The King of Fighters XIII/Billy

Billy Kane

In a nutshell

Though he is Geese Howard's loyal henchman, Billy returns to the King of Fighters series of his on volition and with a personal vendetta. He's quite a unique character, and one of the few closest character archetypes he fits closest to is a Dhalsim or Necro like character from the Street Fighter series. What makes him stand out is his diverse capability of both offense and defense and his uncanny ability to change his momentum of play with such versatility. Those that like ranged pokes and zoning should enjoy this character. Those that are fond of high and low pressure and confirming into a few chunky combos should also enjoy playing Billy. Players that would be really effective with Billy will be those that really know how to set the pace of the round, but he's an easy enough character for most players to pick up and play.

Move List

Normal Moves

Name

Command

Damage

Special Properties (glossary)

Standing Light Punch

kof.lp

25

cancel

Standing Light Kick

kof.lk

30

cancel

Standing Heavy Punch

kof.sp

70

specialcancel

Close Heavy Punch

Close kof.sp

30×3

cancel

Standing Heavy Kick

kof.sk

70

cancel

Crouching Light Punch

d + kof.lp

25

Crouching Light Kick

d + kof.lk

30

low chaincancel cancel

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

softknockdown specialcancel

Jumping Light Punch

Air kof.lp

Jump: 45
Hop: 40

high

Jumping Light Kick

Air kof.lk

Jump: 45
Hop: 40

high

Jumping Heavy Punch

Air kof.sp

Jump: 72
Hop: 70

high

Jumping Heavy Kick

Air kof.sk

Jump: 70
Hop: 68

high

Jumping Blowback Attack

Air kof.sp + kof.sk

Jump: 90
Hop: 80

softknockdown

Unique Attacks

Name

Command

Damage

Special Properties (glossary)

Daikaitengeri

f + kof.lp

40+45

Boukatobigeri

f + kof.lk

50

softknockdown

Saouchi

b + kof.lp

65

Throw

Name

Command

Damage

Special Properties (glossary)

Jigoku Otoshi

f or b + kof.sp or kof.sk (While Close)

100

throw hardknockdown

Special Moves

Name

Command

Damage

Special Properties (glossary)

Sansetsu Kon Chuudan Uchi

hcf + p

p : 50
ex : 50×3

drivecancel

Kaen Sansetsu Kon Chuudan Uchi

kof.sp or ex Sansetsu Kon Chuudan Uchi, then qcf + p

60

softknockdown drivecancel

Senpuu Kon

press p repeatedly

p : 25×n
ex : 20×18+120

ex : softknockdown

Suzume Otoshi

qcb + p

kof.lp : 60
kof.sp : 70
ex : 120

softknockdown drivecancel

Kyoushuu Hishou Kon

dp + k

kof.lk : 45+25×2
kof.sk : 40×2+25×2
ex : 50×2+40×2

softknockdown

Desperation Moves

Name

Command

Damage

Special Properties (glossary)

Chou Kaen Senpuu Kon

qcf hcb + p

p : 30×6+60
ex : 9×25+100 (41 hits)

softknockdown maxcancel

Dai Guren Rasen Kon

qcf qcf + kof.lp + kof.sp

30×13+60

hardknockdown

Strategy

Move Analysis

Normal Moves

• Standing Light Punch () - Much like the other characters, this is also another anti-hop anti-air normal attack. Just keep in mind that the actual hitbox extends only up to the tip of Billy's hand, and not the entire stick. Be careful and don't try to try block while doing this move or Billy might accidentally do his Saouchi ( + ) instead.
• Standing Light Kick () - A standard low hitting poke that is cancelable. It has further reach but less frame advantage than Crouching Light Kick. So this attack has some uses during a hit confirm combo or as a somewhat far reaching low poke similar to King's or Daimon's Standing Light Kick. It's just running in and doing this move repeatedly as low poking pressure just isn't just as effective as his other normals.
• Standing Heavy Punch () - A small jut with his stick. It's not the fastest far heavy attack nor does it have significant of range. What it could do is be able to poke and punish from distances in which Billy can't run in close enough for a larger punish. If the player has full drive meter, a punish with Standing Heavy Punch could confirm and net a full blown HD combo. If the players spaces this attack by the tip, it won't be hit by Guard Cancel Blowback Attacks. Billy then could attack string Standing Heavy Punch into Sansetsu Kon Chuudan Uchi ( + ) and its follow up to punish the whiffed Guard Cancel Blowback. So not too well off as a poke on it's own, it's good mix-up attack strings with this move and try to catch opponent off guard.
• Close Heavy Punch (Close ) - A bit similar to Standing Heavy Punch, but Billy juts the opponent with his stick three times. It's relatively easy to confirm into another attack with this move, but pay heed to the fact that the more hits this attack does, the more that Billy is pushed out. This may affect his longer HD combos and what not so feel free to experiment at which distances certain attacks could connect after one, two, or three of the hits of Close Heavy Punch.
• Standing Heavy Kick () - Billy leans back a bit and kicks vertically. The horizontal range of this move is a bit deceptive and it's largely preferred to use this anti-air attack against people coming in from full jumps or deeply. It has a tad more horizontal range than Crouching Heavy Punch so it has it's purpose as a vertical anti-air; but with anything else that's coming in from further out, Standing Light Punch and Daikaitengeri ( + ) should cover everything else coming in from the hop space.
• Crouching Light Punch ( + ) - Billy's furthest reaching crouching poke. It has shorter range than it did in past games but that doesn't stop this attack from poking outside of most of the cast's attack ranges. The hitbox is no longer deceptive compared to older games as the tip of the stick does signify the tip of the hitbox of the attack. Previously in KOF titles such as The King of Fighters '98 and '02, the tip of the stick would whiff against the opponent since the actually hitbox stopped short of the stick. Just a little tidbit of trivia.
• Crouching Light Kick ( + ) - It has moderate range, chains into itself, hits low, and cancels and combos into Kyoushuu Hishou Kon ( + ) that has other attacks to follow up after it. It's not the fastest Crouching Light Kick in the game and may lose to counter poking as he runs back in, but is fast enough to establish pressure during high and low mix-ups.
• Crouching Heavy Punch ( + ) - The standard, strictly vertical anti-air attack. To those that played King of Fighters '02, note that his cr.C greatly lacks all the horizontal range it did in the past and that his move is more or less for anti-air only. Still fast and effective though. What's interesting to note is that it's cancelable upon whiff like most other cancelable normals in the game.
• Crouching Heavy Kick ( + ) - Wow, he actually has a standard, good sweep. Mid-range, standard-speed sweep. Not much to write home about. Can't cancel into other attacks like other characters.
• Blowback Attack ( + ) - Billy swings his stick like he's hitting a home run or playing One Outs. What's special to note about this Blowback Attack compared to other characters' is that when Billy makes the opponent block the tip of his Blowback Attack, the opponent will whiff and waste a meter. Billy could then attack string into Sansetsu Kon Chuudan Uchi ( + ) and its follow up. So, Billy could set up the opponent and bait out and cleanly beat Guard Cancel Blowback Attacks. Just note that the spacing for this set up is a bit specific.
• Jumping Light Punch (Air ) - An air-to-air stick poke. Not as versatile as Jumping Heavy Punch, but it covers the blank spot where Jumping Heavy Punch will typically miss.
• Jumping Light Kick (Air ) - A deep, vertical kick. It's a standard jump-in attack for high and lows. The move also functions as an instant overhead and helps close out matches. Pretty much serves only these functions as it has no horizontal range.
• Jumping Heavy Punch (Air ) - One of the best air-to-air normals in the game. It can hit crouching opponents, but Billy must time the attack really late and it's a bit minute to execute. Otherwise, Billy can simply just abuse the opponent with attack from ranges in which the opponent mostly could not respond with without committing to something unsafe or that uses meter. The party starter of Billy's spacing game.
• Jumping Heavy Kick (Air ) - The standard jump-in attack that has some vertical and horizontal reach. It does cross up and it serves to be Billy's most used jump-in.
• Jumping Blowback Attack (Air + ) - A wide-reaching swing of Billy's stick. For those that have played older KOF games, this attack feels like a combination of his old Jumping Blowback Attack and his Neutral Jump Heavy Punch with its deep, downward range. To those that don't have the older KOF knowledge, this attack covers about close to the same range horizontally like Jumping Light Punch and Jumping Heavy Punch but covers a wide downward range. This attack really helps establish Billy's air-to-ground control in the spots that Jumping Heavy Punch can't as easily cover.

Unique Attacks

• Daikaitengeri ( + ) - A double sobat kick in application, this attack is what makes Billy able to apply pressure and greatly limit the opponent's ability to escape or gain footing. Upon a deep hit, this move could be linked with a follow up Crouching Light Kick that could combo into other attacks. When really deep in, this attack's first hit is prone to whiff since it reaches out so far that the hitbox extends past the opponent's hurtbox. As with Standing Light Punch, Daikaitengeri really controls the hop space really well while moving forward and controlling the ground space.
• Boukatobigeri ( + ) - Billy launches himself using his stick as leverage and kicks at the opponent. This move seems relatively safe on block much unlike older games, but it's prone to characters crouching underneath it and punishing it. So this attack, outside of combos, is good to attack the hop range even further beyond Standing Light Punch and Daikaitengeri ( + ). It's a good "tricky" move to catch an opponent off guard once a game or set but it's nothing really to rely on often outside of combos.
• Saouchi ( + ) - Billy's new command normal attack. It has less range than and slower than Sansetsu Kon Chuudan Uchi ( + ), so its function as a long range poke is somewhat null in the footsie game. What this attack does is that it helps Billy confirm into HD combos as his other command normals/unique attacks leave Billy in an airborne state. As Billy hits with this attack during HD mode, it gains cancel properties into his special moves and extends his combos. What's neat is that it moves Billy forward after hitting with an attack so it helps him get his corner loops more easily by pushing him closer to the corner. Outside of combos and confirming, this move is pretty much weak or outclassed by other attacks by range, speed, and damage/chip.

Throw

• Jigoku Otoshi ( or + or [While Close]) - A simple standard throw. It being hard knockdown is a plus to allow Billy to get back in on the opponent or to generate space between the player and the opponent.

Special Moves

• Sansetsu Kon Chuudan Uchi ( + ) - Billy thrusts his stick across the screen very quickly and functions like a "Dhalsim limb."
  • Kaen Sansetsu Kon Chuudan Uchi ( or Sansetsu Kon Chuudan Uchi, then + ) -
• Senpuu Kon (press repeatedly) -
• Suzume Otoshi ( + ) -
• Kyoushuu Hishou Kon ( + ) -

Desperation Moves

• Chou Kaen Senpuu Kon ( + ) -
• Dai Guren Rasen Kon ( + + ) -

Combos

0% Drive

0 Bar

Team Order

1st position

Pros

Cons

2nd position

Pros

Cons

3rd position

Pros

Cons

Basic Strategy

Offense

• Poke.