Virtual-On Oratorio Tangram/Strategy

Basic strategy of Virtual-On

• Pressure your opponent with neutral, low commitment attacks and by closing distance.
• Dodge their attack and punish their attack or landing recovery with a powerful dash attack. Punish them heavily if they miss a dash attack.
• Perform a risky offensive with dash attacks when needed.
• In the ranged neutral game try to trap the enemy with attack combinations.
• Stop the opponents projectile in its tracks using defensive Erase-type projectiles.
• Read the enemies movements and hit them with special aimed attacks.
• In close range challenge the opponent to a duel: test their mobility and speed.

Movement vectors

Left-Right movement (horizontal)

Passive, evasive. Common use

• You are evading the opponents attack at a 90 degree angle. Least likely to get hit.
• Ability to reposition on the field and move while maintaining high evasion

Forwards movement at the opponent

Direct assault. Used to perform an attack. Used to approach when opponent does not act.

• No evasive property. (unless there is a significant height difference)
• Close distance quickly.
• Used to perform a direct frontal dash attack.
• Used to close distance when opponent cannot act.
• Used to close distance when the opponent decides not to act (read, prediction).
• Positions you behind a Left-Right moving opponent who does not act, beneficial attack vector

Diagonal forwards movement:

Assault. Approach the opponent. Common use. Has multiple great qualities:

• Cannot be hit by most neutral attacks (depending on range).
• Close distance on the target.
• If the opponent is moving left-right and you match that side you will intercept their trajectory: direct assault a horizontally dashing opponent
• If you do not match opponents left-right side, you will be moving obliguely behind them, a beneficial attack vector.
• You can push the opponent towards wanted left/right side and force a decision.
• If the opponent is trying to counter your vector at range and move behind you, at most they will put you into a horizontal vector and back to a ‘neutral’ situation.

Backwards movement, away from the opponent

Retreat. Gain distance on opponent. Most VR lack tools to move in this direction at a decent speed.

• As most attacks are homing or aimable it is very easy to get hit unless at long range.
• Raiden and Dordray have good access to this movement direction at advanced level.

Diagonal back movement

Retreat while maintaining high evasion. Most VR lack tools to move in this direction at any decent speed, utilization is character specific.

• Specineff and Angelan have high access to this movement direction. Unsurprisingly, they are strong at backpedaling and defensive play.

Air movement vectors

Jump

Rapid spike of vertical movement. Carries over horizontal movement from before jumping. Generally evades all attacks. Jumps can move around horizontally. This can be combined with Jump attacks.

Jump Cancel

Return to the ground, perhaps after evading or baiting an enemy attack.

Air dash

Dash in the air, on a horizontal plane determined by jump height. Watari Dash / Vertical Turn can be performed to continue moving on this plane before ending the dash with either a dash cancel or attack.

Air dash cancel

Like Ground dash, Air dashes can be followed with a dash attack. But the movement can be cancelled into a fall and this is your means of moving on this horizontal plane in the air without committing to a punishable attack.

Viewing from the side, a simple air dash cancel forms an ‘n’ / reverse ‘U’ pattern. This is a strong evasive pattern, like forming a sine wave. If your virtuaroid has decent air dash speed, forward/forward diagonal air dash cancels allow you to approach the enemy with a much more evasive property than when grounded. You can close distance on the opponent while avoiding most grounded attacks.

Fall control

Dash in the air, on a horizontal plane determined by jump height. Watari Dash / Vertical Turn can be performed to continue moving on this plane before ending the dash with either a dash cancel or attack. Players can move around horizontally, speed up and slow down their fall. When not falling from an air dash attack rotation can also be controller. Often simple fast falls are used. Floaty movement might be used combined with advanced techniques to increase horizontal movement speed.