ADON Character Guide version 2.0 Street Fighter Alpha 2 (SATURN/PLAYSTATION) By John "CUL" Culbert (tigeraid@geocities.com) INTRO: ====== Despite some of the annoying changes to Adon from SFA, I still find him a devastating character if played right--a fireballer's nightmare. :) He's fairly simplistic, but his moves are quite stylish and he's definetely in the top teir of SFA2. Version Updates: ---------------- -Typos corrected, stupid mix-up between S.Forward and S.Short fixed -Little corrections and additions to the vs. section. -added info on Jaguar Assault -changed error with ACs -added CC stuff -"edited" sac-throw explanation ******* LEGEND: BUTTONS ******* .-------------Jab D-PAD | .-----------Strong | | .---------Fierce U/B U U/F | | | \|/ | | | B--o--F | | | /|\ O O O D/B D D/F O O O | | | | | | | | | | | ----------Roundhouse | ------------Forward -------------Short QCT= Quarter Circle Toward (roll the joystick from D to F) QCB= Quarter Circle Back (roll the joystick from D to B) HCT= Half Circle Toward (roll the joystick from B to D to F) HCB= Half Circle Back (roll the joystick from F to D to B) + = enter commands simultainiously N = Neutral (return D-Pad to center) C. = Crouching S. = Standing J. = Jumping CU.= Cross-up (jump over opponent and hit back of neck with attack) (Note: the graphical legend applies to default arcade settings; the Saturn or other platform systems can be set up in many different ways) ############################################################################# Some Short Forms Used in This FAQ: ---------------------------------- SF2= Street Fighter II: the World Warrior (may also refer to it as Classic) SF2CE= Street Fighter II: Champion Edition (may just be CE) SF2T= Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting SSF2= Super Street Fighter II: the New Challengers SSF2T= Super Street Fighter II Turbo (may refer to it as Super Turbo) SFA= Street Fighter Alpha: Warrior's Dreams SFA2= Street Fighter Alpha II L1, L2, L3= Alpha Meter levels DP= Dragon Punch- can be referring to Ryu's, Ken's, or Akuma's Special move, or to the similiar joystick/D-Pad motion (F, D, D/F) HK= Hurricane Kick- can be referring to Ryu's, Ken's or Akuma's Special Move, or to the similiar motion (QCB+any kick) FB= Fireball- can be referring to Special Move possessed by many characters, or to the similiar motion (QCT+any punch) SC= Super Combo- pertaining to Super Combos from SSF2T or SFA2 CC= Custom Combo- pertaining to Custom Combos from SFA2 FK= Flash Kick- Guile's and Charlie's move, or similiar motion (charge D, U+any kick) SB= Sonic Boom- Guile's and Charlie's move, or similiar motion (charge B, F+any punch) HHS= Hundred Hands Slap- pertaining to E. Honda's Special Move (tap any punch repeatedly) YF= Yoga Flame- pertaining to Dhalsim's Special Move or similiar motion (HCT+any punch) SBK= Spinning Bird Kick- pertaining to Chun Li's pattened move (charge D, U+any kick) TAP= Turn-Around Punch- pertaining to Balrog's pattened move (charge all 3 punches or kicks, release) TU= Tiger Uppercut- pertaining to Sagat's pattened move (F, D, D/F+any punch) TK= Tiger Knee- pertaining to Sagat Pattened move (QCT, U/F+any kick or F, D, D/F+any kick in SFA2) SPD= Spinning Pileriver- Zangief's pattened move, or similiar motion (roll 360 degrees) FAB= Final Atomic Buster- Zangief's SC ############################################################################# A WORD ABOUT... *************** THROWS AND GRABS: A Throw or Grab (including Special Move Throws, eg. Zangief's SPD) must be done right up close, and is unblockable; they can only be avoided. For grabs, repeatedly tap the button used and shake the joystick or D-Pad to make the repeated hits last longer. Do the same thing if you are caught in a grab to escape early. Adon has two normal Throws. TAUNTS: To taunt or tease your opponent with Adon, press the button you designated as "Chouhatsu" in the controller config screen (I recommend L if you use it at all, though it's better to have all three punches or kicks on the trigger buttons). Note that taunts cannot be stopped, and you are totally vulnerable, so choose where to do it wisely. With the exception of Dan, Taunts can only be done once per round. IMO this is the only thing that the PS version has over the Saturn version (i.e. the Select button for the Taunt). TECH HITS: In SFA2 the Throw soften was renamed the "tech hit", and it was given a little more freedom. To perform a tech hit, hold B or F and hit Strong or Fierce just as the opponent grabs you; in SFA2, you can now escape ALL regular Throws, including presses and grabs! It is still impossible to tech hit Special Move Throws (eg. Birdie's Bandit Chain). BUFFERING: This is a technique used in 90% of all fighting games out today. To buffer means to do the motions of one move while the animations of another move are still being performed. I will use Adon's 3 hit combo as a model: -S.Strong buffered into Roundhouse Rising Jaguar This combo can be done either of two ways for it to count as a true combo: a) hit Strong, then F, D, D/F+Roundhouse b) F+Strong, D, D/F+Roundhouse Both cases have their advantages. A is much easier to time and more difficult to screw up, but you must have FAST fingers. The second can be confusing, but EXTREMELY effective if you can get the timing off. Just remember that the idea is to pull off the Rising Jaguar BEFORE the Strong Punch is finished its animations ("cancelling" the animation.) In addition, the second technique will also cause Adon to Throw the opponent if they block. Eg. 2- (same button buffering) -crouching Short buffered into Short Rising Jaguar a) hold D and hit Short, F, D, D/F+Short b) F, D+Short, D/F+Short c) press and HOLD Short, F, D, D/F, release Short The latter is MUCH easier to time and requires less button presses. But in that case the D-Pad motions have to be done faster, but it is easy to get used to. I personally use b. ALPHA METER: At the bottom of the screen there is a meter called the Alpha Meter. This fills up when a) Adon is hit by the opponent with any attack, or he hits them with any attack, b) using any Special move or c) hitting any Fierce or Roundhouse. When the meter begins to flash it's outline, Adon is cabable of a level 1 Super Combo. If you continue to build his meter to level 2, Adon's cabable of a level 2 Super Combo. A level 2 Super of Adon's must be done with TWO buttons (for example, Adon's Jaguar Revolver is done QCT, QCT+any kick; to perform a level two, do the same motion with TWO kicks). When the meter fills to level 3, Adon is cabable of his most powerful Super Combos. These must be done with all THREE buttons. NOTE: I only list the SCs with one punch or one kick; to perform their level 2 and 3, substitute 2 and 3 punches or kicks... ALPHA COUNTERS: Immediately after blocking an opponent's attack, Adon can immediately retaliate with an Alpha Counter. To do this, perform the motion B, D/B, D, and any punch or kick; a kick will perform a counter for ground attacks, and punch will counter air attacks (in most cases) Note: you need at LEAST a level 1 Alpha Meter to do one. BLOCKING: To block an oncoming attack, hold in the opposite direction. To block a low attack (i.e. the enemy hits low), hold D/B to crouch and block. In addition to blocking on the ground, it is possible in Alpha 2 to block attacks in the air. Attacks that cannot be blocked include most DPs, Super Combos, and ground-based uppercut/high kick attacks (eg. Ken's standing Strong, or Ryu's S.Roundhouse). OVERHEAD STRIKE: In addition to any jumping attack, there is an attack, introduced in SFA (actually, back in SSF2T with Ryu's), that can hit ducking, blocking opponents. Adon's Overhead Strike is explained further on. SAFETY ROLL: To avoid a lot of meaty attacks, Capcom added a roll to every fighter's repitiore. By rolling from B to D in one motion and hitting punch just as you land from a knockdown, Adon will roll forward along the ground to a standing position. You will not lessen any damage taken, but you can avoid meaty attacks in this fashion. Bear in mind that because of this added technique, meaty attacks are more difficult to cheese with in Alpha 2; if you are close enough to an opponent when you knock them down, wait a split second to see if they'll roll, then start your meaty tactic. SUPER COMBOS: Each Super Combo is a powerful attack that can be powered up to three different levels. You will know a character has executed a Super Combo because the screen will grow dark for a moment as they gather "chi" (spirit), and the game will pause for a second. If you finish your opponent with an SC of Adon's, the screen will flash brightly. CUSTOM COMBOS: Replacing Chain Combos from SFA, Custom combos allow you to chain ALL normal moves and even SPECIAL MOVES together into combos (it speeds the move up so their recovery is faster and you can throw another one emmediately). To perform a CC, you must first fill the Alpha meter at the bottom of the screen, then activate the CC with any two punches+any kick. Adon will get blue shadows behind him. A time meter will appear right above the Alpha Meter; depending on how much Alpha Meter energy you have when you initiate the CC, the timer will count down for a period of time. Once the CC is activated, Adon will slide forward and CANNOT be stopped until you attack. If you activate the CC in the air, they will fall at a normal rate, then start sliding forward. You CANNOT stop a CC once it is activated, and even if the opponent switches sides with you (i.e. jumps over you, or teleports), you will keep going in the same direction. BTW, the CCs I have listed to help out require a level 3. It is my opinion that this is the only time worth doing CCs, if at all... TICKS: The definition of a tick is basically this; a tick is an attack that, if you connect with it, you can go into a combo of your choice, and if blocked, you will recover in time to throw another attack before your opponent can; but, note that they also recover from their blocking animations at relatively the same time, so they will also be able to block the follow-up. But, since Throws are unblockable, you can nail them with a Throw! This tactic has been refined by many players, and in SF2: the World Warrior, Guile had the ability to Throw a Jab, and if blocked he could Throw emmediately (this was remedied in the later version--still possible, though, but can be avoided quickly) This tactic was used to win a popular SF2 tournament in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and ticks were to forever be considered extremely cheesy by anyone who loses (in some arcades they have gone so far as to BAN ticks!). If, however, the people you play against are okay with ticks, they are great in Adon's up-close game. For example, if you are up close throw a crouching Jab--if it connects, you can buffer into a Rising Jaguar or Jaguar Assault, and if blocked, immediately hold forward and Throw! It is possible to avoid, especially if they AC, but still quite difficult--works great on human opponents who are less experienced. REVERSALS: When a fighter is knocked down, there is a small window of opportunity for them to get up faster and attack at the same time (about 1/60 of a second). If a move is performed during this time, it becomes almost totally invulnerable unless the opponent is able to connect with a meaty attack first (see below.) Adon's reversal is only good if the opponent jumps in as you are getting up--simply throw out a Rising Jaguar just as you get up! You can also nullify the opponent's attempted FB-as-they-get-up tactic by using your Jaguar Kick or Jaguar Revolver as the reversal. MEATY ATTACKS: A meaty attack allows you to hit an opponent who is recovering from a knockdown (i.e. getting up) without them connecting with a reversal move (see above); for example, normally it is possible for Ken and Ryu to do a DP JUST as they begin to rise, and it can surprise many enemies. But, using a A VERY WELL-TIMED meaty attack will prevent them from doing that, even more so in SFA2 with their altered, vulnerable DPs. I'm not sure about the exact timing of a meaty attack, but I do know it has to be what I refer to as a "constant" attack, in other words an attack that is thrown without stopping and withdrawn without stopping; fireballs will not work as meaty attacks because they flicker in and out as they fly, and the opponent will be able to block them as they rise. Basically, you have to use good timing for it to connect just as they get up. If you connect with a meaty attack you can perform combos you cannot normally perform, because the stun put on the opponent when hit is longer than normal. SAC-THROWING: "Sac-Throwing" (short for sacrifice Throwing) put in loose terms is countering with Throws. In previous versions, I included blocking and Throwing, as well as Throwing the enemy from a missed attack in this section. However, as one of my replies to this FAQ pointed out, a sac-throw is ONLY considered a true sac-throw when you have been HIT, then throw the enemy while they are still in their recovery frames. My explanation was a little clouded, sorry for the mix-up. As far as blocking and Throwing, or Throwing a missed attack, I suppose these are just "Counter-Throws". ############################################################################# INFO: ----- Adon wanted to become the best Muay Thai fighter in the world so he sought to learn from the best. Under Sagat's tutorage, he quickly adapted to the fast and wiry fighting style and exceeded everyone but Sagat himself in fighting power. This placed him 2nd in the tournament to Sagat's champion title. He battles Ryu and Ken in SF1. After seeing his master actually beaten by Ryu, Adon loses all respect for Sagat and wanders off in search of opponents. Eventually, he crosses paths with Sagat again. Adon is sure he can beat his former master, and challenges Sagat, believing he is now the best. ENDING: Adon says that Sagat's style of Muay Thai is old-fashioned and isn't useful any more. He also says that Sagat isn't as good as before since he could lose to a mere boy like Ryu. Then, Adon leaves Sagat behind, and says that he would be killed the next time they fight. Then, Adon arrives at his cabin, celebrating. Suddenly, a guy comes in and tells him that his next opponent was killed by someone wearing a black shirt with red hair. Adon says that he knows him and that he must defeat him to be the real champion. Background: a river in Thailand, with a beautiful castle on the shore. Lotsa detail. Mid-boss: Bison End-Boss: Sagat Taunt: Gives 'em the thumbs down Win Pose #1: He does a back flip and holds his head dress up with a grin Win Pose #2: Gives 'em the thumbs down Win Pose #3: He turns his back, flexes with his hands up and grins Win Pose #4: He kneels and holds his arms high Win Pose #5: He crosses his arms and snickers ############################################################################# MOVES LIST: ----------- -Jaguar Kick: QCT+any kick -Rising Jaguar: F, D, D/F+any kick -Jaguar Tooth: HCB+any kick -Low Elbow: F+Strong (Overhead Strike) -Jacknife Kick: D/F+Forward -Kick-off: F or B+Strong or Fierce (close) -Knee Toss: F or B+Forward or Roundhouse (close) -Punch AC (Lightning Fist): B, D/B, D+any punch (after block) -Kick AC (Rising Jaguar): B, D/B, D+any kick (after block) Super Moves: ------------ -Jaguar Assault: QCT, QCT+any punch L1-4 hits L2-6 hits L3-6 hits -Jaguar Revolver: QCT, QCT+any kick L1-3 hits L2-4 hits L3-6 hits ############################################################################# REGULAR MOVES ANALYSIS: ----------------------- Jab- When standing or crouching Adon throws a quick punch--fast with good priority over standing attacks; when in close and the opponent is fast on the attack, use lots of these crouching and standing to be safe; if one or two connect, quickly buffer into a Rising Jaguar or Jaguar Assault for a quick and easy combo. The Jabs have no range, but can also act quite well as ticks (see combos). Short- The S.Short is a GREAT low-directed shin kick, IDEAL for taking out pesky low attacks, especially shorts and forwards--also works fairly well on Rose's and Sodom's slides. Recovery is exceptional, so use it often up close. The crouching Short may be good for ticks. Strong- Both standing is a straight punches, and crouching is a low elbow. Both are Adon's only easily bufferable attacks--VERY important to doing any combos with Adon, otherwise they're pretty much useless. Forward- The C.Forward is Adon's best crouching attack, great for annoying people from pretty much anywhere--a lot like Guile's and/or Chun Li's C.Forward from ol' SF2. It's pretty good for forcing them away during an up close battle, though I personally prefer a tick. S.Forward is a high knee, and as far as I can tell, is no big deal. Fierce- Rarely use, both versions. The S.Fierce is a straight punch basically, too high to hit crouching opponents. Also too slow all-around, so forget it. The C.Fierce isn't really needed either. Roundhouse- The S.Roundhouse is your BABY. Treat it like your newborn son--it has GREAT priority and range, very difficult for anyone to counter unless they're up close (or have a long-range AC) and takes out a LOT of low attacks, especially good on Rose's, Sodom's, Rolento's, Dhalsim's, Guy's and even Bison's slide (gotta bet fast!), as well as Sakura's HK SC! Mix this into your keep-away game HEAVILY, and never forget it. The C.Roundhouse is Adon's only knockdown regular attack, and does good damage. It has less range than the S.Roundhouse, but is probably the easiest thing to do after ducking a long-range high attack. A lot of standing kicks can take it out however (like another Adon's S.Roundhouse for example). Jumping Attacks- The only jump-in attacks you need to worry about are J.Roundhouse, which is the best jump-in, even though it goes almost totally horizontal--good for air-to-air combat; J.Fierce, which has higher priority than J.Roundhouse in the air, but less range, so stick with it in the close air-to-air combat. The J.Forward is fast and has good range, both for jumping in and air-to-air. ############################################################################# SPECIAL MOVES ANALYSIS: ----------------------- JAGUAR KICK: ^^^^^^^^^^^^ (Adon exclaims "Jaguar Kick!" and leaps and does a forward flip, slashing outward with his foot) The Short version goes a few steps, and is pretty much horizontal; the Forward Jaguar Kick has the furthest range and goes high enough to pass over FBs; and the Roundhouse is almost vertical and quite high. With new motions, Adon's Jaguar Kicks can be his greatest strength and greatest weakness at the same time. The Short has the best recovery, but does not go through FBs--good priority on crouching attacks though, so one of his best tactics is to force the opponent into a crouch with a lot of C.Jabs and C.Shorts, then buffer into this. It's quite fast, though not fast enough to usually put in combos. Use it in your up close game mixed in with the Jabs and Forwards. You can even use it fairly well as a tick! The Forward version is one of Adon's best moves period. It has great range and is THE move to use on projectiles from half a screen or closer--it also has good priority over both jumping and crouching attacks, and it even has decent recovery to boot! It is pretty much impossible in combos, so use it either as a deep air counter (i.e. they jump in to land a few steps away), or to whip through fireballs (EXCEPT SC projectiles and Sagat's High Tiger Wave). The Roundhouse version is good for really delayed jumps, or recovering DP moves; it can be DPed fairly easily and if blocked Adon's in trouble--it also starts out quite slow, so use it rarely. BTW, this WILL go over Sagat's High Tiger Wave, and since Sagat's recovery is so bad you don't have to worry about retaliation. RISING JAGUAR: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ (Adon leaps up into the air exclaiming "Jaguar!" and hits with his knee, then follows through with the other one) A 2-hit that goes higher and more vertically than Sagat's. With a new, MUCH easier DP motion (for most--I had its old motion down pat because I was already a Sagat player) this is an ideal air counter, though like most DPs it now as low priority up close and will NO LONGER go through FBs. So, use it primarily in combos or as an air counter. If blocked or missed there's the usual big delay. JAGUAR TOOTH: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ (Adon grunts, leaps backward to the top side of screen, then exclaims "Jaguar Tooth!" and dives down at the opponent FAST with a straight kick) Another of Adon's many ways of dealing with projectiles (ha, ha, you KNOW Ryu's dead!), use primarily the Roundhouse on fireballers from around full screen (from closer the Forward Jaguar Kick or Jaguar Revolver is better). The Short and Forward versions can work quite nicely as evasion from enemies jumping from afar--as they begin their jump, pull this off in time so that you come down with the kick in roughly the same place where you took off and where they're landing. Try and time it when they land so that they cannot air block it. Otherwise the Short and Forward versions are pretty useless. Unlike in SFA, the recovery in the Tooth is not so good; if blocked you can be thrown or SCed fairly easily, so only use when they throw the projectile. LOW ELBOW: ^^^^^^^^^^ (Adon lunges forward with an overhead elbow, following through 'till it almost touches the ground) This is Adon's new Overhead Strike, and is also the slowest in the game. I find no use for this, unless the opponent is turtling and has EXTREMELY slow reflexes. JACKNIFE KICK: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ (Adon brings his foot up to a really painful-looking angle) His best air counter, get used to using this as it has even better priority than the Rising Jaguar. It's speed coming out is OK, though its recovery is slow--try not to throw it out too often when they're on the ground. KICK-OFF: ^^^^^^^^^ (Adon leaps onto the opponent's shoulders, then kicks off with a yell) KNEE TOSS: ^^^^^^^^^^ (Adon grabs the opponent, and whips them around on his knee to the ground) IMO the Knee Toss looks a LOT better, and they both do the same damage. However, the Knee Toss switches sides with the opponent, so it's good for getting out of corner traps, and the Kick-off throws them further away. These are not imperetive to a good Adon strategy, but fun to use, especially with C.Jabs and Shorts in your up-close game as ticks. Ticking with these Throws is QUITE important to fighting turtlers. After recieving feedback from the previous versions of this FAQ, I have recieved some tactics to use on turtlers, which can sometimes give Adon problems. The specifics are in the Vs. section. Remember of course that these Throws can be tech-hitted. ALPHA COUNTERS: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ After some response, I have chosen to re-write this section, so that I can tell you what I really feel about ACs. I still believe they're useless, definetely. First of all, since I rarely use ACs, their description in this FAQ was incorrect; for his Punch AC, Adon will perform the Lightning Fist that you can get at the end of the Jaguar Assault, and for the Kick AC, he'll do a Rising Jaguar. As I said previously, the Kick AC is TOTALLY useless if you have an ounce of timing (which you should if you play Adon!), because you should be able to bring out anyone of his high-priority air counters to hit the enemy--using the AC will waste a level on the Alpha Meter (which you need for valuable SCs), and it will not do any extra damage. The Punch AC, with the correction, is a TAD useful. The only use that it really has, thanks to contributing readers of this FAQ (see credits), is to counter some FAST blocked high attacks up close, like ticks. From extreme close range this will hit multiple times and the damage is quite worth it. Especially effective against offensive-geared Zangief's and Sodoms. JAGUAR ASSAULT: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ (Adon lunges a few steps while widly swinging his elbows, finishing at L2 and L3 with a Rising Knee) One of the things that disappointed me about Adon is the way they changed this SC--in SFA, it went through projectiles and dashed the full screen! Now in SFA2, although it still does good damage, it no longer goes through FBs (except maybe just as they're starting up close) and he now only slides one or two steps! If it's blocked at L2 or 3 Adon's dead, likewise if missed. In addition, it can be taken out easily with a low kick, so buffering it in up close is pretty much useless unless they're JUST starting a high attack. Stick with this only in combos. One good thing is that most usually put a L1 Assault in combos, and if this is blocked its recovery is GREAT, so only ACing will get Adon. NOTE: thanks to readers of this FAQ; TO PERFORM THE LIGHTNING FIST AT THE END OF THE L3 ASSAULT, tap all three punches. This will give 8 hits and slightly more damage. Alternately, you can also tap all three kicks and Adon will perform a 3-hit Rising Jaguar to finish (looks cool!). JAGUAR REVOLVER: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ (Adon performs a high Jaguar Kick, followed by 1 or 2 more lower ones) This is THE move for Adon, and the only really important use for the Alpha Meter. Not only does it juggle jumping opponents repeatedly, but it QUICKLY goes through projectiles. Use it WHENEVER they throw a fireball and you're 1/2 screen away or closer. Because the first kick is so high, it is an ideal air counter, and will juggle 'em for up to 5 hits (at L3) and GOOD damage. If blocked you're usually safe, except from ACs of course. This is also a great way to take out crouching kicks, especially slides. Buffer 'em in and watch 'em fall! BTW, don't use this as a FB counter from TOO close, or you can fly OVER their heads! ############################################################################# CUSTOM COMBOS: -------------- Although I still don't REALLY like CC's and use them rarely, I do admit that they CAN be stylish and fairly damaging (at L3). Thanks to Sean Hoyles' (see credits) Custom Combo FAQ, I've learned of a few good ways to CC with Adon: 1. standing Short -> Short Rising Jaguar -> standing Forward -> Forward Jaguar Kick -> Roundhouse Rising Jaguar -> Roundhouse Jaguar Kick 2. D/F+Forward -> Short Rising Jaguar -> Short Rising Jaguar -> Short Rising Jaguar -> Forward Jaguar Kick -> Roundhouse Rising Jaguar (VS. JUMPING OPPONENTS) All of these can do in excess of 50% damage, and look VERY stylish, if you can pull them off. I still prefer SCs, but if you want style and the enemy leaves an opening, go for one of these. ############################################################################# COMBOS: ------- 1. J.Roundhouse, C.Roundhouse Comments: basic, easy 2-hit for decent damage. 2. S.Strong buffered into Roundhouse Rising Jaguar Comments: you may think you can use this on standing opponents and you can, but the best thing about it is that you can VERY carefully time the Strong to hit them out of the air and juggle with the Knee! Not to use very often, but quite stylish. 3. S.Strong buffered into Jaguar Revolver Comments: like #2, this will actually work as an air counter and rack up the hits! Again, just good for style points, since just the Revolver itself as an air counter is easier. 4. J.Roundhouse, S.Strong buffered into Roundhouse Rising Jaguar Comments: this is THE combo for Adon--easy to do and good damage. 5. J.Roundhouse, Roundhouse Rising Jaguar Comments: easier way to do the combo, good for the beginner. 6. J.Roundhouse, C.Strong buffered into L3 Jaguar Assault Comments: one of the few good places to use the Jaguar Assault--actually really easy, you can just jump in with the Roundhouse, then roll QCT repeatedly while jamming on Strong. Only problem with this is that you'll only get the L1, but the damage is still quite good. ############################################################################# STRATEGIES: ----------- VS. RYU: ^^^^^^^^ Ha, ha, putty in Adon's hands. A Ryu who plays like the classic Ryu shouldn't give you very many problems. He throws FBs a LOT. True, he has good recovery and speed, but so does the Jaguar Tooth! ANYTIME you see him draw back for the FB whip out the Jaguar Tooth (unless fairly close, in which case do the Jaguar Kick or Revolver). Now, the only problem with this is that he has that FAKE FB--from close, he cannot recover in time even from the Fake version to be hit with a Jagaur Kick/Revolver, so no problem there. However, a full-screen Jaguar Tooth is slow enough that he may recover and DP. Actually this isn't a major problem because either the Ryu player never uses the Fake very often, or he may attempt a Fierce DP which has little priority over horizontal attacks any more, and you will at the least trade hits. Basically, stay on the defensive and wait for him to throw a FB; if he doesn't, go offensive and pressure him into using one. VS. KEN: ^^^^^^^^ Ken will be even easier than Ryu IF he plays like Ryu--the big mistake of a lot of Ken players is trying the complex FB traps with him ala Ryu. They will fail, because Ken's FB is slower and has slower recovery. However, if he doesn't play like Ryu, he can give you a hard time. Don't jump unless the opportunity for a combo presents itself--he has excellent air defenses. Up close some Ken players make the mistake of using His Roundhouse and Forward attacks, both of which your S.Short snuffs easily. Whenever you see a Hadouken coming, pull off the Jaguar Tooth from a distance, and Jaguar Kick or Revolver from closer. He uses his Roll up close quite well, but it can usually be taken out with a S.Short or C.Roundhouse. Once he has his meter charged, Ken becomes much more dangerous with his ability to buffer his SCs into the opponent's standing and jumping attacks. Up close, do NOT throw out anything unless you're sure it'll connect (i.e. he tries for one of his slow kicks), because he can buffer in the Shoryureppa for major damage. VS. CHUN LI: ^^^^^^^^^^^^ Novice Chun Li players love to jump, and that is their downfall--because of her high hang-time, it gives you lots of opportunity to set up an air counter with either the Rising Jaguar or Roundhouse Jaguar Kick. If the opponent is experienced with Chun, they know it's usually safer to stay grounded. Chun Li can take you out up close quite easily with her high priority Forward Kicks, so try and keep your distance, and if she starts to throw a Kikoken, whip out the appropriate counter. One place where Chun Li lacks effectiveness is air countering (unless she has a Super Combo charged), so feel free to jump in with a fair amount of safety, but if she blocks, either get away, or try for a C.Short tick. Once she has a level charged, she becomes quite dangerous. STAY ON THE GROUND or you WILL eat a Kikosho. A lot of Chun Li's tend to go offensive once they have a level charged, that way they can put it into a combo--ACing is the way to beat this, especially if you manage to block her Thousand Burst Kick (A S.Roundhouse works as well, of course, and saves the Alpha Meter). VS. ADON: ^^^^^^^^^ The mirror match is a lot of fun to play, and one of the battles where you can go offensive quite effectively. Adon has no projectiles to go through, but he can still air counter quite well, so go offensive on the ground with Short Jaguar Kicks and wait for him to screw up. Ticks galore! VS. GUY: ^^^^^^^^ Again, a mistake of Guy players is to jump too much--he has high lag in his jump ala Chun Li, making him an easy target for a Rising Jaguar or Roundhouse Jaguar Kick. He is the MASTER of the air counter, so jumping in on him is suicide. Stay on the ground and generally defensive, mixing it up with Short Jaguar Kicks in case he falls for it. When up close, use the S.Short primarily, and you should be able to win at that range. If he comes in at you with one of the Bushin Run techinques, quickly pull off a Forward (or Short) Jaguar Kick, or even better, a Jaguar Revolver. Quite a difficult match if he also plays defensive. VS. DHALSIM: ^^^^^^^^^^^^ KEEP AWAY! KEEP AWAY! That's what you'll be screaming when fighting Dhalsim; he will peck away at you from across the screen with his Roundhouses and Yoga Fires, making it very hard for you to get in close. Try VERY hard not to jump too often, with his various Flames, the Yoga Inferno, and the B+Strong. WHENEVER you see him rear back for the Fire, pull off a Roundhouse Jaguar Tooth, or a Forward Jaguar Kick if you manage to get that close. From afar, all of his attacks have priority over yours, so the main deal is to GET UP CLOSE! Once there, you can go crazy with just about anything, and he has very few EFFECTIVE close up moves. A good idea to use lots of ticks and pecking moves up close, just so he doesn't sweep you off your feet all the time. VS. GEN: ^^^^^^^^ Gen is also a good anti-FB player, but that's OK, since you have no FBs! Still, the big mistake a lot of Gen players make is using the wrong style; you just DON'T use the Crane Style (the one with the Rolling Punch move) up close, because all moves come out quite slowly; punish these screw-ups with all you have. Gen is quite weak in the air countering department; the Mantis Kick has to be timed just right, so the only really good air counter he has is his C.Roundhouse from Crane Style. If you block any of his moves there's enough lag to counter easily, but don't be too offensive, especially once he gets a level or two, 'cause that Omega Dash takes a lot of priority over your regular moves. VS. SAKURA: ^^^^^^^^^^^ Like Ken, if played like Ryu she's dead, because her FBs are slower, and also fizzle out at full screen. Whenever you see one coming, ready the appropriate counter. Her Shoken is deadly in combos, and can take priority over standing attacks fairly well, but of course if blocked, she's left open to punishment. The big thing to worry about first off is her Senpuukyaku, which will take priority over all of Adon's low attacks; stay standing most of this fight, and don't jump too often, 'cause her air counters are quite good too. Once she has a level charged, refrain from getting close and stay defensive, because she can buffer her Violent Dragon SC into a low attack (ala Ken), and her Hurricane SC into high attacks--Ouch! VS. ROLENTO: ^^^^^^^^^^^^ Rolento and Adon are quite alike, with hit and run techniques and great vs. FBers. Rolento will keep you at bay with his various back/forward moves (eg. the Roll back/jumping attack), so don't go too offensive--that's exactly what he wants. You can still take him in the air with your J.Roundhouse, so don't worry there, and up close your S.Short and S.Roundhouse (against his slide from a few steps) usually handles things fairly well. Just don't jump in on him on the ground too often, because he has that AWESOME-priority S.Strong, and also the Grenade SC if charged. VS. ZANGIEF: ^^^^^^^^^^^^ The wrestler's not too difficult, as long as he can't get close. If he blocks ANY of your Special Moves (and is a pro 'Gief player, like yours truly) he can buffer an SPD and snatch you, so don't go offensive with your moves; he's fodder if he jumps, and if he walks forward a lot you can pressure him from a distance with S.Roundhouse. A lot of novices tend to overuse the Banishing Punch and his Fierces and Roundhouses--all come out and recover slowly, so keep this in mind. When you do get up close, PECK, PECK, PECK. Keep the pressure on him and don't expect to get any hard hits on him, or else you'll get your head driven into the floor. Ticking with the C.Short and the Jabs is fairly safe against 'Gief, because I know I MYSELF sure as hell can't buffer and SPD into a blocked JAB!! VS. CHARLIE: ^^^^^^^^^^^^ Totally dead. Whenever he throws a Sonic Boom, use the appropriate counter, including against the Sonic Blade SC. His air countering is exceptional, so don't hop in their too quickly. Just wait for him to get restless and go offensive, so you can promptly retaliate. Up close you easily make short work of him with your S.Short, Jabs and Throws (just be FAST with that S.Short if he tries the C.Forward, his best-priority move). If he stays totally defensive up close, again it's the pecking game. Utilize the C.Forward, and tick a lot to make him think twice about turtling. Just watch out for a charged Somersault Justice SC!! VS. BIRDIE: ^^^^^^^^^^^ Can be as dangerous as 'Gief, and watch his defenses. If you jump in, you're as good as dead. Thankfully his greatest strength, the Leaping Chain Grab SC, is pretty much useless on Adon as he has no FB, so just make sure you don't throw anything out of the blue--a good Birdie will buffer it in and hop you no matter WHERE you are. Stay offensive on the ground, and peck at him with S.Short and S.Roundhouse. If he jumps, he fodder for Adon. Buffer you're Jaguar Revolver into his headbutt moves, and at the most you'll trade hits. VS. ROSE: ^^^^^^^^^ Can be quite a pain. She can go offensive fairly easily, because her moves have good recovery (escept for the Soul Spark, of course). You can offensive fairly easily as well, and whenever she does a Soul Spark, retaliate accordingly. Up close the S.Short will deal with her nicely, especially that damned Slide (a Short Jaguar Kick or Revolver works here as well). You can jump in relatively safely, though her S. and C.Fierce works well here; try and jump in deep with Roundhouse. VS. SODOM: ^^^^^^^^^^ He's quite powerful, with lots of great defenses. Don't just barrel on in or he'll nail you with his HIGH PRIORITY Jigoku Scrapes. If you block any of the Scrapes, the Daikyo Burning, or if you anticipate or avoid his Butsumetsu Buster, retaliate in the best way possible, as this may be one of your few chances. If he jumps in, you can still make short work of him with your air counters. Up close is where you can stick it to him, and your S.Short and S.Roundhouse deal with his slide nicely. Watch out for his S.Forward tick, and the second you block the kick, AC (god forbid), or try for a S.Jab to knock him out of the grab. VS. SAGAT: ^^^^^^^^^^ If he plays like old Sagat, he's screwed, 'cause you can get through his Tiger Waves easy as pie. If he remains defensive (and a defensive Sagat will NEVER let you jump in), he can be some trouble, distancing you with his Forward kicks and taking you out of the air with his invincible S.Roundhouse. Try your best to work your way in close from the ground, focusing on your own S.Roundhouse and Short Jaguar Kick, because you can out-prioritize Sagat up close fairly easily. VS. AKUMA: ^^^^^^^^^^ He should fight basically like Ryu, and if they're used to playing Akuma the old way they will lose--this is because old Akuma played VERY heavily with his Air FB, but in SFA2, there is a big delay before he throws it, and Adon can take a BIG advantage over it with a Forward Jaguar Kick (or Roundhouse from closer) and also the Jaguar Revolver. On the ground he has around the same priority as you with the C.Forward and other attacks, as well he can go offensive and screw you up with his Teleports, so stay generally defensive (unless of course he does lots of fireballing ;) ), and wait for him to make a mistake. AND FOR GOD'S SAKE, if he knocks you down and he has a L3 meter, ROLL, ROLL! Or, you will surely eat a Raging Demon if he has good timing. If the Roll is unsuccessful, pray to whatever god you have and wail on the Jab button--you may be able to take him out as you rise. VS. BISON: ^^^^^^^^^^ Bison shouldn't be too difficult, because his best traits are his FB traps with the Psycho Shot--so, the second he throws one and attempts the jump in, or teleport, Jaguar Kick over to him, which at the least will avoid both the FB and Bison as he reappears. He can take you on fairly well in the air with his kicks, so try to stay on the ground and wait for him to screw up. If he teleports randomly, you can play it safe and Jaguar Tooth away, or you can wail on a Jab or Short to hit him as he appears. VS. DAN: ^^^^^^^^ Come on, it's Dan eh? Fight him a bit like Ken, but if Dan goes offensive, he's mincemeat, especially if you block the Gale Kick, or his Koryuken doesn't connect. Just watch for his SCs, although the Shinkuu-Gadouken is easily snuffed with a late Jaguar Tooth. ############################################################################# CREDITS: -------- Thanks to Capcom for a great game, and thanks to the following FAQ writers: Dan Wells Gene Leong Tyler Oswald and Sean Hoyles For their great FAQs. (And also thanks to those who I lost the names of--I suppose you know who you are, and if your name isn't here, you can still e-mail me again!) Also thanks to the guys over at the arcade for getting me started on the game and convincing me to rent it (After reading the newsgroup's put-downs). Also a Special Thanks to Jason Jamieson, who proved that Dhalsim's Teleport is a REAL pain in the arse, and JD Baptie, who convinced me through force that Ryu's FB traps are still disgustingly effective! ;-) This and other FAQs can be accessed at my new homepage: http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Heights/1910 You can also e-mail me at: tigeraid@geocities.com "I said it before and I'll say it again--democracy simply doesn't work!" -Kent Brockman, the Simpsons