The King of Fighters XIII/Maxima

Maxima

In a nutshell

Maxima was a normal Canadian soldier that decided to get augmented to become a cyborg who acts as an elder figure for the impetuous Kula and K'. Maxima's known for the large amount of Autoguard on his attacks and in KOF XIII this is no different. His pokes are slow, but powerful and his jumping attacks are improved from previous games. With meter Maxima can deal heavy damage from simple combos and has access to powerful utility tools that can shut down many options.

Move List

Normal Moves

Name

Command

Damage

Special Properties (glossary)

Standing Light Punch

kof.lp

30

cancel

Standing Light Kick

kof.lk

30

Standing Heavy Punch

kof.sp

100

autoguard supercancel

Close Heavy Punch

kof.sp

50×2

autoguard cancel

Standing Heavy Kick

kof.sk

100

autoguard

Close Heavy Kick

kof.sk

100

autoguard cancel

Crouching Light Punch

d + kof.lp

30

cancel

Crouching Light Kick

d + kof.lk

35

low

Crouching Heavy Punch

d + kof.sp

100

autoguard cancel

Crouching Heavy Kick

d + kof.sk

100

low softknockdown

Blowback Attack

kof.sp + kof.sk

110

softknockdown specialcancel

Jumping Light Punch

air kof.lp

Jump: 45
Hop: 40

high cancel

Jumping Light Kick

air kof.lk

Jump: 45
Hop: 40

high

Jumping Heavy Punch

air kof.sp

72

high

Hopping Heavy Punch

air kof.sp

70

high cancel

Jumping Heavy Kick

air kof.sk

Jump: 70
Hop: 68

high

Jumping Blowback Attack

air kof.sp + kof.sk

Jump: 90
Hop: 80

softknockdown cancel

Unique Attacks

Name

Command

Damage

Special Properties (glossary)

M9 Missile

df + kof.sp

80

Throw

Name

Command

Damage

Special Properties (glossary)

Dynamite Drop

f or b + kof.sp or kof.sk (while close)

100

throw softknockdown

Special Moves

Name

Command

Damage

Special Properties (glossary)

M4 Vapor Cannon

qcb + p

p : 120
ex : 80+50
Air p : 110
Air ex : 50×2+60

airok
Ground: autoguard hardknockdown supercancel
Ground counterhit : wallbounce
Ground ex : wallbounce
Air p : hardknockdown

M19 Blitz Cannon

dp + k

k : 0+150
ex : 50+150

k : airthrow
ex : autoguard drivecancel

Maxima Press

hcb + k

80

hardknockdown
k : throw

Press Plus

Maxima Press, then qcb + p

k : 50
ex : 120

supercancel
k : hardknockdown
ex : softknockdown drivecancel

Desperation Moves

Name

Command

Damage

Special Properties (glossary)

Double Vapor Cannon

qcf qcf + p

p : 220
ex : 80×2+180

hardknockdown maxcancel
p : autoguard
counterhit : wallbounce
ex : startupinv

Maxima Laser

hcb hcb + kof.lp + kof.sp

(15+0)×22+120

startupinv hardknockdown

Strategy

Move Analysis

Normal Moves

• Standing Light Punch () -

• Standing Light Kick () -

• Standing Heavy Punch () -

• Close Heavy Punch (Close ) -

• Standing Heavy Kick () -

• Close Heavy Kick (Close ) -

• Crouching Light Punch ( + ) -

• Crouching Light Kick ( + ) -

• Crouching Heavy Punch ( + ) -

• Crouching Heavy Kick ( + ) -

• Blowback Attack ( + ) -

• Jumping Light Punch (Air ) -

• Jumping Light Kick (Air ) -

• Jumping Heavy Punch (Air ) -

• Hopping Heavy Punch (Air ) -

• Jumping Heavy Kick (Air ) -

• Jumping Blowback Attack (Air + ) -

Unique Attacks

• M9 Missile ( + ) - Maxima punches upward at a 60° angle that can anti-air but lacks any Guard Frames and is slow to start. Works better as an anti-air against jumps as the player can react and use the attack earlier. Cancels into Specials and DMs on hit or whiff and like most command normals it leaves the player at a disadvantage on block if uncanceled.
  • Works as a combo tool that can extend hitconfirms and even connects from Crouching from a close range. If spaced too far away the + can whiff on crouching opponents and drop the combo.
  • Keeps the opponent in a juggable state when used against an aerial enemy.

Throw

• Dynamite Drop ( or + or [while close]) -

Special Moves

• M4 Vapor Cannon ( + ) - Maxima takes a step forward and punches while releasing steam from the pistons in his arms. This will reach 1/3 the screen as the hitbox will extend just beyond Maxima's fist. Infamous for having Autoguard or 'Guard Points/Frames' and causing a Wallbounce on a counterhit.
  • The version connects from Heavy attacks and causes a soft knockdown. It's also Super Cancelable into Double Vapor Cannon ( + ). There aren't many guardframes on this version though.
  • The slower Vapor Cannon gains a large window of Guard Frames after activating, though it will lose to meaty attacks. This is more suited for fishing for Counterhit Wallbounces or for staggering blockstrings.
  • The biggest weakness of this move is that the Autoguard only covers Maxima's upper body. A simple sweep timed before the active frames will cleanly beat either Vapor Cannon.
  • M4 Vapor Cannon ( + + ) - Combos from Light attacks and will always cause a Wallbounce. There are more Guard Points on this move though a more meter-efficient method of using this move is to save it for hitconfirms to easily deal 40% damage or more.
  • The player can follow up the wallbounce from anywhere on the screen with M9 Missile ( + ) canceled into M4 Vapor Cannon ( + ) to push the opponent away or into M19 Blitz Cannon ( + ) to deal more damage and keep the opponent closer.
• Air M4 Vapor Cannon (air + ) - Maxima performs an aerial Vapor Cannon angled downward at a 45° angle. As with the standard version the Autoguard becomes active only after a length of the startup.
  • Air M4 Vapor Cannon (air + + ) - A magnificent aerial tool that has Autoguard from the first frame of startup. It's possible to bait reversals with intentionally bad jumps and to guard through and punish anti-airs with this attack. If the attack connects against a grounded opponent at a low height the player can land from their hop or jump and start a grounded combo.
• M19 Blitz Cannon ( + ) - An anti-air 'Soul Throw' grab that moves Maxima upward at a 60° angle and ends with him punching the opponent into the ground about halfscreen away from Maxima. There are Guard Frames on this attack, but they take a while to come into effect and require an early input to beat a jump and an early or 'yomi' guess to beat a hop. Functions as a damaging juggle finisher that leaves the opponent close to Maxima.
  • Only conects against aerial or juggleable opponents; completely whiffs against grounded opponents.
  • M19 Blitz Cannon ( + + ) - An improved anti-air and even a grounded reversal option. When the player activates this attack it immediately has Autoguard which will freeze an opponent who hits Maxima which almost guarantees the grab will hit. Maxima's lower leg has a hitbox that will hit scoop up grounded opponents into the air so that the airthrow connects.
• Maxima Press ( + ) - A good command grab that carries the opponent into the corner and can either end with a lengthy hard knockdown or be followed up with Press Plus to lead into more damaging opportunities.
  • The version of the throw is a short-ranged instant grab. This gives the player the option of doing tick throws and empty hops to supplement Maxima's offensive prowess. This also can work as a punish against certain moves.
    • Works as a reversal though the throw range is shorter than most other instant grabs.
  • Players familiar with Maxima from older KOF games should recognize the version of Maxima Press. Maxima crouches during the lengthier startup and then drives across the screen while attempting to throw any grounded opponent in his way. The startup length is completely vulnerable and it's possible to counterpoke Maxima as he slides forward, plus the grab is telegraphed and can be jumped out of and punished. There isn't much use for this version outside of a gimmick to catch an opponent sleeping.
  • Press Plus ( + , then + ) - A Super Cancelable followup punch that must be input just after Maxima slams the opponent into the wall. The extra hit adds more damage but leaves the player with less frame advantage which doesn't allow a safejump or empty hop followup against a reversal attempt.
    • There are reasons to deliberate if the followup should be used depending on what the player wants to do next. If Maxima Press is uncanceled it puts the opponent just outside of the corner which sets up for an ambiguous crossup with Jumping or leaves enough time for a safe or empty hop mixup. Ending with Press Plus and Supercanceling into Double Vapor ( + ) deals an effective amount of damage but leaves both players more at neutral. Ending with Press Plus alone still puts the player at an advantageous frame advantage and the player could abuse the fact that Maxima can't do a safehop to hop into Air M4 Vapor Cannon (air + + ) to counter what an opponent may view as 'free damage' from an easily-reactable 'bad' meaty.
  • Maxima Press ( + + ) - Looks like the rungrab but this is a blockable move. It can connect against an opponent early in a hop arc although there is no invulnerability or autoguard on this move.
    • The startup is faster which allows the player to combo into this move from M9 Missile ( + ) which leads to heavily-damaging corner combos off of the Press Plus followup.
  • Press Plus ( + + , then + ) - The followup to Maxima Press launches the opponent higher in the air and can be Drive Canceled into special moves instead of just DMs. Most notable is the Drive Cancel into M4 Vapor Cannon ( + + ) to cause a wallbounce which can be followed up with a M9 Missile ( + ) followup combo which can easily deal upwards of 50%.

Desperation Moves

• Double Vapor Cannon ( + ) - Maxima executes a Vapor Cannon punch using both arms. The startup speed isn't too fast though this attack is covered in Guard Frames that will trap an opponent that hits Maxima. This can work as an anti-air though the attack is quite punishable on block.
  • A one meter combo with EX M4 Vapor Cannon ( + + ) deals more damage than comboing into this DM but the advantage of this DM is that both M4 Vapor Cannon and Maxima's Press Plus can be Supercanceled only into this DM.
  • Double Vapor Cannon ( + + ) - A one-two punch follwed with a sudden impact finisher. Deals big damage as a combo finisher from something as simple as Vapor Cannon Drive Canceled into EX Double Vapor Cannon. The third hit will often drop the opponent in juggle combos or from an anti-air so its applications can be limited against aerial opponents.
  • Fully invulnerable on startup.
• Maxima Laser ( + + ) - Maxima is secretly a super robot that can fire an enormousbeam out of his chest. Maxima Laser is a crazy fast Neomax fills the screen with a beam that will anti-hir hops and punish nearly anything from fullscreen. It also deals huge damage in a combo and the final hit always deals 120 damage regardless of damage scaling. This is everything a Neomax could want to be.

Combos

"*" next to the most important combos. First, in any combo involving 2 cr.A,'s you can start with a cr.B, but Maxima's is very slow. His d/f+C hits against crouchers, but only from close. Some combos are much more consistent if you omit the d/f+C, and only use it for punishes and when you can confirm that you're close enough.

0% Drive

0 Bar

• *cr.A,d/f+C xx qcb+A - (214)

Safe on block, use only one cr.A for consistency. You can replace cr.A with close C, etc.

• cr.A,d/f+C xx hcb+K~qcb+P - (220)

Also works from cr.A x2, but requires an even closer distance, carries to corner. Of course you can do the same thing from close C (2 hits) or close C (1 hit), d/f+C.

• *counter-hit qcb+P, d/f+C xx dp+K - (361)

If the distance is weird, you can omit the d/f+C.

1 Bar

• *cr.A,cr.A xx qcb+PP, d/f+C xx dp+K - (348)

You can do 3 cr.A's or replace with a cl.C 1 or 2 hits into d/f+C, or just 2 hits of close C, you get the idea. If the distance is weird, you can omit the d/f+C after the wallbounce.

• counter-hit qcfx2+P, walk forward, qcb+A - (389)
• (corner only) counter-hit qcfx2+P, d/f+C xx dp+K - (486)

2 Bars

• cr.A,cr.A xx qcfx2+PP - (382)

You can replace cr.A's with whatever you want.

• counter-hit qcb+P, qcfx2+PP - (482)

3 Bars

• cr.A,cr.A xx qcb+PP, d/f+C xx qcfx2+PP - (536)
• counter-hit qcfx2+P, qcfx2+PP - (607)

50% Drive

1 Bar

• *hcb+K~qcb+P sc qcfx2+P - (325)

Super cancel off his command grab.

• *hcb+KK~qcb+P dc dp+K - (329)

Only works from the EX command grab. Can be ued as a combo ender...not really relevant for that use, but it does do a tiny more damage than the drive-less combo and carries to the corner.

2 Bars

• *hcb+K~qcb+P sc qcfx2+PP - (451)
• hcb+KK~qcb+P sc qcfx2+P - (392)

3 Bars

• *hcb+KK~qcb+P sc qcfx2+PP - (518)

100% Drive

As with any other character, with HD combos you can do whatever moves you like before the BC cancel, such as cr.A/B x2, or a far C/D to confirm into damage off a guard-point.

3 Bars

• cl.C (1 hit),d/f+C hd cl.C (2 hits) xx hcbx2+PP - (597)
• *counter-hit qcb+P, hcbx2+PP - (578)

4 Bars

• cr.A,cr.A xx qcb+PP, hcbx2+PP - (556)
• cl.C (1 hit),d/f+C hd cl.C (1 hit),d/f+C xx hcb+KK~qcb+P sc hcbx2+PP - (733)
• counter-hit qcfx2+P, hcbx2+PP - (689)

5 Bars

• cl.C (1 hit),d/f+C hd cl.D xx hcb+K~qcb+P sc qcf+PP xx hcbx2+PP - (985, 15)

If started with cl.D or a jumpin, this combo does over 1000 damage, aka, a 100%.

Advanced Strategy

Guardpoint everything.