This is the thread for C-Kouma in MBAA. I'm too lazy to test stuff for the other two styles right now, so this is the only one I'll be talking about (for now). I'll probably make another thread for F and H as I get to them though. Also, nothing in this thread is correct
. So please correct me as I make a hilarious pile of mistakes. Also, from my general consensus of what goes on in the MBAA BBS and in tournament videos, C-Kouma is pretty unpopular in japan. This is probably because C-Kouma is a bad version of the other good RTSD characters, but with a command grab instead of other useful tools. Or maybe just everyone who plays Kouma in Japan hates air combos.
I like C-Kouma because:-Has solid options on offense, defense, and neutral
-Decent Blockstrings (important now that you can guard crash people)
-Command Grab (important now that ground throws can be throw broken)
-Decent Average Damage, Good Metered Damage
-He can do more than one air normal
I hate C-Kouma because:-No non-risky anti-air outside of shielding
-No counterpoking outside of 2aa
-Very high recovery on many whiffed attacks
-Okizeme or damage, pick one
Normals: Most of C-Kouma's normals are different from MBAC Ver.B
5A - Downward chop. Overall, a good normal and a lot better than his MBAC version for a lot of reasons. For one, it will hit most crouching characters in most situations and will also catch jump outs and will actually give you a half decent combo in both situations. It can also still be used as an anti-air, because the hitbox is deceptively large despite what the animation looks like, so if you read an empty jump/deep jump in attack or are trying to air guardbreak your opponent, you can mash 5a and get a combo from it. It also isn't gimped after an anti-air shield either, because the 5a will successfully CH most of the time, though there are some exceptions.
2A - Downward chop while crouching.
Hits low. The range is a lot smaller than the MBAC version, so in terms of poking/meaty attacks it's not as good. Also, if you do it too many times, your 2b won't reach afterward either. But it does hit low, which is a good trade off since it actually gives him a high-low game. Also decent as a reverse beat, if you DON'T want it to hit your opponent.
5B - Same motion as the MBAC 5b, with the forward advancing palm strike, but as far as I know, this normal does not clash anymore. It still does move you forward somewhat, and it still has relatively slow startup. Feasible combo starter if your j.C hits them from very far away. Relatively strong as a reverse beat normal to catch jump outs or random mashing. Special to MBAC is that 5B has a followup 5B, which you can perform if your first 5B hit the opponent or was blocked.
5B (followup) - This is a backwards palm swipe that you can perform if your 5B hit the opponent or was blocked. It's been nerfed slightly in Ver. A, as it doesn't bring your opponent back to anymore. However, if you charge it up, then it brings your opponent back to you, but the charge takes awhile, so you need to make sure your to not charge it all the way every now and then. This leads to some pretty scary tick throw opportunities if the changed 5B is blocked, but more often then not your opponent will mash, so make sure you mix it up by staggering a 5A/2B/5C instead of tick throwing.
2B - :'( This 2B is pretty underwhelming in every aspect, especially since his old 2B was so godlike at a lot of things. It has really small range and the startup is actually quite long for a poke of its range. You won't really have much use for it outside of combos and blockstrings, since it pretty much sucks at everything else. But hey, it also hits low.
5C - Another different normal from MBAC. He does this like, awkward upward punching thing. It doesn't have as much horizontal range as his old 5C, but has more vertical range. Not that it matters too much, since it's not a very amazing anti-air or guard break normal though, since it is slow on startup and pretty bad on whiff (WATCH OUT FOR AIR DODGE). It doesn't clash either, as far as I know, but you can sometimes use it to beat out j.B in the new priority system. Overall, more for combos and block strings than actual poking.
2C - Same motion as MBAC, he does his downward arm sweep. You can use it to catch air counter hit combos and it moves you forward a little bit... but that's about it. Just like in MBAC, it has lots of startup and is really terrible on whiff. Also the prorate is not too amazing on it either, so sometimes it's better to do some combos without it.
6C - Different motion. A lot different. Kouma powers up and does a double fisted smash attack on both sides himself. This is an overhead, but it's really, really slow. Your opponent has to be relatively slow to get hit by this. After you do this overhead you can reverse beat back into 2B for a really big damage combo if you're point blank (and haven't used it yet), or just start the rekka combos if you're farther. This move probably clashes or has superarmor, but I'm not really sure where it does. More on that some other time
jA - Midair downward chop. It looks kinda like he is doing his 2a midair. This normal is not half bad, it has decent range and you can cannonball this fairly effectively against someone who jump blocks in the corner. Just think of it like Hisui's MBAC jA, but with more range. Probably the air to air of choice you're really, really close to your opponent
jB - Shortranged elbow strike. This thing is really, really small. It's both smaller and slower than his jA, making it pretty much useless for air to air. Not too hard to combo from as an air to ground if it manages to hit though.
jC - Same motion as MBAC, he does his reaching out arm strike. Unlike MBAC, it doesn't seem to clash anymore and you cannot charge this either. However, this will probably still be your air to air AND air to ground of choice, since it's the only one with any range and is quite good when fully extended.
Specials: Similar, but different from MBAC
236a/236b/236c - Rekka Attack
This is a pretty essential part of Kouma's bnb combos. It is pretty different from MBAC and the other styles. Each 236a 236b or 236c gives you a different rekka attack, but always gives you that same one. They are all air unblockable as far as I know (not sure about the second 236c, I will have to test it out later). They have superarmor at the startup. You can chain them together like:
A>B; A>C; A>B>C; A>C>C; A>B>C>C
236a - Kouma swings his arm forward in a downwards like a body blow, longest range of the rekka attacks. Safe on block, not a lot of range in blockstrings though, if you're trying to do 2b5b5c 236a, it will whiff almost every time. Can special cancel on whiff. Trips on hit.
236b - Kouma swings his arm forward in a more upward arc like an uppercut, pretty horizontal short range. Only real use is in combos or for blockstrings that are pretty much point blank or as an anti-air against single hit jump ins.The recovery on this seems a lot better than 236a, however. Jump cancelable on hit. Can special cancel on whiff.
236c - The first 236c is an elbow strike, it's pretty quick, but also has very short range. Also possible anti-air against single hit jump ins. It is not an EX attack. Can special cancel on whiff.
236c (second one) - Upward fist punch. Only comes out after performing the first 236c. Safe on block at longer ranges, but not at point blank. It is pretty much the same animation as F-Kouma's anti air grabs, but it only has the strike property from what I've seen so far. It's pretty hard to follow up from this attack because it sends them flying upwards on hit.
More when I finish finals and test it out.