JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Heritage for the Future/DIO/Matchups

Overview

Movelist

Combos

Strategy

Matchups

Misc

Match Videos

Black Polnareff

General strategy

This match-up is heavily in DIO's favor, as Black Polnareff's toolset is extremely limited and all he really has vs DIO is his damage output. While Black Polnareff may have good damage output, he has no real safe way of initiating pressure that may lead into a confirm, and thus struggles to open DIO up. What DIO needs to focus on, is building meter, and being smart about working around what little tools Black Polnareff does have.

Black Polnareff has great meterbuild off of combos and will usually have at least one bar of meter or more, as he has no good use for his supers, which would suggest that he has constant access to his scary 214AA super. The way you can completely avoid the threat of 214AA, is either making sure you keep your distance and stay at a range where you can evade 214AA, mostly by being in Stand On, or by not using moves that would leave you stuck for long amounts of time, an example being 66C or s.66C. If you are scared of being hit by 214AA in neutral, you could confirm your 214x off of 2A 2A (66)2A, as it would avoid you doing it while Black Polnareff is already doing 214AA, which will result in you eating a super. This is something to get used to, as it may cost you a game, and it is something many new players struggle with understanding

Being Stand On additionally completely invalidates 214AA as an anti-air, as it is air unblockable, but easily double jumped. In general downbacking and upbacking is easy against Black Polnareff since aside his rekka overhead which can be punished (written lower), IOH j.C, and grab, the latter two not being threatening, with IOH j.C leaving DIO at advantage, and grab sending you too far for him to chase. The scariest option can be his deep j.S since it is delayed, making same timing as empty jump 2A, letting him high/low mix.

Stand On Knives are punishable on reaction point blank by Black Polnareff's 236AA, which leads into his 50/50 okizeme in the corner, possibly leading into huge damage. Additionally, Black Polnareff has access to a great Guard Cancel, which can beat a lot of DIO's pressure if not spaced out correctly.

Additionally, Black Polnareff has access to some moves to watch out for, mainly his 1f jabs, 5A and 2A, which both lead into his loop and can be done out of his roll since he has extra invincibility after it so mix his roll with dash left/rights; his extremely active 2B, which can meaty your (Stand OFF) landing as an anti-air option, his great Guard Cancel, and last but not least, his anubis counter, which can render some of your normals unusable for the rest of the match if he is used to parrying, as they can be punished on block.

Punishes

214AA - This is one you will want to get extremely used to. Your answer when grounded would be PushBlocking instantly in order to not get pushed away by the Stand, and following up with 663[A] 214]A[ into a full BnB. 66C 214C is not consistent because the lingering Stand causes The World to not reach 66C's pushback. Additionally, if airborne, you are able to double jump, and throw Stand On Knives from the air, or jump over the super entirely for a full BnB. If the super manages to somehow completely whiff from fullscreen, you will be able to punish it with Stand On Knives, or 5C 236S. If you block it from too far to get a full combo, raw 236S still works.

236AA - Easily punishable by 663A. It may seem like it recovers long enough to get a j.C, however he can move a bit while his Stand recovers in order to avoid it by rolling, so 663A is your best bet. This recovery also applies to 214AA so be aware, you might catch him crouching even though he was unable to block.

236B/C - This move is punishable on block, no matter the circumstances. If Black Polnareff decides to do 236B/C, no matter whether he follows it up with the second 236x or 214x rekka, you can always punish him with a 663A into a full BnB if you Pushblock. This is a very important but hard punish, not consistently doable on reaction. What is much safer and easier is not pushblocking and jumping once you block the first rekka. A slightly delayed hop j.C will be safe and still hit him.

66C - Black Polnareff can end his 236s rekka with a 66C for a hard knockdown. This will however not work if DIO is in Stand On, which will be punishable simply by knives from how long the Stand is out.

Matchup Specifics and oddities

236C, s.5A, s.5C, do not work on crouching Black Polnareff

236C okizeme is no good, and mixing up his rolls may be risky due to his fast and rewarding jabs paired with his 5 stand still Iframes post roll.

On crouching Black Polnareff you will not be able to do your standard BnB, and will be forced to go for either loops into 5C/2C or 2A 5 S+2A into either s.5B s.214x s.214x or s.663A 214S

Additionally Black Polnareff is also the thinnest character in the game, so some of your combos will be slightly less consistent, especially mid-screen.

Jotaro

Pick Shadow Dio instead

Petshop

Infinite loop him or pick Shadow Dio instead

Rubber Soul

General Strategy

In this matchup DIO needs to focus on his keep-away and keeping his distance from Rubber Soul. Some concepts in this match-up are quite counter-intuitive and many players struggle fighting this character in general, however this match-up very much is in DIO'S favor.

You will spend most of your time either building meter from far or placing pokes in positions Rubber Soul wants to take.

It is extremely important to get a life-lead by any means necessary, as Rubber Soul has a great counter and Guard Cancel, which can give you a great deal of trouble on offense.

Your preferred range is at about the tip of 66C, as he is barely a threat from that far, and you can build meter/reposition to your own liking.

Anti-airing Rubber Soul is a pain. 2A 236S beats his hop j.A>j.S, but j.B/C will beat that easily and get him a combo. j.S won't combo from j.B/C but will still mix you up. Get used to guard cancelling predictable cancels to j.S, reversal tandem between them, or even GC the jump-ins raw. s.j.B is as good as ever against higher jumps, along with 5C and 2B as usual.

236S is extremely important in this match-up. You will be abusing raw 236S during Rubber Soul's pressure, as it can shut down his turn. It's very scary to get in with generic dash-in>236S since it will make it easier for him to guard cancel, which he can get a solid juggle into knockdown and easily get 30% vortex combos. Make sure to whiff 236S or delay timing to never let him get used to it. It's very easy for Rubber players to fish for GC on any autopiloted string seeing as it can end you, like s.ON chains or wake-up meaties.

The little additions of damage are what matter in this match-up. You will constantly add up small amounts of damage throughout the game, and wear him down as much as you can. You want a life lead. If you happen to lose it, start building meter, until Rubber Soul either approaches you, or you accumulate enough meter for 1 or 2 sets of knives which will allow you to get something going and force Rubber Soul to act.

Once you have a life lead, stay away from Rubber soul by any means necessary, and wear him down slowly with pokes, and stuffing his approaches with placed early s.j.C so that he doesn't anti-air easily, 66C 236S in front of him, and s.663A. It is important to PLACE your pokes where Rubber Soul will be, and not throw them at where Rubber Soul is currently standing, as that can get you easily countered or Guard Cancelled, leading into okizeme or big damage for Rubber Soul.

If Rubber Soul is currently with a life lead and trying to lame you out, you can either pressure him conventionally, or you can use knives to threaten him.

Knives are a super important part of this matchup. You can abuse them in a few different ways, and you want to have access to them, seeing as he can't punish them from outside GC range and they will beat any whiff recovery because of this, especially important for his S moves as his 6S has great range and 4S in particular is hard to beat and can be greatly rewarding. 6S is sometimes punishable on hit if he doesn't follow it up properly since the Stand stays out for so long. Air knives are risky to bait his anti-airs with as if he blocks them he will guard cancel them. On block from ground knives you can wait for a Guard Cancel and punish it, you can start pressure, you can wait and grab, you can tick grab, and you can simply do nothing and delay your pressure. It is not the best use of meter, but if desperate it can get things going. It also deals chip damage. If Rubber Soul decides to roll through your knives, be prepared to grab him for some guaranteed damage, or mix him up post roll. If desperate to finish him off, you can also do an unblockable tandem and get a combo off this, however it is quite meter intensive.

Grabbing and Guard Cancelling are a huge part of this match-up as you can safely do both and add up damage and keep yourself safer. Grab is punishable s.OFF in corner, GC is not punishable but still tends to whiff and get beaten. Look out for Rubber's gimmick resets off launches, like jab after 4S or j.S. This is a way to catch off guard to grab you or start a combo. Pay attention so you can mash out.

Punishes

If Rubber Soul does 214x on either block or whiff, it is an easy punish. If point blank, you can punish it with 2A 2A 214A, and if far away, all you get is 66C 236S due to the stand's lingering pushbox.

Rubber Soul's 2S, 6S and j.S have hurtboxes that linger for a very long time and can be punished with a 66C 236S. This also applies to 5S and 4S, however it is tighter.

If Rubber Soul whiffs a j.S in neutral, it can be punished on the ground by 66C, similar to Shadow Dio's j.S

If Rubber Soul tries to do 6S into j.A, you can easily block it and do a free (2A) 236S as a punish and reset to neutral.

A whiffed counter is easily, and preferably punished by 663A, however if unsure, you can safely grab it if you feel another counter coming.

s.2A from max range evades Rubber Soul's counter entirely, so it can be used as a poke but doesn't punish.

If Rubber Soul starts rounds with 6S, you can jump back and punish it with air knives.

Okizeme

Rubber Soul wakes up extremely fast and has a good Guard Cancel, so okizeme has to be air tight. You will mostly be using Grabs, and s.2A to ensure a meaty, as being countered by Rubber Soul's 2f counter can lead into big damage, but switch it up so he doesn't get an easy GC. Additionally, spaced s.2A will not get hit by a counter, so it is also a valid option for okizeme.

Dangers and pitfalls

Rubber Soul has the 2nd fastest wake-up in the game, be wary of that.

Rubber Soul's tech chase and Anti-Air game is outstanding, watch out for that. Air knives, air mudas, double jumps, and proper usage of different jump normals are how you get out whenever he chases you in the air. He has devastating potential from tech chases so don't panic.

Rubber Soul's j.S in the air leads into an untechable launch, which can be comboed out of. It is also used for 50/50 okizeme between j.S and 2A. J.S can also be used for cross-ups

Rubber Soul's 236x has no hurtbox, do not try to hit the Stand.

Mind the Counter, and play around it. If you smell one coming, then do not press any buttons and grab Rubber Soul. If an opening to take your turn feels too good to be true, DO NOT take it. This matchup is not about the buttons you press, it is about the buttons you do not press

Grab a lot.

Matchup Specifics and Oddities

Rubber Soul is significantly taller than Kakyoin, and should not be associated with him. When crouching, all your combos still work as usual, unlike Kakyoin, meaning s.5A still hits and you can do your standard confirms.

When Rubber Soul is crouching, you can use 4ABC reps in tandem.

In order to get over Rubber Soul during 236C combos, you need to do a Super-Jump instead of a 669 Dash-Jump, or you will not get across. This is easily done by simply inputting 236[9] fluently.

When in Stand On, you can dash through Rubber Soul's 214x wrap. This is not match applicable, but worth knowing.

Rubber Soul's j.S Cross-up become unblockable whenever he is playing on the p2 side

Young Joseph

This matchup is a very standard DIO game plan based matchup. You determine everything and you run your game plan freely. In practice, you are a giant muscular tough black guy in the prison showers behind 5'5 skinny Young Joseph bending over to pick up his dropped bar of soap.

You are constantly able to breathe down his neck, and if you ever get close enough to start your pressure, he has a tough time escaping. Escaping alive that is. Young Joseph is a very wide and tall character, so all of your combos will work on him. He is even tall enough to be pressured with 66A, which allows free form pressuring and roll baiting, meaning you can very easily mix his roll up in pressure and kill him from even blocked hits into dropped pressure.

Young Joseph has a handful of tools to work at about every range, but DIO has the measures to counter all of them. At about every interaction the risk/reward is highly skewed against YoJo. A slow roll, bad guard cancel, slightly below average defensive value, weird ground tech giving him harder punishes, tall and wide hurtboxes, weak reversals make him highly susceptible to block pressure. 214X is still guard cancellable quite easily, so as always don't make it even close to one of your first picks for offense. Otherwise his slow normals, usually weak damage, and slow roll and GC will make it dangerous for him to escape. As his uppercut super is not instantly invincible or fast, rolls can easily be reacted to to put him in a 236C mix-up. Instant overhead j.C also works on him very easily for an obnoxious chunk of damage. His wake-up is also so slow that a well-timed 5C ender from 236C will let you get another 236C mix-up.

Grabbing and guard cancelling isn't too bad in this match-up. His punishes are both weak and difficult. Both 5S and overdrive do less damage than the grab in particular. Guard cancel still has tendencies to fail due to the speed and high-hitting start. Guard cancel's range is still useful since it can punish multi-hitting clacker moves on reaction like 5S, dashing S, j.S, and boomerang.

The greatest threat YJ has on DIO in particular is his IOH j.A which easily hits crouching DIO even in Stand OFF mode, comboing into j.S and then into a rekka knockdown, giving him another easy 50/50. Making it loopable is taxing, but it's a strong option he can repeat on you and the best way of opening you up, as DIO can punish projectiles on reaction very easily by low-profiling boomerang with d.2C which goes into 236C high/low, (air) knives, and tandem. The same applies to roundabout crossbow. Forward crossbow can stuff you attempting a normal punish, but supers will beat that and a single hit from that won't hurt much, whereas you can nearly win from a good punish. Should he safely set up a projectile, this can open up his most devastating combos, especially unscaled enders to uppercut super, or Aja Stand crushes (crash on block) or 2S knockdown into the beam. Regardless, even though he can't blindly charge into DIO's strong keep-away options, it's one more extra layer of safety he can bait you with, and/or massively combo from. If you can't manage to punish it as he sends one out, block a boomerang standing so the second part doesn't stay behind you. Should it already be there or a crossbow is on its way, Stand ON jumping away will greatly reduce the threat, as his anti-airs aren't very damaging and neither is his tech chase great, especially when you have meter to throw air knives and make him think twice about trying to chase you.

At close ranges Joseph will aim to mix you up fast with IOH, lows, and grab since he doesn't have as much threat from afar and one pushblock, jump back, or dash back will put him in that spot, whereas DIO can start his game easily from there. Still, it shouldn't be seen as his "weak" zone, since he has big moves that hit relatively hard for how much they can keep you out such as 5C, overdrive, and 2C, though they're always a commitment. A good jump over or super and he won't be saving himself. Many YoJos like to get in with j.C to j.S but it's noticeably slow, meaning you can attempt anti-airing with 2B or instant air-to-air s.j.B, j.C, j.A. Stand On lets him threaten with easier IOHs and Stand crashes. Don't fall for silly repeated overdrives after you're already hit by one since they'll put you in a dangerous range of getting crashed, and opens up Stand crush reset routes.

Punishes

Clacker boomerang and crossbow: even from almost fullscreen, low-profile 663C (not on forward crossbow), air knives, and tandem>66C will tear him up good. A teleport that predicts them will end him but open you up to a grab or a high/low if wrong.

Rekka standard ender: If he doesn't combo 2 or more hits before it such as d.2B>236S, or he does and doesn't connect all the clacker hits, it won't hard knockdown and you can do ground tech > 236S / 214S / 214A / 236C. Safe against Stand ON.

Overdrive: When it doesn't connect too far, in s.OFF a pushblocked overdrive will only have 1 frame of blockstun. From there you can do 663A>214A, 66C>214C, s.5B>rekka. On prediction knives and tandem will go through it.

Clackers: If j.S, 5S, or dashing S do a bunch of hits, they will be guard cancellable pretty easily. GC on the late(st?) hit to avoid trading. Also applies to the high/low rekka enders which are very reactable and gimmicky. You can easily mash on them as they come out. The overhead isn't really punishable on landing, so the easiest thing to do is 2A which will beat both, or just empty tandem. Early pushblock to a not so far dashing clacker will be punishable by 66C.

Stand crush Aja: When your Stand gauge is low, it might be worth not blocking in case Jojo resets to overdrive which will Stand crush you, letting him get an easy Aja. If he doesn't hitconfirm and you let him hit the reset, you will recover quicker and punish an incoming beam.

Game Navigation

66X: The overhead dash attack is not a hard knockdown, so ground tech into 236S, 236C, tandem all work easily. Just make sure to delay the punish enough to get a grounded combo rather than launch him. He has plenty of recovery. The backdashing version is safe. Just make sure to tech so you don't give him a free knockdown. On block for 66X you can either pushblock 66C or just block into 2A, 5B, or even 2B.

6C: This looks similar to the previous, but it won't knockdown/launch at all, so after recovering punish on block/hit with a full combo.