"Forgive me. I cannot accept your existence in my realm." By: Demitri Maximoff

Introduction

"Come On Baby!" This is Demitri, an incredible character from the Darkstalkers series. He may look like a Shoto(He has a fireball and a good DP), but he is very different from them. He is great to use in this game, and very unique compared to the other characters from this game. If you never played a Darkstalkers game, he can be hard to you, so learn at your risk. Now for his Good and Bad Things:

The Badass Vampire's Good and Bad Things:
(Note: Some of the things below are compared to the Darkstalkers series, only for those who used him in that game, so if you're used to some of his strategies, sorry, but you'll need to change part of them.)

Good Things:

Fun to play;
He is very good for intermediate players;
Nice walking speed;
Can approach and run away from the opponent with ease in the battle(Yeah, he is free);
Has a great zoning game in MAXIMUM Move;
Can use ES projectiles(In the ground and in the air) and Pursuits(More details about pursuits will be on the Command Moves section);
Can do Hunter(aka Savior) combos(More detais will be in there too);
His Exceed can beat probably any projectile in the game;
He still has his teleport dash from his game(But it isn't a normal dash, and you can still followup with his different DP);
Has unblockable Supers(He can still do some of his setups with the dash);
Can do damaging loops on MAXIMUM Mode.

Bad Things:

Cannot combo with his Supers(Don't worry, he can combo with the Exceed);
Has a high standing/crouching hitbox;
Doesn't have air grabs/Special grabs anymore;
Cannot use his DF(Dark Force, and he would be broken if he had it);
His MAXIMUM Mode loops are only possible on the corner(Demitri is a zoner, which means it's hard to put the opponent on the corner);
Cannot link normals in the air(In Vampire Savior he could link some of them);
He still don't have quick overhead options;
Cannot block in the air anymore;
Cannot do Tech Hits while blocking(He can GCF/CD cancel instead);
Exceed doesn't knocks down.

How to Select Demitri

Hmm... So you really want to play with him, huh? And you're using the Arcade version of the game in an emulator? Don't worry, really... You can select him by cheats, or even with an input in the Character Select screen. It is here:

(While holing start) Right(3x), Left, Up, Right, Down, Up

After that, just press a button(Not the directional ones) to select him. Oh, and there are some hacked versions of the arcade version(You can play one of them online on Fightcade, and Demitri is selectable in there). Remember that this input needs to be done before the timer reaches 10(ten).

Moves List

Normal Moves

Demitri's normals arsenal is very nice to use, and for some of those normals, you can be forced(Yeah, forced) to use them on combos. Begin your first strategies here.

s.LP - (Close) Very fast move that can be canceled easily, can chain into itself, but whiffs on low crouching characters(It can whiff on some standing one too, and I'm not talking about only Choi). Good to use in Light Attack combos. (Far) Same as the above, but with better reach and cannot be normal canceled.
s.LK - (Close) Incredible move. Why? It has the same properties as the cl.LP, but cannot whiff on low crouching characters. Extremely nice to use as a Light Attack combo starter. (Far) Great poke. Fast, cannot be normal canceled, and can link with ease after any Light Attack.
s.HP - (Close) Good on combos, but bad if used alone. Demitri does a punch that whiffs on low crouching characters(He has this problem, and it's very dangerous for him against some characters). Can be canceled, the damage is nice, but watch out when you use it. (Far) Fast poke that whiffs on low crouching chars. Good to use as a damaging poke. That's all.
s.HK - (Close) Same properties as the cl.HP(It whiffs on low crouching chars too). (Far) Damaging poke that whiffs on low crouching characters. Demitri will move a little forward when he uses this move.

j.LP - (Diagonal) Bad move, Demitri has better air moves to use. (Neutral) A great defensive air-to-air. You can use it if you need.
j.LK - (Diagonal) In his game(Darkstalkers and Vampire Savior/Hunter), he could crossup with this normal. Here, sadly, is harder(I couldn't got a crossup with this, but I think it's possible). Good to use as a jump-in. (Neutral) This is Demitri's best neutral jump-in. It's fast, you can combo after this move with ease, and you can use against characters with a not that high jump(Like Hugo, for example).
j.HP - (Diagonal) Damaging air-to-air and jump-in move. You can use this as your main jump-in. (Neutral) Can be used like the Diagonal version.
j.HK - (Diagonal) Very fast in startup and recovery, so if you want to use this as your main jump-in, time well, but it's very good to use too. (Neutral) Kick that aims up. Avoid this move, Demitri have better options for anti-airs.

cr.LP - This is your move to start his Light Attack combos(Demitri's combos are better if he begins crouching, and finishing while standing). Very good to cancel, very nice to chain into itself, and link it with other Light Attacks. Can be used as a poke too.
cr.LK - This is just your helper for Light Attack combos, so use it in the middle(Or even in the end) of them. This move can be used as a low poke too, and it will help you in his Hunter/Savior(but I'll call them Hunter) combos.
cr.HP - This move is a great cancelable(And fast) anti-air, but... You know, he has a DP... Use this move if you want
cr.HK - This move is a great low poke, due to the reach of this move(Can probably be the sweep with most reach in the game). This is your best ender for those Hunter combos too(We're getting into them, don't worry).

Command Moves

Hell Ride (aka Pursuit, for the VSav players)

u+K (While the opponent is knocked down) - Well... For those who don't know Demitri yet, this is a pursuit. So... What is a pursuit? It's a feature from the Darkstalkers games. It can hit as an OTG(On/Off the ground) move that can be used as a followup for almost any knockdown move on the arsenal of the character. Oh, if you miss, don't worry, it's very fast, and has almost no recovery. So, it's safe to use? The answer will depend of your timing. For those who used him in Darkstalkers, Demitri don't have an ES version of this move in this game.

Standing LP

f+LP - Here, we will begin to know Demitri's Hunter Combos system. This move is one of the weak starters, and it has the same animation as the f.LP, but it's part of a chain(If you try to do Hunter Combos with the f.LP only, just forget, you'll need to press forward to begin them). Why is it called Standing, and not "Close", or "Far"? First, Demitri doesn't have a Far/Close version of this move(Yeah, they are the same). Second, the Hunter Combos are better when they are done from a very close range(So, we'll use only one version of the Standing normals). Oh, and remember something: For the "Standing" and "Crouching" moves, you cannot cancel normal moves into them(They can be Command Normals, but cannot be comboed with Demitri's Normal Moves). Oh, they can be canceled on MAXIMUM Mode.

Standing MP

b+LP - This move is to use in the middle of the Hunter Combos(You'll see more details on that later). It looks like a faster cl.HP(It has almost all of the same properties), but cannot be normal canceled.

Standing HP

f+HP - Use it near from the end of the combo. The animation in the same from Demitri's f.HP, but a little faster. You can use as a poke too(Yeah, a faster poke).

Standing LK

f+LK - Same animation as Demitri's cl.LK, and it's the best starter(If you remember the cl.LK's properties compared to the LP attacks, you'll know why). Cannot be normal canceled.

Standing MK

b+LK - Wait... This move is new... It can be used as an anti-air(It doesn't have two versions, so you can't get a wrong version of the move). Very fast, and cannot be normal canceled.

Standing HK

HK(After any "Standing Move") - Same animation as the f.HK, but faster. The bad part is that you can use the faster version only while you're doing a Hunter Combo(And no, you cannot do "Whiffing Hunter Combos" to get a faster version).

Crouching LP

df+LP - Same animation as Demitri's cr.LP, but cannot be normal canceled. It's the best starter for crouching Hunter Combos too.

Crouching MP

db+LP - Same animation as the above, but to use in the middle of the combo.

Crouching HP

df+HP - This move, if used alone, is a great low poke. The reach is almost the same as Demitri's cr.HK.

Crouching LK

df+LK - Same animation as the cr.LK. Only that.

Crouching MK

db+LK - This cr.MK isn't that good when canceled in MAXIMUM Mode(Demitri can be like a Shoto, but with a different style), so use it only on the Hunter Combos.

Crouching HK

d+HK - It's a crouching HK, and the best ender for any Hunter Combo. Why? You can followup it. And you know what I mean. If not, see the Pursuit in the beginning of this section. Time well when you're going to followup it(But don't worry if you miss).

Special Moves

Chaos Flare (aka Fireball)

QCF+P (In the air/ground) - Good projectile to abuse in Demitri's zoning game. Mix the LP version with the HP version in the ground and in the air to confuse your opponent. Some characters can duck under this projectile(And some projectiles can pass under it too). It doesn't knocks down.

ES Chaos Flare (aka ES Fireball)

QCF+PP (In the air/ground) - Demitri got the ES version of his projectile here(With 3 hits), which is very good on his zoning game. This move doesn't knocks down(Like the normal version), but the startup is longer than in the normal projectile, and you'll need at least 1 level of his meter to use it(Demitri will lose the level, obviously). You can use this move(Along with the normal version) in the air to control his air game. This move is like a Super projectile, so it can almost eat some normal projectiles. This version is bigger than the version above, so those characters who can duck under it cannot duck under this move. Don't abuse of it(Unless if you're in MAXIMUM Mode).

Demon Cradle

DP+P - Very good as an anti-air, and a good part of Demitri's zoning game. It can defeat almost all of the jumping moves(Like a normal DP). LP version is better to do anti-airs, and the HP version is better on combos(Especially on MAXIMUM Mode, where the hits can be canceled, and he can do very good combos with it). This move doesn't have an ES version.

Bat Spin

QCB+K/BD (In the air/ground) - This is Demitri's classic teleport move, and the properties of this move are almost the same as in this game(You can followup it, it just depends on where you hit the opponent). Very good to control Demitri's air game. The button(Or buttons, you can use the two kicks too, but you will not get an ES version) will determine the distance and the angle of this move. You can use it to punish some projectile abusers too.

Tokushu Idou (Forward)

Hold LK and HP, tap b, f - This is Demitri's dash from the Darkstalkers games. Very good to use, because he will be invincible while he disappears in the dash(Like in his game). You can cancel it in any move, except for normals, Command Moves and throws. Good to use if you want to make the opponent use his Exceed IN VAIN.

Tokushu Idou (Backward)

Hold LK and HP, tap f, b - Same properties as the above, but he will go back.
- Follow-Ups:
  - Angled Demon Cradle
    - After any Tokushu Idou: DP+P - Demitri will stop dashing and he will do a different DP. It's a good surprising move(More surprising if you do it while he disappears, but you'll need to know where he is to do that). Like in the normal DP, this move can be canceled in MAXIMUM Mode(And you can cancel the dashing DP into the normal DP, which is one of Demitri's corner loops). No ES version of this move too.

Super Moves

Midnight Bliss

d, f, df+PP - One of Demitri's unblockable Supers. The input can look easy to do, but it isn't. It's very tricky, but there are some shortcuts to do it(Like Geese's Raging/Raising Storm). Here it is: DP, df+PP. Very easy, right? And it's fun to use too(It will transform any guy in a girl if it connects, and for the girls, some of them can turn on a more... Beautiful form... You should see Hugo's too, it was the best feeling in my life when I saw it). Oh, and you can do this move while you're in Demitri's teleport dash too(Which was one of his setups from his game, that was very good of you, SNK.). It can be very hard to connect it with a normal, due to the command.

Midnight Pleasure

LP, LP, f, LK, HK - Another unblockable Super. Demitri will bite the opponent before using some of his Command Moves in he opponent. This move is more used than the move above. Why? It has more damage, it can be comboed with the LK(If it wasn't the far one) in the middle of the input(Which will lead you to more damage), and can be used in the teleport dash too(So, this is kind of a better Midnight Bliss). If you're having trouble with the command, use the Super above instead.

Exceed

Demon Flare

QCF(2x)+PPKK(Yeah, the 4 attack buttons) - This move is a great Exceed for Demitri. It can eat a good part of the Super Projectiles of the cast, it does a very nice damage(With 8 hits), and can be used as a finisher for his corner loops. Can be used as a followup to any os Demitri's projectiles too. If you're having trouble with this Exceed(Like if you're getting a DP/ES fireball), just wait a little moment after pressing the 4 buttons.

The Basics

Demitri's Gameplan

Demitri is a great zoning char(Better than Sagat? I don't know). He can abuse of his air/ground versions of his fireball against most of the characters in the cast(Some characters can counter his zoning with ease, and when he needs, he can just do his very fast DP on the opponent. If the opponent is turtling against you, just do do one of his unblockable Supers and he will learn that he/she cannot do anything. He can do some damaging combos outside of MAXIMUM Mode, but his source of damage comes from his unique combo system in this game: The Hunter Combos. We'll talk about that, don't worry. In MAXIMUM Mode, Demitri is a beast if he traps the opponent in a corner. He can do some easy loops(Well... Demitri can do some hard ones too) if the opponent gives him a chance. Good Luck in your future matches.

Introduction to the Hunter Combos (You'll need to read this, so don't jump this intro)

This is a very important thing in Demitri's game. If you played any Marvel vs Capcom or Darkstalkers games, you'll probably know the Magic Series. It's like that thing, but SNK tried to do it with only 4 attack buttons. And it worked very well! But if you don't know the Magic Series yet, I'll talk about it. It's just the ability to link all of the character's attack buttons together. We have a strength rule, and you'll need to know it:

LP - LK - MP - MK - HP - HK, where:

The Standing/Crouching LP can link into the S./Cr. LK, and the Medium/Heavy attacks(In this game, the Light Attacks cannot link into itself, sadly);
The Standing/Crouching LK can link into any S./Cr. Medium/Heavy attack;
The Standing/Crouching MP can link into the S./Cr. MK, and the Heavy Attacks;
The Standing/Crouching MK can link into any S./Cr. Heavy Attack;
The Standing/Crouching HP can link into the S./Cr. HK only;
The Standing/Crouching HK is the only move that cannot link(But the Cr.HK can be followed up with a Pursuit).

Notes: You can alternate between the Standing and Crouching versions while doing the combo, like: f+LP, df+LK. And if you want, you can jump some attack buttons too, like: df+LP, df+LK, d+HK. Very interesting to do if you're having problems. Oh, I forgot, if you begin with a Light Attack, like f+LP, you just need to hold forward while pressing the buttons. With the Crouching Attacks, it's the same thing. The best Hunter combo will be in Demitri's combos section.

Quick Air Fireball

This will be important to Demitri's zoning game. Some characters have air special moves, but some characters have trouble on using them effectively. But this isn't Demitri's case. You can do an air Fireball quickly(And land quickly) by doing the classic Tiger Knee motion(QCF, uf, P). Very good to use in Demitri's zoning stategies. It works with the ES version and with that diving Teleport too.

Some Combos
Demitri's combos are important, so don't forget some of them. You can add some other possible ones here if you know some.

1- (Hunter Combo)[Jump Attack] df+LP, LK, "MP", "MK", HP, d+HK, Pursuit - 7 hits; 8 hits with a Jump Attack

This is Demitri's best combo outside of MAXIMUM Mode, without doubt. I said, his Hunter Combos system are very important here. Learn this, you'll need. About the Pursuit, you don't need to do it(Yeah, the Pursuit is optional everytime), but you can use this combo to practice with it(Do a u+K after the opponent touches the ground). Remember that the opponent can do a recovery roll too(And the Pursuit will not work).

2- cr.LK/LP, s.LK, DP+P, Pursuit - 3 hits(On each version of the DP, I think)

Very easy combo with a low starter to use everywhere. The damage is simple, and can be useful if you don't like those Hunter Combos.

3- [Jump Attack] cl.HP/HK, DP+P, Pursuit - 3(LP version of the DP)/5(HP); 4/6 with a Jump Attack

A more damaging version of the combo above. Only that.

4- (While you're fullscreen away from the opponent) QCF+P/PP, Exceed - 11 hits

Fireball combo. The damage is incredible too, I don't even know how to describe. Can be very hard to land, but this can work while Demitri is zoning against some characters. If the opponent is jumping, this combo will work with the QCF+PP(And you can add a Pursuit from that too).

5- df+HP, d+HK, Pursuit - 3 hits

A poking Hunter Combo. Very fun to surprise your opponent.

6- [Jump Attack] cl.LP, cl.LP (Tap f quickly), cl.LK, (Press HK) Midnight Pleasure - Dunno how many hits it can do, due to the bites

This combo is a very damaging one. Don't worry, it wasn't that hard to do(For me, I mean. And I'm using a normal keyboard without those macros, because they are very cheap to use). Watch out for the LK part, you can get a f.LK and the Super will not connect(Strangely enough).

Advanced Strategy

This is the best part of Demitri. Pay attention on what's written to be a good player.

Zoning on MAXIMUM Mode

You can ask:"What's the difference?" I'll say. In MAXIMUM Mode, you can have two fireballs on the screen:One being the air version, and the other being the ground version(In the normal mode you cannot do that, right?). How can you do that? Simple. It's better if you begin with the air fireball(It should be better if you use the quick motion), and you can use the ES version too (Remember: this will only work if the fireball hasn't hit the opponent yet or if the fireball whiffs). Now try to do a normal(This part is only possible with the normal version) fireball in the ground. He will do another fireball(And you'll lose a little of your meter), making it harder for the opponent to advance! If he/she jumps, he/she can see the air fireball, and if he/she continues in the ground, he/she will be forced to block/negate the ground fireball! Really nice if you like his zoning strategies.

Some Resets

As you know, Demitri has his unblockable Supers. But they don't go too far(If they were like Akuma's Raging Demon, he would be broken). So what to do? How can you hit with them? I'll use the Midnight Bliss as an example(For the Midnight Pleasure, you have a hit-confirm combo), but the resets work with the other Super too. This is what you can do if you're outside of the MAXIMUM Mode:

(Corner only and if the opponent is jumping) QCF+PP, Hit the opponent with any normal, (While the opponent is landing) d, f, df+PP(Midnight Bliss)

Really interesting, but very hard to land. The opponent will not do a neutral jump with his back to the corner(That's really rare to see), but that's just a possible reset. Now if you're in MAXIMUM Mode:

(Corner only and the opponent is standing) cl.HP/HK, DP+HP(Cancel the second hit), QCF+PP/Exceed, Hit the opponent with any normal, d, f, df+PP(Midnight Bliss)

This is easier to land than the above, and you can even hit-confirm the Exceed with it. Very nice to use as a punishing reset. You should learn it just to use when you need. You need to use the cl.HP/HK part, or the combo will not work.

Some Combos (In MAXIMUM Mode)
You already know, you can add combos below, if you know some.

1- [Jump Attack] Full Standing Hunter Combo/Crouching Hunter Combo(Cancel the cr.HP), QCF+HP - 7(Standing combo)/6(Crouching); 8/7 with a Jump Attack

Very simple if you're used to the Hunter combos. Strangely enough, the ES fireball didn't came out when I tried with two buttons instead of only one, so I don't know if it works. You don't need to do the full Hunter Combo, you just need to cancel the HP/HK's animation(Yeah, if you're having problems, just jump buttons, don't worry about damage), it's just in there if you want more damage.

2- [Jump Attack] cl.HP/HK, DP+P, (Cancel the second hit) Exceed - 11 hits; 12 with a Jump Attack

Good to practice. You can do it everywhere, so if you want to use, do it on punish situations. On the corner, you can juggle your opponent after the Exceed hits in this combo, so you can think about what to do after it hits.

3- (Corner only) [Jump Attack] cl.HP/HK, DP+HP, (Cancel the second hit) QCF+PP, (While the opponent is in the air) QCF+PP, Exceed - 17 hits; 18 with a Jump Attack

Extended version of the combo above. This is the easier of Demitri's killer combos too. You'll (without any doubt) kill your opponent if you do it. Very nice to use, and very easy to land. If you want to use only one QCF+PP(To save meter), go ahead. If you miss one the 8 hits of the Exceed, don't worry, you just need the first hits. If you're having problems on doing the Exceed's input while doing the combo, just do the QCF(2x) part before Demitri recovers from the ES fireball's animation, and when he recovers, just press the 4 buttons.

4- (Corner only) [Jump Attack] cl.HP/HK, DP+HP, (Cancel the first hit) tap b, f(While holding LK and HP), DP+HP(Cancel the first hit), DP+HP, tap b, f(Again holding the buttons), DP+HP, ...(While the opponent is stunned)... Any combo/Super/Exceed - n hits(Where n is the number of loops)

This is a hard, but possible stun combo. He isn't the only character that can connect multiple DPs in this game, but that's a great thing to see on him. You don't need the cl.HP/HK to do the combo, you just need to land a DP, and cancel it on the first hit. Good luck with this. If you need help with this combo, just click here and watch the short video.

Match-Ups