Melty Blood/MBTL/Kohaku/Combos

Overview

Combos

Matchups

Strategy

Resources

Data

Match Database

#MBTL_KO

Notation Help
Disclaimer: Combos are written by various writers, so notation may differ slightly from this notation. For more information, see Glossary and Controls
X > Y	X input is cancelled into Y.
X, Y	X input is linked into Y, meaning Y is done after X's recovery period.
X+Y	Buttons "X" and "Y" must be input simultaneously.
X/Y	Input "X" or "Y" can be used.
dl	There should be delay before inputting "X".
w.X or Xw	Attack "X" should whiff and not hit the opponent.
j.X	Button "X" is input while jumping or in the air.
dj.X	Button "X" is input after a double jump.
jc	Jump cancel the previous action. Will occasionally be omitted due to being obvious. Will occasionally be notated with 7/9 to indicate backwards/forwards.
sj	Perform a superjump, which is performed by inputting 2~8.
sjc	Superjump cancel the previous action.
IAD	Instant Air Dash.
AT	Air throw, often used as a combo ender that leads to knockdown.
md.X	Perform a micro-dash before performing "X". Unused in favor of writing "microdash."
tk.X	Indicates the motion "X" is input immediately after leaving the ground. Stands for tiger knee.
(X)	Input "X" is optional. Typically the combo will be easier if omitted.
[X]	Input "X" is held down. Also can be known as "Increase" or "IC" for short. Depending on the character, this can indicate that this button is held down and not released until indicated by the release notation.
]X[	Input "X" is released. Will only appear if a button is previously held down.
{X}	Button "X" should only be held down briefly to partially charge the attack, instead of the full increased version.
X(#)	Attack "X" should only hit # of times.
X~Y	This notation has two meanings. Use attack "X" with "Y" follow-up input. Input "X" then within a few frames, input "Y". Usually used for option selects.
(...) OR (...)	Use only one between the two alternative routes.
RB1/2	The first or second hit of Rapid Beat auto combo.
CH	The first attack must be Counter Hit.
FC	The first attack must be Fatal Counter.
MD	Perform a Moon Drive, which is inputted by pressing 5B+C.
Heat	Perform Heat, which is performed by inputting A+B+C.
AD	Perform an Arc Drive, which is performed by inputting 236B+C. Characters with more than one Arc Drive will have theirs notated by input.
LA	Perform a Last Arc, which is performed by inputting A+B+C+D or successfully Shielding in Blood Heat.

Getting Started

Starter Combos

The combos listed below are basic BNBs and relatively easy combos to use. You can also go into Mission Mode to try her combo trials, but those aren't as well-developed. A lot of these combos are very similar and use same strings by design, so they are easier to remember, practice, execute and autopilot. As a result, these are not optimal, but should still serve you fairly well.

Notes:

• All mentions of 5C below are only the first hit of it.
• How you jump cancel 236~B will heavily depend on spacing, especially how close you are to the corner. In Corner, you will want to leave space between you and your opponent, so don't jump forwards, but instead do a neutral jump. Failing to do this will result in not all hits of 22A hitting.
  • Additionally, you will need to feel the delay out when to jump and input j[C] in the first place. Mind that 236X~X has a very large jump cancel window!

Combo	Damage	Cost	Meter Gain	Location
2C > 5C > 5B > 236B~B > delayjc > j.[C] > 5A > 6C > 22A > Ender				Anywhere
Universal BnB Works off any amount of 2A/5As, j.C > 2A and 2B before the 2C
j.[C] > 5C > 236B~B > 4BC > 5A > 6C > 22A > Ender		3 Moon Gauge		Anywhere
Basic j[C] string - also works off airdash j[C].
		3 Moon Gauge		Anywhere
Basic Shield Counter A Combo and 3C starter combo.
236A/B~X > delay > 236A/B~X > jc > j.[C] > 5A > 6C > 22A > Ender				Anywhere
Basic 236A/236B starter Depending on your starter, the second 236X should be the other variant. So if you hit someone with 236B in the air, use 236A next once they are close to the ground.
				Anywhere
Basic Anti-Air 2B Combo. Also a go-to to "pick up" opponents after you counterhit them in the air with an aerial.
D > BC > jc > j.[C] > 5C > 236B~B > 4BC > 5A > 6C > 22A > Ender		6 Moon Gauge		Anywhere
Basic Shield Lunge Combo.
D > B > 2B > 236A/B~X > delay > 236A/B~X > jc > j.[C] > 5A > 6C > 22A > Ender				Anywhere
Basic Shield Counter B Counterhit Combo
				Anywhere
Basic Molotov Starter Combo 1 Includes starters 214A/B and j214A/B j214A/B will require you to not be too high up (unless you Counterhit them) for you to be able to land in time to hit them with 5A.
		(3 Moon Gauge)		Anywhere
Basic Molotov Starter Combo 2 Includes starters 214A/B~4B and j4BC/4BC

Enders

Kohaku will usually prefer to end her Combos with 236C, as it gives her a great knockdown to work with and setup her plant okizeme.

Combo	Cost	Location
	1 Bar	Anywhere
Kohaku's preferred ender. Great knockdown, and a key part of Kohaku's gameplan. Skip the second part of 236A if you hit them right up the corner, as 236C will be unable to reach them that close.
sjjB > jC > AT		Anywhere
Air Throw ender where you jump after them after 22A. Will not work if the combo is too heavily prorated.
sjjAAA > AT		Anywhere
Air Throw ender where you jump after them after 22A - this time with jA. For the times where proration is just too high but you still want to be at the height where you can do the delay sj safejump after AT.
	4 Bar	Anywhere
Complete meter dump ender, only use this if you are confident it will win the round. Skip the second part of 236A if you hit them right up the corner, as 236C will be unable to reach them that close.
6C > 236A > 236BC	3 Bar	Anywhere
Arc Drive Ender. Very expensive - only use this if you are confident it will win the round.

Theory

Basic combo theory is something like

• Normals > 236X~X jc > air extension > ender.
• Normals > 236X~X jc > sideswap > ender.
• 3C/Shield counter > air extension > ender.

The main way to tack on extra damage to her combos is sneaking in 236X and 22A where you can before ending with 236C. How much you can get away with is entirely based on your starter and whether or not it was a fatal counter. Generally you can group them into "Good" and "Bad" starters (this is solely based off hitstun decay and not how much they prorate damage, though they often go hand-in-hand). Good starters enable ...236B~X > 236A~X > air extension > ender or ...236A~X 236B~X > 236A~X > air extension > ender. So be sure to take the free extra damage where you can.

"Bad" starters include...

• 5A and 2A.
• 22C and 2BC, and the entire 214X series.
• All air normals.

"Good" starters include...

• All her B/C ground normals.
• All air normals graduate to "Good" starters on CH or FC.
• j.[C], 236X, and 236X~X.
• 22A and 22B are "Good" starters, but they hit so many times that it's finnicky unless you get a CH.

Your goal as Kohaku is to end in 2C, 236C, 22C, or 214C to enable her terrifying layered plant Okizeme. Of these enders, 236C is the most preferred due to the high damage in addition to the fantastic knockdown. 22C routes can be finnicky but give her unreal corner carry, 214C works if the hitstun decay isn't too high, and 2C requires specific routing and generally sacrifices a lot of damage in the interest of slightly better positioning and conserving meter for reversals, heat, or bardumping next hit. Generally, Air Throw is a last resort used when you find yourself without enough bar to end with 236C. Arc drive gives a good knockdown and corner carry, but 236C is generally preferred unless you're in heat or bardumping to end the round.

FAQ

[WIP]
When I do j.[C] > dl.j.B I cross the opponent up and whiff, how do I prevent this?
Delay your Jump Cancel if you are close. The window you have to jump cancel after 236X~X is rather large. If you can't get used to that, then you could try just jumping with 8 instead of 9, but you may be out of range for certain enders like ...5B > 6C > 22A > 6C > 236A > 236C.

How do I properly route into 22C?
Immediately cancel from 236B~X into 22C. Then when you hit them with 5C, you only want the first 2 hits of 5C's automatic followup. So it'd look something like ...2C > 236X~X > 5C(3) > 6C. All 4 fireballs should hit for maximum damage and corner carry.

Is there a way to pull the opponent out of the corner?
It's not on the same level of grime as Current Code, but ending with 236B > 236C pulls them a few pixels out of the corner allowing you to crossup, while 236A > 236C keeps them in the corner preventing the crossup.

Combos

Grounded Normal Starters

Combo	Damage	Cost	Meter Gain	Location
2AA > 2C~C > 236B~B > j.9. [C] > dl.j.B > 5B > 5C > 6C > 236A~A > 236C		1 Bar		Midscreen
2AA > 2C > 236[B] > 236A~A > jc8~6 > j.[C] > dl.j.B > 5B > 5C > 6C > 22A > 6C > 236A > 236C		1 Bar		Corner
substitute ...> 6C > 22A > 3C > AT if not enough meter drift forward after the neutral jump cancel
2A > 5C > 2C > 236B~B > j.9. [C] > dl.j.B > 5B > 6C > 22A > 6C > 236A~A > 236C		1 Bar		Midscreen
2A midscreen EX ender
2A > 5C > 2C > dl.5B > 236A~A > j.9. [C] > dl.j.B > 2B(1) > 6C > 22A > 3C > AT				Midscreen
2A AT ender. replace 3C with SJ > j.A > J.C > AT for higher consistency at the cost of 37 damage
2A > 5C > 2C > 236[B] > dl.236A~A > j.8. [C] > dl.j.B > 2B > 5B > 6C > 22A > 6C > 236A > 236C		1 Bar		Corner
substitute ...> 6C > 22A > 3C > AT if not enough meter
		1 Bar		Midscreen
2C starter for when the opponent is close to you substitute ...6C > 22A > 3C > AT if not enough meter.
2C > IAD > j.B > dj.[C] > 2B(1) > 5B > 236B~B > 665A > 5C > 6B > 22A > 6C > 236A~A > 236C		1 Bar		Midscreen
Max range 2C starter substitute ...6C > 22A > sj.CB > AT if not enough meter
		1 Bar		Corner
substitute ...> 6C > 22A > 3C > AT if not enough meter Depending on spacing, a drift forward after the neutral jump may be required.

Shield Counters

Combo	Damage	Cost	Meter Gain	Location
D~A/C > j.C > dj.[C] > dl.j.B > 5B > 236B~B > 5C > 6C > 22A > 6C > 236A~A > 236C				Anywhere
Shield Counter A starter. Substitute ...> 5C > 6C > 236A~A > j9.C > AT if not enough meter.
CH D~B > 2C > 236B~B > dl.236A~A > j.9. [C] > dl.j.B > 5B > 5C > 6C > 22A > 6C > 236A~A > 236C				Anywhere
Shield Counter B starter. Substitute ...> 5B > 5C > 6C > 22A > sj.CB > AT if not enough meter.
				Anywhere
Shield Thrust Starter (B+C Shield Counter). Substitute ...> 5B > 5C > 6C > 22A > 3C > AT if not enough meter

Videos

Kohaku/Maids Combos Extensive - Melty Blood: Type Lumina by Planned Tuna

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External Links

Kohaku Combo Optimization by Planned Tuna

Kohaku 2C Hard Knockdown Routes by Osugure