Akatsuki Blitzkampf/Elektrosoldat

Elektrosoldat's official profile image

Background

Private army of the secret "Gessellschaft" society.Although equipped with the same Blitz Engine as Akatsuki, the connection between them lies shrouded in mystery. (from character selection screen)

Introduction

Elektrosoldat has many moves of Guile (Street Fighter II) with a bit of Kain R. Heinlein (Garou: Mark of the Wolves) thrown in, as well as some moves of his own. Despite his seeming lack of moves, he is quite a formidable opponent to fight and can rush down as well as he can turtle up.

• Armor Ratio = 1.000

Throws

4/5/6+A+B: Sol knees the opponent repeatedly and then hits them away with an uppercut. This throw can be tech rolled, however, it is a key part of his arsenal due to Sol's overall lack of high/low mixups. Since his 2A is +1 on block, it is ideal for using in tick throw setups. One important thing to remember is to charge [1] during the animation of the throw, as the duration of the move allows Sol to be fully charged as soon as he recovers. Throwing and then using an A or B Boom will allow him to maintain the advantage and continue pressuring his opponent into the corner. Remember that you can switch directions with this throw, so if you are cornered and land it, sacrifice the charge and instead throw your opponent into the corner to pressure, building your charge off of meaty 2A/2B on wakeup.

j.4/5/6+A+B: Soldat performs a backbreaker ala Guile by slamming the opponent's back onto his knee. This throw is untechable and deals a good amount of damage: 2000 on a 1.0 armor character, which is almost worth a single midscreen combo. This move is used to catch opponents who empty or reflect jump on you trying to bait a Flashkick, as well as catch opponents trying to jump out of Sol's corner pressure. Since this airthrow cannot be directionally reversed, perform this move holding away from the opponent 100% of the time. That way, because of the untechability, you will be able to set up a meaty A or B Boom on wakeup to maintain pressure. You can also OTG with Sol's ABC move (Pikachu) due to the untechability, which guarantees that it will hit, though the damage will be reduced obviously.

Normal Moves

Elektrosoldat's pre-made colors

(note: Unless otherwise mentioned, all of Sol's normals hit mid.)

5A: A straight jab attack that can be rapid fired. Nothing too special about it except it's +1 on block. This move can be used as a short range anti-air when you don't have a charge, but can be reflected easily due to range, so use sparingly.

5B: Sol does a mid level side kick. This move is good for poking opponents, but you'll want to cancel it into something as it's -4 on block; its primary use is to stop people from jumping over his 2B, either catching them unawares or forcing them into an airblock situation. 5B 4C is generally an airtight string that cannot be reflected in between hits; if the opponent is wary of reflecting you can go with 5B 6C instead which leaves him in a better position.

5B (close): Sol does a gut punch at mid level. Generally not too useful outside the corner because far 5B has superior range and 2B provides a low hit at close range with superior range as well. Typically this move is used in his corner 6C loop to juggle the opponent.

5C: Sol aims a high roundhouse boot at the opponent's face. This move can kind of be used as anticipatory anti-air, but is slow to come out (tied with 2C and just behind j.C) and is reflect bait as reflects will hit him unless he connects with the very tip of his boot at the highest point of their jump. It's also vulnerable to low hits, so it's best used after a B Kugel antiair reset situation where the opponent is forced to block for a good chunk of guard damage or risk a reflect.

5C (close): Sol does a powerful uppercut at the opponent's jaw. This move is best used in a guaranteed combo situation, such as when an opponent whiffs an anti-air. Given its close proximity and slightly slower startup, you are better off hit confirming off 2A if you are not sure you will connect; otherwise go for maximum damage with 5C 6C. Close 5C can also combo into 6C and be airtight due to extra blockstun; Sol cannot be reflected in between hits. In some situations it can also work as anti-air.

2A: A crouching jab that is identical to his 5A in terms of frame data. There's basically no reason to use 5A since you will be holding 1 to charge for his Flashkick and Boom anyways. This is used to stop tick throws, hit opponents on wakeup meaty, hit confirm into combos, and stagger for tick throws.

2B: One of Sol's two low-hitting moves. This move is very important, because it chains readily from 2A, combos into basically everything you'll be using with Sol, and makes the opponent crouch. Sol fares better on crouching opponents due to the crouching state making opponents' hitboxes wider. On block, 2B 4C is airtight at all ranges; 2B 6C can be used sparingly as low reflects will whiff 6C altogether. On hit, 2B leads into basically all of Sol's combos. See the Strategy and Combos sections for more details.

2C: A classic double-hitting sweep that solidifies Sol's place as a Guile clone. This move is pretty much useless as any situation you can land this in you would be able to use 2B 4C safely on block or 2B 6C on hit, both of which come out at 7F versus 2C's 8F startup. Lack of cancellability and heavy recovery makes this move next to useless.

j.A: A quick flying knee attack which recovers in time for you to do a second attack afterwards. This move can be used as a crossup but is difficult to land against crouchers, so it's best used midscreen in a knockdown situation. You can also use this air to air and combo into j.B j.4/6B or whiff the j.4/6B for trajectory change. In the corner, j.AC can be used to guard against jumpers and to come down with a high attack; you can also delay the j.C to fake and go into 2B or a throw.

j.B: A long-ranged kick that is angled forwards, best used air to air. Unfortunately this is what happens when you whiff a TK j.4/6B. This move is not too great, used primarily to combo into j.6B to juggle the opponent on hit. Its hitbox is also somewhat bad for air to ground, so use j.A or j.C in that situation instead.

j.C: A downwards-angled kick identical in animation to his 6C. This is the jump-in of choice as it deals a lot of damage and leaves the opponent in considerable blockstun to allow you to do what you want. Used in an early jump-in, this move can stop opponents mid-jump and can work as air to air in closer ranges. Be warned that this move does not have much of a hitbox in front or above itself, so characters with horizontally-angled jump attacks such as Fritz and Sai will beat him cleanly.

Command Normals

パンツァーシュレック - Panzerschreck - 4C

Soldat sticks his boot out and does powerful kick that sends airborne opponent flying across the screen. This move cannot be canceled into anything else, and will combo from his B attacks on a grounded opponent and A attacks against airborne opponents. It also happens to deal quite a bit of damage, so because of this you will be using this to end most of your combos in the corner and pretty much anything outside the corner. The pushback is this move's primary asset, allowing Sol to steadily press his opponent into the corner where he is the strongest. Because of its no-cancel property, this move is best used as a finisher in a juggle combo but can also be used to hit for guard damage at the end of a block string and still leave him relatively safe. On block, this move is basically unpunishable (-4F on block) and the pushback is greatly reduced. Also, unlike 6C, 4C does not push Sol himself back. This leaves him in an ideal zone to continue pressuring with 5B or a TK j.4/6B.

パンツァーファウスト - Panzerfaust - 6C

Soldat does a hop kick that sends him forward above the ground, avoiding low hits and launching his opponent for further juggles. You can combo into this move from B attacks on the ground and A attacks in juggles. On block, Soldat will bounce off the opponent almost half a screen away, making him safe from the majority of retaliation; however, certain characters can punish this move on block, making these matchups difficult for him. Wei (EX Shoulder), Akatsuki (A+B+C), Fritz (2C), Sai (236), and Mycale (236) all have moves that can traverse the gap to punish Sol on blocked 6C. Despite this, 6C is a key move in Soldat's rushdown as it opens up combos for him in the corner and allows him to pressure off reflected Booms midscreen.

Keep in mind that unless you cancel into this move from a 5C, the opponent can always reflect in between hits; however, if an opponent crouch reflects, their retaliation will whiff Sol entirely. Another key point to remember is that if you use 6C in combos or blockstrings, you must reset your charge or else you will get C Boom which is fairly useless in most combos.

ヒュープシュラウバ - Hubschrauber - j.4/6B

Soldat does a side kick in the air (a.k.a. Sobat) that looks remarkably like Guile/Charlie's MK kick. Depending on the direction held, he will move forwards or back in the air, changing the trajectory of his jump to fake the opponent out. Note that while j.3B is a valid input, j.1B isn't. While the movement area is not huge, it is significant enough to draw out people who reflexively anti-air or reflect his jump-ins.

This move is unquestionably the best move in Sol's entire arsenal. Its primary uses are to control space against air to air opponents and switching his movement patterns so he has more options against people who try to punish him. When this move is TK'd and done extremely low to the ground, it can be executed repeatedly in a short period of time to build meter. TK Sobats (Lowbats) are also extremely strong when it comes to pressuring an opponent, as it can beat out many pokes when properly spaced. One key point to remember is that this move will whiff crouchers (even Blitztank!) so you can use it as a tick throw setup, though the move itself doesn't hit high.

Special moves

ブリッツクーゲル - Blitzkugel - [4]6+A/B/C

A projectile attack that can be fired at two different heights and three different speeds, this move is commonly referred to as "Boom" due to its similarity to Guile's Sonic Boom. A Boom travels low to the ground and at medium speed; B Boom travels just slightly under half screen height and at slow speed; C Boom travels at that same height but at fast speed. Damage of each Boom increases progressively with each button used, with A at 800, B at 900, and C at 1000. In this game, crouching characters have slightly wider hitboxes, so against crouching opponents Boom combos more readily and cannot be reflected in between hits. All of the Booms are blockable mid, have +5 frame advantage on block, and can be used differently depending on situation.

• A Boom is best used at point blank ranges as a blockstring or a combo starter. A Boom cannot be slid under, making it useful versus characters that have a slide attack that can punish Sol during recovery (Anonym, Kanae). However, it can be avoided by jump attacks or attacks that have a "hopping" hitbox. Using A Boom in blockstrings allow you to also potentially catch people trying to jump out of blockstrings with his 5B. While 5B is airblockable, you can cancel into 4C which cannot be reflected in between midair and deals about 40% guard damage, though B Boom is slightly better for this use. A Boom can also be used in corner juggle combos, though juggling with Boom deals less damage than a straight up 6C loop.

• B Boom is best at ranges beginning where Sol's normals cannot reach to midscreen; its slow travel speed allows him to walk or dash behind it to play Boom mixup (see below for details). However, B Boom can be avoided easily by crouching or sliding attacks, so avoid using it too closely. If you read a slide attempt you can jump up when they are in range and punish a whiffed slide/crouch attack with j.C into a combo. You can also anticipatory anti-air with B Boom to force an opponent to airblock and switch initiative to your side by pressing the attack upon their landing. This is useful in corners where you can force an opponent into a situation where they airblock a preemptive B Boom and then are forced to reflect the incoming 5B 4C (but be vulnerable on landing) or airblock the entire string for roughly 60% guard damage. This tactic is counterable via slide and crouching attacks, though, so be wary when fighting characters that have them.

• C Boom is used infrequently, usually in situations where you have a standing opponent in the corner (rare, as you can crouch block everything Sol has except for his jump attacks) for slightly more damage in a corner combo. You can use it from mid to full screen to provoke an opponent reaction but because of its travel speed, it's difficult to follow behind the Boom properly and capitalize on the opponent's reflect. C Boom can be used when your opponent is used to avoiding B Booms; the extra speed can force them to play more defensively or simply crouch in response, which allows you to then close the gap by walking forward into optimal A or B Boom range.

フラクトリット - Flak Turret - [2]8+A/B/C

An anti-air attack where Sol flies into the air with an arcing kick, this move is commonly referred to as "Flashkick" because that's what it is: Guile's Flashkick. While this move is good anti-air and can hit limbs, you do not want to become predictable with this move on wakeup. Due to the inclusion of reflects and airblocking, Flashkicks are nowhere near as infallible as they were in older Street Fighter games, so it is very easy to bait them out by empty jumping, reflecting, or simply doing nothing on wakeup. If you are not sure if an opponent will empty jump or not, you can perform a safe Flashkick with one level of meter by cancelling it into EX Boom, which also shifts initiative in your favor as the opponent will then be forced to deal with EX Boom mixup. Be careful, though, because at farther ranges there is a gap between the Flash Kick and the EX Boom in which the opponent can reflect.

Each version of Flashkick deals more damage than the last; however, if you are cancelling into EX Moves, A Flashkick is best for damage because its single hit causes less proration than the other versions. Both A and B Flashkicks can only be cancelled on the first hit, making A optimal to maximize damage; C Flashkicks can be cancelled after the second hit, making it easier to hit confirm an airblock so you can cancel into EX Boom (though you will sacrifice damage by using C). Nevertheless, this move is still good wakeup, and at the height of an opponent's jump an airblocked A Flashkick is still fairly safe on landing. In addition to that, each airblocked Flashkick deals roughly 25% guard damage. The B and C versions don't add significantly more guard damage for their additional recovery, so avoid using them for that purpose.

EX and Super Moves

特攻ブリッツクーゲル - EX Blitzkugel - [4]6+B+C

Sol throws a large Boom attack that travels slowly across the entire screen, hitting four times for roughly 1900 damage on 1.0 armor characters. This move lacks in damage but excels in pressure. Thrown out randomly, it gives Sol initiative, forcing the opponent to back up, reflect, or try to jump over the projectile and allowing him to choose his response according to their actions. Inside a corner combo, it tacks on a bit of extra damage and allows Sol to recover in time to throw a meaty Boom for wakeup on reaction to their recovery roll or no-roll. Cancelled from a Flashkick on wakeup, it not only makes his Flashkick safe but at max range the EX Boom will not combo from the kick itself, allowing Sol to move forward or go for the midscreen crossup/tick throw/anti-reflect setups. You should be conserving your meter for using this move most of the time.

特攻フラクトリット - EX Flak Turret - [2]8+B+C

Sol does three Flashkicks in a row, hitting 11 times for approximately 3300 damage on 1.0 armor characters. This move will not fully hit an airborne opponent, can be reflected on reaction and baited in numerous ways just like a normal Flashkick. While it deals more damage at the end of a combo than EX Boom, it also leaves Sol in a disadvantageous position due to recovery of the move and an opponent recovering on the ground, making him unable to set up okizeme afterwards. This move does deal a decent amount of air guard damage as of 1.1.3.1, rouhgly 50%, so you can use it in limited corner situations to set up a guard crush in the air. In general, though, this move is too unsafe to use outside of combos and still not optimal even inside of them, so use sparingly.

ブリッツボンベ - Blitzbombe - A+B+C

Sol activates the Blitz core inside his body to release streams of electricity all around him to hit nine times, dealing approximately 4300 damage on 1.0 armor characters. This move's range is deceptive, as the electricity streams go all the way across the screen but only have a hitbox roughly two Sol widths on all sides; beyond that and the move will simply not hit anything. This move should generally not be used as Sol's meter can better be applied in EX Booms for both damage, okizeme, and pressure. However, this move will deal roughly 90% guard damage if airblocked. It's dangerous to use without a setup because it can be easily reflected, though. That's about the only use of this move; due to proration, it will only hit for roughly 2000 damage inside a 6C loop, whereas you can conserve meter for EX Boom instead, which is more damage efficient. It also has very limited invincibility, making it a poor reversal super. One last thing of note is that because Sol's airthrow is untechable, you can OTG with this move for guaranteed damaage, but it will only deal roughly 3700 damage.

General Strategy

Sol's one of the harder characters to play. Part of this is due to the charge nature of his special moves, requiring you to adopt a more defensive playstyle in order to maintain his charges as well as become accustomed to holding 1 (down-back) whenever you have a free moment. The second part of this is that it's very easy to become predictable with him, causing you to get reflected into bad situations. Sol's damage is also on the somewhat low side, ranking fairly badly outside the corner and still somewhat lackluster inside the corner. Despite this, Sol's strength lies in being able to maintain safe pressure and deal guard damage to open the way into his combos.

6ABC Charge Drop

The input for Blitz Kugel often overlaps with 6C, breaking combos and leaving you vulnerable. Fortunately Sol can use an exploit to avoid this; 6ABC will give you 6C when cancelled into, but this will not drop your charge if done in neutral and ABC will take priority if you have 3 bars.

Boom Mixups and Tricks

The first thing to understand is that Sol's mixup is not high/low. He only has two low moves (and only one worth using), and no overheads, only jump attacks. With the addition of reflectors in the game, it becomes difficult to pressure safely by following Booms, which is a classic Guile tactic, as the threat of being reflected and countered is always present. However, keep in mind that reflected Booms do not get autocountered by an attack; the opponent must perform the attack on their own. This opens up a whole new field of possibilities in what you can do to pressure an opponent midscreen and push them towards the corner, which is where Sol begins to do most of his dirty work.

Let's examine the possibilities in a neutral situation where Sol throws a Boom. The opponent has these options:

• Block: In this game, proximity guard is set very close to your character, so opponents have full range of movement while a Boom is on screen. Proximity guard is a trait that defines how far an attack must be from your character before they are fixed in block animation instead of being allowed to walk backwards. Since you cannot lock opponents into block animation, they will be forcing themselves to walk back if they want to try and block your Boom from midscreen. This is a good thing, because blocking is the worst possible solution in this situation. Not only does Sol have initiative, the opponent will be cornering themselves and the Boom is +5 on block anyways. Most smart players will not simply allow themselves to block a midscreen Boom, leading to the next few possibilities.

• Jump: The classic Guile trap from SF2, which involves punishing opponents who jump over the Boom with an early jump kick. This does not work the same in Blitz due to the existence of reflectors, which make obvious traps like that dangerous to do. This is where one layer of mixup begins. To counter a jumping opponent, you can either do j.B 6B into a ground juggle or early j.C straight up. To counter this, the opponent can do a reflector as they jump up in hopes that you'll stick an attack out. To counter these countertactics, you can jump at them with an airthrow (for a good chunk of damage - 2000 points) or simply wait until they land from their reflector to punish them. Playing mindgames and reading the opponent is critical for this to work, and a few unlucky plays can lead to pain for Sol.

• Reflect: This is the most complex area for Sol to manage, a reflected Boom. First off, a reflected Boom means the opponent does not lose ground; second, depending on the distance Sol is at, they may or may not have initiative. Obviously at farther ranges Sol won't be able to get punished but he will also not be able to capitalize from the Boom itself. At closer ranges, another layer of mixup opens up. Since reflected Booms do not grant the opponent an automatic counter, they are forced to decide their next action just as Sol is. The obvious counter would be to use a reversal of some sort or a counterpoke, depending on range. However, since Sol is not committed to a move, he can easily block or avoid these moves and punish them on whiff. At certain ranges he can also time a 6C or 4C close to the point of impact of the Boom, requiring the opponent to doubleshield manually; staggering the timing on this can incur a knockdown. Since most opponents won't be crouch shielding a midscreen Boom, you can also go for the 2B (staggered to throw off reflect timing of course). The final option would be an opponent playing it safe by simply blocking and waiting for your attack, and against this the obvious counter is a throw, all leading towards the corner. Once again, just as with jumping, playing mindgames and reading the opponent is critical.

• Avoid/Counter: Certain characters have moves that can avoid Booms, depending on which one you use. High Booms can be avoided by using moves close to the ground such as Fritz's 2C, which neatly avoids the projectile and shuts Sol down from moving in. Sol's own 6C can go over low Booms at the right distance, allowing him to counter the opponent with a knockdown. This subset of space control is mostly reserved for close to midrange combat; at further distances, the opponent's attack would whiff, leaving them at a disadvantage most of the time. These attacks are the ones you will have to be careful of as they can destroy Sol's space control if he isn't careful.

EX Boom Mixups

EX Boom lasts forever until it hits the opponent, is blocked, or reflected. It also takes up a sizeable portion of the screen so that it is difficult to evade it, although characters like Anonym and Kanae are able to roll past it in some situations. When it approaches the opponent, they will be forced to deal with it, and here's some situations which come up and what you can do to capitalize.

• Block: The first reaction to EX Boom is to block. This is exactly what you want with Sol, as a blocked EX Boom gives him massive frame advantage for him to push the opponent into the corner. Depending on what the opponent is doing, you can pressure with normals to whittle at their guard bar or go for the guard crush, or pause slightly to tick throw. You can also use the pushback off EX Boom to go into a full blockstring off of a j.C if they are close to the corner. When airblocked, you can use j.AB4B as an airtight string for further guard damage before falling back into further zoning or corner pressure, depending on how far the opponent is from the corner.

• Walk Backwards: Second reaction to EX Boom. While this buys the opponent some time they still have to deal with it eventually, and you can simply follow the opponent and back them into the corner for this. However, they may be buying some time and positioning to use the third option, which is...

• Reflect: Reflecting EX Boom is where things get tricky. During reflect hitstop, opponents cannot be thrown, making it difficult for you to run this option with Sol. You will have to mash throw to try and get them in between, and the opponent can countermash throw to break out. If you do get a throw, though, the EX Boom will tack on some additional damage during the animation. Reflecting EX Boom on the ground is not too problematic unless you are spaced too closely, because Sol has the ability to tack in extra hits in between the EX Boom's 4 hits to mess up their reflect timing: he can throw another Boom before or after EX Boom, or use 2A/B/6C.

Air reflecting EX Boom is where things become problematic for Sol. Because it is difficult for Sol to really control the air, the opponent is usually free to come down with an attack of their choice. The general solution would be to attempt an airthrow or be safe with a j.4B, or throw a B or C Boom to try and mess up the reflector timing.

Okizeme and Corner Game

(deep jc off midscreen 6c) (meaty boom) (meaty 2A) (airguard punish/preemptive airthrow, hold j.4throw to charge) (j.4B and j.AC tricks) (midscreen crossup) (fake crossup)

Combos

Midscreen BnB: (j.C) 2A 2B 6C 2A 4C

This combo is basically what you do outside the corner off random pokes. Flak Turrets leave Soldat at a disadvantage after knockdown, and to get comparable damage to this BnB you would need to use C Turret anyways. Turret combos also do not push the opponent towards the corner which is where Soldat's game is the strongest; the 4C ender has quite a bit of pushback to it. If you're out of range for the 4C ender substitute the 6C instead, which won't push back as far or damage as much but allows you to at least finish the combo and have momentum afterwards. Depending on the range, you can add in an additional 2A if you want to give you more time to hit confirm. Hit confirming comes in handy when you have 3 bars and a charge but want to drop the latter to do his 6C; if you do not go into neutral crouch first, you'll end up doing a very punishable C Blitz Kugel instead.

Midscreen BnB Variant 1: (j.C) 5C 6C 2B 4C

This is done when you make an opponent whiff an anti-air midscreen or something similarly punishable. You have to be at point blank but this combo deals a good chunk of damage in addition to the usual corner pushback. 2B 4C ender only works at specific distances, which is why for general midscreen situations you would opt for 2A 4C instead due to 2A's faster startup.

Corner BnB (6C Loop): (j.C) 2A 2B 6C 2A 5B 6C 2A 5B 4C

This is your staple corner combo. Delay the 2A 5B moves very slightly so they can drop down a little more or else stuff will whiff. This combo allows you to knock them down and follow up with okizeme afterwards.

6C Loop Variant 1: (j.C) 5C 6C 5C 6C 2A 5B 4C (this is much harder to do and doesn't deal that much more damage)

This variant is very hard to do but also a bit flashier. No real reason to do it, due to proration it deals a minor amount more than the easier 2A 5B variant. Even if you can nail this 100% range considerations make this version less practical to use.

Corner Kugel Combo: j.C 2A 2B [2]6A 5B 6C 2A 5B 6C 2A 5B 4C

This is the basic template, but if you happen to land a random A Blitz Kugel in the corner you can add a 2B or 5B after it and go into your 6C loop. At point blank range you can actually do two A Blitz Kugels by stringing into the second one via 2AB. The problem with these combos is that they actually deal less damage than your 6C loop, so you would use this in situations where you can hit confirm off a Blitz Kugel and not when you have a full combo opportunity.

Corner Kugel Loop BnB: j.C 2AB 6C c.5B [4]6A 2A 5B [4]6B 5B 4C

This is a two Blitz Kugel combo in the corner that deals more damage than his 6C BnB (2800 versus 2550 on a 1.0 armor character) but is harder to pull off due to charging requirements. The key to this combo is to land the first Kugel so that it hits the opponent after a slight pause allowing them to fall down a little; if it hits immediately the combo will fail afterwards. To do this, link the 5B after the 6C as soon as you can. The pushback on this combo makes it more difficult to properly set up meaty Kugel on wakeup, but the extra damage and style points may make up the difference. For extra damage use C Kugel instead of B Kugel, though the timing will be slightly harder. For more consistency use A Kugel, which will keep the opponent juggled longer for the last two hits to connect. If this combo is difficult to land between the 2A and 5B causing too much pushback, omit the 2A and simply use 5B or 2B.

Optimal Triple Kugel Corner BnB: j.C 2A 5B [4]6A 5B 6C c.5B [4]6A 2A 5B [4]6B 5B 4C

This variant of the corner BnB yields the most damage, and there are lots of areas which can be tweaked to make the combo easier to do. It's possible to add an extra 2A for a longer hit confirm window. 5B can be substituted with 2B to deal a bit more damage. The initial 2A 5B can be replaced with c.5C for more damage. The last 2A in the combo can be omitted if it makes comboing too difficult. For a middle ground, you can use slight walk back delay into [4]6C instead of 2A 5B [4]6B. You can even substitute the last [4]6B for [4]6A. Freestyling your combos to adjust for height is necessary in certain situations.

Note that this combo is the best version to use when you have no meter. When you do have meter, switch to the simpler EX Flak Turret BnB which deals far more damage.

EX Flak Turret BnB: j.C 2A 5B [4]6A 5B 6C 2A (pause) 2B [2]8C EX Flak Turret

This combo can be similarly freestyled as the previous one and takes advantage of the fact that Sol's EX Flashkick deals a lot of damage when used at the beginning of the combo. This combo should always be used when you have meter, as it deals 4000-something without a jump-in and breaks 5000 with one. There are no other combos Sol can do to even reach this level of damage, so when you get an opening make sure you use it. The super, despite looking unsafe if the opponent rolls, actually leaves Sol at a slight advantage on landing so you can use various okizeme options such as c.5C [4]6A, throw, or bait wakeups.

Safe Flak Turret: [2]8A 46BC

Soldat's meter should primarily be used for EX Blitz Kugel since it more or less gives him free initiative. However, randomly throwing the move out will get it reflected pretty often. The safest way to set it up is off a reversal Flak Turret; even if it's blocked, you will be able to shift the momentum to your favor by having the fireball in front of you. For maximum damage, use A Flak Turret into EX Blitz Kugel if you know for sure it will hit. For more ambiguous wakeups, use C Flak Turret (2 hits if range permits, 1 if you're doing it at the maximum range) instead. Be careful as you will not be able to cancel Flak Turret once Soldat leaves the ground (past the 1st hit for A Turret, 2nd for C Turret) and then you're pretty much fucked. Also be careful whoring this tactic out on reflect-happy people as you will not be able to cancel moves if they are reflected.

Midscreen Air Reflector BnB: (jump reflect, walk forward) 2A 5B 6C

This combo works mostly with an air reflector vs grounded opponents, since Soldat's air reflect launches them up; the ground one can only be juggled after in the corner (and even then not as much as the air reflector). Make sure you walk forward during the opponent's descent or Soldat won't be in range for the 5B to land.

Harder Air Reflector BnB: (jump reflect) j.A j.6B 2A 4C

This combo deals more damage and pushback than the other, but depending on the height of your air reflect it may be harder to connect the initial j.A.

Corner Reflector BnB: (reflect, wait for drop) 5B 6C 2A 5B A Boom 2A 4C

This is his combo off a ground reflector versus a cornered opponent, which deals decent damage for a reflector combo. Harder variants include using only 5B before the A Boom and tacking on 2B 4C, which can make the combo deal up to 2700 damage on a 1.0 armor character. The easiest variant deals 2600 damage already and sets up for a meaty Boom in the corner, so use that version if you want to play it safe.

Soldat's air combo: j.A j.B j.6B 2B 4C.

A short combo that you can land if you happen to hit the opponent in an air-to-air situation.

Insane Corner Reflector combo: (reflect and hold [4]) 5B 6C j.B j.6B 5A 5B [4]6C ABC

A flashy match finisher that does a little over 5000 damage on 1.0 armor characters. The combo can also end with a 4C by replacing the last Blitz Kugel, or with C Flash Kick -> EX Boom by charging down after j.6B and doing 2A 2B [2]8C 5B 6C.

Level 3 Super Corner combo: j.C 2A 5B [4]6A 5B 6C 2A 5B [4]6A 2B ABC

This combo is a variant of the Blitz Kugel corner combo that is above, with the difference being that this combo is meant to end a match as it wastes too much meter for the damage it does. You can replace the ender with a completely viable ender such as 4C, so you keep your opponent in the corner and aren't wasting meter. This also puts you in the perfect position to use EX Boom afterwards if you want to conserve meter instead.

Matchups

All of this is strictly according to bellreisa's opinion.

General Guidelines

1) Know your Kugel mixups. Learn what the opponent does about your B Kugel pressure and bait/counter accordingly.

2) Use meaty B Kugel in the corner to protect yourself from reversals. Learn the timing of safe j.C so you can punish reflectors.

3) If someone air reflects a Kugel, you can airthrow them out of almost any followup.

4) You cannot reflect EX Kugel if turned around. Use this to mount pressure against opponents who back up when facing it.

5) Use A Flak Turret in combos for damage and C Flak Turret for easier hit confirming on wakeup. Remember that Flak Turret -> EX Blitz Kugel is only safe point blank and a tiny bit further; if there is a wide enough gap, the opponent will be able to reflect and punish for free.

6) Sol's neutral jump is extremely powerful, as you can visually confirm into a punish if someone whiffs a move or use Sobat to move yourself as you need, whether it's to back off to safety or move in for pressure.

Akatsuki - 4.5/5.5

This matchup is definitely winnable as long as you play smart and keep Akatsuki zoned. Akatsuki's pressure is strong, so block consistently while looking for 6B. Use Flak Turret canceled into EX Blitz Kugel to gain space. The important part of this matchup is to keep Akatsuki spaced properly. At midscreen Soldat's game is stronger due to air control from TK Sobats and mixups off of reflected Kugels, as well as Akatsuki's somewhat lackluster midscreen options. Once in the corner, lay on the pressure by using meaty B Kugels and safe j.C, making sure to use the high-damage EX Flak Turret ender if you land an opening. When Akatsuki has 3 levels, do not use 6C; his ABC will punish it clean on block.

Mycale - 4.0/6.0

The main thing to remember in this matchup is that Soldat's normal A Kugel BnBs don't work on Mycale in the corner due to a skinnier hitbox, so you must adjust to do 6C combos instead. Mycale is difficult to get in on, but once you get in she loses her options except for EX Fenrir. Walk forward to reflect Freyas. Be careful of using TK Sobats because you may get tagged by random Fenrirs. Play patient and inch towards her until she's backed into the corner and proceed to run pressure, while running safe pressure/bait oki to draw out the EX Fenrirs. Without meter, Mycale's potential damage drops by quite a bit, so adjust your gameplay accordingly. One important thing to remember when fighting Mycale: the standard A Kugel BnB does not hit her due to her narrower hitbox, so adjust to 2AB 6C for his corner BnBs.

Sai - 3.5/6.5

One of Soldat's worst matchups. Sai has all the tools he needs to fight him: his damage is higher overall, making it difficult for Soldat to maintain a lead. His C Elbow punishes Soldat's blocked 6C; switch to using 2B and 4C to compensate. His 2C slides under B Kugel; switch to A Kugel to stop someone who spams it. His j.214 allows him to change his air trajectory and fly over B Kugel, making it difficult to zone him; use TK Backwards Sobat to beat this. His j.C hits multiple times, making reflecting tricky, and on wakeup his crossup is basically impossible for Soldat to counter. Sai's corner pressure and midscreen elbow pressure are difficult for Soldat to deal with. Block patiently when Sai has Soldat cornered, as Sai can backdash bait wakeups and move in again with B Elbow effortlessly. A lot of Sai's blockstrings are safer than they look, so some Sai players may start running post-block reflects to bait out Soldat's pokes. If they don't do this, start poking out to push Sai back and bait out the reflects accordingly. 2B will stuff random elbows, cutting off that method for Sai to approach.

Kanae - 5.5/4.5

Probably Soldat's only decent matchup, and only a slight advantage at that. While Soldat has far superior zoning to keep Kanae at bay, it is difficult for him to stop Kanae once she gets momentum. Look out for Kanae's 2C, as it will slide under B Kugel; switch to A Kugel occasionally to keep her honest. TK Sobat will stuff a lot of Kanae's pokes at the right range, so use those to get in. Your okizeme should be heavily focused on Kugels since it's much safer against Kanae, who can use counters or reflects to stop pressure. When running Kugel mixups, switch up your timing so you're not attacking at the same tempo consistently, as this will stop you from being countered. If Kanae begins approaching Soldat midscreen, backdash is a decent option, but look out for 236C and 2C.

Fritz - 3.5/6.5

Another bad matchup for Soldat, requiring very patient and careful play. Fritz completely outdamages him, dealing more damage in two hits than Soldat does in a full combo. Fritz's fastfalls and teleports make it unsafe for Soldat to use Flak Turrets regularly. Fritz 2C punishes Soldat's blocked 6C for free, and once Fritz gets 3 levels of super his ABC can do that as well. Fritz can also 2C under B Kugel, thus shutting down Soldat's two main offensive options. To fight Fritz, Soldat must play extremely conservatively and use 4C almost all the time, and rely heavily on A Kugel over B Kugel. Soldat must be willing to deal with the fact that Fritz can escape his corner pressure for free as long as he has 1 level of super. Hit and run, as well as doing bits of damage here and there is essential to winning this matchup, and it will be an uphill battle even for a more skilled player.

Marilyn Sue - 4.5/5.5

Mari's main strengths in this matchup are her damage and her 214. Superarmor allows her to plow through Kugels for free and the forward distance lets her punish Soldat's blocked 6C; use 2B and 4C to compensate. Mari's 2C will go under B Kugel on reaction so make sure to mix in A Kugel to keep her honest. Predictable 214s can be baited by neutral jumps. Try not to jump directly in on Mari, as her airthrow juggles deal a huge amount of damage. Approach her with Sobats and push her into the corner with a combination of Kugel mixups and baiting out 214s. Mari's wakeup options without meter aren't too great so as long as you have Kugel coverage or time it deep you should be able to continue pressuring her without too much worry.

Wei - 4.5/5.5

Wei's primary advantage over Soldat is damage: once he gets meter, he can mount a devastating comeback. At mid-range, Wei's 2B can stuff TK Sobats so be careful about using them. Wei's blue powerup allows him to simply plow through Kugels, so if he does that switch the pressure up to melee attacks instead. Remember that once Wei gets meter his EX Shoulder can punish Soldat's 6C on block, so watch the bar carefully. Play the matchup patiently and solidly; letting Wei in allows him to start running crossup j.B pressure which Soldat cannot handle. Once Wei is under pressure, try to bait out his EX Uppercuts so he has no meter to run EX Boost or his ABC.

Anonym - 4.0/6.0

Nun can run away from Soldat easily, and her bullets also go faster than Soldat's Kugels and through them as well. Soldat must be patient in this matchup and approach only once Nun's bullets begin to run low. Once that occurs, he can rush her down so as long as he looks out for her anti-air 4C, which will stuff the majority of his air attacks. Use j.4B to bait that out. Nun players will use her roll to try and get out of corner pressure, so be on the lookout to punish that with A Kugel, 2B, and throw. Generally, Nun players fall into two types: aggressive ones who burn meter on EX moves and patient ones who stock up for Resurrection. Soldat will be able to outlast the aggressive ones but a patient nun will be more difficult to beat. Remember that Resurrection is unpunishable, so have Soldat get back into the pressure as soon as you can afterwards.

Elektrosoldat - 5.0/5.0

When fighting Soldat, remember to not get baited by max ranged 6C's that can tag you out of moves. Look out for Flak Turrets on wakeup when he has meter; adjust your jumpins accordingly to how the other player likes to respond. Soldat has no answer for his own B Kugel so you can use it freely for pressure.

Blitztank - 4.5/5.5

Blitztank's main advantage is his superarmor. Throwing Kugels carelessly can also lead to a trade in Tank's favor with lasers. Once Tank gets 3 levels Soldat's entire Kugel game is shut down because of Tank's ABC, which is 2F startup. Stay on top of Tank and use his slower jump and massive hitbox to keep him pressured constantly.

Adler - 4.5/5.5

Adler has a surprising number of tools to deal with Soldat's pressure. At midrange, Adler's 236B and 236C can stop B Kugels and TK Sobats. Max range 4C can hit Soldat outside of his own range, and Adler's j.C comes out surprisingly fast. If Adler is careless with his own fireball, you can nullify with Soldat's and walk forward to punish. Backdash out of Adler's 6B pressure if midscreen as the followup RPS is difficult for him to deal with. When being pressured by EX Fireball, block low at point blank range to cover 5[C]'s 1st hit, 2B, and 2C. Keep blocking low unless 5[C] was done, since the 2nd hit of it is high. At mid range, Adler will most likely be going for 4C so block high. Stay on top of Adler, as his point blank range game is not as strong as his midrange.

Murakumo - 4.5/5.5

Mura has a damage advantage over Soldat (who doesn't), and on top of that he has pressure with mines that Soldat cannot stop as well as teleports to escape his pressure. Block patiently against mine pressure, as you may lose more life attempting to hit Mura out of it. Keep an eye out on teleports and use jump-back reflect or airthrow to beat out the options afterwards.

Frame Data

source
KD - Knockdown
VA - Variable
*UV - value(s) marked with "?" in the table is/are unverified
x~yF - a period from frame "x" till frame "y"

                       |     Frames      |  Frame Advantage  |
               Attack  | Total | Startup | On Hit | On Block | Notes
Throws and Reflectors  ---------------------------------------
            4/5/6+A+B  |  25   |    5    |   KD   |    --    |
          j.4/5/6+A+B  |  23   |    3    |   KD   |    --    |
                5+B+C  |  17   |    7    |   KD   |    +3    |
                c.B+C  |  17   |    7    |   KD   |    +3    |
                j.B+C  |  16   |    6    |   KD   |    +3    |
                  A+C  |  50   |   --    |   --   |    --    | cancellable after 32F
              Normals  ---------------------------------------
                   5A  |  14   |    4    |   +1   |    +1    |
             close 5B  |  20   |    5    |   +0   |    -2    |
               far 5B  |  26   |    7    |   -4   |    -6    |
             close 5C  |  25   |    6    |   +0   |    -4    |
               far 5C  |  32   |    8    |   KD   |    -9    |
                  c.A  |  14   |    4    |   +1   |    +1    |
                  c.B  |  26   |    7    |   -4   |    -6    |
                  c.C  |  51   |    8    |   KD   |    -8*   | *-28F if only first hit was blocked
                  j.A  |  19   |    4    |   -4   |    -4    |
                  j.B  |  24   |    5    |   VA   |    VA    |
                  j.C  |  29   |   10    |   VA   |    VA    |
           c./5A > 5A  |  14   |    4    |   +1   |    +1    |
          c./5A > c.A  |  14   |    4    |   +1   |    +1    |
      Command Normals  ---------------------------------------
                   4C  |  32   |   13    |   +0   |    -4    |
                   6C  |  34   |   15    |   KD   |   -19    |
                 j.4B  |  VA   |    7    |   VA   |    VA    | landing recovery 1F
                 j.6B  |  VA   |    7    |   VA   |    VA    | landing recovery 1F
             Specials  ---------------------------------------
               [4]6+A  |  33   |    8    |   +5   |    +1    |
               [4]6+B  |  33   |    8    |   +5   |    +1    |
               [4]6+C  |  33   |    8    |   +5   |    +1    |
               [2]8+A  |  43   |    4    |   KD   |   -24    | 1~5F invincible
               [2]8+B  |  52   |    5    |   KD   |   -32*   | 1~5F invincible, *if 2 hits were blocked
               [2]8+C  |  63   |    6    |   KD   |   -40*   | 1~6F invincible, *if 3 hits were blocked
       EX and Level 3  ---------------------------------------
             [4]6+B+C  |  52   |    9    |   KD   |    -2    | 1~4F invincible
             [2]8+B+C  |  85   |    3    |   KD   |   -31    | 1~4F invincible
                A+B+C  | 108   |    9    |   KD   |    -9    | superflash 40F, 1~8F invincible

Trivia

Elektrosoldat's Intro