Breakdown by Sparkster
Sparkster wrote:Now that EX Kyo’s available on both consoles, he’s open for tournament play. Whether you know him as ’98 Kyo, Rekka Kyo, CvS2 Kyo, Ura Kyo, EX Kyo, or NESTS Kyo know that he’s a different beast from his older iterations and he’s full of nuances that separate him from the normal Fireball Kyo.
Fireball Kyo is already a decisively high tier character capable of doing just about anything. His normals can deal with nearly every situation, his cross up j.2C is more ambiguous to block, his hitconfirms are easy and lead into long juggles and hard knockdowns, and he has an EX command grab for completely blowing up the opponent’s defense. Since Kyo’s already transitioned marvelously into KOF XIII’s system, some are left scratching their heads over what ol’ Rekka Kyo can do better.
From my impressions, Rekka Kyo is comparably strong as his projectiled-partner. I’ll go further to say that I find him to better suit my playstyle and–due to his close and mid-ranged tools and differences–he can play more aggressively and much more dirtier than normal Kyo. I hope that the debate between whether to select the normal or EX character for Iori, Kyo, and Takuma continues just as it did in older KOF games for characters like Chris and Orochi Chris. I know that certain players such as Dune and BALA are sticking with Claw Iori so I suspect the fight over characters will continue throughout the game’s lifespan; which is great.
One of the most noticeable improvements to Rekka Kyo is that his Aragami (qcf+A) rekka now combos from light attacks. This had never ever worked in previous KOFs, but I suppose it was a necessity for how XIII works. So not only does EX Kyo have an easy hitconfirm into a knockdown, it’s also very safe on block which heavily boosts his blockstring, frametrap, and poking options. As expected, the rekka has upper body guard points (super armor) and the hitbox nullifies projectiles. Everything expected of this move delivers in full force: it asserts control over the low short hop space, ends blockstrings safely, counters projectiles, powers through mid and high pokes, and it can corner carry or cause a hard knockdown. Furthermore, the third hit in the standard series (qcf+A > +A > +A) pushes Kyo back which can make him surprisingly safe against certain punishes due to spacing.
Aside from lacking a cancelable and slightly faster +D, EX Kyo’s normals are better than Fireball Kyo’s. f+B combos from heavy attacks now anyway, which creates easy hitconfirms so he doesn’t need the cancelable +D, especially considering EX Kyo can still cancel his +D double sweep into an HD combo just fine. Another improvement is that his st.B–his old cl.B which hits low and cancels–now chain cancels. While it feels a little worse on block than a raw cr.B, Kyo can chain three low attacks into a combo which means he can really condition the opponent to block low which sets up for his cross ups against crouchers. st.B can also be used for fancier blockstrings like st.B st.A (walk forward) cl.C so he has more options than Fireball Kyo. That leads in to EX Kyo’s st.A. It hits crouchers. This change wasn’t noted in any of SNKP’s logs or videos, but it’s a huge change. His st.A is really short-ranged, but since it will always hit Rekka Kyo can freely pressure with it like it’s something out of Garou: Mark of the Wolves. The move’s great on block so the player could frametrap into a cl.C or move of choice on block and since it hits up so high it’ll simultaneously anti-air any hop-out attempt, unlike his cr.B. However, it seems EX Kyo’s st.D sobat kick starts up a little slower or the range is just a hair shorter. In the grand scheme of things, Fireball Kyo’s normals are not significantly better than Rekka Kyo’s.
EX Kyo’s upkicks (qcf+K) are punishable on block, but then again Fireball Kyo’s upkicks are punishable with command grabs or invuln moves, so really neither Kyo should be using this move outside hitconfirms. However, Rekka Kyo can combo into +B from his light attacks and then combo into R.E.D. Kick (rdp+B) for a hard knockdown or into Orochinagi (qcb,hcf+P) for 30%. Fireball Kyo can land his +B from lights, but his followup options are really limited and he’s not gonna get a hard knockdown. Granted, Fire Kyo can easily combo into +D and then combo anything in the world, but it’s still worth noting that he has to commit to using +D so it’s a nice touch that Rekka Kyo can get a little more off his upkicks without committing into a command normal that sacrifices his followup options on block.
On that note, Rekka Kyo’s options for ending a blockstring are superb and they leave him in a nice position and advantage for continuing to control space. Aragami (qcf+A) pushes Kyo back, but most of the time he’s in range to do one more Aragami afterward to beat out hops and counterpokes, plus he’s in range to run forward or hop forward or just sit back and react to the opponent’s next action. This first rekka can only be punished with crazy-fast moves like EX Ranbus which are gonna cost a lot of meter to use, though in the corner the opponent can Guard Cancel Roll backwards to punish Kyo, so he has to keep that threat in mind. Fireball Kyo has things worse though since his main special for ending blockstrings, his projectile, is always punishable by Guard Cancel Rolls and on block the advantage feels stiffer, especially since he lacks a move that can anti-air hops and destroy certain counterpokes like EX Kyo’s rekka can. Fireball Kyo can leave his +D uncanceled to keep it safe against Guard Cancel Rolls, but if the opponent just blocks both hits then Kyo’s pushed out pretty far and he’s in a weaker position to continue pressuring the opponent than EX Kyo is after doing an Aragami or even doing an uncanceled f+B. And as stated before, EX Kyo can mix in st.B and st.A for fast pressure from light attacks which keeps his blockstrings fresher than Fireball Kyo’s.
One of the biggest divides between both schools of Kyo is that when lacking his rekka, Kyo lacks a safe tool for controlling the short hop space in front of him. Let’s say EX Kyo does cr.D and then quickly whiff cancels into +A. The sweep stretches far on the ground and hits low so it it hits the opponent things are good since he gets a knockdown, and if it’s blocked the rekka will come out which is safe anyway. The basic counter to sweeps in KOF is to hop, but behold as Kyo whiff cancels into his rekka and manages to anti-air a smartly timed hop, reversing the flow of standard counters by controlling two fields in one motion. Fireball Kyo can’t cover both spaces at once; whiff canceling his sweep into his fireball only controls the low grounded space so he can easily get hopped on for doing so. His bird kick (rdp+B) can be used to beat hops, but even though it feels good in XIII it’s still unsafe on block so it can’t be used as liberally as EX Kyo’s Aragami.
EX Kyo seems just slightly more tooled for using his reversals and EX moves. +P has guard points which usually leads into a successful hit whenever triggered, but his EX is a little more wild though; he spins around slightly off the ground which will devastate cross ups. His EX rungrab (hcb+BD) isn’t a command grab, but rather a short-ranged reversal move that causes a hard knockdown on hit. It’s usable as an anti-air, reversal, and blockstring punisher since it’s startup invuln and covered in upper body guard points. If the opponent’s in a range where the EX rungrab can hit, it’s a much better choice than his EX because of the hard knockdown. I find the tradeoff between having an EX command grab or an EX tackle to favor Rekka Kyo since he can already dominate due to his normals and improved close range game mentioned above. Final Showdown (qcf,qcf+P) works as a quick punish so while Rekka Kyo lacks a 2 frame EX Orochinagi, he can punish even Iori’s A rekka on block with Final Showdown which only takes 1 super bar to use so it’s more efficient. As neat as Final Showdown is, Kyo’s EX upkicks combo from strings of three light attacks and afterward he can combo into a hard knockdown or hit reset which can deal identical or greater damage for the same amount of meter. And when Kyo’s rekkas aren’t enough for when dealing with projectiles, EX R.E.D. Kick homes in on the opponent quickly which makes it a great projectile punish from fullscreen.
Currently, Both Kyos have comparable damage output though Rekka Kyo can’t as freely tack on damage since he can’t juggle as long or use an Air Orochinagi. He may end up doing less damage, just as Claw Iori gets bigger HD damage than EX Iori, but I’m more than content with EX Kyo’s competent damage output. Damage may end up being a turning point over choosing which Kyo to use, or maybe the command grab, juggle ease, or whether the rekka or the fireball suits a player’a perferences. Personally, I’m going to pretend it’s 1998, only this time I’m not 10 years behind on the game as I am with ’98.
Be sure to check out the SRK Hyper Guide for more specifics, strategies, and combos for EX Kyo and any other character for that matter.
source http://logicfighter.com/2012/01/11/nests-kyo-breakdown/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.atlus.com/kofxiii/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Three words: Uppercut with autoguard.
Movelist as per the Atlus website (for a character facing right):
Command moves:
Geshiki Goufu You -
88 Shiki -
Geshiki Naraku Otoshi - in air,
Special moves:
100 Shiki Oniyaki -
R.E.D. Kick -
212 Shiki Kototsuki You -
75 Shiki Kai -
114 Shiki Aragami -
|_ 128 Shiki Kunokizu - after 114 Shiki Aragami
|__ 127 Shiki Yanosabi - after 128 Shiki Kunokizu
|__ 125 Shiki Nanase - after 128 Shiki Kunokizu
|_ 127 Shiki Yanosabi - after 114 Shiki Aragami
|__ Geshiki Migiri Ugachi - after 127 Shiki Yanosabi
|__ 125 Shiki Nanase - after 128 Shiki Yanosabi
115 Shiki Dokugami -
|_ 401 Shiki Tsumiyomi - after 115 Shiki Dokugami
|__ 402 Shiki Batsuyomi - after 401 Shiki Tsumiyomi
|___ 100 Shiki Oniyaki - after 402 Shiki Batsuyomi
DMs:
Ura 108 Shiki Orochinagi - (EX version available)
Saishuu Kessen Ougi "Mu Shiki" -
NeoMAX:
Saishuu Kessen Hiougi "Totsuka" -
Geshiki Goufu You -
88 Shiki -
Geshiki Naraku Otoshi - in air,
Special moves:
100 Shiki Oniyaki -
R.E.D. Kick -
212 Shiki Kototsuki You -
75 Shiki Kai -
114 Shiki Aragami -
|_ 128 Shiki Kunokizu - after 114 Shiki Aragami
|__ 127 Shiki Yanosabi - after 128 Shiki Kunokizu
|__ 125 Shiki Nanase - after 128 Shiki Kunokizu
|_ 127 Shiki Yanosabi - after 114 Shiki Aragami
|__ Geshiki Migiri Ugachi - after 127 Shiki Yanosabi
|__ 125 Shiki Nanase - after 128 Shiki Yanosabi
115 Shiki Dokugami -
|_ 401 Shiki Tsumiyomi - after 115 Shiki Dokugami
|__ 402 Shiki Batsuyomi - after 401 Shiki Tsumiyomi
|___ 100 Shiki Oniyaki - after 402 Shiki Batsuyomi
DMs:
Ura 108 Shiki Orochinagi - (EX version available)
Saishuu Kessen Ougi "Mu Shiki" -
NeoMAX:
Saishuu Kessen Hiougi "Totsuka" -
First thing I noticed is his +B,B move. It connects from weak attacks but the range he travels is rather pitiful (think 2k3 +B,B). The thing is, it juggles and you can follow with a B RED Kick, or even an Orochinagi, and even does more damage than the D version.
I'd daresay that if you can get both hits of his +B,B to connect, and you'll need to be really close to do that, go ahead. He recovers almost instantly and you can follow up with either a B RED Kick (or EX), Orochinagi (or EX) or +P (but this is corner only and does weak damage). Any special/supers aside from the ones listed before, it won't work. The juggle time is very little.
+D,D kicks higher, does less damage than +B,B but connects fully after a jump C/D->close C. It also connects fully after a low B->close C.
+BD is just like his XIII version, juggles higher and connects from weak attacks. Also if you want, you can connect it off a standing C->f+B, but at this moment this combo would be purely academical.
Autoguard on these moves (approximate idea):
+P (right when the move starts)
+A/C (right before the punch comes out)
+BD (when Kyo does that forearm push)
I think one of the vids show that he can connect his +A from weak attacks. And he can! This is huge, he can actually do the full chain off a low B->low A! And like old times, end your chain with the K finisher outside corners. Additional bit on this K finisher (after +A->qcf+P), you can drive cancel this into a +P, hopefully I can find more as it doesn't connect with other moves so far.
Also in his +A chain, most moves can be drive cancelled, so there's dozens of possibilities to mess around with.0
It seems like RED Kick does less damage than before. I recommend checking out EX RED Kick as it actually has Kyo fly towards wherever the opponent is located. However, all 3 versions are NOT overheads (I knew the normal versions wouldn't be but the EX being overhead would be so much fun).
+K is like old versions where if he's blocked, he'll do the second part regardless. It's actually quite risky because it gives him quite a lot of recovery time and the opponent can probably run up with some random combo to own Kyo. Don't do this on block. Perhaps, as a tradeoff the damage is really good.
EX +K is interesting, he does a short dash forward. I still can't fully figure out this move except it has autoguard when he's doing that dash (and no invincibility during the startup of this move as I tested). I think he did a drive cancel into this move after the knockdown finisher of his +A chain during the vids, which you can do, I suppose. Needs more research.
Orochinagi doesn't feel very different from the XIII Kyo version.
Mu Shiki links from weak attacks, but on block I don't see any guard break caused, and it gives no pushback on block, so unless practice mode is lying to me, this is a very dangerous move to do on block. You can do this off a +DD but the damage it does is rather pitiful off that, so use Orochinagi instead.
Totsuka, his NeoMax is basically Terry's Buster Wolf except if he connects the world goes aflame. Both supers can be Max Cancelled into this, but off that stupid +DD->Mu Shiki combo I mentioned it won't connect (Kyo flies forward fullscreen wasting your stocks), but it does connect well off a +DD->Orochinagi (EX or not). It does not connect off a +BB -> Orochinagi...well technically you can, but you can either connect the Orochinagi and miss this, or miss the Orochinagi and connect this by Max Cancelling. Another bit of academic fun to bring home with you.
I'd daresay that if you can get both hits of his +B,B to connect, and you'll need to be really close to do that, go ahead. He recovers almost instantly and you can follow up with either a B RED Kick (or EX), Orochinagi (or EX) or +P (but this is corner only and does weak damage). Any special/supers aside from the ones listed before, it won't work. The juggle time is very little.
+D,D kicks higher, does less damage than +B,B but connects fully after a jump C/D->close C. It also connects fully after a low B->close C.
+BD is just like his XIII version, juggles higher and connects from weak attacks. Also if you want, you can connect it off a standing C->f+B, but at this moment this combo would be purely academical.
Autoguard on these moves (approximate idea):
+P (right when the move starts)
+A/C (right before the punch comes out)
+BD (when Kyo does that forearm push)
I think one of the vids show that he can connect his +A from weak attacks. And he can! This is huge, he can actually do the full chain off a low B->low A! And like old times, end your chain with the K finisher outside corners. Additional bit on this K finisher (after +A->qcf+P), you can drive cancel this into a +P, hopefully I can find more as it doesn't connect with other moves so far.
Also in his +A chain, most moves can be drive cancelled, so there's dozens of possibilities to mess around with.0
It seems like RED Kick does less damage than before. I recommend checking out EX RED Kick as it actually has Kyo fly towards wherever the opponent is located. However, all 3 versions are NOT overheads (I knew the normal versions wouldn't be but the EX being overhead would be so much fun).
+K is like old versions where if he's blocked, he'll do the second part regardless. It's actually quite risky because it gives him quite a lot of recovery time and the opponent can probably run up with some random combo to own Kyo. Don't do this on block. Perhaps, as a tradeoff the damage is really good.
EX +K is interesting, he does a short dash forward. I still can't fully figure out this move except it has autoguard when he's doing that dash (and no invincibility during the startup of this move as I tested). I think he did a drive cancel into this move after the knockdown finisher of his +A chain during the vids, which you can do, I suppose. Needs more research.
Orochinagi doesn't feel very different from the XIII Kyo version.
Mu Shiki links from weak attacks, but on block I don't see any guard break caused, and it gives no pushback on block, so unless practice mode is lying to me, this is a very dangerous move to do on block. You can do this off a +DD but the damage it does is rather pitiful off that, so use Orochinagi instead.
Totsuka, his NeoMax is basically Terry's Buster Wolf except if he connects the world goes aflame. Both supers can be Max Cancelled into this, but off that stupid +DD->Mu Shiki combo I mentioned it won't connect (Kyo flies forward fullscreen wasting your stocks), but it does connect well off a +DD->Orochinagi (EX or not). It does not connect off a +BB -> Orochinagi...well technically you can, but you can either connect the Orochinagi and miss this, or miss the Orochinagi and connect this by Max Cancelling. Another bit of academic fun to bring home with you.
Some b&b combos to bide time with.
(corner only) Close -> -> (wait) -> -> -> -> : 288 damage
-> -> -> -> : 175 damage
-> -> -> : 183 damage or :295 damage or : 415 damage
(for both Orochinagis, do immediately when you land and release immediately...re EX Orochinagi, mileage may vary)
Close -> -> -> -> -> (EX Dokugami chain): 306 damage
Also note that the above combo took out slightly more than half of the opponent's guard gauge on block. Maybe you can consider using this if they have no stock and is being pressured by you (so their guard gauge isn't full).
Close -> -> -> -> -> -> : 391 damage
Other combos are fairly standard Kyo stuff and I'm not going to go over them. I do however want to take a look at the EX Dokugami ( ) chain (which I forgot to mention in my above post and I don't want to edit it):
EX Dokugami can split off into a modified Aragami ( ) chain, or follow up with the rest of his EX Dokugami chain. With the Aragami chain after EX Dokugami, you need to input the followups faster (because it comes out faster), but they still retain the properties of the normal version. So perhaps if your EX Dokugami is blocked, you can block-twitch into the Aragami chain followup in hope of salvaging something.
Below is a tree for the EX Dokugami chain, because i liek trees.
(corner only) Close -> -> (wait) -> -> -> -> : 288 damage
-> -> -> -> : 175 damage
-> -> -> : 183 damage or :295 damage or : 415 damage
(for both Orochinagis, do immediately when you land and release immediately...re EX Orochinagi, mileage may vary)
Close -> -> -> -> -> (EX Dokugami chain): 306 damage
Also note that the above combo took out slightly more than half of the opponent's guard gauge on block. Maybe you can consider using this if they have no stock and is being pressured by you (so their guard gauge isn't full).
Close -> -> -> -> -> -> : 391 damage
Other combos are fairly standard Kyo stuff and I'm not going to go over them. I do however want to take a look at the EX Dokugami ( ) chain (which I forgot to mention in my above post and I don't want to edit it):
EX Dokugami can split off into a modified Aragami ( ) chain, or follow up with the rest of his EX Dokugami chain. With the Aragami chain after EX Dokugami, you need to input the followups faster (because it comes out faster), but they still retain the properties of the normal version. So perhaps if your EX Dokugami is blocked, you can block-twitch into the Aragami chain followup in hope of salvaging something.
Below is a tree for the EX Dokugami chain, because i liek trees.
Code: Select all
qcf+AC : EX Dokugami
|- hcb+P -> f+P -> dp+P : This is the EX Dokugami chain as mentioned above.
|- qcf+A : This starts the Aragami chain inside his EX Dokugami chain
|- qcf+P : Nothing special here
| |- P : Overhead knockdown. Instead of missing if you start off say a close C -> f+B , it'll connect and knockdown.
| |- K : The forward slashing kick is now a counter wire attack, which means it's a hard knockdown if connected into.
|- hcb+P : This immediately connects from Aragami. Overhead.
|- P : OTG attack and you can drive/HD cancel with hcb+BD for additional damage
|- K : The forward slashing kick is now a counter wire attack, which means it's a hard knockdown if it hits, but it won't do anything if your hcb+P connected.