Melty Blood/MBTL/Akiha Tohno/Strategy

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#MBTL_AK

Neutral

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Pressure

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Okizeme

Preface

Why use 236B instead of 236A after an EX knockdown?

After EX knockdowns, Akiha will typically set 236B. This might seem odd at first; after all, it doesn't actually hit them unless they stand. So why use 236B?

1. Firstly, and most importantly, 236B will not OTG the opponent if done as soon as possible after your EX knockdown. 236A will. This actually gives you less time to set up after 236A, even if its startup is lower.
2. 236B leaves open throw, 632146C, and AD, if they crouch the wheel. 632146C is especially enabled by B wheel, since the wheel hits your opponent if they try to jump postflash. (They can, however, still reversal punish, or Moon Drive>2A punish. So be wary.)
3. Your opponent can only shield the wheel with stand shield. This means that attempts to shield the wheel always lose to meaty lows. If the opponent wants to try to shield your meaty low instead, they risk whiffing a shield. In contrast, with 236A, your opponent can always both 5D and 2D and shield the wheel; they will never whiff a shield. As a result, with 236A, you must meaty high or meaty low and guess correctly to beat their shield attempt, which can open you to other defensive options. 236B does not have this issue.
4. Your opponent isn't being hit if they crouch, so they can act. This may seem bad, but your opponent is more restricted than it looks. First, they cannot input 22x or 623x without being hit by the wheel. Second, any 214x or 236x must have invuln, and the button press must be on the same frame as the final directional input in order for the move to come out. Third, attempts to dash will get hit, and attempts to backdash will either get hit during the input (44) or after the backdash invul wears off (frame perfect 4A+B). Fourth, any attempt to moondrive must time the 5 perfectly with the B+C or they will get hit. And lastly, they can attempt to stand shield the wheel late, but they must time the shield with their blockswitch, which is less forgiving than doing it with the wakeup buffer. In short: they are only so much better off than if they had blocked. And furthermore...
5. The wheel will not tick unless they are in it. If your opponent crouches on wakeup and standblocks later, you do not actually lose ticks on the wheel. They will still receive four ticks as long as they standblock before the wheel's duration expires. If your opponent doesn't block immediately, they are giving you those plus frames at a better time later. In contrast, you will always get the plus frames from 236A immediately, if you get them at all.
6. B wheel enables better punishes than A wheel.

Now, you will not -always- use 236B; some setups, like SKD's crossup protection break, use j.6B+C, and others use j.236X. But EX knockdown>236B is your go-to, and your most basic setup.

How does 236B affect the risk/reward on shielding?

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Corner Oki: Airthrow Knockdown

Lowest AT (e.g. 214B j.[C]B AT)

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Lower AT (e.g. j.[c]b land j.AB AT)

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Moderate AT (e.g. 3C immediate AT)

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Higher AT (e.g. 3C j.AB AT)

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Highest AT (e.g 3C j.BC dj.BC AT)

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Corner Oki: EX Wheel KD

j.[C] j.236C Knockdown > 236B Meaty 22B

Example combo into setup:

2a 5b 2b 5c 2c 6c 22b 2c 6c 214b j[c] j.236c, backwalk to max 22B range (or another range if it's better for the matchup), 22B meaty

When set up like this, 236B > max range 22B outspaces heat, lets you bait a fair amount of reversals, and punishes stand shield with a meaty low. It also puts you at a spacing where Shield>A Followup whiffs, and where—if you read Shield>B Followup—you can punish it with 3C. For specifics on baiting reversals, see the charts below. (623C and MD punishes assume you are reacting to the flash. If nothing specific is said after MD, assume you can block, shield, or moonskill as you want.)

Arcueid

Opponent's Reversal	Your Answer
22B	Outranged at max 22B range
22C	623C, or MD
236B+C	623C (only get a punish if close); MD>shield>recover and punish

Ciel

Opponent's Reversal	Your Answer
22B	Outranged with only a slight backwalk after ring
22C	Outranged with only a slight backwalk after ring
236C	MD
236B+C	MD>block>punish or MD>shield>A.

Tohno

Opponent's Reversal	Your Answer
623B	Outranged with only a slight backwalk after ring
623C	Outranged with only a slight backwalk after ring
236B+C	Moon Drive>shield>A. Your 236B+C invulns through the unheld version and hits with the strike; unsure about the held version.

Akiha

Opponent's Reversal	Your Answer
623C	Outranged at max 22B range. If closer, can MD>shield>recover and punish.
236B+C	Outranged, even with only a slight backwalk after ring.

Kouma

Opponent's Reversal	Your Answer
623B	Outranged at max 22B range
623C	Cannot outrange. MD.
214C	Outranged with only a slight backwalk after ring.
22C	Whiffs at max 22B range, but he armors the 236B. Can 236C on reaction to the flash, or MD>shield>B+C if you stayed in range to get hit.
236B+C	Cannot outrange. 236B+C on reaction hits for 2500 (no grab). MD>jump is your best punish.

Noel

Opponent's Reversal	Your Answer
22C	Cannot outrange. Can 623C on reaction, or MD.
236B+C	Cannot outrange. Your 236B+C will invuln through and hit with the strike. Moon Drive>block is best.

Vlov

Opponent's Reversal	Your Answer
236B+C	Moon Drive>shield>B followup. Check the timing for this before you try it in match; it's a little unintuitive.

Roa

Opponent's Reversal	Your Answer
623B	Outranged with only a slight backwalk after ring
623C	Outranged with only a slight backwalk after ring
236C	Cannot outrange. MD>block or MD>shield>a.
236B+C	Cannot outrange. 623C punishes. Moon Drive>shield>recover also punishes.

Miyako

Opponent's Reversal	Your Answer
623A	Outranged with only a slight backwalk after ring
623C	Outranged at max 22B range
236B+C	Outranged at slightly less than max 22B range

Hisui

Opponent's Reversal	Your Answer
236B+C	Cannot outspace. MD>shield>A.

Kohaku

Opponent's Reversal	Your Answer
214C	(Answer pending. Initially had recover from 22B, backdash twice, and punish the landing, but that might be a training mode only punish.)
236B+C	Moon Drive>tap shield and jump after. If shield connects, then hit the b followup, run to Kohaku, and punish. (Needs further testing.)

Warc

Opponent's Reversal	Your Answer
236C	Cannot outspace. Can 623C on reaction and punish. Can MD>block or MD>Shield and punish.
236B+C	Can 623C through if closer; practice the spacing for this, because it's weird. Moon Drive>shield>recover punishes.

Saber

Opponent's Reversal	Your Answer
623C	623C, MD.
214B+C	ABANDON HOPE, ALL YE WHO ENTER HERE
236B+C	If within 2C range, can MD>shield>recover.

Midscreen Oki: Airthrow Knockdown

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Lowest AT (e.g. 214B j.[C]B AT)

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Lower AT (e.g. j.[c]b land j.AB AT)

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Moderate AT (e.g. 3C immediate AT)

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Higher AT (e.g. 3C j.AB AT)

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Highest AT (e.g 3C j.BC dj.BC AT)

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Midscreen: EX Wheel Knockdown

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Defense

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