Chaos Breaker/Mara

Introduction

Mara has a very unusual playstyle that involves making careful use out of his undead summons and is not a character for beginners. He has decent normals and poor defense, but where he really shines is his ability to deal lots of damage in a short span of time. Another interesting quirk for Mara is the fact that a lot of his abilities will trade with the opponent and will usually be in his favor, depending on his current health at the time. Definitely one of the more complex characters in the game.

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The Basics

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Combos

Mid-screen

6B > 41236D

• Really basic 2-in-1. Used as a staple in many Mara combos and is a great way to build meter.

2A > 623A, 623A

• 2A is only cancellable on hit.

j.D, land, 2B > 41236D

• Quick anti-clash combo. 2B has pretty fast startup and is easier to cancel and does more damage than 2A.

j.C, land, 6C > 41236D

• Heavy jump-in combo. One of Mara's more damaging meterless combos, it's also something you should use with caution since the j.C needs to be performed low to the ground.

5D > 623A, 623A or 214214A/B

• A nasty surprise on wakeup. The timing for getting the fireball to connect properly isn't too difficult, but it does vary on certain characters. Use the B version on Curse Head and Gerhardsen and do it slightly later than usual on the dwarf. If you do this combo in the corner, you shouldn't have to worry about button strength or timing as much and you'll be able to start Mara's loop.

Corner

2C > 236A xx 6B > 41236D

• Basic corner combo that's used to score extra damage and meter. Works on everyone.

2C > 236A xx 2C > 236A xx 6B > 41236D

• Only works on characters with a wider hitbox such as Troll, Gerhardsen, Manticore, and Orc. Bernhard can be hit by the 6B, but the 41236D will not combo. Use the Naught Weapon IB if you really want to get that last hit.

2C > 236A xx 6B > [623A, 214214X, 236C]x3

• Mara's Bone Loop and 100% combo when done correctly. The most crucial part of maintaining the juggle is timing the super to get all 4 hits to connect, and this can be more difficult to accomplish on some characters.

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Strategy

Item Compatibility

Mana Potion

• Mara is at his most dangerous when his Mana Gauge is stocked, so Mana Potions are a good way to keep on top of it.

Character Chemistry

Nagar

• In the arcade version of the game, Nagar's assist could be used to set up unblockables by summoning zombies (214X) at the opponent's location immediately after Nagar had connected with the overhead. This has been patched in the console version but still remains a viable method of mixup if the opponent doesn't expect it.

Evetta

• Along the same veins as Nagar's assist, except Evetta hits the opponent with a low, meaning the Mara player should use an overhead in order to take advantage of the mixup.

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Matchups

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Move Analysis

Normals and Command Normals

Standing

5A

• Quick jab with the front of the staff.

5B

• Turning poke with the back of the staff.

5C

• Heavy downward bash with the head of the staff.

5D

• Mara raises a glowing hand high above his head before slamming it down on the opponent. As a cancellable overhead, it is easily one of Mara's best moves and a great tool for oki. It has a slow startup, but it has decent range that's aided by the fact that it moves Mara slightly forward. Space this move correctly and don't throw it out too often, especially when your opponent is still standing.

Crouching

2A

• Crouching staff jab. Looks similar to 5A but actually has more range. It is cancellable on hit, but not on block.

2B

• Identical to 2A, except the animation is slower and the hitbox is about a pixel longer.

2C

• Low meaty staff bash.

2D

• Glowing hand sweep. Comes out fairly fast and has more range than it looks.

Command

6A

• Quick sideways swipe with the staff.

6B

• Lunging staff attack that moves Mara forward about half a character and is hands down, his best poke. Easily combos to 41236D, except near max range.

6C

• Advancing staff bash to the face. Has a larger hitbox and more vertical range than 6B, but it is also slower.

6D

• Mara's blowback attack. Moves him forward about the same distance as 5D.

Jumping

j.A

• Downwards staff jab. Used in air-to-air situations where the opponent is directly below you and works well for clashing ground moves. It's also Mara's one and only cross-up, but you're never going to use it.

j.B

• Forward staff jab. Your best choice for jump-ins and a pretty decent air-to-air. Make sure you combo into 6B on landing after a successful hit.

j.C

• Upwards staff jab. Used for very specific air-to-air situations, resets, and as a heavy jump-in when performed low to the ground. As a rule, j.C should not be used a jump-in unless you're absolutely positive that it will hit. Given how low to the ground you have to be in order for it to connect, it's too great of a risk otherwise.

j.D

• Downwards glowing hand. Makes for an okay jump-in and a good way to keep your opponent from clash-dashing.

Normal Throws

Forward Throw: 6D (when close)

• A blue circle appears under the opponent, which allows Mara to lift his opponent over his head with telekinesis, then slam them down in front of him. Ermac would be proud.

Back Throw: 4D (when close)

• Same as the front throw, except he slams the opponent into the ground behind him.

Specials

Skeleton Animate: 236A/B/C

• Summons a skeleton warrior directly in front of Mara.
• A version is 2 hits and goes active immediately. Can be comboed from.
• B version is 2 hits, floats on the second hit, but is slower to come out. There is also a delay between when the skeleton appears and when it attacks.
• C version is 3 hits, is slightly slower than A but faster than B. The attack hitbox appears right away but is vertical at the start.
• Will still come out after a certain frame even if Mara is counter-hit.

Zombie Animate: 214A/B/C/D

• A number of ghoulish hands reach out from the ground to trap the opponent.
• Appears at 4 different locations on the screen (A being closest, D being farthest) that change depending on the distance from your opponent and the corner. It will never appear off-screen.
• Hits low and does 4 hits.
• Will still come out after a certain frame even if Mara is counter-hit.
• Incredibly unsafe on block.

Death Bone: 623A/B/C

• Bone pillar Shoryuken. Launches on hit.
• A is fast, one hit, and appears slightly in front of and on top of Mara's sprite. Combo follow-ups are possible.
• B is slightly slower, one hit, and appears further in front of Mara than the A version.
• C is even slower, 2 hits, and appears on either side of Mara as a protective wall. Has really bad recovery.
• Burst cancellable.

White Touch: 41236D

• Dashing attack throw that does 7 hits.
• Plummets on air hit and only does one hit.
• Good for building meter.
• Miss animation on whiff.

Mana Bursts

Skeleton Army: 236236A/B/C

• Summons a series of skeletons that attack in a largely random pattern until the final hit.
• During the summoning, a number of lightning bolts also appear and these cannot be clashed. Unlike the skeletons, they can be controlled by the button strength.
• A version has 3 bolts that stay close to Mara. B version has 4 bolts that move further forward. C version has 4 bolts that move the furthest away from Mara.
• This move can be used as a surprisingly effective anti-air due to the appearance of the lightning bolts and large amount of invincibility frames.

Bad Blood: 214214A/B/C

• Very big, purple projectile that hits anywhere from 6-10 times.
• Holding down the attack button after the projectile appears will slow the release of it, increasing the hit count and causing a significant amount of chip damage.
• Button strength determines how fast the projectile becomes active.
• Will even be released on counter-hit, usually resulting in a highly damaging trade.

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Frame Data

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Chaos Breaker