Alien Substance
Evanesce
This guide was created to help gain an understanding of Kratos' basic stuff, specifically his normals and specials.
(I used the Noob Saibot Complete Guide by D. R. as reference on how to organize the sections 'n things, so give credit to him if you think this was structured nicely)
With his slow-by-standard normals and specials, Kratos is a character suited to a defensive playstyle, though he can do an aggressive one if need be. Kratos' best attributes are his "resetless-Cyrax-like" damage output and the Golden Fleece.
Specials & X-Ray
Bow of Apollo / Apollo's Inferno:
25 frames / 20 frames
Kratos' primary zoning tool. While it visibly hits high and has a bit of a slow startup, it is only -1 on block and inflicts 12% if both arrows hit. Apollo's Bow is a great tool to extend juggle combos and to AA your opponent, if timed right. The Bow can also be used to make certain combos safe on block.
Apollo's Inferno, Kratos fires three separate arrows in an arc, down to up. Similar in comparison to Nightwolf's EX Arrow. Apollo's Inferno deals a lot more damage than the normal version: It inflicts 24% damage as an AA by itself. If you gotta dish more damage for an easier combo, or want to deal unbreakable damage when your opponent is very close to a Breaker, this is the tool for you.
Zeus' Rage / Revenge of Olympus:
17 frames / 17 frames
For dealing damage from a good distance, or as a long-range whiff-punish. Completing the QTE on hit will cause 13% to your opponent.
Zeus' Rage has an invisibly long hitbox; remember the distance every fighter starts out at the beginning of a match? Zeus' Rage can reach a short backdash farther than the "start distance", which extends slightly beyond the tip of Kratos' Blade. Failing the QTE will give Kratos greater frame advantage during the opponent's knockdown state.
Revenge of Olympus adds a second QTE, succeeding it will inflict 17%. The range of the special is increased to just a tiny bit beyond the maximum range of Kratos' X-Ray. It's the distance the opponent is left at after a forward throw from Kratos.
Head of Helios / Helios Flash:
23 frames / 49 frames
This grants Kratos a way to extend his combos by hit-confirming, and a method to reset the opponent. It can also be used to AA, but the timing can be a bit tricky.
Helios Flash inflicts 10% damage to the opponent and does not retain the damage-scaling of its normal variant. At 49 frames of startup, no Armor and costing a bar of Meter, this is best as a very rarely-used gimmick special. The only known methods of linking into Helios Flash in a combo is after a Golden Fleece parry and a Golden Fleece projectile.
Golden Fleece / Argos Ram:
1-frame startup, 28 active frames, 18 recovery frames.
Arguably the best special in Kratos' arsenal. It can parry everything Smoke's EX Shake can; all high, mid and overhead attacks, some low attacks, and almost every projectile. When a projectile is parried, Kratos sends back an unblockable ball of energy that launches the opponent for a possible juggle combo.
When a melee attack is parried, Kratos headbutts the opponent for 5% damage. This pre-determined attack can be dash-canceled and Kratos is left with a large window to punish the opponent with any combo of his choosing (with some damage scaling, however).
Argos Ram causes Kratos to send back a larger, more damaging projectile from a ranged parry, and Kratos drives his Blades of Exile into the ground to pop-up the opponent from a melee parry.
The EX version shouldn't ever be used for a melee-parry, as the normal version can parry everything that Argos Ram can.
Hermes Dash / Hermes Rush:
25 frames (No charging)
One of Kratos' best specials, as it can be held and dash-canceled out of. Hermes Dash Canceling makes most of Kratos' moves safe on block and with slight frame advantage. F+2xxHDC gives Kratos access to a higher damage output, as he can link after the HDC into a combo.
HDCs are an integral component to Kratos' efficiency at close-range. Without HDCs, Kratos would be very weak, if not the weakest fighter, up-close.
A full Hermes Dash should be used very sparingly, as the opponent has until Christmas 2016 to punish Kratos if it's blocked.
Hermes Rush has Armor on it, and because it is dash-cancel-able, grants Kratos a Flash Parry. It allows him to absorb a hit through the Armor and counter attack with an F+4,2 or Standing 1xxHead of Helios. A full Hermes Rush is not any safer on block.
Nemean Cestus [X-Ray]:
19 frames of execution.
Kratos' X-Ray has long reach, about a jump and a backwards dash range. Safe on block from almost any move at point-blank at -7 frames along with big pushback. The Blades visibly hit high, so they can be crouched under. One of the best uses for the X-Ray is to close out the round by using it as a counter to a projectile or as a whiff-punish.
Normals & Strings:
Throw:
Kratos' fastest attack that isn't a poke. Kratos is at +7 from his forward throw, and +8 from his backwards throw. Be aware that the forward throw leaves Kratos at the maximum distance for Revenge of Olympus to hit.
The recovery on whiff for Kratos' throw is 3 frames longer than everyone else's.
Standing 1:
Kratos fastest standing normal, along with standing 2 (at 12 frames). 1xxHead of Helios links, so this is Kratos' best whiff-punisher in certain circumstances. Hits high.
Standing 2:
This move has slightly shorter reach than standing 1. This is probably Kratos' best method for hit-confirming into high-damage combos, using 2,1xxHead of Helios. Also hits high.
Standing 3:
Poor reach and being horribly unsafe on block does not do standing 3 any good. It is best used for damage in certain combos starting with F+2xxHDC~Standing 3xxHead of Helios. If I did my math right, you only have a three-frame gap to input the standing 3 after the HDC, so it isn't very practical unless you can get into a good rhythm. (Hits mid)
Standing 4:
Pretty good range, but it is unable to be canceled into a special for extra damage or safety. This could be useful for initiating a knockdown game with the opponent and if you like the film 300.
Crouching 1:
Kratos' fastest attack at 8 frames. -5 on hit (-7 on crouch-hit), and +1 cancel advantage. This is best used to escape pressure if you don't want to risk the Golden Fleece being baited out. D+1xxBackwards HDC increases the reliability for escape.
Crouching 3:
Dreadful. 13 frames, -14 on block, -4 on hit, +4 on crouch-hit. Nothing more needs to be said.
Crouching 4:
His best poke. 12 frames, neutral on block, +12 on hit, +5 on crouch-hit.
Ares Slash: B+1
21 frames. His best tool for AAs. Can lead to Kratos' 40% AA BnB.
Zeus Slice: F+1
While there is no particularly good reason to use F+1, it isn't very bad for mixing up HDC pressure once in a blue moon if you don't mind its 23 frames of startup.
Divine Lift: B+2 (hold 2 for followup)
21 frames, -9 on block. Lacks range. One of Kratos' launchers.
Spartan Bash: F+2
30 startup frames, -5 on block. Probably the best normal in regards to the fact this move gives Kratos his highest damage-output with the use of F+2xxHDC. Spartan Bash has long range, so it can be used like a slower version of Kitana's F+2.
Spartan Knee: F+4
For showing off the knee of Sparta. (Hits mid)
Uppercut: D+2
20-frame startup, +3 on block.
Sweep: B+4
25 frames, neutral on block. Only lowers Kratos' hitbox on the active frames.
Valor Of Hercules: 1,1,2
Leaves the opponent standing. Neutral on block, along with very slight pushback.
Wrath Of Ares: F+2,1
Can be used to start a knockdown game with your opponent. -2 on block.
Anguish Of Zeus: F+2,2
Neutral on block. Kratos recovers very quickly after the second 2, making it good for mixing up the F+2xxHDC stuff with F+2,2 on block. This string can be linked into Head of Helios on hit.
Pandora's Soul: F+4,2 (hold 2 for followup)
13-frame startup, -9 on block. Kratos' best launcher.
Hades Pain: B+1,B+4
The B+4 hits low, neutral on block, and puts the opponent into a knockdown state.
Hades Edge: B+1,2
Second hit is an overhead. Can be used in conjunction with Hades Pain for an Overhead/Low mixup. The only thing keeping this from being a reliable mixup, is that it's -20 on block, and -53 on tech-roll.
Aphrodite's Will: F+1,4
-40 on block, -26 if tech-rolled. At this time, it is only good for finishing the opponent with some style.
Athena's Fury: 2,1,2
-12 on block. This can be used as a blockstring with 2,1,2xxApollo's Bow/HDC, though be aware that the third hit whiffs at point-blank on block. (Touching the opponent)
Achilles Strike: F+2,2,1
For that rare time when you want to surprise the opponent from fullscreen.
--------------------------
Olympic Ascension: B+2(hold),1
Useful for making space between you and your opponent.
Olympic Burst: B+2(hold),2
Good if you want to keep some space.
Olympic Blast: B+2(hold),3
Not really sure how good this might be, as it does less damage than Ascension and Burst, and those two already do the job just fine.
Olympic Toss: B+2(hold),4
The highest-damage option, also switches sides.
---------------------------
View Somberness' Frame Data for more information about that: http://testyourmight.com/threads/kratos-frame-data.23661/
(God bless him for his work)
(I used the Noob Saibot Complete Guide by D. R. as reference on how to organize the sections 'n things, so give credit to him if you think this was structured nicely)
With his slow-by-standard normals and specials, Kratos is a character suited to a defensive playstyle, though he can do an aggressive one if need be. Kratos' best attributes are his "resetless-Cyrax-like" damage output and the Golden Fleece.
Specials & X-Ray
Bow of Apollo / Apollo's Inferno:
25 frames / 20 frames
Kratos' primary zoning tool. While it visibly hits high and has a bit of a slow startup, it is only -1 on block and inflicts 12% if both arrows hit. Apollo's Bow is a great tool to extend juggle combos and to AA your opponent, if timed right. The Bow can also be used to make certain combos safe on block.
Apollo's Inferno, Kratos fires three separate arrows in an arc, down to up. Similar in comparison to Nightwolf's EX Arrow. Apollo's Inferno deals a lot more damage than the normal version: It inflicts 24% damage as an AA by itself. If you gotta dish more damage for an easier combo, or want to deal unbreakable damage when your opponent is very close to a Breaker, this is the tool for you.
Zeus' Rage / Revenge of Olympus:
17 frames / 17 frames
For dealing damage from a good distance, or as a long-range whiff-punish. Completing the QTE on hit will cause 13% to your opponent.
Zeus' Rage has an invisibly long hitbox; remember the distance every fighter starts out at the beginning of a match? Zeus' Rage can reach a short backdash farther than the "start distance", which extends slightly beyond the tip of Kratos' Blade. Failing the QTE will give Kratos greater frame advantage during the opponent's knockdown state.
Revenge of Olympus adds a second QTE, succeeding it will inflict 17%. The range of the special is increased to just a tiny bit beyond the maximum range of Kratos' X-Ray. It's the distance the opponent is left at after a forward throw from Kratos.
Head of Helios / Helios Flash:
23 frames / 49 frames
This grants Kratos a way to extend his combos by hit-confirming, and a method to reset the opponent. It can also be used to AA, but the timing can be a bit tricky.
Helios Flash inflicts 10% damage to the opponent and does not retain the damage-scaling of its normal variant. At 49 frames of startup, no Armor and costing a bar of Meter, this is best as a very rarely-used gimmick special. The only known methods of linking into Helios Flash in a combo is after a Golden Fleece parry and a Golden Fleece projectile.
Golden Fleece / Argos Ram:
1-frame startup, 28 active frames, 18 recovery frames.
Arguably the best special in Kratos' arsenal. It can parry everything Smoke's EX Shake can; all high, mid and overhead attacks, some low attacks, and almost every projectile. When a projectile is parried, Kratos sends back an unblockable ball of energy that launches the opponent for a possible juggle combo.
When a melee attack is parried, Kratos headbutts the opponent for 5% damage. This pre-determined attack can be dash-canceled and Kratos is left with a large window to punish the opponent with any combo of his choosing (with some damage scaling, however).
Argos Ram causes Kratos to send back a larger, more damaging projectile from a ranged parry, and Kratos drives his Blades of Exile into the ground to pop-up the opponent from a melee parry.
The EX version shouldn't ever be used for a melee-parry, as the normal version can parry everything that Argos Ram can.
Hermes Dash / Hermes Rush:
25 frames (No charging)
One of Kratos' best specials, as it can be held and dash-canceled out of. Hermes Dash Canceling makes most of Kratos' moves safe on block and with slight frame advantage. F+2xxHDC gives Kratos access to a higher damage output, as he can link after the HDC into a combo.
HDCs are an integral component to Kratos' efficiency at close-range. Without HDCs, Kratos would be very weak, if not the weakest fighter, up-close.
A full Hermes Dash should be used very sparingly, as the opponent has until Christmas 2016 to punish Kratos if it's blocked.
Hermes Rush has Armor on it, and because it is dash-cancel-able, grants Kratos a Flash Parry. It allows him to absorb a hit through the Armor and counter attack with an F+4,2 or Standing 1xxHead of Helios. A full Hermes Rush is not any safer on block.
Nemean Cestus [X-Ray]:
19 frames of execution.
Kratos' X-Ray has long reach, about a jump and a backwards dash range. Safe on block from almost any move at point-blank at -7 frames along with big pushback. The Blades visibly hit high, so they can be crouched under. One of the best uses for the X-Ray is to close out the round by using it as a counter to a projectile or as a whiff-punish.
Normals & Strings:
Throw:
Kratos' fastest attack that isn't a poke. Kratos is at +7 from his forward throw, and +8 from his backwards throw. Be aware that the forward throw leaves Kratos at the maximum distance for Revenge of Olympus to hit.
The recovery on whiff for Kratos' throw is 3 frames longer than everyone else's.
Standing 1:
Kratos fastest standing normal, along with standing 2 (at 12 frames). 1xxHead of Helios links, so this is Kratos' best whiff-punisher in certain circumstances. Hits high.
Standing 2:
This move has slightly shorter reach than standing 1. This is probably Kratos' best method for hit-confirming into high-damage combos, using 2,1xxHead of Helios. Also hits high.
Standing 3:
Poor reach and being horribly unsafe on block does not do standing 3 any good. It is best used for damage in certain combos starting with F+2xxHDC~Standing 3xxHead of Helios. If I did my math right, you only have a three-frame gap to input the standing 3 after the HDC, so it isn't very practical unless you can get into a good rhythm. (Hits mid)
Standing 4:
Pretty good range, but it is unable to be canceled into a special for extra damage or safety. This could be useful for initiating a knockdown game with the opponent and if you like the film 300.
Crouching 1:
Kratos' fastest attack at 8 frames. -5 on hit (-7 on crouch-hit), and +1 cancel advantage. This is best used to escape pressure if you don't want to risk the Golden Fleece being baited out. D+1xxBackwards HDC increases the reliability for escape.
Crouching 3:
Dreadful. 13 frames, -14 on block, -4 on hit, +4 on crouch-hit. Nothing more needs to be said.
Crouching 4:
His best poke. 12 frames, neutral on block, +12 on hit, +5 on crouch-hit.
Ares Slash: B+1
21 frames. His best tool for AAs. Can lead to Kratos' 40% AA BnB.
Zeus Slice: F+1
While there is no particularly good reason to use F+1, it isn't very bad for mixing up HDC pressure once in a blue moon if you don't mind its 23 frames of startup.
Divine Lift: B+2 (hold 2 for followup)
21 frames, -9 on block. Lacks range. One of Kratos' launchers.
Spartan Bash: F+2
30 startup frames, -5 on block. Probably the best normal in regards to the fact this move gives Kratos his highest damage-output with the use of F+2xxHDC. Spartan Bash has long range, so it can be used like a slower version of Kitana's F+2.
Spartan Knee: F+4
For showing off the knee of Sparta. (Hits mid)
Uppercut: D+2
20-frame startup, +3 on block.
Sweep: B+4
25 frames, neutral on block. Only lowers Kratos' hitbox on the active frames.
Valor Of Hercules: 1,1,2
Leaves the opponent standing. Neutral on block, along with very slight pushback.
Wrath Of Ares: F+2,1
Can be used to start a knockdown game with your opponent. -2 on block.
Anguish Of Zeus: F+2,2
Neutral on block. Kratos recovers very quickly after the second 2, making it good for mixing up the F+2xxHDC stuff with F+2,2 on block. This string can be linked into Head of Helios on hit.
Pandora's Soul: F+4,2 (hold 2 for followup)
13-frame startup, -9 on block. Kratos' best launcher.
Hades Pain: B+1,B+4
The B+4 hits low, neutral on block, and puts the opponent into a knockdown state.
Hades Edge: B+1,2
Second hit is an overhead. Can be used in conjunction with Hades Pain for an Overhead/Low mixup. The only thing keeping this from being a reliable mixup, is that it's -20 on block, and -53 on tech-roll.
Aphrodite's Will: F+1,4
-40 on block, -26 if tech-rolled. At this time, it is only good for finishing the opponent with some style.
Athena's Fury: 2,1,2
-12 on block. This can be used as a blockstring with 2,1,2xxApollo's Bow/HDC, though be aware that the third hit whiffs at point-blank on block. (Touching the opponent)
Achilles Strike: F+2,2,1
For that rare time when you want to surprise the opponent from fullscreen.
--------------------------
Olympic Ascension: B+2(hold),1
Useful for making space between you and your opponent.
Olympic Burst: B+2(hold),2
Good if you want to keep some space.
Olympic Blast: B+2(hold),3
Not really sure how good this might be, as it does less damage than Ascension and Burst, and those two already do the job just fine.
Olympic Toss: B+2(hold),4
The highest-damage option, also switches sides.
---------------------------
View Somberness' Frame Data for more information about that: http://testyourmight.com/threads/kratos-frame-data.23661/
(God bless him for his work)
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