Kula Diamond (KoF '02 UM)

Move list

At a glance:

Normals

Close

• cl.A/B/C/D are all cancellable
• cl.A/B are chain-able into themselves and each other
• cl.C has two hit points both of which are cancellable
• cl.D has two hit points both of which are cancellable
• very good set of close normals to keep pressure on opponents

Stand

• s.A/B/C are special cancellable
• s.A/B/C are all whiff cancellable
• s.D has two hits, neither of which are cancellable
• s.A/B/C are all very decent horizontal pokes allowing Kula to control the space in front of her well

Crouch

• cr.A/B are cancellable
• cr.B is chains into itself
• cr.C works as a preemptive anti air with a large upward diagonal hitbox
• cr.B has great range as a low poke
• cr.D her sweep is very slow and extremely unsafe on block
• overall Kula has a weak set of crouching normals compared to her stand/close ones

Jump

• j.A/C look identical, j.C has slightly more startup. Both have cool (hah) downward angles and function as jump ins
• j.D has another nice downward angle and good crossup potential
• j.B has a far reaching horizontal property that makes it a good air to air tool
• j.CD mostly functions mostly as an air to air option as its hitbox priority leaves crouching and some standing opponents hard to hit

Blowback

• soft knockdown
• Kula's CD hits from about 1.5 characters distance away and though it hits mid her leg goes straight up making it a poor pressure tool
• the vertical hitbox makes it a decent anti air option
• whiff cancellable

Throw

Ice Coffin - close b/f + C

• soft knockdown

Behind Slash - close b/f + D

• soft knockdown
• with help Kula tosses the opponent all the way to the other corner

Command Moves

One Inch Punch - (f + A)

• Kula seems to grab the opponent and bite them!
• hard knockdown
• can combo into it (loses the knockdown property) and then cancel from it
• very unsafe on block if done raw

Slider Shoot - (df + B)

• Kula slides on a bed of self made ice tripping the opponent up
• soft knockdown
• can combo into it
• pretty safe on block if spaced correctly
• great option if you want a hit confirmed knock down to start your okizeme

Critical Ice - (df + C)

• Kula creates a far reaching ball of ice spikes
• hard knockdown
• can combo into it, but it will not actually connect a combo with it
• another great pressure tool for Kula
• you can use it by whiff cancel normals into it to hide its long startup

Special Moves

Diamond Breath - (qcf + A/C)

• Kula blows a mist of ice at the opponent freezing the opponent
• A version is comboable and causes a soft knockdown
• A version causes a brief juggle state where Kula can follow up create a reset opportunity or get further damage
• A version will destroy normal fireballs, but only well into its active frames. C version too slow to be effective at this
• C version is not comboable and causes a freeze state allowing time to get a full follow up combo
• C version's hitbox will whiff if directly next to the opponent in either a standing or crouching state
• both versions are + on block

Crow Bites - (dp + A/C)

• Kula's ice sparkle version of the old fighting game standby the dp
• A version hits once, is comboable and causes soft knockdown
• A version is Kula's go to reversal option
• C version hits twice, is comboable and causes soft knockdown
• C versions 2nd hit will whiff on crouching opponents even if comboed into. Leaving Kula open to heavy punishment
• the first hit of C version is super cancellable though to use in combo strings
• C version has a very long diagonal arc that covers most of the screen which makes it an intriguing, but risky anti air

Counter Shell - (qcb + A/C)

• Kula hits the opponent with a lethal mist of ice
• causes hard knockdown
• can combo into it
• hitbox hits from slightly less than a full character away
• the mist will also reflect most projectile in its active frames, sending a shard of ice back to the opponent
• both versions are equally unsafe on block
• great combo ender to get a knockdown and run a mixup

Lay Spin - (qcb + B/D)

• Kula spins in the air landing a kick on the opponent
• both versions are comboable
• both versions are 0 or -1 on block
• B version lands one hit that can be followed up
• D version is two hits that you can follow up in the second hit
• D version will whiff the first hit on crouching opponents
• D version causes soft knockdown if you don't follow up

┗ Stand - (f + B)

• Kula follows up her spinning kick with an icy projectile
• following B version the projectile won't combo
• during B version you can follow up the kick with projectile on whiff or block
• if the projectile hits from B version it causes soft knockdown
• from D version you can cancel into the projectile from the 2nd hit, but not on whiff.
• if you land a full combo into D version the follow up projectile whiffs, but if you land just the 2nd hit of D version the follow up hits and causes a soft knockdown.

• both versions' projectile follow ups are super cancellable

┗ Sit - (f + D)

• Kula follows up her spinning kick by going into a slide
• following B version the slide will combo and cause soft knockdown
• following B version it can be whiff cancelled into
• slide is very unsafe on block
• D version will whiff the slide during a full combo, but if you land just the 2nd hit of D version the slide hits and puts the opponent in a juggle state
• in a full combo with D version the slide serves a great purpose of keep pressure on by closing distance

• both versions of the slide are super cancellable

Desperation Moves

Diamond Edge - (qcf x 2 + A/C)

• Kula summons large shards of ice from the ground hurling them in a wave to the opponent
• can combo into it
• causes soft knockdown
• the ice wave can negate other projectiles, but it's slow to use as a punish in that regard

La Cachola - (qcf x 2 + B/D, in air)

• Kula grabs the opponent and summons help from Candy, Foxy and Diana and they surround the opponent cheering: 'La Cachola!'
• counts as unblockable command grab
• causes hard knockdown
• done raw does very minimal damage
• drains one meter from the opponent
• you can easily tiger knee the move if you are next to the opponent and want to spend the bar for a knockdown
• has a slow short diagonal window so has to be done pretty much on top of the opponent
• has minimal invulnerability so Kula can be hit out of the throw

Super Desperation Moves

Freeze Execution -(hcb x 2 + AC)

• Kula calls Diana who dashes forth with a rapier knocking the opponent up into a powerful freeze
• can be comboed into
• causes soft knockdown
• will go through other projectile if done fast enough, still a costly punish though
• great way to end some of Kula's combos

HDSM

Freeze Compression = (qcf x 2 + BD)

• Kula does her One Inch bite then calls Diana cut for a sword slash, then freezes the opponent setting them up to be pummeled by Candy
• can be comboed into easily
• causes soft knockdown
• decent expensive way to end a combo or finish someone off

Combos

• j.X, cr.B×1~2, Far B, dp+C

• j.X, cl.C (1), qcf+A, hh.D

• cl.D (2), qcb+B~f+D, dp+C

• j.X, st.C (1), qcfx2+P

• j.X (cross-up), st.C (1), f+A, qcfx2+P

• (corner) cl.C/D (2), f+A, qcf+A, qcfx2+P

• j.X, st.C (2), (BC run) st.C (1), f+A, dp+A, (DC) qcb+B~f+D, (DC) qcb+P

• j.X, cr.B×1~2, Far B, dp+C, (SC) qcfx2+P

• j.X, st.C (2), (BC run) cr.B×1~2, Far B, dp+C, (SC) qcfx2+P

• j.X, st.C (2), (BC run) st.C (1), f+A, dp+A, (DC) qcf+A, qcb+B~f+B, qcb+B~f+B, dp+C, (DC) qcb+P

• j.X, st.C (1), f+A, (BC) st.C (1), f+A, dp+C, (DC) qcb+B, (SC) qcfx2+K

• j.X, st.C (2), f+A, hcbx2+AC

• j.X, st.C (1), f+A, (BC) st.C (2), f+A, hcbx2+AC

• j.X, cr.B×1~2, (BC) Far B, dp+C, (SC) hcbx2+AC

• j.X, st.C (2), (BC) st.C (1), f+A, dp+C, (SC) hcbx2+AC

• j.X, st.C (1), qcfx2+BD

• j.X (cross-up), st.C (1), f+A, qcfx2+BD

• (corner) j.X, st.C (1), qcf+A, qcfx2+BD

• j.X, st.C (2), (BC) st.C (1), f+A, qcfx2+BD

• (corner) j.X, st.C (2), (BC) st.C (1), f+A, dp+C, (DC) qcf+A, qcfx2+BD

• cl.C/D (2), f+A, qcb+B~f+D~dp+C/hcbx2+AC

• cl.C (1), f+A, qcfx2+P / df+C (2), qcfx2+BD

• Far C, qcb+B～f+D~dp+C / hcbx2+AC

• cl.C (2), (BC) cl.C (2), hcbx2+AC

• f+A/df+C(3)/qcb+P, dp+C/qcb+P/qcfx2+P

• (corner) cl.C/D (2), f+A, qcf+A, [qcb+B～f+B]×2, dp+C/qcb+P

• st.C (1), f+A, (BC run) cl.C(1), df+C(2), [dp+C (1),(SC) qcfx2+P/hcbx2+AC] qcfx2+BD

• (corner) cr.B×1~2, (BC), Far B, dp+C (1), (DC) qcf+A, qcfx2+BD

The King of Fighters 2002: Unlimited Match