell, TSA hardly even plays this way anymore and has refined his style many times over since. Nontheless, this footage is what I used to get started and I sometimes reffer back to them to examine the match up and compare movement/former styles. Hope you find it useful.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNQz5rOEI7Yhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSfyn39dPa0http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gL6si7Z6dUAhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qwYl7tGyL8http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2o1oJ5lurEhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gw8s69DcXLQhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtdCvM_LcdMhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJnPKAJccAwhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWeUjZNe10cEDIT:I'm very aware that F-VAkiha =/= H-Vakiha in many respects but uhhh finding footage of that match up specifically (HVaki v FCL), let alone F-Ciel, is quite the bitch.
good luck!