ViciousShogun
Noob
We all know cage has a tremendous pressure game that can be very difficult for the opponent to get out of. Cage players also know that cage tends to dominate lower level players because of their ignorance or lack of ability to time things, instead of relying on mashing out of pressure or the infamous online jump.
At a higher level, I feel [and a lot of you may/definitely already know] that its going to take much more than f3 pressure to open up your opponent and make them second guess. As good of a tool as it is, I feel it overshadows some of cages other tools as well. The last thing you want to do at a higher level is become predictable, and I feel it is always good to keep in mind every single tool and option your character has, you never know when it could be something that really breaks your opponent. I am sure many higher level cages know everything I am about to post, so feel free to ignore/critique, as this is more of some under utilized tech for low-mid level cages who want to level up past the "f3".
As many cage players know, playing this character at a high level requires very good reading of your opponents defense, and I feel certain strings he has with deceptive push back will help you in your quest of dissecting your opponents defensive habits and help you train and scare them into doing what you want. Cage has many strings that can be used to bait pokes/jumps, or any kind of auto pilot escape that players tend to over rely on, some I see are very under utilized, especially by lower level cages.
1,3 - Hugely underutilized in pressure and baiting imo. This string on hit is +7 and is neutral on block, and leaves you at a very good distance away from your opponent on block, slightly closer than a blocked f33b3 does. This string allows you to analyze your opponents defensive habits very well. You have many options from a blocked 1,3. You are at a perfect range for a b3 for those opponents who think they are safe and let go of block, or try a slower startup move for pushing you away. 1,3 is also really good for baiting d1's and d3's for a whiff punish. You are also at a prime range for a d4 to continue into your pressure string, not to mention a prime range for further f3 pressure. All of these options will hit your opponent from your standing position if they do not block it correctly, and will all combo/allow you to continue your pressure. Interestingly enough, this string also leaves you at what I believe is the absolute max distance for charge b2 to land, which can be used in further baiting tools once you have trained your opponent to fear the option which can be used along with following up with pressure. [fully charged b2 doesn't work on smaller hitbox characters outside of the corner, which will randomly whiff/hit even there] Many options from this underutilized string. The 3 will also catch neutral crouching, good to know for people who like jab happy pressure :]
4,4 - While admittedly not the best string, I still believe that it is worth noting at the very least. Both hits of the string do hit mid and the string has a decent range as well. It is only -1 on block and neutral on hit. No real risk in throwing this out to scare your opponent. It looks like it has more hitstun than it actually does and can create mind games on opponents with less knowledge of the string. You can use this to read how your opponent reacts to being hit also and punish accordingly. This string is also very easily to cancel into en forceball, but it can be ducked as usual, so be weary. As far as a mid hitting attack, f3 is a far superior option for cage, however, the things your opponent has not seen before can honestly hurt them the most. Things that are not often seen and utilized can fluster your opponent very easily and make them over analyze, etc. I wouldn't abuse this string, but its not bad to throw out here and here sometimes.
114 - Also a string I don't see very often. This string is neutral on block and +5 on hit. The last hit of the string also hits neutral crouching and will land you free pressure. This string on block has good pushback, and leaves you slightly farther away than f33b3 would on block. For those who utilize f33b3 on block the way it is supposed to be used, this is a alternative to look to when your opponent knows how to properly react to f33b3. Its good for baiting/reading purposes and giving your opponent just enough room to fuck themselves over. The downfall of this string is that it starts high, and is inferior to other options such as f33b3 that serve the same purpose and starts mid. This string I feel is good to throw in sometimes from JIP's if you feel like trying new things. 11f1 is always the safe bet, but for people who know the cage matchup, they won't likely press a button often after it. 114 can provide something new to confuse your opponent or even lead them into a false sense of security because of the pushback. All it takes is good defensive reads and this string is a effective tool to occasionally toss out. The moves you don't see coming always hurt the most ;].
2 - Peoples brains can process information at an incredible speed. When people see cage do a 2, even if they don't consciously realize, they know that they have to be weary of the overhead option that lurks at the end of that string. The ones who are used to seeing 2,1 pressure to make them fear the overhead will often try to poke out after 2,1 on occasion. This is where just stopping at 2 comes into play. Low - high level players alike, I have done 2,2,2,2,2,2,2 up to 6-7 reps before my opponent has reacted to what I was doing either from respect of the ending of the string, or the timing they are used to trying to poke out of 2,1. This creates a whole new respect for the string if you can train your opponent to expect 2 pressure from you at certain times. With 2% chip damage per rep and able to hit crouch block, not to mention the 2,1 able to hit neutral crouching, this tool can bring a decent amount of respect back to the block string. While inferior to pressure tools such as f3 and 11f1, if you give your opponent more to think about, the easier it can be to fluster and dissect his defense.
3 - most of what applies to 1,3 also applies to this underutilized move for baiting.
I hope this helps some of the newer or lower level cages out there get a better understanding of his game. Playing cage takes more than just mashing his linear and predictable strings to be successful with in my opinion. If you aren't keeping your opponent guessing with your rushdown, you shouldn't use a rushdown character. Any critique is welcome, hopefully none too negative. Maybe I shown someone something that may of been overlooked. If I helped even one player my mission was accomplished :]
At a higher level, I feel [and a lot of you may/definitely already know] that its going to take much more than f3 pressure to open up your opponent and make them second guess. As good of a tool as it is, I feel it overshadows some of cages other tools as well. The last thing you want to do at a higher level is become predictable, and I feel it is always good to keep in mind every single tool and option your character has, you never know when it could be something that really breaks your opponent. I am sure many higher level cages know everything I am about to post, so feel free to ignore/critique, as this is more of some under utilized tech for low-mid level cages who want to level up past the "f3".
As many cage players know, playing this character at a high level requires very good reading of your opponents defense, and I feel certain strings he has with deceptive push back will help you in your quest of dissecting your opponents defensive habits and help you train and scare them into doing what you want. Cage has many strings that can be used to bait pokes/jumps, or any kind of auto pilot escape that players tend to over rely on, some I see are very under utilized, especially by lower level cages.
1,3 - Hugely underutilized in pressure and baiting imo. This string on hit is +7 and is neutral on block, and leaves you at a very good distance away from your opponent on block, slightly closer than a blocked f33b3 does. This string allows you to analyze your opponents defensive habits very well. You have many options from a blocked 1,3. You are at a perfect range for a b3 for those opponents who think they are safe and let go of block, or try a slower startup move for pushing you away. 1,3 is also really good for baiting d1's and d3's for a whiff punish. You are also at a prime range for a d4 to continue into your pressure string, not to mention a prime range for further f3 pressure. All of these options will hit your opponent from your standing position if they do not block it correctly, and will all combo/allow you to continue your pressure. Interestingly enough, this string also leaves you at what I believe is the absolute max distance for charge b2 to land, which can be used in further baiting tools once you have trained your opponent to fear the option which can be used along with following up with pressure. [fully charged b2 doesn't work on smaller hitbox characters outside of the corner, which will randomly whiff/hit even there] Many options from this underutilized string. The 3 will also catch neutral crouching, good to know for people who like jab happy pressure :]
4,4 - While admittedly not the best string, I still believe that it is worth noting at the very least. Both hits of the string do hit mid and the string has a decent range as well. It is only -1 on block and neutral on hit. No real risk in throwing this out to scare your opponent. It looks like it has more hitstun than it actually does and can create mind games on opponents with less knowledge of the string. You can use this to read how your opponent reacts to being hit also and punish accordingly. This string is also very easily to cancel into en forceball, but it can be ducked as usual, so be weary. As far as a mid hitting attack, f3 is a far superior option for cage, however, the things your opponent has not seen before can honestly hurt them the most. Things that are not often seen and utilized can fluster your opponent very easily and make them over analyze, etc. I wouldn't abuse this string, but its not bad to throw out here and here sometimes.
114 - Also a string I don't see very often. This string is neutral on block and +5 on hit. The last hit of the string also hits neutral crouching and will land you free pressure. This string on block has good pushback, and leaves you slightly farther away than f33b3 would on block. For those who utilize f33b3 on block the way it is supposed to be used, this is a alternative to look to when your opponent knows how to properly react to f33b3. Its good for baiting/reading purposes and giving your opponent just enough room to fuck themselves over. The downfall of this string is that it starts high, and is inferior to other options such as f33b3 that serve the same purpose and starts mid. This string I feel is good to throw in sometimes from JIP's if you feel like trying new things. 11f1 is always the safe bet, but for people who know the cage matchup, they won't likely press a button often after it. 114 can provide something new to confuse your opponent or even lead them into a false sense of security because of the pushback. All it takes is good defensive reads and this string is a effective tool to occasionally toss out. The moves you don't see coming always hurt the most ;].
2 - Peoples brains can process information at an incredible speed. When people see cage do a 2, even if they don't consciously realize, they know that they have to be weary of the overhead option that lurks at the end of that string. The ones who are used to seeing 2,1 pressure to make them fear the overhead will often try to poke out after 2,1 on occasion. This is where just stopping at 2 comes into play. Low - high level players alike, I have done 2,2,2,2,2,2,2 up to 6-7 reps before my opponent has reacted to what I was doing either from respect of the ending of the string, or the timing they are used to trying to poke out of 2,1. This creates a whole new respect for the string if you can train your opponent to expect 2 pressure from you at certain times. With 2% chip damage per rep and able to hit crouch block, not to mention the 2,1 able to hit neutral crouching, this tool can bring a decent amount of respect back to the block string. While inferior to pressure tools such as f3 and 11f1, if you give your opponent more to think about, the easier it can be to fluster and dissect his defense.
3 - most of what applies to 1,3 also applies to this underutilized move for baiting.
I hope this helps some of the newer or lower level cages out there get a better understanding of his game. Playing cage takes more than just mashing his linear and predictable strings to be successful with in my opinion. If you aren't keeping your opponent guessing with your rushdown, you shouldn't use a rushdown character. Any critique is welcome, hopefully none too negative. Maybe I shown someone something that may of been overlooked. If I helped even one player my mission was accomplished :]
stuff went well at scr when I used some of these things with cage just don't let them catch on to your gimmicks