Plasma Sword/Byakko

Introduction

Overview

(Insert brief description about character and how they play, other details)

Strengths

Weaknesses

Fast: i7 5K/5A and i5 2K are among the fastest buttons in the game. Among the best supers in the game: Byakko has both a dash-in super (which is invincible) and a Raging Storm type super which both come out almost instantly. He can not only reliably combo into both but his Raging Storm super is active for several frames and can reliably anti-air without any dropped damage. Blockstring Infinite: Byakko, like Rai-On, has a block string infinite with has 5A. This isn't totally game-breaking due to the overall power level of all the top tiers (and it also still loses to guard cancel reversals and whiffs versus a few characters at specific ranges) but it is a potential checkmate scenario only he and Rai-On have in certain situations. Air Mobility: Double Jump, Air dash, Dive Kick. Ground Mobility: In addition to just having a nice, fast box step, Byakko has two evasive stances on the ground that he can special cancel into: a large jumping backdash, and a cartwheel sidestep. High Damage Crouch Grab: Byakko, like Rai-On, has a launcher off of his crouch grab that he can easily convert into big damage. Cat Crouch: Byakko, like Rai-On, has a smaller than normal crouching hitbox, making moves whiff on him that would not whiff on other characters. Most notably, he and Rai-On are the only characters completely immune to each other's blockstring infinites.

Polarized Range: Byakko really only has one range: point blank. If he's anywhere else on the screen, he's just thinking about how to get in. Low->Super inconsistency: Byakko cannot rely on 2KK or Slide for consistent combo conversions, as the former string tends to not combo at certain ranges (and also won't combo versus specific characters,) and the later combo state is dependent upon how the slide hits. In general, he has to take bigger risks to break ankles, which might compel his opponents to walk away from him more. Because so much of his value comes from getting opponents to sit still long enough to land a mixup on them, and because his conversions tend to break in off-axis/odd ground-to-air hits, Byakko actually can struggle to enforce his gameplan despite having all the plus frames in the world. Low Health: Both of the cats take more damage than the rest of the cast. Needs meter: Byakko has no special moves that combo from his primary tools, and has to use his meter exclusively for confirms. This is a character that you can play around the meter of with reasonable consistency. Bad Tech Roll Cancels: This is a symptom of his kit being entirely centered around the strength of his normals and supers. Basically, when Byakko gets knocked down, the only really scary tech roll cancel he has are his supers, which are both expensive and unsafe if he's wrong. Dash/Sword supers might still prove useful if you have the reactions to punish mistakes by your opponents when they knock you down, but in general Byakko doesn't have much he can do with this system mechanic. Horizontal Tracking: It might sound strange to say for a character with unusually good frame data, but Byakko has a genuinely difficult time stopping side step abuse. 3B and 2B both can be stepped with perfect (and sometimes not-so-perfect) timing, and the 4B string un-combos if it hits on counterhit. In short, Byakko has be extremely well practiced in when he fishes for anti-step options, or be content with low risk-low reward options like 2B.

Move List

Vertical Normals

A

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	7	-	-	-	+4	+21	-	Ground
Byakko's busted cat jab. Does not hit other cats crouching, or Gantetsu/Gamof crouching when at specific ranges.

5AA

5AA

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	-	-	-	-	-4	+14	-	Ground
Byakko loses frame advantage on hit, and without a fast special move to combo into, that's a rather large weakness, all things considered.

5AAA

5AAA

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	+12	-	Ground
Because Byakko loses frame advantage on 5AA, his 5AAA is completely inferior to Rai-On's, as it does not combo. Considering it also has the same pushout on block, it also isn't the best of pressure tools to go for, either. There is something he can do here, though, that separates him from Rai-On a bit in a positive way...

5AAAK

5AAAK

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	-	-	-	-	+3	+1	-	Ground
...and that's this. This simple little low kick puts Byakko back in 2K/5A range at frame advantage. Since it's a kick, it cannot be parried. The damage off of this is basically nothing unless you're willing to risk it all on 236A+B cancels, which -will- combo, but because none of the hits in the string combo to this point, is a pretty wild guess/read to make

5AAAA

5AAAA

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-15	-	Ground
"Blue Palm." It pushes out really far on block so it is probably safe versus most characters. But... it also pushes out really far on block, and you want to be in close. You probably shouldn't use this

2A

2A

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	9	-	-	-	+0	+14	-	Ground
Good range and speed, incredibly busted frame data on block. It's a really good thing he doesn't have any sort of reward for this on hit. Enough frame advantage on block that slide afterwards catches jumpers. Pushes out pretty far on block/hit, so its difficult to do much aside from slide afterwards that doesn't lose to sidestep/jump.

3A

3A

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	19	-	-	-	-	-15	-	Ground
Byakko's primary launcher into damage, and one of his most important moves. You could, in theory, cancel this into your back hop and get a smaller confirm from it, but -15 is pretty hard to punish at the range it puts you at and, more importantly, landing this move into a juggle super confirm is the single reason to play this character. This frame traps after all his of 5AAA on block.

While Running A or B

While Running A or B

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	Overhead	10	-	-	-	-13 at close range, -2 at tip	-13 at close range, -2 at tip	-	Jumping
Byakko's running overhead is a two part move. Even at tip range this is at disadvantage, so be careful. This part of the move tends to whiff smaller opponents when crouching, so its also a matchup dependent move.

While Running A or B, A/B

While Running A or B, A/B

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	Overhead	10	-	-	-	X	-7	-	Jumping
The second part of Byakko's running overhead. Knocks down on hit. Combos with the first part, making it a fairly good mixup/approach tool.

Horizontal Normals

5B

5B

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	10	-	-	-	-12	+6	-	Ground
An extremely fast horizontal with somewhat limited range. With huge frame advantage on block, this is a great tool for containment, but the hit disadvantage means you may get accidently wrecked by someone mashing step->button during your block strings.

5BB

5BB

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	-	-	-	-	-1	+2	-	Ground
A two hit horizontal string that's plus on block would be incredible money for this character if only it comboed. The second hit does combo into specials/supers, but the bigger issue is getting this move to hit at all.

5BAB or 5KAB

5BAB

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	Low	-	-	-	-	+7	+4	-	Low
Creates a little space with slight frame advantage, will frame trap into its own string ender or slide at the range it creates, and it is one of the few special cancelable moves he has that combos into 236B. Unfourtantely, the string itself does not combo, but the final B has enough hitstun that comboing into super on reaction is more than doable.

2B

2B

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	i11	-	-	-	+12	+10	-	Ground
2Bs tend to be important for most of the cast in Plasma Sword, and Byakko's is no exception. Decent range, fast speed, low cat crouch... all of this combined makes for a frustrating poke that, while it may not do much damage or score you big combo extensions, nonetheless shuts down many approach options and allows you to check your opponents easily safely. The push out on both block and hit makes it somewhat difficult to followup on, but make no mistake: the ball's in your court.

Kick Normals

5K

5K

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	7	-	-	-	-7	-7	-	Ground
One of Byakko's main buttons and fastest attacks. Hits a bit faster up close than the animation might make it seem. Mostly a good move because of the strings attached to it.

5KK

5KK

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	7	-	-	-	-18	-18	-	Ground
This two kick hit cannot be parried, combos into supers, and has some very good strings attached to it. However, it is linear and, perhaps more importantly, this hit tends to whiff crouchers in some matchups, such as the cat mirror. As a confirm, it is generally out performed by 5KA

5KA or 5BA

5KA or 5BA

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	7	-	-	-	+7	+23	-	Ground
This is a premium hit confirm into super thanks to its consistency on opponents regardless of hitbox size and the fact that it is plus on block. The giant frame advantage makes a few of his strings afterwards unjumpable/steppable, which is great for locking down squirrelly opponents that don't like to block.

2K

2K

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	5	-	-	-	+8	+7	-	Low
Byakko's main low string starter. The hit advantage might make you think he can link off of it, but due to push out + a weird buffer lock on the move, nothing connects afterwards aside from the occasional perfectly timed 5A. The combo counter will also lie about this comboing in training, sometimes. Cool! Despite these problems, 2K is still your primary pressure tool outside of 5A (which this pairs nicely with)

2KK

2KK

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	i5	-	-	-	-3	-	-	Low
Byakko's main low string. It has a tendency to not combo properly depending upon range/axis/character, so careful attention to the situation is required to hitconfirm this into the third hit. If it does hit, it does cancel into dash super, and serves Byakko's main low confirm into it. It almost never combos on crouching opponents regardless of axis.

2KKK

2KKK

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	i5	-	-	-	-	-13	-	Low
Byakko's main low string ender without meter. All things considered, probably safer than it should be, considering what it does, and the advantage is variable with spacing.

3K

3K

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	8	-	-	-	-6 at close range, +10 at tip	-7 at close range, +8 at tip	-	Low
The slide. Byakko's main low poke. Plus enough on hit that it is relatively easy to confirm into swords super with enough practice. Far more reliable than 2KK in that regard. It is technically possibile to do 3K(tip), 2K->Dash super, if you're feeling saucy about your neutral.

4K

4K

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	29	-	-	-	+3 on standing, +4 on crouching, +2 on crouching counterhit, -2 on standing counterhit	+2	-	Low
Byakko's overhead kick. Unlike Rai-On, he does not get links from this and, weirdly, he loses a lot of frame advantage on counterhit. A far less important move for this cat, but it is still a pressure OH that jumps lows/throws.

While Running K

While Running K

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	7	-	-	-	X	-6 at close range	-	Low
It's Byakko's slide again, but its a frame faster and knocks down. The knockdown does not stop sword super from comboing afterwards.

Divekick

Divekick

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	~10	-	-	-	+6	+20	-	Ground
Byakko divekick. Hit/Block advantage is an estimate--data used is for the earliest frame 2K can be entered (frame 11 after jump starts) blocked/hit at the top of a 2p Byakko's head. Becomes more or less plus depending upon how its blocked. Byakko's divekick is far worse than his cat counterpart, as he rarely gets meaningful confirms off of his. However, the block data is quite good still, and is one of his most oppressively tools. Still, Byakko has some tools that have the same function, such as airdash K, so its not like he's hurting for similar tools.

Jumping Normals

While Jumping A

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	Ground

While Falling A

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	Ground

Special Moves

236 B Shippu Zan

Shippu Zan
236B

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	Low	31	-	-	-	-	-11	-	Low
An extremely long range knock down horizontal low. At -11, and especially with spacing, this can be difficult if not impossible for some characters to punish. It is very slow despite the somewhat subtle startup animation, though, and can be jump punished.

Kessou Jin 214B

Kessou Jin
214B

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	18	-	-	-	-	-27 (both hits blocked)	-	Ground
Byakko stabs his hands into the ground and swords come out around him. This move only hits in a very small circle around Byakko, making it very difficult to ever actually hit someone with. If it whiffs, he's vulnerable for any punish his opponents want, and if its blocked, it's not much better. It does have a tendency to beat anything above Byakko clean, though... but you'd probably just want the super version of this to do anti-airs, anyways. In contention for one of the worst special moves in the game, but Byakko still has some niche uses for it.

Byakko Hou
64K

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	Ground

623A/B
Guren

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	Ground

Ashura
222

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	Ground

Gauge Moves

Engetsu
236AB

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	Ground

Rasetsu Zan
214AB

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	7 (2 pre flash, 5 post)	-	-	-	-	-	-	Ground
Byakko's swords are probably the reason you should play him. Fast, great anti-air, good damage, this is the glue that holds the rest of his movelist together.

Plasma Revenge
AM

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	Ground

Plasma Reflect
BM

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	Ground

Plasma Field - Plasma Sword
BK

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	Ground

Miscellaneous

Throw
5AB

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	Ground

Strategy

Matchups

Vs. Zelkin (5.5:4.5)-- Byakko is one of the few characters that can dance evenly with Zelkin in the sky thanks to his double jump/divekicks, and he completely outclasses Zelkin on the ground thanks to his swords super. However, Byakko is also made of paper, and if there's anything Zelkin is particularly good at doing, it's stealing rounds out of nowhere with bucket loads of unearned damage. Zelkin not having any grounded super means he's particularly susceptible to Byakko's particular brand of jab-infinite BS and divekicks, so it's almost always optimal for Zelkin to save his meter for parry attempts.

Combos