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Dealing With Cheetah (Living Guide)

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Espio

Kokomo
Lead Moderator
Purpose of this thread: I want people to learn the Cheetah match up and learn how to not get gimmicked and mixed without knowing their options versus her. She has good mix ups and will inevitably open you up at some point, but the more knowledge people have to prevent themselves from being put in positions they don't have to deal with the better.

There's been a lot of buzz about her and I see a lot of people arguing match up numbers for her while also stating they don't know the match up or don't know it well. Cheetah is not a character you're going to do well against unless you do know the match up. She is a character that is fairly decent, but due to match up unfamiliarity becomes a nightmare for many.

This guide will be a work in progress. Expect videos of interrupts and punish scenarios.

Back 1, 2, grab- The overhead is reactable and highly interruptible by essentially the entire cast for full combo. 6-8 frame normals/specials are ideal, but the window is fairly easy to do consistently.

MB Blood Lunge-
Unblockable air command grab. This can be blown up with a neutral jump into full combo if read since it is -60 frames on whiff so the entire cast can do their best punish into whatever set up they'd like.

Predator pounce- This move is full combo punishable on block AND whiff so make sure to punish her hard for it.

3,3,2 starts with mid, low, overhead overhead and all parts if the string are negative so staggering it at any point is a check for you, don't over respect her. If she does the complete string, she is full combo punishable at -10 by a decent amount of the cast.

Down 3- minus 8 on block and mostly safe, but ends pressure. If spaced incorrectly, it is punishable by faster pokes around 6 frames.

Back 2, grab (back dash evades this grab option).

Back 1,1, down 3- The last hit of this string hits low and is safe on block with pushback, but it can be backdashed on the last hit.

Forward 2,3
- Forward 2 is a two hit normal that is mid, low so remember to block it low otherwise she can put you in an over plus 30 restand scenario and you have to respect follow up mix ups. Forward 2,3 is minus 4 on block so you can gain your turn if you block it correctly.

1, 2 grab is an unblockable grab, you can jump out to check/punish.

1,1,2- while this is plus 6 on hit, nothing is guaranteed after since even her best ranged options whiff other than forward 3 which is 30 frames (which is not guaranteed either).

2,2 has a gap in the second hit of the string thus making it back dashable and back dash covers her two command grab options too so it's killing three birds with one stone if you really don't wanna guess.

Primal rage can actually be avoided on wake up with a properly timed neutral jump and since she is very minus on whiff you can approach and can get your full combo while taking zero chip damage from her wake up. Jump normals are also an option as well.

Savage ambush and primal rage are both full combo punishable so if you make a read on the command grab option, the recommended punish is with a fast standing normal into BNB of choice.

Other useful advice
: If she does blood lunge into high hitting strings, challenge her and make her respect the fact that it's not an impossible to interrupt jailing option. Most Cheetah players will do 1,1,2 after landing a lunge into jump normal on block, make her have to think about it and make her be forced to mix it up.

Her only unreactable overhead starter on the ground is her savage ambush command grab at 14 frames so when it comes to strings, you can always just default to low block to start with and her strings that have overheads thrown in are either: unsafe on block as mentioned above or the overheads are reactable since the string has natural delay and is also likely to be unsafe.

If she cancels her strings into pounce, be on the look out for MB blood lunge as that and dive bomb are likely options to keep you on your toes.


In this video, you'll notice I get hit by the first back 1,2 (this is because I was testing a normal to see if it interrupted that doesn't). Sticking to your fast poke or standing normal punish is ideal.


Punishing her two command grab types

This is just a starting point and I am open to feedback or adding additional information that might be useful!
 
Last edited:

Espio

Kokomo
Lead Moderator
Tbh if people don't know everything you've said here, they really shouldn't be talking about Cheetah's match ups or balance regarding Cheetah.
The thing is though, a lot of people are talking about Cheetah match ups WITHOUT knowing this stuff. There was a competitive player that made a post about his character losing to Cheetah while stating her mix ups were safe or had no risk and that's not actually true since command grabs are -20 ish on whiff and her air command grab is -60. Her dive isn't safe either yet they mentioned dive like it was when it's death on block or whiff for her.

I added a couple things to the post just now, it's a work in progress. I have another video I'm gonna add shortly. Command grab punish for example.
 

JesterSMX

It's too laggy to poke...
String into stance fwd dash is minus on hit and death on block. String into short pounce crossup isn't real. You have several ways to punish.
 

Vigilante24

Beware my power, Red Lantern's Light
Guess im qualified to talk about Cheetah then since I knew these already. :DOGE

Legit I played one of my friend within first 2 weeks of the game release who mains Cheetah and even tho I was up more cuz of Green Lantern things, I felt I was struggling more than I should so I labbed this shit.

Plz don't buff this character. Let her benefit from nerfs of other characters.
 

alkipot

Purse first, ass last.
Guess im qualified to talk about Cheetah then since I knew these already. :DOGE

Legit I played one of my friend within first 2 weeks of the game release who mains Cheetah and even tho I was up more cuz of Green Lantern things, I felt I was struggling more than I should so I labbed this shit.

Plz don't buff this character. Let her benefit from nerfs of other characters.
Here's hoping she gets a ton of buffs cuz of people like you lol.

You play Green Lantern, you have plenty of way to keep her out, plus you have better ranged normals when you're close. How does she give you trouble?
 

Vigilante24

Beware my power, Red Lantern's Light
Here's hoping she gets a ton of buffs cuz of people like you lol.

You play Green Lantern, you have plenty of way to keep her out, plus you have better ranged normals when you're close. How does she give you trouble?
Because at that time, I didn't know what she was doing to me. It was within the first 2 weeks of the game's release. So I labbed it... and now she doesn't. Please read.
 

Espio

Kokomo
Lead Moderator
String into stance fwd dash is minus on hit and death on block. String into short pounce crossup isn't real. You have several ways to punish.
Could you give me a list of examples and good punishes for these?

I assume you mean strings canceled into lunge into dash cancel out of lunge? Just wanna make sure before I do any updates.
 

alkipot

Purse first, ass last.
Guess im qualified to talk about Cheetah then since I knew these already. :DOGE

Legit I played one of my friend within first 2 weeks of the game release who mains Cheetah and even tho I was up more cuz of Green Lantern things, I felt I was struggling more than I should so I labbed this shit.

Plz don't buff this character. Let her benefit from nerfs of other characters.
To be fair, you didn't say you labbed it and could now beat her in your first post, you said you labbed it, then said "plz don't buff", which anyone with a functioning brain might take as "this character still gives me trouble even after I studied her, and even with a character that outranges her at all areas of the screen, plz don't buff".

I'm eager to see what happens buff/nerf wise... maybe toning down other characters will help, I still think she needs something though.
 

RiBBz22

TYM's Confirmed Prophet/Time-Traveler
Purpose of this thread: I want people to learn the Cheetah match up and learn how to not get gimmicked and mixed without knowing their options versus her. She has good mix ups and will inevitably open you up at some point, but the more knowledge people have to prevent themselves from being put in positions they don't have to deal with the better.

There's been a lot of buzz about her and I see a lot of people arguing match up numbers for her while also stating they don't know the match up or don't know it well. Cheetah is not a character you're going to do well against unless you do know the match up. She is a character that is fairly decent, but due to match up unfamiliarity becomes a nightmare for many.

This guide will be a work in progress. Expect videos of interrupts and punish scenarios.

Back 1, 2, grab- The overhead is reactable and highly interruptible by essentially the entire cast for full combo. 6-8 frame normals/specials are ideal, but the window is fairly easy to do consistently.

MB Blood Lunge-
Unblockable air command grab. This can be blown up with a neutral jump into full combo if read since it is -60 frames on whiff so the entire cast can do their best punish into whatever set up they'd like.

Predator pounce- This move is full combo punishable on block AND whiff so make sure to punish her hard for it.

3,3,2 starts with mid, low, overhead overhead and all parts if the string are negative so staggering it at any point is a check for you, don't over respect her. If she does the complete string, she is full combo punishable at -10 by a decent amount of the cast.

Down 3- minus 8 on block and mostly safe, but ends pressure. If spaced incorrectly, it is punishable by faster pokes around 6 frames.

Back 2, grab (back dash evades this grab option).

Back 1,1, down 3- The last hit of this string hits low and is safe on block with pushback, but it can be backdashed on the last hit.

Forward 2,3
- Forward 2 is a two hit normal that is mid, low so remember to block it low otherwise she can put you in an over plus 30 restand scenario and you have to respect follow up mix ups. Forward 2,3 is minus 4 on block so you can gain your turn if you block it correctly.

1, 2 grab is an unblockable grab, you can jump out to check/punish.

1,1,2- while this is plus 6 on hit, nothing is guaranteed after since even her best ranged options whiff other than forward 3 which is 30 frames (which is not guaranteed either).

2,2 has a gap in the second hit of the string thus making it back dashable and back dash covers her two command grab options too so it's killing three birds with one stone if you really don't wanna guess.

Primal rage can actually be avoided on wake up with a properly timed neutral jump and since she is very minus on whiff you can approach and can get your full combo while taking zero chip damage from her wake up. Jump normals are also an option as well.

Savage ambush and primal rage are both full combo punishable so if you make a read on the command grab option, the recommended punish is with a fast standing normal into BNB of choice.

Other useful advice
: If she does blood lunge into high hitting strings, challenge her and make her respect the fact that it's not an impossible to interrupt jailing option. Most Cheetah players will do 1,1,2 after landing a lunge into jump normal on block, make her have to think about it and make her be forced to mix it up.

Her only unreactable overhead starter on the ground is her savage ambush command grab at 14 frames so when it comes to strings, you can always just default to low block to start with and her strings that have overheads thrown in are either: unsafe on block as mentioned above or the overheads are reactable since the string has natural delay and is also likely to be unsafe.

If she cancels her strings into pounce, be on the look out for MB blood lunge as that and dive bomb are likely options to keep you on your toes.


In this video, you'll notice I get hit by the first back 1,2 (this is because I was testing a normal to see if it interrupted that doesn't). Sticking to your fast poke or standing normal punish is ideal.


Punishing her two command grab types

This is just a starting point and I am open to feedback or adding additional information that might be useful!
@Espio doing our homework for us. Thanks boo.
 

Carl

Noob
Nice effort putting in the work but i main cheetah and had a huge set with @RevetLeafing and there is no specific way to deal with a cheetah that always mixes.
You have to look out for 20 things at once and i dont see it happening.
 

Espio

Kokomo
Lead Moderator
Nice effort putting in the work but i main cheetah and had a huge set with @RevetLeafing and there is no specific way to deal with a cheetah that always mixes.
You have to look out for 20 things at once and i dont see it happening.
This is obvious though. She's a mix up character so obviously you will sometimes get opened up by her, it's not something that takes away from this thread at all. I clearly stated that she will open you up inevitably at the beginning of the original post.

This thread is not about making Cheetah free to people, it's about letting you know what's punishable and what you can exploit on offense and defense whether it be her wake up or punishing a string with a gap.

The purpose of this is not to be some smoking gun that shuts her down entirely, it is intended to give players some clarity and knowledge that they may not have.
 

Vigilante24

Beware my power, Red Lantern's Light
To be fair, you didn't say you labbed it and could now beat her in your first post, you said you labbed it, then said "plz don't buff", which anyone with a functioning brain might take as "this character still gives me trouble even after I studied her, and even with a character that outranges her at all areas of the screen, plz don't buff".

I'm eager to see what happens buff/nerf wise... maybe toning down other characters will help, I still think she needs something though.
I didn't say "plz don't buff her. She is OP, I can't deal with her, everyone else sucks with her, secretly broken, etc." I said don't buff her, let her benefit from nerfs to others. Ive already analyzed her tools and played nothing but her for a few days. She is a good character in a game where characters that are just flat out dumb exist. They get the nerf bat, she climbs up the tier list automatically.

Only buff she needs is to her gear or make Vixen the default skin and Cheetah the premiere skin cuz she ugly af right now imo. Vixen is bae.
 
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