:: orochinagi

A basic quicky guide for people who are starting to play 98 with Ryo.

First things first - normal Ryo is not your lolwtfhuegcombo character. He has some combos, they are relatively simple but they can hurt quite a lot.

Normals:
Far A - Cancellable, link with +B.
Far B - Best poke of Ryo. Quick, has range, and annoys the hell out of your opponents.
Far C - Slightly slow high punch. Not cancellable but use it as a semi-lockdown tool to keep Ryo and the opponent in the "Ryospace" (explained later)
Far D - Alternate anti-air aside from crouching C or . Do it a bit early.

Close A - For linking into +B
Close B - Like above.
Close C - Combo starter, quick and dirty. Think it has more frames than usual that allows for cancelling.
Close D - Meaty attack, a little bit slower than close C. Does not hit low, obviously.

Crouching A - Good for linking from low B or linking into close/far A.
Crouching B - Hits low, obviously. Pretty darn good and can link into crouching C if you got the timing right (emphasis on if).
Crouching C - LOLANTIAIR. Farking fast, screams priority and cancellable. Has extra vertical range that your crouching C needs.
Crouching D - Sweep. Cancellable, so if it's blocked follow with a +A or whatever that suits your fancy, like +B.

Jumping A - Light poke, I use it for jumpins at times.
Jumping B - The air-to-air pokey pokey. Has good range, I don't really use it for jumping in though.
Jumping C - Good for air-to-air and air-to-ground.
Jumping D - A pretty good jump in attack and you can follow with whatever normals you have on the ground. Recommended. Also good crossup.

Ground CD - Super fast, super useful and has more range than you think. Abuse.
Jumping CD - Looks weird but maybe try it with vertical jumps. I don't use it much unfortunately.

Commands:
f+A - He only has this, but this move screws people up so much it's fun. There's noticable startup, but once he chops down, he gets pushed away if it's blocked, and that usually makes him safe. An overhead.

Throws:
My memory is bad, but one throw can be roll recovered (the D one methinks) and one cannot (the C one).

Special moves:
+P: A version has no lag, C version goes farther and has more startup. C version DOES not link from close C/D, so you pretty much have to use the A version. A version is safe, great and has a nice big ki thingy that can hit the opponent. In short, do the A version when you get something blocked. For C version, doing it out of the blue once in a while works, and as an early anti-air.

+P: If you're spoiled by 95 Ryo you won't like this. This thing trades hits, but is still a decent to boot. +A is a pretty decent move, not the most abusable move in his arsenal but quite useful in tight situations. For +C don't do it unless you're sure it'll hit, since he goes higher, and on grounded opponents, he usually will score the first hit, and the guy will stay on the ground while you fly high up and get ready for a meaty combo.

+K: For combos only, even though you can somehow use it as an anti-hop at times, or if the opponent is throwing something out at random far away (for D version that is) and wants to get hit. For the record the D version goes through ground fierballs. Anyway, use it in combos. B version for light combos (low B, A, +B is a good start). D version after a close C or D for ouchage. But D version has lag and if is blocked, Ryo is in for TEH DAMAGE.

+K: Flying karate overhead chop. Think of it as an overhead version of Kyo's RED Kick. It's an overhead, so that's extra fun for high-low games. Both versions, if blocked, gives you a frame advantage (or 50-50). Mostly I follow with a +A, since opponents are prone to stick something out after this gets blocked. B version covers halfscreen and D version covers 3/4ths of the full screen. Obviously jumps over fireballs, but if the timing isn't right, the opponent may have recovered from shooting the fierball already. Also - Judge your distance! Missing the move means that it's not safe and you're in for a world of pain. Get to know the distance - especially D version.

+P: Armpit attack. Has autoguard at startup but that's really the whole value of the move. You can follow it with a +P but that's only useful if this move is hitting someone (not blocked). If it's blocked, I think the opponent recovers before you. Also, the +P followup may miss, making this move kinda crappy. C version goes farther than A version.

+P when close: Autocombo juggle, works like a grab and connects from a close A/B/C/D which means that it's freaking useful. Also juggles at the end. Note that the range extends beyond his hit range, which means that you may have some times where he gets pushed away too far for the last 1-2 hits to damage the opponent, and are blockable. Follow with a jump CD, or if you're fancy, +P or +P.

DMs:
,hcb+P: Ryuuko Ranbu, A version is faster and shorter than C version. If you manage to get a close C/D or crouching C in, connect into this (or A HSKK). Unlike 2k2, this one will trade hits and cannot fly through fierballs. The good thing is that if it's blocked, Ryo will keep punching at the blocking opponent, but will end with a move that leaves him open. Those blocked punches do tick damage, so if you're feeling like a cheapo, you can finish the opponent off with this. Note that the opponent can do a forward guard cancel roll when you're punching, and it'll obviously leave you open. Also if Chin or Choi blocks this low, there's a few hits where they can just roll forward and do whatever they like at your behind.

f,hcf+P: HSKK. Best accidental combo ever, close C into A version is love. A version comes out faster, but travels slower. While C version is vice versa. Good for early anti-air, fierball spammers, and watching opponents do a failroll at the A version.

qcfx2+P: OWPUNCH. Useless by itself (even though you can connect the A version of this from a low B, low A), but the true value is the OW in the counter. If this move counters, it takes off around 45% of a full life, and that's something. This is my preferred DM actually. Regardless, dont' spam it a lot like me, it's not invincible (SDM is) and it doesn't always counter people. A good thing for this move is that it does come out rather fast, and the knockaway will get you away from a tight spot like a guard counter CD. Requires practice for the OW to work, I suggest that if you're serious into using this, play the CPU and only do this move as your DM (they're less likely to give you a meaty combo if blocked).

SDMs:
,hcb+P: SDM Ryuuko ranbu. More damage, slower startup and can't link from anything. It does do a hecklot of damage, and of course, catches anyone who dares to touch him while he's flying forward. Also does more tick damage if blocked.

f+hcf+P: HSKK SDM, hueg 5 hit fierball that does tons of damage and is like fullscreen in height. Speed is the same regardless of the button you press, and it's freaking fast.

qcfx2+P: The dizzy punch. Works differently from DM version, auto dizzy (unless opponent is already dizzied), and he's freaking invincible. Causes guardbreak like Mu Shiki DM but that doesn't mean that the opponent can't run up and combo his arse. Links from weak attacks, so if you got a stock burst and somehow caught up to the opponent with a low B and low A, do this.

Strat:

- The "Ryospace"
Basically it's the space that normal Ryo works the best in. Iie-Kyo pointed that when Ryo is around 1-2 character space apart from the opponent, he can basically find a counter to whatever the opponent does. This works especially well in the corner, when Ryo corners someone, keep a bit of distance and you find yourself controlling the flow if you're doing well (and lucky).

In the Ryospace, f+A is your friend for wakeup, mixup with low B or low D and you can keep the opponent in high-low hell. +A is obviously safe, and even moreso with +B, where as pointed above you have the advantage when blocked. +A works extremely well if they try to do anything funny. There's of course the option of throwing or doing the autocombo at the opponent if they don't feel like doing anything or is turtling.

- Outside the Ryospace
Not as effective outside the Ryospace, but still can counter a whole lot of things. This is where you sorta let the opponent do something and you counter them. Opponent does something silly? +D, HSKK. Trying to jump in? All DMs work if you read it early, +P (may trade hits). His stuff still works, just that you're a little limited here than in the Ryospace.

I recommend walking forward and backward a little bit to bait the opponent into doing something silly. This also means that you will get a counter for them. Note that all of his specials except for +P knocks off the opponent, which means that you can enter the Ryospace and give them high-low hell.

- Quick combos
(jumpin attack) -> Close C/D -> whatever
d+B -> d+A -> (optional A) -> +B
d+B -> d+A/standing A -> +A/qcfx2+A

- Blocked combos
d+D -> +A/qcf+B
d+B -> d+A -> far B
Close C/D -> +A

That's the basic gist for starting with Ryo.

Stand CD is fast and can be used to snuff pokers, mix with a

hop attack with B to stop wakeup, mix with jump C (appears less obvious than jump d) into C, a, then mix hyper jump C in corner to crossup, then empty hop low B, low A, B/D.

as stated, don't use ryoku ranbu as if you were takuma, it's crap.

Dwn C to really piss people off and high priority in an amazing ralf type way if you have the balls

Stand B all day to really annoy people but then argue that they're using Goro and O. Yash and deserve nothing better

Oh and ppl rarely use this but it's dead easy C, F A, if you mess it up you'll get his command throw or so no risk!

Overhead fun:
Jump Whatever, Fwd A
on waking opponent: Whiff D, Fwd A (scares opponent into blocking low because stand D aims low)