Art of Fighting 3/Robert Garcia

ロバート・ガルシア, Robert Garcia
Difficulty	Easy
Playstyle	Well-rounded, defensive shoto
Birthplace	Italy
Occupation	Successor of the Garcia Foundation
Fighting style	Kyokugenryu Karate
Weight Class	Medium
Birthday	December 25

Introduction

Player 1 Color	Player 2 Color

The protagonist of Art of Fighting 3, and the second poster boy of the Art of Fighting series, Robert is the long time friend of Ryo Sakazaki, and much like Ryo, is also a shoto who represents the Art of Fighting team in the King of Fighters series. In Art of Fighting 3, Robert essentially gets free reward off of any juggle, since all his combos have low execution requirements. He has a plethora of tools to work with with big normals, and is overall very easy to pick up and play.

The biggest issue Robert faces lies in how linear he is. Robert has one goal: deal big damage from his juggles. Since he needs specials for his strongest combos, however, and to otherwise cover up weak areas, he'll frequently need to use specials to compensate for his bad offense. This is on top of the fact that each of his launchers are not fast. Regardless, Robert is a powerful combo fiend and if he's able to launch you or land a well timed jump in, it'll certainly hurt. Now if only he committed to Yuri as much as he did his combos...

Compared to Ryo, Robert is all about his specials and combo game which racks up quick damage.

Strengths

Weaknesses

Second largest toolkit in the game, just behind Ryo: Robert has a well-balanced toolkit that is great for teaching players how to play at Art of Fighting 3's pace, and has a tool for every situation, packing more tools than everyone else except Ryo's huge toolkit. Large normals: Range isn't an issue for Robert other than a few attacks, giving him generous hitboxes that make fighting from afar easy for Robert, while also staying relatively safe. Strong, simple combo game: Robert has some of the easiest combos in the game that give high reward for performing them. If anything, he only needs one combo to be effective. 5B gives him a round start attack to throw out: Robert's 5B is a straight kick forward which makes it a great footsies poke. It's long enough to even pressure opponents the second the round starts, forcing players to very briefly play on the defensive to double check if Robert starts the round with 5B or with something else. Great variety of special moves: Robert's special moves all serve distinct purposes and are useful in any matchup, giving him powerful utilities if he has the meter to spend for it. Unblockable ranbu super: Robert's super is one of the best in the game. An unblockable ranbu super that travels fast and far allows for big comebacks, unblockable setups, and scary neutral where Robert can start the attack at a moment's notice. Arguably the easiest character in the game: Robert is very straightforward - bait a whiff, launch, do simple but damaging BnB, rinse and repeat. His execution barrier as well is very low, meaning players can learn him in minutes if they're interested in playing him.

Overall weak offense: Robert's toolkit is designed around playing defensively, poking from afar and creating whiff scenarios. In order to play on the offensive, Robert has to take risks. Very few lows: Robert's only lows are 2A, 2B, and the full crouch versions. They're not the worst lows in the game, but players will quickly learn how to deal with them. Robert's lows are best suited for poking, as they do not make for strong mixups. No fast and long-ranged launcher: Robert's 4A is fast but short, and Robert's 5AB has a long hitbox but slow startup. This makes starting juggle combos without counter hits unreliable at best. Launchers are also unreliable in neutral: Robert's 4A is duckable and in one matchup, borderline useless, on top of its poor range. His 5AB launcher has fairly slow startup and lengthy recovery that makes it only good for whiff scenarios, especially since it's a mid. Average okizeme: Robert's only real okizeme is either go for a low, overhead, attempt a tick throw, or setup a special attack or his super. His okizeme isn't awful, but he lacks the mixups other characters have, and even on wakeup has to create a whiff to reliably get a launch combo started. Chances are okizeme will be an extra poke and little else. Robert also has the issue that his main BnBs don't provide him a lot of room to go for any pursuits. Meter hungry; needs meter to pose a threat: Offense isn't Robert's strong suit, and in order to do well at it, he needs to expend meter to use his special moves. This makes Robert have to constantly eye his special meter and always be ready to have something up his sleeve whenever he needs it. Linear game strategy: There is only one thing that really matters to Robert: can he start a juggle combo? While he has a balanced toolkit, at the end of the day he's either poking, using meter to use one of his several useful special moves to open the opponent up, or creating whiff scenarios to start combos. Although effective in these areas, it's not difficult picking up on Robert's habits either.

Move List

Esoterics

Color Coding

• Green refers to special move damage/frames when done in green meter, or otherwise the strongest damage it can deal.
• Blue refers to special move damage/frames when done in blue meter, or otherwise moderate damage it can deal.
• Purple refers to special move damage/frames when done in purple meter, or otherwise the weakest damage it can deal.
• Orange refers to the damage dealt in chip damage during block.
• Colors may be used otherwise to associate frames/scenarios to avoid confusion, i.e. Kasumi's 4C parry having two different sets of frame data.

Attacks, Notation and Damage

• [Brackets] refers to the specific attack in a string/rush combo that the attack box data is referring to.

• The arrow > on the left of it is the attacks that need to be done before the move in brackets can be performed. If there is an X, it means there are multiple ways of getting to the move in brackets which will be listed in the description.

• Damage values always assume grounded damage with no modifiers. If two damage values are listed with a / in-between them, it lists the damage it deals for grounded and airborne respectively.

• This is because these attacks are used in strings or otherwise as follow-ups where they're more likely to connect with airborne opponents rather than grounded opponents, such as Jin's 6B which hits twice, the first hit leaving the opponent airborne before the second hit.

• Ground/Aerial means if the attack is performed grounded or airborne. If an aerial, being hit during the attack will result in the attacker being knocked down.
• There is no true throw invulnerability in Art of Fighting 3, so when a move is listed as "Throw Invulnerable" it means the attack changes the character's hurtboxes in a way that the throw hitbox cannot collide with it.

Reading Frame Data

• Description of the five stats:

• Startup frames counts all frames before the first active frame comes out, aka how long it takes for the attack to come out
• Active frames is how long the attack is able to hit the opponent, starting at the first active frame
• Recovery frames is how long it takes before the player resets to neutral and can act again
• Total is all three stats above added up, so total number of frames in the move
• Hit/Block advantage is how much faster or slower you can act than the opponent by the number of frames

• Frame advantage, both on hit and block, always assumes frame advantage after the first active frame connects.
• If an attack lists "QKD" in its properties, this means it's an attack that can be teched out of faster than a normal knockdown. This affect only applies to counter hit launches or if the attack connects with the opponent in the air.
• When a move lists ST, SKD, etc. followed by a number in (parentheses) it indicates the frame advantage for the attacking player. Not all knockdowns are plus on hit and depends on the move.

• Knockdown frames always assume frame advantage against Jin. Everyone except for Robert, Sinclair, and Wyler share 16f of wakeup recovery after a knockdown. For Robert, Sinclair, and Wyler, add +1 frame advantage.
• This rule also applies to SKDs, however in this case Jin and everyone else shares 58f total of being in an SKD state except for Lenny, who is in an SKD state for 59 frames instead. For SKD frame advantage against Lenny, add +1 frame advantage.
• The wiki omits STKD frame advantage mostly because those are always plus no matter what, so it's somewhat pointless.

• The frames in (parentheses) next to a "Cancellable into..." sentence is how long you can delay a follow-up, AKA which exact frames you're allowed to cancel into a follow-up. If it states "onwards" then the cancel can be done whenever after the given frame. This info helps both for buffering inputs and also delaying strings for mixups.

Other Tips

• Moves are sorted by ascending number followed by ascending alphabet, so lower numbers first followed by lower alphabet letters. Moves with two button presses are organized last.
• It is recommended you read the brief descriptions to how the attacks animate in-game to familiarize yourself with each attack. Unfortunately, due to the rotoscoped graphics, animations lack key frames that help distinguish themselves as separate moves when viewed as single frames. This in turn makes some moves that share frames look identical to one another without context to how they are supposed to appear, without resorting to using gifs.

General Frame Data

Character	Jump Startup	Jump Recovery	Jump Frames	Hop Frames	Crouch Frames	Restand Frames	Crouch Height
	5f	8f	51f	40f	7f	8f	Average
Walk Startup	Walk Speed	F. Dash Frames	F. Dash Speed	F. Dash Distance	Backdash Frames	Backdash Speed	Backdash Distance
0f	Average	26f	Average	Average	49f	Slow	Far

Grounded Normals

5A

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Counterhit Property 128 Mid 4 - - - +6 +1 LCHL Ground Spirit restored when blocked: 129 points Normal fast jab, Robert does a quick punch forward. One of the better ones in the game given its speed, utility and range. Fully safe so there's no commitment other than risking a 4C parry. It isn't essential for Robert's combo game, but for some combos it helps add in some extra damage if you can link the jabs in before the combo ender. For characters with range issues or as a fast punish, 5A makes a decent punish tool with low but easy reward. If you need a footsies poke, you're more likely to use 5B, but 5A is no slouch, either, just ordinary.

5B

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Counterhit Property 256 Mid 5 - - - +0 -1 LCHL Ground Spirit restored when blocked: 257 points Long reaching kick as Robert thrusts his leg forward to the opponent's gut. Makes a solid, quick poke from a distance, and thanks to the 5 frame startup, makes it an essential poke for Robert in general. Just be careful of the opponent's parry. Also shines as a round start poke. It's long and fast enough that if the opponent doesn't suspect it, Robert earns a free hit as soon as the round starts, especially if it counter hits which leads to a knockdown or even full juggle. Its range is so good that it even gives Kasumi trouble on round start as she has no answer for dealing with it other than reading it with her own 4C parry, but this too runs the risk of putting her closer to Robert instead. Fully safe beyond 4C parries, all the opponent can do is trade, or possibly counter if the character has one for it. From far away, it can be a bit iffy leading into a combo on counter hit, but worst case scenario you dash cancel forwards and perform a 646B. While duckable by some characters, it's unlikely they can pull off a punish on its speed alone. From afar, it's even more unlikely. Overall a must in Robert's gameplan, one of the best grounded pokes in the game both on offense and defense and can fit in pretty much any scenario with almost zero drawbacks.

5C Heavy Axe Heavy Axe

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Counterhit Property 256 + 256/320 Overhead 20 - - - KD -24 KD Ground 5C OTG Pursuit Frame Advantage Jin: +15 Karman: +15 Kasumi: +15 Lenny: +15 Robert: +16 Rody: +15 Ryo: +15 Sinclair: +16 Wang: +15 Wyler: +16 Spirit restored when blocked: 257 x2 points Able to anti-air Robert lifts his leg up to do a two hit leg crushing attack, swinging his leg downwards. Despite looking like it can, 5C will not hit as the leg raises up, so there is no hitbox until the leg begins to fall. Fairly situational move, it has its uses but you won't need to use it often. One of Robert's slower overheads, but it's 3 frames faster than 28B which is also the more likely overhead you'll use. This and 28B share around the same range, and both attacks also push Robert forward a little. 5C's use mainly comes down to the faster overhead with good reach, while also acting as a Pursuit for Robert with its better pursuit range. 28B's overall reward is better with less risk, but 5C can be an okay mixup when used sparingly. As a pursuit, it is identical to his normal pursuit with the exception of longer range but slower startup.

2A Knuckle Sweep Knuckle Sweep

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Counterhit Property 256 Low 16 - - - SKD (+31) -14 SKD (+31) Ground Spirit restored when blocked: 257 points Robert swats at the opponent’s legs with a back fist. Not terribly useful given the startup, and since it doesn't change Robert's hurtbox all that much, when he can instead use 5B. Unlike 5B, which needs counter hit to knock down, this gives an SKD naturally, giving free pursuit damage, too. Lacks range which makes 2B preferable despite the worse frame advantage. There's worse lows, if you feel you have a good read then this will net you more overall damage than 2B will, but try to space it out as far as you can.

Full Crouch 2A / 2B / FC 2B Weak/Strong Low Tap Weak/Strong Low Tap

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Counterhit Property 192 Low 5 - - - -1 -6 STKD Ground Version: Full Crouch 2A Spirit restored when blocked: 193 points Fast version of 2B, with less recovery. Much safer to use than normal 2B despite worse damage, so if you're already in Full Crouch, use this version over FC 2B. The STKD is also a better reward for a knockdown than 2B, since Robert can consistently combo off of it with 16B. Overall better low than 2A, much less risk and faster startup. Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Counterhit Property 320 Low 10 - - - -6 -29 SKD (+21) Ground Version: 2B Spirit restored when blocked: 321 points Quick hitting low kick attack as Robert swings his right leg forwards. Robert loses his turn whenever he uses this attack, but on hit it pushes the opponent far back so they can't punish him on hit. Difficult to react to, especially the long reach which despite his limited lows, helps Robert's mixup game. One of Robert's only lows so he doesn't have any choice but to use this. Robert can low profile some attacks, but he has a taller than average hurtbox when doing so, which means few attacks he can do so reliably. Always use it at a distance when you need a low poke, but if it's blocked Robert is still easily punishable. Either way, you're gonna have to use this in every match to some extent, because otherwise opponents will never block low. Thus Robert can't utilize overheads which severely limits his offensive capabilities. Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Counterhit Property 256 Low 4 - - - -6 -29 SKD (+21) Ground Version: Full Crouch 2B Spirit restored when blocked: 257 points Identical version of normal 2B with less damage and faster startup. Everything that can be said about 2B already applies here, only this is much faster. Only risk is Robert needing to restand after the attack if you let go of crouch, but he has enough to work with that this isn't an issue.

Jumps

j.A

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Counterhit Property 256 High 6 - - - Varies Varies LCHL Ground Spirit restored when blocked: 257 points Robert throws his fist out as he falls down. Standard air jab attack. Has okay range but the other jump attacks have better practicality. j.B has faster startup whereas j.C has better horizontal range. Even for hops, this attack is underwhelming, just use one of the kicks instead.

j.B

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Counterhit Property 384 High 4 - - - Varies Varies LCHL Ground Spirit restored when blocked: 385 points Low kick attack as Robert descends to the ground. Comes out at only 4 frames and angles downwards to make a good jump-in. Either this or j.C make effective hop attacks. j.C is better suited for air-to-airs, but j.B does a decent job at it, too, if you're closer. Active long enough the opponent can potentially land into it. Harder to start combos with j.B since jump combos require deep hits. While possible with j.B, it tends to hit sooner because of the lower hitbox.

j.C

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Counterhit Property 384 High 10 - - - Varies Varies LCHL Ground Spirit restored when blocked: 385 points Front hitting kick while Robert is in the air. Robert's slowest jump button, but regardless still makes a good hop attack at a distance or if you need to air-to-air someone in front of you. Easier to perform combos with when you get used to the 10 frame startup, since it doesn't hit too high up as easily. Shorter active frames than j.B, so be sure to time j.C right. Replaces j.A as Robert's main horizontal button in the air. Has better reach that the extra 4 frames of startup hardly means much.

Command Normals

3A Elbow Rush Elbow Rush

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Counterhit Property 256 Overhead 2 - - - -14 -22 LCHL Ground, Wrongblock (ST; +13) Spirit restored when blocked: 257 points Robert charges his elbow forward to bash the enemy in the chest. Fastest overhead in the game at only 2 frames of startup, but that's where all the pros end. This move suffers many issues, namely its abysmal range and horrible frame advantage. The hitbox itself doesn't cover Robert's entire elbow, only directly in front of him, which makes cases where it looks like it should hit instead whiff. The irony is that this move pushes Robert forward, but it doesn't help his range issues. Even when you do land it, it's -14 on hit, in other words easy enough to punish in any scenario. It takes a fair bit to recover as well. It's not enough to prevent him from counter hit juggles, but it's enough to punish him on whiff. The only other positive the move has is that it does a LCHL on counter hit, which for a 2 frame startup move, would have potential to be terrifying if it weren't for the range. Unless you're great at landing counter hits or can use this as an instant overhead for wrongblock stagger, you can safely ignore this move. Basically, Robert was studying Prototype Jack in Tekken Tag 1 before it even released.

28B Tiger Bite Tiger Bite

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Counterhit Property 704 Overhead 23 - - - SKD (+34) -17 SKD (+34) Ground Spirit restored when blocked: 705 points Can be performed from Full Crouch, too, by just pressing 8B. Input needs one frame of delay minimum between 8 and B in order for the attack to come out. Robert does a slightly slower version of his 5C that hits once for more damage. Covers the same range as 5C, given that both attacks push Robert forward. And just like 5C, it hits overhead, too. Not as punishable and is more practical of an overhead than 5C, but it loses the pursuit property. 28B is preferable for the better reward Robert gets from it and with less risk. It doesn't replace 5C, but it's the overhead of the two you should use more often. You should avoid using this on your own wakeup, since Robert is airborne while performing the attack and the slower startup makes it easier to punish on reaction. On the flipside, being airborne already makes juggles shorter since he can't be launched off counter hit first. Good poke as long as you space it a little and don't rely on it as a raw poke, and only setups instead.

3B Driving Knee Driving Knee

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Counterhit Property 320 Overhead 6 - - - -19 -24 LCHL Ground, Wrongblock (ST; +11) Spirit restored when blocked: 321 points Robert kicks the opponent away with an overhead knee attack. Robert's second fastest overhead in the game, which if it weren't tied to an auto combo, would be a good thing to use often. Decent damage for a simple auto combo if you can land the whole thing, but mediocre by itself. Otherwise passable range. He can delay the follow-up kicks for a long while, so if you have a little bit of Virtua Fighter in your blood, you might get some unique utility out of this tool. By itself, the knee attack has to be followed up at some point because Robert is punishable on both hit and block, unless the attack is wrongblocked, in order to prevent Robert from being easily punished. Not recommended you use often, but is much more practical than Robert's 4BBB auto combo and with proper mixups/hit confirm practice, can make a capable overhead poke for Robert.

3B[B] Straight Kick Straight Kick

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Counterhit Property 256 Mid 2 - - - KD -40 KD Ground Spirit restored when blocked: 257 points Robert follows up his knee strike with a straight horizontal kick. A 2 frame unreactable kick with long reach and knocks down on hit, which can be hit-confirmed and delayed from a 6 frame overhead makes the attack worth it to an extent. It's -40 on block, and the only follow-up it has is impractical at best of an attack, so if 3B[B] gets blocked, Robert has very little he can do to save himself. Robert has to eventually combo into this attack because 3B is -19 on hit, unless wrongblocked. That said, when delayed it makes a good surprise attack. The final kick follow-up is only useful for ending the combo off of 3B at best, so it's recommended Robert end the auto combo here instead of proceed to the final attack. Overall a good poke when you need the fast overhead or otherwise a long ranged knockdown, but do keep in mind how easy it is to punish on block.

3BB[B] High Kick High Kick

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Counterhit Property 320/400 High 4 - - - KD -63 KD Ground Spirit restored when blocked: 321 points Able to anti-air Robert finalizes his auto combo with a tall diagonal kick after juggling the opponent from 3BB. Unless you've already hit-confirmed 3BB and are also close enough to the opponent, this attack is kinda useless. By itself, if 3BB is blocked, Robert can try to land 3BB[B] via delaying it, but this attack hits high enough that it can be ducked too, which makes it less reliable as a delayed mixup to save him from block advantage. You're better off just using 3BB and leaving it at that. 3BB is much less punishable on block despite still being really bad, but also it comes out 2 frames faster which makes 3BB[B] impractical at best. The range alone sells it. It will still knockdown if it hits which makes it safe to hit at least, but that's it.

4B Snap Kick Snap Kick

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Counterhit Property 256 Mid 6 - - - -2 -7 LCHL Ground Spirit restored when blocked: 257 points Robert does a series of three high hitting kicks in an auto combo, starting with a simple left kick. By itself it's not noteworthy. Passable range and damage, decent startup and is way safer than 3B is. This is the best attack in the auto combo by itself. If it hit confirms, then there's no reason to not do the entire auto combo, but on whiff or block, it's the least punishable. The other two kicks make the whole string too risky. Difficult to punish at only -7 on block, but not impossible. Robert at least doesn't have to immediately commit to the combo. There's nothing this auto combo as a whole provides that other attacks don't, it's flashy at best. It's awkward to fully combo, too.

4B[B] High Kick High Kick

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Counterhit Property 320 Mid 4 - - - Launch -28 HCHL Ground Spirit restored when blocked: 321 points Able to anti-air Robert performs a second kick to follow up the first kick. Not as punishable as the 3BBB auto combo attacks on block. Still pretty bad, however. Despite launching, Robert is guaranteed no follow-ups beyond ending the auto combo. Even then, you have to delay the final kick or else it whiffs. You're better off ignoring the whole auto combo. The 4 frame delayable mixup hardly helps Robert when he has other rush combos capable of doing the same with better utility. That is if this auto combo even has utility.

4BB[B] Quick Axe Quick Axe

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Counterhit Property 448 Overhead 11 - - - SKD (+30) -13 SKD (+30) Ground, Wrongblock (ST; +17) Spirit restored when blocked: 449 points Able to anti-air Robert finishes his triple kick combo with a variant of his overhead 28B kick. If you're already doing the auto combo, as stated there's no reason not to finish it. Robert gains nothing by not doing so. That said, there's also no reason Robert should use this over regular 28B. It's not as punishable, but it's a negligible reward at the cost of less damage. In order to combo into this attack from 4B[B], you have to delay the final attack a bit because do it too early and it whiffs. Less than half the startup of 28B, but the auto combo can be safely ignored in every matchup.

Launchers

4A Backfist Backfist

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Counterhit Property 640 High 6 - - - Launch -1 HCHL Ground Spirit restored when blocked: 641 points Able to anti-air Robert hits the opponent with a right handed back fist. Ideally, this is Robert's preferred launcher, but due to its tiny hitbox and being duckable makes it difficult to use. It's safe on block, comes out fast, and deals more damage than 5AB. However, because of the range issues, using it in footsies is a challenge as Robert will usually need to charge in to use it, disregarding the fact the opponent can easily duck below it anyways for an easy whiff punish. Against Wang, this attack will completely whiff unless he’s in the air, so do not use it against him. Use this launcher when Robert's in range and has enough time/frame advantage to pull it off, but otherwise use 5AB.

5AB Digging Fist Digging Fist

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Counterhit Property 512 Overhead 14 - - - Launch -12 HCHL Ground, Wrongblock (ST; +18) Spirit restored when blocked: 513 points Robert rushes in to do a swift, low hitting punch to the legs. Good reach by pushing him forward, okay recovery, but while it looks like it can hit low, it doesn’t. This is best used as a whiff punish tool, and complements Robert's defensive playstyle. Throwing it out in neutral can lead to an easy punish, so while possible, Robert should instead opt to use a different poke. This launcher would be stronger if Robert was allowed to cancel his backdash, but instead you will need to settle for walking backwards to set up whiff punishes. Hits overhead which grants wrongblock stagger, allowing Robert to score a long ranged overhead. Unsafe on block unlike 4A, so as stated, use it as a whiff punisher.

Rush Combo Attacks

6A Rush Jab Rush Jab

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Counterhit Property 160 Mid 7 - - - +0 -5 LCHL Ground Spirit restored when blocked: 161 points Robert moves forward to throw out a moving jab. Slightly better range than his normal 5A, but not by very much. Can actually be unsafe on block being -5 against characters like Kasumi. Always follow-up to 6A[A] and only delay the follow-up if you think you need to, hardly any reason to use this by itself.

6A[A] Second Jab Second Jab	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Counterhit Property 192 Mid 7 - - - +0 -5 LCHL Ground Spirit restored when blocked: 193 points Robert performs a second forward jab with his other fist. Identical to 6A but slightly stronger damage. Same notes apply otherwise.

6AA[C] Forearm Rush Forearm Rush

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Counterhit Property 192 Mid 7 - - - +0 -5 LCHL Ground Spirit restored when blocked: 193 points Robert follows up his double jab with an elbow attack. Once against, identical to 6AA. Only real differences are the slightly lower range and different window for timing the 6AA[C] follow-up. Don't use this in the corner since the pushback from 6AA will make 6AA[C] whiff and therefore drop whatever combo Robert is doing.

Ryu Zan Shou 6AAC xx [4B]

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Counterhit Property 768 Overhead 6 - - - KD -42/-46 HCHL Ground, Wrongblock (ST; -12/-16) Spirit cost: 25% Able to anti-air Robert is technically -46 on block, but since he is considered landing after the attack, he can jump cancel 4 frames earlier, leaving him at -42 instead. Same applies to ST wrongblock. An auto combo special, where Robert punches the opponent a few times, ending on this backwards flip kick. A serious flaw of this chain combo special is that it will almost always whiff in the corner, because the first two punches push Robert backwards which makes 6C whiff. That said, this is the defining move of Robert's BnB combos, and is super simple to pull off, too. Very rewarding damage for almost no work, which although not as threatening as say Karman's TOD or Kasumi's 75+% BnB combo, helps keep Robert in line with the rest of the cast in combo output. Robert can throw in a few jabs before the rush combo itself for even more damage and slightly better corner carry, but makes it much harder to link off of. Albeit, worth the risk if you can do it consistently. Unusually, it hits overhead as well. This hardly helps Robert at all, but in the rare case your opponent forgets to block high, it will open them up. That is to say, a wrongblock, which will leave Robert minus, although not enough to be punished for it. Good delay window, so even on standing opponents, it can throw them off by thinking you are purposefully ending the blockstring, if you delay the final 4B. If you are unable to perform this attack during a combo as Robert, you will either need to keep practicing or switch to a different character. Robert lives and dies by this attack (as well as 646B).

6AAC[C] Elbow Rush Elbow Rush

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Counterhit Property 416 Mid 5 - - - ST (+0) -35 LCHL Ground Spirit restored when blocked: 417 points Able to anti-air Robert finalizes his combo with one last elbow strike. If you need an attack that's one frame faster and is less punishable on block, use this attack. There's no reason to ever use this over 4B, despite it costing special meter to use. This will only matter if Robert has purple spirit, which in that case he can't use it, but even so Robert can use 6B to end the combo for a knockdown. Pretty pointless attack. Ryo gets somewhat more use out of his same rush combo, but for Robert he has better options. This is mostly just to style.

6B Roundhouse Roundhouse

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Counterhit Property 320 Mid 9 - - - ST (+8) -27 LCHL Ground Spirit restored when blocked: 321 points Able to anti-air Robert performs a standing roundhouse kick with his right leg. There's some use to this attack, it can anti-air and leads to plus advantage stagger on hit with a delayable follow-up, both packing decent range. Not worth using terribly often as it doesn't lend itself to combos, and in juggle combos the results are underwhelming. It's duckable which limits its usefulness besides the bad block advantage.

6B > [2A] Knuckle Sweep Knuckle Sweep

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Counterhit Property 448 Low 10 - - - SKD (+20) -24 SKD (+20) Ground Spirit restored when blocked: 449 points Robert swats his fist at the opponent's legs after his 6B kick attack. Faster than normal 2A, but with worse frame advantage both on hit and block, and packing a lot more damage. Robert doesn't need to use this too often, but it makes a decent low mixup in case the opponent is consistently avoiding/defending against Robert's standard lows. Since it is a rush combo, it can be delayed as well, so keep this in mind if you use it. Albeit, if Robert uses 6B, the opponent can just block low anyways since 6B and 6BB both hit mid, in addition to immediately leaving crouch with a rush combo attack to punish accordingly. Robert won't turn heads with it but it can be a small bonus to his mixup game.

6X[B] Arc Kick Arc Kick

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Counterhit Property 480 Mid 5 - - - ST (+4) or SCL -30 LCHL Ground Spirit restored when blocked: 481 points Able to anti-air Robert finishes his rush combo with a second swinging kick using his left leg, striking quite high. It's fast and will get the job done for the knockdown property if you combo into it. Not a whole lot of reason to use it though, other than maybe as a once in a blue moon anti-air. Since it hits mid, it's not much better than the 2A follow-up off of a raw 6B. 6BB has worse frame advantage on block in comparison. As for Robert's other rush combos, 6XB is a standard finisher that while not bad, should only really be used if Robert has no meter. If he does have meter, it's better to end the rush combo early to combo into a special for better damage, or the more common scenario, perform his trademark flip attack off of 4B. For some reason, it has two different properties when it connects with the opponent - stagger or screw launcher. Hit advantage is dependent on how far away Robert lands the 6XB. closer up, he gets SCL, whereas he gets ST from far away. If 6XB is comboed into as opposed to done raw, Robert will always get SCL.

Specials

Ryū Geki Ken 236A/C

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Counterhit Property 960 (240) / 704 (176) / 256 (64) Mid 28 - - - - - X Ground Spirit Cost: 896 (~22%) Robert throws out a fiercesome fireball in front of him, hurdling towards the opponent. The A version is "slow" whereas the C version almost instantly travels across the screen. However, the A version is still considerably fast for a slowed down fireball. Not an amazing tool as fireballs can be punched out and jumped over, but it's unlikely the opponent will punch the fireball out anyways, particularly the C fireball. Good damage, good counter hit damage, good chip damage, it's an overall effective zoning tool. Attempting to play a heavy zoning game will leave Robert stripped of meter pretty quickly, and he needs meter to be effective at playing offense, so it's best to avoid playing a strictly fireball game. There's several ways to apply his fireballs in a match: Catch an opponent in the air misjudging their jump arc Going for a chip kill with the fireball Dealing forced chip damage in general on wakeup Whiff punishing an opponent Nullifying ranbu super hitboxes Forcing the opponent to jump towards you Robert will be using fireballs as a utility more than he is looking for pure damage, but is nonetheless quite useful in any match.

Hien Shippū Kyaku 16B

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Counterhit Property 800 + 544 (200 + 136) / 544 (136) x2 / 256 (64) Overhead 29 - - - KD -11 LCHL Ground Spirit Cost: 1056 (~26%) Able to anti-air (sort of) Robert prepares a fast lunge forward with a powerful double kick attack. Not only can it deal quite a bit of damage, but it can also hit from fullscreen. So at any point, Robert has a whiff punish attack that also leaves him right next to the opponent after it finishes. Punishable on block, but at only -11 frame disadvantage, it doesn't give the opponent a lot of room to work with for punishing it. Every character is capable of punishing it, even if only with a jab or rush combo, but in the context of AOF3, 11 frames is not that big of a window given the long animations and relatively higher startup of attacks in general. When on low health, it can make for a good forced chip kill, if the opponent is unable to avoid it otherwise. Be careful about performing it fullscreen, because while it can punish from that distance, Hien Shippuu Kyaku will whiff from the farthest distances both players can travel, which will leave Robert much easier to punish than if he were to have landed it on block. It also hits overhead, so be sure to remember to block standing, and not try and duck it, or else get hit. Too slow to be used in combos, so its overall practicality isn't superb, but not a bad mixup and if used sparingly, may be a little hard to deal with.

Ryūga 623A/C

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Counterhit Property Varies Mid 8 - - - KD -38 KD Ground Spirit Cost: 960 (~24%) Able to anti-air Robert pushes forward followed by a leap into the air with a rising punch attack. Damage output varies not only based on the meter color but also the button pressed 623A: 992 (248) / 672 (168) 623C: 576 (144 x2) / 384 (96 x2) It’s your ordinary DP attack, nothing crazy to see here. His A DP is typical range for a DP, whereas his C DP reaches as high as the ceiling of the stage at the cost of less damage. Good anti-air as per usual, but what makes Robert’s DP slightly better than Ryo’s DP is that it pushes Robert forward more, giving your a better chance of both hitting someone in the air, and using it as a horizontal punish attack. It can often throw people off how much range Robert actually has in front of him whenever he uses DP. It's rare that you'll need to use the C version of Robert's DP, so most cases you'll want to use the A version. The C version is only if Robert absolutely needs to try and hit that high up. Despite looking like he can, Robert is usually unable to combo into his DP, for whatever reason. Either it's a few frames too slow, or it doesn't hit low enough for Robert to juggle with it. Thus, his special 4B flipkick is the preferred way to end combos. The C version will hit twice if blocked, but only once on hit. This results in more chip damage, but that's it.

Genei Kayku 646B

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Counterhit Property 384 + 800 (96 xN) / 160 + 800(40 xN) Mid 6 - - - KD -88 KD Ground Spirit Cost: 1440 (~35%) Able to anti-air Robert performs a fast flurry of kicks in front of him. Robert does this attack for a long amount of time, giving you ample leg room to catch the opponent if used right, but on the flipside that gives the opponent more time to punish you as well, albeit the punish window during its recovery isn't big. The recovery for this move is relatively low, and is simple to combo into. The fact it hits lower also makes it easier to juggle into. You may opt to use this attack over Robert's flip kick since, despite the higher meter cost, it gives Robert very slightly more damage and more importantly, more room to recharge his spirit meter which he relies on - more notably, because unlike his flip kick he does not have to land to recover first before being able to act again. Compared to Ryo’s 646A, the range isn’t nearly as long, especially since it does not vacuum the opponent into the attack. Unlike Ryo's however, this will catch anyone since it hits lower, even Kasumi's sweep. There is a small window to sweep punish Robert, but isn't worth the risk considering how tiny the window is - Robert will quickly cover up the blind spot during the attack's animation. It's easier to just try and punish him from above, though you still run the risk of being hit at the top of the attack. One other thing to note, Genei Kyaku comes out 2 frames slower than Ryo's Zan Retsu Ken. The attack is still incredibly fast, but being unable to punish even the fastest attacks shows a bit of a disadvantage for Robert. If Robert lands Genei Kyaku, he becomes fully immune, leading to scenarios like trading with Kasane Ate as Kasumi rendered null. Due to the meter cost and potential to be punished, it isn't a good idea to use this move often. However, it can end combos, serve as a great wakeup option, potential punish attack for Robert, it's a great defensive tool for him just like it is Ryo. Just bear in mind it's not as easy to force onto the opponent for offense like Ryo's Zan Retsu Ken is because of 2 frames more startup and less horizontal coverage.

Hien Ryūjin Kyaku j.214B

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Counterhit Property 832 (208) / 608 (176) High 23 - - - KD -27 KD Aerial Spirit Cost: 1056 (~26%) Robert pauses mid-air then does a fast downwards diagonal kick attack. Not as useful as Hien Shippuu Kyaku, particularly due to its block advantage. However, it still knocks down on hit, essentially acting as an aerial version of 16B that only hits once. Good mixup tool, but use it sparingly as a whiff or block leads to an easy punish. It might be easier to react to as well, depending on the player you face and if they can react accordingly. It's better as a punish move if the opponent's already committed to something, and you want to safely punish it from the air without using a jump-in. For whatever reason, this cannot cross-up because if it does, the game automatically turns the opponent around to block in the correct direction.

Haoh Shoukou Ken 641236C

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Counterhit Property 1280 (320) Mid 63 - - - KD -23 KD Ground. Projectile Spirit Cost: 1600 (~39%) Able to anti-air Can only be done while in green meter Robert charges up and releases a giant fireball towards his opponent. While it’s a super powerful and fast projectile, the startup takes way too long to activate, and by the time the opponent realizes it, they can block it, jump over it, or if they're daring, punch it out. It is possible to punch out, but timing it is very strict and only consistent with moves that have long active frames, such as Jin's 4A. Only really likely to land if the opponent is knee deep committed into an attack (albeit rare), they aren't paying attention, or as a trade. Can be used to chip kill, given its big 320 chip damage. And from far away, where you should use the move anyways, it's generally not possible to punish on block. Basically, not really worth using, but it's satisfying regardless. While unlikely to land, it can turn a match around if it does and being really difficult to avoid, despite being stoppable by jumps and strikes, helps force damage onto the opponent, or potentially scare them from approaching. It's one moment for Robert to stand his ground and zone the opponent out, however temporary the advantage is. Only Jin can consistently avoid these fireballs altogether.

Ryuko Ranbu 641236~(slight delay) 5B

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Counterhit Property 2302 Unblockable 32 - - - KD X KD Ground, Ranbu-Type Spirit Cost: 3072 (75%) Robert dashes forward to unleash a long series of fiercesome attacks. You have to reset the stick to neutral after the 641236 input, or else the game reads it as 16B. That is why there's a slight delay for the super input. Standard rush-in, moving forward super attack that you’re probably familiar with in King of Fighters. It has a pinch of startup on it, but if you have a solid read, it carries the opponent fairly far, and hurts. However, this super is unblockable as are all ranbu type supers, so that alone gives Robert a very solid comeback to fall back on. Can be used to setup unblockable setups off of okizeme, but can be stopped by wakeup low kicks, if timed right. The hitbox will also go away if it collides with a projectile. Nothing special to say about it, but unblockable ranbu, so you'd be foolish not to use it whenever possible.

Miscellaneous

Raz 4C	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Counterhit Property 0 High/Mid 0 14 39 53 KD X X Ground Robert's 4C parry.

Taunt 5D	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Counterhit Property X X - - - - X X X Ground Robert's universal taunt. A complete taunt takes away 2265/2266 points of spirit meter.

Throw 6C	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Counterhit Property 960 High - - - - X X X Ground Robert's normal throw. Side-switches on hit

Pursuit 3A/B when opponent is on the ground Kick 'em when they're up, kick 'em when they're down Kick 'em when they're up, kick 'em when they're down

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Counterhit Property 256 OTG - - - - Varies X X Ground Universal OTG Pursuit Frame Advantage Jin: +15 Karman: +15 Kasumi: +15 Lenny: +15 Robert: +16 Rody: +15 Ryo: +15 Sinclair: +16 Wang: +15 Wyler: +16 Robert quickly kicks the opponent while they're defenseless on the ground. Standard pursuit attack, comes out fairly quickly. Any other attacks that Robert can use to Pursuit aren't really worth it since they're much slower in comparison, on top of Robert rarely ever being too far away to reliably pursuit that he has to resort to longer ranged choices.

Strategy

Moves to USE	Moves to AVOID
5A, 5B, 6AACB, low attacks 28A, jump attacks, launchers All special moves and super	3A (only does one thing right which is easier said than done) 3BBB, 4BBB Some rush combo enders

General Strategy

Robert's key takeaways are his well-rounded, but primarily defense-focused move list, his simple but effective combos, forgiving execution, solid pokes and specials, and issues with meter management and predictable game strategy.

Robert's simple to grasp: throw out pokes as often as possible to keep players at bay as far away as possible, throw out the occasional overhead to catch them off guard, utilize his hops for poking and combos, and most importantly get a launch ASAP no matter what the situation is. Robert's design is perfect for learning the pace of Art of Fighting 3 with as a result. 5A, 5B, 2B, 5AB, 4A, 28A, and DP are his main neutral tools. The second Robert gets a launch, he can follow it up with an easy to execute combo that, chances are, also works on all characters, too. Robert pretty much explains himself in most of his moves: 5A for an instant interrupt attack, 5B for a long ranged, hard to react to poke, 2B for a low poke to mix up the opponent, and 28A for his most effective overhead on wakeup or if the opponent gets comfortable crouching otherwise. 4A is for when they get too close or as a block punish launcher, whereas 5AB is for Robert to use when he creates whiff scenarios to punish with his alternative launcher, and DP if he needs to time his anti-air or otherwise score a knockdown since his DP is also difficult to react to. Everything else Robert has can be utilized for specific purposes. When it comes down to it, Robert's basically a looping cycle: poke, bait the opponent, create a whiff, punish with a launcher, perform a BnB combo, initiate his okizeme, rinse and repeat. Sprinkle special moves into the mix, and Robert has a gameplan he can use against the entire cast, even when taken out of his comfort zone.

Robert's main flaw is that he's straightforward. Other than his DP pushing him forward to give it deceptively better range, Robert doesn't hide anything - you get what you see. This design is part of what makes him so forgiving to learn, but it makes his mixups and okizeme average at best, areas that other characters do consistently better in one way or another. And while Robert can poke with ease in neutral, both in the air and with footsies, his offense capabilities could be better. It's not because Robert's moves are bad attacks, but because they all have a set purpose, but also a setback. His fastest overhead, 3A, has pitiful range, his main low, 2B, is minus on hit which although unlikely, can get Robert punished up close, and his need to spend meter at pretty much any point because of how good his specials are. Robert players will need to play creatively and be more observative about the opponent's habits to capitalize on windows to play aggressive. General rule of thumb is to pretty much avoid 3BBB and 4BBB as both strings are too gimmicky for their own good, and trying to mixup with them can end up leaving Robert in worse condition, and when possible, always keep his meter charged up and fresh.

Robert's matchups are pretty average, nothing awful but nothing extraordinary either, minus Sinclair and a big issue in dealing with Kasumi. Characters that lack in good range will automatically give Robert an advantage in footsies due to Robert's larger and faster normals, including his lows. Robert also doesn't struggle much against characters that run away due to his varied special moves and having just enough moves he can use to approach with. The characters that will consistently give Robert trouble are most notably Wang and Kasumi. Wang is immune to Robert's primary combo launcher and can easily duck several other moves, while Kasumi is much better at playing aggressively and also has the unique advantage of being able to completely deplete Robert's spirit meter with her taunts. But even with these issues, Robert can still fall back in some way and with good matchup knowledge, Robert players can still make him work under pressure as a character who sits smack dab in the middle of everyone else.

Matchups

VS Jin

Both characters are defense oriented, although they can both also be played more aggressive if the window is open for them to do so. Jin has more reliable ways of confirming into juggles and overall stronger mixups, particularly stronger low game and higher damage output than Robert has. Jin can output around 75% damage combos or higher if going for optimal damage output, though he lacks a lot of use for his special moves. He can use his reflector to anti-air, but Robert has long ranged jump attacks and j.214B to delay his punish if he needs help avoiding 236A's hitbox. The only other use Jin has for meter is super and 214A. He also has counter, though it's mostly only a help since Robert's low game is ordinary at best, meaning he'll usually use mids and some overheads. Jin's super will beat out ranbu once it's active, on top of beating it on startup thanks to its invulnerability on startup. Jin can also duck under Robert's 4A despite his huge stature, so he can punish it on whiff and crouch. Jin arguably has it easier in this matchup since he can play neutral as well as Robert can, just with better confirms, a heavier weight and his move list not being dry-cut "use X in Y scenario" as Robert, though Robert can still win if he can make Jin grow a little impatient. Robert may face some issues creating whiff scenarios, though, due to being incapable of cancelling his backdash at any point.

VS Karman

Average matchup, and pretty to the point. Both characters have mediocre lows at best, though Robert has the advantage of much faster startup on his 2B with better reach, too. Karman's ranbu also loses out to Robert's which packs significantly more range, and better air buttons. Robert is, however, unlikely to land his 4A launcher due to its stubby range which Karman can freely punish on whiff, which forces Robert to fish for launch combos more than he would in other matchups considering Karman is a turtle. But because Karman's a turtle, that also leaves Robert fewer chances to use his 5AB launcher on whiff punish scenarios. Both characters also possess good range on their normals and are both competent at footsies poking, both characters even being able to use a round start attack for an instant advantage: Robert's 5B and Karman's 5C. Robert's 5B is faster than Karman's 5C, though. Robert also has fireballs, which will give Karman trouble due to his larger size and lack of any meaningful ways of countering them, though Robert is also unlikely to throw many fireballs, either.

VS Kasumi

Robert has round start advantage by default, as Kasumi is forced to play defensively. Robert can throw out 5B which will always beat out Kasumi's 5AB to land a free poke or knockdown on counterhit, unless he inputs it too late. Kasumi can counter this with her 4C parry, but if Robert reads this then Kasumi will be punished pretty badly, whether it be a low or Robert's BnB which will take away hald her health. It's unlikely Kasumi will land her 4A parry, either, nor will Kasane Ate be fast enough to come out to beat 5B. Robert can also backdash cancel and force a whiff from Kasumi for another strong punish. Kasumi may opt for 2B instead, but unless Robert delays his 2B timing on accident, the hitbox will catch Kasumi before she's able to low crush it. So unless Kasumi takes a risk or tries to force a trade, she has to wait for Robert to do something. Outside of round start, Kasumi wins the matchup. And even on round start, if the Kasumi player feels they can get away with it, they can backdash and cancel into taunt, to deplete some of Robert's meter. Kasumi's taunt is the biggest reason why Robert suffers in this matchup, since Kasumi has a special taunt that depletes more of his and Ryo's meter, and if she does the full taunt, Robert's spirit is fully depleted. And on any knockdown, Kasumi is free to taunt Robert all she wants, which takes away the special moves he can hardly work without. Robert won't have to worry too much about dealing with Kasumi, since his most common BnB still works against her, and only needs two reps to take a round, plus he has his ranbu super. Plus, he has many fast moves and a few overheads to contest with Kasumi's mixup game. But having so few lows makes challenging Kasumi difficult, especially when Kasumi can pop out a 2B to throw off Robert's momentum. Unless Kasumi messes up right in front of Robert, it's unlikely he'll land his 4A launcher either, so he must rely on his 5AB launcher for whiff scenarios. Kasumi can easily shut out Robert's air game with Kasane Ate, making starting combos off of jumps unreliable, or using Hien Ryūjin Kyaku too risky to be worth the reward. That said, Robert is a defensive character, and with Kasumi having no zoning options, she is forced to approach Robert, which always puts Kasumi within poking range and allow Robert to create whiffs or force Kasumi to approach him. The Robert player has to play extra patiently, and likely have to plan around less meter than he actually currently has, but he's not at a major disadvantage. Robert doesn't suffer in the matchup too bad until you realize one massive issue - Kasumi's special taunt that she uses only against Robert and Ryo makes her completely immune to Robert's ranbu super. What this effectively means is that whenever Robert pops super, all Kasumi has to do is taunt. Robert is unable to hit her at any point, and once the active frames go away, Kasumi can cancel taunt and freely punish Robert however she pleases. This won't work on wakeup because Kasumi's hurtbox will still be wide enough to connect with Robert's ranbu super, but when she faces away, it is rendered void. In other words, Robert's super can be defeated by a mere taunt and in neutral, should never be used if Kasumi is taunting or else Robert sets himself up to eat a fat punish for it.

VS Lenny

Both characters are going to be meter hungry but this matchup will have Robert play aggressive in general. He has good range on his key buttons so trading and/or getting in on Lenny won't be as difficult, and he can answer Lenny's 4B with 5AB if he's not too far away. Even if he is, he can forward dash cancel into 5AB for the same effect. Lenny also lacks the fireballs that Robert does on top of them costing more, so if Lenny wants to play the zoning game, so can Robert, especially if he has the life lead. Robert will need to keep in mind that at any point Lenny can attack with 2A to sneak a low in on him, but this too he can punish if he is close enough on block (or he hops over it). neither characters doesn't want to be caught making a mistake rushing in as they're both capable of killing each other very quickly, however in Lenny's case she can kill Robert in only one combo with the right setup or otherwise deal very high damage, and in desperation she can do it from midscreen. She is more likely to save her meter for that, plus her ranbu super is a few frames faster on startup. Lenny is likely to avoid her more punishable attacks and use her faster recovering ones so Robert may not find it the best idea to use j.214B when if blocked, he will die. But on the flip side, Lenny also lacks a good wakeup game, and against Robert, if he reads her trying to use 4B, he can punish that with 5AB and do another juggle on her. On top of that, Robert has far better anti-airs than Lenny does so Lenny has little reason to jump in on him with her bad jump buttons. Both characters are capable in this matchup, they just need to tweak their game strategies a smidge.

VS Rody

The most likely thing to happen with this matchup is both characters playing neutral with each other to see who can get their two juggles in first. Robert can do slightly more damaging combos than Rody can, though they tend to have harder links and the reward isn't a massive difference. Robert has a ranbu super, but as long as Rody taunts when possible, Robert will not have much chance to use either that or his specials which he relies on. Rody doesn't need meter much in this matchup either beyond super, his fireball can help him but Robert can punish that with tools like 5AB and j.214B so it isn't always the best idea to try and zone with Rody, even if Robert is a primarily defensive character. Robert can usually outpoke Rody with his longer reaching normals, too, but on the flip side, Rody can somewhat better punish Robert on block. Overall not a hugely drastic matchup, one character needs more meter than the other but they both have the same end goal and achieve it relatively the same - land two juggle combos to call it a round.

VS Ryo

Ryo has the better advantage, mostly because he doesn't need meter to work at all, aside from a couple moves which may not even need to be used. He does, however, lose in regards to frame data. 2B alone leaves Ryo -14 on hit as opposed to Robert's 2B which is -6 on hit. It's still not good advantage for either character, but Ryo leaves a lot to be desired for pressure and can easily lose his turn. The same goes for Robert, but he mostly only has to worry about jab, launchers, and Zan Retsu Ken, the former leaving Ryo plus and the latter coming out at frame 4. Robert's Genei Kyaku can also punish very quickly but lacks the vacuum effect and comes out 2 frames slower. Both characters have the same special moves with Robert utilizing them better, more notably j.214B being a good air punish and DP having a wider hitbox. Both characters also have ranbu supers, but the winning ranbu is just whoever player 1 is if they end up trading. Both characters are shotos, Ryo is more aggressive and Robert is more defensive. Ryo wants to pressure against Robert whereas Robert wants to look for openings to confirm juggles. Ryo's mixups are better in that he's not as linear as Robert is, plus having his wall jumps and a metered pursuit allows him to confirm damage faster on top of having a very annoying air game, though Robert can use j.C to beat out wall jumps. Ryo can confirm damage a little easier and it's generally higher than Robert's damage output but beyond that they're both pretty similar characters with similar tools that specialize in particular areas. Ryo not needing to rely on meter is a boon against Robert, however.

VS Sinclair

As is usual for Sinclair, she loses the matchup, particularly in the way she spends meter as Robert has better special moves. Robert can more consistently keep Sinclair out of the air and has better whiff punishers, and although 2 frames slower than Zan Retsu Ken, his Genei Kyaku is still a big threat for Sinclair to deal with. She can more consistently punish it with 28A but it's still fairly risky and probably not worth it. Whether Robert or Sinclair wins depends on who is more patient than the other player, Robert can knock Sinclair out in two juggle combos which are easy to setup, but if Robert makes one mistake then Sinclair can kill him with her TOD combo. The key moves for Sinclair to look out for are 5C, 2B, j.214B, and 28B as those moves are minus enough for her to punish with 4A. Worst case scenario, she can also use 214A to get a quick block and/or whiff punish. Both characters are gonna be meter hungry, although Robert has the advantage of playing more defensively so if he gets the life lead then he forces Sinclair to approach him. In this case, while his keep out isn't amazing and he can't backdash cancel, he still has easy to use launchers and whiff punishes aren't difficult to set up, either. Not a horrible matchup for Sinclair but she can still play footsies with him and attempt to do a death combo, albeit poorly.

VS Wang

4A is borderline useless against Wang since it whiffs against him standing, leaving Robert no choice but to use 5AB to launch Wang when given the chance. Wang in general can duck a lot of Robert's attacks, which forces Robert to go for lows and the occasional overhead to keep Wang out and also prevent him from blocking low all match. That said, Wang's stubby range also gives Robert an easier time capitalizing on whiff punishes. For any other character, a backdash cancel would make short work of Wang, however Robert can't backdash cancel. This puts Robert in an awkward position footsies wise where he has to work for whiff scenarios despite having the tools capable of punishing whiffs reliably because of his awkward mobility, instead having to throw out block punishes. All things considered, Robert is more than capable of block punishing Wang due to Wang's horrible frame advantages, and especially Robert's special moves. The most Wang can use is his DP against Robert on wakeup. Any other special attack Robert can easily punish with a standing 5B or otherwise on reaction either blocking in the right direction or by throwing out a fast special move. Not even 22A can help Wang when Robert can force a trade with a fireball and win the exchange. If Robert also chooses to run away, then Wang has no real chance to throw out his ranbu super, another area Robert beats him in. If Wang throws out ranbu, Robert can easily counter it with j.214B, DP, fireball, wakeup low kick, and 646B. For Wang to come out in this matchup he needs to confirm BnBs and rack up the damage quickly, and force knockdowns on Robert, making sure to keep his meter down. Wang can rely on 4A as with any matchup, but the -7 on block can prove very costly since 5A, 5B, and 646B can punish Wang in that case. Wang will need to capitalize on Robert's mediocre variety of lows to keep him on his toes, which unfortunately still don't leave him much frame advantage even on block beyond 2B, and otherwise keep the gap between both players as small as possible. Wang would be better off forcing Robert to approach him instead if he gets the life lead, but if Wang has to approach instead, he might benefit from jump normal counter hit attempts, even if he can't combo off of it. At least in that case, he gets a knockdown and can play okizeme against Robert. Possibly one of Wang's worst matchups, but certainly not impossible if Wang plays his cards right and shuts Robert's pressure out.

Combos

Note: Combos marked with a ★ symbol are the optimal combos available to the character. Characters are also denoted by the first three letters of their names to indicate that the combo works on them. If it works on all characters, it will, obviously, be marked as "All."

Character Combo Abbreviations

• JIN: Jin
• KAR: Karman
• KAS: Kasumi
• LEN: Lenny
• ROB: Robert
• ROD: Rody
• RYO: Ryo
• SIN: Sinclair
• WAN: Wang
• WYL: Wyler

Rush Combos

Rush Combos
Combo	Difficulty	Damage	Works On	Notes
6AB	Easy			Can't really think of any reason to use this, but the 6B has really good range for an effective whiff punish poke.
6AAB	Easy			Basic rush combo that has really high corner carry if you'd prefer to trap the opponent into the corner rather than go for damage or one of Robert's optimized juggles. This gives Robert slightly more options as opposed to other characters, since it's hard to not resort to using this string for anyone else and get free combo damage. Although it packs a high reward, it is easily punishable on block so be careful if you use it outside of a juggle.
6AACC	Easy			Like Ryo's 6AA 6CC, but slightly more useful as it's a pinch easier to combo into and has better corner carry, but it could just be me.
6AACB	Easy			Robert copies Ryo's 6AA 6C 6B, doing 3 punches into a kick, but unfortunately it does not pack the TOD potential like Ryo's does, simply because the recovery is far too long. But still, as long as you're not in the corner, it's free damage.
6BB	Easy			Basic double kick combo, but the good reach makes it effective, doubly so as an anti-air combo.
6B, 2A	Easy		All

Juggle Combos

Juggle Combos
Combo	Difficulty	Damage	Works On	Notes
★Launcher > 6AAC > 4B	Easy	2280	All	Robert's defining combo. You'll use this combo in every match as it's the easiest one to pull off on top of being rewarding and easy to confirm into. One glaring issue - he isn't given any time to recharge spirit meter from the combo or land a pursuit. Since Robert relies heavily on his spirit meter, you may wish to choose the next combo instead just to give yourself some time to recharge his spirit meter. He has to land from his flip kick.
★(j.C) > 4A > microwalk 6AA > 646B	Easy	2472-2856	All	Robert burns a lot more meter to squeeze a rice grain's amount of extra damage out of the opponent. Despite this, this is the combo you should opt for here and there anyways, since unlike the above combo, you have far more room to utilize okizeme and more importantly, this gives Robert time to recharge his spirit meter.
(j.C) > 4A > microwalk 6AAC > 646B	Easy	2696-3080	LEN, ROD, WYL, KAS	The same combo as above, but Robert throws in 6AA[C] as well. You'll need to be a bit deliberate with the button presses as 6AA[C] can easily whiff, and do the rush combo too late and 646B will whiff as well, however it's the most damage while also giving him the better reward of more recharge time and okizeme. Do NOT use this combo against heavy weight characters.
j.C > 4A > dash 5AA > 6AACB	Easy
★j.C > 4A > dash 5AAA > 6AAC > 4B	Very Hard			A variation of Robert's main BnB, with the exception that he adds jabs into the combo. It can be very difficult to time properly, particularly depending on the matchup, but adding just one jab isn't that much more difficult. Being aware how many jabs Robert can add to the combo in the current situation is essential, but the extra damage makes up for it so that Robert doesn't have to get as many pokes or play neutral for as long.