Facing Nero at the recieving end: Those damn pets.

[Fui]

Ciel is a terrible matchup. I'd say she's on par with if not worse than Kohaku. A Nero without beasts is pretty lame; you're going to have to nerf yourself and cancel all of your moves unless you want to eat ex-halo and dash-ins.

Also, this is a terrible thread. You fail at pressuring if you're getting zoned so bad that pets are giving you that much trouble. Especially if you use Ciel, because she can dash in and poke (or ex halo of course lolol) from across the screen before he can even recover from releasing one beast or do anything other than 5a. Literally.

But if you REALLY need help against B-tier Nero:
deers: throw, poke or block, pick wisely (if you're locked down by it, which you really shouldn't be). A ver: block, dash under (Ciel LOL)
crows: A ver: dash under (Ciel LOL), block, B ver: you are going to lose if the Nero can use b crow that effectively. EX: throw, poke or block (depending on distance to Nero and your specific char) assuming its an oki setup.
snake: A ver: block or throw (if hes walking closing in on the throw). B ver: dash through (Ciel LOL), block, jump over. Ex: laugh and pick your choice of ex shield or dodge.

Sound like a load of bullshit? Then you're not familiar enough with his summons and are pissing your pants thinking "OMG THER TOO CHEEP (hold 4 for maximum safety)" while he goes in for the throw.

But this can all be prevented by doing pressure. You really have no idea how pitiful Nero in a corner is. And if you knew how godawful his priority is, you'd realize its pretty easy to get him there. It's truly a sad sight (FG and instant jC overhead setups come to mind). Hence, shielding being particularly useful to Nero, which some of us have taken advantage of...

And 4c? You're not blocking on the ground enough if you get hit by the first hit. Neros typically throw it out at a certain distance (to catch scrubby players at a safe distance). Stop being so impatient thinking you can close in at Mantis Arm range. In the air? Well, it doesn't really matter what you do, because pretty much every single other move in the game will go through it. Your choice on how to punish 4c-spamming players. Also, some moves can be executed after a block (214b comes to mind).