KOF XIII: Ralf Jones

[videoman190]

Command list

Throws

or +

or +

Command normals

+ - Jet Upper

Special moves

+ or - Burning Hammer - EX

+ or - Ralf Punch - EX

or repeatedly - Vulcan punch - EX

or (In air) - Dive Bomb - EX

Desparation moves

X2 or - Galactica Phantom - EX

or - Bareback Vulcan Punch

NeoMax

X2 +

Console Changes

- (shown in video)Strong Burning Hammer has less lag. You can combo it into his C Gatling Attack without needing to cancel.
- (shown in video) During Vulcan Punch (all versions) Ralf can move forward.
- (shown in video) EX Burning Hammer has faster startup and can be comboed from strong attacks.
- (shown in video) Both versions of Galactica Phantom can be charged.
- crouch D has less lag.

Producer Yamamoto says: Ralph=power is the simple equation we used here. The centerpiece being his chargeable Galactica Phantom. Damage increases as charge levels go up, release it earlier to improve damage with a super cancel. It’s nostalgic that he can move again during his Vulcan Punch.

Movelist Vid

Trial mode

KOF XIII Ralf's EX Move and Cancel Timing Guide Tutorial

Combo Guide by Robocop Two

In this game Ralf is a bit of a powerhouse style character, he has decent close zoning tools and decent pressure with some small handy mix-ups. He's not going to be top tier in this game, there are too many little niggling issues but with the right time and effort he can still contend but you have to be willing to put in the leg work. For me this is a no brainer as the fun I get out of putting the work load in still out weighs the hard times but he may not be for everyone, but give him a try and you might be surprised what he can do.

Basic Combos

Okay, so I'm tempted to say that Ralf has no basic combos, only intermediate and advanced but I think I can put some of these here. Alot of Ralf's combos are very range sepcific which will become more aparent in the intermediate section but if we're going to stick to the basics I would say this firstly.....

cr.B, +A, +C, b~f+A


So the first thing you might have trouble with here is the cr.B into +A which at first miay seem hard but in all honesty it is very easy when I give you two simple tips, 1 you can perform cr.B by doing +B and you will still get a cr.B to come out so during cr.B, +A you can hold during the whole thing. 2 press the buttons fast, consider it a chain like MvC3 or Vampire Saviour and not a link like the SF series. Once you have that bit down there is one tricky part in it and that is linking +C into b~f+A.

You may think that the charge is impossible but you must remember that this is KoF and in the game, charge times are minimal so as so as you input the +C go straight to back and you will always have enough charge time. You will need to practice the link here but once you do, you'll find it comes alot more naturally and quite quickly.

The next combo is the 'basic' jump in combo, very similar to the one above.....

j.C, st.C (1hit), +A, +C, b~f+A


This combo works in the same way it's just that you need to you standing C (1hit) and cancel from that instead of cr.B and so it is essentially a bit easier I find but if you are having problems by all means post something up here and I'll try and help you out.

Another very easy thing to get you head around is Ralf's dive which is performed with +Punch in the air. The A version is quicker than the C version and both have their uses but the C version only becomes REALLY useful in high level play when things like fuzzy guard come into play.

But for now I will show you this....

j.A, +A


Now this isn't a combo as such but it's a good mix-up that I think everyone that uses Ralf needs to be aware of, and everyone that plays against Ralf should know of. Both j.A and j.CD can be cancelled into the +A or C, and +A or C in the air is an overhead. If you jump in with j.A you are hitting with an overhead so the opponent is forced to block standing, if you then land and go with the first combo I have shown you then the opponent needs to crouching block the second attack but if you cancel the j.A into +A or C then the opponent needs to block standing twice. It's not a complicated mix-up but it is important and gives Ralf a few more liberties when jumping in.

Intermediate Combos

well this is where things get a bit more interesting for Ralf, I know the previous stuff was possibly a bit hard but if you can do that consistently then you can definately get this one down.

cr.B, +A, +C, .+B


j.C, st.C (1hit), +A, +C, .+B


So what you're attempting to do here is replace the b~f+A with the super, if you have the link timing from the previous combo down then this is inputting the super so that it ends at the same time. You'll have to learn how to get the motion consistently but if you already know the link timing then knowing when to end the super should be easy it's just a case of learning when to start it so that you end at the right time. Give it a go and remember, you are linking +C into .+B, not cancelling so take your time and if you find you are leaving too much space inbetween the +C and the super then just try to start doing the super a tiny bit earlier until it links.

Now the next combo here is for times when you don't have meter but still need to combo....

st.C (1hit), +A, +C, cr.C, b~f+C


The reason why I leave this combo last is because it is a better natural segway to the next section. If you have followed me this far then you have already learnt to combo +C into b~f+A or .+B and with this combo you will learn how to combo +C into cr.C, to do this all you really need to do is try and remember you +C, b~f+A timing but press cr.C instead of f+A, once you see the cr.C connect then just cancel it into b~f+C and you are good to go. With all these tools at your disposal now, the next section should be nice and easy for you....

Advanced combos

Okay, so this is where we maximise your damage output.....

C (1hit), +A, +C, cr.C, .+B


This combo is like a collection of all the other ones you have done so far so you do your basic combo into +C and you input cr.C, .+B.

This combo is tricky at first and I do mess it up from time to time but I can give you at least 2 ways of making this combo easier. The first way is to perform the combo as if you were doing +C, .+B but instead of just going straight for the super, you delay it so that when you start the the super at d you press C, then you proceed to do the whole super and it will combo together. If you can do the cr.C, b~f+C combo then this should be manageable for you so just keep trying.

If you are finding that method hard then you can do it as the stadard super motion so once you connect with +C roll and then as you are moving through the motion hit C when you are at down back, down or down forward, complete the motion to forward and press B. This method is a little hard as well as you need to re-adjust to find your link timing but all are managable and you can make them consistent.

The really hard thing about Ralf is not so much the links, but getting every last bit of damage that you can from each combo so you must have a well trained eye for ranges. Once you can tell the range and if a cr.C will hit or not you will know what sort of timing you will need for you ending to the combo which makes life a heck of alot easier.

So you may well be wondering if Ralf has anything he can do with Drive Cancels and he does, in my oppinion (and this is just me) his mid screen Drivecancel combos are terrible and aren't worth the meter (however this looks like it may change in the console version) but in the corner he definately has some bang for his buck so here it is.....

j.C, st.C(1hit), +A, +AC, b~f+A, b~f+A, DC +C, .+B


Now this combo does around 61% damage for 1 DC and 2 supers and is litterally the only corner combo you will see me do if I have the meter for it. It does over 50% and give hard knockdown which leads to another mix-up (as shown in the beginner section) which could then lead to another combo that would kill the opponent.

The basic idea of j.C, st.C (1hit), +A continues but instead of going for the gut punch (qcf+C), you are going to do the EX ground punch (qcb+AC). This lifts the opponent high enough and while mid-screen it would knock the opponent away, in the corner that isn't a problem and so as soon as you hit with this move you need to charge the Gattling Punch. Hitting the gattling punch is a bit wierd, you would expect a big move like the +AC to have a large amount of recovery but infact the opposite is true, the recovery is very quick so you can link in a Gattling punch as soon as Ralf recovers from the explosion (I actually believe there is still a bit of the explosion on the screen at that time).

So you've hit one Gattling punch and as soon as that has happened, start charging the second one, once you have recovered from the first Gattling Punch the opponent should already be around the right height for the second one although you may have to wait a split second just so that they drop to the right height. Once you connect with the second Gattling Punch you need to drive cancel into the +C, the timing on this isn't too hard all you need to do is start performing the motion when Ralf hits with his elbow of second gattling punch and by the time he has hit with the punch you should have finished your motion so press C and see that explosion come out. At this point it is just a case of buffering the .+B into the ground punch so that when you come out of the explosion you go straight into the super, it's not hard but may require some toying with although, as I remember the console version made this combo a little more tricky to perform so it may be a little harder than I am currently making it out to be.

missing combos

There are currently some missing combos in this list, one has been removed due to vulcan punch changes and so it no longer works on the console version and the other is a Hyper Drive combo which I don't think has ever been performed before anywhere. I will be doing an Orochinagi.com live stream pod cast thingy hopefully on Monday but this will depend on Gunsmith's timetable as well as my own so I will keep you updated but I will be showing these combos and trying to explain the whole Ikari team as well as HD mode combos.

[Dark_Chaotix]

So his dive bomb can only be done in the air now?

[fiol]

[fiol]

ralf 100% (1001 damage)

[Tel]

Got to try Ralf a fair bit, so I'll try to offer some detail on his moves:

is an anti-air punch. It's a little slow, but more serviceable than anything else he has as an anti-air except a standing A against hops.
links from light attacks, but doesn't knock down and does piss poor damage. It's good for his Super Cancel though. Basically Ralf does a flaming gut punch. According to the Master Guide, the version actually does more damage than C.
links from his light attacks like before. I suppose that's his BnB. Drive Cancel into tap for a few extra hit.
Tap When I get in an unexpected poke then I tend to link with instead, so I only use this in Drive Cancels.
is air only now. Not terribly useful IMHO as it's highly visible, plus you can't cancel any of his jumping attacks into this.
. is supposed to be his defensive move, but the radius is too small, and the C version is too slow for it to be really useful.
is much faster now, but can be blocked, and leaves Ralf wide open if so. Best used in combos only. Didn't bother trying the other super, which again is only useful for combos.

Far C and crouching C are still decent for snuffing attacks at the right range, but not quite as whore-tastic as in XI.

Not too hard to see why Ralf is bottom feeding now. His jumping CD is a lot less effective now, and while he's easy to use, his combos are pretty much limited to simple 2-in-1s that do little damage overall. Throw in lack of any real pressure options, slow meter building, and lack of defensive twitch moves, I doubt anyone is really going to use him for serious matches.

[Toxic Avanger]

Got to try Ralf a fair bit, so I'll try to offer some detail on his moves:

links from light attacks, but doesn't knock down and does piss poor damage. It's good for his Super Cancel though. Basically Ralf does a flaming gut punch. According to the Master Guide, the version actually does more damage than C.
is air only now. Not terribly useful IMHO as it's highly visible, plus you can't cancel any of his jumping attacks into this.

He can cancel his air punch from an air attack, as seen in this vid. since the punch itself is slightly quicker than before (both, the punch and the 'post hit' back jump), it looks like most characters have have problem punishing it after block; even if Ralf is cornered

Combos from that player, found in the smoai vids:

cr , , , charge -> Super cancel. // After the the gattling attack is linked, and thus doesn't use any drive meter.

(for poking) cls , , charge -> cls // (this last punch gets blocked).

Of course there are some derivations of these that you can still use. It's unknown if the needs to be at a certain specific strength in order for the combos to work. He does look much more fun to use than originally advertised, but you can tell how much any Ralf player might miss his Argentine to fend of players when they get to stupidly close.

Not too hard to see why Ralf is bottom feeding now. His jumping CD is a lot less effective now, and while he's easy to use, his combos are pretty much limited to simple 2-in-1s that do little damage overall. Throw in lack of any real pressure options, slow meter building, and lack of defensive twitch moves, I doubt anyone is really going to use him for serious matches.

I hope that you at least understand that "that" tier guide was made by a couple of folks in kof union after trying the game for a few days. In other words even in China it doesn't reflect the full consensus of the players on who is better than who; let alone say that those lists usually vary a lot from country to country... While general consensus on who are the most bothersome fights is pretty much already the same everywhere; going by that tier list as if it was the bible is just silly... A lot of people just settle with "because I got it from the internetz!" "It's in mandarin, it has to be prah" and that kind of mind set is just a big nah nah.

[Tel]

Actually I kinda went into the game trying to disregard the tier list, since I was out to learn the characters. I'm not a very good player (certainly pretty bad now that I'm 4 years out of practice), but I have a pretty decent feel for characters. Having to play intuitively, it's easy to figure what works really easily, what's so-so, and what's going to be a challenge. My first try with Betsy and I could tell her anywhere juggles were much worse than in XI, especially now that her is much faster and her LDM is turned into a regular DM.

But going back to Ralf, thanks for the combo idea, may want to try it out if I hit the arcade again today before heading home. I actually found him quite fun to use, even if I was missing his SABB. Just that his damage output is not great and he doesn't have much in the way of sustained pressure or twitch defense.

[Toxic Avanger]

Some interesting things from the 21.atwiki (I forgot that thing even existed!)

Combos (no damage rates submitted (most characters do have them)).

(I'm skipping what has been already posted)

cr , cr ,

cls , , , cr , DM

cls , , , cr , charge , (DC) , // corner only

[Robocop Two]

Does Ralf's super catch jumpers like Kyo's running grab? Was thinking if you could combo into it from without DC or if you would need to use the lvl2 version of the super or the EX version of the gattling punch to ensure it connected.

Thinking if this would work

, , , , ,

[Kane317]

Does Ralf's super catch jumpers like Kyo's running grab? Was thinking if you could combo into it from without DC or if you would need to use the lvl2 version of the super or the EX version of the gattling punch to ensure it connected.

Thinking if this would work

, , , , ,

When I messed around with him I remember thinking it doesn't snatch ppl out of the air (I know it did in the older kofs). His mount DM doesn't have a EX version =(. I'll look up the Japanese BBS to see if they list the properties of the DM and I'll get back to you.

[Robocop Two]

It just seems a bit silly to me that Kyo's running special ( ?) goes into the grab if you are air borne but Ralf's doesn't, Ralf's move is a super and is puishable on block as I remember and Kyo's does a good chunk of damage stops people from jumping and is safe unless you have an instant command grab.

[Kane317]

It just seems a bit silly to me that Kyo's running special ( ?) goes into the grab if you are air borne but Ralf's doesn't, Ralf's move is a super and is puishable on block as I remember and Kyo's does a good chunk of damage stops people from jumping and is safe unless you have an instant command grab.

Well that's one of those perks you get when you're part of the Kusanagi clan

---
Regarding the Mount DM I think I stand corrected.
判定もかなり強い為、前に落ちる飛び込みなら速めに反応できれば対空にも使える。 which my google friend translates to: For quite a strong determination can also be used to accelerate the reaction if you air before diving down. <--Lol.

At least 対空 means anti-air, one of the few Chinese characters I can read.

[SonicTempest]

Here's a non-Google translation :)

"The priority is pretty strong, so if you can react quickly to an opponent falling to the ground in front of you, you can use it as an anti-air."

[Robocop Two]

Guess I'll have to wait til the console version comes out before I can test this sort of stuff?

[Kane317]

Here's a non-Google translation

"The priority is pretty strong, so if you can react quickly to an opponent falling to the ground in front of you, you can use it as an anti-air."

ST > google translate

So determination = priority coz silly google always chooses that word (I kinda figured, but now I have the confirmation).