Melty Blood/MBTL/Dead Apostle Noel/Strategy

Overview

Combos

Matchups

Strategy

Resources

Data

Match Database

#MBTL_DN

Patch Version: 1.35

Basic Gameplan

Hit-confirm something into bell setplay and loop until the opponent dies.

Neutral

Overview

While Dead Apostle Noel has powerful tools for neutral at almost any range, many of them require a high degree of commitment to use, leaving her wide open to punish if you make a mistake. This is especially true at mid range, where normals like 2B and 2C shine.

Tools at a Glance

	Close Range	Mid Range	Far Range	Special
Ground to Ground	-	2B, 2C, 5C, 236A, 236B	236A, 236B, 214X	5A(w), 2A(w) 2A+B, 236[A], 236[B]
Anti-air	5B, 22A, 2B+C	2B, 3C	-	j.A, 214A
Air to Air	j.A, j.4B+C	j.B	j.236X	j.236[X], j.214[X], j.4B+C
Air to Ground	j.C, j.4B+C	j.B	-	j.236A, j.214X, j.214[X]
Zoning	-	236A, j.236A, 214A	236X, j.236X, 214B	6C, 6B+C, 236[X], j.236[X], j.214X, j.214[X]

Grounded Options

2B and 2C will be your most common normal pokes. Avoid whiffing, as you will likely be killed for it.

5C hits higher and technically has more range than 2C does. That said, it's also somehow even worse on whiff than 2C is, and using it as a starter means no access to 5[C] for combo filler.

236A may be hit-confirmed into a full combo from around round start distance or closer with its ~X followup. At the maximum possible range, this confirm is very difficult. An alternate confirm using moon drive to cancel ~X makes it possible to hit-confirm 236A from slightly longer ranges where the command dash would whiff. A partial charge may be used to vary your timing and throw off opponents who attempt to tap shield. Will likely convince the opponent to jump if you are far enough away for them to react. Whiffs at full screen. (See also: 236X~X)

236B Similar to 236A, but can be crouched under. In exchange, it can't reasonably be jumped out of at some ranges and doesn't whiff at full screen. (See also: 236X~X)

236X~X While this is incredibly unsafe on its own, you can cancel into 623C for an easy guard break if the opponent air blocks it. If you press the followup on the opponent's grounded block by mistake (or just want to get in), you can cancel it with 22C for frame advantage and begin pressure.

236[X] Fireball sets are slow, but provide cover for you to approach and start pressure if the opponent will give you the chance. As with other ground fireballs, you can go for a guard break if the opponent blocks either of these in the air.

214A strikes a large chunk of the screen at closer ranges and leaves pins for the opponent to worry about. It's especially good for checking opponents who try to IAD at you, but is 0 at worst and therefore also fine vs standard dashblocking. Even at ranges where this is even on block (when the first set of pins connects), DA Noel generally maintains an effective advantage due to the nature of her normals. If the second set of pins is blocked, you are at a large advantage and can start pressure.

214B Similar to 214A, but farther away. Unlike 214A, you are at a small frame disadvantage if the first set of pins to fall is blocked alone. If the second set is blocked, 22A(☆) or 2B+C(☆) can be frame trapped into to catch movement, or done without a gap for extra frame advantage.

6B+C Very fast fireball which is also slightly advantaged on block.

6C has a small niche in that it gets a hitbox to certain parts of the screen faster than anything else which doesn't cost a resource. That said, it's a high-risk, low-reward option which is rarely used.

5A(w) and 2A(w) may both be used to bait the opponent into acting. 5A is the faster by a single frame, making it the safer option to use, but 2A may be more convincing to the opponent since it's a more commonly used normal in other situations. Remember that you can still cancel into other options like fireballs on whiff.

2A+B may be used similarly to 5A and 2A whiffs to bait action from the other player. It's quite a bit slower than either, but you get resources out of it.

Air Options

j.A Other than its use as a rising air to air for anti-air situations, use in neutral is limited.

j.B Good horizontal range and best air-to-air fatal counters starter. Also a decent jump-in thanks to the hitbox behind her.

j.C One of two ways DA Noel has to hit an opponent below her quickly.

j.4B+C The other way DA Noel has to hit an opponent below her quickly, with bigger range than j.C and a bit of momentum manipulation. Jump cancel to convert.

j.236X Air fireballs; space control tools. Landing recovery can make them deadly to whiff, so they're risky to throw out without access to moon drive.

j.236X~X Situational movement and hit confirm tool with moon drive. If the opponent blocks in the air j.236X~X > md > (air normals) > 5A guard break may be possible. Using this for movement without access to a moon drive cancel gives the opponent time to stop whatever they were doing, run across the screen to you, and still punish with a full combo.

j.236X~4X Can beat certain attempts to approach after or punish j.236X. Risky without moon drive backup.

j.236[X] Similar to grounded fireball sets, these can cut off certain sections of the screen if the opponent will give you time to set them up. Has significant landing recovery similar to j.236X.

j.236[X]~X Similar to j.236X~X, but this version can be jump cancelled on whiff.

j.214X Similar to j.236X, but with downwards angles. Like j.4B+C, these cause a brief air stall which can throw off the opponent. Unlike j.4B+C, a partial charge can be used to further manipulate the duration of your air stall.

j.214[X] Strong space control tool. Notably allows air actions even on whiff.

j.6B+C Fast air fireball with a lot of backwards movement attached.

Anti-air Options

5B is a very powerful anti-air normal.

22A is also quite strong. It remains air unblockable, covers farther into the air, and even catches cross-ups, but requires extra resources to convert.

2B+C trades 2A's air unblockability for the ability to convert into large damage with less cost. This is one of DA Noel's few meter-positive starters into bell setplay which does not require spending moon drive.

22B has the air unblockablity of 22A and the damage potential of 2B+C, but it is slow enough to be difficult to use against all but the most telegraphed jump-ins.

3C can catch opponents at slightly longer range than 5B, but it does not hit as high and it is likely to clash with any jump-in attack. If a clash occurs, you can most likely jump cancel into air throw and win vs. whatever the opponent does, but the reward for this is low by comparison to other anti-airs even on trade. For a simple way to practice this 3C clash situation in training mode, try recording Arc's j9.C > j.A double overhead with the dummy.

2B can be used to catch opponents who try to bait one of your other anti-airs by landing outside of 3C range.

214A cuts off a large section of the screen and is fairly good at checking airdashes.

j.A is not strictly an anti-air, but checking the opponent with rising j.A is a good option in some anti-air situations. Aside from the obvious reward on fatal counter, it is also possible (given very specific positioning) to jail the opponent with an air to air block string from this normal, land first, and obtain a guard break with 5A.

Defense

DA Noel's reversals 623B and 623C are subpar for wakeup due to their slow speed – be ready to block or use system mechanics to escape after you are knocked down. That said, their long range allows her to use them to challenge gaps in pressure at ranges farther than most other characters can manage.

Pressure and Blockstrings

Melty Pressure Basics

If you are familiar with the basics of pressure in Melty Blood as a series, you can skip this section.

Many other fighting games make mixups the central focus of offense, whether that's strike/throw shimmies in SFV, jailing the opponent into a mixup with a blockstring in Guilty Gear, or any number of other examples. This is not the case in Melty Blood. Instead, Melty pressure is primarily centered around manual frame traps created by staggering (delaying) attacks to leave small gaps between them - enough space for the opponent to act, but not enough for them to act meaningfully. Cancels into A normal whiffs (as enabled by Reverse Beat) create ambiguity for the defender; the attacker retains the ability to cancel into a further normal or special, or allow the A whiff to complete fully and close the distance to extend (reset) pressure. In pressure, mixups are secondary to ambiguous staggers and resets.

While pressuring the defender, the attacker essentially has four major options:

1. Stagger or perform a natural frame trap.
2. Chain or cancel into something without a gap.
3. Perform a pressure reset.
4. Stop pressure and return to neutral. (After something safe.)

The defender has two:

1. Block and wait for the attacker to be pushed out of range.
2. Attempt to escape, either by mashing something or by jumping away.

Staggers and frame traps generally beat escape attempts by finding a hit. The exception to this is if the defender chooses to mash an invincible move (including shield). In that case the "stop pressure" option wins - the attacker can punish the defender's reversal attempt.

Pressure resets (e.g. dashing back in and pushing another button) beat blocking by extending pressure.

Chaining or cancelling without a gap may be used to make hit-confirming easier. It also pushes the attacker out less, sometimes allowing different options later in pressure, and is sometimes useful for creating real frame advantage.

Common Blockstring Components (Table)

Note: This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of options.

From __	Common Followups
5A	5A, dl.5A, 2A, dl.2A, 2C, dl.Throw
5A(w)	2C, 236A, 236B, 66 > Throw
2A	2A, dl.2A, 2B, dl.2B, 2C, dl.Throw
2B	2C, dl.2C, dl.5C, 5A(w), 236A, 214A
5C	5A(w), 236A, 236{A}, 236{B}, 214A
5[C]	5A, 5A(w), 236A, 236{A}, 236{B}, 214A, dl.Throw
2C	5C, 5[C], 5A(w), 236A, 236{A}, 236{B}, 214A

Comments:

• 5A(w) > 2C can be reasonable in pressure even when the 5A whiff is not cancelled (e.g. 2C > 5A(w) > 2C).
• 236B/{B} is a specific callout to opponents who attempt to jump 236A/{A}. It leads into 236B~X > 623C or 236B~X > md > 665B guard break when blocked in the air.
  • {X} means partial charge.
• 236{X} serves two main purposes in DA Noel's pressure;

1. To make your offensive rhythms less predictable.
2. To threaten a 236[X] reset.

Common / Example Resets

Note: This is also not intended to be an exhaustive list of options.

5A > 66 > 5A

5A > 66 > 2A

2A > 66 > 5A

2A > 66 > 2A

5A(w) > 66 > 2X

5A(w) > IAD > ... (See bell setplay layer 3)

236[X] > 66 > 2X

236[X] > 66 > IAD > ... (See bell setplay layer 3)

236A~X > 22C > (66 >) 2X (Gapless)

214A > 66 > 2A (Gapless from close pins)

214A > 22C > 66 > 2A (Gapless)

A throw mixup may also be used instead of resetting pressure with a normal following a dash back in. For gapless resets, this requires delaying to wait for the opponent to exit throw protection.

Mixups in Pressure

DA Noel's main mixup tools in pressure, in roughly increasing order of risk, are Throw, 4B+C, and IAD > ....

Example Pressure Sequences

TODO

Okizeme

Bell Setplay

Getting Started

1. Do a BnB ending in 214C. Anything in the current "Advanced BnBs" section will work unless otherwise noted.
2. Dash under the opponent. Try to stop on the middle set of pins. If you stop too early detonation will whiff, too late and you lose access to the crossup option.
3. Press 22B.

Layer 1: Left / Right 50/50

(22B) > 28 > 7

• Done correctly, you will either stay in front or cross up for a small number of frames before landing in front.
• Vary the timing to select a side.
• Input notation given is based on original side.
• Defeats crossup protection.
• Ignores (and allows you to punish) the vast majority of reversals, including normal heat.

React to...

• BE Heat
  • Shield and punish.
• Shield, opponent moon gauge 50% or greater
  • Airdash j.C will counterhit the opponent's D~B+C. Empty shield will escape unharmed if you go for this, but most characters cannot punish you for attempting it.

Layer 2: Grounded Meaty

(22B) > 66 > 2A

• Basic meaty low.
• Allow shield OS vs heat.

(22B) > (66 >) 2C

• Low profiles heat and most other reversals when spaced properly.
• Compared with the 2A option, this is:
  • A better starter on hit.
  • Easier due to additional active frames.
  • Less ambiguous with layer 4 options.

(22B) > (66 >) 5C

• Low shield callout without committing to IAD or spending resources.

(22B) > (66 >) 4B+C

• Overhead option to beat low shield attempts vs this layer.
• Don't over-rely on this option. Opponent can react with 5D~B+C for a guaranteed punish.

Weak to...

1. Shield.
2. Some character-specific options.

Layer 3: IAD

Performing an instant airdash after detonation gives DA Noel access to a high / low / throw mixup.

(22B) > IAD > j.C > 2A

• Overhead.
• Highest reward option from IAD.

(22B) > IAD > j.C > j.A > 2A

• Double overhead low.

(22B) > IAD > j.C > j.A > Throw

• Double overhead tickthrow.

(22B) > IAD > j.[C] > 2A

• j.[C] will be cancelled by landing before its active frames.
• Beats high shield.

(22B) > IAD > j.[C] > Throw

• j.[C] will be cancelled by landing before its active frames.
• Beats shields.

Weak to...

1. Heat.
2. Most other reversals.

Layer 4: Long Dash

By running forward farther than you would for layer 2 options, you can push the opponent out of the range of the detonation.

(22B) > 6[6] > 1

• This allows you to punish shield attempts and other reversals on reaction.
• Also the only bell setplay option which doesn't lose to Saber's Avalon.

(22B) > 6[6] > 2A

• You still have time to meaty 2A into anti-heat OS after dashing the opponent out of bell range if you want to.

Weak to...

1. Patience, due to the opportunity cost of giving up the other layers.

Throw Setplay

Getting Started

1. Land a ground throw.

Fireballs

All of these destroy backdash and set up powerful strike/throw situations.

236[A]

• Hits crouching opponents, which protects meaty throw (which beats wakeup shield or moon drive).
• Evaded by [7] midscreen if you don't meaty a strike.
• Evaded by some reversals.

236[B]

The classic and most used option.

• Whiffs crouching opponents.
  • This is not strictly a negative.
• Catches jump-outs.
• Catches some reversals 236[A] doesn't.

j.236[A]

Tiger knee option.

• Hits crouching and catches jump-outs.
• Leaves no time to meaty the opponent.
• Can be difficult to time vs 5F reversals.
• Will fatal counter certain reversals, like Tohno's 623C
  • In or near the corner, this FC leads to some of DA Noel's highest damage without spending moon drive; above 5.7k with meter dump.

Pins

214A (Delayed / Meaty)

• An A normal whiff may be used to frame kill for timing.
• Provides simple frame advantage (and bells) on block.
• On hit, confirm with 22A or 22C.
• Loses to shield and backdash.

214A (Immediate)

• Baits attempts to shield meaty pins by having them whiff through the opponent instead.
• You can also chase down their backdash (sometimes).

214B

• Backdash callout.