The King of Fighters XIII/Hwa Jai

Hwa Jai

In a nutshell

Hwa Jai stopped drowning his Fatal Fury sorrows from defeat in alcohol and makes his first appearance KOF. Hwa Jai shares an almost identical set of normals with Joe, but his options form his special moves allow him to play much different than his Muay Thai predecessor. Hwa has a tricky set of tools that allows him to set up aerial traps akin to Mai's 'gimmicky' techniques. He can easily alter his aerial trajectories and his specials have been considerably improved across the board, which includes his damage power up and command grab DMs.

Move List

Normal Moves

Name

Command

Damage

Special Properties (glossary)

Standing Light Punch

kof.lp

25

chaincancel cancel

Standing Light Kick

kof.lk

30

cancel

Standing Heavy Punch

kof.sp

80

specialcancel

Close Heavy Punch

Close kof.sp

70

cancel

Standing Heavy Kick

kof.sk

80

Close Heavy Kick

Close kof.sk

70

cancel

Crouching Light Punch

d + kof.lp

25

chaincancel cancel

Crouching Light Kick

d + kof.lk

30

low chaincancel

Crouching Heavy Punch

d + kof.sp

70

cancel

Crouching Heavy Kick

d + kof.sk

80

low softknockdown cancel

Blowback Attack

kof.sp + kof.sk

75

lowerbodyinv 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

Jump: 72
Hop: 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)

Sliding

df + kof.lk

75

low softknockdown specialcancel

Throw

Name

Command

Damage

Special Properties (glossary)

Shushouboku ~ Hiza Jigoku

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

30×2+48

throw softknockdown

Special Moves

Name

Command

Damage

Special Properties (glossary)

Bakuretsuken

qcf + p

kof.lp : 20×3
kof.sp : 20×6
ex : 20×3+30+50

drivecancel
ex : softknockdown

Bakuretsuken Finish

p Bakuretsuken, then qcf + p

20+40

softknockdown drivecancel

Dragon Tail

qcb + k

kof.lk : 50
kof.sk : 50×4 (50×3)
ex : 50×4
Air kof.lk : 50
Air kof.sk : 70
Air ex : 90×2

airok drivecancel
Ground ex : hardknockdown
Air kof.sk and ex : softknockdown

Dragon Kick

dp + k

kof.lk : 70
kof.sk : 70×2
ex : 90+35×2
Air k : 70
Air ex : 35×3

airok softknockdown drivecancel
Ground ex and Air ex : anywherejuggle

Desperation Moves

Name

Command

Damage

Special Properties (glossary)

Drink Nomi

qcb qcb + p

For 10 seconds, the following effects are applied:
10% damage increase, increased velocity on special moves, opponents float higher during juggles

Dragon Dance

qcf qcf + k

k : 0+10×9+20×2+20×2+40
ex : 0+10×9+20×6+120

softknockdown

Dragon Backbreaker

qcf hcb + p

50+200
Drink Pink: 50+200+55

throw hardknockdown maxcancel

Final: Dragon Kick

qcf hcb + kof.lk + kof.sk

Direct hit: 450
Indirect hit: 40+40×8

Direct hit: hardknockdown
Indirect hit: softknockdown

Console Changes

• Standing CD now moves forward and has lower-body invincibility.
• Heavy Dragon Tail (qcb+D) has faster recovery; it can be followed up with a normal move after it hits.
• Light Dragon Tail (qcb+B) has faster startup and can be comboed from heavy attacks.
• EX Dragon Tail (qcb+BD) does less guard crush damage.
• EX Air Dragon Kick (Air dp+BD) now hits 3 times like its ground version and does 154 damage (previously 35×3).
• All frames on Drink Nomi (qcb qcb+P) have been changed. It recovers faster now.
• Light Dragon Backbreaker (qcf hcb+A) is now a 1F throw instead of a leaping throw.

Strategy

Move Analysis

Normal Moves

• Standing Light Punch () - Beats out hops.

• Standing Light Kick () - Quick with good range and it combos into the slide. Good way to start a punish if there isn't much time and you need to make up the distance. Chains from crouching Light kick easily.

• Standing Heavy Punch () - Good range and special cancellable (try the heavy Dragon Kick), helps Hwa confirm a combo from a greater distance. Also works as a far anti-air but can trade.

• Close Heavy Punch (Close ) - Standard close normal. Likely to see some heavy use as a combo starter. Press forwards and Heavy punch when the opponent is cornerered and you're covered for a roll attempt. You'll either get the heavy or throw them straight back into the corner.

• Standing Heavy Kick () - Great poking tool, reasonably fast and abusable. Stuffs a lot of attacks. You can afford to abuse it a little. Throw it out on an opponents wakeup if they don't have any reversal options (look at their meter first depending on the character)

• Close Heavy Kick (Close ) - Close knee attack. Seems to have a smaller hit stun window than close Heavy Punch in which to combo afterwards.

• Crouching Light Punch ( + ) - Not all that useful really unless for stuffing and block strings.

• Crouching Light Kick ( + ) - Quick prod, chains into itself, crouch Light punch and stand Light kick or even the slide. Hwa's main low combo starter aside from sliding.

• Crouching Heavy Punch ( + ) - Great horizontal reach but has little verticality. Doesn't work well as anti-air. Good to start a blockstring with from a fair distance because it can't be ducked.

• Crouching Heavy Kick ( + ) - Decent reach. Punishable.

• Blowback Attack ( + ) - Use when you detect a sweep or slide. More utility than most blowback attacks due to the lower body invulnerablity. Nice and fast but also punishable so be prepared to eventually have this move baited by good players.

• Jumping Light Punch (Air ) - Horizontal tap that hits fairly high up. Speedy air-to-air.

• Jumping Light Kick (Air ) - Standard jumping prod. Fast but not that good range.

• Jumping Heavy Punch (Air ) - Great jump-in attack. Cancelling this deep into light aerial Dragon Tail allows you to link a close heavy punch afterwards.

• Jumping Heavy Kick (Air ) - Diagonally angled kick that's lovely for jumping in with, though maybe not as much hit stun as the heavy punch. Use them interchangably.

• Jumping Blowback Attack (Air + ) - Hangs out for a while and is ok in an air-to-air situation. Possible to block it low like all aerial blowback attacks.

Unique Attacks

• Sliding (+ ) - A great cancellable slide. Superb range for a combo starter or to put inbetween a close normal and a special. Cancels into DMs. Doesn't go under projectiles unfortunately.

Throw

• Shushouboku ~ Hiza Jigoku ( or + or [while close]) - Standard throw. Heavy kick switches sides, Heavy punch doesn't. Bear this in mind when you have the opportunity to put or keep your opponent in the corner. Refer to 'Heavy punch' description above.

Special Moves

• Bakuretsuken ( + ) - Combos from close normals but not mid-screen after a slide. The follow up launches. Cancel it into a Heavy Dragon Tail and the opponent is still airborne for further punishment with a Dragon dance or Ex Dragon dance. Not a great hit box on this (the hurtbox seems huge) so it's for combos only.
  • Bakuretsuken ( + + ) - Combos easily from a slide mid-screen and the follow up is automatic. Much better hit box than the non-EX version but still gets beat out often so best to leave this move to combos.
• Dragon Tail ( + ) - Not an overhead. Heavy travels much higher in the air. This is a move for keeping the pressure on, light is pretty safe against most of the cast.
  • Dragon Tail ( + + ) - Comes out very fast and has great range. Hits twice on the first jump and twice on the second. A clutch move.
• Air Dragon Tail (Air + ) - The light allows you to continue moving with jump momentum while the heavy moves you backwards. The light combos from a jumping Heavy punch.
  • Air Dragon Tail (Air + + ) - Very similar looking to the hard version but has a better hitbox. Beats out a lot of air moves done early enough.
• Dragon Kick ( + ) - Heavy has horizontal range, Light is the anti-air. Heavy can be cancelled on either hit which is important to bear in mind when working on combos in the lab. Both are punishable on block or whiff, particularily the Heavy.
  • Dragon Kick ( + + ) - Hits up to three times and the latter two hits are direction selectable. Hold the direction desired and press kick after the first hit connects. If you see the opponent has blocked the first two hits then use the third to pussy off across the screen away from punishment.
• Air Dragon Kick (Air + ) - Heavy is very similar to the grounded version, light is angled 45 degrees downwards and great for altering jump trajectory.
  • Air Dragon Kick (Air + + ) - About the same as the grounded EX. Beats out quite a few attacks.

Desperation Moves

• Drink Nomi ( + ) - Increases damage done by 10% (more with Dragon Backbreaker) and specials have more lift to them, allowing you to keep juggle combos going longer. Hwa hangs out his tongue for 10 seconds on the in-game timer.
• Dragon Dance ( + ) - A smashing move for finishing juggle combos. Sod all priority. Don't expect to hit with this raw very often.
  • Dragon Dance ( + + ) - Substantially more damage than the non EX version for an extra bar of meter. Works in all the same situations and it has faster startup too. Still has a poor hit box as far as I can tell.
• Dragon Backbreaker ( + ) - Light is a close one frame grab, Heavy a far jumping one. Use the Light either in combos or when you're opponent is right next to you at a frame disadvantage. Be consistent with the input and your opponent will be hesitant to do anything unsafe. Empty jump/hop and rolls are also a decent method to get in range. The Heavy can be worked into quite a few natural setups or you can simply wait for your opponent to make a mistake and punish it. Has startup invulnerability. Keep the pressure on with a flurry of physical attacks and condition the opponent to block or move predictably, then strike. Gets a hefty damage boost from 'Drink Nomi' which makes it really something scary. An excellent DM overall.
• Final: Dragon Kick ( + + ) - Big damage if it connects properly and goes into the black screen animation, reduced damaged if it it doesn't connect fully. This second version can be followed up given the right circumstances. As a stand-alone move it isn't that great as Neomaxes go.

Team Order

1st position

Pros

• Can be played offensively or defensively, though you're better off with a bar of meter so you can keep a Dragon backbreaker in the bank.

Cons

• No meter or drive so less combo options and no Dragon backbreaker punish.

2nd position

Pros

• Has meter to play with so can score big damage with simple combos. Also should have HD meter for drive cancels, which is very helpful in getting more damage. Meter allows an instant punish with Dragon backbreaker - incredibly useful.

Cons

• Can have a very bad round from time to time if you don't manage to keep momentum going or should you're opponent play safe and keep you out. As the meat of a team this can be an issue in certain matchups or if you're opponent knows your options very well.

3rd position

Pros

• Ample meter so DRINK NOMI! Combo options are insane with lots of meter/drive and his EX attacks can be good to throw out at clutch moments. Also: buffed up Dragon backbreakers all day.

Cons

• If he's kept out then there's nothing he can do. The meter will just go to waste and you're blood will turn to sodium. His Neomax isn't all that great in terms of range or utility either.

Basic Strategy

Hwa initially appears to be a straightforward rushdown character, but he also has great defensive options. The Light Dragon kick proves excellent as a fast anti-air, reversal or occasional wakeup 'get off me' attack and the Light Dragon backbreaker allows him to punish any unsafe move for very respectable damage. When in the 'Drink Nomi' state the Dragon backbreaker is further buffed and his juggle options go through the roof without even necessarily having to go into HD mode. Pester the opponent with unrelenting pressure (mix up your normals high and low and make sure to abuse the fairly safe Light Dragon tail) and keep then in hit stun with block strings while looking to land one of his simple hit comfirms into a nice beefy combo. Far standing Heavy punch and the slide have impressive range on the ground, Heavy Dragon kick in the air is a good confirm too. You don't really need to save meter exclusively for HD mode combos to do big damage with Hwa; one or two drive cancels can allow for some pretty devastating combos on they're own. Standing Heavy kick is good for stuffing attacks if you lose offensive momentum, use it when you need to keep the opponent away or as a meaty on their wakeup if the character doesn't have access to any moves with invulnerability frames.

If your opponent has solid defenses then there's always the option of using a Dragon backbreaker to break through it, so study your opponents movement habits and an opportunity will present itself. Try to always take advantage of chances to punish your opponent with Light Dragon backbreaker when you block something up close which leaves them in recovery, or the Heavy version when they whiff a move from further away or empty jump. Being able to accurately judging the distance that Hwa jumps forward is handy because it's mightily punishable on whiff. Hwa is generally pretty good when in the air, but some characters can negate this to a some degree so explore grounded options should you find yourself repeatedly punished for jumping. Utilise the lower body invulnerability of the standing blowback attack when you sniff out a low or sweep to score an easy knockdown, then continue to apply pressure and keep them in the corner if you can. Be unpredictable in you're offense because he's not particularily safe, but once in a while there's nothing wrong with playing a little recklessly to try and score some good damage. How well you know you're opponent (and they you) will dictate how successful you are in controlling the match. Just don't throw out a naked Dragon dance in a neutral situation, it has a wank hit box.

He works better with meter/drive than without so might not be the best choice for a point character.

Advanced Strategy

• High level Muay Thai tactics.
• Always listen to this while fighting. Bonus points if you're drunk while hearing it.