Virtual-On Oratorio Tangram/Apharmd B

RVR-39 Apharmd B / Battler
[アファームド・ザ・バトラー]

Introduction

Specialized fighting type virtuaroid equipped with beam tonfas on both arms.
It has high dash performance and a wide range of melee attacks, allowing it to aim for direct attacks using its tonfas. By using your napalm’s blast to disable the opponent’s attack you can approach close distances unscathed.

Character Traits

See Notation / Character Descriptions

Strengths

Weaknesses

Excellent ground mobility. Fastest ground forward dash speed. Large melee engage range. Can use quickstep for movement in more situations. High melee damage and attack speed. Efficient and fast dash melee. Many interrupt and rushdown attacks for pressure on the ground. Air forward dash grenades are good for landing small hits and approaching. Good avoidance ability on the ground. ! Highest guard crush ability. ! Massive damage melee combos from situational confirms.

Low damage on all projectiles. Forced to play a close range game or a very low damage ranged game. One of the most difficult VRs to play effectively. Requires an advanced gameplan and tight execution to pressure opponents and get the most out of any opening. Some bad matchups start to hurt viability.

Commonly Used Attacks

See Notation / Common Attack Descriptions

Neutral projectile attacks

CW RW / cRW cLTLW LW cLTCW LTRW / cLTRW RTRW LTCW RTLW / cRTLW

Movement check, Erase, Chip Movement check, Chip Chip, Erase, Interrupt, Chase Erase, Chip Movement check, High damage(range specific) Interrupt, Combo starter, V-Armor removal High damage Chip, Interrupt High damage, Prediction

Ground dash attacks

GD8:RW GD8:cCW GD8:cRW

Chip Punish, Stagger Chase

Air dash attacks

AD7/8/9:LW AD8:RW AD6/4:LW

Chase, Erase, Chip Chip

Jumping attacks

jRTLW

High damage, Prediction

Special attacks

Divekick (AD8:CW 100% gauge) Hyper activation (double jump CW)

Prediction, Punish, High damage For damage reduction / timeout

Melee attacks

CW melee LW melee RW melee RTCW melee Quickstep melee Ground dash RW/LW melee

Very long engage, large hitbox, hits crouching General purpose, very fast, combo starter Combo tool (low knockdown value) High homing, slight anti-jump ability, OTG Generic Fast + speed boost, Punish, Combo ender

Strategy

General gameplan

Use your various ranged attacks to apply pressure and create opportunities to safely get into melee range. From there, a variety of options are available to test your opponents' execution/knowledge and enforce a devastating offense. With high ground mobility and attack speed, Battler can play passively and trim their opponent's health with low commitment ranged attacks or focus on avoidance, forcing them to play aggressively.

Apharmd B is a somewhat technical VR that relies heavily on situational awareness and execution at higher levels of play, but his moves and basic gameplan make it approachable for those interested in playing him

Matchup strategy

Apharmd B / Matchups

Advanced Techniques

Approach cancellation (A-cancel) - melee technique

Input: During standing melee approach (ie. CW melee) input cLW melee and immediately release the crouch input while holding LW.
cLW is not visible and LW melee will come out instead. This gives a way to cancel a standing melee into another standing melee.

LW melee is often ideal for attacking the target and cancelling the approach of CW melee into it is a great way to get into optimal range.

Basic/intermediate Battler melee combos

Battler can deal the highest melee damage by normal means, without causing any kind of stagger. Some fairly easy to perform combos are available from hitting with a LW melee: -jc- = jump cancel
Heavyweight (Dordray, ?)
LW -jc-> LW -jc-> LW (instant death)
Intermediate weight (Raiden, ?)
LW -jc-> RW -jc-> LW
Lightweight (Cypher, ?)
LW -jc-> LW (instant death)

Apharmd-series crouch walk

Start walking, then hold the crouch input. You will continue walking with drastically increased speed. Can be combined with walking attacks such as CW and RW by holding crouch after the attack input.

Guard crush / Interrupt attacks as combo starters and extensions

Intermediate level
Interrupt attacks can be used as combo starters. Things like LTRW -> dash melee or LTCW -> dash melee are possible along with more complicated combos.
LTRW is also used for combo extensions at advanced level. This is used for true combos where you alternate melee hits with unblockable interrupts to fill gaps.

Tsubame Gaeshi

Input: LW melee -> diagonal forward QS -> diagonal Dash (same direction)-> Dash melee

Dash attack is unblockable if the opponent guarded LW melee. Also catches opponents performing jump cancel after QS. Acts as a combo if LW hit.

Reverse forward dash

Input: After landing OTG CW melee, input forward QS then cancel it with forward dash.

You will maintain the movement speed of forward dash, but propel in the opposite direction. You can use this technique to maintain a favorable stage position as well as keep the opponent in sight.

Simultaneous RT attack

Input RTCW and quickly release the right trigger. Both RTCW and RTLW will come out.

Additional Resources

External Guides

English

VOOT 5.2. Apharmd B guide by Rolander (2002) (old version)

Advanced technique video demonstration playlist (WIP)

Frame Data

Rough data collection by Porcupine. Startup frames, duration and forced recovery times. No data on melee attacks.

• Apharmd B framedata

Notable Players

Apharmd B / アファームドBT / バトラー

• S Zetto / ぜっと
• OKE TANI / 谷
• End9n / end / えんどくん
• Yoshino / よしのちゃん
• Karasawa
• Ajire
• Marimo / まりも
• Janus13579

western players:

• SoulGuitarist