Damage and Other Calculations
Sources: JPN Garou Wiki, JPN Garou Wiki Translation, and Garou Discord Group
Differences Between 1P and 2P
When inputs are processed in Garou, Player 1 takes precedence.
For example, if P1 and P2 input a super move at the same time, the super flash for P1 appears before P2.
P2 directional inputs are reset and instead of a super attack, P2 throws a normal attack.
Also, when attacking a player at the corner of the screen by chain canceling a normal, P2 is pushed back 1 pixel farther than P1 would be. (after 2 hits of a chain cancel are made)
This makes it slightly easier for P1 to connect combos and blockstrings.
However, the 2P side benefits even more from the following characteristics:
- When attacking a player at the corner of the screen, if an attack is cancelled into a special or feint, P2 has 4 pixels less pushback than P1.
In case of weak attacks, this difference is 3 pixels. - When attacking a player at the corner of the screen with a target combo, P2 has 3 pixels less pushback than P1. (Check Hokutomaru’s B~D)
The first advantage is especially important for corner pressure with feint cancelled combos.
Terry and Kevin benefit greatly from their increased combo reliability when on the P2 side.
In Japanese tournaments, players usually play a janken game before the match, the winner gets to pick the side he wants to play.
Damage and Meter Calculation
("Gauge" and "Meter" are used interchangeably.)
Damage Calculation Formula:
All characters have 121 hit points.
To calculate damage, you first apply the hit's basic damage, then the opponent's defense rate, then the hit count rate, and then finally the attacker's TOP rate (the TOP rate is always last).
Every time you apply a rate to a hit’s damage, truncate the unit number.
("truncate" means that fractions after the decimal point are rounded down)
Truncate(Truncate(Truncate(Hit[1] * DFRate(P2)) * HitCountRate(1)) * TOPRate) +
Truncate(Truncate(Truncate(Hit[2] * DFRate(P2)) * HitCountRate(2)) * TOPRate) +
Truncate(Truncate(Truncate(Hit[3] * DFRate(P2)) * HitCountRate(3)) * TOPRate) +
Truncate(Truncate(Truncate(Hit[4] * DFRate(P2)) * HitCountRate(4)) * TOPRate) +
Truncate(Truncate(Truncate(Hit[5] * DFRate(P2)) * HitCountRate(5)) * TOPRate) +
Truncate(Truncate(Truncate(Hit[6] * DFRate(P2)) * HitCountRate(5)) * TOPRate) +
Truncate(Truncate(Truncate(Hit[7] * DFRate(P2)) * HitCountRate(5)) * TOPRate) +
Truncate(Truncate(Truncate(Hit[8] * DFRate(P2)) * HitCountRate(5)) * TOPRate) +
.
.
.
【DEFENSE RATE】
High : Grant, Griffon : 95% (.95)
Low : Hotaru, Hokutomaru, Jenet : 110% (1.10)
Normal : the rest : 100% (1.00)
【HIT COUNT RATE (DAMAGE SCALING)】
1st hit : 100% (1.00)
2nd hit : 90% (.90)
3rd hit : 80% (.80)
4th hit : 80% (.80)
5th+ hit : 70% (.70)
【TOP RATE】
TOP’s rate is 125%.
You can set it to 150% or 175% exclusively on the console version.
(i.e., 1.00x (not in TOP), 1.25x (normal TOP), 1.50x 1.75x)
【POWER GAUGE】
1 bar has 64 points.
Having the P power ready means you have 64 x 2 = 128 points.
【POWER GAUGE INCREASE CONDITIONS AND FORMULA】
As with damage calculations, the unit number for meter calculations has to be truncated after every calculation.
(i.e., fractions after the decimal point are rounded down)
Normals:
- When your normal move hits, both you and your opponent get 1/4 of its basic damage points as meter gain.
- When your normal move is blocked (by your opponent), you get 1/8 of its basic damage points as meter gain.
- When you block a normal move from your opponent, you get 1/4 of its basic damage points as meter gain.
- Doing a JD results in the same meter gain as blocking.
As a consequence:
- Truncation can give 0 meter gain for lower-damage hits when your normal attack is blocked.
- But because all normals have damage at 4 or above, all normals you block will build meter for you.
- Both you and the opponent build the same meter when your normal moves hit.
- The opponent will build at least 2x the meter than you will when the opponent is guarding against your normal moves.
Specials:
Special Moves follow the same meter gain as normals:
- When your special move hits, both you and your opponent get 1/4 of its basic damage points as meter gain.
- When your special move is blocked or JD'ed (by your opponent), you get 1/8 of its basic damage points as meter gain.
- When you block a special move from your opponent, you get 1/4 of its basic damage points as meter gain.
In addition to the above values,
Specials have their own meter gain just by performing them (even when it whiffs).
- Most specials have this set-value inherent meter gain:
- 6 points of meter gain for light version
- 7 points of meter gain for heavy version
- When specials are done as guard cancels, they do not have this set-value meter gain.
Specials, TOP attacks, and supers have their meter gain for you multiplied by 1.5
when they are JD'ed by you (multiplied by 2 only when the original value is 1).
(As opposed to normals where you get the same meter gain when you JD them just as when you block them.)
As a consequence:
- The meter gain when your special gets blocked is the same as when that special gets JD'ed.
- When you get hit by or block a guard canceled special, the meter gain is the same, and it's the same as the meter gain when getting hit by the raw special.
Throws:
Both you and the opponent build the same meter when one of you does a normal throw.
(but no meter build when either of you tech the throw)
Timing For Reversals
How do reversals work as far as how the input is handled?
You're in blockstun or hitstun or wake-up or recovery or landing recovery, and before these states end, you can't do anything. You can see this visually as guard animation, or hit animation, or getting-up animation during wake-up, or recovery animation after moves.
All these states are a type of "recovery". There is a window of frames mid-recovery where you can "queue" a move, which then activates as soon as you're recovered.
You are using the large buffer of the game to input some move a bit earlier
and have it come out as soon as possible.
Situations when the reversal message comes out:
The reversal indicator is shown when an attack is performed during:
wake-up, roll recovery/wake-up, guard (blockstun/hitstun), air hit landing recovery.
(Or sometimes after a successful guard cancel, perhaps due to a bug.)
Techniques that can display the reversal message:
specials, supers, TOP attacks.
The other "recovery" situations have the same window/buffer being applied,
so moves come out immediately after them,
but no reversal indicator is shown.
(the recovery of normals, specials, supers, TOP moves, jump landings, throw, etc.)
Backdash and Forward Dash buffer:
The 2nd (or last) direction should be pressed:
1F-4F before the end of wake-up/recovery/stun
1F after wake-up/recovery/stun
(5F window)
Reversal message will not appear.
Note: All dash run characters, and Freeman, must hold forward for their dash to persist after wake-up/recovery/stun.
Normals and Evasive Attacks (AB and 2AB) buffer:
The attack must be pressed:
1F-6F before the end of wake-up/recovery/stun
1F after wake-up/recovery/stun
(7F window)
Reversal message will not appear.
Special buffer:
After the special motion, the button must be pressed:
1F-4F before the end of wake-up/recovery/stun
1F after wake-up/recovery/stun
(5F window)
Super buffer:
After the super motion, the button must be pressed:
1F-4F before the end of wake-up/recovery/stun
1F after wake-up/recovery/stun
(5F window)
TOP buffer:
The TOP attack must be pressed:
1F-4F before the end of wake-up/recovery/stun
1F after wake-up/recovery/stun
(5F window)
Throw buffer:
Usually you press the button and direction to throw at the same time. But they can be pressed separately.
The button for throw should be pressed:
1F-6F before the end of wake-up/recovery/stun
1F after wake-up/recovery/stun
(7F window)
The side direction must be pressed:
1F after wake-up/recovery/stun
or pressed and held until that time.
If a direction is inputted twice or more, it may come out as a backdash.
Reversal message will not appear.
Super Jump buffer:
For Dong and Jenet only.
Finish entering the up direction for super jump:
1F-4F before the end of wake-up/recovery/stun
1F after wake-up/recovery/stun
(5F window)
Reversal message will not appear.
The Role of Canceling for Combos
When canceling a normal or upper body evasive attack with a special move (special, super, or TOP attack), it may or may not connect into a combo.
This "special cancel" depends both on what type of attack you are canceling from and on the startup frames of what move you are canceling into.
(For other types of cancels beside "special cancel", see
feint cancels, and
chain cancels and target combos.)
Explanation:
After your normal hits an opponent and after you both exit hitstop/blockstop, you go through that hit's recovery while the opponent goes through hitstun/blockstun.
Completing a special move's command during the hit's hitstop/blockstop causes the recovery of that hit to cancel.
Instead of going through the recovery of the hit, you go into the startup of the special move.
Calculation:
The frame advantage is calculated by subtracting the startup frames of the special/super/TOP attack from the hitstun value of the attack done.
- 14F of hitstun/blockstun from a light attack.
- 20F of hitstun/blockstun from a heavy attack.
- 18F of hitstun from an Upper Body Evasive Attack (not cancelable on block).
- 14F of hitstun/blockstun from light/heavy jump attacks.
If the value is positive, the special cancel will be connected as a combo.
(In other words, after canceling the recovery frames, the special cancel will combo if it hits before the hitstun ends.)
For example:
Dong Hwan
2C --> B Raimeidan 20 - 19 = +1 ○ Connects
2A+B --> B Raimeidan 18 - 19 = -1 × Drops the combo
Tizoc
Weak attack --> D Daedalus 14 - 13 = +1 ○ Connects
Weak attack --> B Daedalus 14 - 14 = 0 × Drops the combo
Gaps After Cancel
Even if the value isn't positive and the special cancel doesn't combo, it can still work as a blockstring, pressure, or frame trap. Especially the special/super/TOP attack is not as disadvantageous.
※ Since only the fastest startup frames were considered on this calculation, your combo may still fail depending on the distance between your character and the opponent.
Depending on the distance (or if a character is crouching), even if the value is positive, it may not be a combo.
For example, Rock’s close C --> Strong Hard Edge
has different properties according to the distance between the characters.
If made up-close to the opponent, the frame calculation yields 20 - 17 = +3 and it certainly connects the combo.
If the opponent's distance is too far, the first active frames of Strong Hard Edge will not hit, and the time when Strong Hard Edge hits may be at 20F or more, so it may not connect.
Special/Super Buffering
In general, the buffer system for special/super commands works as detailed below:
- Once you enter your the initial direction for the command, you "charge" on it as long as you like.
But once you leave that initial direction, you have 16F to go to the next direction of the command (17F total window). - For each next direction of the command you get to, you have 16F to go to the next direction of the command (17F total window).
- That is until you get to the final direction of the command, where you then have 16F to complete the command and press the final button input (17F total window).
For charge moves:
- The minimum charge at the inital back or down direction is 19F.
- After leaving the initial charge direction, you have 11F to go to the other forward or up direction (12F total)
- After you get to that final direction, you either have 16F to complete the command (17F total) and press the final button input,
or are limited to the 1st airborne frame of jump to do so.
Other notes:
- You can go to neutral and/or other directions before going to the next direction of the command or completing the command, as long as you don't exceed that (usually 17F) window.
- If you do exceed that (usually 17F) window, the motion buffer is reset and you have to start over, or do another command whose buffer hasn't been exceeded yet.
- If you press a button too early, and you haven't finished the motion to registered a command yet, you have until the startup of that button ends to go to a direction and register a command. (See the "Kara Cancels" section.)
- Simultaneously pressing a button and direction gives a kara cancel as well (doing 1F of the button + direction before doing the actual move). (See the "Kara Cancels" section again.)
As a result, the game gives you leeway to do motions and complete commands with its long input buffer windows.
That's why you'll see a character walking forward or walking back,
or do something like a "tiger knee",
before a command executes.
List of Command Buffer Windows
Beneath the command type are the directional inputs needed for the command type, followed by the maximum duration of frames before needing to go to the next directional input.
Some are followed by specific examples with showing frame durations that still execute the command.
236X
214X
2 3 6 X (∞, 17, 17)
2 1 4 X (∞, 17, 17)
2369X
2147X
or ending in jumping direction (..., ..., ..., 0-2)
You still have the 17F window since hitting 4 or 6, but unless the move is "Air OK", you are limited by the jump and can't complete command beyond the 1st airborne frame.
41236X
63214X
4 1 2 3 6 X (1-∞, 17, 17, 17, 17)
6 3 2 1 4 X (1-∞, 17, 17, 17, 17)
You need to hit all directions of the half circle.
623X
421X
6 2 3 X (1-∞, 17, 17)
4 2 1 X (1-∞, 17, 17)
When you hit 6 or 4, you can either "charge" on it as long as you like, or else you have 16F to get to the next direction of the motion, the 2 direction (17F total).
When you hit 2, you have 16F to get to the next direction, the adjacent diagonal. (17F total)
When you hit the adjacent diagonal, you have 16F to finish the command with the button (17F total).
Specific example:
6 5 2 3 3C (1-∞, 16, 17, 17)
646X
6 4 6 X (1-∞, 17, 17)
When you hit the first direction 6, you can either "charge" on it as long as you like,
or else you have 16F to get to the next direction of the motion, 4 (17F total).
When you hit 4, you have 16F to get to the next direction, 6 (17F total).
When you hit 6, you have 16F to finish the command with the button (17F total).
Specific example:
6 5 4 5 6 X (34, 16, 11, 6, 17)
Super 236236X
2 3 6 2 3 X (1-∞, 17, 17, 17, 17)
After getting to the first 6, you have 16F to get to the next direction, 2. (17F total)
After getting to the last 3, you have 16F to get to complete the command with a button. (17F total)
Specific example:
2 3 6 5 2 3 6 6X (28, 17, 10, 7, 17, 12, 4)
Super 236236236X
236 236 23 C (1-∞, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17)
Specific example:
236 5 236 5 236 C (1-∞, 17, 6, 10, 17, 17, 8, 9, 17, 12, 5)
Charge [2]8X
[2] 5 8 X (19-∞, 12, 0-2)
Minimum charge at down directions 1, 2, or 3 is 19F.
After leaving a down direction, you have 11F to go to an up direction (12F total)
(only the 8 direction for Kain; 7, 8, or 9 direction for Jae and Gato)
The time you have to stay on an up direction and then do the command is limited to the 1st airborne frame (3F for the characters with charge moves).
Previous buffered special (like 236 or 214) can come out if the input buffer is shared, if you press a button on the 1F of jump.
Otherwise, pressing the button on the 1F or 2F or 3F of jump is OK.
(Simultaneous direction and button press prioritizes the command without kara canceling.)
Specific example:
[2] 1 4 5 8 X (72, 5, 7, 5, 1)
Charge failure example:
[2] 1 4 7 8X (72, 5, 2, 2)
Doing 8+B on the 1st airborne frame (the 3f of jump):
The game would want to kara cancel, but you don't can't because you don't have the extra frame and are then already considered airborne.
Charge [4]6X
[4] 5 6 X (19-∞, 12, 17)
Minimum charge at back direction 7 or 4 or 1 is 19F.
After leaving the charge/back directions you have 11F to go to the 6 direction (12F total)
After pressing 6, you have 16F to complete the command (17F in total)
Specific example:
[1] 2 3 6 9 9X (25, 5, 7, 15, 2) Completes the command before the 2nd airborne frame.
Tizoc/Griffon 360
Example inputs:
6 2 4 8 8P (∞, 17, 17, 3)
8 4 2 6 6P (∞, 17, 17, 17)
2 6 8 4 4P (∞, 17, 17, 17)
4 8 6 2 2P (∞, 17, 17, 17)
Tizoc/Griffon's 4F jump gives him an extra frame to execute commands ending in an up direction.
The command can start on any cardinal direction.
After leaving that first cardinal direction, you have 16F to get to the next cardinal direction (17F total).
After hitting a cardinal direction, you have 16F to get to the next one (17F total) and hit the next three cardinal directions, in either way around.
Specific example:
6 3 2 1 4 5 8 P (1-∞, 16, 11, 6, 10, 7, 3)
Tizoc/Griffon 720
Example inputs:
6 2 4 8 6 2 4 8 P (1-∞, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 3)
8 4 2 6 8 4 2 6 P (1-∞, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17)
Has the same buffering for every cardinal direction as a 360.
Rock 632147C
Example inputs:
4 2 6 9 9C (1-∞, 17, 17, 2)
6 2 4 7 7C (1-∞, 17, 17, 2)
8 4 2 3 3C (1-∞, 17, 17, 17)
2 6 8 7 7C (1-∞, 17, 17, 2)
The command is a half circle and then diagonal.
The command can start on any cardinal direction.
After leaving that first cardinal direction, you have 16F to get to the next cardinal direction (17F total).
After hitting a cardinal direction, you have 16F to get to the next one (17F total)
That is until you get to the diagonal of the last cardinal direction, where, if ending in 7 or 9, you limited by 3F jump, max duration of 2F to press C.
Failed command example:
6 3 2 1 4 7 7C
(9, 4, 2, 2, 2, 0) 214C comes out
(9, 4, 2, 2, 2, 1-2) evac toss
(9, 4, 2, 2, 2, 3) j.C
Why does this happen?
If you exceed a buffer window, the next command afterward will be recognized.
But it's trickier when commands share the same buffer windows.
And it's more trickier with simultaneous button and direction press.
You might expect 7+C to kara cancel.
7+C is not a kara cancel, but is recognized as a command done after 21[4].
Perhaps the game's priority is not the kara cancel, but the 1F of direction before command completion.
The game will choose 21[4] "buffered" with a direction rather than choosing to do a kara cancel evac toss.
Rock 632146A
63214 6 A (1-∞, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17)
Specific Example:
63214 5 6 6A (1-∞, 17, 17, 17, 10, 7, 17)
Dong/Jenet Super Jump [2] 5 8
[1/2/3] 5 7/8/9 (1-17, 1-17)
If you start doing a non-down direction 4 or 6,
unless you go back to neutral,
you have 15F (16F total) to go to 1 or 2 or 3.
Otherwise you start with a down direction 1 or 2 or 3.
After hitting a down direction 1 or 2 or 3, you have 16F to leave that down direction (17F total) and go to neutral.
After hitting neutral again, you have 16F to go to direction 7 or 8 or 9 (17F total).
Specific example:
6 3 2 5 8 (16, 11, 6, 17, 16) OK
2 1 5 4 7 (3, 14, 8, 9, 14) OK
Gato 623AB
6 5 2 3 3AB (1-∞, 16, 17, 17)
There seems to be leeway when you can do the follow-up and how long you can hold directions.
Air Special Buffer
Air special list:
- Jenet -- j.2B/D
- Grant -- j.2B/D
- Hoku -- j.236A/C, j.214B/D
- Hotaru -- j.214B/D
- Dong -- j.2B/D, j.236(x2)A/C
- Jae -- j.2B/D
- Tizoc -- j.236A
- Air special considerations
- Air specials have a minimum height while ascending, as well as minimum height (different for jumps and hops) before landing. Below this minimum height a jump normal comes out.
- You cannot simultaneously press direction and button for air specials during hops. The jump normal comes out instead.
Most likely because this is a kara cancel on the first frame. Hop normals do not usually allow you to special cancel or target combo, so that likely extends to kara cancels.
- Air specials have to consider numerous buffers before executing.
- The initial direction being pressed.
- The actual buffer for the special.
- You can exceed a buffer while still being within the limits of other buffers.
- Pre-existing ground buffers will interfere with air buffers
- Ground command buffers are still in effect when going into the air and will interfere when trying to do air command buffers.
And vice-versa applies for commands done in the air.
Air commands can be done on the ground before going airborne, and vice-versa.
The commands done earlier will take priority over the commands done later.
Air commands won't execute until that ground buffer window is exceeded.
- Ground command buffers are still in effect when going into the air and will interfere when trying to do air command buffers.
Air j.2B/D (Grant, Jenet, Jae, Dong)
You cannot divekick while ascending and just before landing
- First 1-4F airborne frames (1-3F for Jenet)
- 1-2F before jump landing
- 1-4F before hop landing
- 1-5F for Jae and Dong
- 1-5F in case of forward and back hop for Grant
After the first frame of 2 direction, you have 16F to go in the air and press the button (17F total buffer).
Jae has 8F to do this (9F total buffer).
Otherwise, if the initial direction is not 2 (if it is 4, 6, 1, 3, 7, 8, or 9), you have 15F to press the 2 direction (16F total buffer).
Jae has 7F to do this (8F total buffer).
Jenet has 11F to do this (12F total buffer).
Note:
After the 2 direction buffer is exceeded while airborne, you only need to go to at least 1 frame of neutral to reset the buffer before you can redo the 2 direction buffer.
(e.g., after a 17F total buffer is exceeded at 18F, you need at least 1F of neutral at 19F before going to 2 direction can be attempted again at 20F.)
j.236A (Tizoc)
You cannot air grab while ascending and just before landing
- First 1-4F airborne frames
- 1-3F before jump landing
- 1-4F before neutral and back hop landing
- 1-5F before forward hop landing
2 3 6 X (∞, 17, 17)
After the 1st frame of 6, you have 16F to go in the air (if you aren't already airborne) and press A.
If you start in some cardinal direction other than 2, the game might register the start of another command and j.236A won't come out. You would have to wait until the buffer is exceeded.
j.236236P (Dong)
Air [2]36 23 (1-∞, 17, 17, 17, 17)
Specific example:
Air [2]36 5 236 (1-∞, 17, 11, 6, 17, 16, 1)
