Garou: Mark of the Wolves/Offense: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 00:30, 20 July 2023

Controls/Notation

HUD

Basic System

Movement

Offense

Defense

Damage and Other Calculations

Advanced Techniques

Miscellaneous

Wakeup

Meta Strategy

FAQ

Offense

Sources: JPN Garou Wiki, JPN Garou Wiki Translation, and Garou Discord Group

Throws

Normal Throw (Ground Throw)

For a normal throw (ground throw), press either / + up close.

Gato and Tizoc/The Griffon are the only two with a throw, by pressing either / + .

(6C or 6D for forward throw. 4C or 4D for back throw.)

Every character’s normal throws are active on the 1st frame of the startup of the normal being used.

Every character's normal throws have a 40 pixels range.

If you're pressing multiple buttons simultaneously to option-select a throw, the throw won’t come out unless you press both strong attacks.

CD (when not in TOP), BCD, ACD, ABCD are OK
AD, BC, BD, ABC, ABD won’t work.

P1 has priority over P2 if both normal throws are executed at the same frame.

Air Throw

Only Jenet, Hokutomaru, Hotaru and Dong have air throws. For an air throw, do a normal jump, small jump, or even super jump and use .

Air throwing is done with 4/1/2/3/6 + C.

Dong cannot air throw with 4 because of his j.4C.
Jenet can also air throw with 7 and 9.
Hokuto can air throw after double jump.

They have the same range and startup as normal throws.

You cannot option select air throws by pressing multiple buttons simultaneously.

Air throws cannot be teched.

P1 has priority over P2 if both air throws are executed at the same frame.

Normal and Air Throw is 1F Active

Normal throws and air throws are 1F active (active on the 1st frame).

As one of the fastest options, throws beat out many moves with longer startup.

Throws also have priority over meaty attacks, especially on wake-up: if someone use a meaty attack while in throw range and the opponent presses throw, the throw will win.

(That is, if both the active frame of the throw is done at the same time the active frame of an attack is done, and the attack has no invincibility, the throw will beat the attack.)

Command Throw

Command throws cannot be teched.

Command throws’ range :

Rock’s 360 : 60 pixels
Kevin’s 41236A : 70 pixels
Kevin’s 41236C : 61 pixels
Hotaru’s 41236D : 53 pixels
Griffon’s 360A : 75 pixels
Griffon’s 360C : 67 pixels
Griffon’s 41236B : 70 pixels
Griffon’s 720 : 80 pixels

Throw Window After Dash/Run

A dash has to go through 3 recovery frames before stopping, and then wait for 6 more frames to throw.

In other words, wait for a total of 9 frames between the end of the dash and the throw, otherwise the throw won't come out and instead an attack comes out.

Throw Invincibility

Normal throw invincibility:

8F after hitstun
11F after blockstun
10F after wakeup

Command throw invincibility:

4F after hitstun
5F after blockstun
4F after wakeup

Other Throw Situations

You can throw your opponent on the 1st frame of backdash. (If it is a normal throw, the opponent can buffer a throw tech after the backdash -- the backdash OS -- to counter this.)

You cannot throw your opponent on the 1st frame of jump or hop landing recovery (empty or attack).

You cannot throw your opponent on the 1st frame of backdash "landing" recovery.

For a normal throw, a normal attack comes out instead. And for a command throw, it whiffs on that frame.

But you can throw them on the 2nd frame and onward.

The exception is Tizoc's super command throw on the 1st frame of jump or hop landing recovery. Similar to the application of 1F supers in comboing, Tizoc's super command throw can connect if done 1 frame before the character lands.

Teching Throws

You can tech out of normal throws by pressing the / button.

To tech normal throws, you need to press 7/4/1/3/6/9 + C/D within 9 frames after being thrown. (During 2～10F of the throw.)

As long as you press C or D to tech the throw, it doesn’t matter if you also press any other button. (for example: AD, BC, BD, etc.)

You cannot tech out of command grabs or air grabs.

Throw Option-Select

It is possible to option-select the throw-tech, for example will come out as crouch if you whiff it (faster animation).

Also known as "Throw Tech Using Simultaneous Button Inputs".

This throw-tech OS is done with a throw-tech direction (7/4/1/3/6/9) and a button combination (AD, BC, BD, ABC, ABD, BCD, ACD, CD, or ABCD)

With simultaneous inputs (with C or D), if the opponent throws, you throw-tech. But if they don't, you do the attack that was supposed to come out from that simultaneous input, such as a crouching B or a standing A.

(See "Simultaneous Button Press for Normals" for a table of what button combinations match with what normals)

Some characters, rather than using a simultaneous button input for a strong attack, can lower risk using ones for light attacks -- you might be able to gain opportunities for using chain cancels or other offense and defense.

As a counter to this throw-tech OS, you can expect your opponent to do a reversal.

Other examples:

Delay throw-tech with 1BD: hold [1] for a moment before pressing BD.
1ABC done to 2AB or tech throw (on wake up or recovery from a normal, special, or super)
Dash forward 66AD (when you don't have a 6A) to dash-cancel 5A or tech throw.

Throw Bug Escape Technique

There is also a bug in MOTW that allows you to escape any ground normal/command throw by giving you throw invincibility.

Whenever you input a TOP attack or Super during the recovery of a move, you won't be able to get thrown.

It's a strange bug but it works pretty easy.

This video shows it in application:

Also known as "Throw Invincibility Addition":

Prerequisites: While on the ground, have at least 1 bar of gauge/meter or be in TOP.

(However, with Dong being the only one with a mid-air super, during something like the recovery after a jump attack or an air-hit or so on, if Dong's Super Dong Hwan Kick (j.236236A/C) is input (input mid-air before landing), then the below section's "throw invincibility addition" happens.)

After the completion of the input for Super or TOP Attack,
there is invincibility against normal throws for 1-15F of the input (15F total)
and invincibility against command throws for 1-9F of the input (9F total).

Throw invincibility occurs even in the case of the move itself not possessing invincibility,
and throw invincibility will persist even after the end of the recovery the move is done within.

If you simultaneously press both the button for your Super and the TOP attack,
you prevent the super attack from being triggered/registered,
and then there will be no throw invincibility added. (i.e., neither is triggered.)

Once throw invincibility is added, after 7F has elapsed (after the 1-7F of the 1st input, from the 8F and on), the input can be accepted again.
The throw invincibility time is overwritten, but it is not added if the button is pressed at 7F and earlier (between the 1-7F of the 1st input).

If the command is completed 5-6F before the end of the recovery, the normal move will come out.
And if the command is completed 4F or less before the end of recovery, the special/super/TOP move will come out.
So it takes practice to prepare the move earlier so that they don't come out. (See "Timing For Reversals" section)

If a TOP attack or a super does come out after recovery, the above mentioned throw bug invincibility will not be applied,
and the actual throw invincibility (and overall invincibility) of the move itself will be applied.

TOP Attack throw invincibility: there is 1-11F of invincibility against normal throw (11F total) and 1-5F of invincibility against command throw (5F total).

Example of actual use: opponent is a Griffon

Meaty the opponent on their wake-up with normals and do not cancel those normals --> Input TOP at a timing that does not result in a kara cancel.

This way, the reversal throw, reversal Big Fall (720), GC Justice (360), and GC Big Fall (720) -- it can be used against all of these.

2-Hit Close Heavy 2nd Hit Cancel

Usually, 2-hit close heavies are cancelable (feint, special, super, TOP attack) on the first hit only (on hit or on block).

But when a 2-hit close heavy's first hit whiffs and the second hit hits, the second hit can be canceled .

This also applies to Jenet's 2-hit jump C.

Evasion Moves

Lower Body Evasion Attack

Also known as Universal Anti-Low (UAL/AB) or Low-Avoid Attack or Low Dodge Attack --

Press + (5AB) (Any character). You can also do 4AB or 6AB.

When you do an attack your character gains lower body invincibilty, so if an opponent tries to perform a low attack it wont hit you.

AB is an overhead attack for all characters, except Gato.

Gato’s attack can be blocked by either standing or crouching guard.

Rock's AB does not leave the ground either, but still hits overhead.

Dong Hwan and Jae Hoon are the only characters that become airborne on the first frame of A+B.

Dong Hwan and Jae Hoon are the only two characters that cannot kara cancel their A+B mid-air into air special attacks due to their height (being too low).

Despite being an (almost) universal overhead attack, the startup is very low. So it is difficult to put this attack into practical use.

As a general rule, this attack has more blockstun than hitstun (in some matchups they are punishable on hit but not on guard).

So it is good for pressuring the opponent when they block.

But the pay-off can be good if you can open them up, especially if you can counter-hit.

Upper Body Evasive Attack

Also known as Universal Anti-Air (UAA/2AB/dAB) or High-Avoid Attack or High Dodge Attack --

It can be performed by pressing A + B while crouching.

Press {{Motion|d} + + (2AB) (Any character). You can also do 1AB or 3AB.

For most characters, it can only be canceled on hit.

Griffon and Grant are exceptions:

Grant and Griffon cannot cancel on either hit or block.
Grant's upper-body evasive attack is a 2-stage move,
and it is possible to kara cancel the second hit into a special move.
Griffon is also a 2-stage move,
but there is no startup gap between both hits, so it is impossible to kara cancel.

This move has upper-body invincibility from the moment of input, and the duration varies from 5F to 8F depending on the character.

Upper Body Evasive Attack is often used to stop pressure (especially blockstrings with gaps) from the opponent, beating most standing attack (low-profile).

It's useful as an anti-air attack against aerial moves that don't hit too deep.

It can be used in combos, depending on the character.

And as explained in "Counter Hits" section, these attacks can counter-hit, making them even better tools for hit-confirms besides a regular cancel on hit.

List of 2AB's:

Character	Startup	Upper-body Invincibility	Guard	Hit	Notes
Rock Howard	9	1-5	-5	-11
Terry Bogard	8	1-6	-7	-13
Kim Dong Hwan	10	1-5	+4	-2
Kim Jae Hoon	11	1-5	+3	-3
Hotaru Futaba	8	1-6	+3	-3
Gato	8	1-7	+1	-5
B. Jenet	8	1-7	-3	-9
Butt/Marco	9	1-6	0	-6
Hokutomaru	10	1-5	+7	+1	Move follow-up combination with B+C
Freeman	8	1-6	+2	-4	Second half 3F whole body invincibility
Tizoc/Griffon	13	1-5	+1	+1	2 hits, can't be canceled
Kevin Rian	8	1-8	0	-6
Grant	8	1-7	-2	-6	2nd hit startup can be kara canceled
Kain R. Heinlein	8	1-6	-6	-12	Has follow-up 5C

Feint

A feint (also known as a "fake move") is a partial attack animation. All characters have 2 of them:

+ + (6AC)
+ + (2AC)

Feints mimic the first few frames of startup animation (and sometimes sound) of a character’s special or super attack, but do not follow through with the actual attack.

There are some exceptions where the feints mimic normals, evasive attacks, or some other part of a special/super besides startup.

Certain feints have particular properties:

Griffon : forward feint has immediate upper body invincibility
Freeman : down feint has upper body invincibility halfway into the animation (when his body is lowered)
Jenet : down feint has full body invincibility halfway into the animation (when she spins around)
Terry : forward feint moves him forward

The crucial usage of feints is that you can use them to cancel the recovery animation of normal attacks on hit or on block (and upper body evasive attacks only on hit) just like you would special cancel, super cancel, or TOP attack cancel.

They cannot be used for kara canceling.

The feint animations can be ended early and canceled into any other move, except for taunts.

Depending on the character, it can be very effective to use them exactly as a "feint", as a decoy. They can be used for mindgames to make your opponent think you're going to go for a super or a special move.

(Example: Rock's 2A+C Reppuuken, Don Juan's 6A+C Weak Shidenkyaku, etc.)

Feints are more often used to cancel the recovery animations of strong normal attacks, leading to extended combos, pressure, and blockstring mix-up potential.

Canceling lights is often pointless (but not always), since lights can either be linked or are plus on block anyway.

Feint Cancel Frame Advantage

Canceling the recovery animation of normal and 2AB attacks with a feint is called a feint cancel (FC).

Since the feints are very short and themselves can be canceled by most things, this will often allow you to recover from a move faster, and even give opportunities for linking more normals than would otherwise be possible.

For example with Terry you can do stand , then hit (since the feint cancels the stand {{Icon-SNK|C} from its recovery animation and also moves Terry foward as well), stand {{Icon-SNK|C} again, , etc.

Explanation:

After you hit an opponent with a normal and after you both exit hitstop/blockstop, you go through recovery while the opponent goes through hitstun/blockstun.

You have until the end of the normal's hitstop/blockstop to press a feint.

(And depending on the move, there may be a window to input feint before hitstop/blockstop, before the move hits.)

This causes the recovery of that normal to cancel into that feint.

So instead, you feint while the opponent goes through hitstun/blockstun.

The attack is canceled at exactly the fastest possible time (always canceling the attack's recovery).

Calculation:

Therefore, you can determine the frame advantage gained by the feint cancel by subtracting the minimum frames of feint animation before you can do something (move forward, do another normal, etc.) from the hitstun/blockstun of the move. It varies with the attack type that is being cancelled and the feint type used in the feint cancel.

Feint technique performance table (numbers are frames up to the fastest cancellation) or List of minimum feint frames:

Character	6A＋C	2A＋C
Rock Howard	12	11
Terry Bogard	11	11
Kim Dong Hwan	10	10
Kim Jae Hoon	10	10
Butt/Marco	10	11
Tizoc/Griffon	13	26
Hokutomaru	10	8
Freeman	11	10
Hotaru Futaba	10	14
Gato	11	11
Kevin Rian	10	11
B. Jenet	10	8
Grant	10	19
Kain R. Heinlein	10	10

List of maximum feint frames (without ending the feint):

Character	6A＋C	2A＋C
Rock Howard	46	34
Terry Bogard	26	30
Kim Dong Hwan	30	37
Kim Jae Hoon	33	43
Butt/Marco	39	44
Tizoc/Griffon	33	54
Hokutomaru	28	36
Freeman	32	27
Hotaru Futaba	22	25
Gato	22	35
Kevin Rian	17	35
B. Jenet	35	42
Grant	27	38
Kain R. Heinlein	36	45

The hitstun and blockstun for ground normals are the same:

14F of hitstun/blockstun from a light attack.
20F of hitstun/blockstun from a heavy attack.
18F of hitstun from an Upper Body Evasive Attack (not cancelable on block).

 Fad = A - B

Fad = is the frame advantage of the attacking character
A are the above hitstun/blockstun values
B is the value from the above feint cancel table

Example: If Rock cancels a heavy attack with 2A + C, it will be 9F advantage from 20-11, even when the opponent is blocking.

Example: Everyone does f.5A light attack and does their fastest feint cancel, then that advantage is compared to uncanceled advantage.

Note: Butt f.5A cannot be FCed.

Character	Light - Feint	far A's regular Guard Adv.
Rock	14 - 11 = +3F	< +4F
Terry	14 - 11 = +3F	< +4F
Dong	14 - 10 = +4F	< +6F
Jae	14 - 10 = +4F	< +6F
Tizoc/Griffon	14 - 13 = +1F	= +1F
Hokuto	14 - 8 = +6F	> +5F
Freeman	14 - 10 = +4F	> -1F
Hotaru	14 - 10 = +4F	> +2F
Gato	14 - 11 = +3F	> +1F
Kevin	14 - 10 = +4F	> +2F
Jenet	14 - 8 = +6F	> +2F
Kain	14 - 10 = +4F	< +6F

Every character in the game typically has a preferred feint you want to use. Less recovery makes it better for feint cancel pressure.

Here is a list of characters' most advantageous feint cancel:

Rock ---> 2AC

Terry ---> 6AC

Dong ---> 6AC/2AC

Jae ---> 6AC/2AC

Butt/Marco ---> 6AC

Tizoc/Griffon ---> 6AC

Hokuto ---> 2AC

Freeman ---> 2AC

Hotaru ---> 6AC

Gato ---> 6AC/2AC

Kevin ---> 6AC

Jenet ---> 2AC

Kain ---> 6AC/2AC

Feint Cancel Option-Select

Option-selecting a feint cancel:

You just input a throw, go back to neutral during the animation, then forward A+C.

i.e., 6C (6AC).

If a close C/D comes out, you'll feint cancel it.

When is this used?

Imagine if you try to throw, but you don't get in the range of the throw.

So when you press C, the normal come out instead of the throw and your opponent JD's it.

You could take a combo as a punish, etc.

You want to input a feint cancel in order to make your potential close C safer.

When you'll be out of the range, you'll see a close C > feint.

The feint is in case you miscalculated the throw range.

It's different from hoping for a cl.C to hit and then feint cancel after it.

Other uses:

It can also be used as a throw-tech OS.

When missing a throw attempt during your opponent's wakeup, the opponent may throw you, and then your feint cancel input throw-techs.

One such input may be 6C (23AC) for a 2AC feint cancel or throw-tech.

Feint Input Buffer

Generally, the buffer window to feint is, after going to neutral, pressing A+C within 10 frames of pressing a feint direction (2 or 6). (Or 1F-9F after the direction is pressed.)

: 2 1AC or 2 3AC or 6 3AC

: such as 236AC or 2AC36 or 632AC or 214AC

You can motion store your feint cancel

For example, cl.5C > 236A+C
You can then complete the buffer to go into a super, or do something else.

As said above, feints can be ended/canceled by other moves.

You can buffer (and disguise) your movement from your feint

6AC 6 to dash forward
2AC 69 to super jump forward

Generally, when doing a feint, holding the direction doesn't cancel your feint.

For example, holding the direction [6]AC doesn't immediately end the feint to walk forward.
Holding a feint direction with the button you're feint canceling makes you unable to immediately end the feint into that direction.

You have to another direction or press the direction again, like the feint into dash from above. (Or another move)

For an added explanation see here:

Feint Reversal Timing:

Doing movement and other actions after feint or feint cancel is similar to reversal timing (see #Timing_For_Reversals).

However, the earliest you can do dash forward will be slightly different.

(1) Doing a feint and going in the direction that's different from the feint direction.

(2) Doing a feint cancel from a normal without any direction used immediately before.

In cases (1) and (2), just holding the direction does end your feint into either walk forward or crouch. And you can reversal dash forward at the following timing.

: 1F before the end of the minimum feint frames; 1F after minimum feint frames; (2F window)

: 1F-4F before the end of the minimum feint frames; 1F after minimum feint frames; (5F window)

(3) When doing a feint, you cannot end the feint at the minimum feint frames by holding that same feint direction through the feint animation.

(4) Similarly, when doing a feint cancel, if you are holding a feint direction the frame before the normal button is pressed, you cannot end the feint cancel at the minimum feint frames by holding that same feint direction through the feint animation.

In cases (3) and (4), just holding the direction doesn't end your feint into either walk forward or crouch -- you have to do an action or other direction.

Forward feint can be ended with any other direction.
Down feint can be ended with any other direction besides down-foward.
Consequently, you can jump or hop on the first frame after the minimum feint frames.
You can only press the same direction as the feint direction immediately after the minimum feint frames to end the feint early.
Both the dash run and the dash step can only be completed the earliest after the minimum feint frames.

In all the cases, the earliest to complete other actions to end at the minimum feint frames is the following.

: 1F before the end of the minimum feint frames; 1F after minimum feint frames; (2F window)

Feint Infinites

A few characters are able to perform infinites on hit or guard (leading to guard crush) in the corner.

This is performed by doing a strong attack (close C or close D) cancelled into a feint (2AC or 6AC) followed by a dash/run to compensate the pushback, into another strong attack, and then repeat.

Example : C xx 2AC > dash > C xx 2AC > dash...

Note:

Feint infinites are not an important trick to master.

The risk/reward of attempting to guard crush your opponent with feint infinites is usually not worth it, unless they are already close to being guard crushed.

This takes very strict execution and is barely used in competitive play due to the risk of failure.

They are not easy to do with 100% accuracy mid match, and against a seasoned player, will be punished, either with 2AB or with a just defend guard cancel.

If you can keep it to a few reps (around 3-4 feint loops), you're doing just fine.

Note : Forward and Down Feint have different duration depending on character. (See Feint Cancel Frame Advantage".)

Here is a list of character that can perform this

Jenet : C 2AC dash or D 2AC dash (the D version requires faster execution and does less damage/guard crush)

Dong : D 2AC run (D being a 2-hit move, it does lower damage/guard crush)

Jae : D 6AC dash (D being a 2-hit move, it does lower damage/guard crush, however the forward feint makes execution much easier)

Hokuto : D 2AC run

Freeman : D 2AC dash (D being a 2-hit move, it does lower damage/guard crush)

Execution tip:

The forward feint loop can be performed via a shortcut -- Use the forward input used for the feint as the first forward input for a dash.

Execution becomes D xx 6AC (wait) 6 (becomes a dash) > D ...

Chain Combos and Target Combos

Chain Canceling

Many light normals are "chain cancelable" into chain combos.

Explanation:

After your normal hits an opponent and after you both exit hitstop/blockstop, you go through that hit's recovery while the opponent goes through hitstun/blockstun.

Pressing the normal again during the hit's recovery causes the recovery of that hit to immediately cancel into the startup of the normal.

This is different from just waiting for the recovery to end before the next attack starts.

This means that the recovery of the light normal can be repeatably canceled with that same light normal, the same button.

Chain cancelable normals only cancel during recovery:

Chain cancels can be done on whiff.
Some chain cancels cancel as early as their remaining active frames recovery and some only cancel during normal recovery.
- If you mistime the chain cancel, the next normal might come out as a link after the end of the previous normal's recovery
The next button of a chain cancel cannot be buffered during hitstop/blockstop

Target Combos

Characters can have ground and air target combos.

Similar to chain combos, target combos are done by canceling the recovery of a normal with a next normal.

Explanation:

After your normal hits an opponent and after you both exit hitstop/blockstop, you go through that hit's recovery while the opponent goes through hitstun/blockstun.

The next hit of the target combo causes the recovery of that hit to cancel, going into the startup of the next normal.

You have leeway of when to press the next button of the target combo as opposed to that of a chain combo

A target combo doesn't execute on whiff. It only executes on hit/block.
You can buffer the next button of the target combo during the startup of the previous normal, and it'll execute.
You can buffer the next button of the target combo during the previous hit's hitstop/blockstop
You can press the next button of the target combo during recovery after the previous hit's hitstop/blockstop.

If you try to use simultaneous button inputs for the target combo follow-up, it will not come out. (See "Simultaneous Button Press for Normals".)

Air Target Combos

Air target combos have these differences from ground target combos:

All done using only 2 jump normals.
Done by canceling the recovery of a jump normal with another jump normal
the 2nd button must be pressed during previous jump normal's hitstop/blockstop.

Target combos with jump normals are useful:

as an air-to-air
as a jump-in (see "Jump Normal Advantage"
- the landing recovery of the target combo is that of the last jump normal.
- you can land before the the second jump normal's startup ends.

Character	Air Target Combos	Notes
Rock Howard	j.C~B j.A~C
Terry Bogard	None
Kim Dong Hwan	j.A~C j.B~C
Kim Jae Hoon	j.A~C j.B~D
Hotaru Futaba	j.A~B j.A~C
Gato	j.B~A
B. Jenet	8j.D~A	Alternative: j.C has 2-hits
Khushnood Butt/Marco	j.B~A j.B~C
Hokutomaru	j.B~A j.B~C j.B~D
	j.A~B j.A~C j.A~D
	j.C~B j.C~A j.C~D
	j.D~B j.D~A j.D~C
Freeman	None
Tizoc/Griffon	None	Alternative: j.A/B > 236A
Kevin Rian	None
Grant	None
Kain R. Heinlein	8j.D~A

Special Moves

Special Moves are done with directional and motion commands. Usually each special has both a light/weak and heavy/strong version.

Specials usually have a 24F blockstun (and if not knocking down, applies to hitstun too).

Air specials, like jump and hop attacks, are more advantageous the lower you hit.

  Advantage = 24F opponent hitstun/blockstun - remaining airborne frames after hitstop/blockstop ends - special's landing recovery

The minimum holding time for directional charge specials ([2]8 or [4]6) is 19F.

(i.e., You have to hold the first direction for at least 19F.)

You can special cancel from normals (See "The Role of Canceling for Combos" section).

And you can buffer other moves during the recovery of your special to execute on the first frame after. (See "Timing For Reversals" section).

Break Moves

Press +

Break is an important universal system mechanic.

Every character at least one designated special move where they can cancel the rest of the move's animation with break. This is done without any cost of meter. (only Tizoc and Kain have 2 different break special moves and Hokutomaru can "break" his super move.)

At the appropriate point(s) during the special move's animation, inputting the break command ( + ) and interrupting the special move will tend to shorten recovery, allow the character to recover faster, and make the move far safer if blocked.

Breaks typically are used in 5 ways:

As pressure or blockstring tools. Breaks are typically either safe or advantageous on block, sometimes allowing you to tighten and continue your pressure, or, on hit, can be easily confirmed into more extensive combos (mostly juggles).
- Garou only lets you perform 1 break move during a combo, unless you land a counter hit which lets you do another free break cancel.
- Break moves are some of the easiest methods of hit-confirming a combo to super in the game.
As part of the neutral game, or as a reversal. For example, Kain likes to use his break as a disrupting move that stops you from mounting pressure or mixups. This is one showcase of why defense is strong in Garou: If you try to rushdown an opponent mindlessly, you will take many break moves to the face.
For uses 1 and 2, breaks are frequently used as frame trap tools. This applies to DP type breaks. For example, an opponent might dash in and jab you while you are blocking, and then do a brief pause, and then do their DP break, baiting you to press a button. Breaks are a bit scary in this way: You're often not safe to just interupt pressure with a button close up, because you can eat a break DP. Just Defending is the counter to this tactic, and a reason why a player who spams breaks will eat JD guard cancels all day from a good player :)
To build meter (by whiffing them).
In combos. Especially counter hit combos.

Breaks can be a little tricky for certain characters to use, as they can't all be used the same way.

Some specials have no reason not to break them, like Marco’s DP (623 A/C).
While other special breaks have limited usefulness in a real match, like Freeman’s Morbid Angel (41236 B/D).

Hit Break - a hit or grab is registered before the move is broken (Tizoc is an exception to this because his break moves will cause him to backstep, but he still only has one timing for each of these).
In case of hit or block, you have an added window of hitstop/blockstop to break your special.
Whiff Break - no hit or grab is registered before the move is broken.
So you only have the regular window until the 1st frame of the break to input A+B.

Character	Break Move	Command	Input Timing	Main Use
Rock Howard	Evac Toss	+	During the grab	Break allows the player to pursue the opponent after the attack, increasing the damage potential.
Kim Dong Hwan	Kuusa-jin	+	Right after finishing the special input (tight time frame)	Keeps Dong Hwan on the ground, making Kuusa-jin safer and turning it into a powerful punishing attack that can be confirmed into a combo.
Hotaru Futaba	Kobi-kyaku	+	After the rising kick	Makes the move safer, used for combos, and to fill the super gauge.
Khushnood Butt/Marco	Kohou	+	Right after finishing the special input (tight time frame)	Keeps Marco on the ground, making Kohou safer. It is a great tool for extending pressure and combo.
Hokutomaru	Kuuha-dan Chou Hissatsu Shuriken	+ , +	Until the second hit	Combo extension.
Kevin Rian	Hell Trap	+	During the leg extension	Used for extending combos and pressure.
Freeman	Morbid Angel	+	During the grab	Used for combos.
Tizoc/Griffon	Poseidon Wave Olympus Over	+ +	During backdash	Fill the super gauge.
B. Jenet	The Hind	+	During startup	Used for extending combos and pressure. The strong version can be easily confirmed into a super.
Gato	Rai-ga	+	Right after finishing the special input (tight time frame)	Keeps Gato on the ground, making the move safer. Guard cancel (?)
Kim Jae Hoon	Hien-zan	ch. , {{Motion\|u} +	Right after finishing the special input (tight time frame)	Keeps Jae Hoon on the ground, making Hienzan safer and turning it into a powerful punishing attack that can be confirmed into a combo. It is also very useful to fill your super gauge.
Terry Bogard	Power Dunk	+	Right after finishing the special input (tight time frame)	Keeps Terry on the ground, making Power Dunk safer and turning it into a powerful punishing attack that can be confirmed into a combo.
Kain R. Heinlein	Schwarze Lanze Schwarze Panzer	ch. , + ch. , +	After the command input Until the second hit	Kain remains grounded. Very useful as a punishing attack, for confirming hits into combos, and for filling the super gauge. Not very useful
Grant	Kyou Choujin	+	After the command input	Grant remains grounded, used for combos

Break Failure

Because simultaneous button presses have to be done on the same frame, it's common to misinput A+B.

That's why some players press A+B more than once in order to hit the break, especially if the break window is long enough.

After a correctly input break registers, it doesn't matter what else you press.

Not just buttons, you can do any amount of motions or special commands. The break move will still come out.

However, this method can fail too.

Explanation:

Generally, your break will fail if the game registers another special before the A+B break command.

It has to be a different special: it could be the same motion, but not with the same button.

So if you do a special and, when you still have buffer window remaining, press the button of the other version of that special, the break does not work.

Note: Break moves might have different behavior depending on when the other special is done (or recognized) and when the break is done. (Such as early in startup, later in startup, after startup, etc.) This is especially true of breaks moves with long startups and long break windows.

Jae Example:

[2]8D > A+B.

If you misinput A+B, because of the remaining buffer window of the 8 direction, the B input is read as [2]8B.

This causes any next A+B break input to fail.

Marco Example:

For example, when Marco performs his DP (623+A/C) followed by a fireball motion, the break will fail if A+B is inputted more than 2F after the the 6 input.

In numeric notation, the input would be: 623+A/C > 6 > A+B will result in a failed dp break since the game reads the fireball input 236 in the buffer.

The break fails if the input delay between 6 and A+B is higher than 2F. (the 3rd frame and up after 6 is entered).

Marco Example Part 2:

Garou does have a very lenient buffer for direction inputs. The same unintuitive outcome occurs when the directional input 6 is input at the same exact frame as the attack button.

Assuming that 623＞6+A(exactly at the same time）＞A+B is inputted, the game will register the DP attack (623A) followed by the fireball input (236A) and the break will still fail.

(This may be the reason why holding the direction 3 input during and after inputting the break command allows shoryuken-type breaks like Marco's to be performed easier.)

Marco Example Part 3:

However, if the 623 command is already executed when the 236 command is executed, and the game registers a breakable dp, as in 6236 > A or C > A + B, BR is possible.

Probably because of how the fireball and DP commands are merged together: the 3 direction for DP takes priority over the 6 direction when you've already done the initial 6 direction.

Super Meter

Also known as the "Power Gauge".

The super meter can hold up to 2 stocks/levels and allow you to use the types of moves below:

1st stock/level is S-Power, where you can do a "super special move". Also called "super move", "super", "S super", or "Level 1 super".
2nd stock/level is P-Power, where you can do a "hidden ability" or "potential ability". Also called "potential" or "P super" or "Level 2 super".

Both types are usually called "super"/"super move"/"super special move" interchangeably.

You'll sometimes see people call super moves not by their names, but by their buttons, such as "super C".
"P supers" that don't use the double QCF motion are usually distinguished as "Hidden Supers".

Meter can be filled by doing one of the following:

"successfully attacking an opponent" with anything (by doing normals, TOP attacks, specials, and throws)
"using Special Moves" (even whiffing special moves builds meter)
"being attacked" by the opponent and either be blocking, Just Defending, or getting hit (with normals, TOP attacks, specials, supers, and throws)

Whiffing normal and command attacks will not build any meter.

In some cases, a super move connecting on an opponent will also give you a little meter.

See the "Damage and Meter Calculation" section for more on meter gain.

Super Moves

Also called "super special moves".

S Power Supers - Level 1 Supers (, + /) - Available with 1 Super Stock
P Power Supers - Level 2 Supers (, + /) - Available with 2 Super Stocks

Hidden Supers - Level 2 Only Super - Available with 2 Super Stock, only 5 characters have them:

Rock Howard - , +
- See the Rock page for the full input of the "Deadly Rave Neo" super
Kim Dong Hwan - , , +
Khushnood Butt - , , +
B. Jenet - Press , and then quickly as you are JDing.
Gato - , + , , + , , + . You have to keep doing it like a reka type special to land it fully.

You can special cancel super moves; in other words, super cancel from normals (See "The Role of Canceling for Combos" section).

Super Move Shortcut

You can shorten the last of a super input and still have the super execute.

Instead of 236 X, you can end the super input with 23 X.

Note: Although considered a shortcut, 23 X is the actual end of the super input.

Kara Cancels

Japanese term that means "empty cancel".

It is canceling a move during it's startup, before it becomes active, with another move.

In other words when you can cancel out of normal attack into a special/super/TOP attack, before seeing the normal attack animation fully finish.

The window for kara cancels is any time before the active frames. This way you can cancel some non-cancellable moves.

Each normal attack for each character has different timings for the kara cancels.

Kara cancels have a few uses:

Gains some extra range on certain special/super/TOP attacks.
Kara cancel from various normals and evasive moves to hide your buffering behind them to throw off opponents in mind game situations.
Take advantage of movement and startup invincibility of moves before kara canceling.
Use the proximity guard of the move to make them unable to move back, or possibly unable to JD, if they're just holding back.
Allows for slightly more lenient execution, especially if you press a button before a direction during execution
Used in techniques like Pseudo Chain Canceling and Ave Maria.

Kara Cancel with Evasive Attacks - Press + / + + then do a special move to cancel out of its starting animation.

A lot like Kara Cancels in Street Fighter 3: 3rd Strike you can cancel certain high/low dodge attacks with every character.

Some are more useful than others and some are easier to cancel out than other characters.

Great tool to benefit from the upper/lower invincibility when performing special moves.

Here is a list of characters that can cancel their + overheards while in the air:

Tizoc - +
Hotaru - +
Jenet - +
Grant - +
Hokutomaru - + or +
Rock - any of his specials/supers - Rock (His doesn't come off the ground but he uses it the most effectively. Mainly because it opens up so many options for him during wake up situations.)

Kara Cancel with Only Command Motion

You can kara cancel a normal with just a motion.

If you complete a special's motion during a normal's startup, the special with that motion and normal can kara cancel that normal and execute on the next frame.

So if you press the special button slightly before completing the motion, you will be kara-canceling the normal (ex: 2B36 will output 2B kara cancel 236B).

This behavior commonly causes misinputs.

To avoid this, use double button inputs and other simultaneous button presses.

Simultaneous button presses will stop a special/super move from being triggered, just like with the motion storing technique (described in the above link).

Note: It would be very difficult to kara cancel supers like this. That is because most supers (1) take too long to do, and (2) parts of their motions, like the first QCF, would be recognized and kara cancel as a special input.

Kara Cancel for Simultaneous Direction and Button for Special/Super Commands

For every kara cancel there is an extra delay of 1F of the normal animation before executing.

This rule applies when the last direction input of a special/super command and its button are pressed at the same time. There is a kara cancel for 1 frame before going into the command's startup.

In other words, an extra frame of pre-startup before the special/super executes.

Otherwise, you are waiting and holding the direction for 1 frame before pressing the button. Both cases have effectively the same startup length.

It seems that a special/super command requires you to have 1 frame of direction before their button press (similar to how all jumps need 1 frame of landing).

Trading

When both you and your opponent hit each other at the same time, you trade.

Your attack’s hitbox and your opponent’s attack’s hitbox reach/overlap each other’s hurtbox at the same time, and you both go into hitstop.

What happens to the player after hitstop is dependent on the property of the attack that hit them, whether they’re on the ground or in the air:

"normal" -- after hitstop you then just go through some hitstun (not just from normals but any hit that doesn't KD)
KD -- after hitstop you then get knockdowned (either in place or blown back)
launch-up KD -- after hitstop you then get launched up

If you both trade "normal" hits, then you’ll both leave hitstun at around the same time.

However, if you are "normal" hit while on the ground, and the opponent is launch-up hit, then you have an opportunity to continue your attack.

Counter Hits

Counter Hits grant huge amount of frame advantage and juggle properties (somewhat similar to SFV's crush counter mechanism).

You do a counter hit (CH) when your evasive attack, special, or super hits the startup of the opponent's move.

This move can be the opponent's normal, special, super, or TOP attack.

Exceptions that do not get counter hit:

You do not do a CH when your evasive attack, special, or super hits the startup of the opponent's evasive attack.
Some command normals do not get counter hit when being hit on their startup. (Kevin's 6B, Marco's 6A, and other unique/command normals)

Some moves also get counter hit for an interval after their hitbox ends during recovery:

Dong 623A/C, Marco 623A/C, etc.

There are two types of counter hits:

ground (opponent spins around)
floating (opponent air launch)

Ground (spin around) CH

Moves that don’t normally knockdown while the opponent is on the ground cause this counter hit.

Even if your opponent mashes directions and buttons, he won’t recover faster.

(There are some exceptions such as Kevin’s 236D or Hokutomaru’s 214D that usually knockdown but will still apply this effect on counter hit.)

The advantage you get after doing a counter hit from a move = (the move's advantage on block + 10F)

This advantage allows for a ground combo follow-up in most situations.

These moves are the few exceptions there are:

Dong’s 236236B : -5 on block --> -10 on counter hit
Jae’s TOP attack : -1 on block --> +7 on counter hit
Hokutomaru’s 214D : -22 on block --> +1 on counter hit

Floating (air launch) CH

Moves done to an airborne opponent, or done on ground moves that are considered airborne (like Dong/Jae's f.5D), cause this counter hit.

Moves that knockdown on hit will send the opponent flying upwards when they counter.

This allows for an air combo follow-up in most situations.

You can add any attack after that.

Such as an air combo that can be performed with light normal cancelled into a fast enough special/super.

Otherwise, a strong normal will air reset before a special can hit.

If the opponent hits the ground, they will land facing the ground, allowing for an one extra OTG hit (Off The Ground).

However they can tech roll with any button to prevent this.

If a super's freeze animation happens at the same time the opponent hit the ground, they won't be able to tech, allowing unescapable OTG combos.

When “Counter Hit” Message Does Not Display

Some situations occur where you do a counter hit but the message doesn't appear.

When you do a counter hit on an opponent that also puts them into TOP. It's like the "T.O.P. IN!" message "eats" the counter hit message.

T.O.P. Mode

T.O.P. (Tactical Offensive Power) System

(also known as Tactical Offensive Position)

When selecting your character, you can designate a 1/3 portion of your life bar (first, middle, or last) as the TOP area.

When your character's health is within this portion (your life points entering TOP area range) you will enter into TOP and your character will begin flashing (T.O.P. Activation).

You will receive the following 5 benefits (for competitive and CPU games):

Enhanced damage for all of your attacks (the default is 1.25 times)
Slow regeneration of life points in your health bar (however, it doesn't regenerate past the TOP area)
TOP attack becomes available
Doubles the technique points (the score points) given by attacks.
The inherent meter gain of special moves is increased by 1.

The speed of recovery of life points is about 1 per 2 counts/seconds (1 point per 120F).

TOP Placement

You can see that how you utilize your TOP area and how quickly you can eliminate your opponent's TOP can make the difference between victory and defeat.

In competitive play, it's placed at the start or middle, and very rarely seen at the end. You get no added benefits by placing it at the end of your healthbar, your TOP benefits are the same regardless of placement.

Placing it at the start allows players to benefit from it as soon as the round starts while placing it middle or at the end can be used to mess with an inexperienced opponent's combos, as the TOP activation's flash causes a short freeze.

if a T.O.P. Attack is pressed during the recovery of a move, it prevents you from being thrown (throw bug).

T.O.P. sizes other than 1/3 of a life bar are available in home console versions of Garou and are usually ignored in competitive play. The shorter the T.O.P. is, the more damage can be dealt (max. of 1.75x), conversely the longer your T.O.P. is, the less damage can be dealt (Min. of 1.25x = standard arcade setting).

Kain

The condition for Kain to appear in CPU matches (Story mode) is determined by his Fighting Level point average. (which uses score points). You raise your fighting level by "scoring more points" in a "shorter time"

A tip for this is to place TOP at the start of your healthbar as TOP increases damage and doubles technique/score points gained.

T.O.P. Attack

+ while in T.O.P. mode only.

All characters in Garou have an extra move that becomes available to them only when they are in T.O.P. (the orange region of the health bar).

T.O.P. moves (also called TOP attack) tend to do a decent amount of damage and almost always deal substantial guard crush damage.

You can special cancel TOP attacks from normals (See "The Role of Canceling for Combos" section).

Guard Crush (GCH)

Overview:

Blocking, but not JDing, a move reduces a hidden guard meter for your character.

When the guard meter is close to empty, your character will flash red, more strongly the closer you are to being guard crushed.

When this meter empties, you are 'guard crushed', and your character reels back, completely vulnerable for a short time.

Your guard meter instantly refills to full when this happen.

Explanation

This hidden guard meter is your guard (crush) durability.

Guard durability ranges from 50-60 points. Here is a list of guard durability for the characters:

Hokutomaru, Hotaru, Jenet - 50
Rock, Dong, Jae, Marco, Freeman, Gato, Terry - 55
Kain, Kevin, Tizoc, Grant - 60

Each move has a set guard crush value or values that, on block (not on JD), decreases your guard durability by that amount of points.

For all characters, if the cumulative reduction of your guard durability exceeds 43 points, their guard animation changes by flashing red.

And with further reduction of guard durability, the flashing goes faster until the character is mostly red and the guard durabilility is depleted.

And when guard durability is depleted, you enter guard crush state.

Guard crush state lasts for 64 frames, but the 64th frame is invincible. Crush state lasts longer for both Dong (7f) and Marco/Butt (5f).

Since the guard crush state elapses even during hitstop, If a guard crush is induced by a "strike attack" other than a projectile (unlike projectiles, these are long lasting or minus moves), the guard crush state is actually 63 frames or less. (Because the last 1F of the guard crush state is invincible.)

Guard crush durability recovers over time:
the recovery speed is 1 point per 30 frames. The guard crush durability value recovers even during continuous guard (when you're in proximity guard, absolute guard, or still in blockstun)

Taunts and Win Taunts

Every character has a taunt (or provocation) that can be done anytime during a round by pressing the Start button.

Every character also has two additional "win taunts" that can only be done after a KO (not by time up, or draw):

Forward + Start button (6 direction)
Backward + Start button (4 direction)

Since they can be used only after a KO, it only functions as a pure taunt.

Note: Normal taunt can also be done after a KO.

Game Navigation

Garou: Mark of the Wolves
General
Controls HUD System Movement Offense Defense Calculation Advanced_Techniques Miscellaneous Wakeup Meta_Strategy FAQ

Characters
Rock Kim Dong Hwan Hotaru Khushnood Butt Hokutomaru Kevin Rian Freeman Tizoc B. Jenet Gato Kim Jae Hoon Terry Kain Grant

@@ Line 21: / Line 21: @@
-Every character’s normal throws have 1 frame startup, and 40 pixels range.
+Every character’s normal throws are active on the 1st frame of the startup of the normal being used.
+Every character's normal throws have a 40 pixels range.
 If you're pressing multiple buttons simultaneously to option-select a throw,