Eddy Wang
Skarlet scientist
Since Skarlet is a character with multiple playstyles later on i figure that in order to expand the performance its required to be able to grind in and out into each style she posses. But this isn't anything new or anywhere easy to do, i've been talking about gear switching with Skarlet since the last months of 2013 i believe.
This year the thing i've been focusing more on the blood goddess aside from dominating each individual style is which ones are the better combinations in order to have better results, let me list all possible styles Skarlet has according to the play style wheel:
How to understand this?
Rushdown - Allows Skarlet to go hax on their opponents with everything she got, During this period of time Skarlet main objective is to move forward and push up opponents into the corner, this category falls into the Offense chart which i consider a green area.
Gambler - Gambler its a sub-style that allows Skarlet to bet higher on options that may let her punishable if goes wrong, its a sub-category of the rushdown but its a card that can only be thrown once every time she has 3 bars of meter, since she is allowed to break off in case the bet goes wrong, but she will be with less meter if the worst case scenario happens. This category also falls into the offense chart which i consider a green area, but is extremely situational.
Okizeme Traps - Unlike Any other character, Skarlet low daggers are possibly the most usable tool to Okizeme opponents into any knockdown, since MK9 Knowdown game doesn't have invincibility windows unless on wakeup, the dagger will be meaty at any point of knockdown even on the very 1st frame the opponent touches the ground, this perk allows Skarlet to setup very dangerous traps against characters who are trying to mash wakeups to counter her offense or jump away to escape pressure. Okizeme is my favourite perk because it leaves off less time for the opponent to think about what he has to do and he has to focus also on what you will going to do, leaving you a room to think countless possible ways of attacking your opponent in ways he hasn't had time to think about it yet, one big read or punish off a Okizeme setup in the corner might be the end of the round right there. This category falls between the offense and defense, but more offense oriented chart which i consider a Half green area.
Neutral ground (Neutral Game) - This playstyle allows Skarlet to partially give up on her offense while playing defense, keeping herself out of the opponent's reach unless she is the one attacking, Skarlet beneficts most of this style once she gets at least 1 bar of meter, it can trick opponents to think you will be playing gambler instead, which in consequence puts the enemy into a more cautions state and cools off the pace a bit. This category falls into the middle between offense and defense chart but more defense oriented chart which i consider an orange area.
Foosties - This playstyle allows Skarlet to play offense while playing defense at the same time, though is one of the most extremely difficult to master along side the Neutral Ground, it allows for a wider variation of counters and whiff punishes, it requires the most reads and is some situations is the best option specially do deal off against opponent's panic breakouts. This category falls into the middle between offense and defense chart which i consider a yellow area.
Zoning - This playstyle allows Skarlet to give up on her offense and completely focus on defense, though zoning in the NRS community is mostly known by projectiles fired at the enemy only, let me tell you that the main goal of zoning is to control a determinated space your opponent doesn't feel comfortable unless he stands there. So Skarlet Low Daggers can be a perfect tool for this job, same for her daggers in general. This category falls into the defense chart which i consider a red area.
Turtle - A playtyle of Absolute defense which makes Skarlet play backwards and always in the retreat, this is mostly a go option, once Skarlet gets a life lead, most useful against characters that force Skarlet to attack making it hard to get in, but equal in the opposite way if Skarlet gets the life lead it becomes equally hard for them to get in.
Hidden Traps - Are one of the favorite perks among experienced Skarlet players, its the most traditional way of poking out characters from distance with air, or ground daggers to bait mistakes, shuts down zoning, or to open a room for skarlet to get in for better positioning. Although Skatlet is using projectiles from distance she isn't attacking, which places this category under the defense chart, that i consider a red area
Countering - This is a universal perk that allows skarlet to counter attack her opponents either when they're attacking standing (counter reads), or grounded (oki counter reads), do not consider this as a separated style but as something you must have as a ready to go option in almost every match whether the style your currently using it can be either in the offense chart or the defense chart which i consider it to be a Grey area.
The next step would be combining styles in each matchup but this isn't something easy to do, the Neutral Ground works against almost anyone as a default style excluding Cyrax and Kabal from that list and maybe freedy, the others have to deal with her Walk Speed. Skarlet is the top 10 character with the top forward walkspeed in the game so she can get in and out in almost every matchup by walking alone, except for Cyrax and Kabal which are the only ones who have a wider spacing control due their tools being designed to kill off this tactic.
Edit: So if you were to combine 3 styles for a single matchup what styles would you combine? these are some of my advises:
Kabal
Relentless Assault (Oki traps, Gambler, Rushdown) This option is straight forward offense heavy
Deversity (Foosties, Okitraps, Hidden Traps) this one has a bit of everything and works well as paradigm shift
Cyrax
Quiet Pace (Neutral Ground, Foosties, Hidden Traps) This one his a balance of defense and half offense
Absolute Defense (Foosties, Zoning, Neutral ground) This one is heavily defensive
Sonya
Cold Blooded (Hidden Traps, Turtle, Foosties)
Silent Assault (Okitraps, Foosties, Hidden Traps)
@AK L0rdoftheFLY, @RedRaptor10, @Ninj, @FCP/EMP SCAR @AssassiN @Moonspell @Laos_boy @Flagg @STRYKIE
This year the thing i've been focusing more on the blood goddess aside from dominating each individual style is which ones are the better combinations in order to have better results, let me list all possible styles Skarlet has according to the play style wheel:
How to understand this?
Rushdown - Allows Skarlet to go hax on their opponents with everything she got, During this period of time Skarlet main objective is to move forward and push up opponents into the corner, this category falls into the Offense chart which i consider a green area.
Gambler - Gambler its a sub-style that allows Skarlet to bet higher on options that may let her punishable if goes wrong, its a sub-category of the rushdown but its a card that can only be thrown once every time she has 3 bars of meter, since she is allowed to break off in case the bet goes wrong, but she will be with less meter if the worst case scenario happens. This category also falls into the offense chart which i consider a green area, but is extremely situational.
Okizeme Traps - Unlike Any other character, Skarlet low daggers are possibly the most usable tool to Okizeme opponents into any knockdown, since MK9 Knowdown game doesn't have invincibility windows unless on wakeup, the dagger will be meaty at any point of knockdown even on the very 1st frame the opponent touches the ground, this perk allows Skarlet to setup very dangerous traps against characters who are trying to mash wakeups to counter her offense or jump away to escape pressure. Okizeme is my favourite perk because it leaves off less time for the opponent to think about what he has to do and he has to focus also on what you will going to do, leaving you a room to think countless possible ways of attacking your opponent in ways he hasn't had time to think about it yet, one big read or punish off a Okizeme setup in the corner might be the end of the round right there. This category falls between the offense and defense, but more offense oriented chart which i consider a Half green area.
Neutral ground (Neutral Game) - This playstyle allows Skarlet to partially give up on her offense while playing defense, keeping herself out of the opponent's reach unless she is the one attacking, Skarlet beneficts most of this style once she gets at least 1 bar of meter, it can trick opponents to think you will be playing gambler instead, which in consequence puts the enemy into a more cautions state and cools off the pace a bit. This category falls into the middle between offense and defense chart but more defense oriented chart which i consider an orange area.
Foosties - This playstyle allows Skarlet to play offense while playing defense at the same time, though is one of the most extremely difficult to master along side the Neutral Ground, it allows for a wider variation of counters and whiff punishes, it requires the most reads and is some situations is the best option specially do deal off against opponent's panic breakouts. This category falls into the middle between offense and defense chart which i consider a yellow area.
Zoning - This playstyle allows Skarlet to give up on her offense and completely focus on defense, though zoning in the NRS community is mostly known by projectiles fired at the enemy only, let me tell you that the main goal of zoning is to control a determinated space your opponent doesn't feel comfortable unless he stands there. So Skarlet Low Daggers can be a perfect tool for this job, same for her daggers in general. This category falls into the defense chart which i consider a red area.
Turtle - A playtyle of Absolute defense which makes Skarlet play backwards and always in the retreat, this is mostly a go option, once Skarlet gets a life lead, most useful against characters that force Skarlet to attack making it hard to get in, but equal in the opposite way if Skarlet gets the life lead it becomes equally hard for them to get in.
Hidden Traps - Are one of the favorite perks among experienced Skarlet players, its the most traditional way of poking out characters from distance with air, or ground daggers to bait mistakes, shuts down zoning, or to open a room for skarlet to get in for better positioning. Although Skatlet is using projectiles from distance she isn't attacking, which places this category under the defense chart, that i consider a red area
Countering - This is a universal perk that allows skarlet to counter attack her opponents either when they're attacking standing (counter reads), or grounded (oki counter reads), do not consider this as a separated style but as something you must have as a ready to go option in almost every match whether the style your currently using it can be either in the offense chart or the defense chart which i consider it to be a Grey area.
The next step would be combining styles in each matchup but this isn't something easy to do, the Neutral Ground works against almost anyone as a default style excluding Cyrax and Kabal from that list and maybe freedy, the others have to deal with her Walk Speed. Skarlet is the top 10 character with the top forward walkspeed in the game so she can get in and out in almost every matchup by walking alone, except for Cyrax and Kabal which are the only ones who have a wider spacing control due their tools being designed to kill off this tactic.
Edit: So if you were to combine 3 styles for a single matchup what styles would you combine? these are some of my advises:
Kabal
Relentless Assault (Oki traps, Gambler, Rushdown) This option is straight forward offense heavy
Deversity (Foosties, Okitraps, Hidden Traps) this one has a bit of everything and works well as paradigm shift
Cyrax
Quiet Pace (Neutral Ground, Foosties, Hidden Traps) This one his a balance of defense and half offense
Absolute Defense (Foosties, Zoning, Neutral ground) This one is heavily defensive
Sonya
Cold Blooded (Hidden Traps, Turtle, Foosties)
Silent Assault (Okitraps, Foosties, Hidden Traps)
@AK L0rdoftheFLY, @RedRaptor10, @Ninj, @FCP/EMP SCAR @AssassiN @Moonspell @Laos_boy @Flagg @STRYKIE
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