Marvel vs Capcom 2/Morrigan

Introduction

Morrigan Aensland, arguably the main character of Capcom's Darkstalkers series, has been present in Capcom's vs series since Marvel vs Capcom 1. She is also the first Darkstalker to appear as a playable character in any vs game.

Popular in casual play in MvC2, she is considered by most to be upper-mid tier. Morrigan is similar in gameplay to a shoto with improved air maneuverability and above average rushdown.

Moves List

Normal Moves

Morrigan's normals can all cancel into a full magic series. Of special note are her j.lp, which is generally her best rushdown tool, and c.db+hp, which is her only ground-based heavy normal that's safe on block by itself, and has good range, startup, and recovery to boot.

Standing Normals:
	Startup	Visual Description	Hits high/low	Safe on Block?	SJ Cancel?
s.lp	2 frames	hits with her hair		yes
s.lk	2 frames	short-range kick		yes	yes
s.mp	6 frames			yes	yes
s.mk	5 frames			yes
s.hp	8 frames			no	yes
s.hk	7 frames			no	yes
s.f+hk	11 frames			no	no
Crouching Normals:
	Startup	Visual Description	Hits high/low	Safe on Block?	SJ Cancel?
c.lp	3 frames			yes
c.lk	4 frames		low	yes
c.mp	3 frames			yes
c.mk	6 frames		low	yes
c.db+hp	6 frames	long range swing		yes	no
c.df+hp	6 frames	launcher		no	yes
c.hk	9 frames	sweep	low	no	yes
Jumping Normals:
	Startup	Visual Description	Hits high/low	Safe on Block?
j.lp	2 frames	diagonal spike	high	yes
j.lk	3 frames		high	yes
j.mp	6 frames		high	yes
j.mk	6 frames		high	yes
j.hp	10 frames		high	yes
j.hk	6 frames		high	yes
j.d+hk	10 frames	shell pierce	high	only in unfly mode

Command Normals:

s.f+hk: A multi-hitting flip-kick. This move is COMPLETELY USELESS. It has the longest startup of all her normals, it looks like it hits high but it DOESN'T, and it has terrible range. It's not cancelable into specials or supers either. Avoid at all costs.

c.db+hp: One of Morrigan's best all-around normals. Good horizontal range, good startup, good priority, and excellent recovery. This is her ONLY ground-based heavy normal that's safe on block by itself. It also combos fairly easily into silhouette blade.

c.df+hp: Morrigan's launcher. Decent range, average priority. NOT SAFE ON BLOCK unless you cancel into something or have an assist covering you.

j.d+hk: Her Shell Pierce. Travels straight down. Without unfly mode, it recovers in normal jump mode with the action used up. If you have unfly mode, it recovers in normal jump mode with an action avaiable. EXCELLENT RECOVERY if you have unfly. In fact, it recovers early enough to be linked into another combo if you're quick. If you don't have unfly, you can still make the recovery safe(r) by canceling it into qcb+k before you bounce away from the opponent, or into qcf+p after you bounce away.

Special Moves

Morrigan has a shoto-like collection of special moves. Each is useful in its way.

Soul Fist qcf + P (ground or air)

Morrigan's fireball. The ground version travels horizontally, and the air version travels diagonally down-forward. Use this for basic zoning, comboing into supers, finishing combos, space controll, ending block strings, and providing cover.

Shadow Blade f,d,df + P (ground or air)

Her uppercut. Ground HP version is multi-hitting. Used as anti air and in some combos. Can be canceled into Darkness Illusion and then qucikly DHC'd to combo off of an anti-air hit.

Drill Kick: qcb + K (air only)

Three-hitting arial drill move. Used to make certain air-to-air confrontations safer, and in certain combos. This move has exceptionally long hit stun, which allows for a couple of her infinites. This move is also Morrigan's best bet for doing solo chip damage (unfortunately).

Vector Drain: hcb + P (ground only)

Command throw. Morrigan does a spinning jet-propelled slam. Decent damage. Cannot be tech hit out of. Unfortunately. it sets you and your opponent a full screen away from each other and you recover at the same time.

Snapback: qcf + A1 or A2

4 frame startup. Tied with several characters as having the 3rd fastest snapback in the game. Decent horizontal range, iffy vertical range, hits OTG. Recovers quickly enough to punish an assist with a double-snap followed by relaunch to death, but the timing is difficult.

Tag in: lp+lk or hp+hk

16 frame startup. Tied with several characters as having the 2nd fastest tag in in the game. Unfortunately, the range isn't too great.

Super Moves

Soul Eraser (SE): qcf + PP

With the longest startup of all her supers before the flash, SE is just slightly faster than Ironman's Proton Cannon. Also like the Proton Cannon, it's instantly full-screen after the flash. Huge damage variance depending on where you hit your opponent; SE can do as little as 20 damage if you catch them in the air, or as much as 90+ damage if you catch them standing at about 1/4 screen distance from Morrigan. Mashable for extra damage. Difficult to combo into.

Silohette Blade (SHB): dpm + PP

Fastest startup super. Easy to combo into. Her only super that's sort of safe on block. Good for DHCing out.

Darkness Illusion (DI): qcf + KK

Completely invincible after it connects. Might have some invincibility before it connects as well, I've gone through Sonic Booms and Viper beams(blue ones) low attacks wiff against it to. Bounces off most projectiles.

Assist Moves

Anti Air:

Assist: HP Shadow Blade
Counter: HP Shadow Blade
THC: Silhouette Blade

Probably her best overall assist type, her AAA has Psylocke-like speed and priority.

Projectile:

Assist: Soul Fist
Counter: Soul Fist
THC: Soul Eraser

Soul fist can be a decent assist for combos and ground control, but it doesn't make a good variable counter in most situations.

Balance:

Assist: Soul Fist
Counter: Shadow Blade
THC: Silhouette Blade

A superior Soul Fist assist type. You get the same assist as Projectile, but a better variable counter, Shadow Blade. You also get a safer THC, if you're into that kinda thing.

The Basics

B&B Combos:

(Launch,SJ LP,LK,MP,MK, ...)

End with HP or HK for better positioning or Soul Fist for slightly better damage. In the corner you can finish with HP,HK and try to OTG your opponent with a LP on your way down. Followups to the OTG will be listed in the advanced strategies section. I know these are basic air combos, but it's her best option without assists or supers.

(Launch+Ironman AAA,SJ HK XX DI)

Other AAAs work as well.

(LP, MP XX SHB)

The most reliable way to combo into super on her own.

(C.LK,db+HP XX SF XX SE)

You have to be close for this to work. Easier in the corner, but works from midscreen as well.

(C.LK+Projectile assist,C.MK,HK XX SE)

Tron assist works best becuase of the damage, Storm and Gambit assist work great too. (many others)

Teammates:

Basic Rushdown Patterns:

Block Chains:

Advanced Strategy

Infinites:

[normal jump, j.lp, j.lk, j.mp, j.mk, j.hp, land] repeat brakets

Her basic standing Sentinal infinite. Other variations also work. If you're getting too far away from Sentinal, you can dash forward in between reps to get closer.

[launch, sj, sj.lk, sj.d+hk XX qcb+k, land, walk forward, s.lp] repeat brackets

This works on Doom, Tron, Collosus, Storm, Venom, Bison, Silver Samurai, Anarkis, Zangief, Sabretooth, Ruby, and Amingo. You can also do one cycle to set stuff up on the Hulk, Sentinal and Juggernaut. This and her standing Sentinal infinite are her only really usefull infinites.

With opponent at normal jump height near corner [jump forward, j.lp, j.lk, j.mk, j.hp, qcb+k, land] repeat brackets

Difficult to setup, difficult to perform, unreliable, poor damage.

With opponent standing [dash in s.hp, sj cancel, adf, sj.lp, sj.mp, sj.hk, land] repeat brackets

Difficult to perform, but this one might actually be useful if your timing is good enough. Works on any character from anywhere, decent damage, good resetability and comboable into SE or DI.

Throw Setups:

Morrigan's throws are best accompanied by an assist. Depending on which assist you are using, though, you may want to use a different throw.

After a flying screen OTG in the corner (see "B&B combos" in the "Basics" section):
(normal jump, j.lp, j.lk, j.mp, j.hp, j.hk, land, ...)

After this combo, the following events will occur, in this order:

Morrigan will land and recover.

The opponent will land right next to Morrigan.

The opponent will recover.

The opponent will bounce slightly up into the air.

Morrigan can grab them at any point after they recover, even before the bounce (though the timing is VERY difficult). For an easier throw setup, you can jump forward, wait for the bounce, and air throw them. Alternately, you can stay on the ground, wait for the bounce, and tick throw with (s.lp,walk forward, throw). Don't forget to call the appropriate assist for each throw. Resets: Character Specific Strategies: Against Storm: Against Sentinal: Against Cable: Against Magneto: Corner Strategies: Unfly Mode: