Introduction
Pros | Cons |
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Move List
General Hurtboxes
Standing/Walking | Crouching | Jumping | Taunting |
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Hurtbox does not shift up while walking. | 52F (4+45+3) duration. | Billy has brief invincibility when lifting and lowering his Kane. |
Close Standing Normals
c5A
Damage | Stun | Guard | Startup | Active | Recovery | Total | Hit Adv | Block Adv | Property | |
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6 | 2 | Mid | 4 | 6 | 5 | 14 | +5 | +6 | Kara Cancel | |
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c5B
Damage | Stun | Guard | Startup | Active | Recovery | Total | Hit Adv | Block Adv | Property | |
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5 | 2 | Mid | 10 | 7 | 10 | 26 | -1 | 0 | Kara Cancel | |
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c5C
Damage | Stun | Guard | Startup | Active | Recovery | Total | Hit Adv | Block Adv | Property | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
16 | 4 | Mid | 5 | 10 | 12 | 26 | +2 | +1 | Kara Cancel | |
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c5D
Damage | Stun | Guard | Startup | Active | Recovery | Total | Hit Adv | Block Adv | Property | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
12 | 4 | Mid | 11 | 11 | 16 | 37 | -3 | -4 | Kara Cancel | |
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Far Standing Normals
f5A
Damage | Stun | Guard | Startup | Active | Recovery | Total | Hit Adv | Block Adv | Property | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 | 2 | Mid | 4 | 6 | 5 | 14 | +5 | +6 | Kara Cancel | |
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f4/5/6B
Damage | Stun | Guard | Startup | Active | Recovery | Total | Hit Adv | Block Adv | Property | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
5 | 2 | Mid | 23 | 7 | 10 | 39 | -1 | 0 | Kara Cancel | |
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f5C
Damage | Stun | Guard | Startup | Active | Recovery | Total | Hit Adv | Block Adv | Property | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
16x4 | 4x4 | Mid | 10 | 4x4 | 4 | 29 | +16 | +15 | Cancel | |
f5D
Crouching Normals
2A
Damage | Stun | Guard | Startup | Active | Recovery | Total | Hit Adv | Block Adv | Property | |
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5 | 2 | Mid | 7 | 7 | 10 | 23 | -1 | 0 | Kara Cancel | |
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2B
Damage | Stun | Guard | Startup | Active | Recovery | Total | Hit Adv | Block Adv | Property | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
8 | 2 | Low | 6 | 7 | 8 | 20 | +1 | +2 | Kara Cancel | |
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2C
Damage | Stun | Guard | Startup | Active | Recovery | Total | Hit Adv | Block Adv | Property | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
12 | 4 | Mid | 7 | 8 | 22 | 36 | -6 | -7 | Kara Cancel | |
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2D
Damage | Stun | Guard | Startup | Active | Recovery | Total | Hit Adv | Block Adv | Property | |
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14 | 4 | Low | 7 | 10 | 22 | 38 | KD | -9 | / | |
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Jumping Normals
jA
Version | Damage | Stun | Guard | Startup | Active | Recovery | Total | Hit Adv | Block Adv | Property | |
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Diagonal Jump | 8 | 2 | Overhead | 3 | 2+2+5+∞ | / | / | - | - | - | |
Neutral Jump | 8 | 2 | Overhead | 12 | 7+∞ | / | / | - | - | - | |
jB
jC
jD
Universal Mechanics
Lane Blast (CD)
Version | Damage | Stun | Guard | Startup | Active | Recovery | Total | Hit Adv | Block Adv | Property | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Front Lane | 22 | 5 | Mid | 5, 27 | 6 (16) 19 | 7 | 52 | KD | -20 | Cancel, Lane Shift | |
Back Lane | 22 | 5 | Mid | 16 | 6 | 14 | 35 | KD | -2 | Cancel, Lane Shift | |
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Lane Attack
Version | Damage | Stun | Guard | Startup | Active | Recovery | Total | Hit Adv | Block Adv | Property | |
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A | 20 | 2 | Overhead | 13 | 17 | 4 | 33 | - | - | / | |
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B | 20 | 2 | Overhead | 9 | 21 | 4 | 33 | - | - | / | |
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C | 20 | 4 | Overhead | 13 | 36 | 4 | 52 | - | - | / | |
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D | 20 | 4 | Overhead | 9 | 40 | 4 | 52 | - | - | / | |
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Dodge Attack
Throws
Ippon Zuri Nage (4/6C)
Jigoku Otoshi (4/6D)
Damage | Stun | Guard | Startup | Active | Recovery | Total | Hit Adv | Block Adv | Property | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
16~32 (4 x 4~8) | 0 | Throw | 1 | 1 | / | - | - | / | / | |
Special Moves
Senpuu Kon (Mash P)
Version | Damage | Stun | Guard | Startup | Active | Recovery | Total | Hit Adv | Block Adv | Property |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A | 13 (4xN) | 3 | Mid | 4 | 5 (5) 5 (5) 5 (5) 1 ... | 6 | 40 | KD | +14 | Upper-Body Invuln 1-3F, 35-40F |
C | 19 (5xN) | 6 | Mid | 4 | 3 (3) 3 (3) 3 (3) 3 (3) 3 (3) 1 | 10 | 44 | KD | -4 | Upper-Body Invuln 1-3F, 35-44F |
Sansetsu Kon ([4]6P)
Version | Damage | Stun | Guard | Startup | Active | Recovery | Total | Hit Adv | Block Adv | Property | |
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A | 16 (4) | 3 | Mid | 19 | 7 | 21 | 46 | -7 | -10 | Throw Invuln 2-46F | |
C | 22 (5) | 6 | Mid | 23 | 9 | 22 | 53 | -3 | -10 | Throw Invuln 2-53F | |
Suzume Otoshi ([1]9P)
Version | Damage | Stun | Guard | Startup | Active | Recovery | Total | Hit Adv | Block Adv | Property | |
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A | 16 (4) | 3 | Mid | 14 | 11 | 35 | 59 | KD | - | Throw Invuln 2-59F | |
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C | 22 (6) | 6 | Mid | 19 | 16 | 40 | 74 | KD | - | Throw Invuln 2-74F | |
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Kyoushuu Hishou Kon (1236K)
Version | Damage | Stun | Guard | Startup | Active | Recovery | Total | Hit Adv | Block Adv | Property |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
B | 18 (5) | 3 | Mid | 72 | 13 | 8 | 92 | KD | - | Invuln 1-27F, Throw Invuln 28-92F |
D | 18 (5) | 6 | Mid | 96 | 13 | 8 | 116 | KD | - | Invuln 1-31F, Throw Invuln 32-116F |
Desperation Move
Chou Kaen Senpuu Kon (23632147AC)
Damage | Stun | Guard | Startup | Active | Recovery | Total | Hit Adv | Block Adv | Property | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
38 (9x2) | 4 | Mid | 5 | 56 | 19 | 79 | KD | -2 | Upper-Body Invuln 1-4F, 72-79F | |
Billy spins his stick around creating a ring of fire, then throws the ring forward as a projectile. Can be comboed into, can anti-air, can quickly nullify fireballs, and is difficult to punish.
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Combos
- c5A x N, f5A x N
c5A will whiff on crouching opponents.
- 2C > [4]6A
- c5C > [4]6A or 23632147AC
- 2B > 23632147AC
- jC > c5C > Mash C
One button combo that's actually somewhat tricky to pull off, as you'll need a good mashing technique for it to work.
- (Corner) f5C > c5C > [4]6A
Far 5C gives you some forward momentum, making this rather unusual far normal -> close normal link possible.
Strategy
The Basics
Billy's playstyle most closely resembles the Dhalsim-esque limb zoner archetype, although instead of stretchy limbs he fights with an extendable staff. He's generally agreed to be one of the best, if not the best, characters in the game and even has a favorable matchup against fellow top spot contender Kim. On the flipside, properly utilizing all of his moves will take some practice, making him harder to learn than most other characters in the game. If you stick with him, though, you'll definitely start to see results as he has an advantage in the vast majority of his matchups.
Needless to say, Billy's biggest strength is the massive reach of his moves; he's able to safely poke his opponents from half a screen away with his normals, and even hit you from almost full screen with his Sansetsukon special. Combine that with his great anti-air options, and you've got a character that's very hard for any character to approach. While Billy works best as a defensive keep-away character, he's versatile enough to be played aggressively if the situation calls for it, thanks to his great jump-ins, mobility boosting moves and blockstring pressure that's hard to break out of.
Your key normals are:
- 5A: The ultimate poke. Incredibly safe and fast with good reach. Simply spamming this move in neutral makes it very difficult for rushdown characters to approach you.
- 2C: Very fast long range poke that works great especially when cancelled into light Sansetsukon both on hit and block. Gives Billy good damage even off long range hits.
- 5C: Solid anti-air that can also hit grounded opponents. Moves Billy forward while allowing him to keep charge for Sansetsukon.
- 2B/2D: While they obviously have less range than his staff normals, Billy's low kicks are still great in situations where your mid pokes can be countered.
Billy's movement speed is below average, but his pole vault kick (far 5B) largely makes up for it as the move doubles as a dash of sorts that you can even steer by holding 4 or 6. It also goes over certain projectiles when timed right, and can be cancelled into specials on whiff and block. Learning to utilize this move for quick movement is essential for any Billy player. Like 5C, you can keep charge for Sansetsukon while using the move, so you'll be often utilizing your buttons for movement.
While Billy doesn't have a traditional projectile per se, his Sansetsukon and Senpuukon specials both have a projectile hitbox and can thus be used to destroy enemy projectiles. Light Sansetsukon is great for blockstrings, chip damage and combos while the heavy version is slower but has almost full screen range. Senpuukon is mostly used as a combo ender or close range chip damage dealer.
With correct spacing, Billy's Suzume Otoshi ([1]9A/C) is a very reliable anti-air, but it's far from being foolproof and requires a charge, so you'll be using your normals more often to anti-air. Far C and front lane CD are your best ground moves for that purpose, although both have their quirks; far C can't be used in close range as you'll get the close version instead, and CD has two different hitboxes, the first of them being the one you want to hit your opponent with. Often the best solution against jumps is an air-to-air jA or jC, so try to keep that option in mind.
Kyoushuu Hishoukon (1236B/D) is Billy's most gimmicky special. It can serve as a decent "neutral skip" option if timed correctly, but unfortunately it gives your opponent plenty of time to react and step out of the way or punish the move. It's safe on block and may occasionally catch people off guard, though, so using it every now and then doesn't carry a huge amount of risk.
Advanced Strategy
Billy's dodge attack is on the slow side, and while it's still good for dodging projectiles, it can be difficult to land against moves with fast recovery. If your dodge attack gets blocked, though, you can still cancel it into Senpuukon and deal a decent chunk of chip damage.
The fastest move Billy can dish out in close range is his Senpuukon, so if you're caught in seemingly endless blockstring pressure it can be a good move to use to get the opponent off your back.
Matchups
Vs. Andy Bogard
5 - 5
Your standard ground pokes (5A, 2C) do a good job at stopping Andy from approaching with his Zaneiken, as long as your timing is on point and you don't get hit during the startup of your moves. If Andy goes for Kuuha Dan, you can counter it with a front lane CD. Don't let him get too close as Andy outspeeds you in close range with his 3F jabs.
Vs. Axel Hawk
6.5 - 3.5
Axel doesn't pose a huge threat unless he gets close enough to hit you with his 2D, so try to keep him away with your 5A, 2C and Sansetsukon. Fortunately for you, his walk speed is the slowest in the game, so it's very hard for him to catch you off guard. Watch out for his CD, though; it's a huge advantage for Axel even if it trades, and always deals a whopping 10 points of stun against Billy since this matchup is guaranteed to be 1 lane only.
Vs. Big Bear
6.5 - 3.5
Bear can choose to ignore your mid pokes and charge in with his upper body invulnerable tackle, but fortunately you have very solid lows in your arsenal as well - just hit him with 2B or 2D whenever Bear tries to go for a tackle. Bear's jumps are fast, but this matchup still shouldn't be too much trouble as long as you can react to everything he does in time.
Vs. Billy Kane
5 - 5
Vs. Cheng Sinzan
6.5 - 3.5
Vs. Duck King
7.5 - 2.5
Duck can rather easily TOD Billy due to his low stun threshold if he manages to get in, but the good news is that he's not very likely going to get in unless you mess up badly. Billy's standard 5A and 2C pokes are almost like an impenetrable wall when used against Duck, so abuse them as much as you can. Duck is going to need either a successful jump-in or a knockdown from his slide kick to start his close range pressure, so as long as you keep an eye out for those Duck won't be able to touch you.
Vs. Geese Howard
5.5 - 4.5
Try to stay in close or mid range as Geese's Reppuken gives him the upper hand if you're too far away. 5B is very useful here as it goes over projectiles when spaced correctly. Using mid pokes is slightly riskier than usual against Geese due to his counter moves, so you might want to go for low kicks instead in close range combat. Sansetsukon fortunately has a projectile hitbox and thus can't be countered with Geese's Atemi Nage.
Vs. Joe Higashi
4 - 6
Billy has disadvantageous matchups too, if you can believe it. Joe has the upper hand both up close and at a distance due to his fast jabs and projectiles, so staying somewhere in between, within the range of your 5A and 2C, is ideal for Billy. You can use your projectile destroying specials and neutral jumps to avoid taking chip damage from Hurricanes, but sooner or later you'll have to your work your way in, so time your jumps carefully. 5B and dodge attack won't help you against projectiles here due to the huge hitbox on Hurricane Upper. Billy's jump kick buttons beat the usual Joe slide anti-air, but he still has 5D and Tiger Kick to work with.
Vs. Jubei Yamada
4 - 6
You need to be able to get past Senbei spam do deal damage, so knowing how to properly utilize your dodge attack and Senpuukon is very useful. Use jD as your jump-in button as it beats Jubei's low profile anti-airs. Just like in the Joe matchup, you don't want to get too close as Jubei's normals outspeed yours - try to stay in mid range where his moves can't reach you, but you can still hit him with your far reaching normals.
Vs. Kim Kaphwan
6 - 4
Rejoice as you're the only character in the game to have an advantageous matchup against this beast. Use your long range moves to your advantage and don't let Kim get too close. Front lane CD and far C are great for stopping divekicks. Don't take unnecessary risks as Kim can still easily melt your lifebar away with a stun combo - it's often better to simply backstep away from danger if Kim is close enough to threaten you with his fast normals.
Vs. Laurence Blood
7 - 3
Another matchup that's always 1 lane only. Like Billy, Laurence excels in long range pokes, but his farthest reaching moves recover slower and aren't cancellable, so the odds are in your favor. His jumps are very floaty as well, giving ample time to react with one of your anti-airs.
Vs. Mai Shiranui
5.5 - 4.5
Dodge attack works well against Mai's projectiles. Make good use of your reach and stay in mid-range where you can hit her with 5A/2C without having to worry about getting countered by a heavy Ryuuenbu.
Vs. Ryo Sakazaki
Vs. Terry Bogard
6.5 - 3.5
Vs. Tung Fu Rue
8 - 2
Total domination. Tung has no hope of approaching you on ground as long as you keep throwing out 5As and 2Cs, so he either has to jump in or try to punish the startup or recovery of your pokes with a heavy Senshippo, both of which are risky to do. If Tung gets close enough to harass you with his normals, you can always backstep away to safety. As long as you stay vigilant and don't mess up your anti-airs, you'll have this in the bag.
Vs. Wolfgang Krauser
5 - 5
Krauser's Blitzballs can be annoying to deal with, but all your standard anti-projectile tactics are viable here. Like Geese, Krauser can counter mid pokes with his Atemi Nage, so it's safer to use lows against him if you're in close range. Sansetsukon is also safe to use thanks to its projectile hitbox.