Aoi Tactical Guide by Shiwapon

Link to the original article on Shiwapon's blog: https://nantejaakuna.hatenablog.com/entry/2021/03/24/154152

Shiwapon's Youtube/Stream: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLaVUj3C3F48pWD2JozpuiQ

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Translation by Tenguman (@Tenguman9) with some additional formatting to be similar to VolcanoShed's threads.

Aoi Tactical Guide

Beginner

- Avoiding attacks with Tenchi In’you

Aoi’s Tenchi In-you is performed by pressing P+K+G. This is a defensive stance that will deflect most high and mid attacks.

After successfully deflecting an attack, PPK or 6P+K P are guaranteed.

Some attacks guarantee a bigger punish like 33P+K or 66K when deflected. These are most upper-mid kicks, high kicks, and knees.

PPK is always guaranteed after a successful deflect, but if you get used to watching Aoi’s animation you can

When you are uncertain of your opponent’s next move, try using Tenchi In’you to beat your opponent’s attack.

Additionally, there are attacks that Tenchi cannot beat.

Low attacks- If you are attacked with a low during Tenchi, you will not be able to deflect it and it will hit as CH.

It is also unable to deflect attacks using the head, shoulders/back, and belly.

It also cannot deflect throws, full-circular attacks, attacks with both hands or both feet, so be wary of these kinds of techniques.​

- Learn the different techniques to use when you are at a disadvantage.

Aoi has many defensive techniques that really shine when she is at disadvantage.

Let’s mobilize all of them to overcome adversity:​

- 236P+K

236P+K is a sabaki that beats high/mid punches and elbows for a small combo.

This option gets her more damage than Tenchi, so try to use this when punches and elbows are more likely.

This attack is especially useful near walls as it can lead to wall combo, so ring awareness will make this a very strong option. ​

- 2_3P hit P+G

Though not particularly powerful, this technique has a very low profile, making it able to dodge the opponent’s attacks.

When it hits, Aoi changes sides with the opponent, so it’s useful as a defensive option when cornered.

Various Counterplay

Aoi’s reversals are different from other characters. As long as she guesses high, mid, or low correctly she can reverse all attacks.

After most successful reversals, a ground throw attempt with 2P+G or 3P+G is guaranteed.

Specifically with fully circular kicks, she will take no damage and gain enough advantage to guarantee a 33P+K or 66K launcher, so don’t forget to follow up. ​

- 44P+K

This move attacks after temporarily withdrawing Aoi’s body, allowing it to beat short attacks.

On NH it grants a combo earning good damage.

However, if it is blocked Aoi is -13, and it is very weak on duck/whiff.​

- 4K+G

This is a sabaki that beats high and mid kicks, as well as knees. On successful deflect, it grants a small combo for decent damage.

This is a very effective option for characters with many kick attacks, like Sarah.

However, since it is an attack you will be CH if you guess wrong, so pay attention to trends in your opponent’s attack choices.​

- 43P

This is a fast two-hand attack. Due to its low profile, it is very useful for attacking under high attacks.

Also, because it’s so fast at 13f, it can beat most all slow techniques that would beat Tenchi.

On CH it causes a stagger, so follow up with a mid/throw mixup here.
​

- In nitaku, mix up with 43p+K and throws

When 6P hits as CH, or when Aoi blocks an attack that puts her in nitaku, 43P+K and throws are strong options.

If you’re confident in your hit-checking, 2_3P+K P is also a good CH mid that leads to a combo.

Also, if your opponent has a sabaki for punches or some other technique to beat this mixup, swapping in 6K (18f) as your CH launcher works very well.​

- Attack from a halt

Aoi’s unique cancel technique, Sundome.

After canceling a string with Sundome, try to force a choice on opponents who wait for the string ender.

A good starting option is to throw from a Sundome cancel.

If your opponent doesn’t want to be thrown and starts crouching, try using Sundome K to stagger them.

Also- Aoi is in disadvantage during Sundome, so if her cancel is read she can be punished.

If you sometimes cancel strings with Sundome without using one of the attacks from it, or cancel and use Tenchi instead, the opponent may think twice about attacking her inbetween.
​

- Use easy-to-use circular techniques

One of Aoi’s strengths is fast circular attacks, which are great for beating the opponent’s dodges.

Once you have some small advantage, try using 4K first.

This kick staggers on NH. If your opponent doesn’t recover from the stagger fast enough, 6_PK can connect, and so can some other attacks.

If your opponent shakes out of the stagger, dash in and play nitaku with mid/throw.

Another great feature of 4K is that it’s an EX High, meaning it will beat crouching attacks during their startup frames. Even if your opponent uses 2P or crouching kicks to abare it can still beat them.

4K is also a half-circular attack that’s weak if dodged to Aoi’s outside/back. If it’s dodged she’s punishable, so be careful of opponent’s dodging the correct way.

In that case, try using 4P instead. This one is a fully-circular punch attack.

If this attack hits, you can follow up with K, or stop the string and make a BT choice.

Also if you don’t know your opponent will dodge or guard, try using Aoi’s sweep, Kusanagi 2K+G.

This is a fully-circular low attack, so it’s useful not only for beating your opponent’s dodge, but breaking their standing guard.

Even though it seems very punishable at -18 on block, you can cancel Kusanagi into Tenchi by pressing 2K+G then P+K+G.

This way, even when Kusanagi is blocked you can use Tenchi to avoid many counterattacks from the opponent.​

Intermediate

- Oki / attacking tech roll

When you successfully deflect an attack with Tenchi and knock down your opponent with PPK, it’s a very good time for Oki.

A good recommended attack vs tech roll is 46P+K.

This is a two-hand mid that crumples on NH, and is not punishable on block.

The basic mixup here is to show them 46P+K and force them to make other choices.

It’s recommended to use low throws also to attack your opponent’s tech roll. It’s not too hard to time with some practice.

Since the opponent also has 46P+K to worry about, it’s unlikely they will tech roll into attacking or crouching.​

1P is another interesting wakeup attack. This is a low half-circular punch that is relatively safe at -2 on NH.​

At -2, if your opponent is going to hit you with an elbow, you can use 236P+K or Tenchi, and if they are going to use techniques to beat your Sabaki or Tenchi, you can use 43P to beat those and this can be quite frustrating for the opponent.​

- Recommended flank attack

After dodging the opponent’s attack, you may end up attacking in ST.

One of the first things you want to show the opponent is 3K mid kick.

If this kick lands as ST CH, it causes side crumple and Aoi can get a strong combo.

If you show this a few times, your opponent will start guarding or dodging, so try switching to 4P. This is a fully-circular high punch that leaves Aoi BT if you don’t use its followup K.

4P is +1 on ST block, so if your opponent blocks it here, Aoi’s BT 2P (11f) is uninterruptible here.

When in BT, try mixing up Aoi’s BT P+K mid string starter and her BT P+G catch throw.

Her BT catch throw leaves her opponent BT and -11, so some small attacks are guaranteed here on most characters. 64P+K P is recommended since it’s a decent damage knockdown and most of the cast cannot escape it midscreen. Aoi for example can escape this with her BT 2/8P+K+G, and some characters with moves like BT 6P+K+G to run up the wall can also escape if there is a wall to use.​

- Aim for a ring out or wall combo with a throw

Another strength of Aoi is her 6P+G throw. This throw allows Aoi to move her opponent left, right, or behind her if you press 2, 8, or 4 right after 6P+G.

After 6P+G 2/8, Aoi is +12 on the opponent’s side, so Aoi’s 12f P string starter is guaranteed. With a wall to either of Aoi’s sides, you can use up to 3 Ps in a string to carry to a wall stagger.

After 6P+G4, Aoi is behind the opponent at +11, and 64P+K is guaranteed on most characters. Use this to start a wall combo when Aoi’s back is to the wall.​

Advanced
Wall approach

- Opponent’s back to wall

If your opponent has a wall behind them, try using 66P to get a wall stagger. 66P is a big pushing mid attack that’s half circular and will push into a wall stagger on NH.

After getting the stagger, start a combo with 43P+K > 2KP > 6K+G…

If your opponent gets defensive with their back to the wall or starts dodging, try Aoi’s powerful wall throw 46P+G.

For an opponent standing near the wall being defensive, you can also mix up Tenchi ​

- Parallel to the wall, with Aoi’s inside/front to the wall

Try getting a wall hit with 2K+G or 1P. 1P is safer on block, but a little slower. If either connect on NH, they can cause a wall hit/bounce and a launcher like 66K, 33P+K, or 46P+K is guaranteed.

Also, don’t forget that with the wall to Aoi’s side, you can use 6P+K 2/8 to get a wall combo.​

- Parallel to the wall, with Aoi’s outside/back to the wall

You may need to be more creative to get the wall stagger. Attacks like PP3/9PP or 3/9P+KP can push the opponent toward the wall, and also allow Aoi to cancel into BT. After taking that angle of attack, if the opponent is defending with their back to the wall, you can use Aoi’s BT P+G catch throw into 64P+K to get a wall stagger.

If your opponent attacks from disadvantage, finish the string to cause a wall stagger and combo.

Again, don’t forget that 6P+G 2/8 can also start a wall combo.​

- Stop the opponent’s attacks using Aoi’s unique options

Back to Aoi’s unique options- She can also perform reversals while BT, and while on the ground, though only when she is face-up.

Aoi also has a unique BT dodge technique- BT 2/8P+K+G. This can get her out of some sticky BT situations and punish with the followup P.

When downed, Aoi can also perform a unique reversal while laying on her back, by pressing P+K. This reversal beats down attacks like the punches, kicks, and stomps that specifically hit downed opponents.

On successful reversal, 66K etc is guaranteed.

However, it’s not possible to use this reversal on large jumping down attacks where the opponent pounces on top of you.

On the other hand, you can still reverse attacks like Wolf’s 3P+K and Blaze’s 3P+K to turn the tables immediately, so keep that in mind.

Also, if you whiff the downed reversal, there is a big risk of being collapsed or launched with mids, so be careful.​