Defense
Sources: JPN Garou Wiki, JPN Garou Wiki Translation, and Garou Discord Group
Just Defend (JD or JDF)
While Standing - tap 
.
While Crouching - tap 
.
While Jumping - tap /.
By defending an attack just before it connects, you can "just defend" it.
There are three types of this kind of guard: standing, crouching, and airborne.
- Air Defense. In the air, it is a very important and powerful defensive tool, so you want to be sure you know how to use it.
-
- There is no air blocking in Garou, but you can JD in the air. (Also see instant air just defend.)
- You can not air JD during any small jump, super jump, or whiffed jump attacks. Feel free to anti-air them.
- When crossing past the other player in the air (side-switch), air JD changes direction but inputs do not. When defending against their attack, you're technically doing air JD with forward in that situation.
- If you air JD, you can get hit again in the air after leaving JD blockstun. It’s different from an air hit where you are air invincible after leaving air hitstun.
- After JDing an air hit, the "air hit landing" situation described in this section is still those 3 frames, but there is no "unblockable" situation. You can block a 0F super unblockable.
- There is no air blocking in Garou, but you can JD in the air. (Also see instant air just defend.)
- The following four benefits are given by you doing a JD over regular guard.
-
- Special move chip damage, super move chip damage, and guard crush durability reduction do not occur.
(No guard meter loss that will bring you closer to a guard crush (GCH) like blocking will.) - Life points are gained according to the damage points of the opponent's attack (the more damaging the move, the more life gained).
- Guard cancel becomes available.
- Guard Cancel (GC): Completing a special move (including T.O.P. Moves) or supers during a JD will cause a GC, immediately ending the blockstun and going into the attack's animation. The motions of the command can be buffered before the JD occurs, or done entirely during the JD if you are fast enough.
- Guard Cancel (GC): Completing a special move (including T.O.P. Moves) or supers during a JD will cause a GC, immediately ending the blockstun and going into the attack's animation. The motions of the command can be buffered before the JD occurs, or done entirely during the JD if you are fast enough.
- Blockstun is reduced by 2 frames compared to normal guarding, allowing you to recover faster.
- Special move chip damage, super move chip damage, and guard crush durability reduction do not occur.
Note that the amount of life point recovery
is determined by the basic attack power and does not include the TOP correction.
Some special moves cannot be JDed when the life bar is at 0 points (near-KO).
Also, Freeman's strong Morbid Angel cannot be guard canceled.
There are some exceptions to the reduction in blockstun, some of which are only a 1 frame reduction.
Some JD's are significantly disadvantageous (High Angle Nerichagi, Jae's TOP attack).
JD Buffer Period/Window
Directions for air and ground JD are 4 and 1 (7 doesn’t work for air-JD).
For a JD to happen, you must have not input a back direction (1, 4 or 7) for 9F (cooldown).
(this cooldown prevents the continuous spamming of the JD input)
You must be holding guard (4 or 1) for it to happen, and get hit within 7F after pressing guard. In the air, it becomes 9F. (8F only for forward jumps)
Example of the Window for Ground JD:
- JD can be held alternating between the 4 and 1 directions, but it is only accepted 7 frames in total.
- If you input 4-direction for 3 frames and then 1-direction starting the next frame, the low JD will only be accepted for 4 frames.
You can JD immediately after exiting hitstun.
You cannot JD for 4F after exiting blockstun.
Even if the guard is released, JD is not possible for 4 frames. JD won't be able to be done during absolute guard, a real blockstring, or jailing.
Air JD and ground JD do not share cooldown.
You can hold back on the ground, and then air JD without waiting 4F. After that, hold back in the air and keep holding back, and as you land -- after 1F of landing recovery -- get a JD. (you can even hold the same direction input)
In frame-by-frame this means:
- Ground JD (7F of active JD) -> jump (2F of vulnerability) -> IAJD (9F or 8F of active JD)
- release in the air for 4F to obtain another JD when you land
- Hold back before landing: 9F of active air JD -> land (1F vulnerable) -> keep holding back for 7F of ground JD
(The landing recovery time after jumping is based on the case where no attack is made.)
Similarly, you can hold back in the air, after an air hit or an air JD, to ground JD.
In both cases, the ground JD acceptance window starts when you enter air hit landing recovery (where you usually cannot be hit) and afterwards you JD.
See this link for an example after an air JD.
Instant Air Just Defend (IAJD)
You can air JD at any point in time of your normal jump besides landing.
But the fastest you can air just defend is as soon as you leave the ground, the first airborne frame of your normal jump.
That is, as soon as the 3rd frame of the jump input (4th frame for Tizoc/Griffon) after pre-jump frames.
As for your small jump, you generally can't air JD.
But if you do a JD during the ascent of the small jump, during the first 6 airborne frames, the small jump will become a normal jump air JD.
However, it's difficult to both do a small jump and then a JD as fast as possible because you are required to return to neutral.
Doing air JD as soon as possible is usually done with an option-select called "instant-air just defend" (IAJD).
(And because it's done with motions without returning to neutral, it always starts as a normal jump.)
IAJD is a very strong defensive mechanic.
Here are some common motions to do IAJD.
(These motions are done fast just before the attack lands when you are at back or down-back so that the JD reception window is not exceeded before JDing):
This option-select can cover multiple scenarios.
As shown in these examples of doing a ground JD and then an air JD
in this post
and this post.
For situations in the mid-air where you miss an IAJD or held a back direction for too long, refresh the air JD cooldown by going to neutral or a non-back direction before trying to air JD again.
- 14741 [2] 1
- 14741 23698 741
- [7] [8] 741 OR [7] [5] 41
Successive JD's
When you successfully JD, you are able to JD again.
- There is no JD cooldown after the first JD.
- The fastest you can do a next JD is during the current JD's blockstop.
- You can next JD during the current JD's blockstun.
- You can JD immediately after exiting JD blockstun.
After the first JD, you can spam back to JD successive hits (and also multi-hit attacks or combos).
When the next hit will happen during the first JDed hit's blockstop or subsequent blockstun, you are given more leeway to "buffer" (or queue) this next JD:
- You can hold the guard direction past the JD acceptance window and still have the next JD.
- After pressing a guard direction, you can return to and hold a non-JD direction 2/5/7/8 and still have the next JD.
- If you then press or hold 3/6/9 directions afterwards, the JD will not happen.
- However, you can go back to a guard direction and still have the next JD (resetting your JD).
- If you then press or hold 3/6/9 directions afterwards, the JD will not happen.
- When you leave JD blockstun, both the JD cooldown and JD acceptance windows go back into effect.
Successive JD Motions:
5 4(JD) 5 4(JD) 5 4(JD) ...
For successive low JDing
- 5 1 (JD) 5 1 (JD) 5 1 (JD) ...
- 5 2 1 (JD) 5 2 1 (JD) 5 2 1 (JD) ...
- 5 4 1 (JD) 5 4 1 (JD) 5 4 1 (JD) ...
Stay at 2 or a low direction to preserve charge
- 2 1 (JD) 2 1 (JD) 2 1 (JD) ...
Successive Air JD's:
Because there is no absolute guard in the air, you will get hit if you do not JD a successive hit.
In the air, buffered successive JD stay active until you land, even if you release guard.
You can add a quick 5 4 5 right after an IAJD, not waiting for the cooldown.
This will buffer a 2nd air JD in case of successive hits.
Kain Air Unblockable Example:
As touched upon in proximity guard JD prevention and Seele Bug, you can fail to successive JD Kain's Seele ball super (especially super D since the duration is longer) because of other attacks done during it.
When you aren't quick enough to JD an extra incoming attack, the attack will hit in between your attempted Seele JD's.
If on the ground, you end up being put in regular blockstop and blockstun.
And if in the air, because of no air blocking, you'll be hit.
Kain has an air unblockable setup with this:
Seele super D (air JDed) --> Empty Lanze D fireball.
The Lanze fireball followup actually contains 2 fireballs that hit very close together.
So even if you successfully air JD the first Lanze fireball hit in between Seele hits, you won't be able to JD the second Lanze fireball hit. You won't be able to defend against the Seele afterwards.
Low Un-JDable and High Un-JDable Normals
Some high/low blockable normal moves can only be JDed either standing or crouching, not both.
Most close C or close D cannot be JDed while crouching (must stand).
Most 2C cannot be JDed while standing (must crouch).
In particular, crouching "JD-disabled" techniques are important,
and by using them properly with low-hitting light attacks when attacking standing opponents,
it is possible to disrupt the opponent's JD (or GC from that JD).
Normals you cannot JD while crouching:
| Rock Howard | cl.5D |
| Kim Dong Hwan | cl.5D, f.5C, f.5D |
| Hotaru Futaba | cl.5D, f.5C |
| Khushnood Butt | cl.5C |
| Hokutomaru | cl.5D |
| Kevin Rian | cl.5C, f.5C |
| Freeman | f.5C, f.5D |
| Tizoc | None |
| B. Jenet | cl.5D, f.5C |
| Gato | cl.5C |
| Kim Jae Hoon | cl.5C, cl.5D, f.5D |
| Terry Bogard | cl.5C, cl.5D, f.5C |
| Grant | cl.5C, cl.5D, f.5C, f.5D |
| Kain R. Heinlein | cl.5C, f.5C, cl.5D, f.5D |
Normals you cannot JD while standing:
| Rock Howard | None |
| Kim Dong Hwan | 2C |
| Hotaru Futaba | 2C |
| Khushnood Butt | None |
| Hokutomaru | 2C |
| Kevin Rian | 2C |
| Freeman | 2C |
| Tizoc | None |
| B. Jenet | 2C |
| Gato | 2C |
| Kim Jae Hoon | 2C |
| Terry Bogard | 2C |
| Grant | 2C |
| Kain R. Heinlein | 2C |
Exceptions to JD Blockstun Reduction
Instead of -2F, the normal 2F reduction in blockstun. (Unless mentioned otherwise, applies to multi-hit moves JDed until the last hit.)
- ◯ Blockstun after Mid-Air JD
- After you JD an air hit, you have 11F blockstun, after every type of hit.
- Weak Attack... -3F
- (14F light normal ground blockstun - 11F = 3F of blockstun reduction)
- Strong Attack... -9F
- (20F heavy normal ground blockstun - 11F = 9F of blockstun reduction)
- Evasive Attack ・Special Attack... -13F
- (24F evasive attack ・special attack ground blockstun - 11F = 13F of blockstun reduction)
As a general rule, the frame data of projectiles
is listed as though they are hit in close contact.
- ◯ All projectiles
- (except S-power supers, P-power supers, Jenet's Baffles (236P), Hoku's strong Shurikens (236C), Grant's Kokuen-Ryu (214P), and Kain's Lanze descending flame): -1F
- ◯ Grant's Kokuen-Ryu (214P)
- Weak -4F (-11F to -15F), Strong -5F (-3F to -8F)
- ◯ Kain's Weak Lanze descending flame [2]8B
- -9F (-4F to -13F)
- However, when Hokutomaru JD's the descending flame, the blockstun is -3F to -12F.
- When Kevin, Griffon, Freeman, Jenny, Cain, and Grant JD's the descending flame, the blockstun is -5F to -14F.
- If crouching, all characters have their above values given an additional +1F
(this means that they enter blockstun 1F later, but blockstun reduction from JD is still -9F).
- ◯ S-Power and P-Power Projectile Supers (JDing until the last hit)
- Rock's S-power Raging Storm (236(x2)A)... -23F to -39F
- Terry's S-power Buster Wolf (236(x2)B)... -17F to -62F
- Dong's S-power Raimei-Dan (236(x2)B)... -5F to -22F
- Dong's P-power Raimei-Dan (236(x2)D)... +5F to -12F
- Freeman's S-power, P-power Full Blast (236(x2)A/C)... -7F, -6F to -24F
- Marco's S-power Haou Shou Kouken (236(x2)A)... -16F to -33F
- Kain's S-power Atem (236(x2)A)... +8F to -9F
- When Kevin, Griffon, Freeman, Jenet, Kain, and Grant JD the super, the blockstun is +7F to -10F
- If crouching, all characters have their above values given an additional +1F
(this means that they enter blockstun 1F later)
- Kain's P-power Atem (236(x2)C)... +34F to +2F
- When Kevin, Griffon, Freeman, Jenet, Kain, and Grant JD the super, the blockstun is +33F to +1F
- If crouching, all characters have their above values given an additional +1F
(this means that they enter blockstun 1F later)
- ◯ Moves where if you JD, the opponent doing the move gains advantageous frames.
- Rock's P-power Raging Storm (236(x2)C)... -51F to -41F
- Terry's P-power Buster Wolf (236(x2)D)... -34F to -12F
- Marco's P-power Haou Shou Kouken (236(x2)C)... -24F to +5F
- Hokutomaru's S-power Shuriken (236(x2)A), P-power Kunai (236(x2)C)... -34F to -27F
- Kevin's S-power Gatling Freezer... +1 to +13
- Jenet's Weak Baffles (236A)... -3F to +6F
- Jenet's Strong Baffles (236C)... -2F to +15F
- Jenet's GC Super Ennui Mademoiselle (during JD, do A・B・C)... -79F to -68F
- Hokutomaru's Strong Shuriken (236C)... -2F to +5F
- Jae's High-Angle Nerichagi (TOP attack CD)... -1F to +11F
- ◯ The following moves' advantageous frames change if you switch to normal block in the middle of JDing the move.
- Jenet's Weak Baffles (236A)
JD the first 1~2 steps/hits --> then normally block the rest... -2F
- Jenet's Strong Baffles (236C)
JD the first 1~2 steps/hits --> then normally block the rest... +5F
- Terry's P-power Buster Wolf (236(x2)D)
JD up to the first 2~4 steps/hits --> then normally block the rest... -22F
- Marco's P-power Haou Shou Kouken (236(x2)C)
JD up to the first 1~3 steps/hits --> then normally block the rest... -7F
- Kain's P-power Atem (236(x2)C)
JD the first 1~2 steps/hits --> then normally block the rest... +19F- When Kevin, Griffon, Freeman, Jenet, Kain, and Grant do it, it is +18F
If crouching, all characters have their above values given an additional +1F
(this means that they enter blockstun 1F later)
- When Kevin, Griffon, Freeman, Jenet, Kain, and Grant do it, it is +18F
About JDing "Blackout" Moves (Super)
Although the input buffer for commands and other actions is "frozen" and not accepted during blackout and forced time stop, the JD acceptance and cooldown windows still elapse when inputting the back directions.
That's why immediately when blackout occurs,
you can go to a direction other than back or guard (such as neutral)
so you reset the JD cooldown window
and don't take up the JD acceptance window.
As shown below, it's good practice to go to neutral and let go of your directions whenever you see a super.
JDing 0-Frame Supers on the Ground
Guard state is triggered by proximity guard and then continuing during blockstun.
JDing on the ground is not only dependent on the JD window and cooldown while pressing 4 or 1 -- it's also dependent on this guard state and the guard box.
This means you can let go of the guard direction but still be in the guard state and JD.
0-frame supers cannot be guarded against if the guard input is made after
blackout -- the guard input must be made before blackout and you must be in
the guard state before blackout.
The game checks this guard state at the last frame of forced time stop.
Since you’re already blocking, just release your guard direction during the blackout to retrieve your JD acceptance and cooldown windows.
You will JD that first hit even if you’re any direction other than guard directions 4 or 1 (in this case even the 7 direction is OK).
(i.e., you JD because you are in guard and have not exceeded either JD windows)
JDing 0-Frame Supers While Airborne
It's different for air JD.
In the air, there is no blocking, no guard state, no proximity guard. You can't just hold the guard input before "blackout" and release the direction like on the ground.
JDing is determined by just the JD acceptance and cooldown windows while pressing 4 or 1.
To air JD a 0F, make sure to release your guard direction during blackout to retrieve your JD acceptance and cooldown window.
Then you must time your JD input so that you JD the first hit at the end of blackout and forced time stop.
Specifically for a 0F, at the last frame of forced time stop (when the active frame of your opponent's attack touches your hurtbox).
Be careful to hold the guard input briefly (just a few frames) before so you don't exceed the JD acceptance window before the move hits.
Other JDing Super Situations
For 1F supers on the ground, if you are close enough for the first hit you can:
- like a 0F, be guard state before blackout and let go of the directions: you'll JD because of proximity guard after exiting forced time stop.
- press 4 during blackout or forced time stop and you'll exit forced time stop in proximity guard, thus JDing.
For everything else, ground or air -- if you are farther away for any super, or the super has a longer startup, or the super has a longer forced time stop period --
after releasing the guard direction during blackout like the above situations, you adjust accordingly and wait some more before hitting 4 or 1 to JD.
Once again, be careful not to start holding the guard input too early so you don't exceed the JD acceptance window before the move hits.
For example:
If a player releases guard after blackout, and then enters guard 3 frames before the end of blackout and forced time stop, JD window would have elapsed 4 frames at the frame after exiting forced time stop.
Since many of the supers are fast nonetheless, it is good practice to input JD as early as possible to reliably and consistently JD.
Guard Cancel (GC)
An essential counter attacking system in Garou (there are similar counter attacking systems in other fighting games, but without the added stipulation of JD).
GCs can only be performed during JD frames while you flash blue (JD blockstop).
During a JD, JD blockstop includes 4 frames added in various ways:
- all added to the end of the normal blockstop (such as 8F --> 12F or 12F --> 16F),
- partially replaces the last 2 frames of normal blockstop and adds 2 frames at the end (such as 12F --> 10F + 4F),
- entirely replaces last 4 frames of normal blockstop (such as 16F --> 12F + 4F).
A counter attack of your choosing -- with the command entered during the first part of JD blockstop --
will cancel part of the added JD blockstop frames and then execute.
This GC move happens 3F before the opponent can move. (i.e., 3F before you normally exit JD blockstop. Reduces hitstop/blockstop for you by 3F.)
The window for guard cancel:
- Light attacks (A or B): 9F after the JD occurs (GC executing on the 10F)
- Heavy attacks (C or D), Evasive attacks, Special moves, Super moves: 13F after the JD occurs (GC executing on the 14F)
(Note: Normally, Light attacks have 8F of hitstop/blockstop, while Heavy attacks have 12F of hitstop/blockstop)
Therefore, offense with “light” attacks make it harder for your opponent to GC.
Because the blue effect when JD is successful appears so quickly, it's almost impossible to input GC on reaction, especially on arcade stick.
Only 3 kinds of attacks will let you guard cancel out of a JD animation:
- Special Moves
- Super Moves
- T.O.P. Attack
(exception: Freeman's strong Morbid Angel can't be used as a GC.)
When the opponent special cancels their normal (or cancels with a target combo) while you JD and then GC that normal:
- Both the opponent's cancel move and your guard cancel will execute.
- They'll beat each other out or even trade.
- If the startup of the GC move is 2F or less, the opponent will be hit before their cancel move's startup.
- Some GC moves are unavoidable. But even in that case, the opponent can still do some things to avoid them like canceling their normal into a break move (invincible) or a move that counter-hits.
Note that the large buffer allows you to perform the motion before JDing. For example 623 > 4 > JD > press A : will GC with a DP.
Here are typical input methods for GC (get a JD, then press the button):
(236) command
(JD) (
) X- (JD) X
- (JD) OR (JD) X
(623) command- (JD) OR (JD) X
( (JD) OR (JD) ) 
X
(214) command- do JD by pressing button during 1 or 4 input
- (JD) X
- (JD) X
- JD > 214 is also possible.
- (JD) X
- (JD) X
360° command- 1 rotation input starting from a JD and then button
- (JD) OR (JD) X
- 1 rotation input and do JD and then button
- (JD) OR (JD) X
- , super (236236) command
- (JD) OR (JD) X
- , (JD) OR (JD) X
-
2 charge 8 command - hold OR (JD) OR (JD) X
- you can repeat 1 > 2 > 1 > 2 for consecutive/repeating JD's and keep charging while doing lower JD's.
- 4 charge 6 commands
- hold OR (JD) OR (JD) X
Non-Rollable Knockdowns After Guard Cancel
Non-rollable knockdowns, or "hard knockdowns", are knockdowns that you cannot tech-roll out of.
(See the Ground Recovery (Rolling) section.)
Primarily, throws and supers give hard knockdowns that you cannot tech-roll out of.
And the resulting knockdown of certain Specials and TOP Attacks cannot be tech-rolled either.
Lastly, the resulting knockdown of certain Specials and TOP Attacks that normally can be tech-rolled cannot be tech-rolled when done from a Guard Cancel.
List of Moves used for GC after which the resulting Knockdown cannot be tech-rolled:
| Character | Move |
| Rock Howard | Rising Tackle (Note 1) |
| Strong Hard Edge (214C) | |
| TOP (CD) | |
| Terry Bogard | Burn Knuckle (214P) |
| Power Dunk (623K) | |
| Crack Shoot (214K) | |
| Kim Dong Hwan | Strong Kuusa-jin (623C) |
| TOP ("Revolving Don Juan") (CD) | |
| Kim Jae Hoon | Strong Hien-zan ([2]8D) (plus follow-up) |
| Hishou-kyaku (j.2K) > Additional move | |
| Ryusei-Raku (236K) | |
| Shakka-shuu (236P) | |
| Hotaru Futaba | Sou-shou Shin (214P) |
| Kobi-Kyaku (214K) | |
| TOP ("Senkai Tsubame") (CD) | |
| Gato | Shin-ga > Additional Move (236P) |
| Rai-ga (623K) (Note 2) | |
| Katsu-ga (214K~D) | |
| B. Jenet | Gulf Tomahawk (214K) |
| Harrier Bee (j.2K) | |
| TOP ("Rolling Thunder") (CD) | |
| Khushnood Butt/Marco | Strong Hien Shippuu Kyaku (236D) |
| Dragon Flash Fist (charge [C]) | |
| Tiger Flash Leg (charge [D]) | |
| Strong Ko-ou-hou (623C) | |
| TOP (CD) | |
| Hokutomaru | Karakusa-Kiri (214P) |
| Rakka-ki (real) (214D) | |
| Kuu-ha-dan (236K) | |
| TOP (CD) | |
| Freeman | Phobia (623P) |
| Tizoc/Griffon | Poseidon Wave (421P) |
| TOP (CD) | |
| Kevin Rian | Weak Hell Snipe (623A) |
| Creeper > A Follow-up (214B~A) | |
| Grant | Weak Black Flame Dragon (214A) |
| Evil Bird Blade (623P) (No additional input) | |
| Messhou Hisetsu (j.2K) | |
| TOP (CD) | |
| Kain R. Heinlein | Strong Schwarze Panzer ([4]6D) |
| Schwarz Lanze (when break done, tech rolling is possible) | |
| TOP (CD) |
Note 1: When a full-hit (3-hits for the weak version, 4-hits for the strong version) is done, a tech-roll can be done afterwards.
Note 2: When the weak version does 4 or 5 hits, a tech-roll can be done afterwards.
Other Notes and Exceptions:
- Generally, most of these moves always cause non-tech-rollable knockdowns if they hit a grounded opponent.
- It's not always the move itself, but certain hits of that move that causes non-tech-rollable knockdown.
- Usually determined by the knockdowning last hit of multi-hitting moves.
- As noted above, certain hits of a move allow a tech-roll to be done.
- Some of these moves may result in a tech-rollable knockdown if they hit an airborne opponent.
- If the Guard Cancel hit is a counter hit, that counter hit knockdown can be tech-rolled.
- If that counter hit is subsequently hit by that Guard Canceled move, it usually results in a non-tech-rollable knockdown.
JD Storing on Next Guard From Whiffed GC
Whiff GC stores a JD on the next guard regardless of the JD window. See: [1] and [2].
Whiffing a GC makes the next guard JD.
You get a free JD on your next guard.
You don’t have to hold back so the JD can come up.
If you release back and press back again without JD timing you get the JD.
It works with air JD too.
A few conditions remove the free JD state:
- Taking damage and giving damage, as well as either of you blocking normals and specials, remove the state.
- Backdash, forward dash, and landing from jump remove the state.
- Whiffed normals and specials don't remove the state.
Mid-Air Hit
This is a section devoted to the mid-air hit situation. It gives you a landing situation different from empty jumping and other jump normals. The mid-air hit situation is touched upon in other various topics, but consolidated here.
Receiving hits while in mid-air, from either grounded or air moves, may cause knockdown (tech or untechable).
Depending on what you're hit with, follow-up attacks are possible before that knockdown.
- Air counter-hit while airborne
- See "Counter Hits" section for allowed follow-ups.
- Non-counter-hit special/super while airborne
- Allowed follow-up specials and supers are dependent on the character.
Meanwhile, non-knockdowning, non-counter-hit air hits put you in hitstop, then air hitstun, and then -- after falling -- into an air-hit landing recovery.
- Special/super/TOP attacks that hit in such a way while you are airborne (especially the latter parts of a move).
- Normals, evasion attacks, and jump normals that hit while you are airborne.
- All non-knockdowning, non-counter-hit attacks while you are airborne have 14F air hitstun.
Comboing off of this window of air hitstun is limited:
- Only light normals into special cancel connect into a combo.
- Cancels and other attacks will whiff instead of hitting.
- Upper-body evasion attacks or heavy normals into special cancel do not connect into a combo.
- Ground and air target combos do not connect into a combo.
- Follow-up normals, even if done within this air hitstun, do not connect into a combo.
- Exception: See Miscellaneous --> Jenet-Only Combos for when upper-body evasion attack or heavy normal into special cancel does work.
Similarly, air JDing any attack puts you in air JD blockstop, then air JD blockstun,
and then -- after falling -- an air JD landing recovery.
Mid-air JD has 11F JD blockstun:
- Every type of hit has this same air JD blockstun (weak normal, strong normal, evasion attack, special/super/TOP attack).
(See "Exceptions to JD Blockstun Reduction".) - Another air JD can be buffered before air JD blockstun ends.
(See "Successive JD's".)
- Air Hit Landing Recovery
(Sourced from "0F Move Guard-Impossible Phenomenon".)
- After exiting air hitstun while airborne, your sprite is reset, you fall to the ground, and you have 3 frames before you can move again (for Hokutomaru it is 4 frames)
- You cannot be hit after exiting air hitstun while falling (air invincible) and during these landing frames because there is no hurtbox.
- However, during these landing frames' latter half 2 frames, if a 0F move is done, then you are able to avoid it, but not block against it (unblockable).
The 0F move whiffs on the 1st frame of landing. (For Hokutomaru, the 0F move whiffs on the 1～2nd frame of landing.)
- Air hit landing recovery is also considered a wakeup situation.
- You cannot be thrown during the 1~3F (1~4F for Hokutomaru) of air hit landing recovery.
- You cannot be thrown for some time after that landing recovery, having the same window of throw invincibility as you would after wakeup.
- Air JD Landing Recovery
(Sourced from "Just Defend (JD or JDF)", "0F Move Guard-Impossible Phenomenon", and "JD Buffer Period/Window")
- After exiting air JD blockstun while airborne, your sprite is reset, you fall to the ground, and you have 3 frames before you can move again (even for Hokutomaru it is the same)
- You can be hit while falling after exiting air JD hitstun, unless you air JD again.
- But you cannot be hit during the landing frames because there is no hurtbox.
- Unlike regular Air Hit Landing Recovery, there is no "unblockable" situation. The 0F super whiffs on all the landing frames.
- Air JD landing recovery is not considered a wakeup situation,
- You can't be thrown for the 1F of air JD landing recovery.
- You can be thrown for the 2F and afterwards of air JD landing recovery.
- You can be thrown immediately after air JD landing recovery.
- However, you can choose to do an air attack while airborne after an air JD. And your landing recovery will be the one for that attack.
- Both Air Hit Landing Recovery and Air JD Landing Recovery
- In both cases, the ground JD acceptance window starts the first frame of landing and only after landing recovery can you JD.
- Air JD and ground JD do not share cooldown.
- So you can hold back in the air, and after an air hit or an air JD, that held back direction will ground JD after exiting landing recovery.
- See this link for an example after an air JD.
- Besides the regular okizeme options, the opponent may have the option to do a "Cross-Under" before you land.
Air Landing
In general:
- Normals, throws, throw techs, backdash/dash, etc. can be input mid-air before landing (any type of landing)
and reversal after landing recovery (if they are within their reversal window). - Ground specials/supers/TOP attacks cannot be done in mid-air and reversal after landing recovery.
- Ground specials/supers/TOP attacks can only be canceled out of the last 2F of air hit landing or air JD landing recovery.
Input Buffer Before and After Landing
- Rules
You cannot cancel your landing recovery with both the same command button AND the same input buffer -- that you did just before landing.
Double button presses do not count: they just motion store and do not trigger any special/super.
- Explanation
Air and ground share the same input buffer.
Input buffers for air moves can be done on the ground, and vice-versa.
If the command you do doesn't exist where you are at currently, you will just get a normal coming out.
So what happens is that a special/super command ending in a single button will still trigger that command, even if it doesn't execute.
(For example, doing Tizoc Air 236A on the ground.)
And you won't be able to cancel the landing recovery with just that same button (using that same command buffer and button).
That is, you can't cancel the landing recovery with the input of the special/super you already did just before -- you already triggered that same special/super.
You'd have to re-enter both that same command buffer and button to do that.
Otherwise, you can use that same buffer, but do a special/super with a different button. Or you can add to that buffer, like doing super after the first QCF in the air.
Double button inputs motion storing will not trigger the special/super, even thought the normal comes out just the same.
That's why you're able to to put out the same normal before canceling landing recovery with the special/super associated with that normal.
So you can end special/super input with A+D in the air and cancel landing recovery with A.
You can do the same special/super in the air and on the ground, ending in the same button, but they have to be different input buffers.
Different characters have different input buffer command priorities.
Ground and air move input buffers can overlap, and if the priority is not set, then the game won't decide and just output a normal.
Attacking Before and After Your Empty Jump Landing
Just before an empty jump lands:
- If you try to input a normal attack on the 1st landing frame and the airborne frames before,
you land as if you've done that jump normal used and go through that normal's landing recovery. - If you try to input a special/super/TOP attack on the 1st landing frame and the airborne frames before (when there is no air command or are below minimum height),
you land as if you've done that jump normal used and go through that normal's landing recovery. - Either way, if you are within the reversal window, you reversal out of landing recovery with the normal button used.
- You can reversal normal, throw, throw tech out of the added landing recovery.
- You can reversal normal, throw, throw tech out of the added landing recovery.
- If you jump/hop attack this way or do it even earlier, see "Attacking After Your Jump/Hop Attack Landing"
After an empty jump lands:
- The window to input a special/super/TOP attack on the ground is the 2nd landing frame onward.
Attacking After Your Jump/Hop Attack Landing
After doing a jump/hop attack:
- You can reversal normal, throw, throw tech, backdash/dash, etc. out of landing recovery.
- If you try to input a special/super/TOP attack on the 1st landing frame and the airborne frames before, it doesn't come out.
And if you are still within the reversal window, you reversal out of landing recovery with the normal button used. - The window to input a special/super/TOP attack on the ground is to cancel landing recovery on the 2nd landing frame onward.
Attacking After Your Air Hit Landing
After you get hit in the air:
- You can reversal out of air hit landing recovery with a normal, throw, throw tech, backdash/dash, etc.
- If you try to input a special/super/TOP attack on the 1st landing frame and the airborne frames before, it doesn't come out.
If you are within the reversal window, you reversal out of air hit landing recovery with the normal button used.
Exception: Hokutomaru's Shuriken can be entered on the 1st landing frame and reversal out (probably because of the shared buffer with the air version). - The window to input special/super/TOP attack is 2nd landing frame onward.
That way you exit air hit landing recovery with a reversal.
Attacking Before and After Air JD Landing
After JDing an air hit, you have 3 choices:
- Do a jump attack long before landing, see "Attacking After Your Jump/Hop Attack Landing".
- Try to attack just before landing, see "Attacking Before and After Your Empty Jump Landing".
- Otherwise, you can just land and go through air JD landing recovery.
Going through air JD landing recovery:
- You can reversal out of air JD landing recovery with a backdash/dash, etc.
- You can input from the 2nd landing frame onward to reversal out of air JD landing recovery with a normal, throw, throw tech, etc.
- The window to input special/super/TOP attack is 2nd landing frame onward.
- This way you cancel air JD landing recovery (while exiting with a reversal message).
