Skullgirls/Advanced Mechanics
Super Hitstop
At the end of the super flash, the defending character is forced into an induced hitstop before the attack continues. This locks out any inputs from the defending character until the hitstop wears off. For most supers, the induced hit stop can prevent the defending player from blocking the attack after the flash if they weren't already blocking.
- Projectile supers typically induce less frames of hit stop, often allowing the opponent to block on reaction.
- DHCs do not apply hitstop, but hitstop from the initial super will still be present, unless you DHC into a throw super which will remove applied hitstop. This allows you to jump out after the DHC.
Assist and Dead Body Combos
Double Snap
Video: A Guide to Double Snaps in Skullgirls
An assist character will not fly off screen like a point character when hit by a snapback, only travel to the edge of the screen and leave after falling to the ground. If a point character and an assist get hit by the same snapback at the same time and reach the corner within 10f (approximately half a screen), the point character will get forced off the screen and leave the assist character behind. A new character cannot take the point until all other teammates are off screen. Trapping the assist character turns a snapback into a devastating double snap, where the enemy point character can continue to combo the helpless assist as long as it never hits the ground. IPS does not protect assists. A double snap often results in a highly repetitive combo, monosyllabic shouting from any spectators, a dead character, and the unfortunate defending player picking up the pieces of a broken team.
While the assist character is trapped on screen after a double snap:
- The recently snapped point character regenerates health at a higher than normal rate.
- The defending team slowly auto-generates additional meter.
- All other meter gain is disabled during the double snap.
- The timer stops until the helpless assist character is killed or leaves the screen after touching the ground.
If a snap is performed on a point character but doesn't hit the assist character, the game will turn the assist into invulnerable soft knockdown to prevent the assist character from being combo'd any further, specifically avoiding what was known as "Midscreen double snaps". However, a couple of assist setups still exist that keep the opponent's assist in hitstun during and after the snap, allowing for a midscreen followup. (video)
Midscreen Assist Kill
In certain situations, an attacking character will KO an enemy point character while also comboing their assist who still has life remaining. If this happens, a combo can be performed on that assist while it is on the field, where their state is similar to that when being combo'd by a double snap, allowing an infinite combo to kill the assist. If this combo ends up going past the dead body of the opponents point character, then the attacking character will auto correct to face the other side, making these combos trickier than their double snap counterparts.
- It's only possible when the next upcoming character is on the field; if the assist was the 3rd character in order, then the 2nd character of the opponents team will come in like normal.
- When comboing assist characters midscreen, the corners of the current screen edges are treated like corners, allowing several wallbounce tools to be used quite effectively (Parasoul sHK, Peacock MP Bang).
- Several mechanics that are normally only available once per combo (i.e, Big Band soundstun, Filia Hairball cancel) do not apply, allowing them to be used repeatedly.
Video: Skullgirls - Midscreen assist kills for every character
Video: Midscreen Double-Snap All Characters
Video: Double + Spiral Midscreen Doublesnap
Hitstop Drop
Dead Body Combos
In certain situations, an attacking character will KO an enemy point character in a combo and still be in position to continue the combo on the lifeless corpse. The next incoming character's incoming will be delayed until the combo ends. Hitting a dead corpse gives full meter to the defending team and nothing to the attacking team. Despite the disadvantages, players that can pull off a Dead Body Combo can use tactic to carry the body to a corner. This creates a significant positional advantage over the opponent's next character as it enters from the side of the screen.
- If the character is KOed in the air, it will fall to the ground with a red bounce. If OTG hasn't been spent, you can use this to easily continue the combo.
- If IPS or undizzy is triggered, the helpless character becomes invulnerable and falls to the ground, immediately ending the combo.
- Otherwise, if the body touches the ground, it will fade into the background as usual and the combo will end.
- Hitting the dead body with a snap will remove the corpse from the match, denying Valentine the ability to revive them.
Landing
Land Cancel
Hitting the ground while in blockstun will make you return to a neutral state, meaning you can eliminate extra blockstun and punish air attacks depending on the situation.
Landing Recovery
Inputs
QCFs and DPs
- DP motions typically have priority over QCF motions. An input of →↓↘→ + P will read as a DP + P.
- If you'd like to execute a QCF immediately after holding forward, inputting ← before your QCF will ensure it is read as a QCF.
Charge Moves
- Charge times are all 35f.
- "← (charge) → moves can no longer end with a ↗ input, separating special moves from a command to jump forward with a normal."
- (from Parasoul patch notes) "For 35f after a dash input, ←→←+button and ←→, neutral+button will not perform a special move. This allows dashing normal attacks even after holding a charge. A ←→+button or ←↘+button input can still give a dashing special move. "
Standing 360 Motion
- "The game will stop you from jumping if it detects you're trying to do a 360 - the jump protection will only come into effect if you start from ← or →."
- 360 motion inputs now allow 6f between consecutive directions instead of only 3f, and allow a direction to be held for 6f instead of only 5f, making 360s easier for keyboard and Hitbox players.
Canceling / Kara Techniques
Plink Throw
LP and LK don't need to be pressed on the exact same frame to input a throw. Meaning, you may plink LK~LP which will execute a few frames of LK, then throw. This is possible within a 2f window of the first button press.
- This can be used in a chain where LP can chain to LK to get a faster throw from a LP normal, as opposed to waiting for the LP to recover. One practical way to use this is to do air throw after a j.LP by inputting j.LP j.LK~LP. You may need to delay your super jump cancel, but with the right timing, you can cancel the j.LP into an air throw.
- It is also possible to plink throw from Parasoul's j.MK and j.2MK as both these normals can chain into j.LK
Kara Airdash
Characters have an airdash lockout period where they need to wait a certain number of frames before they can airdash. You can still use a normal during the lockout, and normals can be canceled into an airdash. This is useful when the normal will alter your trajectory to be lower, improving the frame advantage after the airdash > normal. Peacock can use it with jMK ADC jLP, allowing her to combo off an IAD jLP. Filia can use it with jHK ADC jLK (https://twitter.com/CRYSTALPRlSON/status/1050274569552986117?s=19)
Suki Cancel
Jump startup is 4f and can be canceled by preblock or special / super moves. Preblock can also be canceled into any ground action (except walking/jumping backwards). This will let you block or use attacks out of jump startup. Particularly useful when hitting an assist with a launcher, or jump canceling a backdash.
Plinking Throw Special Moves
Plinking a special move with a LP or LK input with another special that uses a similar motion and a LP+LK input is possible with a 2f window
- Armored Diamond Drop: Performing run with [4]236LK~LP can give you up to 2 frames of armored run before performing a Diamond Drop.
- Fukua: https://twitter.com/softieaz/status/1115308690762919936
Alpha Counter Kara Snapback
https://twitter.com/tossle_sg/status/1366234826664251394
If your assist action is QCF + M or H, you can kara cancel your alpha counter assist action into snap back to blow up certain point reversal + assist call tactics. This is because QCF + M/H inputs have a small window where you can cancel into snap back on start up for leniency.
Double Jump Techniques
DJ Against While-Rising Unblockables
While-rising unblockables can be blocked during double jump startup since the character's upwards velocity is 0 during that time.
https://twitter.com/Skarmand/status/1071552388618571776
DJ Instant Overhead
Option Selects
Throw Tech OS Examples
Throw can be masked with another input, but only if you use the kara window for throw inputs (LP~LK or vice versa). Doing LP+LK+button won't tech throws.
http://napalmpillar.blog.shinobi.jp/Date/20160916/
- 1~4LK~LP+MP - Fuzzy block low>high. If they attack with a strike, you will pushblock. If they throw, you will throw tech. If they do nothing, you will throw.
- 1~4LP+MP~LK - Fuzzy block low>high. If they attack with a strike, you will pushblock. If they throw, you will throw tech. If they do nothing, you will get sLK.
- 1~4LP+LK~1 - Fuzzy block low>high. If they attack with a strike, you will just block. If they throw, you will throw tech. If they do nothing, you will throw.
- 1~4LP+HK~MP+LK - Fuzzy block low>high. If they attack with a strike, you will pushblock. If they throw, you will throw tech. If they do nothing, you will get throw + assist.
Preblock OS
Incoming DJ/Delay Tech
Characters with double jumps only. On incoming, input double jump then delay a throw. You will block meaties, tech throws, or double jump out of delayed attacks (although you will whiff an air throw)
Parry OS (Big Band Only)
Big Band has a variety of strong option selects that utilize his parry.
- Low Throw OS - Input 2 ~ 5LP+LK (down, return to neutral, delay throw). This will beat lows, getting you a counterhit throw, or tech a throw attempt. Particularly strong because the nature of the inputs lets you exploit the 17 frame parry window.
- Left Right OS - Delay 6 (delay forward input). This will parry same side mids/highs, and block against crossups. Notably effective against air mixups, since you don't need to worry about high/low. Solid option against characters like Beowulf, who rely on left/rights on incoming setups, and Double, who uses left/right mixups midscreen.
- Incoming Strike Throw OS - Input 6 ~ 5LP+LK while in the air. Similar to Low Throw OS, except you parry forwards. This beats strike (parry into counterhit throw) and techs throws. Exploits 17 frame parry window like the Low Throw OS.
- Parry/Throw/Tympany OS - In the air, you can do 236LP+LK+MK, which will either get parry, throw tech, or Tympany.
Negative Edge
If you use negative edge to input reversals (executing motion moves with motion > release of button instead of press) you can prevent getting accidental inputs of other moves.
Buffers
- There is a 1 frame buffer to execute reversal actions from blockstun and PBGC.
- There is a 3 frame buffer to execute reversal actions on wakeup.
- Reversal windows don't apply to normals.
- Some moves have a large buffer for followups such as Beowulf Chair Toss and Squigly Arpeggio.
Burst Untechable Knockdown
