Akuma tutorial

OMFG, Miza is back! No more nuub posts from nuub writers with nuub content, get hype!

General:

The three main things you should know before playing as Akuma are: Knowing your setups, ranges and frame data. Setups consist of namely, knocking the opponent down, frame traps and spacing your air fireballs which then leads to a vortex situation. Knowing your ranges is a must or else you won’t get in the knockdown situation. Yes, I know it’s weird for me to even mention the words “frame data”, but it’s needed for playing Akuma the right way. Knowing your frame data helps you to ‘frame trap’ your opponent which then leads to deadly setups or throws.

The ways to play Akuma:

There are two ways to play a good Akuma: Playing the footsie/spacing game which forces your opponent to move and make risky decisions. Playing the knockdown/setup game which puts fear in your opponent, which then leads to easier ways of getting in or out. Each of these ways have risks of there own, you will be using both of these ways it’s just that you will be better in one and weaker in the other.

Footsies and spacing:

Footsies can lead to knockdowns which then leads to Akuma’s vortex game, but Miza I can’t do footsie stuff just learn to do this and you will be fine. Know how or when to whiff punish with sweep, know were your opponent can or can’t get in between for example, when you sweep with Akuma and Ken blocks he will most likely go for a step-kick, if you are expecting this you can get in between with st. hk.

The fireball game will limit the options your opponent has and if an air fireball hits you can combo into sweep, which then leads into the vortex game. If you are good at spacing fireballs you can force your opponent to jump at you or to the corner. This is a win-win situation if he jumps at you you can uppercut it, if he jumps to the corner just walk towards him. You will walk away from your corner and put your opponent in his.

Vortex:

When you make use of the vortex you must know which character you are up against and the properties of there reversals. Know which vortex options are the most rewarding, you will get in the vortex after a throw or sweep. I won’t go through them all, so instead I will pick an interesting one and explain it thoroughly.

Ryu, first thing you must know before using the vortex are the counters against it. Ryu has a three frame uppercut and his uppercut auto corrects like a bitch. This is his only viable reversal against the vortex. The fact that he has a three frame reversal which auto corrects like a bitch really limits your options.

After a throw, you must whiff st. hk and then immediately do a hardkick demon flip which stuffs the uppercut. You can also mix it up with the hardkick palm which lands on the other side (buffer the throw in it), if Ryu does an uppercut it will whiff on the other side and if he throws you will tech. After a throw in the corner you can use the unblockable, which is dash-dash cross up mk.

After a sweep, if it’s too close you can’t do shit only the basic stuff, chipping with fbs or walk up frame traps/throws etc. Max range you can do what I described above but I am not sure if the hk demon flip will stuff the uppercut, but it doesn’t matter anyways use the other one to make him scared and when he’s not expecting it use the other one. That is what the vortex basically is! After a sweep in the corner, you can do a cross up lk which hits cross up and then lands in front. You can also mix it up with crossup mk which hits cross up and then lands in back. There is also a setup after sweep (whiff cr. mk) then jump hk it looks like a cross up, but it hits in the front and lands in the back, nohomo.

When using Akuma analyze (nohomo) the matchup like I did (also the punishes on stuff, frametraps etc etc I didn’t explain lol) and you will probably win, and if you can’t stay Smashingfreeeeeeeeeeeeee:)