JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R/Risotto Nero/Strategy
Neutral
In neutral, Risotto has access to good range pokes that can lead to full combos. His 2M moves Risotto along the ground and can lead into 5H from a good distance, allowing him to get a full combo off of that stray hit. His 3H is also a good poke, as it can be cancelled into 214L or 214H to confirm from the hit at its maximum range. Risotto's 5H moves him forward, and while the first hit can miss, the second hit is the one that allows him to get full combos, meaning he can use it as a poke, though not from as far as the other moves. Risotto can also use 236X to zone out the opponent in neutral, keeping them at bay if they try to approach him.
Assassin may be one of Risotto's best tools in matchups against zoners (except Narancia). It allows him to bypass most projectiles, meaning he can get close to the opponent without worrying about the projectiles they throw out. This also means he can start his offense much easier against them, as their tool to keep him out is no longer effective. He still does not bypass physical hits or supers, meaning he can not be too reckless with his approach.
Offense
When on offense, Risotto has different options depending on how he wants to attempt to open up the opponent. He has access to different frame traps and mixups, some of which can be made safe. While the opponent is blocking, Risotto can use Assassin to either frame trap the opponent with another button, tick throw, or crossup with the correct spacing. In addition to these options, Risotto can also back off and cancel into236X to create a safe distance while still setting up an attack. He can also frame trap or high/low the opponent with 214X, as the L and M version are low and overhead respectively, and the H version is a mid that frame traps. The opponent can still jump out of the M version and all the versions can be Stylish Guarded, so the options must be used sparingly as to not become obvious.
Once the opponent has been affected by the Iron Deficiency debuff, Risotto can have an easier time using his 22X, an unblockable attack that takes a set amount of time to activate. It must still be used carefully, as the opponent can still walk, attack, and use specials, but if the situation is in Risotto's favor, it can be a useful tool to do a good chunk of damage all at once.
Using HHA and GHA in a combo can be very simple for Risotto. Both options can be confirmed from 3H, and HHA can be confirmed from 214X. This gives him easy access to cashing out meter to add a chunk of damage to the end of his combos. Both options leave Risotto at long range, which means he will either have to approach while the opponent is down or begin to zone them out with his 236X. This is done more easily after GHA, as it applies the Iron Deficiency debuff to the opponent, limiting their movement.
Defense
While Risotto does have a counter in 421X, he is still reliant on universal mechanics to play defensively. The counter is not active frame 1, meaning it will be often be beaten if he attempts to do it as a reversal. There are time and gaps in pressure where it can be effectively used, which should be looked for as the counter applies the Iron Deficiency debuff, giving him a large advantage. Other than this, though, he does not have many good reversal options. His HHA and GHA are both projectiles that he throws straight forward, and while they are invincible, the activation makes them less useful as reversals and are much riskier. With these factors taken into account, Risotto's best option in most situations where is being pressured is to simply block or Stylish Guard his way out rather than trying to use one of his specials. On the more positive side, if Risotto is able to create space, he can use 22S to heal himself if he needs to. This can be useful if Risotto is running out of time in the round and needs to secure the health lead, whether he is on offense or defense. He will still need to play defensively, though, as the health healed is silver health, meaning it takes time to come back and will all disappear if he is hit before it finishes.
Assist Usage
Risotto has the best synergy with the following assists:
Guido Mista
Mista's extra projectiles give Risotto another option to keep the opponent out.
Keicho Nijimura
Keicho's landmine, if not sidestepped or jumped over, can scare the opponent out of approaching or punish them if they get too greedy on offense.
