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Nightwolf General Discussion Thread

Nightwolf seems like he's very reactive rather than aggressive. Going from Noob to him is making it difficult to find a flow. Does Ancestors Gift have any combos outside grapple stalker and 111, RC?
 
Could anyone be a pal and point me at a couple go-to strings and pokes in neutral for him so far?

I got a little training room time in last night working out basic combos, want to give him a try online tonight but I always struggle with feeling there are too many options whenever I pick up someone new.
 

Juggs

Lose without excuses
Lead Moderator
Could anyone be a pal and point me at a couple go-to strings and pokes in neutral for him so far?

I got a little training room time in last night working out basic combos, want to give him a try online tonight but I always struggle with feeling there are too many options whenever I pick up someone new.
D3. No reason to use d4. It actually somehow has less range than d3 and is slower.
 

Evil Canadian

G O K U
Premium Supporter
Played a bunch of games today against many characters just general thoughts

  1. NW seems overall pretty decent, mid-high tier at least, maybe better? Lots of stuff works and got tools, just his damage is below average.
  2. Against characters that want to kinda hang out and chill a bit or really play spacing, he can hose em pretty good because he has the charge, and he isn't a slow lummox like Shao kahn(who also has mid hitting charge) in the terms of his neutral strings.
  3. Seems to struggle against Baraka? Always contesting same space and Baraka just basically does double the damage you do when he gets his conversion.
Also anyone figure out any decent anti-airs? Stand 1 works if they are already at a range they probably shouldn't have jumped at. Basic jump in kicks though seem to stuff most things though including d2 unless you are mad, mad early.
 

LawAbidingCitizen

Bomb Setups & Ball Rolls(Mileena/Cyrax)
Why do so many high level players always do call every character broke in first 3 days after release. Premature af.

NightWolf is far from broke. And I say that knowing he is probably top 15.
One pro player said he is a mixup God off true 50/50's?
WTF?
His Overhead's/lows are nowhere near broke:
His Overheads:
  • F2 is 24f startup (Reactable AF) but still good.
  • 112 18f on last hit with gap, is flawless blocked and doesn't lead to combo.
  • Rhino Charge Amp (BF4-Amp) is punishable on both hits but has KB. Nothing like Errons F4.
  • 312: is a high-high-overhead.
His lows:
B34: 11f mid-low that has less range than D1/D3's.
B13 safe mid but is 17f startup and has less range than Cassie 11f B24 and has no stagger.

He us definitely a good character and I think he is at least top 15 but he has a ton of gaps and counters.
I just feel like many players use the copout "Character is Broke" instead of labbing the MU or analyzing what got them that L.

I feel his strengths are:
  • Good anti zoning vs certain projectiles
  • looping forward throw
  • corner carry
  • good damage
  • nice oki with Wolf Buff
  • hit confirmable mids
  • good AAs
  • nice gap closer (shoulder)
 

Dreamcatcher

EFL Founder
It’s hard to choose between variations. Mid 30’s and more off 2 bars with the tomahawk... or ticking command grabs (even off his OH string) paired with the reflection teleport. Decisions, decisions.

Fun character, a little Raiden-ish with the gaps, but fun.
 

lionheart21

Its Game Over, Man
Played a bunch of games today against many characters just general thoughts

  1. NW seems overall pretty decent, mid-high tier at least, maybe better? Lots of stuff works and got tools, just his damage is below average.
  2. Against characters that want to kinda hang out and chill a bit or really play spacing, he can hose em pretty good because he has the charge, and he isn't a slow lummox like Shao kahn(who also has mid hitting charge) in the terms of his neutral strings.
  3. Seems to struggle against Baraka? Always contesting same space and Baraka just basically does double the damage you do when he gets his conversion.
Also anyone figure out any decent anti-airs? Stand 1 works if they are already at a range they probably shouldn't have jumped at. Basic jump in kicks though seem to stuff most things though including d2 unless you are mad, mad early.
By those standards, he sounds similar to Kabal
 

wsj515

This is my billionth life cycle.
I've never seen anybody suggest Hunker over Barrett, but even so, 1 in 30? So either ALL command grab variants are garbage or people are just sleeping, as always.



I'm absolute scrub tier at this point, but I have been conditioning with b2, meaty b+3,4, and spaced 1,4,2 to condiiton up throw loops and land that sweet crotch axe krushing blow.
Hunker is definitely the better variation for most matchups.
 

DarksydeDash

You know me as RisingShieldBro online.
One really good tool that I think needs to be incorporated more is his backdash. B34 for example has some nice spacing on block so if they are willing to swing at you, you can backdash and punish them with F12, bf4, or reset neutral in general if they respect it.
 
The first thing I had to learn while playing my first few games is that he most definitely doesn't have Jax's wakeup U3. Wolf's wake-up U3 is super booty. Aside from that, I am liking the feel of his buttons so far. I think with more practice (if I ever get some damn time to play this game more) Ancestral Gift will definitely help with some of Hunker Down's rougher match-ups. If nothing else, playing him will help me shake the awful habit I have of mashing D1,2 with Jax.
 

ChoseDeath

Seriously Casual Player.
Ok, so I don't like this new voice actor NEARLY as much as the one from MK9. Anyone else? Yes, no?

Fucking loving the gameplay though
 
I actually discovered his dash from B2 by total accident. I pulled it off in his tower and all i saw was him a lot closer than expected. That needed delay was so awkward at first. I'm really starting to enjoy his Ancestral Gift as a dezoner and work him a bit like a pro wrestler Raiden (<old school right there).
 

Ray'sGoodLiquor

I don't care I'm not a competitive player anymore
I actually came to this thread to ask the same exact thing. I have his combo bar maxed to 30 and he hasn’t even used tomahawk once, let alone ex tomahawk (and yes I’m sure the variation has it). Totally asinine AI.
So I think I was right about his AI being dogshit. There's a thread on reddit where they try to optimize AI options in unison with variation options. This is their input on Nightwolf.

  • Matokan Warrior - 5 Grappling / 5 Rushdown / 30 Kombos / 20 Reversal (Loves to Shoulder Charge a lot, he does seem to like to stagger his hits. He often ends combos with his arrows or shoulder. Typical combo is 15-19%.)
  • Ancestral Gift - 5 Grappling / 5 Rushdown / 30 Kombos / 20 Reversal (Shoulder Charges a bit less than the first variation, the combo extenders and the command grab help him get damage on his opponents that block his strings. Combo damage is the same as the first.)
The best his AI can seem to pull off is about 19-21%, although I rarely see it break 20%. Instead of using his axe to extend combos, he uses it as an ender on block.
 

DixieFlatline78

Everyone Has A Path
Why do so many high level players always do call every character broke in first 3 days after release. Premature af.

NightWolf is far from broke. And I say that knowing he is probably top 15.
One pro player said he is a mixup God off true 50/50's?
WTF?
His Overhead's/lows are nowhere near broke:
His Overheads:
  • F2 is 24f startup (Reactable AF) but still good.
  • 112 18f on last hit with gap, is flawless blocked and doesn't lead to combo.
  • Rhino Charge Amp (BF4-Amp) is punishable on both hits but has KB. Nothing like Errons F4.
  • 312: is a high-high-overhead.
His lows:
B34: 11f mid-low that has less range than D1/D3's.
B13 safe mid but is 17f startup and has less range than Cassie 11f B24 and has no stagger.

He us definitely a good character and I think he is at least top 15 but he has a ton of gaps and counters.
I just feel like many players use the copout "Character is Broke" instead of labbing the MU or analyzing what got them that L.

I feel his strengths are:
  • Good anti zoning vs certain projectiles
  • looping forward throw
  • corner carry
  • good damage
  • nice oki with Wolf Buff
  • hit confirmable mids
  • good AAs
  • nice gap closer (shoulder)
I think his OH/Low game is gonna be super strong tho. Not for 50/50s but for all the times you have to transition to block low while blocking high to avoid the OH. Then he staggers you, then he just does B1 xx Throw, then he just does Throw, then he does a safe string that's flawless blockable, then he D3s you and jails you into 312, then you block low to reversal poke his D3 but you eat the overhead, then you try and jump out so he JI2s you and collects a combo off it. It's all reactable or low reward but you have to be quick while hes collecting plus frames. Since you're looking out for all this stuff it'll be easy to get caught by things, or be more focused on blocking than countering him
 

y0da

Noob
Funny thing: you can debounce Cetrion's rolling boulders and her quakes with Nightwolf's Aurora.

Edit: But not Scorpion's spear or Sub-Zero's other two projectiles.
 
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