Garou: Mark of the Wolves/Hotaru

Overview

Combos

Matchups

Strategy

Misc.

Introduction

Hotaru is the daughter of a family of martial artists, but is not very fond of violence. She never wants to hurt others, which is the probable reason why her father taught her the lighter side of Chinese kenpo; the Juu-kei style, which suits her easygoing personality. However, after her mother's death, both her father and her older brother were missing from her home. She enters the "King of Fighters: Maximum Mayhem" tournament based on rumors that her brother is there.

Gameplay

Hotaru's Main objective is something.

Strengths	Weaknesses
Really good hit & run play. Good air to air. Has an air throw.	Barely any damage after a low. Not the best normal moves. Not the greatest damage on supers.

Character Colors

Move List

Frame Data Source: https://w.atwiki.jp/garoumow/pages/23.html and https://w.atwiki.jp/garoumow/pages/78.html

Data Help
Disclaimer: This is meant to teach basic terminology used when describing moves.
Hitbox:	A predefined area (usually a rectangle or rectangles) that tells the game how any given attack can come in contact with a character. Hitboxes are invisible to the player when normally playing.
Hurtbox:	A predefined area (usually a group of rectangles) that tell the game how your character is allowed to get hit by any incoming attack. Specifically, you'll get hit by (or block) an attack if that attack's hitbox ever overlaps your hurtbox.
Throw Box/Range:	Active throw frames and range. Your opponent will be thrown in this field if not in block or hit stun.
Projectile Box:	Hitbox on a projectile attack.
Guard/Counter Box:	The Guard Box or Counter Box. This appears when blocking or using a counter move.
Push Box:	Has no bearing on hit/hurt boxes. Just prevents characters to not pass through each other. (Also known as "Collision Box".)
Startup	The number of frames before an attack can hit the opponent. Does not include the first active frame.
Guard	The way this move must be blocked. High or H or Overhead (especially when from the ground) -- must be blocked standing. High-Low or HL or Mid -- can be blocked either standing or crouching. Low or L -- must be blocked crouching.
Damage	"Basic" damage -- Unmodified damage values "Correct" damage -- Damage values accounting for damage scaling, TOP multiplier, and defense rate
Guard Crush Value	Decreases the defender's guard durability gauge by this value.
+X	Attacker has X number of advantage frames.
-X	Attacker has X number of disadvantage frames.
KD	Short for "knockdown", knocks down opponent on hit.
◯	Cancelable on both hit and block.
∞	Chain cancelable with the same button (renda cancel).
※	Cancelable on the first hit/part only.
《X》OR «X» OR <<X>> OR (X)	X number of inactive frames between hits of multihit moves.
△	Only cancelable on block.
▽	Only cancelable on hit.
× OR X	Not cancelable.

Close Standing Normals

Cl.

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total
4	Mid	3	3	7	13
Hit Adv	Block Adv	Cancel on Hit	Cancel on Block	Guard Crush Value
+5	+5	◯/chainable	◯/chainable	4
Hotaru's fastest close normal, with good advantage on block.

Cl.

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total
6	Mid	4	3	11	18
Hit Adv	Block Adv	Cancel on Hit	Cancel on Block	Guard Crush Value
+1	+1	◯	◯	4

Cl.

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total
9	Mid	7	1	21	29
Hit Adv	Block Adv	Cancel on Hit	Cancel on Block	Guard Crush Value
-1	-1	◯	◯	5
In case the Throw fails, a 'cl. C' will come out instead. On hit/guard it can combo (via Cancel). However clC doesn't have vertical hitbox, a neutral jump to escape the tick throw will leave Hotaru vulnerable.

Cl.

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total
9	Mid	6	1	28	35
Hit Adv	Block Adv	Cancel on Hit	Cancel on Block	Guard Crush Value
-8	-8	◯	◯	5
Hotaru's close D has a decent vertical hitbox, used as a frametrap it can prevent people from jumping out. Feint cancel it to avoid punishes.

Far Standing Normals

Far

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total
4	Mid	5	3	10	18
Hit Adv	Block Adv	Cancel on Hit	Cancel on Block	Guard Crush Value
+2	+2	◯/chainable	◯/chainable	4
Unlike most characters, Hotaru's far A is quite weak, it extends her hurtbox a lot. Prefer far B to poke on the ground.

Far

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total
7	Mid	6	2	11	19
Hit Adv	Block Adv	Cancel on Hit	Cancel on Block	Guard Crush Value
+2	+2	◯	◯	4
Last 3F of attack's recovery has full-body invincibility. Her best ground poke, with decent speed/distance/hitbox. If it whiffs be ready to anti-air. Cancel it into fireball for a frametrap. Or forward feint cancel it to start an offense once they respect the fireball frametrap.

Far

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total
12	Mid	9	1	19	29
Hit Adv	Block Adv	Cancel on Hit	Cancel on Block	Guard Crush Value
+1	+1	X	◯	5

Far

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total
13	Mid	11	1	22	34
Hit Adv	Block Adv	Cancel on Hit	Cancel on Block	Guard Crush Value
-2	-2	X	X	5
Hotaru's far D is too slow to be used efficiently in the neutral game. Since it has a good range, it can be used as a frametrap, for example with 2C xx 6AC(feint) > far D; but the risk/reward is not really worth it.

Crouching Normals

Cr.

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total
4	Mid	4	4	9	17
Hit Adv	Block Adv	Cancel on Hit	Cancel on Block	Guard Crush Value
+2	+2	◯/chainable	◯/chainable	4
When used as meaty it prevents jumps as well as low profile attempts with 2AB.

Cr.

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total
5	Low	4	4	9	17
Hit Adv	Block Adv	Cancel on Hit	Cancel on Block	Guard Crush Value
+2	+2	X/chainable	X/chainable	4
Hotaru is known for having no decent BNB starting with lows. Use this to remind your opponent that he has to block low, even if it doesn't deal much. Follow up with a frametrap for example. It can be combo'ed from if it hits meaty enough, with 2B(meaty)>2A xx reflect break fireball ... Keep in mind that, in MOTW, a meaty 2B can be escaped via wake-up jump.

Cr.

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total
9	Mid	5	1	25	31
Hit Adv	Block Adv	Cancel on Hit	Cancel on Block	Guard Crush Value
-5	-5	◯	◯	5
Amazing startup and range, allowing certain punishes from ranges other characters have trouble with. far B xx 6AC > 2C is a frametrap that prevents jumping.

Cr.

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total
9	Low	7	3	32	42
Hit Adv	Block Adv	Cancel on Hit	Cancel on Block	Guard Crush Value
KD	-14	X	X	5

Jumping Normals

Jump

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total
6	High	4	8	-	-
Hit Adv	Block Adv	Cancel on Hit	Cancel on Block	Guard Crush Value
-	-	◯	◯	4
Has long active frames, can target combo with jA>B or jA>C (whiff on crouchers). Can beat out upper-body evasion attacks.

Jump

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total
6	High	3	5	-	-
Hit Adv	Block Adv	Cancel on Hit	Cancel on Block	Guard Crush Value
-	-	◯	◯	4
Has the best horizontal reach out of all her air moves, however it doesn't stay active for long. Hop B has a startup of 5F, and is active for 8F.

Jump

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total
9	High	4	4	-	-
Hit Adv	Block Adv	Cancel on Hit	Cancel on Block	Guard Crush Value
-	-	◯	◯	5
This is what comes out if you miss your air throw. It whiffs on crouching opponent. Hop C has a startup of 6F, and is active for 6F.

Jump

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total
8	High	5	6	-	-
Hit Adv	Block Adv	Cancel on Hit	Cancel on Block	Guard Crush Value
-	-	◯	◯	5
When used deep enough, it can hit people trying to 2AB anti-air. Can beat out upper-body evasion attacks.

Command Normals

Kou-shuu Da (Needle Kick)
Air +

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total
10	High	5	∞	-	-
Hit Adv	Block Adv	Cancel on Hit	Cancel on Block	Guard Crush Value
-	-	X	X	9
Stays active for the full duration of the jump. A very annoying tool (unsafe but hard to punish). Can beat out upper-body evasion attacks. Once Hotaru "step" on her opponent, she jumps again, and she is allowed to perform another air attack (or spin with CD before attacking). However she loses the ability to air JD, making her vulnerable to anti-airs.

Kuuchuu Furi Muki
Jump

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total
-	-	-	-	-	-
Hit Adv	Block Adv	Cancel on Hit	Cancel on Block	Guard Crush Value
-	-	-	-	-
The turn-around jump.

Universal Moves

St.
Lower-body evasion attack

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total
10	Overhead	23	4	16	43
Hit Adv	Block Adv	Cancel on Hit	Cancel on Block	Guard Crush Value
-1	+5	X	X	6
Like about any other AB, way too slow to be efficient. It is +5 on guard so you can blockstring or frametrap for it.

Cr.
Upper-body evasion attack

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total
10	Mid	8	3	19	30
Hit Adv	Block Adv	Cancel on Hit	Cancel on Block	Guard Crush Value
-3	+3	◯	X	6
1～6F upper-body invincibility. Not a very good 2AB, can be used to anti-air people landing not too close in front of you. Can be used to low profile frametraps, or as a frametrap to fish for counterhits since it is positive on guard and cancellable on hit.

Senkai Tsubame (T.O.P. Attack)

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total
16	Mid	9	-	-	-
Hit Adv	Block Adv	Cancel on Hit	Cancel on Block	Guard Crush Value
KD	-24	-	-	25
Very unsafe on block, and if you guardcrush with it you can't combo.

Throws

Tenraku Nage
Close /+

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total
14	-	1	-	-	9
Hit Adv	Block Adv	Cancel on Hit	Cancel on Block	Guard Crush Value
-	-	-	-	-
Hotaru's normal throw. + side-switches you, unless the opponent is in the corner. + lets you stay on the same side, unless you are in the corner and the back throw puts the opponent in the corner.

Hanten Nage
Jump Cl. /+

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total
14	-	1	-	-	-
Hit Adv	Block Adv	Cancel on Hit	Cancel on Block	Guard Crush Value
-	-	-	-	-
Hotaru's air throw.

Feints

++

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total
-	-	-	-	-	10
Hit Adv	Block Adv	Cancel on Hit	Cancel on Block	Guard Crush Value
-	-	-	-	-
Mimics the start of Hakki-shou.

++

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total
-	-	-	-	-	14
Hit Adv	Block Adv	Cancel on Hit	Cancel on Block	Guard Crush Value
-	-	-	-	-
Mimics the start of Sou-shou Shin.

Special Moves

Hakki-shou
+ /

+	Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total
	14	Mid	10	-	-	-
	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Cancel on Hit	Cancel on Block	Guard Crush Value
	-5	-5	-	-	7
+	Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total
	16	Mid	10	-	-	-
	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Cancel on Hit	Cancel on Block	Guard Crush Value
	-5	-5	-	-	8
Hotaru has a good fireball game, the startup is good and the speed is not bad either. Just don't throw them from full screen, that's a free JD for your opponent. Like any fireball, a jump in can lead to big punish. However Hotaru has her forward feint that does the same motion as her fireball startup, she can mess with her opponent's reflexes. The C version has more damage so use C for combos. Both versions are impossible to just defend at 0-pixel health bar.

Sou-shou Shin
+ /

+	Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total
	3×3,4,7	Mid	10	-	-	-
	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Cancel on Hit	Cancel on Block	Guard Crush Value
	KD	-11	-	-	1×5
Unsafe on block. If you combo into this you can probably combo into reflect>fireball for more damage; making this a pretty useless move. Impossible to just defend at 0-pixel health bar.
+	Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total
	5×4,7	Mid	18	-	-	-
	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Cancel on Hit	Cancel on Block	Guard Crush Value
	KD	-1	-	-	2×5
This one is -1 on block, so it is somewhat safe, since only punishable with 0F Supers if you try to block but there is a trick to escape this punish explained here Being multi-hit, it can prevent random guardcancels on wakeup, but the startup is so slow that good players will react to it with a full JD + GC at the end.

Kobi-Kyaku
Reflect
+

+	Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total
	15	Mid	13	-	-	-
	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Cancel on Hit	Cancel on Block	Guard Crush Value
	KD	-19	-	-	7
+ Break	Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total
	15	Mid	13	-	-	-
	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Cancel on Hit	Cancel on Block	Guard Crush Value
	KD	+12	-	-	7
Hotaru's breakable move (always break it). Use the B version whenever you are doing a combo or need the hitbox, because the B version has a greater hitbox. It gives a huge +12 frame advantage on block, allowing to reapply pressure after a blocked reflect. 8～13F projectile reflection.

Kobi-Kyaku
Reflect
+

+	Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total
	15	Mid	13	-	-	-
	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Cancel on Hit	Cancel on Block	Guard Crush Value
	KD	-19	-	-	8
+ Break	Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total
	15	Mid	13	-	-	-
	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Cancel on Hit	Cancel on Block	Guard Crush Value
	KD	+12	-	-	8
This D version is used to reflect fireballs; it has a shorter hitbox, but a greater reflect box. Great meter building tool, use the D version as it gives slightly more meter than the B version. There is a bug with the reflected fireball, if you input a fireball motion it will lose its hurtbox and goes through the opponent (not a very useful bug). 8～17F projectile reflection.

Rengeki-shuu
Divekick
Air + /

Air +	Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total
	8,8	Mid	10	-	-	-
	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Cancel on Hit	Cancel on Block	Guard Crush Value
	KD	>=-8	-	-	3,4
Air +	Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total
	8,8	Mid	13	-	-	-
	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Cancel on Hit	Cancel on Block	Guard Crush Value
	KD	>=-9	-	-	4,4
Almost always unsafe on block... Can be used as a nige-tatsu (to run away) via jump CD (spin in the air) > divekick in the opposite direction. Used in optimised corner combos, after reflect break. You can use the tigerknee motion 2149B to perform a divekick low to the ground. Both versions are impossible to just defend at 0-pixel health bar.

Tenshin-shuu
+

DP B

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total
8,6	Mid	2	-	-	-
Hit Adv	Block Adv	Cancel on Hit	Cancel on Block	Guard Crush Value
KD	-12	-	-	2,2
Can be used as an anti-air but is risky against a full air Just Defend. A much safer but harder version of this anti-air would be a 623 4 B/D motion, timed so that if they hit you will JD and guard cancel with your DP, but if they try to air JD, your DP will hits them at an height low enough where the JD won't proc. 1～4F full-body invincibility, so it can be used as a risky "get off me" tool. Impossible to just defend at 0-pixel health bar.

Tenshin-shuu
+

DP D

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total
12,3×5	Mid	2	-	-	-
Hit Adv	Block Adv	Cancel on Hit	Cancel on Block	Guard Crush Value
KD	-31	-	-	3×5,2
Similar to DP B with more hits and a better anti-air hitbox. 1～4F full-body invincibility, so it can be used as a risky "get off me" tool.

Sha Jou Tai
Command Grab
+

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total
8,8,8	-	9	-	-	-
Hit Adv	Block Adv	Cancel on Hit	Cancel on Block	Guard Crush Value
KD	-	-	-	-
Doesn't lead to big damage, but it scores a hard knockdown, allowing for mix-ups. Corner setup showcase : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eycf9BhE0xw

Super Moves

Ten-shou Range
,+/

,+	Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total
	6×3,25	Mid	0	-	-	-
	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Cancel on Hit	Cancel on Block	Guard Crush Value
	KD	-33	-	-	3×3,0
1～2F full-body invincibility.
,+	Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total
	6×3,3×8,27	Mid	0	-	-	-
	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Cancel on Hit	Cancel on Block	Guard Crush Value
	KD	-32	-	-	5×4
1F full-body invincibility. 2 3 4 5

Sou-shou Ten Renge
,+/

,+	Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total
	3×16,7	Mid	6	-	-	-
	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Cancel on Hit	Cancel on Block	Guard Crush Value
	KD	-51	-	-	1×17
Last hit is in the air. 1～8F full-body invincibility.
,+	Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total
	3×8,5×7,20	Mid (Last hit is High)	6	-	-	-
	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Cancel on Hit	Cancel on Block	Guard Crush Value
	KD	-14	-	-	2×15,5
1～10F full-body invincibility. 2 3 4 5 Ender Ender