Pressuring with Up Missile/Homing Missile

[Agilaz]

I've been experimenting a bit with using these moves as pressure to force a second combo. Example:

jin1, 12b1, f44 xx TU xx jin3 xx EX TU xx b21

homing missile, dash

<insert combo here>

The beauty of this, is obviously that the homing missile can really put your opponent in a tight spot; their options are to eat the missile and by extent the full combo (unless they do a wake-up or a backroll), or block the missile and...eat a full combo, if they guess their block wrong. After all, a blocked missile gives you enough time to decide between a throw, b3,4 (low starter) or u3,4 (overhead starter).

Now I've tried this online and it seems to catch many people off-guard. Pretty sure it also pissed them off if they lose about 60-70% in a matter of seconds. However, it's still online, so I'm taking my results with a grain of salt, and seeing as I'm lacking offline competition in my area, I have to rely on you guys to tell me if it's a viable strategy.

Also, would it be viable to do a regular up missile and get about the same results? It seems that for wake-ups/techs at least, a homing missile would be the better option, even if it does cost you one meter with no GUARANTEED results.

 

[Sao87]

It will be better once they fix his up missles. Currently you can't option the missles to land in front or behind your enemies after a block string. Anything other than a homing missle isn't true pressure because the opponent can dash forward and punish you. Block low and you're safe from being comboed, his overhead only really works in the corner and comboing after it is a guess because you cant hit confirm off of the overhead.

 

[spongebob]

Not that great especially against characters with fast advancing specials, they don't even need armor on wakeup. Correct me if i'm wrong but I think kabal can nomad dash or ex nomad dash as soon as he see's the homing then block it and combo you.

Same goes for normal up missle - even you do infront it still won't catch them. Sektor's recovery on up missle is too slow to trap people since wakeup attacks can easily beat it. Even doing b2 up missle, stuff like this works great on the unexperienced and may be good to throw out once in a game but wakeup attack will beat it every time.

Only real way to get pressure with up missle is not doing any ender at all after ex TU and just up missle because then you have enough recovery to block if they try wakeup and then dash in if up missle hits or is blocked, but still thats not always worth sacrificing damage and like Sao said you can't really mix them up all too well either if they just block low due to the slowness of leg lift.

His up missle pressure up close will get better when he can cancel into upfront and behind off of strings.

 

[TheTrillz]

I never really end in the b2 with 1, I usually hit em with flame after b2 to get that standing reset to avoid the wake up game but that's just me. Really the way I get the up missile is whenever I do 12 pressure and continue into the 122 and immediately buffer into up rocket. Of course there is an opening but usually the opponent gets knocked back on hit and block and since any special doesn't link it still comes out immediately after the second 2. It's a bit risky since an opponent can dash in off a vanilla up missile but a few mixins with the flame will have the opponent standing there like a statue to avoid the heat.

Really let me illustrate a situation in which I do this but it's still a bit unsafe. I usually try to keep pressure with Sektor by doing his f2, b3 normals to get an opponent to turtle. Sometimes, I'll land the b3 and do it again to get the opponent crouch blocked. Now there are a few ways to get out of this, like poking out but that's another story but if I can get an opponent grounded with good f2 and flame pressure I can get up to my 122 variation. There are holes to this gameplay but that's how I try to include the up missile into my offense.

 

[Sao87]

Yea the 1, 2, 2 string will be great once they fix the up rockets. You can make people feel trapped if they're unaware of how to defend against it but up rockets are a huge liability right now because people are so wake up happy or they can dash at you and start a combo unless you're in the corner which still just interrupts them and sets a neutral situation.

Right now the best option off of the 1, 2, 2 string is a straight missle because it is safe on block, the flame thrower is second place but can be punished by good reactions.

 

[TheTrillz]

Yea the 1, 2, 2 string will be great once they fix the up rockets. You can make people feel trapped if they're unaware of how to defend against it but up rockets are a huge liability right now because people are so wake up happy or they can dash at you and start a combo unless you're in the corner which still just interrupts them and sets a neutral situation.

Right now the best option off of the 1, 2, 2 string is a straight missle because it is safe on block, the flame thrower is second place but can be punished by good reactions.

Yeah that 122 is good but I've found that Ermac and Cage can crush him quite badly after the flame. Really it's a reading game, if the opponent likes to dash after 122 to get back in the flame(although it doesn't link) comes out quick enough to burn them but if they stand there like a statue blocking and you read flame the top tier of the cast can get a free special punish.

 

[Agilaz]

Thanks for the replies people. I though I was on to something, but after reading that they're gonna fix the up missiles it made more sense to me.

 

[PND_Ketchup]

what does everyone mean by "fix the up rockets" theyre not meant to be like shang tsungs up skulls and if you're trying to use sektor in the same way by doing so you're playing him wrong. the homing rocket is excellent to stop the other from moving, theres no point laying pressure on with the homing missile purely because its nothing a regular up rocket cant do. if someones trying to lay into you the homing rocket will stop them in their tracks, if they attack you anyway the rocket connects giving you a free full combo.

sektor can have offensive spurts but dont lay into them the whole game. the rockets are for manipulating their movement i find, use that instead of laying on pressure the whole game

 

[Robotic]

what does everyone mean by "fix the up rockets" theyre not meant to be like shang tsungs up skulls and if you're trying to use sektor in the same way by doing so you're playing him wrong. the homing rocket is excellent to stop the other from moving, theres no point laying pressure on with the homing missile purely because its nothing a regular up rocket cant do. if someones trying to lay into you the homing rocket will stop them in their tracks, if they attack you anyway the rocket connects giving you a free full combo.

sektor can have offensive spurts but dont lay into them the whole game. the rockets are for manipulating their movement i find, use that instead of laying on pressure the whole game

Fixed meaning:

Let's say you do 2,1 upmissile. As it stands you can cancel into regular upmissle. You CANNOT, however cancel into back upmissile, or forward upmissile. This is an unintended glitch and will be fixed in the upcoming patch.

 

[PND_Ketchup]

Fixed meaning:

Let's say you do 2,1 upmissile. As it stands you can cancel into regular upmissle. You CANNOT, however cancel into back upmissile, or forward upmissile. This is an unintended glitch and will be fixed in the upcoming patch.

fair enough if he has a glitch, but why would you do 2,1 up missile anyway? not exactly the smartest thing to when you end a string into a slow and escapable special move right in their face. kinda similar to doing a couple of hits into noobs portal, a little bit silly lol

 

[catch22]

I've been experimenting a bit with using these moves as pressure to force a second combo. Example:

jin1, 12b1, f44 xx TU xx jin3 xx EX TU xx b21

homing missile, dash

<insert combo here>

The beauty of this, is obviously that the homing missile can really put your opponent in a tight spot; their options are to eat the missile and by extent the full combo (unless they do a wake-up or a backroll), or block the missile and...eat a full combo, if they guess their block wrong. After all, a blocked missile gives you enough time to decide between a throw, b3,4 (low starter) or u3,4 (overhead starter).

Now I've tried this online and it seems to catch many people off-guard. Pretty sure it also pissed them off if they lose about 60-70% in a matter of seconds. However, it's still online, so I'm taking my results with a grain of salt, and seeing as I'm lacking offline competition in my area, I have to rely on you guys to tell me if it's a viable strategy.

Also, would it be viable to do a regular up missile and get about the same results? It seems that for wake-ups/techs at least, a homing missile would be the better option, even if it does cost you one meter with no GUARANTEED results.

While you got me of guard the first match, it was different the second time, input lag sucked on my end, so i struggled the rest of the matches.
but in the end......you met a front bumper face to face lol
GGS tho

 

[JHCRANE 14]

I never really end in the b2 with 1, I usually hit em with flame after b2 to get that standing reset to avoid the wake up game but that's just me. Really the way I get the up missile is whenever I do 12 pressure and continue into the 122 and immediately buffer into up rocket. Of course there is an opening but usually the opponent gets knocked back on hit and block and since any special doesn't link it still comes out immediately after the second 2. It's a bit risky since an opponent can dash in off a vanilla up missile but a few mixins with the flame will have the opponent standing there like a statue to avoid the heat.

Really let me illustrate a situation in which I do this but it's still a bit unsafe. I usually try to keep pressure with Sektor by doing his f2, b3 normals to get an opponent to turtle. Sometimes, I'll land the b3 and do it again to get the opponent crouch blocked. Now there are a few ways to get out of this, like poking out but that's another story but if I can get an opponent grounded with good f2 and flame pressure I can get up to my 122 variation. There are holes to this gameplay but that's how I try to include the up missile into my offense.

I usally end my combos with b2-flamethrower.

 

[Robotic]

fair enough if he has a glitch, but why would you do 2,1 up missile anyway? not exactly the smartest thing to when you end a string into a slow and escapable special move right in their face. kinda similar to doing a couple of hits into noobs portal, a little bit silly lol

My example was simply to point out what can and cannot be done at this point.

EDIT: Now that you mention it, there is a use for this. I have had success with incorporating the 2,1,4 combo. As all of you know, there is a built in delay between the 1 and 4, so your opponent does not know if you are canceling into anything. You can 2,1 cancel to 1,2,2 - 1,2,b1, throw, torch, crossover punch, etc. The delay is the focal point here as it masks what your intentions are.Now, let's say your opponent is now aware of the delay and is patiently waiting on what you are going to do after the 2,1. If you cancel into upmissile, he may freak out and jump back, he may try to get off a hit....the point is if he doesn't react QUICKLY, he will get hit by the upmissile and you can jip, dash forward and throw, dash and b34, whatever. There are many options here because of the built in delay. I'm not saying abuse it, because you can get uppercut out if easily and 12% from you just so you can do 8% is pretty stupid. Use is sparingly, and it will open up more options for your Sektor as it did mine.