I realize I may get some people that disagree, but I actually hope I do... because the more input the better in this thread.
I've mained smoke since the release of this game, played in a few tournaments, and just thought that it would benefit the rest of you smoke players if I shared some of my experiences and how I get my best results.
First off, I'm going to start by saying that I play smoke like a freight train... It's hard work to get moving but once it's moving, it's hard to stop and easy to run people over with. What this translates to is that I feel he is meant to be played defensively at first, then once he counters something and scores an knock down... he should then apply CONTINUOUS pressure until the opponent either breaks a combo, or counters an oki option. First, I'm going to cover smoke's oki options, then I'm going to cover Smoke's options for getting in close and scoring a knock down in order to start off the cycle of never ending Oki options.
from my experience, smoke is most dangerous when in close to his opponent, and what better way to apply up close pressure than on OKI. it limit's your opponent's options, and gives you an advantage on yours. I'll explain:
When an opponent is knocked down, they basically have 6 options:
1. Block High
2. Block Low
3. Wake up attack (opponents best option because it stuffs all of yours except for block, but it's risky)
4. Jump
5. tech roll or lay down.
6. poke
Smoke has the tools to deal with each one of those options and set up a full combo, which ultimately leads to another oki option (since smoke can use smoke port and a wiffed tp punch to get in on a downed opponent every time)
Smoke's tools to deal with an opponents wake up options are as follows:
1. Sweep
2. Overhead into a combo
3. Block then punish with a combo
4. Smoke bomb.
5. Throw.
Now I know there are alot more options you can do, but I'm only using the above 5 because of probabilities. meaning, some of smoke's oki options can be used to counter more than 1 of your opponents wake up options (these moves I've highlighted in red).
For example:
1. Sweep - This should only be used if your opponent consistently blocks high on wake up. Throw one or two of these out, and your opponent will eventually do something else to escape, like block low or use a wake up in order to counter, which will lead to you using your other tools.
2. Overhead - The over head is great because it deals with both low blocks, and jump attempts on wake up. Follow the overhead with a 3 smoke bomb, and you have yourself another combo.
3. Block - This option should ONLY BE USED when you suspect your opponent is going to use a wakeup attack... otherwise you're vulnerable to a low poke or a throw (which you can tech on reaction) If your opponent has a habbit of throwing out wake ups.. use this to block, then punish with a combo and restart the process.
4. smoke bomb. This, when done on wake up, can trade with wake up attacks, and stuff tech rolls. Alot of people choose to tech lay down... and EX smoke bomb to the face will fix that.
5. Throw - This will stuff both high and low blocks. (air throw can be used for opponents that like to cross over jump on wake up, but an overhead works just fine as well for these)
6. Option Select - cross over jump kick into air throw - You can OS it into air throw into whiffed tp oki, and if they block there's enough stun that you can either force them to tech a grab or block a mixup. It also crosses up their input (making many wakeup attacks fail without prediction of the cross up) and tech chases rolls. (curtosy of ApocoLips)
Now with those options in mind, you can see that the guessing game is way in your favor. I know it seem like you have a 1 in 6 chance of guessing right, but it's more like a 1 in 3 due to the fact that a few of smoke's wake-up options stuff 2 or more of your opponent's options.
your opponent's best option is a wake up attack, but as I said, it's risky for them, because if you block it, they eat a full combo, so they're not going to do this every single time.
it is extremely important to know your opponents character specific options. Kung lao for example has a very dangerous wake up in his spin, as it will lead to a combo... Now most good lao players know this, and will therefore use this spin on wakeup whenever you're close.. block and punish it and your opponent will be hesitant to use it next time, allowing you to use your other options.
In the event that you guess wrong, or your oppoent breaks a combo... go back to being defensive and utilize smoke's tools in order to counter and score a knock down, and then repeat the process.
__________________________________
Now you may say... ok great.. how do I repeat the process and / or score that first knock down to start the process off?
Well, as you may have realized, Unlike most characters... smoke doesn't really have many options for creating a set up. Being an anti-zoning character, it is my opinion that most of smoke's set ups come in the form of punishing your opponent on reaction.
It's all about getting in close, and smoke has a wide variety of tools in order to do so, so you can score that crucial knock down.
1. Smoke Bomb - This is smokes full screen option to see if you can catch an opponent with it, in order to bring the opponent towards you. it's a very quick projectile, but don't let that make you feel safe to abuse it. A good player knows how to counter these even from full screen. Use them sparingly for the most success
2. Smoke Port - Best used on reaction to an opponent's projectile. If you use it naked, without any ex meter, and without countering anything, your opponent can knock you out of it and hit you with a full combo... be careful. It's best use is to counter projectiles, and after a 214 string.
3. Shake - pretty much self explanatory.... EX shake can be a crucial tool to supprise your opponent with to score a knock down.
4. My personal favorites... Air teleport punch and air EX teleport punch mixups. Sometimes you can get away with using the air teleport punch naked, but a good opponent will be quick to punish it. In which case.. using the air EX teleport punch is a phenomenal tool... as it will wiff 2 times instead of just once, and the time to drop down right in front of your opponent is cut in half from the normal one.
5. You also have the non character specific options such as block dashing, cross over jump punches, etc....
Now those basically cover how to get in when you're in a neutral state, meaning that neither character has an advantage at this point. However, you also want to know how to keep closing the gap when you're in the middle of comboing your opponent.
So let's say you score that knock down, but your opponent is mid screen or further away from you? This can happen after you land a tp punch, or after a combo.
Many people will say this is where smoke port comes in.... I reject your reality and substitute my own.
WIFF A GROUND TELEPORT PUNCH. It's so much faster than a smoke port, and puts you right on top of your opponent every single time. You can do this after anything EXCEPT a reverse throw. I rely on this heavily in these situations.
However... Smoke port does have it's uses to keep the pressure on in the wake up game. As I mentioned before, you can link the 214 string with a forward smoke port, always putting you right on top of your opponent. I find it to be a good practice to end your combos with a 214, and then use the forward smoke port to stay on top of them, then FORWARD THROW!!!. This does two things:
1. If you get the forward throw. you get a free wiffed teleport punch into an oki option..
2. Throwing will often get your opponent to try something other than block... such as a jump, a poke to tech, or the dreaded wake up attack... which is what you WANT... because if you substitute the forward smoke port for an EX smoke bomb, and your opponent does anything besides block... Say hello to a reset.
______________________
I hope you found this informative. I'm sure that there is alot of stuff that's missing, so if you have your own tactics, please feel free to post them here... and if you find some of this information to be unfeasible, please don't hesitate to ask questions, as I want this to be accurate. Alot of players simply write off smoke as not having the right tools or any low mixups... but I feel he doesn't need them.
I've mained smoke since the release of this game, played in a few tournaments, and just thought that it would benefit the rest of you smoke players if I shared some of my experiences and how I get my best results.
First off, I'm going to start by saying that I play smoke like a freight train... It's hard work to get moving but once it's moving, it's hard to stop and easy to run people over with. What this translates to is that I feel he is meant to be played defensively at first, then once he counters something and scores an knock down... he should then apply CONTINUOUS pressure until the opponent either breaks a combo, or counters an oki option. First, I'm going to cover smoke's oki options, then I'm going to cover Smoke's options for getting in close and scoring a knock down in order to start off the cycle of never ending Oki options.
from my experience, smoke is most dangerous when in close to his opponent, and what better way to apply up close pressure than on OKI. it limit's your opponent's options, and gives you an advantage on yours. I'll explain:
When an opponent is knocked down, they basically have 6 options:
1. Block High
2. Block Low
3. Wake up attack (opponents best option because it stuffs all of yours except for block, but it's risky)
4. Jump
5. tech roll or lay down.
6. poke
Smoke has the tools to deal with each one of those options and set up a full combo, which ultimately leads to another oki option (since smoke can use smoke port and a wiffed tp punch to get in on a downed opponent every time)
Smoke's tools to deal with an opponents wake up options are as follows:
1. Sweep
2. Overhead into a combo
3. Block then punish with a combo
4. Smoke bomb.
5. Throw.
Now I know there are alot more options you can do, but I'm only using the above 5 because of probabilities. meaning, some of smoke's oki options can be used to counter more than 1 of your opponents wake up options (these moves I've highlighted in red).
For example:
1. Sweep - This should only be used if your opponent consistently blocks high on wake up. Throw one or two of these out, and your opponent will eventually do something else to escape, like block low or use a wake up in order to counter, which will lead to you using your other tools.
2. Overhead - The over head is great because it deals with both low blocks, and jump attempts on wake up. Follow the overhead with a 3 smoke bomb, and you have yourself another combo.
3. Block - This option should ONLY BE USED when you suspect your opponent is going to use a wakeup attack... otherwise you're vulnerable to a low poke or a throw (which you can tech on reaction) If your opponent has a habbit of throwing out wake ups.. use this to block, then punish with a combo and restart the process.
4. smoke bomb. This, when done on wake up, can trade with wake up attacks, and stuff tech rolls. Alot of people choose to tech lay down... and EX smoke bomb to the face will fix that.
5. Throw - This will stuff both high and low blocks. (air throw can be used for opponents that like to cross over jump on wake up, but an overhead works just fine as well for these)
6. Option Select - cross over jump kick into air throw - You can OS it into air throw into whiffed tp oki, and if they block there's enough stun that you can either force them to tech a grab or block a mixup. It also crosses up their input (making many wakeup attacks fail without prediction of the cross up) and tech chases rolls. (curtosy of ApocoLips)
Now with those options in mind, you can see that the guessing game is way in your favor. I know it seem like you have a 1 in 6 chance of guessing right, but it's more like a 1 in 3 due to the fact that a few of smoke's wake-up options stuff 2 or more of your opponent's options.
your opponent's best option is a wake up attack, but as I said, it's risky for them, because if you block it, they eat a full combo, so they're not going to do this every single time.
it is extremely important to know your opponents character specific options. Kung lao for example has a very dangerous wake up in his spin, as it will lead to a combo... Now most good lao players know this, and will therefore use this spin on wakeup whenever you're close.. block and punish it and your opponent will be hesitant to use it next time, allowing you to use your other options.
In the event that you guess wrong, or your oppoent breaks a combo... go back to being defensive and utilize smoke's tools in order to counter and score a knock down, and then repeat the process.
__________________________________
Now you may say... ok great.. how do I repeat the process and / or score that first knock down to start the process off?
Well, as you may have realized, Unlike most characters... smoke doesn't really have many options for creating a set up. Being an anti-zoning character, it is my opinion that most of smoke's set ups come in the form of punishing your opponent on reaction.
It's all about getting in close, and smoke has a wide variety of tools in order to do so, so you can score that crucial knock down.
1. Smoke Bomb - This is smokes full screen option to see if you can catch an opponent with it, in order to bring the opponent towards you. it's a very quick projectile, but don't let that make you feel safe to abuse it. A good player knows how to counter these even from full screen. Use them sparingly for the most success
2. Smoke Port - Best used on reaction to an opponent's projectile. If you use it naked, without any ex meter, and without countering anything, your opponent can knock you out of it and hit you with a full combo... be careful. It's best use is to counter projectiles, and after a 214 string.
3. Shake - pretty much self explanatory.... EX shake can be a crucial tool to supprise your opponent with to score a knock down.
4. My personal favorites... Air teleport punch and air EX teleport punch mixups. Sometimes you can get away with using the air teleport punch naked, but a good opponent will be quick to punish it. In which case.. using the air EX teleport punch is a phenomenal tool... as it will wiff 2 times instead of just once, and the time to drop down right in front of your opponent is cut in half from the normal one.
5. You also have the non character specific options such as block dashing, cross over jump punches, etc....
Now those basically cover how to get in when you're in a neutral state, meaning that neither character has an advantage at this point. However, you also want to know how to keep closing the gap when you're in the middle of comboing your opponent.
So let's say you score that knock down, but your opponent is mid screen or further away from you? This can happen after you land a tp punch, or after a combo.
Many people will say this is where smoke port comes in.... I reject your reality and substitute my own.
WIFF A GROUND TELEPORT PUNCH. It's so much faster than a smoke port, and puts you right on top of your opponent every single time. You can do this after anything EXCEPT a reverse throw. I rely on this heavily in these situations.
However... Smoke port does have it's uses to keep the pressure on in the wake up game. As I mentioned before, you can link the 214 string with a forward smoke port, always putting you right on top of your opponent. I find it to be a good practice to end your combos with a 214, and then use the forward smoke port to stay on top of them, then FORWARD THROW!!!. This does two things:
1. If you get the forward throw. you get a free wiffed teleport punch into an oki option..
2. Throwing will often get your opponent to try something other than block... such as a jump, a poke to tech, or the dreaded wake up attack... which is what you WANT... because if you substitute the forward smoke port for an EX smoke bomb, and your opponent does anything besides block... Say hello to a reset.
______________________
I hope you found this informative. I'm sure that there is alot of stuff that's missing, so if you have your own tactics, please feel free to post them here... and if you find some of this information to be unfeasible, please don't hesitate to ask questions, as I want this to be accurate. Alot of players simply write off smoke as not having the right tools or any low mixups... but I feel he doesn't need them.
