Garou: Mark of the Wolves/Offense

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Offense

Sources: JPN Garou Wiki, JPN Garou Wiki Translation, and Garou Discord Group

Throws

Normal Throw (Ground Throw)

For a normal throw (ground throw), press either / + up close.

Gato and Tizoc/The Griffon are the only two with a throw, by pressing either / + .

(6C or 6D for forward throw. 4C or 4D for back throw.)

Every character’s normal throws are active on the 1st frame of the startup of the normal being used.

Every character's normal throws have a 40 pixels range.

If you're pressing multiple buttons simultaneously to option-select a throw, the throw won’t come out unless you press both strong attacks.

CD (when not in TOP), BCD, ACD, ABCD are OK
AD, BC, BD, ABC, ABD won’t work.

P1 has priority over P2 if both normal throws are executed at the same frame.

Air Throw

Only Jenet, Hokutomaru, Hotaru and Dong have air throws. For an air throw, do a normal jump, small jump, or even super jump and use .

Air throwing is done with 4/1/2/3/6 + C.

Dong cannot air throw with 4 because of his j.4C.
Jenet can also air throw with 7 and 9.
Hokuto can air throw after double jump.

They have the same range and startup as normal throws.

You cannot option select air throws by pressing multiple buttons simultaneously.

Air throws cannot be teched.

P1 has priority over P2 if both air throws are executed at the same frame.

Normal and Air Throw is 1F Active

Normal throws and air throws are 1F active: active on the 1st frame and only on that 1 frame.

As one of the fastest options, throws beat out many moves with longer startup.

Throws also have priority over meaty attacks, especially on wake-up: if someone use a meaty attack while in throw range and the opponent presses throw, the throw will win.

(That is, if both the active frame of the throw is done at the same time the active frame of an attack is done, and the attack has no invincibility, the throw will beat the attack.)

Command Throw

Command throws cannot be teched.

Command throws’ range :

Rock’s 360 : 60 pixels
Kevin’s 41236A : 70 pixels
Kevin’s 41236C : 61 pixels
Hotaru’s 41236D : 53 pixels
Griffon’s 360A : 75 pixels
Griffon’s 360C : 67 pixels
Griffon’s 41236B : 70 pixels
Griffon’s 720 : 80 pixels

Throw Window After Dash/Run

A dash has to go through 3 recovery frames before stopping, and then wait for 6 more frames to throw.

In other words, wait for a total of 9 frames between the end of the dash and the throw, otherwise the throw won't come out and instead an attack comes out.

Throw Invincibility

Normal throw invincibility:

8F after hitstun
11F after blockstun
10F after wakeup

Command throw invincibility:

4F after hitstun
5F after blockstun
4F after wakeup

Other Throw Situations

The P1 throw priority over P2 throw during the same frame also applies the same way to reversal throws.

You can throw your opponent on the 1st frame of backdash. (If it is a normal throw, the opponent can buffer a throw tech after the backdash -- the backdash OS -- to counter this.)

You cannot throw your opponent on the 1st frame of jump or hop landing recovery (empty or attack).

You cannot throw your opponent on the 1st frame of airborne special/super/TOP attack landing recovery.

You cannot throw your opponent on the 1st frame of backdash "landing" recovery.

For a normal throw, a normal attack comes out instead. And for a command throw, it whiffs on that frame.

But you can throw them on the 2nd frame and onward.

You cannot tech throw out of a throw done during your normal/special/super recovery.

You can tech throw any reversal throw done out of a recovery.

But you cannot do vice-versa: You can't tech throw a throw with reversal throw.

Exceptions

Tizoc's super command throw can grab on the 1st frame of an airborne move's landing recovery. Similar to the application of 1F supers in comboing, Tizoc's super command throw can connect if done 1 frame before the character lands.

You can tech throw out of a throw done during your TOP attack recovery.

If you are thrown on the last frame of normal/special/super/TOP attack recovery (or 1F before the end of recovery), you can throw tech out of that throw. And you can throw tech out with reversal throw timing, throw teching at the point of reversal.

Another exception to not being able to throw tech a throw done during your recovery is with jump normal landing recovery. You can throw tech out of a throw done during your jump normal landing recovery with reversal throw timing, throw teching afterwards at the point of reversal.

Teching Throws

You can tech out of normal throws by pressing the / button.

To tech normal throws, you need to press 7/4/1/3/6/9 + C/D within 9 frames after being thrown. (During 2～10F of the throw.)

As long as you press C or D to tech the throw, it doesn’t matter if you also press any other button. (for example: AD, BC, BD, etc.)

After a throw tech, both players can recover and move at the same time.

You cannot tech out of command grabs or air grabs.

Throw Option-Select

It is possible to option-select the throw-tech, for example will come out as crouch if you whiff it (faster animation).

Also known as "Throw Tech Using Simultaneous Button Inputs".

This throw-tech OS is done with a throw-tech direction (7/4/1/3/6/9) and a button combination (AD, BC, BD, ABC, ABD, BCD, ACD, CD, or ABCD)

With simultaneous inputs (with C or D), if the opponent throws, you throw-tech. But if they don't, you do the attack that was supposed to come out from that simultaneous input, such as a crouching B or a standing A.

Some characters, rather than using a simultaneous button input for a strong attack, can lower risk using ones for light attacks -- you might be able to gain opportunities for using chain cancels or other offense and defense.

As a counter to this throw-tech OS, you can expect your opponent to do a reversal.

Other examples:

Delay throw-tech with 1BD: hold [1] for a moment before pressing BD.
1ABC done to 2AB or tech throw (on wake up or recovery from a normal, special, or super)
Dash forward 66AD (when you don't have a 6A) to dash-cancel 5A or tech throw.

Throw Bug Escape Technique

There is also a bug in MOTW that allows you to escape any ground normal/command throw by giving you throw invincibility.

Whenever you input a TOP attack or Super during the recovery of a move, you won't be able to get thrown.

It's a strange bug but it works pretty easy.

This video shows it in application:

Also known as "Throw Invincibility Addition":

Generally, after the completion of the input for Super or TOP Attack, there is invincibility against normal throws for 1～15F of the input (15F total) and invincibility against command throws for 1～9F of the input (9F total).

Prerequisites: While on the ground, have at least 1 bar of gauge/meter or be in TOP.

(1) If the input for Super or TOP Attack is completed within the recovery of a move:

There is invincibility against normal throws for 1～15F of the input (15F total) and invincibility against command throws for 1～9F of the input (9F total).

Throw invincibility is added regardless of the move in recovery or the invincibility of the inputted super or TOP attack.

If you simultaneously press both the button for your Super and the TOP attack, you prevent the super attack from being triggered/registered, and then there will be no throw invincibility added. (i.e., neither is triggered.)

The throw invincibility can persist even after the end of the recovery.
- Remaining throw invincibility occurs regardless of any move done afterwards.

Once throw invincibility is added, after 7F has elapsed (after the 1～7F of the 1st input, from the 8F and on), the input can be accepted again.
The throw invincibility time will be overwritten, but it is not added if the button is pressed at 7F and earlier (between the 1～7F of the 1st input).

(2) If the input for Super or TOP Attack is completed within the recovery of a move, but within the 5F reversal window for supers and TOP attack:

If the input is completed 4F or less before the end of recovery, the super or TOP attack will come out as a reversal.
So if you don't want the super or TOP attack to come out, it takes practice to prepare them earlier. (See "Timing For Reversals" section)

Throw invincibility is still applied at input completion, through the remaining recovery, and when the super or TOP attack comes out.
- The above mentioned throw invincibility will be applied in addition to the original overall invincibility of the super or TOP attack.
- Super throw invincibility: 10F of invincibility against normal throw after exiting Forced Time Stop (1～11F). And 4F of invincibility against command throw after exiting Forced Time Stop (1～5F).
- TOP Attack throw invincibility: there is 1～11F of invincibility against normal throw (11F total) and 1～5F of invincibility against command throw (5F total).

(3) If the input for Super or TOP Attack is done alone:

Supers and TOP attacks have added throw invincibility on their own.
- Throw invincibility will be applied in addition to the original overall invincibility of the super or TOP attack.
Throw invincibility time will be the same as if super or TOP attack is done as a reversal.
- Super throw invincibility: 10F of invincibility against normal throw after exiting Forced Time Stop (1～11F). And 4F of invincibility against command throw after exiting Forced Time Stop (1～5F).
- TOP Attack throw invincibility: there is 1～11F of invincibility against normal throw (11F total) and 1～5F of invincibility against command throw (5F total).

To summarize, all supers and TOP attacks have inherent throw invincibility that is hard-set at their reversal window and at their beginning portion. But if you complete their input before the reversal window, this triggers their inherent throw invincibility anyway.

Example of actual use: opponent is a Tizoc/Griffon

Meaty the opponent Tizoc/Griffon on their wake-up with normals and do not cancel those normals --> Input TOP at a timing that does not result in a kara cancel.

This way, the reversal throw, reversal Big Fall (720), GC Justice (360), and GC Big Fall (720) -- it can be used against all of these.

(Note: With Dong being the only one with a mid-air super, during something like the recovery after a jump attack or an air-hit or so on, if Dong's Super Dong Hwan Kick (j.236236A/C) is input (input mid-air before landing), then the throw invincibility happens when he lands.)

2-Hit Close Heavy 2nd Hit Cancel

Usually, 2-hit close heavies are cancelable (feint, special, super, TOP attack) on the first hit only (on hit or on block).

But when a 2-hit close heavy's first hit whiffs and the second hit hits, the second hit can be canceled .

This also applies to Jenet's 2-hit jump C.

Evasion Moves

Lower Body Evasion Attack

Also known as Universal Anti-Low (UAL/AB) or Low-Avoid Attack or Low Dodge Attack --

Press + (5AB) (Any character). You can also do 4AB or 6AB.

When you do an attack your character gains lower body invincibilty, so if an opponent tries to perform a low attack it wont hit you.

AB is an overhead attack for all characters, except Gato.

Gato’s attack can be blocked by either standing or crouching guard.

Rock's AB does not leave the ground either, but still hits overhead.

Dong Hwan and Jae Hoon are the only characters that become airborne on the first frame of A+B.

Dong Hwan and Jae Hoon are the only two characters that cannot kara cancel their A+B mid-air into air special attacks due to their height (being too low).

Despite being an (almost) universal overhead attack, the startup is very low. So it is difficult to put this attack into practical use.

As a general rule, this attack has more blockstun than hitstun (in some matchups they are punishable on hit but not on guard).

So it is good for pressuring the opponent when they block.

But the pay-off can be good if you can open them up, especially if you can counter-hit.

Besides being able to convert off of counter-hit, some characters can convert off of meaty lower-body evasion attack (when it hits on latter active frames).

Especially in the case of 5 characters (Marco, Kevin, Tizoc/Griffon, Kain, Grant) who can connect with a fast normal afterwards.

Here is a video with example combos.

"［餓狼mow］下段避けからコンボが可能な5キャラのコンボ一例" by Arusu

Upper Body Evasion Attack

Also known as Universal Anti-Air (UAA/2AB/dAB) or High-Avoid Attack or High Dodge Attack --

It can be performed by pressing A + B while crouching.

Press + + (2AB) (Any character). You can also do 1AB or 3AB.

For most characters, it can only be canceled on hit.

Griffon and Grant are exceptions:

Grant and Griffon cannot cancel on either hit or block.
Grant's upper-body evasion attack is a 2-stage move,
and it is possible to kara cancel the second hit into a special move.
Griffon is also a 2-stage move,
but there is no startup gap between both hits, so it is impossible to kara cancel.

This move has upper-body invincibility from the moment of input, and the duration varies from 5F to 8F depending on the character.

Upper Body Evasion Attack is often used to stop pressure (especially blockstrings with gaps) from the opponent, beating most standing attack (low-profile).

It's useful as an anti-air attack against aerial moves that don't hit too deep.

It can be used in combos, depending on the character.

And as explained in "Counter Hits" section, these attacks can counter-hit, making them even better tools for hit-confirms besides a regular cancel on hit.

List of 2AB's:

Character	Startup	Upper-body Invincibility	Guard	Hit	Notes
Rock Howard	9	1-5	-5	-11
Terry Bogard	8	1-6	-7	-13
Kim Dong Hwan	10	1-5	+4	-2
Kim Jae Hoon	11	1-5	+3	-3
Hotaru Futaba	8	1-6	+3	-3
Gato	8	1-7	+1	-5
B. Jenet	8	1-7	-3	-9
Butt/Marco	9	1-6	0	-6
Hokutomaru	10	1-5	+7	+1	Move follow-up combination with B+C
Freeman	8	1-6	+2	-4	Second half 3F whole body invincibility
Tizoc/Griffon	13	1-5	+1	+1	2 hits, can't be canceled
Kevin Rian	8	1-8	0	-6
Grant	8	1-7	-2	-6	2nd hit startup can be kara canceled
Kain R. Heinlein	8	1-6	-6	-12	Has follow-up 5C

Also see this video exploring Marco's hop B beating out upper-body evasion attacks ("餓狼MOW 攻略マルコの小ジャンプBが上段避けを潰せるという話を検証してみた"

Evasion Move Advantage

Both Lower-Body Evasion Attack (5AB) and Upper-Body Evasion Attack (2AB) have 18F hitstun and 24F blockstun.

In other words, evasion moves have more blockstun and less hitstun.

In general, they are more plus on block and more minus on hit.

Feint

A feint (also known as a "fake move") is a partial attack animation. All characters have 2 of them:

+ + (6AC)
+ + (2AC)

Feints mimic the first few frames of startup animation (and sometimes sound) of a character’s special or super attack, but do not follow through with the actual attack.

There are some exceptions where the feints mimic normals, evasion attacks, or some other part of a special/super besides startup.

Certain feints have particular properties:

Griffon : forward feint has immediate upper body invincibility
Freeman : down feint has upper body invincibility halfway into the animation (when his body is lowered)
Jenet : down feint has full body invincibility halfway into the animation (when she spins around)
Terry : forward feint moves him forward

The crucial usage of feints is that you can use them to cancel the recovery animation of normal attacks on hit or on block (and upper-body evasion attacks only on hit) just like you would special cancel, super cancel, or TOP attack cancel.

They cannot be used for kara canceling.

The feint animations can be ended early and canceled into any other move, except for taunts.

Depending on the character, it can be very effective to use them exactly as a "feint", as a decoy. They can be used for mindgames to make your opponent think you're going to go for a super or a special move.

(Example: Rock's 2A+C Reppuuken, Don Juan's 6A+C Weak Shidenkyaku, etc.)

Feints are more often used to cancel the recovery animations of strong normal attacks, leading to extended combos, pressure, and blockstring mix-up potential.

Canceling lights is often pointless (but not always), since lights can either be linked or are plus on block anyway.

Also see this video about Feints ("【餓狼MOW】ちょっと面白くなる講座フェイントキャンセル編") by Naoyan

Feint Cancel Frame Advantage

Canceling the recovery animation of normal and 2AB attacks with a feint is called a feint cancel (FC).

Since the feints are very short and themselves can be canceled by most things, this will often allow you to recover from a move faster, and even give opportunities for linking more normals than would otherwise be possible.

For example with Terry you can do stand , then hit (since the feint cancels the stand {{Icon-SNK|C} from its recovery animation and also moves Terry foward as well), stand {{Icon-SNK|C} again, , etc.

Explanation:

After you hit an opponent with a normal and after you both exit hitstop/blockstop, you go through recovery while the opponent goes through hitstun/blockstun.

You have until the end of the normal's hitstop/blockstop to press a feint.

(And depending on the move, there may be a window to input feint before hitstop/blockstop, before the move hits.)

This causes the recovery of that normal to cancel into that feint.

So instead, you feint while the opponent goes through hitstun/blockstun.

The attack is canceled at exactly the fastest possible time (always canceling the attack's recovery).

Calculation:

Therefore, you can determine the frame advantage gained by the feint cancel by subtracting the minimum frames of feint animation before you can do something (move forward, do another normal, etc.) from the hitstun/blockstun of the move. It varies with the attack type that is being cancelled and the feint type used in the feint cancel.

Feint technique performance table (numbers are frames up to the fastest cancellation) or List of minimum feint frames:

Character	6A＋C	2A＋C
Rock Howard	12	11
Terry Bogard	11	11
Kim Dong Hwan	10	10
Kim Jae Hoon	10	10
Butt/Marco	10	11
Tizoc/Griffon	13	26
Hokutomaru	10	8
Freeman	11	10
Hotaru Futaba	10	14
Gato	11	11
Kevin Rian	10	11
B. Jenet	10	8
Grant	10	19
Kain R. Heinlein	10	10

List of maximum feint frames (without ending the feint):

Character	6A＋C	2A＋C
Rock Howard	46	34
Terry Bogard	26	30
Kim Dong Hwan	30	37
Kim Jae Hoon	33	43
Butt/Marco	39	44
Tizoc/Griffon	33	54
Hokutomaru	28	36
Freeman	32	27
Hotaru Futaba	22	25
Gato	22	35
Kevin Rian	17	35
B. Jenet	35	42
Grant	27	38
Kain R. Heinlein	36	45

The hitstun and blockstun for ground normals are the same:

14F of hitstun/blockstun from a light attack.
20F of hitstun/blockstun from a heavy attack.
18F of hitstun from an Upper-Body Evasion Attack (not cancelable on block).

 Fad = A - B

Fad = is the frame advantage of the attacking character
A are the above hitstun/blockstun values
B is the value from the above feint cancel table

Example: If Rock cancels a heavy attack with 2A + C, it will be 9F advantage from 20-11, even when the opponent is blocking.

Example: Everyone does f.5A light attack and does their fastest feint cancel, then that advantage is compared to uncanceled advantage.

Note: Butt f.5A cannot be FCed.

Character	Light - Feint	far A's regular Guard Adv.
Rock	14 - 11 = +3F	< +4F
Terry	14 - 11 = +3F	< +4F
Dong	14 - 10 = +4F	< +6F
Jae	14 - 10 = +4F	< +6F
Tizoc/Griffon	14 - 13 = +1F	= +1F
Hokuto	14 - 8 = +6F	> +5F
Freeman	14 - 10 = +4F	> -1F
Hotaru	14 - 10 = +4F	> +2F
Gato	14 - 11 = +3F	> +1F
Kevin	14 - 10 = +4F	> +2F
Jenet	14 - 8 = +6F	> +2F
Kain	14 - 10 = +4F	< +6F

Every character in the game typically has a preferred feint you want to use. Less recovery makes it better for feint cancel pressure.

Here is a list of characters' most advantageous feint cancel:

Rock ---> 2AC

Terry ---> 6AC

Dong ---> 6AC/2AC

Jae ---> 6AC/2AC

Butt/Marco ---> 6AC

Tizoc/Griffon ---> 6AC

Hokuto ---> 2AC

Freeman ---> 2AC

Hotaru ---> 6AC

Gato ---> 6AC/2AC

Kevin ---> 6AC

Jenet ---> 2AC

Kain ---> 6AC/2AC

Feint Cancel Option-Select

Option-selecting a feint cancel:

You just input a throw, go back to neutral during the animation, then forward A+C.

i.e., 6C (6AC).

If a close C/D comes out, you'll feint cancel it.

When is this used?

Imagine if you try to throw, but you don't get in the range of the throw.

So when you press C, the normal come out instead of the throw and your opponent JD's it.

You could take a combo as a punish, etc.

You want to input a feint cancel in order to make your potential close C safer.

When you'll be out of the range, you'll see a close C > feint.

The feint is in case you miscalculated the throw range.

It's different from hoping for a cl.C to hit and then feint cancel after it.

Other uses:

It can also be used as a throw-tech OS.

When missing a throw attempt during your opponent's wakeup, the opponent may throw you, and then your feint cancel input throw-techs.

One such input may be 6C (23AC) for a 2AC feint cancel or throw-tech.

Feint Input Buffer

Unlike Evasion attacks or command normals, feints require a buffer.

Generally, the buffer window to feint is, after going to neutral, pressing A+C within 10 frames of pressing a feint direction (2 or 6). (Or 2～10F of the direction input.)

5 2/6 A+C

5 2 6 A+C

5 6 2 A+C

(1) The initial direction of the command is neutral. You remain on it as long as you like.

(2) But once you leave that initial direction of neutral for one frame of a direction that is not a feint direction you have 7F to go to a feint direction (8F total buffer).

(3) Once you get to that feint direction, you have 7F to go to the other feint direction (8F total buffer).

(4) Whether you're at the first feint direction or the second feint direction, you have 8F to press A+C together to feint (9F total buffer)

At the start of a new buffer, you can't press the feint direction and A+C at the same frame (2+A+C or 6+A+C).

When you reach a feint direction for a feint, you are able to go to the other feint direction for the other feint only once.

Unless you exceed the 9F buffer total buffer for the first feint direction, you will feint with that direction.

After the buffer is exceeded, you only need to go to at least 1 frame of neutral to reset the buffer before you redo the input.

Feint Cancel Timing

In general, you input the feint for a feint cancel as you would a special for a special cancel -- during the hit animation.

But similar to target combos, a feint can be input during startup, slightly before hitting.

For a normal, the input window for a feint is 2 frames before the first active frame that connects, to the 1 frame after exiting hitstop/blockstop.
(This is usually the last 2 frames of startup before the first.)
- However for 2AB, the earliest you can input feint is the 1st frame of hitstop.
  Maybe it's because of the different hitstun and blockstun values that restrict that.

As long as you don't trigger any other special cancel, you can attempt to do feint cancel multiple times -- pressing A+C multiple times -- if you feel like you misinputted it (as long as you haven't exceeded the feint buffer).

Feint Cancel with Kara Cancel

Just like a special cancel, you can also feint cancel using the same timing as kara cancel inputs.

This gives you even more leeway when inputting a feint cancel during the feint cancel window.

You don't always have to strictly press A+C after the feint direction for a feint cancel.

Like the window to self kara cancel, you have the same window to feint cancel by pressing A+C slightly before the feint direction:

You have 5F after pressing A+C to press the feint direction (6F total window).
With this max window at 6F, with this 1 frame of direction at 6F, the lastest you input the feint is at the 7F.

Like a same frame kara cancel, you can feint cancel by doing a feint direction and A+C at the same frame (2+A+C or 6+A+C).

Other Feint Techniques

With the input buffer in mind, you can do the following:

: 2 1AC or 2 3AC or 6 3AC

: such as 236AC or 2AC36 or 632AC or 214AC

You can motion store your feint cancel

For example, cl.5C > 236A+C
You can then complete the buffer to go into a super, or do something else.

Feint Reversal Timing

As said above, feints can be ended/canceled by other moves.

You can buffer and move from your feint

2AC 6 to walk forward
2AC 2C to attack right after a feint
6AC 6 to dash forward
2AC 69 to super jump forward

Doing movement and other actions after feint or feint cancel is dependent on reversal timing (see "Timing For Reversals").

But there are differences with normal reversals.

These differences will determine the earliest you can act, especially walking or doing dash forward will be slightly different.

Ending Feint Explanation

What happens when you end a feint?

It takes 1 frame of action to stop a feint.

This 1 frame of action might be from an attack button. Or it might be from a direction -- the same direction you used for the feint, the other feint direction, an up direction, back or downback.

That same 1 frame of action is the last 1 frame of recovery, all on that same frame.

The recovery ends and reversal window is created on the spot.

So you end the feint and can reversal on the next frame.

The reversal window is at least 2F: the last 1F of recovery (the 1F of action) to the 1F after.

Otherwise, the window is longer when you input what you're reversaling before minimum feint frames end and then stop the feint.

The soonest you can stop the feint is on the last frame of the minimum feint frames.

That way the soonest you can reversal is the 1F after the minimum feint frames.

Example 1

Marco feints with 6AC and does 5C at the last minimum feint frames, the 10F of it.

This ends the feint on that frame and you reversal out 5C the next frame at 11F.

This is the earliest you can press 5C; any earlier and it doesn't come out.

Example 2

Marco feints and does 5C within 6F before the end of the minimum feint frames. And then you input and hold the 6-direction.

This ends the feint at the end of minimum feint frames and you reversal out 6C the next frame afterwards.

Ending Feint With Directions

As seen with the above examples, you can hold a direction during the feint animation before and when it reaches the last frame of the minimum feint frames, you end the feint and can reversal.

Example 3

You usually can hold directions to reversal dash step, dash run, etc.

In that case, the earliest you can dash is when you input the 2nd forward direction during the reversal window at the end of the minimum feint frames.

And then hold the forward until it stops the feint on the last minimum feint frame, so that you reversal dash on the next frame.

Or you just reversal walk or crouch as you stop the feint on the last minimum feint frame, just by holding the direction.

But there are exceptions with how you end a feint by holding directions (movement).

There are no restrictions with the up directions 7, 8, and 9. You can always end a feint with them.

The restrictions are with forward direction 6 and the down directions 3 and 2 (and sometimes the guard directions 4 and 1).

However, under certain circumstances, you can't do that, just holding those directions.

That won't stop the feint at the last minimum feint frame. In fact, it seems like the direction doesn't register, at least until the actual end of the feint.

You can't even stop the feint by pressing the direction exactly on the last minimum feint frame.

In this case, you must press the direction and end the feint the earliest at 1F after the last minimum feint frame and reversaling 2F after the minimum feint frames.

This requires you to time your direction presses slightly later.

Situations for this exception are in the following subsections.

Ending Neutral Feint

You can't end a feint by holding the same feint direction.

[2]AC Doesn't end the feint

[6]AC Doesn't end the feint

Also,

2[3]AC or 2AC[3] or 2[1]AC) Doesn't end the feint

2AC[1] Does end the feint

Of course you can end the feint in the guard directions 4 and 1; or the up directions 7, 8, and 9.

And you can always end a feint with the direction of the other feint: 2 or 3 for a forward feint. And 6 for a down feint.

Ending Feint Cancel of Direction + Normal

Of course a direction entered before you feint cancel can recognized as part of the feint buffer. And in the case that you exceed the feint buffer before it resets, the feint won't come out.

But there is a separate problem with feints and directions.

You can't hold a direction then feint and end the feint by holding that same direction. You can see that above with Neutral Feint.

This exception also holds true if you hold a direction with your normal and feint cancel. (Or rather, hold the direction without going to a frame of neutral before pressing the normal.)

You can't hold a direction with a normal and then -- after a feint cancel -- hold the same direction through the minimum feint frames in order to end the feint.

[2]X ([2]FC) Doesn't end the feint

[6]X ([6]FC) Doesn't end the feint

[2 or 3]X (2 or 6 FC) [2 or 3] Doesn't end the feint (2 and 3 are considered the same direction)

[4]X (2 or 6 FC) [4] Doesn't end the feint

[1]X (2 or 6 FC) [1] Doesn't end the feint

[6]X (2 or 6 FC) [6] Doesn't end the feint

In order to end the feint with a direction, you must do the following:

(1) Go to and hold a different direction.

(2) Mentioned in the above sections, the earliest you can press the direction and end the feint is at 1F after the last minimum feint frame and reversaling 2F after the minimum feint frames.

Exception: You can feint cancel a direction + normal and still move while holding through minimum feint frames and reversal. The normal needs to be reversaled out of another normal.

Feint Infinites

A few characters are able to perform infinites on hit or guard (leading to guard crush) in the corner.

This is performed by doing a strong attack (close C or close D) cancelled into a feint (2AC or 6AC) followed by a dash/run to compensate the pushback, into another strong attack, and then repeat.

Example : C xx 2AC > dash > C xx 2AC > dash...

Note:

Feint infinites are not an important trick to master.

The risk/reward of attempting to guard crush your opponent with feint infinites is usually not worth it, unless they are already close to being guard crushed.

This takes very strict execution and is barely used in competitive play due to the risk of failure.

They are not easy to do with 100% accuracy mid match, and against a seasoned player, will be punished, either with 2AB or with a just defend guard cancel.

If you can keep it to a few reps (around 3-4 feint loops), you're doing just fine.

Note : Forward and Down Feint have different duration depending on character. (See Feint Cancel Frame Advantage".)

Here is a list of character that can perform this

Jenet : C 2AC dash or D 2AC dash (the D version requires faster execution and does less damage/guard crush)

Dong : D 2AC run (D being a 2-hit move, it does lower damage/guard crush)

Jae : D 6AC dash (D being a 2-hit move, it does lower damage/guard crush, however the forward feint makes execution much easier)

Hokuto : D 2AC run

Freeman : D 2AC dash (D being a 2-hit move, it does lower damage/guard crush)

Execution tip:

The forward feint loop can be performed via a shortcut -- Use the forward input used for the feint as the first forward input for a dash.

Execution becomes D xx 6AC (wait) 6 (becomes a dash) > D ...

Chain Combos and Target Combos

Chain Canceling

Many light normals are "chain cancelable" into chain 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.

Pressing the normal again during the hit's recovery causes the recovery of that hit to immediately cancel into the startup of the normal.

This is different from just waiting for the recovery to end before the next attack starts.

This means that the recovery of the light normal can be repeatably canceled with that same light normal, the same button.

Chain cancelable normals only cancel during recovery:

Chain cancels can be done on whiff.
Some chain cancels cancel as early as their remaining active frames recovery and some only cancel during normal recovery.
- If you mistime the chain cancel, the next normal might come out as a link after the end of the previous normal's recovery
The next button of a chain cancel cannot be buffered during hitstop/blockstop

Target Combos

Characters can have ground and air target combos.

Similar to chain combos, target combos are done by canceling the recovery of a normal with a next normal.

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.

The next hit of the target combo causes the recovery of that hit to cancel, going into the startup of the next normal.

You have leeway of when to press the next button of the target combo as opposed to that of a chain combo

A target combo doesn't execute on whiff. It only executes on hit/block.
You can buffer the next button of the target combo during the startup of the previous normal, and it'll execute.
You can buffer the next button of the target combo during the previous hit's hitstop/blockstop
You can press the next button of the target combo during recovery after the previous hit's hitstop/blockstop.

If you try to use simultaneous button inputs for the target combo follow-up, it will not come out. (See "Simultaneous Button Press for Normals".)

Air Target Combos

When the recovery of a jump normal is canceled with another jump normal.

Air target combos have these differences from ground target combos:

All done using jump normals.
the next jump normal button must be pressed during previous jump normal's hitstop/blockstop.

Target combos with jump normals are useful:

as an air-to-air
- On air hit, the next normal of the target combo on hit will whiff (as discussed in Defense --> Mid-Air Hit).
- On air JD, unless you JD again, you will get hit by the next normal of the target combo.
  - Because there is no guard state in the air, you can be hit during the 11F of air JD blockstun.
as a jump-in (see "Jump Normal Advantage")
the landing recovery of the target combo is that of the last jump normal.
- this is still true if you land before going through the last jump normal's entire startup.

Character	Air Target Combos	Notes
Rock Howard	j.C~B j.A~C
Terry Bogard	None
Kim Dong Hwan	j.A~C j.B~C
Kim Jae Hoon	j.A~C j.B~D
Hotaru Futaba	j.A~B j.A~C
Gato	j.B~A
B. Jenet	8j.D~A	Alternative: j.C has 2-hits
Khushnood Butt/Marco	j.B~A j.B~C
Hokutomaru	j.B~A j.B~C j.B~D
	j.A~B j.A~C j.A~D
	j.C~B j.C~A j.C~D
	j.D~B j.D~A j.D~C
Freeman	None
Tizoc/Griffon	None	Alternative: j.A/B > 236A
Kevin Rian	None
Grant	None
Kain R. Heinlein	8j.D~A

Notes:

For air-to-airs, a character can chain their target combo pairs together.
- For example, Hokutomaru can do j.A~C~B~D against a jumping opponent as they JD everything.

For grounded opponents, the 2nd jump normal of your target combo may not come out.

The taller the other character, the more likely an air target combo pair will connect. And even more so when that character is guarding, because the guard box can extend out taller and wider than the hurtbox.
- Their hurtbox, or guard box, needs to be tall enough such that the next jump normal goes through startup and connects before you touch the ground.

You should still air target combo into a heavy even if it whiffs or if you will land before it connects -- C/D landing recovery is 1F faster, so unless you special cancel your landing recovery, you will be able to act 1F sooner.

Butt/Marco Example:

https://twitter.com/kotahugo/status/1123285008054198272

1F recovery gain with air target combo whiff jB>C, allows stA combo on Kain

Air Target Combo Option-Select

A type of hitstop option-select using air target combo.

Examples

https://twitter.com/kotahugo/status/1078326228912951297

Dong Hwan BNB tips : Use jB>C air target on whiff, it has 1F less landing recovery, allows combos on tall characters...

For example, at max height, jB 2C doesn't work on Kain, jB 5C doesn't work on Grant, but works with the air target whiff.

https://twitter.com/kotahugo/status/1122965839135805446

Dong Hwan jA>C>A ... land > ... option-select. If the air C whiffs a stA will come out and save the combo.

Special Moves

Special Moves are done with directional and motion commands. Usually each special has both a light/weak and heavy/strong version.

Specials usually have a 24F blockstun (and if not knocking down, applies to hitstun too).

Air specials, like jump and hop attacks, are more advantageous the lower you hit.

  Advantage = 24F opponent hitstun/blockstun - remaining airborne frames after hitstop/blockstop ends - special's landing recovery

The minimum holding time for directional charge specials ([2]8 or [4]6) is 19F.

(i.e., You have to hold the first direction for at least 19F.)

You can special cancel from normals (See "The Role of Canceling for Combos" section).

And you can buffer other moves during the recovery of your special to execute on the first frame after. (See "Timing For Reversals" section).

Break Moves

Press +

Break is an important universal system mechanic.

Every character at least one designated special move where they can cancel the rest of the move's animation with break. This is done without any cost of meter. (only Tizoc and Kain have 2 different break special moves and Hokutomaru can "break" his super move.)

At the appropriate point(s) during the special move's animation, inputting the break command ( + ) and interrupting the special move will tend to shorten recovery, allow the character to recover faster, and make the move far safer if blocked.

Breaks typically are used in 5 ways:

As pressure or blockstring tools. Breaks are typically either safe or advantageous on block, sometimes allowing you to tighten and continue your pressure, or, on hit, can be easily confirmed into more extensive combos (mostly juggles).
- Garou only lets you perform 1 break move during a combo, unless you land a counter hit which lets you do another free break cancel.
- Break moves are some of the easiest methods of hit-confirming a combo to super in the game.
As part of the neutral game, or as a reversal. For example, Kain likes to use his break as a disrupting move that stops you from mounting pressure or mixups. This is one showcase of why defense is strong in Garou: If you try to rushdown an opponent mindlessly, you will take many break moves to the face.
For uses 1 and 2, breaks are frequently used as frame trap tools. This applies to DP type breaks. For example, an opponent might dash in and jab you while you are blocking, and then do a brief pause, and then do their DP break, baiting you to press a button. Breaks are a bit scary in this way: You're often not safe to just interupt pressure with a button close up, because you can eat a break DP. Just Defending is the counter to this tactic, and a reason why a player who spams breaks will eat JD guard cancels all day from a good player :)
To build meter (by whiffing them).
In combos. Especially counter hit combos.

Breaks can be a little tricky for certain characters to use, as they can't all be used the same way.

Some specials have no reason not to break them, like Marco’s DP (623 A/C).
While other special breaks have limited usefulness in a real match, like Freeman’s Morbid Angel (41236 B/D).

Hit Break - a hit or grab is registered before the move is broken (Tizoc is an exception to this because his break moves will cause him to backstep, but he still only has one timing for each of these).
In case of hit or block, you have an added window of hitstop/blockstop to break your special.
Whiff Break - no hit or grab is registered before the move is broken.
So you only have the regular window until the 1st frame of the break to input A+B.

Character	Break Move	Command	Input Timing	Main Use
Rock Howard	Evac Toss	+	During the grab	Break allows the player to pursue the opponent after the attack, increasing the damage potential.
Kim Dong Hwan	Kuusa-jin	+	Right after finishing the special input (tight time frame)	Keeps Dong Hwan on the ground, making Kuusa-jin safer and turning it into a powerful punishing attack that can be confirmed into a combo.
Hotaru Futaba	Kobi-kyaku	+	After the rising kick	Makes the move safer, used for combos, and to fill the super gauge.
Khushnood Butt/Marco	Kohou	+	Right after finishing the special input (tight time frame)	Keeps Marco on the ground, making Kohou safer. It is a great tool for extending pressure and combo.
Hokutomaru	Kuuha-dan Chou Hissatsu Shuriken	+ , +	Until the second hit	Combo extension.
Kevin Rian	Hell Trap	+	During the leg extension	Used for extending combos and pressure.
Freeman	Morbid Angel	+	During the grab	Used for combos.
Tizoc/Griffon	Poseidon Wave Olympus Over	+ +	During backdash	Fill the super gauge.
B. Jenet	The Hind	+	During startup	Used for extending combos and pressure. The strong version can be easily confirmed into a super.
Gato	Rai-ga	+	Right after finishing the special input (tight time frame)	Keeps Gato on the ground, making the move safer. Guard cancel (?)
Kim Jae Hoon	Hien-zan	ch. , {{Motion\|u} +	Right after finishing the special input (tight time frame)	Keeps Jae Hoon on the ground, making Hienzan safer and turning it into a powerful punishing attack that can be confirmed into a combo. It is also very useful to fill your super gauge.
Terry Bogard	Power Dunk	+	Right after finishing the special input (tight time frame)	Keeps Terry on the ground, making Power Dunk safer and turning it into a powerful punishing attack that can be confirmed into a combo.
Kain R. Heinlein	Schwarze Lanze Schwarze Panzer	ch. , + ch. , +	After the command input Until the second hit	Kain remains grounded. Very useful as a punishing attack, for confirming hits into combos, and for filling the super gauge. Not very useful
Grant	Kyou Choujin	+	After the command input	Grant remains grounded, used for combos

Break Failure

Because simultaneous button presses have to be done on the same frame, it's common to misinput A+B.

That's why some players press A+B more than once in order to hit the break, especially if the break window is long enough.

After a correctly input break registers, it doesn't matter what else you press.

Not just buttons, you can do any amount of motions or special commands. The break move will still come out.

However, this method can fail too.

Explanation:

Generally, your break will fail if the game registers another special before the A+B break command.

It has to be a different special: it could be the same motion, but not with the same button.

So if you do a special and, when you still have buffer window remaining, press the button of the other version of that special, the break does not work.

Note: Break moves might have different behavior depending on when the other special is done (or recognized) and when the break is done. (Such as early in startup, later in startup, after startup, etc.) This is especially true of breaks moves with long startups and long break windows.

Jae Example:

[2]8D > A+B.

If you misinput A+B, because of the remaining buffer window of the 8 direction, the B input is read as [2]8B.

This causes any next A+B break input to fail.

Marco Example:

For example, when Marco performs his DP (623+A/C) followed by a fireball motion, the break will fail if A+B is inputted more than 2F after the the 6 input.

In numeric notation, the input would be: 623+A/C > 6 > A+B will result in a failed dp break since the game reads the fireball input 236 in the buffer.

The break fails if the input delay between 6 and A+B is higher than 2F. (the 3rd frame and up after 6 is entered).

Marco Example Part 2:

Garou does have a very lenient buffer for direction inputs. The same unintuitive outcome occurs when the directional input 6 is input at the same exact frame as the attack button.

Assuming that 623＞6+A(exactly at the same time）＞A+B is inputted, the game will register the DP attack (623A) followed by the fireball input (236A) and the break will still fail.

(This may be the reason why holding the direction 3 input during and after inputting the break command allows shoryuken-type breaks like Marco's to be performed easier.)

Marco Example Part 3:

However, if the 623 command is already executed when the 236 command is executed, and the game registers a breakable dp, as in 6236 > A or C > A + B, BR is possible.

Probably because of how the fireball and DP commands are merged together: the 3 direction for DP takes priority over the 6 direction when you've already done the initial 6 direction.

Super Meter

As noted in the HUD section, both players have the Super Meter, also known as the "Power Gauge" or "Super Gauge", at the bottom of the screen.

The super meter can hold up to 2 stocks/levels:

1st stock/level is called S-Power
2nd stock/level is called P-Power

This Super Meter allows you to do Super Moves, also called Super Special Moves. Doing Super Moves will deplete your stocks/levels of meter.

As succinctly said in the "Fatal Fury: Mark of the Wolves Dreamcast Manual", meter can be filled by doing the following:

* "successfully attacking an opponent" with anything (by doing normals, TOP attacks, specials, and throws)
* "using Special Moves" (even whiffing special moves builds meter)
* "being attacked" by the opponent and either be blocking, Just Defending, or getting hit (with normals, TOP attacks, specials, supers, and throws)

Whiffing normal and command attacks will not build any meter.

In some cases, a super move connecting on an opponent will also give you a little meter.

See the "Damage and Meter Calculation" section for more on meter gain.

Super Moves

S Power Supers - Level 1 Supers (, + /) - Available with 1 Super Stock. After use, depletes 1 Super Stock.

(Also called "super special move", "super move", "super", "S super", or "Level 1 super".)

P Power Supers - Level 2 Supers (, + /) - Available with 2 Super Stocks. After use, depletes 2 Super Stocks.

(Also called "hidden ability", "potential ability", "potential", "latent", "P super" or "Level 2 super".)

Hidden Supers - Level 2 Only Super - "P supers" that don't use the double QCF motion are usually distinguished as "Hidden Supers". Available with 2 Super Stock, only 5 characters have them:

Rock Howard - , +
- See the Rock page for the full input of the "Deadly Rave Neo" super
Kim Dong Hwan - , , +
Khushnood Butt - , , +
B. Jenet - Press , and then quickly as you are JDing.
Gato - , + , , + , , + . You have to keep doing it like a reka type special to land it fully.

All supers are usually called just called "super"/"super move"/"super special move" interchangeably.

You'll sometimes see people call super moves not by their names, but by their buttons, such as "super C" or "C super".

You can special cancel super moves; in other words, super cancel from normals (See "The Role of Canceling for Combos" section).

Super Move Shortcut

You can shorten the last of a super input and still have the super execute.

Instead of 236 X, you can end the super input with 23 X.

Note: Although considered a shortcut, 23 X is the actual end of the super input.

Kara Cancels

Japanese term that means "empty cancel".

It is canceling a move during it's startup, before it becomes active, with another move.

In general, you can cancel out of the startup of all normal attacks and most upper-body evasion attacks into a special/super/TOP attack, before seeing the attack animation fully finish.

The window for kara canceling is the 2F to the 1st active frame of the normal or upper-body evasion attack.

Just complete the input of the special/super/TOP attack such that it executes at anytime during that window.

In addition to normally executing a special/super (motion then button), you can execute them in various ways with "self kara cancel" and "same frame kara cancel" as detailed below.

Kara cancels have a few uses:

You can cancel some non-cancellable moves.
Gains some extra range on certain special/super/TOP attacks.
Kara cancel from various normals and evasion moves to hide your buffering behind them to throw off opponents in mind game situations.
- Use longer startup moves to stay on up directions 7/8/9 longer without jumping before kara canceling.
Take advantage of movement and startup invincibility of moves before kara canceling.
Use the proximity guard of the move to make them unable to move back, or possibly unable to JD, if they're just holding back.
Allows for slightly more lenient execution, especially if you press a button before a direction during execution
Used in techniques like Pseudo Chain Canceling and Ave Maria.

Kara Cancel with Evasion Attacks

Press + / + + then do a special move to cancel out of its starting animation.

A lot like Kara Cancels in Street Fighter 3: 3rd Strike you can cancel certain high/low dodge attacks with every character.

Some are more useful than others and some are easier to cancel out than other characters.

Great tool to benefit from the upper/lower invincibility when performing special moves.

Here is a list of characters that can cancel their + overheards while in the air:

Tizoc - +
Hotaru - +
Jenet - +
Grant - +
Hokutomaru - + or +
Rock - any of his specials/supers - Rock (His doesn't come off the ground but he uses it the most effectively. Mainly because it opens up so many options for him during wake up situations.)

Self Kara Cancel

(Potential alternate names might be "same button same command kara canceling", "self canceling", or "pre-buffer canceling".)

You can kara cancel a normal or upper-body evasion attack with just a command motion.

If you complete a special's motion during the attack's startup, you will go through one frame of the attack on that frame of completion and then kara cancel into that special on the next frame.

You just complete the command after the button press.

The window for this is 5F after pressing the normal or upper-body evasion attack (6F total window).

With this max window at 6F, with this 1 frame of direction at 6F, the lastest you kara cancel is at the 7F.

And like a regular kara cancel, you are still limited through startup until the 1st active frame.

You'll see this window working whenever you press a button before the motion for the command finishes.

Note: It would be impossible to kara cancel supers like this. That is because most supers (1) take too long to do, and (2) parts of their motions, like the first QCF, would be recognized and kara cancel as a special input.

Misinput by Kara Cancel

Kara cancel behavior commonly causes misinputs.

Common causes of kara cancel misinputs:

Attempting to special cancel too quickly resulting in kara cancel. (ex: attempting to do 2C > 236B, but getting 2C kara cancel into 236B)
Doing a command motion too quickly after a button, resulting in self kara cancel. (ex: attempting to do 2C > 236B, but getting 2C kara cancel into 236C)
Pressing the button slightly before completing the command motion, resulting in self kara cancel. (ex: 23B6 will output 2B kara cancel 236B)

To avoid doing unintended kara cancels, use double button inputs and other simultaneous button presses.

Simultaneous button presses will stop a special/super move from being triggered, just like with the motion storing technique (described in the above link).

For example, you can do 66 A+D 3214 so you don’t kara cancel 5A into 214A.

Same Frame Kara Cancel

Also known as kara canceling due to simultaneous direction and button press for special/super commands.

This happens when the last direction input of a special/super command and its button are pressed at the same time.

You can also think of this as an edge case of self kara cancel, where you complete the command motion on the 1st frame of the button press.

Doing this during the startup of a normal or upper-body evasion attack, there is an extra delay of 1F of the normal animation before the kara cancel executes.

In the case of doing it raw, after the 1st frame of the normal's startup, you kara cancel into the special/super's startup.

Otherwise, you are waiting and holding the last direction for a minimum of 1 frame before pressing the button. (Both cases have effectively execute at the same time.)

Generally every special/super command will need 1F of the last direction before executing. (Similar to how all jumps need 1 frame of landing.)

So if you press the last direction and the button at the same time, the game will add this extra 1F of the last direction for you.

If commands overlap, between the command that is kara canceled and one that is not, the game will prefer/prioritize the command that is not kara canceled.

In other words, the game will do the command that already went through 1F of its last direction, rather than wait to do the other command on the next frame.

For example, Rock 412369C:

9+C at the same time --> double reppuken

C pressed during frames 2～3F of the 9 direction --> command throw

When you press C on the same frame as jump the game accepts it as double reppuken first.

C needs to be input 1F after going to 9 to input command throw.

Other Kara Cancel Situations

Originally noted in the "Air Special Buffer" section:

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 and you cannot special cancel during a hop.

Trading

When both you and your opponent hit each other at the same time, you trade.

Your attack’s hitbox and your opponent’s attack’s hitbox reach/overlap each other’s hurtbox at the same time, and you both go into 14 frames of hitstop.

What happens to the player after hitstop is dependent on the property of your opponent's hit, whether you’re on the ground or in the air:

Non-KD -- after hitstop you then just go through some hitstun, not just from normals but any hit that doesn't KD
KD -- after hitstop you then get knockdowned (either in place or blown back)
Launch-up KD -- after hitstop you then get launched up

After non-KDing, both players can go through the same or different hitstun -- the hitstun associated with what they were hit by (lights, heavies, special, jump attacks, etc.).

If you are non-KD hit while on the ground, and the opponent is launch-up hit, your character may have an opportunity to continue your attack.

Counter Hits

Counter Hits grant huge amount of frame advantage and juggle properties (somewhat similar to SFV's crush counter mechanism).

You do a counter hit (CH) when your evasion attack, special, or super hits the startup of the opponent's move.

This move can be the opponent's normal, special, super, or TOP attack.

Exceptions that do not get counter hit:

You do not do a CH when your evasion attack, special, or super hits the startup of the opponent's evasion attack.
Some command normals do not get counter hit when being hit on their startup. (Kevin's 6B, Marco's 6A, and other unique/command normals)

Some moves also get counter hit for an interval during their active/hitbox frames and afterwards for some time during a portion of their recovery:

Dong 623A/C, Marco 623A/C, etc.

There are two types of counter hits:

ground (opponent spins around)
floating (opponent air launch)

Ground (spin around) CH

Moves that don’t normally knockdown while the opponent is on the ground cause this counter hit.

Even if your opponent mashes directions and buttons, he won’t recover faster.

(There are some exceptions such as Kevin’s 236D or Hokutomaru’s 214D that usually knockdown but will still apply this effect on counter hit.)

The advantage you get after doing a counter hit from a move = (the move's advantage on block + 10F)

This advantage allows for a ground combo follow-up in most situations.

These moves are the few exceptions there are:

Dong’s 236236B : -5 on block --> -10 on counter hit
Jae’s TOP attack : -1 on block --> +7 on counter hit
Hokutomaru’s 214D : -22 on block --> +1 on counter hit

Floating (air launch) CH

Moves done to an airborne opponent, or done on ground moves that are considered airborne (like Dong/Jae's f.5D), cause this counter hit.

Moves that knockdown on hit will send the opponent flying upwards when they counter.

This allows for an air combo follow-up in most situations.

You can add any attack after that.

Such as an air combo that can be performed with light normal cancelled into a fast enough special/super.

Otherwise, a strong normal will air reset before a special can hit.

If the opponent hits the ground, they will land facing the ground, allowing for an one extra OTG hit (Off The Ground).

However they can tech roll with any button to prevent this.

If a super's freeze animation happens at the same time the opponent hit the ground, they won't be able to tech, allowing unescapable OTG combos.

When “Counter Hit” Message Does Not Display

Some situations occur where you do a counter hit but the message doesn't appear.

When you do a counter hit on an opponent that also puts them into TOP. It's like the "T.O.P. IN!" message "eats" the counter hit message.

TOP Mode

T.O.P. (Tactical Offensive Power) System

(also known as Tactical Offensive Position)

When selecting your character, you can designate a 1/3 portion of your life bar (front/first, middle, or end/back/last) as this orange region called the TOP area.

When your character's health is within this portion (a range of 40 life points) you will enter into TOP and your character will begin flashing (T.O.P. Activation).

You will receive the following 5 benefits (for competitive and CPU games). These benefits are the same regardless of placement:

Enhanced damage for all of your attacks (the default is 1.25 times)
Slow regeneration of life points in your health bar (however, it doesn't regenerate past the TOP area)
TOP attack becomes available
Doubles the technique points (the score points) given by attacks.
The inherent meter gain of special moves is increased by 1.

The speed of recovery of life points is about 1 per 2 counts/seconds (1 point per 120F).

TOP Placement

You can see that how you utilize your TOP area and how quickly you can eliminate your opponent's TOP can make the difference between victory and defeat.

Where you should place your TOP area depends on a lot of factors: including your character, playstyle and the matchup.

There are no universal TOP strats -- it's situational and entirely contingent on the above things.

Ideally, you place your TOP such that whenever you think your character is likely to have the best chance to do extra damage, you'll have already entered TOP mode.

But ultimately, you can place it wherever you prefer.

As a versatile mechanic, you can do very well with a TOP placement just because it benefits the way you want to play. Where you place the TOP area can amplify certain playstyles.

Do you do as much damage as you can before you are taken out of TOP as you go in aggressively?

Or let your health regen as you play defense while doing more damage than your opponent?

Front

Front is a popular, common placement. It is thought of as the default best you want most of the time for most matchups because you're guaranteed max value.
That's because you get access to TOP mode right away at round start and always get to benefit from it every round, especially if you play solid and safe from the start.
If your defense is adequate enough to stay in TOP longer, it is even better.
You can immediately start dealing out substantial damage in neutral and get the life-lead sooner (having the lead in Garou is huge). And then you can close the round with your meter at the end.
Front is considered a counter to the opponent's Front, helping you get them out of their TOP sooner.
You remove the randomness/uncertainty that Middle and End/Back have,
where you could be hit with a combo that hits you through TOP mode activation and potentially past the entire TOP area. Putting TOP in Front denies that.
Facing your opponent's TOP bar without yours can be a struggle, especially if your character needs meter to do damage.
Front placement at the start of an Extra Round will have advantage because of the shorter round time.

Front example: Grant is very strong when played defensively, so using Front TOP to gain the life lead, you maintain TOP for the regen and damage buff by keeping the opponent out with space control.

Middle

Middle is probably the least common in Japan. Thought to be the weakest placement, you'll see this used with even less matchups than End/Back.
Middle arguably doesn't have a "strong" advantage like the other two.
- You can access TOP mode later than with Front, but you get less time to build meter than End/Back.
  You'll need a character that can take advantage of this "sweetspot" where you'll usually get to TOP and have enought meter to use it at the same time.
Middle is good if you are uncertain about the matchup, or unconfident about defending/attacking at the start of the round.
After taking damage, feeling out info about your opponent, getting more comfortable, and adjusting your play, you have more health to work with while gaining momentum.

Middle example: Marco might use middle if he expects to have higher damage output when he has access to the higher levels of charge.

End/Back

Thought to be the second strongest placement. You'll see this used for less matchups than with Front placement.
While also common like Front, you might sometimes see End/Back used less than Middle because of a higher priority on having health advantage.
Similar to Middle, End/Back is good when you feel like you can gain more momentum even after losing most of your health and having built more meter.
- Characters dependent on meter to do damage like End/Back TOP because they can build meter before they enter TOP -- especially if they build meter slowly.
- Your initial health bar helps you gather data so you can make a big read by the end.
End/Back can be thought of as a comeback mechanic.
Not just because of the regen preventing your health from dropping too low, but also the damage you can do when fully stocked.
End/Back can be effective dealing with the opponent using Front because you are likely to have already taken the opponent out of Front TOP while entering TOP yourself.
End/Back regen can be good for time out situations or when rounds are close.
Considered a risky gamble compared to the other placements because some characters can delete your TOP very fast, so they can kill you before you even have the opportunity to use your TOP boost.

End/Back examples

With a guard crush blockstring, Kain doesn't need a combo: he just needs someone to block a single 5B and it's 70% life gone.
Substantial damage from supers.

Middle and End/Back

TOP mode's activation causes a short flash and a freeze.
Placing TOP at the Middle or at the End/Back can be used to mess with the timing of an inexperienced or unprepared opponent's combos.
But as mentioned above, there are ways to connect this "TOP hit" into a combo. See the "TOP Hit Confirm" section for more info.
Good players will play around Middle and End/Back TOP placement by saving their meter to TOP hit confirm through your TOP.

TOP placement is just a matter of strategy. For long sets, changing up your TOP placement also becomes a strategy to mix up the opponent.

If a TOP Attack is pressed during the recovery of a move, it prevents you from being thrown (throw bug).

TOP sizes other than 1/3 of a life bar are available in home console versions of Garou and are usually ignored in competitive play. The shorter the TOP is, the more damage can be dealt (max. of 1.75x), conversely the longer your TOP is, the less damage can be dealt (Min. of 1.25x = standard arcade setting).

Kain (Story Mode): The condition for Kain to appear in CPU matches (Story mode) is determined by his Fighting Level point average. (which uses score points).

You raise your fighting level by "scoring more points" in a "shorter time".

A tip for this is to place TOP at the start of your health bar as TOP increases damage and doubles technique/score points gained.

TOP Attack

+ while in TOP mode only.

All characters in Garou have an extra move that becomes available to them only when they are in TOP.

TOP attacks (sometimes called TOP moves) tend to do a decent amount of damage and almost always deal substantial guard crush damage.

You can special cancel TOP attacks from normals (See "The Role of Canceling for Combos" section).

Just think of TOP attacks as specials without motion inputs. However, there is no inherent meter/gauge gain as with the usual motion specials.

Guard Crush (GCH)

Overview:

Blocking, but not JDing, a move reduces a hidden guard meter for your character.

When the guard meter is close to empty, your character will flash red, more strongly the closer you are to being guard crushed.

When this meter empties, you are 'guard crushed', and your character reels back, completely vulnerable for a short time.

Your guard meter instantly refills to full when this happen.

Explanation

This hidden guard meter is your guard (crush) durability.

Guard durability ranges from 50-60 points. Here is a list of guard durability for the characters:

Hokutomaru, Hotaru, Jenet - 50
Rock, Dong, Jae, Marco, Freeman, Gato, Terry - 55
Kain, Kevin, Tizoc, Grant - 60

Each move has a set guard crush value or values that, on block (not on JD), decreases your guard durability by that amount of points.

For all characters, if the cumulative reduction of your guard durability exceeds 43 points, their guard animation changes by flashing red.

And with further reduction of guard durability, the flashing goes faster until the character is mostly red and the guard durabilility is depleted.

And when guard durability is depleted, you enter guard crush state.

Guard crush state lasts for 64 frames, but the 64th frame is invincible. Crush state lasts longer for both Dong (7f) and Marco/Butt (5f).

Since the guard crush state elapses even during hitstop, If a guard crush is induced by a "strike attack" other than a projectile (unlike projectiles, these are long lasting or minus moves), the guard crush state is actually 63 frames or less. (Because the last 1F of the guard crush state is invincible.)

Guard crush durability recovers over time:
the recovery speed is 1 point per 30 frames. The guard crush durability value recovers even during continuous guard (when you're in proximity guard, absolute guard, or still in blockstun)

Taunts and Win Taunts

Every character has a taunt (or provocation) that can be done anytime during a round by pressing the Start button.

Every character also has two additional "win taunts" that can only be done after a KO (not by time up, or draw):

Forward + Start button (6 direction)
Backward + Start button (4 direction)

Since they can be used only after a KO, it only functions as a pure taunt.

Note: Normal taunt can also be done after a KO.

Game Navigation

Garou: Mark of the Wolves
General
Controls HUD System Movement Offense Defense Calculation Advanced_Techniques Miscellaneous Wakeup Meta_Strategy FAQ

Characters
Rock Kim Dong Hwan Hotaru Khushnood Butt Hokutomaru Kevin Rian Freeman Tizoc B. Jenet Gato Kim Jae Hoon Terry Kain Grant