Them's Fightin' Herds/Texas/Strategy

Overview

Strategy

Combos

Matchups

Arizona[No Data] [Character Page]

Oleander[No Data] [Character Page]

Paprika[No Data] [Character Page]

Pom[No Data] [Character Page]

Tianhuo[No Data] [Character Page]

Velvet[No Data] [Character Page]

Shanty[No Data] [Character Page]

Texas[No Data] [Character Page]

Countering Rodeo Run

To start, some useful information about Rodeo Run ([4]6X)

• Has two hits of armour
• Texas's hurtbox is farther back than it appears, and it retreats further during Run C
• Run Stop takes 39f minimum
• Texas is kind enough to tell you he's coming at you~

Main options out of Rodeo Run include Run Stop (into various options), Run C, Run B.

Risk/Reward Guide

• Run Stop into Texas Smash - Exploits patience, a hard call out
• Can be called out and hard punished by jumping. Good damage if it lands. Situation loops if in the corner
• Run Stop into block string - Also exploits patience, despite being slow it's hard to challenge if it's done at a distant spacing because Texas's buttons are large, though this can be called out if the opponent mashes
• Run Stop into 6A - Hits opponent jumping to avoid Texas Smash, especially good in the corner where range isn't as large of an issue.
• Run C - A safe, high reward callout to the opponent's mashing. However if it's blocked, then the opponent can take their turn. Does huge damage on counter hit
• Run B - Rare option but has a niche in Velvet MU, hits very far and beats grab. Can lead to a full combo if it hits around max range. Extremely minus on block

Rodeo Run counterplay depends on a lot of factors: distance, positioning, your character's own tools, and is it being done in neutral versus a block-string? Ways to handle various options:

RPS Format: A >> B >> C A beats B | B beats C | C loses to B

• Run Stop into 6A >>> Jump back disengage >>> Run C & Run Stop into Texas Smash

• Avoids Texas Smash and sometimes is better than challenging Run C and risking getting counter hit
• Run cancel 6A will whiff in some ranges, but not if you're in the corner

LOTS OF NUANCE DEPENDING ON CHARACTER!!!

• Immediate Run C (Spatial Dependant on Armour Piercing Move) >>> Armour Piercing Move >>> Delayed Run C & Run Stop into nothing or anything & Run B

• Armour piercing moves are character dependant. Some attacks have armour breaking properties, and multi-hit attacks can also break Rodeo Run. Any option that is fast, is ideal because it means that Texas has less time go into Run and pick an option before he armours any multi hits, or the Texas cannot use Run in specific distances since it will lose to the armour break move on reaction.

Best Armour Break Options by Character:

• Baihe: Return Fire (421X), Scorching Nexus (236XX)
• Arizona: Regular/Low Lasso (5D/2D), Trample (236XX)
• Nidra: ns.A, Cloud Surf A (236A), Wake Up (ns.D), Blooming Lotus (236XX)
• Oleander: Magic Teleport (22D), Shadow Blast (236XX)
• Paprika: Cart A ([4]6A), j.C, Gift Toss (236D)
• Pom: IAD j.B, Digger, Mama 3/1D
• Texas: Any bell followup with at least 1 magic stock (no bullseye required!), Texas Smash (632146X), Prairie Pummel (236XX)
• Tian: Volcanic Bash (236B), Men Shao Ti (236XX)
• Shanty: Cannonball (236XX)
• Stronghoof: Ice Crusher (22X)
• Velvet: Magic Eruption (623D), Shatter B (214B), Ice Cyclone (236XX)

(SH is contending at being the worse at armour breaking with a direct move, but he does have good frame advantage + range off of his 5B, so opt for block-strings mentioned below instead)

(Be careful when using projectile supers, as if Texas has a bar of meter he can armor through the first few hits and cancel into his super to punish you at certain ranges)

General Tip: With the use of projectiles you can time your attacks to eat away at the armour hits, or even use your own armour moves to tank the offensive options Texas does out of Run.

• Run C & Run Stop into Texas Smash (situational) >>> Disrespecting with a fast block-string >>> Run Stop into 6A & Run B

• Best block-strings to burst Rodeo Run armour is like double A normals into B button. You need to be mindful if Texas is in range to perform this.

(Situational Exception) - while in a close range (like in corner) if Run cancel is done out of 5C, this loses to Run Stop into Texas Smash. This is more threatening when performed versus certain characters with stubbier A normals (Pom/Shanty/Nidra), characters with bad armour break options or lack a 3 hit block-string that ends in 17f before Texas Smash comes out.

• Immediate Run C >>> Block-String OS >>> Run Stop into 6A (situational) or block-string & Run B & Run Stop into Texas Smash

• Use a block-string with a jump cancellable normal into up back. It can be 5A > 5A > 6A (hold 7)
• Can make Texas lose his turn if he run cancels into nothing, he gets out right punished if he run stops and commits with buttons
• It can avoid Run cancel into Texas Smash while also potentially breaking run armour. If Texas cancels into Run C early it can result in a fat counterhit, but if the Texas delays it, you'll just chicken block the Run C

(Situational Exception) - while in a close range (like in corner), if Run cancel is done out of A normals (or anything that makes going into Run more minus for Texas), this loses to Run Stop 6A. Again, this is more threatening for stubby A normals characters, and those with bad jump cancelable buttons or armour breaks

• Run Stop into Texas Smash & Run Stop into block-string >>> Do nothing >>> Run C & Run Stop into 6A & Run B

• If you predict Run C, you get your turn back. If you guess wrong at best Texas resets his block string, at worse you get Texas Smashed
• This option is low risk/reward but has it's purpose in conditioning Texas to not Run C and do more greedy options that can be challenged!

• Run B >>> Dash up throw >>> Beats everything else

• If Texas is doing Run up close you can get him with this. However, it's hard to space and really committal. Run C can be thrown out of, but the hurt box retreats, so the spacing can be hard to judge. Also, Texas can just Run Stop out of throw range and just press buttons or Texas Smash. Don't rely on this option much.

Weighing Rodeo Run RPS In Your Favour

Rodeo Run RPS is rather weighted in Texas favour, but you can cycle your options in such a way that if you guess wrong, you don't just die and force the Texas to be more creative with what they do from Rodeo Run or straight up not rely on it as much.

The worse thing to get hit with from Rodeo Run is counter hit Run C. It's a shit ton of damage and you get put in a bad situation afterward (like 2D-D). So, use RPS to condition Texas to not use it as much when you're pressing buttons. A Texas player wont like to use Run C if you're: doing nothing & blocking or jumping back . They rather punish the 'doing nothing' option by either doing pressure or using Texas Smash, and hitting you with 6A when you're jumping. Both of these responses are vulnerable to challenge.

A basic layer 1 strategy:

Use 'do nothing & block' and mix it up with up backing - scout to see what the Texas likes to do out of Run, see how they are reacting to you just blocking or up backing.

They'll likely start doing options out of Run Stop (6A, block-strings), and then you can call that out by using an armour piercing move, block-string upback OS (especially if the like to Texas Smash) or with the fast block-string.

If you're getting hit with Run C counter hit a lot, cool it with buttons and represent blocking more If you're getting hit with Texas Smash a lot, you're not representing upback enough If you're getting hit with 6A a lot, probably need to disrespect more, but just blocking isn't the end of the world either

Tip: If the Texas is doing Rodeo Run out of Texas Smash range, blocking is 'free'. Even if they're just resetting to press big buttons from afar, there's no real 'mix up' occurring

Now go embrace your inner matador!