Garou: Mark of the Wolves/Gato

Introduction

A powerful fighter who has lost all memories, including those of his family. The huge scars on his back prompt him to become an assassin, and he travels the world defeating warriors. One day he finds himself in Southtown, where he enters the tournament. He does well, but near the finals he comes up against someone with the same fighting skills as himself. Winning, his opponent disappears. Gato realizes that it was an image of his father.

Pros	Cons
Combolicious basic fighter Average Power and Speed attacks Great Stock charge Cancels Corner combo options Good reversal Anti air	Corner Combos are strictly on timing Excessive Use of Power Gauge Main Anti Air is Super Move

Character Colors

Move List

Command Normals

Muran-geri (Hop Kick): +
Crossover: in the air
Sai-gaku (Hammer Smash): +

Special Moves

Command	Move	Weak Damage	Strong Damage
+	Shin-ga	10	12
---, +	Shin-ga	10	11
+	Fuu-ga	10	10
---	Kou-Ga	15	NA
---	Sen-Ga	12	NA
---	Kyuu-Ga	NA	13
---	Katsu-Ga	NA	15
+	Rai-ga	16	20
+ (Break)	Rai-ga	5	5
charge , +	Houzan Sai Heki-ga	NA	20
, +	Rei-Ga	35	48
, +	Ryuu-Ga'	32	43
+	Tenryuu Retsu-Ga	NA	14
--- +	Tenryuu Retsu-Ga	NA	17
----- +	Tenryuu Retsu-Ga	NA	32

Attributes

When a move can be canceled, it can either be canceled into a special/super/feint. Some moves that can't be canceled when they hit can be canceled when the opponent blocks while some moves that can be Special/Super canceled cannot be Feint Canceled.

Command	Cancel on Hit	Cancel on Block	Feint Cancel
Far	O	O	O
Far	O	O	O
Far	X	X	X
Far	X	O	O (on block)
Close	O	O	O
Close	O	O	O
Close	O	O	O
Close	O(1st hit)	O(1st hit)	O (1st hit)
	O	O	O
	X	X	X
	O	O	O
	X	X	X
jump	NA	NA	NA
jump	NA	NA	NA
jump	NA	NA	NA
jump	NA	NA	NA
hop	NA	NA	NA
hop	NA	NA	NA
hop	NA	NA	NA
hop	NA	NA	NA
+	NA	NA	NA
+ +	O	X	O
+	X	X	X
+	X	X	X

Frame Data

Legend :
Command = the input for the attack.
Start Up = How many start up frames an attack has.
Hit = When the attack hits.
Block = When the attack is blocked.
+ signifies how many advantage frames the attacker has.
- signifies how many disadvantage frames the attacker has.
KD means the attack will knock the opponent down.

Command	Start Up	Hit	Guard
Close	3	+6	+6
Close	5	+6	+6
Close	5	+3	+3
Close	3	+5	+5
Far	3	+1	+1
Far	6	-3	-3
Far	10	-4	-4
Far	13	-1	-1
	4	+6	+6
	4	+4	+4
	7	-1	-1
	8	KD	-10
+	8	-1	+3
+ +	9	-5	-1
+	19	+1	+1
+	13	+1	+1
+	7	-1	-1
, +	NA	KD	-9
+	16	-5	-5
, +	NA	KD	-11
+	3	KD	-37
+ (Break)	3	KD	+6
+	3	KD	-38
+ (Break)	3	KD	+6
+	6	-11	-11
+	7	KD	-19
----	11	NA
----	4	KD
----	9	NA
----	7	KD
	21	KD	-19
, +	0	KD	-8
, +	0	KD	-8
, +	4	KD	-55
, +	4	KD	-79
+ +	11	-9	-9
--- + +		-14	-14
----- + +		KD	-21

Data from Howard's Arena

Hitboxes

Command	Total Frames
Close / +	9

Command	Total Frames
+ +	10

Command	Total Frames
+ +	14

Command	Start Up	Hit	Guard
Close	3	+6	+6

Command	Start Up	Hit	Guard
Close	5	+6	+6

Command	Start Up	Hit	Guard
Close	5	+3	+3

Command	Start Up	Hit	Guard
Close	3	+5	+5

Command	Start Up	Hit	Guard
Far	3	+1	+1

Command	Start Up	Hit	Guard
Far	6	-3	-3

Command	Start Up	Hit	Guard
Far	10	-4	-4

Command	Start Up	Hit	Guard
Far	13	-1	-1

Command	Start Up	Hit	Guard
	4	+6	+6

Command	Start Up	Hit	Guard
	4	+4	+4

Command	Start Up	Hit	Guard
	7	-1	-1

Command	Start Up	Hit	Guard
	8	KD	-10

Command	Start Up	Hit	Guard
Jumping	4	?	?

Command	Start Up	Hit	Guard
Jumping	6	?	?

Command	Start Up	Hit	Guard
Jumping	7	?	?

Command	Start Up	Hit	Guard
Jumping	10	?	?

Command	Start Up	Hit	Guard
	19	+1	+1

Command	Start Up	Hit	Guard
	13	+1	+1

Command	Start Up	Hit	Guard
+	8	-3	+3

Command	Start Up	Hit	Guard
+ +	8	-5	+1

Command	Start Up	Hit	Guard
+	21	KD	?

Combos

Anywhere

1- j.,cr.,QCF+C then F, F+C

• This one of Gato's best (if not the best) BnB combo as it does a good amount of damage & gives you a good amount of power guage energy.

2- j., ,F, D, DF+AB 3 times

3- s.,QCB+B then A

• A rather odd looking combo, just press the A button a split second after the QCB+B for the combo to work.

4- st./cr. x 2,QCFx2+P

Corner only

5- j.,cr. ,QCB+B then C,QCFx2+P

• You must time pressing the C button & then quickly input the super as Gato lands.

5b- j.,cr. ,QCB+B then C,s.,QCFx2+P

• A small alteration of the above combo, if you're fast you can link a s. before the super.

6- j.,s.,F, D, DF+B,QCFx2+P

• An easy corner super which does a fair amount of damage.

7- j.,cr. ,QCB+D then B,QCB+B then B (only the follow-up will hit, but do this move 1 or 4 times),F, D, DF+B,QCFx2+P

• Gato's most powerful combo! If your timing is right you can add up to 4 B follow-ups of the QCB+B! You can get usually 1 follow-up, but even with that this combo does around 75% damage! The only other hard part is comboing the F, D, DF+B & then properly inputting the super as Gato lands.

T.O.P. Notes

Your T.O.P. Attack its a open palm attack that is a good close poking and zoning tool that keeps your opponent away from you and can punish startup projectiles, its a cool move too but weak agaisnt low counters,use it wisely and when you don't have meter.

Basic Strategy

Gato its a balanced character and a top tier one that had a good all around character based in power rush moves.

His normals are regular pokes from short to middle range and also had good jump in attacks and excellent low pokes.

Your main plan will be charge your meter with the qcb+B~A glitch and then make a good combo in midscreen or corner in far range, your close range plan its to connect a low normal with your fist special to punish your opponent failures.

He had an exclusive regular anti air special move that is Breakable but in the KOF Series is replaced with more hop special attacks with punch button, and also he had one of the best anti air Super Moves along with a good ground Super Move that will be your mid anti air catcher/punished one and your corner combo ender.

His counter move is rare to use but its your other anti air special move.

The main weakness of Gato is that he can be hitted easily with jump in or Univeral Overheads and in far combat can be punished with simple projectiles in midrange too.

His Feint Cancels aren't necessary to make big damage but they are still useful for corner combos and that is the reason that he is a top tier (characters that they need only one break or feint cancel move to make big damage are tiers thanks to it).

Advanced Tactics

Stomp Cancel

Gato's stomp cancel is mainly used to build meter. To preform the stomp cancel you need to do + , . The follow-up will throw a projectile that will hit the ground, but if you time it just right, Gato won't leave the ground, he'll just stay on the floor. The proper timing is when Gato has his arms fully stretched out during his + you hit , any later/earlier and you'll get nothing, or his projectile.

Matchup Notes

To come.