Options on knockdown

So you've managed to open someone up and confirm - now what?

In order of least to most favourable types of knockdown, we have:

Enders with weak knockdown

This is anything where the opponent is knocked down, but Labrys does not have the ability to create any additional pressure. Typical enders in this category are:

• Ground guillotine

• Air guillotine

Her only real option here is to meaty with 5A/2A. It is of course possible to start moving or use a slower move, but your opponent will be free to roll out or do something that isn't block if you do this.

Enders with strong knockdown

Anything where you get a proper hard knockdown. Your options include either meaty, going for some sort of mixup, or safejump. Typical enders in this category are:

• C Beast (if not too much proration)

  • Gives IAD safejump

• Counterhit DP

  • Gives IAD safejump after dashing

• SB Beast (special case, lots of time to mixup here, including time to SB spike/orb before attacking)

  • Gives IAD or crossup meaty with j.B

  • Can also setup projectiles at the cost of meaty. With orb, throw should counterhit most mash options

• Charge 5B (including time to send out orb/spike if opponent not grounded)

  • If opponent was aerial (in combo), can send out orb/spike, and in corner, orb gives whiff j.A > j.B safejump if the height is correct

  • In corner, you can also send out spike and do an IAD safejump after, potentially into a fuzzy setup! Timing on this is also height/character dependent, but is generally consistent

• Throw

  • Immediate 214A will hit meaty (and high) and be plus as it'll hit with the late frames of the second hit. Will combo on no tech. Just be careful as this leaves you open to DP/supers

  • IAD j.B immediately will hit same side, although with a very slight delay will cross up instead, very hard to visually read, so is a nice option. Not a safejump when same side except against very slow/counter DPs

Sweep

Sweep is a special case, as it allows Labrys to special cancel in a way that sets up one of her traps while not forfeiting the ability to meaty. That is, 2AB > 22A/B/C or 2AB > 236C/D. For this reason, if green axe or below (and in some cases, in yellow axe), sweep into special should be used over sweep into guillotine axe, unless going into C/SB beast.

22X

Sweep into 22X has been a staple in Labrys' gameplan since P4A, and this is due to how strong this knockdown option is compared with a standard knockdown. The main reason for this is threefold:

1. It makes blocking or not hitting your opponent immediately a viable option, and in most cases the spike will punish and confirm even if Labrys is blocking (or even gets hit, if the spike connects)

2. It allows for spicier mixups, and even allows for a left-right that does not require Labrys to attack

3. The damage from the spike connecting is incredible, and has only got better in 2.5. In the corner, landing a sweep into spike will lead to at least 4.5k meterless damage, increasing to over 5.5k with a super.

Things that you can do with this are:

• Meaty with 5A or 2A - this will punish any attempts to roll out or press something. Requires a second button to confirm into spike if not counterhit, and which point you can charge 5B. Can also 5B to stay far and continue pressure from there (not a meaty though), or backdash cancel then IAD j.2B back in to continue pressure

• Block - spike does not meaty by itself, but if the opponent also chooses to block, they will be placed into a lot of blockstun leaving you free to choose your next move. Also, you can be ready with grab in case your opponent tries to roll out. Will also auto-punish any attempt to attack Labrys

• Grab - will not combo, but will catch a lot of players. Low but stable payoff.

• Left-right mixup - ground dash and jump forwards and you will cross up before your opponent gets tagged by spike Alternatively, back dash just before you cross up for a nasty fake-out. Other options include IAD at the last second, jump > air turn > back dash over the opponent (with j.B if you do it after spike hits). Note that all of these allow rolls/2Bs and will likely lose to a well-executed OS

• High/low - sweep or A guillotine, very hard to react to, and as of 2.5, both have decent payoffs. Sweep is still by far the better starter, but A guillotine can be confirmed into full combos now, just make sure to dash into your opponent as far as you can go when they're trapped (that goes for any spike confirm into charge 5B). These are not meaties and can be rolled - A guillotine will get you hit, but sweep will give you pressure or a punish.

• Place the spike behind the opponent and/or run up 2B - strong answers to OS

Orb

A newer option that is more viable than before due to the faster recovery - the author feels that this is generally less pressure than spike, but it does have its benefits. What orb will do is place a timer on your opponent, and closes off certain options as it approaches. Ways to use orb include:

• Use it as a way to confirm sweep/A guillotine (2B once it hits) - effectively allows you to high/low and get a full confirm without giving up your meaty (as you meaty first to keep them in place before the orb reaches), at the cost of not threatening the other options that 22X can.

• Use it as a pressure reset/cross-up point - note that if 236C hits the opponent once it has changed direction, they will be pushed back into you

• Use it as a punish - whiff a move or pretend to let your opponent out, and they may get hit

• Dash cancel and grab/2A - gets you in close, although not really where Labrys wants to be. Note in the corner, sweep > 236D into grab will combo with the orb.

It is worth remembering that orb can interrupt combos or get in the way. Also note that if 236C goes fully off screen at any point, it despawns, so cannot be used in the corner. Also, worse on hit in general than spike.

Definitely a nice new option, and worth considering if someone is reading your spike pressure really well or has a DP that does not care about spike, but probably not the better of the two most of the time.