Marvel vs Capcom 2/Esoterics

The purpose of this page is to describe system mechanics that cause edge-case or niche scenarios, or otherwise group information about gameplay that doesn't become relevant very often when discussing the game.

Defense Modifiers

Each character has a unique defense modifier that determines how much damage they take from attacks. For example, Akuma takes 137% damage from attacks (ie 37% extra damage), while Sentinel takes 75% damage (ie 25% reduced damage). Each character's defense modifier is displayed below:

Damage %	Characters
75%	Sentinel
81%	Colossus
87%	Blackheart, Hulk, Juggernaut, Zangief
93%	Captain America, Dr. Doom, Omega Red, Rogue*, Silver Samurai*, Thanos, Tron Bonne
100% (normal)	Amingo, Cable, Captain Commando, Charlie, Cyclops, Gambit, Guile, Iron Man, Jin, M. Bison, Ruby Heart, Ryu, Sakura, Venom, War Machine
106%	B.B. Hood, Chun-Li, Hayato, Jill, Ken, Magneto, Megaman, Sabretooth, Spiral, Storm
112%	Cammy, Dan, Dhalsim, Felicia, Iceman, Psylocke, Shuma-Gorath
118%	Marrow, Morrigan, Sonson
125%	Anakaris, Spider-Man, Strider, Wolverine
137%	Akuma, Roll, Servbot, Wolverine (Bone)

• Rogue takes 46% damage upon receiving "Defense Up" from her Power Drain.

• Silver Samurai takes 117% damage if he uses his lightning power-up once or twice. Should he use his lightning power-up three times in a row, his stamina will return to 93%. Silver Samurai takes 46% damage if he uses his ice power-up once, twice, or three times in a row. Silver Samurai takes 140% upon using his fire power-up once, 117% after using it twice in a row, and after using it three times in a row, his stamina returns to 93%.

Air Mobility Options

Characters that have extra options beyond the universal normal/super jump.

Air Dashes

Characters that can dash in the air as an extra option; does not count special moves that may act similar to airdashes.

Air Dash	Characters
8-way	Dhalsim, Doom, Ironman, Magneto, Storm, War Machine
3-way	Morrigan*
2-way	Blackheart, Sonson
1-way	Anakaris, Chun-Li, Rogue, Omega Red, Rogue, Spiderman, Tron*, Venom

• Morrigan has 3 forward air dash variations with different trajectories

• Tron has no limit on her air dashes

Flight

Characters that can activate flight mode - +.

Flight	Characters
Can Fly	Dhalsim, Doom, Ironman, Magneto, M.Bison, Sentinel, Storm, War Machine

Jumps

Characters that get an extra jump option after being in the air.

Jumps	Characters
Triple Jump	Chun-Li, Psylocke
Double Jump	BB Hood, Cammy, Captain America, Cyclops, Marrow, Roll, Strider

Fastest Ground Normals

Grouping the characters by the startup of their fastest ground normal at roundstart. (ie no installs or extra states included)

Based on Fastest Normal Attacks, credit to Vidness and Joo.

# of frames	Characters
1	Magneto (2LK), Megaman (2LP/5LP/LK), Roll (2LP/5LP), Shuma (5LP)
2	Blackheart (2LP), M.Bison (2LP), Cap. America (2LK), CapCom (5LP), Chun-Li (2LP/5LP), Cyclops (3HK), Gambit (2LP/5LP/LK), Ironman (3HK), Jin (2LP/5LP), Morrigan (5LP/5LK), Psylocke (Snap), Sim (2LP), Spidey (2LP/5LP), Strider (2LP/5LP), WarMachine (5LP/5LK), Wolverine(both, 2LP/5LP)
3	Akuma (2LP/3HP), Amingo (2LP/2LK/5LP/5LK), Anakaris (2LP/2LK/5LK), BBHood (2LK/5LP), Cable (2LP/2LK/LP), Cammy (2LP/2LK/5LP/5LK), Charlie (2LP/2LK), Colossus (5LP), Dan (2LP/5LP/3HP), Felicia (2LP/2LK/5LP/5LK), Guile (2LP/5LP), Jill (2LP/5LP), Ken (2LP/5LP/5LK), Marrow (2LP/2LK/5LP/5LK), Omega Red (2LP/2LK/5LP), Psylocke (No Snap, 2LP/2LK/5LP/5LK/3HP), Ryu (2LP/5LP/5LK), SilSam (2LP/5LK), Sim(far, F.5LP), Sonson (2LK), Storm (2LP/2LK/5LP), Venom (2LP/5LP/5LK)
4	Doom (2LP/2LK/5LP), Hayato (2LK/5LK), Hulk (5LK), Iceman (2LP/2LK/5LP/5LK), Rogue (2LP/2LK/5LP/5LK), Ruby (2LP/5LP), Sabretooth (2LP/2LK/5LP), Sakura (2LP/2LK/5LP), Sent(Snap), Spiral (2LP/2LK/5LP/5LK), Thanos (2LP/2LK/5LK), Tron (2LP/5LP), Zangief (2LP/5LP/5LK)
5	Sent (No Snap, 5LK)
6	Juggernaut (2LK/5LK), Servbot (2LP/2LK/5LP/5LK)

Flying Screen

This term describes a camera positioning mechanic in the Capcom Versus games. Specifically when the Flying Screen is activated, the camera follows the character being hit in the combo. The only moves the other player can use are jumping, walking, crouching, and magic series. Anything else, such as special moves, dashing, super jumps, assists, rolling, or tagging, are disabled. If the camera focuses off of the attacking character, they will dash back into the screen from the side they disappeared. Most hyper combos activate a flying screen, but moves such as Hulk's HCB+P grab also does it.

How to trigger Flying Screen:
1. Combo must have at least 3 hits
2. Combo must have at least 2 consecutive air hits
3. When 1 & 2 are satisfied, hit with a Flying Screen trigger*

• Triggers vary by character but are typically an air HP/HK, specials, and supers
• Some attacks are exceptions and will cause Flying Screen regardless of number of hits

See Joo's Combo Collection - CT - Flying Screen for more.

Flying Screen Deterioration

Flying Screen must end eventually and there are a number of ways to do that:

• Combo ends
• Assist hits the character
• 10 frames pass after a knockdown
• Your character gets hit

The first and last aren't so useful for building combos but using an assist or knockdown to continue a combo can lead to intricate and lengthy conversions.

See Joo's Combo Collection - CT - Flying Screen Deterioration for more.

Switch Glitch

The switch glitch will automatically execute any input on the first possible frame when held down at round start.

Holding one assist button at the versus screen will enable the glitch; simply by hold the desired inputs until round start happens. Note that holding both assists doesn't work because it only swaps the position of the assists.

Applications:

• Switch Glitch applies to all inputs, including directions, making it useful for both offense and defense.

• By guaranteeing a perfect input, this is extremely helpful for characters with faster attacks or attacks with unique properties.

• For characters looking to be defensive, they can backdash or just hold up (though you don't need switch glitch to neutral jump). See also: Switch Glitch SJ OS which lets you defend most attacks with a delayed superjump and block.

Dead Body Glitch

Characters can be otg juggled after death forever. Most easily done on big bodies; doing infinite reps requires a character with an extremely fast dash, so only a few characters (Magneto is one) in the game can repeat the juggle forever.

This glitch is soft-banned in tournaments. Players are allowed to carry to the corner but repeated juggles to time waste is not allowed.

Hitstun

Terminology

Certain terms will be defined in this article to accurately describe and simplify the content. If these terms differ from commonly accepted terms, please edit them accordingly.

• Actionable state: a state where a character can move and attack freely.
• Hitstun: The state a character enters after being hit by an attack. There are many different kinds: some knock down, others launch at different heights or angles.
  • Ground hitstun: The hitstun state entered when a character is hit during a ground state.
  • Air hitstun: The hitstun state entered when a character is hit while in (or into) an air state. At the end of air hitstun, the character will usually perform a little flip and enter Super Jump state. This is not the same as when a character gets knocked all the way to the ground by Flying Screen.

Characteristics

Hitstun disables action

Hitstun is a state where a character cannot perform any action. Hitstun and its animations are dependent upon the attack received by a character from the opponent. For example, jabs generally produce very short stun and mild hit reel animation where an opponent recovers almost immediately, while heavy attacks generally produce longer stun and a more exaggerated hitstun animation. If a character is in hitstun, subsequent hits during their hitstun will start combos, and the combo count even increases if the original target is no longer being hit, but someone else (an assist) is.

Hitstun moves the character

A character in hitstun also inherits a directional velocity from the opponent's attack. Under most circumstances, the attacker will also be pushed back, but this is not always the case (FSD) This directional velocity may override the velocity of a character entirely, or may simply alter the characters current velocity. In the case of air combos, the hits performed apply a slight velocity in the direction the attacker is going (in addition to the inherent properties the attack has), as a way to keep combos stable.

Attacks on the ground generally send the opponent away from the attacker while attacks in the air usually send them upwards. A handful of attacks send the opponent in unusual directions, like Juggernaut's Headcrush and Shuma-Gorath's Mystic Smash, which send backwards on hit. Generally weak and heavy attacks result in small and large magnitude of directional velocity respectively.

If a character is in a knockback-type hitstun, they stop being in hitstun once they bounce off of the floor. They become airborne and actionable (they can block!). If the hitstun ends before they bounce, they'll simply land standing instead.

Weight Classes

There are 4 weight classes in the game. Blackheart, Juggernaut, and Sentinel share a weight. Hulk is in his own weight class. Every other character is the same weight, except Servbot, who is lighter. In most cases, hitstun is the same regardless of weight, but sometimes weight plays a factor. Within the same weight classes, character height can result in different sequences (not) working. Certain throws take weights one step further, and can vary in results between characters. Spider-Man's Web Throw sends Blackheart and Sentinel different distances, despite sharing a weight.

Suki Cancelling

Super Jump Guard Cancelling (SJGC), also known as Suki Cancelling is the act of cancelling your Super Jump by entering the blocking state. For example, Dr. Doom's cr.HK can be Super Jump Cancelled (SJCd) before it finishes, without even hitting anything. If there is something on screen that can cause him to block, he can do cr.HK > super jump up-backwards (cancel the sweep with super jump, and cancel the super jump with pre-block and stay grounded) repeatedly to get meter very quickly. It isn't particularly common, but it can come in clutch mid-match or even allow some otherwise impossible combos!

Guard Stiffness

Guard stiffness is the time it takes for a character to leave the blocking animation after blockstun/preguard has ended. More exactly, guard stiffness is the amount of time it takes to leave guard. This amount of time is different between characters, but for any specific character it is consistent regardless of the type of guard performed. During guard stiffness a character is still considered to be in guard, aka the state lets you block. A character can only block if they are in the guard state, which is why when a move does not have a properly implemented proximity guard box that lets the character go into preguard, like Sent 5HP or Doom 2HK, it will become unblockable. Because you are considered to be in guard during guard stiffness this means that if you block you will carry over the protection you get from blocking, the same as if you were in blockstun. This means it protects you from throws and some unblockables (if the unblockable is blockable during blockstun, like Jill's 214HK, it is also blockable during guard stiffness), and you keep absolute guard. This importantly also applies to air block guard break situations (including incoming), as you only lose your ability to air block once you leave guard after blocking. The length of guard stiffness does not change the pushblock or the alpha counter window as those require you to be in blockstun. Guard stiffness also occurs when a character leaves preguard, but it does not carry over the properties of blocking unless they entered blockstun. Guard and guard stiffness are able to be cancelled out of at any point with any attack or a neutral/forwards jump/superjump (pressing up back will be overwritten by guard). You can not walk or dash out of guard stiffness.

Guard stiffness is not the same length for all characters. This table is the length of guard stiffness for each character. Based on Guard Stiffness, credit to Vidness and Joo.

# of frames	Characters
5	Chun-Li, Colossus, Cyclops, Guile, Psylocke
6	M. Bison, Zangief
7	Charlie, Doctor Doom, Iceman
8	Amingo, Jill, Sentinel, Sonson
9	Anakaris, Gambit, Spiral
10	Akuma, Cammy, Dhalsim, Felicia, Hayato, Ken, Megaman, Rogue, Ruby Heart, Ryu, Servbot, Silver Samurai, Wolverine (Bone)
11	Blackheart, Dan, Wolverine (Adamantium)
12	Juggernaut, Magneto, Morrigan, Omega Red, Shuma-Gorath, Spider-Man
13	B.B. Hood, Tron
14	Hulk, Sakura, Strider Hiryu
15	Captain America, Captain Commando, Marrow, Roll, Thanos
17	Sabretooth
20	Storm
21	Venom, War Machine
23	Iron Man
25	Cable, Jin

Directional Influence

Section to be written.

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Snap oddities

The A2 snap back causes strange effects for some characters:

• Gambit does A2 snap back and right after a Cajun Strike (make sure he goes to the left wall) and he’ll fly out of the screen.
• Ruby Heart does a phantom and before it comes out does a snap back (a2) and if the phantom doesn’t hit anyone it will cause the other person to go into block animation even when there is nothing on screen.

There is a bug that happens with Snap Backs with the A2 button, where if you counter with assist two while the 'x' is still on your name you will disappear and hop back (the animation of a counter) as if you were leaving but instead stay on screen in addition to that you become invisible and semi-invincible. A general rule for invisibility is that you have it as long as your character doesn’t come back to standing animation after doing a move. So say you were Doom and you were invisible and you did his S.LP after the move was finished he would go into standing animation and that is when he will be visible. Also, jumping requires you to go through standing animation so it will cause become visible. As for the semi-invincibility, some characters are safe from being hit low or high, and some characters, both. The characters that have immunity from high and low attacks can only be hit if they move and turn visible again or if the other character causes them to turn around. Snap backs can cause things to hit more than they should. For instance Cyclops does a LP Optic Blast and right before it hits the other character performs a snap back, if timed right the Optic Blast will hit more than it should. A snap back kills frames and this affects characters in strange ways some will lose the frames of when their move hits others will get extra hits for their moves.

Super Flash Glitch

During the super flash screen the game pauses characters for about four frames but projectiles advance. This four frame kill most notably lets Magneto combo hyper grav into Magnetic Tempest. Additionally, if the super flash starts on exactly the frame that an assist hits, that assist will hit twice. (Further discussion on SRK.)