Samurai Shodown/Galford

Galford ガルフォード, Garufōdo

Damage Taken: 100% Rage Factor: 0.26 Rage Duration: 10 seconds Jump: 49 frames (Slow) Forward Walk Speed: 0.3 (Average) Back Walk Speed: 0.23 (Average) Dash Speed: 1.3 (Fast) Back Dash: 40 frames (Cancelable from frame 12) Weapon Pickup / Drop: 40 / 55 frames

Introduction

An american-born ninja and self-declared superhero of justice, Galford fights alongside his dog Poppy to create a signature blend of rushdown and keepout gameplay.

Galfold is a mobile setplay-oriented zoner that excels at forcing opponents to maneuver around his excellent projectiles. His most notable tool is probably his Plasma Blade projectile. This is a very fast mid-height fireball with long recovery that knocks down against both grounded and airborne opponents. Once he gets a knockdown, Galford uses various projectiles involving his dog Poppy to keep the pressure going. The dog projectiles are frame advantageous on block and blocking them forces opponents to deal with Galford's excellent high-low tools and his high-damage Strike Heads command grab. Refusing to forward roll to avoid taking the mix-up forces opponents into the corner where Galford's mix-up game becomes even scarier, due in part to the fact that Replica Dog becomes harder to move away from.

Galford is also a solid midrange character and can hold his own against the cast with a wide variety of normals. His 5B is a great go-to midrange button and his 2B easily cancels into Plasma Blade and his WFT, giving him strong whiff punishment options. His 2C is a great sweep for whiff punishing high-profile moves and his enormous 5C makes opponents think twice about running forward too much or mashing shorter buttons. Last but not least, his 66A is fast and has great range and is great for bullying opponents and forcing them block. All of this is supplemented by Galford's excellent run speed and his unique cancellable backdash. Although it has higher-than-average recovery, this backdash has enormous range and cancelling it into his projectiles can punish opponents who try to chase Galford down recklessly.

Galford is not without flaws in his gameplan. His jump is very floaty and all of his jump normals are quite short. This makes it easy to reaction anti-air him on the ground or stuff him with air-to-airs by more capable airborne characters. His zoning game also puts him at a lot of risk for a variety of reasons. Plasma Blade is one of the highest recovery projectiles in the game and one misspaced blade can make Galford easily deep jump-punishable for massive damage. The dog projectiles are considerably safer, but they suffer a unique weakness in that the Rush and Machine Gun dogs can be interrupted with strikes or low-to-ground projectiles before Poppy reaches the opponent. This temporarily disables all moves involving Poppy (including Galford's SSM!) and forces Galford to zone with the more unsafe Plasma Blade. Galford must use his zoning tools very carefully in order to avoid being pressured and punished for huge damage.

Nevertheless, Galford is a fun, capable and creative character that rewards strong spacing and good offensive reads. Let's go, Poppy!

Playstyle

Galford is a hybrid zoner/rushdown character who uses his dog Poppy to create opportunities for himself.

Strengths

Weaknesses

Strong setplay: Galford can use his dog projectiles to lock the opponent in place and create mixup opportunities. This is complimented by his excellent 50/50 game and a threatening command grab. Great zoning: Plasma Blade is a fast projectile that knocks down on hit which can be mixed in with the lower-recovery dog projectiles to create a tricky zoning game that is dangerous to maneuver around. Good footsies: Galford's 5B and 2C both have great range. His excellent 66A is good for harassing opponents and his 2C low is also great for whiff punishment. Excellent mobility: Galford has an excellent run speed that keeps opponents on their toes and his unique cancellable backdash makes him hard to pin down. Good WFT: Galford's long-ranged projectile WFT works great as a raw punish or an anti-air against escapes. Decent while Disarmed: Retains most of his tools when disarmed.

Bad air game: Galford is extremely floaty and has uniformly poor air normals. This makes air-to-air exchanges and jumping approaches very difficult. It also makes him very easy to cross-under anti-air. Unsafe zoning: Plasma Blade is one of the most unsafe projectiles in the game and Galford can open himself up to huge damage if he spaces his fireballs poorly. Poppy is vulnerable: Poppy can be temporarily removed from action by pokes with disjointed hitboxes and high-profile moves such as most B+Cs. This can make Galford's best zoning and mixup tool as well as his SSM unavailable for extended periods.

Gameplan

Neutral and Defense

Back Dash Canceling

Galford's back dash has two parts. First, he flips back and lands on his hands, then he finishes the flip and lands on his feet. When Galford lands, he can use any of his specials (Poppy specials require her to be behind and close to Galford.) This is a big part of how Galford is able to move around the screen and use his projectiles to give and then take away space in a mostly safe way!

Poppy! - Galford's Best Friend

Specials

Poppy is used as a projectile to lock down opponents. The grounded Poppy specials work in contrast to Plasma Blade,as these specials are slower to start up, but give Galford frame advantage. All Poppy specials are available Armed and Disarmed.

Both Rush Dog (214A) and Machine Gun Dog (214B) have Poppy run along the ground and strike the opponent. Both moves are + on block, Machine Gun Dog more so, and do different actions on hit. On hit, Rush Dog knocks the opponent down or will do a special hit grab animation when in Rage. Machine Gun Dog on hit will grab the opponent, allowing Galford to do just about any follow up that he wants.

These are both important ways for Galford to score knockdowns.

The other two Poppy specials are Replica Dog (214C) and Overhead Crash (214K). Replica Dog teleports Poppy above the opponent and then drops down hitting mid. This is one of the primary tools to set up Galford's okizeme. Overhead Crash causes both Poppy and Galford to jump and then shoot Poppy at an angle downward.

Interactions and Movement

It is important to know how Poppy moves and how she interacts with opponents attacks because those interactions affect whether or not you can use Poppy specials. Poppy needs to be behind and near to Galford and not knocked down to be available for attack.

Moves that hit near the ground will cause Poppy to yelp and and be knocked down. This leaves Galford without Poppy for several seconds.

Poppy's movement mostly mirrors Galford's movement. She will walk slowly forward or backward, matching the direction that Galford moves. Poppy will run after a slight delay, when Galford runs.

Poppy will do a back flip anytime Galford's center passes behind her head. Actions that trigger this movement include walking back (Poppy walks slower than Galford which causes the overlap), dashing back, jumping back, whiffing 5C, hitting 5B or 5C, and Imitate Replica on block and hit.

During the initial run, or during Poppy's backflip, Poppy specials are not available.

Mitigating Poppy Unavailability

There are ways that you can avoid not having Poppy specials in certain situations.

Back dashing, jumping back, landing after imitate replica in the corner will stop Poppy from doing her back flip.

You can also intentionally use attacks or movement that lock Poppy into a back flip animation to set up back dash cancels.

For example, Galford can back dash first, putting Poppy into her back flip animation, run forward, and then back dash again. The second back dash, you will be able to cancel into a Poppy special.

Dealing with Jump-ins

Galford does not have a dragon punch to anti-air or a big obvious anti-air button like some characters in this game. Instead he has to use a handful of different tools to deal with jump-ins.

5K is his most obvious anti-air. Galford does an upwards angled kick, this is useful for anti airing deep jump in attacks.

Opponents may start to do earlier jump in attacks to call out certain anti-airs, which will beat 5K.

Arguably the strongest way to deal with jump in attacks by Galford is to dash away. Galford can re-position himself when his opponent jumps by dashing under them or back dashing.

Canceling back dash with a fire ball can even anti air a jumping opponent.

Air to Air attacks are another option that Galford has for anti-airs, with jump back j.C and j.D being notable examples that hit below and in front.

Imitate Replica Attack

NOTE: Since version 1.11, this move cannot punish multi-hit attacks, make it not useful in most cases.

Even while being hit, you may have a way out! Imitate Replica Attack is a counter-style move that only works while Galford is in knockback state (after he gets hit). This move will punish certain attacks and combos, check out the specifics in Special Moves. So if you over extended yourself, make sure you know which characters you can punish for punishing you!

NOTE: If you are backturned, you can not Imitate Replica. This is especially notable after back throw.

Okizeme & Other Offensive Situations

Galford's okizeme and mixup is based around setting up Replica Dog (214C) either after a knock down or in neutral. Replica dog hits as a mid, catches characters mid-air, and also tracks forward/backward rolls, making it your go-to lock down move in most situations. Be wary, there are many ways to escape this move. Make sure you play with timings when calling Replica Dog, and mix in your other Poppy specials to make sure they respect you on the ground as well! After setting up Replica Dog, Galford has numerous mix up options. These include:

Strike Heads (Command Throw) / Throw

Galford has two throw options: Strike Heads (623S) and the standard throw. Strike Heads has less recovery, more active frames than a standard throw, and gives you the most damage with a knock down from a throw type move. The standard throw lets you combo into different knock downs, 66B/66D/2C, or more damage, back throw 5C or 2B WFT.

Replica Attack (63214A+D/B+D)

Galford can cross up his opponent with Replica attack. This mix-up becomes harder to react to when used in conjunction with replica dog, as replica dog will hit sooner than galford, but will still force the opponent to block cross-up if you change sides. This can be punished by dash throw/attack at a minimum, use with caution.

High / Low / Throw Mixup

Galford can also apply a basic mixup game supported by Poppy. The more damaging and rewarding options are very high commitment options that will lead to severe punishes if they are blocked. You will most like to use them sparingly or mainly use relatively safe 2D pokes.

High Options - j.C , B+C, 66C

Low Options - 6D / 3D / 2D / 66D / 2C / 66B , empty jump in > low

Throw Options - CD / 623S

Normal Moves

Far Slashes

5A

5A	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 40 Mid 9 - - 25 -4 -5 [-7] 5 Yes Yes Yes No Galford does a horizontal sword swipe in front of him Slower than your average 5A, but good reach Special Cancellable, but 236C won't combo on hit

5B

5B	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 110 Mid 13 - - 41 -8 -12 [-12] 10 No Yes Yes No Galford takes a large step forward and strikes with his sword Decent poke at mid range Goes a little farther than you would expect Good for whiffpunishing Doesn't special cancel

5C

5C	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 250 Mid 24 - - 62 -7 -28 [-15] 25 No Yes Disarm No Galford does a powerful, far-reaching sword strike Standard-issue far 5C, which is to say extremely useful Hanzo wishes he had this Goes a little bit farther than your 5B Optimal combo ender from backthrow and 214B

2A

2A	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 30 Mid 8 - - 23 -3 -5 [-6] 5 Yes Yes Yes No Galford slashes from a crouching position Long range crouching jab Similar to 5A (but one frame faster) Slightly shorter range

2B

2B	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 90 Mid 12 - - 37 -5 -12 [-9] 10 Yes Yes Yes No Galford does a crouching downwards slash Your mid-range combo filler of choice Combos into 236C at most ranges and WFT at all ranges.

2C

2C	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 180 Low 18 - - 54 KD(+88) -28 [-13] 25 No Yes No No Galford does a powerful sword strike directly at the opponent's feet Powerful knockdown low with decent range Your optimal followup after forward throw without rage Great button to challenge close recoils with

Near Slashes

n.5A

n.5A	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 30 Mid 5 - - 16 +1 -5 [-2] 5 Yes Yes Yes No Galford does a quick strike with this sword Fast close slash Plus on hit Can tick into 623S if you delay it a little bit

n.5B

n.5B	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 80 Mid 8 - - 29 -1 -12 [-5] 10 Yes Yes Yes No Galford does a downwards sword strike close to his body Fast startup and decent damage Combos into 236S and WFT Your main punisher at close range

n.5C

n.5C	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 200 Mid 14 - - 45 -4 -28 [-8] 25 No Yes Disarm No Galford does a powerful sword attack from close range Standard close 5C Great button for Guard Crush as it hits only once, unlike Hanzo's cl.5C Can also be used as a punisher as it does more damage than cl.5B xx 236C, but without the knockdown

Kicks

5D

5D	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 50 Mid 13 - - 28 -3 -6 5 Yes No No Yes Galford does an upwards kick attack Only hits airbourne opponents and Earthquake (standing & crouching) Has a recessed upper Hurtbox Good Anti-Air if you're quick Can be special cancelled

6D

6D	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 40 Low 9 4 - 28 -4~-1 -10~-7 5 Yes No No Yes Galford spins and sweeps the opponent's leg Fast low that unfortunately doesn't knock down like Hanzo's 6D Safe-ish on block and cancellable Good tool for mixup combos

2D

2D	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 20 Low 5 - - 17 0 -3 5 No No No Yes Galford does a quick low kick Low-risk panic button with very low damage Not cancellable, but recovers quickly Decent get-off-me attack

3D

3D	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 70 Low 12 3 - 44 KD -10~-8 5 Yes No No Yes Galford crouches down and does a far-reaching sweep Knocks down on hit Unsafe, but it can also be special cancelled! 3D into 214A is a good block string setup

Dash Normals

66A

66A	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 30 Mid 6 - - 20 -2 -19 [-5] 5 Yes Yes Yes No Galford does a close range slash from his run Fast, cancellable running light Doesn't combo into anything Deflectable -8 on recoil cancel

66B

66B	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 140 Low 15 - - 36 KD -35 [-5] 10 No Yes No No Galford crouches down and slashes the opponent's feet Running Version of 2C Knocks down on hit Forms one part of Galford's running mixup Also -8 on recoil cancel

66C

66C	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 150 High 23 - - 67 KD -22 20 No No No No Galford jumps and strikes the opponent over their head. Overhead attack with almost 3/4 screen range Knocks down on hit, unsafe on block Able to jump over low projectiles Can't cross up

66D

66D	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 70 Low 9 13 - 44 KD -19~-7 5 No No No Yes Galford does a running slide kick Can low profile some attacks Fairly safe if you can make it hit at the tip

Air Normals

j.A

j.A	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 40 High 9 - - - - - 5 No No No No Galford does a quick jumping slash downwards Standard jumping light Decent hitbox

j.B

j.B	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 100 High 11 - - - - - 10 No No No No Galford strikes at the air in front of him Decent air-to-air because of it's good horizontal reach A little bit too slow to be truly reliable

j.C

j.C	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 150 High 13 - - - - - 20 No No No No Galford does a powerful slash directly below him Strong jump-in with a low hitbox Pretty easy to get a deep hit with

j.D

j.D	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 30 High 7 - - - - - 5 No No No Yes Galford does a jumping kick Can go into n.5B xx 236C on a deep hit Can NOT cross up, unline Hanzo's j.D

Unarmed Normals

u.5S

u.5S	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 50 Mid 8 - - 26 +2 -3 5 No No No Only Galford punches in front of him Slightly faster than his armed 5A but without the range or cancellability Safe on block

u.2S

u.2S	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 50 Mid 9 - - 31 -2 -7 5 No No No Only Galford punches from a crouching position Like u.5S but somehow worse? Slower startup and worse on hit/block

ju.S

ju.S	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 50 High 8 - - - - - 5 No No No Only Galford punches the air in front of him Decent air-to-air that wins more often than it should Somewhat outclassed by j.6D

u.66S

u.66S	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 50 Mid 7 - - 30 KD -8 5 No No No Only Galford does a dashing punch atack Knocks down on hit Actually a good normal! Try to get your weapon back please

Universal Mechanics

Guard Break

Guard Break (Throw) 4/5/6C+D Neutral / Forward Throw Neutral / Forward Throw Back Throw Back Throw	Version Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed Neutral / Forward 0 No 3 - 71 74 +20 - - - - - Yes Back 0 No 5 - 69 74 +25 - - - - - Yes Universal throw. Should be followed up with either 2C or 2B xx WFT Back throw has slower start up but it has extra frame advantage

Surprise Attack

Surprise Attack (Overhead) 5B+C	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 60 High 18 - - 46 +1 -16 10 No No No Yes Galford's Universal overhead. Fast startup, but low reward on hit It stays the same while disarmed

Dodge

Dodge 5A+B	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 0 N/A 1 16 22 38 N/A - - - - - Yes Universal dodge. Avoids all attacks for a brief moment, Mainly used to avoid throws. Complete invincibility from frames 1 to 10. Strike invincibility from frames 11 to 16.

Stance Break

Stance Break A+B during Just Defense	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 0 Mid 5 - - 55 KD -24 - No - - Yes Universal Stance Break.

Counter / Blade Catch

Counter / Blade Catch 236A+B Counter Counter Blade Catch Blade Catch

Version Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed Armed 0 N/A 2 11 34 46 +35~+59 - - - - - No Universal counter. Allows you to follow up with a guaranteed attack of your own. The amount of time you have to followup depends on the strength of the attack you counter, with heavy attacks staggering the opponent for the longest amount of time. Additionally, if you counter a heavy slash or a running slash, your opponent will be disarmed. Unarmed 0 N/A 2 12 9 22 KD - - - - - Only Universal counter. While disarmed, your counter will disarm and knock away your opponent regardless of slash level countered.

Rage Explosion

Rage Explosion 5A+B+C	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 0 No 21 1 - 58 0 - - - - - No Unblockable pushback attack.

Lightning Blade

Lightning Blade (Issen) 5A+B+C during Rage Explosion	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 300~709 Mid 9 - - - KD -44 - - - No No Has full invulnerability all the way through. Can be used as an anti-air. Damage scales based on remaining Rage Explosion Gauge.

Command Moves

Stardust Drop

Stardust Drop (close)j.6D Stardust Drop Stardust Drop	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 112 No 4 - - - KD - - - - - Yes Galford's unique air throw An excellent air to air option Very fast, so it usually wins out against even preemptive jump buttons

Wall Jump

Wall Jump (near wall)9 Wall Jump Wall Jump	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed - - - - - - - - - - - - Yes Galford can jump near walls.

Backdash

Backdash 44 Do a flip! Do a flip!

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed - - - - - 40 - - - - - - Yes Although not a "real" command move, Galfords's backdash deserves special mention, since it functions differently from almost any other backdash in the game. On its own, it takes 40 frames to complete and moves you backwards a little more than half screen. This makes proper repositioning with backdash almost impossible. However, the middle of the animation (pretty much the entire part where Galford's hands touch the ground) is special cancellable. Cancelling Backdash into Plasma Blade will give you a relatively safe way to get a projectile on screen while also creating some space. Because you move so far backwards during it, it can also be used as a ghetto anti-air, since the opponent will land in the projectile's hitbox. By far the most useful use of Backdash cancelling is setting up Poppy special moves for you while repositioning. there's no trick to doing it quickly, just input 44 > 214X.

Special Moves

Strike Heads

Strike Heads (close)623S

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 170 No 10 - - 53 KD(+67) - - - - - Yes Galford's izuna drop style command grab Very good command grab within the context of SS7 Always the same version, no matter what slash button is pressed Has about the range of Hanzo's 623B Upon success, Galford and Poppy will both do a back flip, which makes Poppy specials unavailable for a few seconds

Plasma Blade

Plasma Blade 236S	Version Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed A 60 Mid 13 - - 61 KD -21 5 - - - Yes B 60 Mid 13 - - 64 KD -24 5 - - - Yes C 60 Mid 13 - - 67 KD -27 5 - - - Yes Galford throws out a lightning projectile Knocks down on hit Will combo from B normals Stronger versions travel faster across the screen Long recovery so space it wisely

Rush Dog

Rush Dog 214A

Version Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed Normal 90 Mid 27~51 - - 55 KD +2~+26 5 - - - Yes Rage 204 (60, 144) Mid 27~51 - - 55 KD +5~+29 5 - - - Yes Galford sends Poppy to strike the opponent. All the Poppy special moves require her at the ready position behind Galford, usually when she lands from her back flip In the Rage version, Poppy catches the opponent and performs an izuna drop Poppy block stun is 30 frames

Machine Gun Dog

Machine Gun Dog 214B

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 40 (10,30) Mid 36~59 - - 59 KD +5 5 - - - Yes Poppy dashes forward and begins to tear at your opponent Galford can follow up with any attack except throws, SSM and other Poppy moves If the follow up attack hits, Poppy will release the opponent Will knock down otherwise Poppy block stun is 30 frames

Replica Dog

Replica Dog 214C Poppy the Hedgehog Poppy the Hedgehog	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 80 Mid 89 - - 63 KD +27 5 - - - Yes Poppy teleports and comes falling on your opponent while in a spinning ball Not an overhead Galford can follow up with attacks

Overhead Crash

Overhead Crash 214D	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 120 Mid 34 - - 98 KD -25 10 - - - Yes Galford jumps backward and throws poppy like a volley ball. Also hits mid It's a good thing this game is based around a time long before Animal Security came around You can adjust the angle of poppy by holding forward or back

Replica Attack (head)

Replica Attack (head) 63214A+D	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 120 High 51 - - - KD -48 10 - - - Yes Galford teleports and comes falling down slashing in front of his opponent Very (read: SSM-) punishable on block Its damage becomes 100 while unarmed

Replica Attack (rear)

Replica Attack (rear) 63214B+D

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 120 High 60 - - - KD -48 10 - - - Yes Galford teleports and comes falling down slashing his opponent from behind Slower than the front version Sadly, a majority of the cast can diffuse the mixup completely by simply backwalking Doesn't hit cross up against opponents in the corner, but will land in the corner Its damage becomes 100 while unarmed

Imitate Replica (head)

Imitate Replica (head) (During hitstun)624624A+D While knocked back While knocked back

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 120 High 43 - - - KD -48 10 - - - Yes Galford leaves behind a log and appears from the air to counterattack his enemy. Can only be done during grounded hitstun Goes through the same animation as Replica Attack (front) However, if Galford is knocked down or got hit in the back (back turned / back hit) he will not be able to teleport out The timing of cancel is very late, making it not useful in most situations

Imitate Replica (rear)

Imitate Replica (rear) (During hitstun)624624B+D While knocked back While knocked back	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 120 High 43 - - - KD -48 10 - - - Yes Galford leaves behind a log and appears from the rear to counterattack his enemy Can only be done during grounded hitstun Goes through the same animation as Replica Attack (rear) Also not useful after the nerf

Supers

Weapon Flipping Technique

Mega Plasma Factor 236B+C	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 360(420) Mid 1+14~28 15 - 103 KD -78~-64 - - - - No Galford fires a huge projectile Above average WFT which covers a lot of distance Combos reliably from 2B or n.B Doesn't hit crouching opponents at point-blank range in the corner

Super Special Move

Justice Impulse X 641236C+D

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 660 Mid 10+19 - - - KD -49 - - - - No Galford runs towards and slashes the opponent, before doing a Tag Team Combo with Poppy Available only once per match Follows the same rules as poppy special moves (i.e. you need to have Poppy at the ready position beforehand) Galford will run full screen to slash the opponent Fully invincible from frame 1~10.

Combos

Midscreen

2B does 10 more damage than n.5B.

• (n.5B / 2B) xx 236C
  Punish combo.
• (n.5B / 2B) xx WFT
  WFT Punish combo.
• 6D xx 236C
  One of the few low attack combos, only connects at close range, and the input is tricky.
• 6D xx WFT
  WFT must be cancelled immediately after 6D. High risk high reward combo.

• (5CD / 4CD)...
  • 2C
    Standard follow up after throw, but command throw has better risk reward ratio.
  • 2B xx 236C / WFT
    WFT combo after throw. If back throw Ruixiang, Galford needs to micro walk to connect 2B.
  • 5C
    Only after back throw.

• 5CD 2B xx 236C
  Only connects after forward throw, less damage than 2C but knocks opponent further away.
• 4CD 5C
  Good damage after back throw, but the timing is tight.

• (j.C / j.B / j.D Deep Hit)...
  • (n.5B / 2B) xx 236C
    Deep hit combo.
  • (n.5B / 2B) xx WFT
    Deep hit WFT combo.
  • n.5C / 2C / Lighting Blade
    Deep hit normal combos.

• 214B...
  • 2C
    Knock down.
  • 5C
    Mid range 5C for max damage.
  • WFT
    WFT.
  • Lighting Blade
    Issen Combo.
  • j.B / j.C...
    • (n.5B / 2B) xx 236C / WFT
      Max damage from j.C.

• 214C...
  • 2D (Poppy Hits) n.5A / n.5B
    Low mixup combo at close range.
  • 2D (Poppy Hits) 236A / Lighting Blade
    Low mixup combo #2, the timing is very tight.
  • 6D (Poppy Hits) 236C / WFT
    Low mixup combo #3.
  • BC (Poppy Hits)
    Overhead mixup, almost same damage as 66C but much safer.
  • Rage Explosion (Poppy Hits)
    Unblockable set up at close range.
  • 236S
    Zoning combo, works at all range.
  • Lighting Blade
    If the opponent blocks Issen first, Poppy will hit as cross up.

Corner

• (4CD / 5CD) n.5C
  More damage than 2C at the corner.

Guard Crush

• n.5C
  After recovery...
  • SSM
    SSM follow up, poppy has to be available. (Be careful with opponent bursting to avoid it)
  • The only reason to not cancel the recovery is for SSM, or else go for the one below for optimal damage.

• n.5C / 5C...
  Cancel recovery...
  • Lighting Blade
    Universal Issen combo.
  • 214B
    Machine Gun Poppy...
    • j.B / j.C...
      • (n.5B / 2B) xx 236C / WFT
        Max damage.
    • Any follow up for poppy would work.

Videos

Galford tutorial and combos by LegendaryWolf Shirou

RoyalPsycho vs BaronVonAwesomeV at Frosty Faustings XIV

Colors

External Links

• Twitter hashtag: #SS_GA