Aquaman has been giving me some trouble, any tips?
Punishing:
- Blocked tridents (DB+2) at close range can be punished with full combos; either F23 or 223
- Blocked Trident scoop (DB+1) can be punished with full combos even if blocked at max range; F23
- Water shield [DD+3) can be punished if Aquaman has no meter. Dash / walk / jump into point blank range. You can tag his forward or backward dash cancel out of the water shield with F23 into a full combo. Further testing required for [MB] Shield burst.
- Trident stabs [DF+1] can be punished with Super. More testing required; Superman's other normals are too slow afaik.
General:
- Aquaman has an embarrassingly transparent mix-up game. His most fearsome tool is his B12 string: a 9 frame low with the range of a sweep that leads to 43% combos (1 bar), then into a hard knockdown. His overhead is slow, so it is recommended you crouch block and react to the overhead attempt. The overhead most commonly used is B2 (+1 on block), so even if you block it he's still at minor advantage. You can always backdash or armor B+3 / F+3 to punish continued offensive pressure though.
- A very common tactic is B2 xx DB+1 (trident scoop). That is, an overhead combo starter into a low combo starter. Because Aquaman has no other overhead attack to mix-up with after B2, always block low after successfully defending the overhead. If they attempt to scoop and you crouch block, you get a free combo for their trouble.
- Blocked tridents at range leave Aquaman at such disadvantage it allows a minimum 1 free dash forwards. You cannot be punished for dashing after blocking his trident. Use this as a standard in the match-up and take appropriate risks to gain more ground based on the situation (i.e.: two dashes, dash once then jump, dash and block)
- Though this advice goes for any match-up, in this one particularly: ALWAYS have a well-reasoned plan for any jump or airdash approaches. Aquaman's D2 is 7 frames and completely disjointed. His trident functions as a hitbox independent of his body. If timed correctly, it is virtually unbeatable. Superman cannot perform actions until the end of his airdash and it is incredibly linear, ergo easy to AA. One of Superman's main strengths is spacing and whiff punishing with F23; as such he tends to dominate matches at mid-range. Stay grounded as much as possible to avoid giving Aquaman FREE damage. If you knock him down, jump & airdash pressure becomes a more viable option. Despite the heavy damage scaling after hitting D2s, the hits really begin to add up if you get tagged over and over again, so try to be patient and play a solid ground game.
- [MB] Trident stabs do INSANE chip damage. Pushblock as needed to get him off you!
- Aquaman has roughly 3 strings that are worth using in a match. None of them are tricky, so don't worry too much about complicated high / low nonsense. However, one you should look out for is F13. F1 clocks in at 7 frames (his second fastest move) and is likely to interrupt you during close range exchanges. The follow-up 3 is a delayed overhead which provides him with a free combo if it hits. That's pretty much all you have to watch out for.
man, really hard to keep nightwing off when he pressures with stance d1 s and his other stuff. is my only option backdashing?
Nightwing has the most ridiculous frame data in Injustice. His staff D1 is 6 frames AND +1 on block. If he uses it repeatedly that effectively makes his D1 5 fames, faster than any normal move in the game. Once he starts, it is best you backdash and get some breathing room, as no move you attempt will win or even trade. Pushblock (like the guy above me mentioned) is also a great option, albeit at the cost of one bar of meter.
The strategy I've had the most success with against NW.
- Optimal spacing is this match-up is F23 range or mid-range. When he gets close chaos ensues; everything is fast, everything is + on block, and he has that stupidly fast overhead (B2) that leads to a third of your life bar.
- Superman's high priority mid-range moves naturally counteract NW's range in escrima mode. A tight ground game nets you solid damage and forces NW to take risks to even out the exchange. He will likely try to dash or jump hastily as a result. Remember that if you begin to dominate him on the ground he will likely take to the air in frustration, so AA him! NW is fundamentally a close range character, so don't let his projectiles and decent pokes fool you. Keep your guard up and try your best to not let him bullrush you.
- On that note, J3 in escrima beats Superman's D2 for free. Dash underneath him and AA from behind to teach him to stop. His j1 and 2 aren't as good though, so no worries.
- NW's wake-ups are sub-par, so if you get him on the defensive feel free to RTSD.
- If NW switches to staff mode and pokes back at you from range, there a few things you can do:
*His staff normals are good on block but a tad slow on start-up, so put your focus into whiff punishing with F23 as his staff retracts.
*Heat Zap > Ground Spark. If you get a single Heat Zap on-screen and NW ducks or blocks it, you can shoot another one before he can Ground Spark you. You can use this to either move into advantageous spacing or just shoot some more. If he reverts back to escrima alter your game plan accordingly.
Hope I could be of help guys!
DeathAndHealing
