Second Saint
A man with too many names.
Strepsiptera (df3) is a unique and extremely powerful tool that is, quite frankly, one of the most complex setup tools I've ever had the pleasure of using, even if it has been headache inducing trying to figure it out sometimes.
What I mean by orbiting is that Strepsiptera does one of two things when it is released in a corner combo. It either will go up and around until it reaches the opponent or it will explode at their feet depending on the width of their standing or crouching hurtboxes. In both of these situations, strepsiptera has the same hit or block stun on impact. What changes is travel time. If it explodes the moment it becomes active, the opponent is in a small amount of momentary block stun. However, if it orbits the opponent, you effectively have an active hitbox projectile waiting for someone to move into it for an extended period of time. It can potentially be low profiled with d1/2/3/4, but attempting this will always trade as the bug finishes coming around.
This leads to some very interesting applications.
Let's look at the corner combo [starter], amp db1, 4~df3. Done like this, if you were to meaty b34, it would explode on anyone's feet on block, in a totally useless timing. It would still, of course, launch on hit.
So let's not do it that way. Instead, we'll do [starter] amp db1, backdash cancel 4~df3. This spaces out strepsiptera so that it no longer spawns the bugs under a lot of characters feet. Because of this and b34 being double lows, it goes up and orbits around the opponent until impact. This action interrupts attempts to flawless block the gap with u2 and punishes u3. It does not however stop fatal blows at this point.
Strepsiptera is still active after b34 finishes though and causes it to be around +12 when the bug is blocked standing and a great deal more plus when it is blocked low. This all depends on the size and shape of the hurtbox. Sometimes it's more, sometimes it's less. I have never not been able to jail a s1 though. You can attempt to low profile the bug before it hits with a d1/2/3/4, but this may not work, D'vorah can block these, and you will still be hit by strepsiptera if she does. All standing normals and Fatal Blows I have attempted have been interrupted.
This setup is consistent and gives enough hit advantage to guarantee oki, however, it doesn't work on a number of wide stance characters such as Jacqui, Sub-zero, and Shao Kahn. Another version of this setup can be done with [starter] amp db1, back dash cancel 1, 2~df3, which works on everyone I have tried it on, but is more difficult to do while maintaining the proper hit advantage. It also has slightly different properties in how it deals with flawless blocks, u3's, etc, but the gist is the same.
While I can't think of who it may apply to, this concept may prove useful to other characters.
TLDR: You can make b34 a very plus on block launcher with little counter play by back dashing mid combo to set the bug farther away so it doesn't explode immediately.
What I mean by orbiting is that Strepsiptera does one of two things when it is released in a corner combo. It either will go up and around until it reaches the opponent or it will explode at their feet depending on the width of their standing or crouching hurtboxes. In both of these situations, strepsiptera has the same hit or block stun on impact. What changes is travel time. If it explodes the moment it becomes active, the opponent is in a small amount of momentary block stun. However, if it orbits the opponent, you effectively have an active hitbox projectile waiting for someone to move into it for an extended period of time. It can potentially be low profiled with d1/2/3/4, but attempting this will always trade as the bug finishes coming around.
This leads to some very interesting applications.
Let's look at the corner combo [starter], amp db1, 4~df3. Done like this, if you were to meaty b34, it would explode on anyone's feet on block, in a totally useless timing. It would still, of course, launch on hit.
So let's not do it that way. Instead, we'll do [starter] amp db1, backdash cancel 4~df3. This spaces out strepsiptera so that it no longer spawns the bugs under a lot of characters feet. Because of this and b34 being double lows, it goes up and orbits around the opponent until impact. This action interrupts attempts to flawless block the gap with u2 and punishes u3. It does not however stop fatal blows at this point.
Strepsiptera is still active after b34 finishes though and causes it to be around +12 when the bug is blocked standing and a great deal more plus when it is blocked low. This all depends on the size and shape of the hurtbox. Sometimes it's more, sometimes it's less. I have never not been able to jail a s1 though. You can attempt to low profile the bug before it hits with a d1/2/3/4, but this may not work, D'vorah can block these, and you will still be hit by strepsiptera if she does. All standing normals and Fatal Blows I have attempted have been interrupted.
This setup is consistent and gives enough hit advantage to guarantee oki, however, it doesn't work on a number of wide stance characters such as Jacqui, Sub-zero, and Shao Kahn. Another version of this setup can be done with [starter] amp db1, back dash cancel 1, 2~df3, which works on everyone I have tried it on, but is more difficult to do while maintaining the proper hit advantage. It also has slightly different properties in how it deals with flawless blocks, u3's, etc, but the gist is the same.
While I can't think of who it may apply to, this concept may prove useful to other characters.
TLDR: You can make b34 a very plus on block launcher with little counter play by back dashing mid combo to set the bug farther away so it doesn't explode immediately.
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