dabuz
Noob
Posting this here for the sake of generating discussion. This is just a list outlining how I like to approach each MU and what I feel works. I am an online only player (ATM, eventually there are gonna be tournies I can get to 
) so some MUs like Doomsday will be significantly different offline.
Note that by dash in range, I am referring to the max distance where you can dash in and do b1 or f2, it's also the range where jump ins work as a mixup. Dash in range is also the same as b2 and db1 range but I like to specify when I heavily prefer b2 and db1 because the better set of options generally depends on the character. I don't mention wakeups since with a few exceptions, they are all similar to deal with.
With a few exceptions, I don't mention d1 because it's a good assumption that if you need to get some out of your face, a 6 frame safe cancel-able mid poke is a great option almost always.
Aquaman - Ahhh, the ditto. Try to stay in dash in distance and go for the instant launcher mixups. From the deep is punishable with a reversal FTD by both sides and being able to do the reversable is a huge part of winning this matchup. Try to control interactibles and bait the opponent into whiffing his attacks, by nature of this being a mirror MU, the rest is just who makes the better reads/ who knows the character more.
Ares - FTD is not punishable on block and it will stop a teleport (unless it's a getup teleport), any projectile hitting Ares with stop a weapon while it's being thrown. Aquaman can't win a projectile battle with Ares because of teleport, so rushing Ares down is the best option, he struggles to deal with the pressure and can't punish good spacing. Watch out and learn to punish teleports since no good Ares is going to let you approach without taking a teleport mixup. God smash (or w/e it's called) is hard to react to when used as a mixup but whiffing it leaves Ares full combo punishable. Wake up teleport has invincibility.
Bane - With venom, all his specials have armor so Aquaman has to watch out for a lot of trades. The dash attack is easy to jump over and punish with MB FTD. Not really sure how to approach this MU against a good Bane.
Batgirl - N/A haven't fought enough Batgirls.
Batman - Stay right outside of j2 range, that way Aquaman can use all of his ranged attack tools and still utilize his mixups. Don't be too far away or batman can summon bats and get an approach for free. His mixups and crossups are easy to react to and he he can't punish Aquaman hard on block. Good D2s will beat his J2. Water shield + meter burn nullifies Batman's options and it's a great way to hold a life lead. Batman is one of the hardest characters to approach because of bats and b23 so don't let him get a big life lead.
Black Adam - Dive kick is punishable with D2, J2, and J3. Hits high on almost everything, lightning is a reactable low and MB lightning locks down Aquaman for another lightning. Try to stay at dash in distance ALWAYS and be extremely aggressive in going for mixups, be prepared to double dash or use FTD in order to punish BA's backdash.
Catwoman - MB catdash is obnoxiously safe, d1 pokes will stuff a lot of catwoman's pressure and d1 -> trident rush on block or hit puts aquaman in the perfect position for anything. B2, DB1 range or b1 footsie range is optimal in this MU but really, Aquaman can play wherever he feels most comfortable dealing with Catwoman's options. Respect the whip. Water shield MB is a great way to keep the lead.
Cyborg - Grappling hook makes tries to full screen projectile fight Cyborg difficult, instead inch up and wait for openings to use FTD unless at dash in range. Cyborg's grappling hook has invincibility but landing leaves him with little options. Cyborg CANNOT fight aquaman at b12 range so that's the range to be at always.
Deathstroke - Find openings to use FTD, bait out sword spin for full punish, win at dash in range, block dash to approach, the easiest projectile camping character to fight. (Probably because good online deathstrokes don't exist *sigh*)
Doomsday - Most a mindgame/ read based MU because Doomsday has lots of gap closers and strings Aquaman has to account for and know how to react to. Trident rush MB lasts for almost the entirety of his trait. EQ is annoying online and winning this MU comes down mostly to if the connection is good enough to consistently block that high/ low. D1 pokes all day after Doomsday does a gap closer. If Doomsday does MB nova, forward dash -> B3 punish is sexy. Not really sure if there's any good methodology to this MU.
Flash - Dash in distance, water of life breaks just about every combos and MB water shield is the best way to stall for time when water of life is down. Flash has lots of overhead/ low mixups at close range and his counter is a good way to avoid interactibles. Flash also has the speed to get close but no actual safe approaches IIRC. FTD is a nice way to punish flash for being overzealous in approaching. Straightforward matchup.
Green Arrow - Dash in distance, use FTD to punish the wakeup where green arrow jumps back and shoots an arrow. FTD punish an arrow pull and forces Green Arrow to be aggressive if he wants to win. Green Arrow has nice mixups at jump in distance and REALLY safe strings (d1 -> ice arrow can't be interrupted with trading AM's d1 for an ice arrow). Be greedy in clashes because most good green arrows like saving meter for their super setups. The key here is to never be afraid of the character and instead challenge his offense because in the corner he is a nightmare.
Green Lantern - The character is best as Aquaman's dash in range but he doesn't have many options anywhere on screens, it's just that his options are REALLY good. Try to dash in and out a lot to bait his attacks then punish? Really tough MU it seems, standard Aquaman play is ineffective. Can D1 and D2 poke his low -> high string but NOT his low -> mid. Still figuring out how I want to approach this matchup.
Harley Quinn - At close range she has some slow high/ low mixups but at anything farther than that all she is a safe (?) low with tantrum stance. Air gun shot is punishable with dash in -> d2. Aquaman can toss tridents between her grounded gunshots. B2 barely outranges her tantrum stance and leaves her without options basically. If you can fight Green Arrow the same tactics apply to Harley except it's an easier matchup overall.z
Hawkgirl - j2 if she's hovering in the air, j3 is you read a mace charge. Mace charge is safe on block (I think, never actually checked in the lab) but she doesn't have good followups for it due to terrible range on her normals. I don't have a specific strategy for this MU besides emphasizing my jump attacks. Don't fear her mace throws (terribly slow).
To be continued later
) so some MUs like Doomsday will be significantly different offline.Note that by dash in range, I am referring to the max distance where you can dash in and do b1 or f2, it's also the range where jump ins work as a mixup. Dash in range is also the same as b2 and db1 range but I like to specify when I heavily prefer b2 and db1 because the better set of options generally depends on the character. I don't mention wakeups since with a few exceptions, they are all similar to deal with.
With a few exceptions, I don't mention d1 because it's a good assumption that if you need to get some out of your face, a 6 frame safe cancel-able mid poke is a great option almost always.
Aquaman - Ahhh, the ditto. Try to stay in dash in distance and go for the instant launcher mixups. From the deep is punishable with a reversal FTD by both sides and being able to do the reversable is a huge part of winning this matchup. Try to control interactibles and bait the opponent into whiffing his attacks, by nature of this being a mirror MU, the rest is just who makes the better reads/ who knows the character more.
Ares - FTD is not punishable on block and it will stop a teleport (unless it's a getup teleport), any projectile hitting Ares with stop a weapon while it's being thrown. Aquaman can't win a projectile battle with Ares because of teleport, so rushing Ares down is the best option, he struggles to deal with the pressure and can't punish good spacing. Watch out and learn to punish teleports since no good Ares is going to let you approach without taking a teleport mixup. God smash (or w/e it's called) is hard to react to when used as a mixup but whiffing it leaves Ares full combo punishable. Wake up teleport has invincibility.
Bane - With venom, all his specials have armor so Aquaman has to watch out for a lot of trades. The dash attack is easy to jump over and punish with MB FTD. Not really sure how to approach this MU against a good Bane.
Batgirl - N/A haven't fought enough Batgirls.
Batman - Stay right outside of j2 range, that way Aquaman can use all of his ranged attack tools and still utilize his mixups. Don't be too far away or batman can summon bats and get an approach for free. His mixups and crossups are easy to react to and he he can't punish Aquaman hard on block. Good D2s will beat his J2. Water shield + meter burn nullifies Batman's options and it's a great way to hold a life lead. Batman is one of the hardest characters to approach because of bats and b23 so don't let him get a big life lead.
Black Adam - Dive kick is punishable with D2, J2, and J3. Hits high on almost everything, lightning is a reactable low and MB lightning locks down Aquaman for another lightning. Try to stay at dash in distance ALWAYS and be extremely aggressive in going for mixups, be prepared to double dash or use FTD in order to punish BA's backdash.
Catwoman - MB catdash is obnoxiously safe, d1 pokes will stuff a lot of catwoman's pressure and d1 -> trident rush on block or hit puts aquaman in the perfect position for anything. B2, DB1 range or b1 footsie range is optimal in this MU but really, Aquaman can play wherever he feels most comfortable dealing with Catwoman's options. Respect the whip. Water shield MB is a great way to keep the lead.
Cyborg - Grappling hook makes tries to full screen projectile fight Cyborg difficult, instead inch up and wait for openings to use FTD unless at dash in range. Cyborg's grappling hook has invincibility but landing leaves him with little options. Cyborg CANNOT fight aquaman at b12 range so that's the range to be at always.
Deathstroke - Find openings to use FTD, bait out sword spin for full punish, win at dash in range, block dash to approach, the easiest projectile camping character to fight. (Probably because good online deathstrokes don't exist *sigh*)
Doomsday - Most a mindgame/ read based MU because Doomsday has lots of gap closers and strings Aquaman has to account for and know how to react to. Trident rush MB lasts for almost the entirety of his trait. EQ is annoying online and winning this MU comes down mostly to if the connection is good enough to consistently block that high/ low. D1 pokes all day after Doomsday does a gap closer. If Doomsday does MB nova, forward dash -> B3 punish is sexy. Not really sure if there's any good methodology to this MU.
Flash - Dash in distance, water of life breaks just about every combos and MB water shield is the best way to stall for time when water of life is down. Flash has lots of overhead/ low mixups at close range and his counter is a good way to avoid interactibles. Flash also has the speed to get close but no actual safe approaches IIRC. FTD is a nice way to punish flash for being overzealous in approaching. Straightforward matchup.
Green Arrow - Dash in distance, use FTD to punish the wakeup where green arrow jumps back and shoots an arrow. FTD punish an arrow pull and forces Green Arrow to be aggressive if he wants to win. Green Arrow has nice mixups at jump in distance and REALLY safe strings (d1 -> ice arrow can't be interrupted with trading AM's d1 for an ice arrow). Be greedy in clashes because most good green arrows like saving meter for their super setups. The key here is to never be afraid of the character and instead challenge his offense because in the corner he is a nightmare.
Green Lantern - The character is best as Aquaman's dash in range but he doesn't have many options anywhere on screens, it's just that his options are REALLY good. Try to dash in and out a lot to bait his attacks then punish? Really tough MU it seems, standard Aquaman play is ineffective. Can D1 and D2 poke his low -> high string but NOT his low -> mid. Still figuring out how I want to approach this matchup.
Harley Quinn - At close range she has some slow high/ low mixups but at anything farther than that all she is a safe (?) low with tantrum stance. Air gun shot is punishable with dash in -> d2. Aquaman can toss tridents between her grounded gunshots. B2 barely outranges her tantrum stance and leaves her without options basically. If you can fight Green Arrow the same tactics apply to Harley except it's an easier matchup overall.z
Hawkgirl - j2 if she's hovering in the air, j3 is you read a mace charge. Mace charge is safe on block (I think, never actually checked in the lab) but she doesn't have good followups for it due to terrible range on her normals. I don't have a specific strategy for this MU besides emphasizing my jump attacks. Don't fear her mace throws (terribly slow).
To be continued later
