Alright in the lab and can't seem to do any of Nightmare's moves that have (fast) at the end. How fucking fast am I supposed to do the input?! Some I've quickly slid my thumb across the pad and the correct inputs showed up. WTF am I doing wrong?
I was gonna write about the AGA but ended up regurgitating a bunch of Nightmare stuff so here goes:
I use the default lay out on pad. The way I input AGA is slide from A to G rapidly then hit left bumper after the G. You have to go to neutral between all inputs so make sure you are not holding down the G when you hit the last input which is the left bumper or A+B in this case. ABA isn't really worth practicing since if you can hit the normal version without fail you can try to ring out someone to your left. However, AGA is 0 on block while ABA is slightly negative. Just frame versions also do 9% guard gauge damage as opposed to 4%. Pretty much anything you can block punish with 6K you can punish with AGA. The just frame is also easier to get after blockstun. The just frame version is also required for the post GI lethal hit combo. In soul/terror charge you can transition into grim stride and do the charged A+B for around 75 damage after the initial post GI AGA. Most people will mash re GI though so your best bet against a new opponent who has some clue as to how to use the mechanics you should just A+B them and if they attempt to re GI you will blow them to kingdom come with A+B and then just mash b, you get the the Night behind stance B into BB which I am pretty sure can't be air controlled out of and you get like 100 damage for that.
AGA also serves as a good set up for auto GI's on block with any of NM's 6-attacks (preferably A) or you can sidestep crouch block outside the opponents A and 2A range and option select a good chunk of his faster counterpoking options. AGA on block (2A on hit and 2K on hit as well) also sets up a backdash into Night Side stance and you can blow up a lot of short range pokes with NSS B or preferably A-B for the lethal hit which gives you a full 3B launch after the lethal hit. Nightmare's Auto GI's can be blown up with 3B same as the back dash into NSS but if you know the opponent is gonna mash 3B or BB you can also blow those options up by just doing K (linear high so be careful about opponents who don't like to mash on defence) and it's going to counter hit for guaranteed damage on the ground afterwards. Nightmare's K is slightly faster than a lot of the casts BB and even if you trade you get the counter hit knockdown. The auto GI knockdown gives you a guaranteed 66B in the ground, or I don't remember if they can tech to their right to escape it but if they tech back or their left they get fully launched or get hit grounded. In the blocked AGA scenario you can also opt to make a hard read on the opponents high hitting A's and go under them with 66K, not really worth it unless you have a terror or soul charge in which case you can 66K,K them for like 90+ damage. After the 66K,K you get grim stride B full launch into either another grim stride B in terror charge or if you are soul charged you can end with Grim stride K,K, if that wall splats, follow up with 66B for the final hit.
There's some offensive dirt to get you started. I am pretty sure you know about the basic stuff like Grim stride A and NSS K after having something unsafe blocked to blow up incorrect punish attempts. All the stance transitions are unsafe on block and most of the mix-ups out of them are some day 1 canned bs that you can abuse through early ranks but against anyone who knows how to fight Nightmare most of that is trash. Best oki option imo is to just Grim stride into mix-up of either a mid of your choosing or crouch throw or just standing throws. 1A and 1B are seeable and should only be abused at lower ranks and you don't even need to do that, just sidestep crouch block a lot and stay at about 6A tip range or slightly further at neutral and blow up whiffed high horizontals (if the opponent's character has poor horizontal mids or none at all) with full crouch 3B into 1A. 6A,A is only natural on counter/run counter and the 2nd hit can be ducked if the first gets blocked so make sure to use 22_88A at neutral as well, first hit is safe on block on that string and that string is also NCC (only natural on counter hit or run counter). On oki you can just run up sidestep backdash block at outside their A and 2A range and they'll mash something that whiffs and you can standing 3B them again, if the opponent whiffs really far away just be ready with 66B (don't hold the forward so you don't transition into grim stride), you can 44B,B(hold) after 66B and it's a true combo and also a tech trap. If they get up to the side you can immediately continue your assault with Night behind stance A (tracking low). Grim stride re-aligns towards the opponent and the B has some tracking when in oki situations. Don't transition into another Grim stride when the B gets blocked even though you are slightly plus, because then you have to gamble by throwing out the Grim stride A to keep yourself more safe. If the Grim Stride B lands, just do 66B into grim stride oki for the combo. Aaaaand just remember you can step into 8 way run and try to land 22_88B and hold the B to transition into Night lower stance. The A+B while soul charged out of that stance will give you around 110 damage in their back if you get the lethal hit with the 22_88B, the B out of the night lower stance gives 91 dmg if you don't have soul charge. When using grim stride A always do A-B and you can get a lethal hit into 3B full launch.
Edit: 66B into 44B,B is not a true combo, it can be teched to the left. Other techs it catches.
