Skullgirls/Cerebella/Strategy

Overview

Combos

Resets

Assists / Team Building

Strategy / Counterplay

Strategy

Goals

• Control and maintain space with important moves like jMP and 6HP.
• Get close and unleash a barrage of different offensive tools that will keep opponents guessing, or play defensively and punish your opponents approach options. Bella is a pretty flexible character that can comfortably do both.

Offense

• At close range, you can start mixing up your opponent with moves like 2LK, MGR, and j2MP.
• DDrop is also a good option if your team lets you convert from it, since it's fast and recovers quickly.

Neutral

• Bella has a lot of tools that are hard to punish and hard to get away from at close range. At other ranges her tools are not as effective.
• Deflector is a good anti-zoning tool from mid-fullscreen range, and on hit you can always get at least a hard knockdown with oki with dash 6HP into tumbling run.

Defense

• Bella has plenty of defensive tools that can counter plenty of approach options of your opponent.
• Some common ones are jMP, H Lock N Load, jHP, 5lk, jHK and Dynamo.
• Knowing the correct situation to use each tool is what makes Bella difficult to master.

How to use this character's moves

5MP

• The stagger is useful in corner carry / side swap combos. While the opponent is staggered, Cerebella can use Kanchou feint ([4]6K~MK) or DDrop to side swap, or Tumbling Run ([4]6K) to push them further to the corner and continue the combo.
• Can combo into MGR in the corner with a runstop and backdash, even if they shake the stagger.

5LK

• Ridiculous disjointed hitbox, fast startup, and plus frames makes this a great all-around normal.
• Good for anti-airing IAD approaches, catching jump-outs, and setting up air resets.

5MK

• When you're very close to the opponent (especially in corner), 2LK 5MK is a better hitconfirm because it's plus on block.
• Pushes the opponent away, so it is used in some run stop 2LK burst baits.

5HK

• Lengthy attack animation allows for easy assist calls in combos.
• Deals slightly less damage than 5HP as a combo ender, but builds twice as much meter and more easily restands after OTG.

2LP

• Good for fast OTG pickups, eg. when converting off Excellebella in the corner.

2LK

• A really good 2LK move. Poke with this move to make sure they're blocking low, conditioning the opponent to crouch block and become vulnerable to throws.
• If they aren't pushblocking this move, just doing 2LK alone without a hit confirm chain sets up a low/throw mixup since this move is +6.

2MK

• Doing 2LK/LP 2MK Run Stop can set up her basic reset. As they're coming down, you can either air throw or hit them with 5LK before they can get an air button out. If they won't press anything, you can perform a mixup on the ground, such as 2LK, MGR/DD, jHP/j2MP, or Kanchou.

jLP

• Ideal air-to-air to disrespect air resets, to hit people below her, or to counter slow jump-ins.
• Extremely long vulnerable recovery, so don't use this button if it might whiff (eg. jump back jLP). Use jLK for that instead.

jMP

• Amazing air button with plenty of hitstun to land and confirm against ground opponents.
• Confirm into jHK for an OTG combo against air opponents.
• If this hits from max range air-to-air, you probably won't have time for a dash up confirm, but you should be able to enforce a low/throw mixup.
• If the opponent blocks this move on the ground and doesn't pushblock, it sets up a low/throw mixup.

jHP

• Good instant overhead mixup that is very plus on block and also high profiles a few things.
• Has 75% damage scaling to balance how strong it is.
• Practice instant jHP by tapping HP immediately after jumping.
• Neutral jump instant jHP works at point blank range on the entire cast, but if you're too far away you may want to upforward before tapping HP instead.
• Can be used in neutral to crush dash 2LK approaches and to stop people from escaping the corner.
• Decent corner air-to-air since you can get an OTG combo from it.
• Halts your air momentum so can be used to mix up your timing on approach.
• jMP glide jHP can be used as a double overhead jump-in option.

jMK

• Very long active period and can hit very low to the ground, but difficult to convert from and the ranges you would want to use it as a poke besides from chaining into jHP.
• Combo fodder and sometimes used in specific setups, such as safejumps. Doesn't see much use otherwise.

6HP

• Long poke that is difficult to punish and grants a hard knockdown on hit.
• Good for long range punishes on bad assist calls.
• Can be canceled into specials on whiff to cover yourself.
  • Cancelling into whiffed DDrop retracts the hurtbox to avoid being scooped up by assists or hitgrabs, and recovers reasonably quickly (but still slower than not cancelling).
  • Cancelling into H LNL and then reacting with super can counter attempts to jump over and punish.
• 2MK > 6HP is used in some optimal combo routes.

j2MP

• Used as an instant overhead.
  • -2 on block if done as IOH, unlike jHP which has much more advantage, and a bit harder to convert off of from a distance. It also has to use up OTG to convert off of it.
  • The upshot is it's slightly faster, less likely to whiff, and doesn't scale to 75% like jHP.
• When done very close to the ground the startup is reduced to 1f (!).
  • It is also plus on block (+2).
  • This makes it a very strong option on approach that beats a lot of anti-air options.
  • However, since it hits so low to the ground in this case, the game considers it as Stage 2, so the subsequent ground chain will be tracked by IPS and add undizzy.

Normal Throw

• Even though she has her command grabs, her normal throw fills the purpose of a close range throw that won't throw them out of the corner.
  • You can use kara 5LK MGR instead, but it's more execution heavy.

Tag

• Faster and harder to react to compared to most other tags.
• Crosses up often thanks to its forward trajectory.
• Grants hard knockdown on hit which lets you run a mixup.

LNL

• L LNL is very rarely used for anything, since it has no special properties and doesn't do that much damage.
• M LNL only has one hit of armor that doesn't cover active frames, but it has some use in combos:
  • 5HP M LNL Dynamo is a combo ender that works on midscreen happy birthdays (5HP Copter Dynamo makes the assist fall out during super hitstop)
  • Some combo routes use 5HP M LNL + assist (eg. Clide, Bypass)
• H LNL is the most useful outside of combos, since it has two hits of armor that covers the active frames.
• H LNL is one of only two moves that combos into Level 3 (the other being 5HP).
  • Bella can't really combo into H LNL by herself, but raw H LNL Level 3 can be used as a high damage, hard-to-interrupt punish for bad assist calls.
• If you wake up with H LNL or use it in a blockstring, you can see what the opponent is doing and react accordingly with an early super cancel.
  • If they're crouch blocking or pressing a ground button, cancel into 360. They cannot jump or special/super cancel in reaction to the super flash of the 360.
  • If they're pressing an air button, cancel into Dynamo to anti-air them.
  • If they block the move, it's only -6, making it safe at most ranges, and you can steal your turn back with super or another H LNL.

Reflect (623LP)

• Essential tool in matchups against zoners.
• Staggers on hit which can give enough time to dashjump in for a confirm.
• If Cerebella is too far away to dash up and confirm into a full combo from the stagger, landing 6HP is also a good choice that works from further ranges and causes a sliding knockdown.

Horns (623MP)

• Used in high-damage combo routes on light characters.
• The long startup invuln can be used to your advantage, for example you can Devil Horns cancelled into 360 or Dynamo to beat Squigly's Daisy Pusher on the ground.
• Poor horizontal range and slow speed make this an unreliable reversal on its own, but it is high reward on hit, especially when cornered.

Cerecopter (623HP)

• Mostly used as a combo ender or chip-out tool.
• Can be used on incoming to crossup.
• Annoying to punish on block.
• Extremely good assist for pressure and space control.

DDrop (236LP+LK)

• Amazing close-range command grab.
• Recovers very quickly on whiff, probably the safest command grab in the game.
• Only 4f startup, making it the fastest meterless move in the game and an amazing abare/punish tool.
• If thrown directly into corner, can combo afterwards with OTG 2LK. Midscreen, 6HP can tack on some extra damage.
• Needs an appropriate DHC or assist to convert midscreen. Important factor when building teams around Cerebella.

MGR (214LP+LK)

• Long command grab that grants an easily meterless confirm anywhere on the screen without needing assist.
• Vulnerable for a long time on whiff, which is mitigated by its long range.
• If the opponent isn't spacing their jump-ins properly, stay outside their jump-in range and use this move as they land.
• Kara throw with 2MP to extend the range even further - input 2MP, then special cancel into MGR as Cerebella moves forward.
• Kara throw with 5LK allows you to throw the entire cast except Squigly at point blank. (video)
• Combo: Micro dash 2LK > 2MK, jMP > jHK restand works on the majority of the cast. 2LP > 2MP > 2HP, jLPx3 > jHP is universal and doesn't need a microdash.

Excellebella (623LP+LK)

• Unblockable when the opponent is rising, so can be used to read a jump. Low reward midscreen, though.
• Good combo ender alternative to Cerecopter that sacrifices damage for better meter gain (see Skullgirls/Cerebella/Combos#Ender_strings).
• Combo: OTG 2LK (corner), Dynamo (midscreen)
• Useful assist for characters that can build resources (Valentine vials, Squigly charge, Beowulf hype, Big Band taunt, Robo-Fortune heads), as it allows them to build said resources mid-combo without any risk.

Grab Bag (j236LP+LK)

• Special cancel into it for a reset when it'll KO. Best used at 235 undizzy for maximum damage.
• You can't combo after it, but basically nobody will tech it the first or even subsequent times (it has a 6f tech window).

Tumbling Run ([4]6K)

• Useful for closing distance after a knockdown.
• Generally not a good approach option if used too close, since you only have 1 hit of armor and your followup options are limited. Can be okay for getting from fullscreen to halfscreen though.
• Since you can manually Run Stop at any point during the run anyway, the LK and MK runs are pointless. Always use the HK run when trying to cover ground.
• Performing run with [4]236LK~LP can give you up to 2 frames of armored run before performing a Diamond Drop. (hard)

Run Stop ([4]6K~LK)

• Instant runstop is often used in combos and pressure. Improves the frame data of most of her medium and heavy normals.
• 2LK 2MP runstop is even on block, and +9 or better on 2nd hit pushblock.
• 5HP runstop is +12 on hit which allows for linking light normals (6 frame link for 5LP/2LP, 4 frame link for 2LK). Useful in many combo routes.
• 2MK runstop is also +12 on hit and is one of her strongest reset points.
• Similarly, canceling your hitconfirm string on block can improve the frame advantage.
• Relevant video

Kanchou ([4]6K~MK)

• 5HP xx Kanchou is used in some midscreen combo routes.
• Can easily convert after hitting the opponent fullscreen for a wallbounce. See the Combos page for more information.
• If hitting the opponent directly into the corner, you can still convert by super canceling to Dynamo and then picking them up OTG.
• Extremely unsafe on block, so take care not to use this predictably.

Butt ([4]6K~HK)

• This move is very hard to challenge with its armor, relatively fast startup, and large hitbox that can even hit opponents in the air. But it's awfully minus and you will be punished if it's blocked.
• Can be used during a run if you see the opponent committing to something you can armor through.
• Calling an assist and performing Battle Butt is a great way to force your way into close range, since the assist should cover your frame disadvantage.
• The points version of Battle Butt is Bella's best chip-out tool and her best meterless combo ender.
• Good success rate as a "get off me" meterless reversal, but low reward.

Dynamo (236PP)

• Fast reversal with a generous amount of invuln, loses to crossups. Also a standard combo ender super.
• Used to combo after a lot of her specials (LNL, Excella, Copter, DDrop)
• Can combo afterwards in the corner with OTG 2LK.
• Midscreen followup options include 6HP, or Cerecopter on some characters.
  • If these won't kill or reduce the number of touches needed to kill, consider doing a Tumbling Run to keep pressure on the opponent instead.
  • Can convert midscreen using certain assists, or an appropriate DHC. Important factor when building teams around Cerebella.

360

• Can Horns cancel before the last hit for a solo OTG conversion anywhere on the screen, but this forgoes the most damaging hit. Do this when the last hit won't kill and you don't have DHC options.
  • This conversion can route into a reset, or do more damage than the final hit would have without spending more meter (albeit at the cost of undizzy and building meter for the opponent). See the Combos page for more information.
• You can DHC after the final damaging hit, allowing for both damage and conversions if you have the meter and the right team.
  • Examples of DHCs that can lead to a combo: Double BoG, Parasoul Level 3, Beowulf Airwulf, Squigly MKHK or LKHK SBO, Eliza Level 3, Painwheel Hatred Install, Robo-Fortune Magnet or Level 3, Peacock Lenny.
• Excellent range and speed enables punishes against attacks that are typically considered safe.

Level 3 (214PP)

• Slow, but very high reward reversal super, and you keep the meter if it's thrown out of startup.
• Easily thrown or avoided by jumps and crossups, but has very good reward on hit, especially if they are counterhit by the second hit and/or sent midscreen for a wallbounce.
• Midscreen conversion: dash > OTG 2LK (midscreen). You can save OTG with dash 2MK instead.
  • Do not move forwards until the wallbounce occurs, or you can move the camera enough to prevent a wallbounce from happening.
• Corner conversion: see the Combos page.
• Inefficient solo combo ender, but a very good DHC when under 240 undizzy and at full scaling. The damage is a respectable 3.3k, you can continue the combo after the wallbounce midscreen, and the next few moves will benefit from the DHC's scaling reset.
• The optimal followup post-DHC is usually dash 5MK (restand) 5HP Pummel Horse.

Counterplay

How to beat this character

• No air reversal so air resets can be effective, but make sure they can't be disrespected by her 6f jLP.

• Average mobility so keepaway can be effective (dependent on assists)

• Has a lot of good reversal options that need to be baited and punished, know your HCH combo routes.

• Fast multi-hit IADs beat out a lot of her favourite tools.

Counters to common techniques

• Pushblock away jMP jump-ins to avoid the MGR/2LK mixup afterwards.

• jHK can be anti-aired and air-to-aired since it's not very disjoint, fairly slow, and has low horizontal range. A land cancel punish is technically possible if their jHK timing is very predictable.

• jHP can be hard to contest, but don't be afraid to try and air-to-air it midscreen since air-to-air jHP can't really be converted.

• When subjected to a MGR/2LK 50/50, neutral or forward jump can punish MGR's long recovery with a falling button.

• Pretty much all of her options out of tumbling run are beaten by upbacking (level 3 beats upbacking, but it's reactable).

• When baiting reversals, one option is to neutral jump and hold downback. This will beat her most common reversal options (dynamo, level 3, 360).

• Level 3 is plus on block, but pushblocking her away will waste her 3 bars and avoid a mixup. You can punish or create an advantageous situation with a PBGC. Video

• Deflector can be baited and punished (with jump-ins, assist calls, supers, Peacock crossup teleport, etc). Robo-Fortune can predict a beam reflect attempt and dash up to hit a button.

• Kanchou has a distinctive sound that is reactable at some spacings, and you get an easy and huge punish for blocking it. If your opponent is kanchou-happy you might want to try upforwarding out of resets.

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