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Guide - Pumped Up The Ultimate Pumped Up Guide

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Deleted member 5032

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The Ultimate Pumped Up Guide

Follow me on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxHoadWI1U55MiqQ-MEiDTw​

I figured I could go ahead and put together a basic guide to help people get acclimated to Pumped Up Jax, and continue to update and refine it throughout the life of the game. I still have a lot to learn, so feel free to share your own tech, combos, and corrections.

Right now everything in this guide is based around max-damage. I'm still working out the best setups, and will update accordingly.

You can click the links in the Table of Contents to navigate to specific sections of the guide. This post will serve as a general introduction.

Table of Contents:
Introduction

Jax is probably one of the most all-around solid characters in the game. His strengths include:
  • Many safe and positive advancing strings, resulting in an above average neutral game.
  • Very solid pokes, resulting in a strong footsie game.
  • A 6-frame standing jab that can lead to 38% 1-bar midscreen damage, allowing him to punish almost any negative move in the game.
  • A very strong overhead option-select that results in massive 1-bar midscreen damage or meterless corner damage.
  • A strong, safe 50/50 game that allows him to eventually open up any opponent.
  • Several amazing wakeup options that force his opponents to respect him on wakeup.
  • Great offensive and defensive armored options.
  • A corner game that can absolutely dismantle an opponent in seconds.
  • Frame traps galore.
  • Above-average zoning, including full-screen setups that can be very hard for some characters to deal with.
  • Free damage via his meter-burned Ground Pound.
  • An above-average backdash which, combined with his safe and positive strings, can make him very difficult to catch and counterpoke.
His few weaknesses include:
  • He can have a hard time dealing with extremely strong zoning characters, such as Quan Chi, Liu Kang, Cybernetic Kano, and HQT Predator. However, once he gets a knockdown or corners these opponents, he can utterly destroy them with armor-breaking setups, frame trap pressure, and safe 50/50s.
  • Though he possesses tons of safe and positive options, he does have to take some risks to get his big damage. Most of his big damage comes off of his Overhead Dash Punch, which is an amazing move, but will almost always be full-combo punished if blocked.
  • His midscreen combos are also slightly more difficult to pull off than most other characters', especially online. This makes playing Jax require a bit more execution than some of the other top-tiers, but not by too much.
 
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Deleted member 5032

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Best Normals

All info can also be found in the following video:

  • 1:
    • 6-frame high attack, great for punishing relatively safe attacks.
    • 11 is +2 on block, making it a nice little frame trap.
      • The 2nd hit is a mid that comes out on the 15th frame.
      • On hit, this is an impressive +27 frames that leaves the opponent staggering backwards. So every time you hit with 11, they have to guess your next 50/50 string (b2/b3).
      • 111 is a nice easy string that ends in an overhead, though it is -9 on block. It's primarily used to check an opponent who likes to poke after 11.
    • 123 ends in a low. Can cancel into specials. Can also cancel the 12 into Downward Dash Punch to do an overhead instead of a low.
      • 123~db1 is a nice easy 23%.
      • In the corner you can do 123~bf2d-11-11-b34~db1 for a meterless 40%.
      • The 2nd hit of 123 comes out on the 12th frame, meaning it can break the armor of any special with a start-up of more than 12 frames.
  • f2:
    • f2 is arguably Jax's best normal (and by extension f21 is arguably his best string). It's a 13-frame advancing mid that's neutral on block and can anti-air. It will connect from just inside jump distance.
      • It's +12 on hit, which is enough time to do a 2nd f2, f21, b3, throw, etc.
      • It's a mid, but it will get beats out by every low poke and low-profile move I've encountered.
    • f21 is +1 on block and +17 on hit.
      • Although f21 is special cancelable, you're usually better off doing naked f21's and f2's without canceling into specials. This is because none of Jax's specials are great on block (since Energy Wave can be ducked), and the hit advantage from f21 allows you to attempt a mixup for much more damage than you would get from f21~special. That said, f21~db2 can be an effective tool of your opponent isn't properly avoiding the Energy Wave.
  • b121:
    • The b1 is an 11-frame mid with deceptive range.
    • This leaves Jax +1 on block or deals 14% on hit and leaves Jax with enough advantage for an unblockable Ground Quake, resulting in an easy 1-meter 27% 11-frame punish.
    • Overall, I believe he has better options, but I still need to experiment with this string to be sure.
  • 232:
    • 9-frame high-low-overhead. The overhead doesn't lead to anything, but it's an easy, safe (-4) mixup.
    • For a combo, you can do 23~bf2d-11-11-124~db1 in the corner for 36%, though it's unsafe at -16 on block.
    • GAP: There is a gap between the 2,3 that an opponent can armor through.
    • GAP: There is also a gap between the 3,2.
    • Because of these gaps, I do not recommend ever using this string.
  • b2:
    • 18-frame overhead, -8 on block unless charged.
    • This is a moderately fast overhead with deceptive range. It is special cancelable, allowing you to mix up opponents between his low starters and his b2 starter.
    • If tapped, the normal version of b2 will come out. However, it has 2 additional versions:
      • If held for a couple of frames, it gains enormous range, allowing it to hit from jump distance. However, this version deals 9% and a hard knockdown, leaving the opponent at Jax's feet. On block, it's +2 and leaves the opponent within d4 range but outside of grab range.
      • If held as long as it will allow, it becomes an overhead launcher. This has all of the same properties as the other charged version, except that it launches if the opponent doesn't block it.
        • If you ever land the launcher, you can do NJP-f21-11-f21~db1 for 35% midscreen meterless. Or you can just do NJP-f21~db1 for a much easier 31% midscreen meterless.
    • Canceling b2 into Overhead Dash Punch is a little wonky. Since the first input of Overhead Dash Punch is "b", then you can do b2-f2, and then press "d" right after the b2 connects. You only have a very small gap to input the "d"; too early and nothing will come out after the b2, too late and you'll get a regular Dash Punch.
  • d2:
    • Jax's 7-frame uppercut is a great anti-air and easy punishment tool; just make sure it isn't blocked or you can eat a full combo punish since it's -15.
      • If you ever anti-air with it, you get a free Ground Quake.
  • 3:
    • This is an 11-frame high that acts as a decent starter for meterless midscreen damage (3b2-f21-11-f21~db1: 29%).
      • 3f4: This is a safe (-4) Overhead launcher. It can be used in the corner as a safe alternative to Overhead Dash Punsh, though you do lose a bit of damage.
        • (3f4-f21-11-f21~db1: 35%)
        • If you do land this midscreen, you get a free Ground Quake, or free run-in pressure.
  • f3:
    • This is a 10-frame mid, has very good range, and is special cancelable (which is great, because a naked f3 is -22 on block!)
    • This move can be used to punish almost any blocked move in the game due to it's speed and range.
    • It will connect from jump distance.
    • This is primarily used as a whiff punisher, and to punished unsafe attacks that leave the opponent outside the range of Jax's other punishers. Using this on block is very dangerous because there is a gap when canceling into any of Jax's specials.
  • b3:
    • This is Jax's 14-frame low starter. It's got decent range and works well with his b2 to create a solid mixup game.
    • b34 is an easy way to up Jax's damage, but b3 canceled directly into bf2d is more difficult to block.
    • b3d2 is a low-overhead mixup that doesn't lead to anything, though it is +2 on block. If the low is block but the overhead hits, it deals 7% damage. If the b3 whiffs, the d2 can still connect from almost half a screen away!
    • GAP: There is a gap between the b3,4 that an opponent can armor through.
    • GAP: There is a gap between the b3,d2 that an opponent can armor through.
  • d1:
    • Jax has a very solid poke in his 7-frame d1. It's -5 on block. It is also a very effective anti-air. On hit it's +15! This allows you a mostly-free 50/50, or a totally free f21, 11, b3, or any other move with less than 15 startup frames.
    • d12: Jax in the only character in the game that has a string based on his d1 (please correct me if I'm wrong on that). It's -7 on block, but is special cancelable and can catch a lot of players off guard.
      • d12 causes Jax to kind of "duck walk" toward his opponent while maintaining a low hitbox. This allows him to advance towards opponents while avoiding high projectiles, such as Jacqui's Hand Cannon.
    • GAP: There is a gap between the d1,d2 that an opponent can armor through.
    • ERROR: Though this is listed as a string, an opponent can get hit by the d1 and still block the d2 followup.
  • d4:
    • Jax has a very good 9-frame low poke in his d4, and it's only -4 on block.
  • j3:
    • This kick has 12 active frames. This means you can throw this out before you even hit your jump arch, and it will just stay out there until it connects with your opponent.
    • The hitbox extends from his leading foot to his back foot.
    • I've been testing this against a lot of strong anti-air options, such as Kano's b1, and it seems to have extremely good priority.
    • It's hard to tell what the frames are, but if you hit the opponent with the tip of Jax's leading leg, no matter how high, it's totally safe (Lao-tested, parent-approved). It looks like it's + if blocked anywhere from the waist down, but there's a bit of pushback to it's hard to capitalize on the advantage.
    • He can combo off of his j3 if you hit around waist level or below. J3-bf2 is the most consistent, but j3bf2d will also sometimes connect, especially in the corner.
    • If you anti-air with his j3, go ahead and put in the bf2 motion and don't press anything else. When you land, you'll automatically combo into bf2 for a nice easy 16% combo.
    • If you land j3 against a cornered opponent, you can combo into d1d2-11-b34~bd1 for 33%.
  • j1:
    • This is my preferred jump punch. It goes almost straight down, making it great for hitting crouching characters. If you anti-air with it, you get a free f21-11-f21~db1 for 30% midscreen meterless.
 
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Deleted member 5032

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Specials

All info can also be found in the following video:

  • Energy Wave: db2
    • This is a fairly slow high-hitting projectile (22 start-up frames) with a decent hitbox. It deals 7%, but damage is really the least of its utility.
    • Energy Wave is +7 on block, allowing Jax to frame trap his opponent fairly easily. Any string canceled into Energy Wave results in +7 advantage on block, though be careful because there is usually a tiny gap where the opponent can poke or armor. They can also neutral crouch, causing the Energy Wave to whiff.
    • Energy Wave can be delayed by holding 2. This makes it amazingly good at catching opponents out of the air. If you manage to anti-air an opponent from outside jump distance with Energy Wave, you get a free unblockable Ground Quake.
  • Assault Wave: db2+block
    • This fires two Energy Waves, with the 2nd hitting mid, but it's -3 on block, eliminating its use as a frame trap tool.
    • Overall I think Jax's meter is best spent elsewhere, though it's pretty easy to catch an opponent with this move, making it good for closing out rounds,
  • Dash Punch: bf2
    • Jax's 10-frame Dash Punch makes an excellent punishment tool, since it's so fast and covers so much distance.
    • It's almost entirely safe on block (-7, but pushback helps keep it safe). On hit it leaves you +26.
    • Be careful because it can be neutral crouched and punished. It also loses out to every low poke in the game.
  • Dash Fist: bf2+block
    • This is identical to Dash Punch, except now it has 1 hit of armor.
  • Downward Dash Punch: bf2d
    • This is where most of your damage is going to come from. Jax's Downward Dash Punch is an amazing move, though it is -17 on block, meaning you have to be careful or you will eat a full-combo punish.
    • Anytime you hit with this move midscreen, you get a free Ground Quake followup. The input for the Ground Quake should be started just before the opponent lands on the ground, when they are just past the arc of their bounce.
    • If you ever land this in the corner, you can combo into meterless 35%+ damage.
      • Despite whatever starter you use, once you land bf2d, you get 3 reps of strings before you need to cancel into db1. For instance, after bf2d you could do d1d2-11-124~db1. Or 11-11-124~db1. The only exception to this is if you land a naked bf2d, in which case you get 4 reps (11-11-11-124~db1: 35%).
    • The timing for canceling strings into bf2d is a little wonky. You have to input the bf2 as part of the string, then wait to input the "d". For example, to cancel into Downward Dash Punch from 123, you would have to do 123~bf2.......d.
      • If you do the "d" input too early then nothing will come out after the string; too late and you'll get a Dash Punch.
  • Downward Dash Fist: bf2+block-d
    • This is almost identical to Downward Dash Punch, except that it has a hit of armor and leaves enough advantage for a midscreen combo (though the link is extremely tight).
    • If you land this midscreen, you can Run Cancel into f21-11-f21~db1.
      • If you can't nail the strict timing on the above combo, you can just Run Cancel into f3~bf2.
  • Major Pain: bf4
    • This move is a somewhat lackluster anti-air. It will usually get beaten out by jump-kicks or trade slightly in your favor.
    • If you ever do get a clean anti-air with this move, you get a free Ground Quake followup.
    • This move is -8 on block, but has a tendency to whiff unless used directly adjacent to your opponent, especially if they are low-poking.
  • Major Muscle: bf4+block
    • This version has 1 hit of armor, but is -14 on block. On hit it leaves you +48, which is more than enough time for a Ground Quake followup.
    • However, just like the regular version, this has a tendency to whiff quite often, leaving you open for a full-combo punish.
  • Super Gotcha: db1
    • This version of the Gotcha Grab allows Jax to follow up with as many as 5 additional strikes for a total of 16% damage!
    • The easiest way to get all 5 strikes to come out is to hectically mash on all four of your attack buttons.
    • This move is a High, so it will whiff on crouching characters.
    • This move leaves your opponent standing, with you at +3 advantage. This eliminates their wakeup options, though you still have to watch out for armor.
      • The best way to follow a successful Super Gotcha is with d1d2~special, since your opponent will only have 4 frames to react.
  • Gotcha Extreme: db1+block
    • This version has armor and can deal up to 22% damage. It also starts up 4 frames faster than the basic version; otherwise it's identical.
  • Ground Tremor: dd4
    • In Pumped Up, jax's Ground Tremor is a full-screen unblockable attack; as long as the opponent is touching the ground in a non-wakeup state, they will be hit for 10% damage.
  • Ground Quake: dd4+block
    • And here we go, one of the primary reasons to play Pumped Up Jax! This version does 13% damage, but it can OTG, meaning there are many completely unblockable setups you can do with this attack.
    • By reserving your meter for Ground Quake OTGs, you're basically giving Jax a guaranteed unblockable 39% X-Ray.
    • This version also leaves you at +16 on hit, allowing for a free Energy Wave.
  • Air Drill Slam: (air)dd4
    • This attack allows Jax to cancel any jump into a Ground Tremor that deals 6% damage. It's one of his primary mix-up tools, which we'll cover more in his General Strategies section.
  • Air Drill Punch: (air)dd4+block
    • The only difference between this attack and the basic version is that this one can OTG and it gives 13 frames of hit advantage. Your meter is better spent elsewhere.
  • X-RAY: Bring It
    • Jax has an amazing X-Ray. It's an overhead with surprising range. It feels much faster than it's 20 start-up frames should feel, it leaves you +4 on block, and it reverses positions with your opponent, making it great at reversing corner pressure.
    • Since it reverses positions and has multiple hits of armor, this is the perfect tool to get out of Grandmaster Sub Zero corner clone traps.
 
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Deleted member 5032

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Combos

All info can also be found in the following video:

My philosophy on combos is to keep things as simple as possible. If I can eke out an extra 5% damage, but I drop the combo 50% of the time, then I would much rather deal 5% less but always hit that combo.

Along those same lines, I don't waste time or energy on combos that are matchup or character specific. If a combo only works on male characters, or isn't viable online, I don't waste my time practicing it.

Due to those stipulations, I only use very simple midscreen combos with Jax; most of my damage comes from OTG setups and corner pressure. I also don't find that Jax requires any meter in his combos (at least in Pumped Up). His meter is better spent on OTG setups and armor.

So with that said, here we go:

How to Combo into Downward Dash Punch:
  • In order to cancel a string into Overhead Dash Punch or Downward Dash Fist, you have to input the bf2 as part of the string, and then input the "d" between the ending of the string and the start-up of the bf2. So using 123 as an example, it would look like 123~bf2.....d. You would input the "d" right after he kicks them in the leg.
Best Meterless Midscreen Combos:
  • 123~db1
    • 7-frame high, making this a great punisher.
    • 23% damage.
  • f21~db1
    • 13-frame lunging mid.
    • 22% damage.
  • b3~db1
    • 14-frame low.
    • 20% damage.

Best Meterless Corner Combos:
  • Overhead Starter
    • b2~bf2d-11-11-b34~db1: 41%
    • bf2d-11-11-b34~db1: 36%
  • Low Starter
    • b34~bf2d-d1d2-11-124~db1: 42%
  • Includes Low Hit
    • 123~bf2d-11-11-b34~db1: 40%
  • Overhead Mixup
    • 12~bf2d-11-11-b34~db1: 37%
    • This is a mixup from the previous combo, since you're replacing the low 3 with the overhead punch.
  • f21
    • f21~bf2d-11-11-b34~db1: 40%
  • f212
    • f212-d1d2-11-11-124~db1: 34%
      • The benefit to this over f21~bf2d is that f212 is only -5 on block, while bf2d is -16.
Anti-Air
  • If you anti-air with j1, you can do f21-11-f21~db1 for 30%
  • If you anti-air with j3, you can do bf2 for 16%.
  • If you anti-air with f2, you can do 11-f21~db1 for 28%.
  • If you anti-air with standing 1, you can do 11-f21~db1 for 25%.
    • This will sometimes whiff if they end up out of range of the 11. For a more consistent version, after the standing 1 just do f21~db1 for 23%.
1-Meter Midscreen:
  • Anytime you hit with a MB bf2d, you can run-cancel into f21-11-f21~db1. A full combo looks like:
    • f21~MB.bf2d-RC~f21-11-f21~db1: 41%
    • The difficulty of the run cancel is based on the combo starter. This combo is quite easy after a 12 starter, making it a great 6-frame 38% punisher. So the full 1-meter punisher looks like:
      • 12~df2d-RC~f21-11-f21~db1: 38%
 
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Deleted member 5032

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General Strategy

All info can also be found in the following video:
I love Pumped Up Jax because he has so many options in the neutral game. He can force his opponent to jump or take risks via his full-screen ground pound/air ground pound/energy wave mixups, he can rush down with his amazing normals and tick-throw setups, he makes his opponent guess correctly or eat 50/50s on wakeup, and he can absolutely dismantle an opponent in the corner. This part of the guide is going to break down each of these aspects of his gameplay separately.

Full-Screen Options

I should go ahead and note right off the bat that most of these options are heavily matchup dependent and do not work on characters with strong zoning or fast teleports (such as Mileena, Scorpion, Jacqui (Full Auto), Kano (Cybernetic), etc. Against these characters, you'll want to try to get in close. So with that said...

When Jax is full screen, he has a handful of options and mixups. He can zone with Energy Wave and Ground Pound, and keep his opponent out with Dash Punch, Major Pain, and f2. He can also jump... Every time Jax jumps, his opponent has to guess correctly or eat a small (or not so small) amount of damage. This is due to the way his Air Drill Slam, Energy Wave, Ground Tremor, and Ground Quake work together. Every time Jax jumps, he has the following options:
  • Air Drill Slam: This can be done extremely low to the ground, or at the very beginning of the jump. If the opponent doesn't jump, they eat 6% unblockable damage.
  • Land-Energy Wave: Whether the opponent jumps or not, this is almost always a safe and solid option. You can delay the Energy Wave if necessary. If the opponent does jump, then this option will anti-air and allow for an unblockable Ground Quake OTG for a total of 20% damage. The OTG also leaves Jax at +16, allowing for another jump or a free Energy Wave.
  • Land-Ground Tremor: Once your opponent starts to catch on to your mixups, they'll be looking for the purple energy that indicates you're doing the Air Drill Slam. When you land, they know they can't jump because they'll eat and Energy Wave, so they duck. When you notice your opponent doing this, you can start doing regular Ground Tremors after landing.
Along the same lines, once you get your opponent to respect the Ground Tremor, you can feint by tapping down-down. When your opponent sees Jax double-crouch, the know to expect the Ground Tremor and will almost always jump, at which point you can anti-air with Energy Wave and then land an OTG Ground Quake for some good free damage. This is also great because it makes future Ground Tremors that much safer to do, since the opponent will be afraid to jump when they see you double-crouch. It's an utterly safe full-screen mind game.

Besides those jump and feint-based mixups, Jax is able to control full-screen space extremely well with his delayed Energy Waves. Just firing off repeated energy waves after a bout of mixups can be enough to confuse your opponent and can lead to an easy OTG Ground Quake.

Pressure Options

So eventually you are going to have to get up-close and personal with your opponent. Luckily Jax has some amazing pressure tools to make your opponent wish they were still full-screen.

His most important pressure tools are f2 and f21. These are his lunging mid-hitting normals. f2 is a very effective anti-air from around jump distance. It can also help you avoid cross-over attacks. f2 is neutral on block and +12 on hit. f21 is +1 on block and +17 on hit. Because of these excellent frames, you will typically not want to cancel f2 or f21 into specials except in the corner or to mixup an opponent who likes to poke after f21. Some effective pressure strings off of f21 include...
  • f2 on block:
    • throw: Once you train your opponent to anticipate the d21, f2 throw becomes an extremely effective tool.
    • d1-Energy Wave: Unless you notice your opponent neutral-crouching the Energy Wave, this is an amazing tool for maintaining pressure. The d1 has a 7-frame start-up, and the Energy Wave leaves you +7 on block or +10 on hit.
    • jump-over 1: Every time the opponent blocks a J1, they have to guess between b2, b3, and throw (overlead/low/unblockable). b2 and b3 both combo if the j1 isn't blocked. Midscreen, you can simply cancel into db1 for 20-22% or bf2d+OTG for 30% 1-bar.
    • 11: If the opponent is blocking, Jax's 6-frame standing 1 will connect. The 2nd hit is a mid that comes out on the 15th frame and is +2 on block. This works better once you've trained your opponent to respect the full f21, but it still works pretty well otherwise. You can also cancel into the final hit (111), Energy Wave (db2, leaves you +7 on block), or Gotcha (db1; raw damage) to keep your opponent guessing.
    • 123~db2: This works similarly to 11, only the 2nd hit comes out on the 12th frame. This leaves you +7 on block, +10 on hit, and deals 15%. If you're going for raw damage, you can replace the db2 with db1 for 23% total.
  • f2 on hit:
    • another f2 or f21...
    • step forward Throw (just hold forward and as soon as Jax starts to step forward you can throw; this also helps with the timing, since an early throw will whiff)
    • b2~special
    • b3~special
    • j1
    • jump back (into jump mixup)
    • d4~Downward Dash Punch (risky, but works).
    • d4~Energy Wave (just like d1~Energy Wave above, but you need the range of the d4 after f2 hits).
    • 11: This requires you to hold toward your opponent, but you don't actually have to wait for Jax to start moving. His front foot will twitch and the 11 will connect. It's weird.
    • 123~special: This works similarly to 11, only the 2nd hit comes out on the 12th frame and leads to 23% damage.
  • f21 on block:
    • all of the options from a blocked f2 work even better because you are +1.
  • f21 on hit:
    • all of the options from f2 work even better because you are +17 (and no RC is needed if you want to throw; just hold forward after the f21 to take a slight step).
    • Naked Ground Tremor works surprisingly well, though it is risky.
    • 11 and 123 no longer require you to hold forward; they will just connect like any other attack.
  • f212 on block:
    • This is -5 and the end of the string, meaning your opponent will try to counterattack, so you always need to block after your f212 is blocked. Don't jump or backdash; you're -5, just block.
  • f212 on hit:
    • You get a free OTG whenever you hit with f212.
    • Run. You're at +43 advantage, which is enough time to run right up next to your opponent and got for a 50/50 (b2/b3), throw, jump-over, block (anticipating a wakeup), or armor bd1/bf2d.
    • If you're in the corner, you can combo into d1d2-11-11-134~db1 for 34%.
  • f21~Energy Wave on Block: (these actually apply to any normal or string canceled into Energy Wave)
    • This is an amazing pressure tool, as long as your opponent is neutral-crouching after a f21.
    • All of the options from a blocked f21 still apply, though watch out for armor.
    • Another f2 or f21 will work if your opponent doesn't have a 6-frame move. Even if they do, they'll need to do it on the first available frame, assuming you've practiced your timing and are doing your attack on the first available frame. Either way, it's possible for your opponent to poke out, though unlikely. However, you do need to watch out for armor; most opponents expect more pressure after a blocked point-blank energy wave.
    • Block: This may seem like a strange option, but everyone knows that a blocked Energy Wave is a frame trap. Therefore Blocked Energy Wave = More Incoming Pressure. So most opponents instinctively go for armor after a blocked Energy Wave, hoping to blow up your pressure. If you block, worst case scenario is they stay on the defensive and you lose some momentum. Best case scenario is they waste a bar of meter and get full-combo punished.
  • f21~Energy Wave on Hit:
    • When you hit with Energy Wave after f21, it actually pushes your opponent back quite a bit. Your best best is just more f2 pressure, but you have to take a slight step forward.
    • You can also Block if you anticipate armor.
    • The 2nd hit of 11 will connect, leaving you +2 on block or +27 on hit; this is only avoided by armor or backdash.
Phew, I believe that just about covers his midscreen pressure options. What you're doing with all of this pressure is pushing your opponent into the corner and fishing for hit-confirms into Overhead Dash Punch (for OTG damage) or Super Gotcha for raw damage, and also throws...oh so many throws. For example, after a blocked 11, a lot of opponents will try to counter poke, but if they're not fast enough then they can eat a 123~db1 for 23% damage or a 12% throw, all the while being pushed closer and closer towards the corner.

Anytime you hit with a 11 you get a free 50/50 between b3 and b2; midscreen this leads to around 20% damage, but in the corner you can break 40% meterless.

A throw sends the opponent full-screen; it only takes 3 throws (or f2 throws or 11 throws) to go from one corner to the other, at least in the training stage.

Jax does very little overall midscreen damage, so these pressure strings and throws actually do add up to contend with his bigger midscreen meterless combos (which cap out at around 23%, unless you do his awful 3b2-f21-11-f21~db1 29% combo, which starts off an 11-frame high...). They also keep him almost entirely safe, barring the occasional armored attack.

Corner Pressure

Pretty much all of Jax's pressure options work even better in the corner, but Energy Wave definitely gains the biggest benefit since it doesn't push your opponent away. This allows you to follow up with strings that would otherwise whiff, such as 123.

Your goal in the corner is to keep your opponent there, since Jax's damage output essentially doubles. A good tactic is to pelt your opponent with quick pokes and frame traps until you can confirm into bf2d, anti-air and punish, or block an unsafe special and punish. Be very careful going for bf2d since most opponents will be looking out for it and will punish it heavily. If you notice your opponent blocking the 3rd hit of 123, then you can usually throw out 12bf2d for a high-risk/high-reward mixup, since you're replacing that low hit with the overhead.

Oki

Most of Jax's damage will come from Super Gotcha, which leaves the opponent standing and Jax at +3, meaning he doesn't have to worry about oki as much as other characters, save for the occasional d2 or dropped combo.

If Jax has no meter, he has to respect his opponent's armored wakeups. He doesn't really have a great way to break armor other than his 123 string, which only works on wakeups that are 10-frames or worse, and it can be difficult to time correctly.

However, if his opponent doesn't have meter and Jax is at enough advantage, he can mix his opponent up between b2 and b3. If you have meter and are midscreen, b2~bf2d followed by an OTG Ground Quake is a very solid option (dealing 30% total damage). In the corner, you can do his b2 meterless corner combo. Remember that the b2 is an option select, which is why it's ok to go for the bf2d followup.

If you use his low starter (b3) then you need to confirm by doing b34. If it hits, then you can do bf2d for an OTG setup midscreen or a full combo in the corner.

The two most common instances of midscreen Oki are going to come from d2 and f212. Anytime you land either of these attacks, you have enough time to run up to your opponent and use a mixup.

The only common source of Oki in the corner is dropped combos. Unfortunately the advantage from these situations can be quite unpredictable. Use your best judgement, but it's usually best to play it safe. d1d2~Energy Wave is a fairly solid option, since the 2-hit string will catch a lot of delayed wakeups, and the Energy Wave allows you to continue your pressure. As always, watch out for armor!

If Jax does have meter, he can break armor with b3~MB.db1 for 26% midscreen, or b3~MB.bfd2-11-11-b34~db1 for 36% corner.

Post Super Gotcha

The post Super Gotcha situation will come up far more often than standard Oki, making this one of the more important sections in this guide.

After a Super Gotcha, the opponent is left standing (meaning they can't use a wakeup attack) and Jax is at +3. How you proceed will depend on the matchup, location (midscreen/corner), and your opponent.

Midscreen Options
If your opponent has no meter, you're only real offensive option is j1 or j3. F2 will get beat out by low pokes, you're out of range of your other options, and you're at the perfect range for an Energy Wave to be jumped and punished. However, that doesn't prevent you from jumping backwards, which leads to your jump-based mixup game we covered earlier.

If your opponent has meter, then it's probably best to play defensively. A j1 is easy to read, allowing them an easy armor punish, which can be devastating for some characters (Kung Jin, Kun Lao, Mileena, etc).
​
Corner Options
In the corner, the easiest and most consistent follow-up is d1. If you hold "down" after the Super Gotcha, you can just tap "1" as soon as Jax crouches. This is only -5 on block, so if it's blocked, just block their counter-poke and then d1 again. If you hit, you're at +15, which is enough to get your mixups going.

If the opponent tries to jump out, the d1 will anti-air, allowing you to follow up with 11-f21~db1 for 25% damage.

You can even hold down+block, and just release block and hit "1" when you see that your opponent isn't going to armor you. If they do try to jump out, you can d1 or standing 1~throw to put them back in the corner.​
 
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Matchups

This section is going to cover specific matchups and how to handle them. I believe Jax has the tools necessary to compete with any character in the game; it's just a matter of knowing when to utilize them.

One quick note is that Jax can have a lot of trouble against characters with excellent zoning, such as Quan Chi, Cybernetic Kano, Kitana, and HQT Predator. In these matchups, you really have to be patient and work your way in. Once you get your opponent cornered or knocked down, you've got to try to keep your pressure up and end the round. If you let them escape, then you've essentially lost the round.

Punishers

Jax has a handful of optimal punishers to use in any given situation. These punishes are split into openers and enders, and can be mix and matched to best handle your current situation.

Openers:
  • 123: This is his best meterless midscreen option against attacks that leave you right next to your opponent. It starts up in 6 frames, allowing it to punish almost anything in the game.
  • f21: This is his best meterless option against attacks that leave the opponent too far for a 123 punish. However, its 13-frame startup makes it unable to punish some attacks.
  • 12: This options is used specifically with the MB.bf2d-f21-11-f21~db1 ender, since it makes it very easy to Run Cancel into the f21.
  • 1 (& 11): These are used strictly to punish aerial attacks (such as Mileena's blocked Roll and Lao's Teleport), and to start pressuring opponents whose attacks are too safe to punish.
Enders:
  • db1: This is your raw damage ender. It is best used against rushdown-heavy opponents or to close out a round.
  • bf2d: On average this deals about 5% less damage than the db1 ender, but it leaves you +26, which is enough time to run up and mix up your opponent. It is best used against opponents without meter or without strong wakeups.
  • MB.bf2d-RC-f21-11-f21~db1: This is your only real metered punish option and is by far your biggest damage dealer.
  • db2: As a punisher, db2 should only be used when pressuring after an attack that you can't actually punish.
So with that said, lets move on to the specific matchups and what punishers work best against what characters.



Sub-Zero​

I'm starting with SZ because a lot of Jax players feel that this is Jax's toughest MU. This is primarily because SZ's clone shuts down a lot of Jax's offense, and the slide beats out a lot of Jax's footsie options.

In this matchup, you'll want to rely pretty heavily on Jax's jump-based mixups covered in the General Strategy section (jump-pound, jump-land-db2, jump-land-pound). The pound ignores the clone, and will sometimes even duck under the ice ball. Just watch out for MB Ice Ball, which hits mid and absorbs your projectiles.

When you do get a knockdown, you have to respect MB.Slide. However, if you have meter then b3~MB.db1 will beat all of SZ's wakeup options. The b3 will hit for 5% damage and the MB.db1 will break SZ's armor and hit for 22%, for a total of 27%. Against MB.slide, the MB.db1 will whiff, but leave Jax approximately +6.

b3~MB.bf2d will beat all wakeup options for a full-combo punish, but is much more risky since SZ gets a full-combo punish if he blocks it.

It's also worth mentioning that Jax's X-Ray will beat out SZ's clone shenanigans in the corner and reverse positions, allowing you to turn the tides easily as long as you have the meter.

Best Punishes

Ice Burst/Frost Bomb (-10): This one is a tough call, since it's so spacing dependent. If you are right next to SZ when he uses this, then you can get a 123 punish. However, the timing is super tight, so I recommend a 11 punish; this way if you hit you are at +27, and if it's blocked you are at +2.

Ice Ball (-18): If you block this as part of a block-string, then you are free to use a meterless 123 punish or a metered 12 punish. Otherwise, you won't be punishing it.

Ice Blast (-8): You won't be punish this, but you can at least get pressure started with 11 or 123~db2. If those won't reach, no punish for you!

Slide/Icy Slide (-22): You get whatever punish you want.



Mileena​

Against Mileena, you really can't get your full-screen mixups going, and you have to be very careful playing a footsie/mixup game with her. Her Ball Roll can punish almost everything Jax throws out and her mixup game is nasty. Energy Wave pressure is useless midscreen , except to bait out unsafe specials.

In this MU, your best bet is to try to bait out and punish her ball and teleport. You do this by making her respect your frame-trap pressure, but then not pressuring. For instance, you can make her block a 11 or an energy wave, which she knows leaves you + but also leaves enough of a gap for her MB roll, so she tries to punish your continued pressure, only to get blocked and punished herself.

In this MU, Jax can't cancel any string into db1 without getting full-combo punished. Thus, you're going to have to rely very heavily on f212d2+4 for midscreen damage and f212-d12-11-124~db1 for corner damage (since f212 is only -5 on block).

When you do get a knockdown, Jax's 12 beats all of her armored wakeups, but it is susceptible to her non-MB Ball Roll. Luckily, b3~MB.db1 beats all options including Ball Roll, but she can punish the db1 if she blocks it.

Best Punishes

Tele-Kick/Tele-Drop (-19/-27): This one is tricky, since most Mileena's cancel their Tele-Kick into air Sai. If they don't, you can catch her in the air with 11-f21~db1 for 24%, but more often than not your best punish will be a simple d2. For 1 meter, you can hit her with 12~MB.bf2d-RC-f21-11-f21~db1 for 38%

Ball Roll/Flip 'n' Roll (-31): While Mileena is still airborne, hit her with 11-f21~db1 for 24%. For 1 meter, you can hit her with 12~MB.bf2d-RC-f21-11-f21~db1 for 38%, though the timing is a little trickier. You want to hit her while she's grounded, but you have to start the input just before she lands.
 
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Billy Young

Billy Young

Noob
Nice guide. I can consistently land his 41% combo midscreen so I dont use meter for ground quakes. your info in the corner could be better... a b34, 11, b34, db1 does 43% making it his best meterless in the corner. Even if you open them up with different starters in the corner you want to end your juggle with b34, db1... you will see much bigger damage.
 
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Deleted member 5032

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Billy Young said:
Nice guide. I can consistently land his 41% combo midscreen so I dont use meter for ground quakes. your info in the corner could be better... a b34, 11, b34, db1 does 43% making it his best meterless in the corner. Even if you open them up with different starters in the corner you want to end your juggle with b34, db1... you will see much bigger damage.
Click to expand...
Does that work for every character? I'm using Jacqui as a practice dummy and can't get a 11 to connect after b34.

[Edit] Nevermind, got it figured out. Thanks for the heads up! Updating the OP now.
 
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Got the videos added for Normals, Specials, and Combos.
 
Billy Young

Billy Young

Noob
karaokelove said:
Does that work for every character? I'm using Jacqui as a practice dummy and can't get a 11 to connect after b34.

[Edit] Nevermind, got it figured out. Thanks for the heads up! Updating the OP now.
Click to expand...
Timing is slightly tighter, just have to delay the 11 a bit. Or you could just d1 into b34.
 
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Deleted member 5032

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Ok, I think I've basically got it finished, other than matchup specifics. If I think of anything else, I'll update accordingly.
 
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Deleted member 5032

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Yeah, I'm on vacation until Thursday, so I won't be able to really test it or record anything until then. But can't wait to check it out! Congrats on the tourney win!
 
Indecisive

Indecisive

We'll burn you all—that is your fate!
If i could make a suggestion for the corner combos. After any BF2D move this includes B2 BF2D, 11 BFD, B34 BF2D, etc. etc Do F21~11~11~124~Gotcha Grab. Does Massive damage. Test it out.

So an example would be F21~BF2D~11~11~124~Gotcha = Around 42/43% forgot the exact number.
Just put anything infront of BF2D and it should work. Timing is just tricky.
 
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