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Question Sort of new to Nightwing...need help with neutral game. (Escrima)

DarksydeDash

You know me as RisingShieldBro online.
I recently picked up nightwing and quickly found out that his strings are really hard to even land on an opponent even after unsafe strings/specials. I also find myself throwing ground sparks and wingdings randomly. As a result I get punished and etc. So what are Nightwing's best strings and how to I play his neutral game in escrima? The reason why I ask this is I mostly end up in staff and play the pressure/zoning game which makes it so I hardly ever use escrima. :\
 

Jeremy KO

*insert kotal kahn gibberish here*
Use 112 escrima. Very underrated string which is safe on block and is good for getting in the opponents face.
 

Spinky

Restless Dreamer
112 is a million on block and can be followed up with 333 to push the opponent into the corner (or if they block the first two hits you can cancel into lightning to make them block low). Cancel your blocked strings into lightning (or flip kick, which can cross up sometimes) and when they start blocking low hit them with B2, it's safe, has stupid range and is something you should be abusing.
 

Sajam

Nightwing In Retirement
Just a quick breakdown of some escrima stuff, because I'm leaving in a sec.

B2 is your go to normal, it has range, can be confirmed off of easily, and leads into a nice oki situation after that you can loop depending on the option you choose to go for. 112 is great for settuping up 33, or f213 if you want, and letting you go for all sorts of mixups after. 113 is your go to punish string in most situations, unless f213 can be used instead. Use ground sparks as a tool for opening people up in neutral by canceling out of them with dashes to cover distance unexpectedly. Only use wing dings to check somebody when you think they are going to try and dash/use a projectile/grab an interactable or something like that. It shouldn't be the move you are relying on in neutral.

Here is a video on some mixups in escrima/general stuff you can do with this stance: Link
 

arydious

Noob
Ill add a couple of things the air wing dings are amazing for avoiding projectiles and interactables. And can often hit the opponent as well.
B2 is amazing its reach is stupid.
Being able to end a combo in staff spin is great. Such as 213 x 4 db3. This sets you up to either stuff wake ups with db2 or cross over Greyson. You can also switch right back to escrima do ground spark or an sort of jump in pressure. It's another added mind f!@? To switch back and forth in stances.

Don't underestimate night wings jump ins they are great.
 

Wasted

Noob
112 always seems to connect on people, I find. They get sent flying and I'm left to work my way back in again.

String sucks unless they block, man.
 

Rude

You will serve me in The Netherrealm
I don't know about that, sir. 112 seems pretty good. You could cancel into spark and dash forward on hit, thus closing the gap. Or hold onto spark for a sec and release to hit them on wake-up. So if you hit confirm it, cancel into spark and dash forward.

I'm no expert Nightwing, though. Sajam, does any of what I've written make a lick of sense?
 

Wasted

Noob
Probably will work, but it does reset the screen position. People I know will just not block if they smell 112 coming and not bother having to deal with the crazy setups that come after it. That's where I have to change it up, obviously.

I swear if it wasn't +20 on block, it'd hardly get used.
 

Jabant

Noob
Hi, I'm new to the forums but not neccesarily to NW. And I've been learning a lot! So we actually want them to block 112 due to its setup potential? Interesting... My only qualm so far has been jump ins/cross ups. His J2 seems terrible for cross ups, or is it another case in where I want them to block it for, a la, another set-up?

P.S. What is the use, if any, for db2 (or is it 1?) escrima. Is it as useless as I think it is?