Introduction
TvC says that Roll originated from the original Mega Man series (which is true). Roll is generally considered to be a low tier character, but can still be used effectively in experienced hands. She has somewhat low damage on her BnBs without a charge or super, and lacks viable infinites. However, with super bar she can be a very powerful character, as she has high damage super combos off of both her overhead and her lows. Casshern is a very good partner for roll, as he adds damage to any of her normal combos including normal BnBs and the ability to DHC her OTG supers to make them safe. Roll's dashes are slow, which hurts her a lot, along with the inability to consistently combo off of her IADs.
Moves List
Normal Moves
- F+B - Jumping Overhead Broom Smach - Roll jumps in the air and smacks her enemy with her broom.
Special Moves
- QCF+A/B/C (Can also be done in the air) - Broom Smack - Roll takes her broom and smacks the enemy in the face, causing them to fly in the air. The A version launches the enemy into the air slightly, the B version launches the enemy into the air half way, and the C version launches the enemy in the air over half way. The air version of Broom Smack has the same effects. Both version can be used in a combo.
- DP+A/B/C - Water Bucket - Roll takes her bucket full of water and whips it at her enemy. If the water hits the enemy, the enemy will stagger backwards. If you're close, this can lead into a launcher (Down-forward+C), any special, or a super. If the water hits the ground, you will leave a puddle of water. If the enemy touches the puddle of water, the enemy will trip. Each version has its own distance. A version travels less than half way across the screen, B version travels a little over half way across the screen, and C version travels all the way across the screen.
- Charge back for a few seconds, then tap forward+A/B/C - Sweeping Power - Roll dashes at her enemy and starts to sweep them with her broom! Each version has its own travel distance and number of hits. The A version does 5 hits when you're close to the enemy; A version travels about 2/3 across the screen. The B version does 7 hits when you're close to the enemy; B version travels all the way across the screen and possibly hitting the enemy with 1 hit. The C version does 9 hits when you're close to the enemy; C version travels all the way across the screen and possibly hitting the enemy with 3 hits. This can be used in a combo and can be canceled into a super. Example : Sweeping Power -> Sweeping Power Turbo (Charge back for a few seconds, then tap forward+AB).
- QCB+A/B/C - Charging the Broom - Roll charges her broom. This gives you the ability to use an enhanced version of all of her special moves. For instance:
- --Both air and ground version of Broom Smack does a wall bounce (Note: Ground A version will do a wall bounce if you and your enemy are close enough to the wall, otherwise, A version will just make your enemy fly to the other side of the screen).
- --Water Bucket makes the water travel all the way across the screen, doing 2 hits for A version, and 3 hits for B and C versions
- --Sweeping Power will travel faster and do additional hits. A version will do 8 hits, B version will do 12 hits, and C version will do 16 hits. You can cancel her enhanced Charging the Broom into her Sweeping Power Turbo.
Super Moves
- Charge back for a few seconds, then tap forward+AB - Sweeping Charge Turbo - Roll does a super version of her Sweeping charge, then at the end does her Broom Smack, causing the enemy to fly in the air. This does a total of 16 hits.
- QCB+AB - Healing - Roll goes into some prayer position, and something drops on her head (water or the energy ball that the original Mega Man gets while he's in battle?). Anyway, if Roll gets it, the screen will freeze for about 3 seconds.
- DP+AB (Level 3 Super) - Tsunami Wave Super - Roll puts her enemy's rear end on fire, causing them a great deal of pain. As they stagger in pain(wouldn't you?), Roll gets out this gigantic bucket filled with water, tips it towards her enemy. This causes a tsunami wave, hitting their enemy. This super does a total of 13 hits.
The Basics
Roll has trouble comboing off of her IADs sometimes due to the relatively short hitstun on her j.C. Also, her dashes have startup lag, unlike a lot of caracters in the game It can still be used, but it's not quite as useful as other characters, and it must stay very low to the ground if you do use it. There are, however, a couple ways to get around this. The first way is to IAD, then double jump cancel, air dash again using A+B+C, this will give you a little extra height and make you fall faster. If you hit C before reaching the opponent, you will fall quickly and be able to combo off of it. A full jump air dash works the same way. A second useful approach for roll is a j.C, tap up to jump cancel, but before Roll jumps, hit C again for a second j.C. This allows you to hit a j.C and combo off of it quickly from high on the angle of a normal jump, making it a useful approach.
Roll can't combo into her launcher without baroque or assist and her aerial combos aren't particularly useful anyways.
Most of roll's useful approaches, however, are on the ground. While her ground dashes still have startup lag, they are useful because you can use the momentum from your dashes and slide while executing a number of moves including her low A, her 6B overhead, and low blocks.
If playing roll as point, the first order of business should be to get a charge. There are a couple ways to do this, the most normal ways it this:
2A,2B,2C,236C,214C (note that this becomes unsafe if you've cornered the opponent)
With a casshern partner, you can use his assist for a combo that does a little more damage and gives you a better chance at retaining offensive momentum.
2A,2B,2C,assist,214C
Once a charge is obtained, a normal no-super BnB should go:
(j.C),1A,1B,1C,6C(mash C)
Roll has a number of options with her sweep super, but it's unsafe if hit on the ground, and potentially unsafe as it can uncombo if used on a standing opponent outside the corner. However it can be very useful as it can be comboed into itself in the corner, so your goal should be to get your opponent to the corner, and use the sweep super twice, cancelled into something else for safety if necessary. A good combo with good corner carry could go something like this.
1A,4B,4C,6A,(charge 4),baroque,4C,6C,charge 4,6A+B,(charge 4),6C(link),DHC into an OTG hitting super (casshern DP super)
Roll also has a number of options off of her overhead. It comboes directly into lvl 3 super or, due to short charge times, lvl 1 super. Also, it can be baroqued into any normal low chain as a powerful combo starter. (i.e. any of the above combos)
As far as healing goes, there are a couple ways to land it. The most common one is simply with a charge to go:
2A,2B,2C,236C,214A+B (once again, won't work correctly in the corner)
With casshern assist, similar to the charge combo, you can go
2A,2B,2C, assist, 214A+B
This combo can actually be timed so that it heals either roll or casshern. If you want to heal casshern, you must execute the super IMMEDIATELY after calling the assist, the timing is very fast. It's definitely controllable though, and with normal timing, will always heal roll.