In the words of tom brady "MB LOW LASERS" or something like that.
Really though, a mix of far low laser and smart disc to get them to block high laser. Depending on matchup, you can be more liberal with projectiles and even do instant air discs.
Up close the thing to do was mixup with 3xxLow Laser, 32 and 32xxLow Laser. You have to be more careful with that, now that 3 is a high.
I haven't used laser cancel too much but I know 32 cancel and b311 cancel are good go to options.
Everything else is just predator stuff. B2 and d4 in footsie. Wakeup sucks. D1 is now -3 on block so don't mash that (lol nrs)
I'm sure there a more things I probably didn't mention, I play Hunter more than HQT and I tend to miss out on tech but you should do ok with that info for now. Hopefully someone comes through to verify/add info. I didn't get too crazy cause I assumed you know a bit how Predator works. If not and HQT is your first predator experience I think there is some more stuff I could run through. Or just read through this thread lol.
Oh b222 and b22xxLow Laser is also a mixup. I don't know if there is a gap between b22 and low laser but b222 has a gap before the overhead.
122 and 12xxLow laser is also another mixup.
After the changes IDK how negative close low laser is on block. I would check that too.
Don't try to continue pressure after a cancel you will get blown up 95% of the time. You are at a disadvantage and they'll either poked you out of it, armor though it or backdash to safety. Only safe way to pressure/mix up is to catch them in the corner with a low plasma shot and mix them up with 1,2 low laser or 1,2,2. With by the way are both safe. But only on hit from low laser. Midscreen your not getting any safe pressure sadly. Also with the plasma cancel issue it will come with constant practicing. You'll get it.
Can't sleep, Predator has dope on a rope sound effects. Gonna lab him and see how he feels over-all.
So. HQT players, where should I start with BnB combos? What kind of go-to midscreen/corner meter and meterless stuff should I be fiddling with? Also, would anyone care to elaborate on 'plasma cancels'? How to perform, how integral are they to playing the character well (well, not professionally lol), etc.
I looked at the combo thread itself but I'm not clear on the plasma cancels as.I said before, and I don't know how updated and relevant it is currently , given Pred's numerous adjustments since his release.
Thanks guys. I'm just cruising the roster trying to see who clicks and who doesn't and HQT intrigues me.
I think that you definitly SHOULD continue pressure after plasmacancels. It is just that you have to end the same strings with lowplasma occasionally. Else the opponent will start to use pokes against you and Predator has no fast mids, so this would be a severe problem. Even d1/3/4~lowplasma works great after a plasmacancel and so do throws.
Can't sleep, Predator has dope on a rope sound effects. Gonna lab him and see how he feels over-all.
So. HQT players, where should I start with BnB combos? What kind of go-to midscreen/corner meter and meterless stuff should I be fiddling with? Also, would anyone care to elaborate on 'plasma cancels'? How to perform, how integral are they to playing the character well (well, not professionally lol), etc.
I looked at the combo thread itself but I'm not clear on the plasma cancels as.I said before, and I don't know how updated and relevant it is currently , given Pred's numerous adjustments since his release.
Thanks guys. I'm just cruising the roster trying to see who clicks and who doesn't and HQT intrigues me.
As far as meterless midscreen I will usually go for 212, b22xx bf2, dash, 321+3. Off the top of my head I can't remember the damage but I tend to focus more on easily executable than optimized damage. For 1 meter b311 exbf4 is a prime starter as well as 32 exbf4. The cancels are great, and can really help to keep up pressure. But they can also be tricky to pull off, and you can't get more than 2 off at a go. So its always good to mix up with either a pcc or a low laser which also leaves you relatively safe.
As far as meterless midscreen I will usually go for 212, b22xx bf2, dash, 321+3. Off the top of my head I can't remember the damage but I tend to focus more on easily executable than optimized damage. For 1 meter b311 exbf4 is a prime starter as well as 32 exbf4. The cancels are great, and can really help to keep up pressure. But they can also be tricky to pull off, and you can't get more than 2 off at a go. So its always good to mix up with either a pcc or a low laser which also leaves you relatively safe.
Thanks again for the info folks. I've only had him in the lab for half an hour or so but found the listed combos very easy and consistent. Good damage off ex-lunge. I'm not doing anything crazy at all, just Starter x ex-lunge x RC x 32 1+3. Haven't experimented with adding anything for heavier damage. Mid 30's with easy execution is nice enough.
Looking forward to digging in to this character some more.
This is just my opinion so take it for what it's worth, but I would say Plasma cancels are integral to playing Hish-Qu-Ten well. I would also say that I can't think of any scenario where I would rather have a variation other than Hish-Qu-Ten, so you could say I think Plasma cancels are integral to playing Predator well as an entire character.
I've been studying Predator since his release so I'll give my two cents on why I find the Plasma cancels so good and when you should use them.
Predators meterless bnbs are pretty terrible at a glance, here's what you've got to work with if you can't do Plasma Cancels:
[SS = Scimitar Stab / bf4]
[SD = Smart Disc / bf2]
[NJP = Neutral Jump Punch]
[RC = Run Cancel]
[JIK = Jump In Kick]
[xx = cancel the string into a special]
Your one and only low starter combo:
b311xx SS (21%)
Strings with overhead starters that you can combo:
32xx SS (19%) 122xx SS (22%) f212xx Low Plasma Near > b22xx SS (29%, slow start-up makes it quite situational but is also good as a pressure technique since it goes overhead-low)
Mid/high strings:
f12u2 > b22xx SS (21%) 212 > JIKxx SD > RC > 122xx SS (29% hardest and least consistent) 212 > JIKxx SD > RC > 4xx SS (28% a little easier and more consistent by eliminating the tricky timing of 122) 212 > NJP > b22xx SD > RC > 4xx SS (28% and also slightly easier than the first) 212 > NJP > RC > 122xx SS (28%, this one is probably the best for consistent damage) 212 > b22xx SD > RC> 4xx SS (26% easier and more consistent) 212 > RC > 212 > b22xx SS (26% easier still) 212 > RC > 122xx SS (26% easiest)
The problem with these bnbs is that against any good player it's very difficult to get any combo going that doesn't begin with a low or an overhead. The highest meterless damage you can get from a low here is 21%, and Predator's most effective overhead string (32) only gets you 19%. Both b311 and 32 are your most effective strings for opening your opponent up. With the ability to Plasma Cancel, you can drastically improve the damage you can do off these strings, for example, b31xx Plasma Cancel can combo into any of the above strings, and the timing is actually pretty lenient. Note that I use b31xx rather than b311xx for more breathing room, but b311xx does actually work too. In this case, the optimal meterless damage you can do from a low turns into this:
b31xx Plasma Cancel > 212 > JIKxx SD > RC > 122xx SS (30%) b31xx Plasma Cancel > 212 > NJP > RC > 122xx SS (29%, easier and more consistent)
And for your most effective overhead:
32xx Plasma Cancel > 212 > JIKxx SD > RC > 122xx SS (32% although the timing after the Plasma Cancel is extremely tight here; do not recommend use) 32xx Plasma Cancel > 212 > NJP > RC > 122xx SS (31%, easier although the timing after the Plasma Cancel remains just as tight; do not recommend) 32xx Plasma Cancel > f12u2 > b22xx SS (25%, easier and far more consistent) 32xx Plasma Cancel > 122xx SS (25%, also easier)
Hit confirming a string into a combo (i.e. being able to acknowledge that your attack has hit the opponent in order to modify the end of your combo for optimal damage) For example, b22 / b22d2 has incredible range and is a great pressure tool. If you can't Plasma Cancel then your options for hit confirming this without meter go something like this:
b22xx SS (17%)
Now, if you can make use of Plasma Cancels effectively, you can do this:
b22xx Plasma Cancel > 212 > JIKxx SD > RC > 122xx SS (30%, although the timing after the cancel is tight) b22xx Plasma Cancel > 212 > NJP > RC > 122xx SS (29%, easier but the timing after the cancel remains tight) b22xx Plasma Cancel > f12u2 > b22xx SS (23%, timing after cancel is much easier) b22xx Plasma Cancel > b311xx SS (23%, timing after cancel is also much easier)
Pressuring your opponent also becomes much easier with Plasma Cancels. You can use b22xx Plasma Cancel to get in on your opponent if they're blocking you and follow it up with one of your low or overhead combo starters. If they start poking you after the cancel, start doing b22xx Low Plasma Near or even EX that into a combo: b22xx EX-Low Plasma > RC > b22xx SD > RC > 4xx SS (33%) until they respect it. Be weary that the first hit of b22 is a high and can therefore be ducked, good players will pick up on this. If that's the case, replace it with b1 for the same role as it's also got great range and hits mid.
Hope this helps a few people. If you have any questions about it feel free to ask!
Among his worst, I think. Tanya > Jacqui > Kung Lao. All three of them are troublesome.
I think every other MU in the game is even at least. Quite often Predator has the edge. Not against these three though.
I have not figured it out totally. However I think that you CAN bring out a low Plasma shot in between two machine gun salves. It is just that the blockstun of machine gun is way longer than you usually expect. That's why I mess up a lot. Generally projectile trades should be in Pred's favour, so this is what I am going for to get a lifelead. Then they have to move in and thats where I try to catch them with d4/b2.
I highly doubt that she is bottom 4; she is unexplored though. Kenshi, Goro, Jason, Ferra/Torr seem way worse, just to name a few. However I highly suggest that any 'constructive' tierlist discussion is held in the Takeda-Forums and not here...
Outzoning FA ain't easy. She has pretty decent counterzoning moves. In return Pred's main counterzoning tool (air disc) doesn't really work against machine gun shots, as you can't really jump over them (at least if Jacqui delays the shot just a little bit and is not doing a predictable pattern like 90% of these online scrubs with horrible connection). So he has to go for the direct trade and can't do much else fullscreen. Jacqui has more options.
I don't know enough about Jacqui to say it's definitely a bad MU but it certainly feels like it. Seems she wins the zoning game and if she gets the life lead it's EXTREMELY difficult to get in. She has MB straight shot that'll blow up you crouching her projectile, up rockets that blow up jump ins and also has a standing hitbox unlike Predator's up laser, her low rocket is really good and she can jump or do her run into overhead/low before Predator is in D4 range.
If Predator gets a life lead it could be difficult but you can't just zone her, you have to punish their approach. Also seems like once you get in it may be difficult for her to get back out. However if she does, back to square one.
I don't know enough about Jacqui to say it's definitely a bad MU but it certainly feels like it. Seems she wins the zoning game and if she gets the life lead it's EXTREMELY difficult to get in. She has MB straight shot that'll blow up you crouching her projectile, up rockets that blow up jump ins and also has a standing hitbox unlike Predator's up laser, her low rocket is really good and she can jump or do her run into overhead/low before Predator is in D4 range.
If Predator gets a life lead it could be difficult but you can't just zone her, you have to punish their approach. Also seems like once you get in it may be difficult for her to get back out. However if she does, back to square one.
This is all true. I think this is definitely one of his hardest MUs at a glance.
I have not tried this myself but a friend told me he is able to duck the machine gun from full auto and then buffer Scimitar Slam from the neutral duck to get through the last bullet and punish. He also said this was difficult to do but possible.
oh, also my friend uses a stick. I imagine its much easier on a stick...
This is all true. I think this is definitely one of his hardest MUs at a glance.
I have not tried this myself but a friend told me he is able to duck the machine gun from full auto and then buffer Scimitar Slam from the neutral duck to get through the last bullet and punish. He also said this was difficult to do but possible.
oh, also my friend uses a stick. I imagine its much easier on a stick...
