Overview
Alessi is a rather unorthodox character and it can be difficult to get a grip of his learning curve. He's a surprisingly easy character to learn but optimal play at higher levels require more abstract solutions to his glaring problems. This section isn't a definitive "How to play Alessi" but rather a starting point for people picking up the character to understand his mechanics and to get an understanding on neutral. Build your neutral and game sense based on experience, and come back to here for refreshers or for important tech. Alessi is also a "just good enough" mid-tier, so be prepared to get your ass handed to you on a silver platter a few times.
Things to Know
Alessi is Capcom's magnum opus. He is full of weird bugs and oversights that will plague you throughout your entire time playing him; like a bad knee always making its presence known as you bend down to pick up the morning newspaper off your doorstep. Most fights will be an upward battle of cat and mouse, so be sure to capitalise off ANY opening you get, you probably won't get another one soon. It's important to keep these things in mind when playing as they'll shape how you play the character.
1. Alessi's stand extends after grabbing. Having an extended stand gives you more reach but opens up a deadzone right in front of Alessi where moves and combos may whiff entirely. After grabbing you should prioritize resetting Sethan's length as soon as possible. You can reset it by turning Stand ON without holding any directions (it also works if you're mid air) or doing s.63214A/B/C. Holding a directional input as you turn Stand ON also keeps its length.
2. Alessi's landing is always vulnerable while he is s.On. Normally characters in HFTF are all able to block on landing if they haven't performed any offensive aerial actions (such as attacking or turning their stand on/off) but Alessi's Stand ON landing (and in some rare circumstances his s.Off landing) is always vulnerable. Be careful when jumping or turn your stand OFF when you do it.
3. Some child modes cheat with iframes and are generally annoying to pin down. Consistently getting the most out of your Alessi mode is important but some child modes like Baby Vanilla Ice are more difficult to meaty than others. Certain character-specific quirks are also important to keep in mind, which will be listed in the matchups page.
4. Alessi has mediocre/bad anti-airs. You have to force your opponent into an air-to-air exchange, guard cancel their jump-in or be patient and block. A core aspect of your gameplan is to position yourself in a way that minimises how vulnerable you are to consecutive jumps in pressure, both with good spacing and conditioning.
5. Alessi is mechanically janky. Stuff like large preemptive hurtboxes, not being able to have a crouching hurtbox on wakeup, characters randomly falling out of your supers, s.On characters air teching out of your gun, Alessi's dash having inconsistent framedata depending on which direction you're dashing, proximity normals not caring about vertical distance etc. are all poor quality of life stuff you have to deal with. But it gets slightly easier to manage with time.
Neutral Notes
Both in s.On and s.Off, Alessi should be taking advantage of his normal moves trying to control space as much as he can. Your s.Off standing normals are embarrassingly stubby, but function as fast counterpokes that you can confirm into your BnBs. Use Stand OFF for approaching and Stand ON for poking/footsies/defensive play. j.A, j.C, 663A and 663C are all decent approach options. j.A can crossup easily, 663C and preferably 663A act as good crossunder moves, and as decent grounded pressure moves, an j.C is good for spaced-out approaches. When in doubt either mash 2C or jump out with up+back.
Alessi has a pretty quick wakeup and prejump. When you're feeling overwhelmed either by pressure or waking up and facing okizeme, just hold upback and hope for the best. Getting hit in the air and teching out is much better than eating a mixup. Be careful of where you airtech as Alessi has no way of altering his jump arc, meaning you're open to tech chases. Read up on the different tech directions and what advantages they give and keep them in mind.
Alessi's movement options are pretty good, his run and dash can be cancelled into blocking and crouching at any point, giving him a much more fluid and precise spacing game than other characters, which is important for him given his set of normals: most of them keep your forward/backward momentum, so remember to always account for that, or to crouch cancel. Be particularly careful to not mistakenly input half-circle motions while dashing around, as unwanted specials will leave you open for a long time.
Since Alessi's air movement is extremely linear, and his aerials aren't necessarily all that oppressive, air-teching is an extremely important part of his gameplan. Never, and I mean never, autopilot. Always react, and mix up your options. Once Alessi's caught mid-air, he needs to be unpredictable and play smart, or else he'll never get out of tech chasing, even against the characters lower on the tier list.
Simplified Gameplan
Be patient and expect to be put under pressure due to your lack of anti-airs. Use Stand OFF for approaching and Stand ON for poking/footsies/defensive play. j.A, j.C, 663A and 663C are all decent approach options. If you have to approach try to consider if you can use gun instead. If they're s.Off/passive and not moving erratically you might gain more from shooting their block through chip than to risk your life approaching them.
During footsies throw out 2C, s.5B, and s.5C. Take note of when it works and when it gets stuffed out and use this to determine when you should press it. s.5C controls the ground while s.5B swats them out of the air. If you block their jump in, you can pushblock into 2C to outrange their grounded follow-up or roll cancel if your 2C whiffs because they went for another jump. Ideally, avoid having your opponent jump at you for free through conditioning. Use your movement to space yourself to meet them horizontally in the air with j.C or run away if you're not cornered. If they get super obvious with their jumps you can do 214+AA or 236+AA but it'll be a callout move so be careful. Your short height helps versus jump-ins because your opponent may overshoot their aerial trajectory and land behind you, opening them up for a 5A 5C into CC (even when you're s.On).
If you have to approach try to consider if you can use gun instead. If they're in s.Off or are a passive stand and aren't moving erratically you might gain more from shooting their block through chip than to risk your life approaching them. Harassing your opponent with 41236+A/B/C is also great at getting them to be more cautious when approaching you, although be sure not to be too predictable or use it when they're too close as you can get punished rather easily. Since you can cancel gun with a press of S, practice the timing of pulling gun away as soon as possible to make sure this doesn't happen.
Good Moves
| Move | Notes |
|---|---|
| 5C | 5C is your main confirm tool: it's 4 frames startup, and has an abnormally long cancel window, so it combos into Custom Combo from most ranges. Pretty good at interrupting strings after pushblocking, but should be used smartly and not mashed. It's also ok as an anti-air. |
| 2B | Your main method of building meter. When the opponent isn't at a range to reach you and you don't want to use gun, spam this to build a good amount of meter. This usually comes up after a gun carry to full screen, although do try to squeeze one or two in whenever you can, even after something like a s.5C (far). If 2B hits the opponent, either 2B 663A 5C into a combo (less consistent) or 2B 2C xx 41236+B/C for oki chip. |
| 2C | Can cancel into a roll and gives you a knockdown into okizeme. Very strong and safe move, both for offense and defense, but be careful as it'll whiff on most prejumps. Keeps your low crouching height, so punish combos won't always be as optimal. After you pushblock, 2C is extremely strong at catching the opponent in the middle of doing a blockstring, similar to 5C, if not better. If anyone reverses through your 2C with a super or jumps at you just mash roll. Although, if you're feeling feisty, cancel it into any of his supers depending on the situation, but be aware you may eat a fat punish for playing your hand. Know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em. |
| s.5C (far) | Long-range poke primarily used for controlling the ground. Also whiffs on most prejumps so don't mash it out if you expect your opponent to jump. It has large preemptive hurtboxes so if your opponent is throwing out moves often be careful when counterpoking with s.5C. |
| s.66(4)C | Dashing version of s.5C. More recovery and generally more punishable but extends your effective range and may catch people off guard. Good poke for when your opponent is careless when standing outside Sethan's range. Use the s.664C version for safer neutral control. Read the "Important Tech" section for more information. |
| s.5B (far) | Decent. Use it similar to s.5C except it deals less damage but makes up for it by having more vertical reach. Throw this out instead of s.5C if you expect your opponent to jump. Don't forget that committing to any s.On normal can mean death if the opponent has a strong punish available. |
| s.6B (far) | Quick overhead that doesn't lead to much damage but stops your opponent from holding down back on top of your shadow. You can't abuse it but startling your opponent once in a while helps you aggravate them in neutral. Nice little mixup as a finisher as well, especially on oki or when the opponent is approaching with a jump. No one ever expects the grounded overhead! |
| j.A | Good jump in that confirms into your BNB and can cross your opponent up. Also a decent air-to-air if you're above them. Make sure you input this a bit lower to the ground for crossups. |
| j.C | Better horizontal air-to-air. This is your primary tool for controlling the aerial space. Also works for jump-ins if you're further away. Try predicting the opponent's rising jump, and always input this a bit earlier than you think the opponent will. Don't forget that the pre-emptive hurtbox exists within this move too, so be prepared to lose trades. |
| (s.)41236+A/B/C | Gun. Alessi's most useful move as it does a huge amount of chip damage. Absolutely oppressive against passive stands, both as an anti-air and in general, but also works well against s.Off too. It's prone to getting punished, especially against airborne s.On opponents, as they can tech out after 4 hits guaranteed, so be careful. You can cancel it early by pressing S and pray you recover in time to block. Practice the timing of this as it'll save your bacon if you pull gun out at a bad time. If your opponent is turtling, knocked down or predictive in general pull this out and blast them. |
| Guard Cancel | Serving as a reliable "get off me" tool and boasting a very strong launching hitbox, it's one of the better Guard Cancels in the game, and absolutely crucial in higher levels of play or against the top tiers. Also serves as your best anti-air, as there's no input overlap with any of Alessi's specials on an empty jump. |
| a.66C | Alessi Mode exclusive move. Your primary means of doing damage in that mode, but not the only one. Read the combo page for more information. |
Anti-airing
As stated in the notes section, Alessi has no real anti-airs. His short and barely accurate s.Off normals, combined with his large pre-emptive hurtboxes and proximity normals in s.On leaves much to be desired in Alessi's ability to fight jumpers. One round against an upback happy DIO is enough to show just how much defensive laming affects Alessi. Be patient and expect to be put under pressure due to your lack of real or working anti-airs. If the opponent knows to exploit your weaknesses and constantly approaches from the air, be prepared to deal with a LOT of jump-ins. Despite this, Alessi has some just passable ways of fighting aggressive offensive jumpers if the opponent is conditioned enough and you're smart enough with your options. Remember to never be predictable, and to always adapt to your opponent instead of abusing any of your moves, because one missed punish will result in a full BnB or hefty punish. This is especially important, as Alessi's recovery is actually pretty sluggish on most of his "anti-airs".
| Move | Notes |
|---|---|
| (cl.s.)5C | Used most often if the opponent falls into breath-smelling distance from either an unteched (s.)j.A hit or block, or a (s.)4C option select against an attacking jumper. 5C is surprisingly good against  Rubber Soul , as Alessi's short height allows him to duck j.A reliably, and 5C displaces his hurtbox so it doesn't get hit as often by Rubber's j.A. Can be beaten often by j.B/C though, but it's overall a win for you as j.A is infinitely more oppressive than Rubber's other aerials.
|
| j.B | In Heritage, characters can block aerials if they themselves are airborne. Despite this, most players won't block while they're in the air, as they believe they can beat your buttons. If you surprise an approaching jumper with j.B, it can get them to reconsider their air approach, which will be a benefit for you down the line. j.B has slightly more reach vertically on its hitbox compared to Alessi's other aerials and is especially useful in the  Shadow Dio ,  Midler , and  Polnareff matchups.
|
| j.C | Having the most horizontal reach out of Alessi's aerials, if spaced properly, j.C can cleanly beat out quite a few character's aerial approaches. Do remember that Alessi's pre-emptive hurtboxes are active here as well, including j.B, so be very smart about trying to beat aerials if the opponent has a strong tech chase. If the opponent blocks j.C, or any of your aerials, and you reach the ground first, do 4C so you either anti-air 5C or grab the opponent the moment they fall to the ground. |
| (s.)41236+A/B/C | Game defining in some matchups. Against any character with a weak aerial game and limited approaches, you are able to consistently get a large amount of chip while keeping them away. One of the main reasons Alessi is able to curb stomp characters below him. Remember that s.On characters are guaranteed to tech out after 4 hits no matter how hard you mash, so don't use gun against opponents that know this. |
| s.5B (far) | As Alessi's s.On moves all have pre-emptive hurtboxes, what looks like a great anti-air actually loses against most aerials, especially active ones. Best used when the opponent is standing on Sethan and you predict they will jump. The recovery is also somewhat sluggish, so only use this when you think the opponent is conditioned enough or you think you are going to catch their jump when it's still rising. |
| s.2B (far) | Almost never used. This is only mentioned to prevent people from using it. In fact, due to Alessi's proximity range for normals not caring about vertical distance, most of the time you won't even get s.2B (far) and instead get cl.s.2B that'll miss and just get you killed. Please don't use this. Just option select or guard cancel. |
| s.63214+B/C | Only use if the opponent has poor air mobility and you predict their jump. Make sure the opponent is far away, as s.63214+X is punishable due to its recovery if it whiffs. Very ballsy to go for, but has the potential for the most damaging followup depending on the character if the opponent is caught by it. s.63214+X is one of Alessi's only s.On moves that can anti-air and has no pre-emptive hurtboxes. Its hitbox is quite low to the ground as well, contrasting the move's sprite. |
| Guard Cancel | If only the hitbox on this baby was on one of Alessi's normals instead. Alessi's GC can reliably smack the opponent out of the air, and since people like to abuse their aerials against Alessi, this just means even more easy GCs for you. My preferred method of jump option selecting, but don't tunnel for this as empty jump grabs will usually beat this out. Always use the A version, as it's the least punishing button to whiff both in s.Off and s.On. Can also potentially give you a combo in s.Off if it connects on the opponent. |
| 214+AA | Despite looking like an extremely strong anti-air, there are many issues with this move that hold it back from truly being good. Not only is the hitbox of the move way too small for the sprite, it also opens yet another dead zone in front of Alessi, making the move almost always whiff against opponents that are upbacking in the corner. They also have the tendency to fall out of the super before it finishes, and since only the final hit transforms the opponent into a child, makes you lose out on valuable Alessi Mode damage. It also takes a full second to start up, so only a perfect read will allow this move to shine properly. |
| 214+S {214+AA} | Mostly used to bulldoze through aerial camping with the amount of iframes you get. If the opponent likes to upback constantly, you can try this to catch them in the air. Requires very specific spacing and timing, but is very strong if used correctly. Very useful and consistent against Iggy's air hover for example, but might not be as reliable on other characters. |
| 214+S {5B (far), 41236+C (mash), (214+AA)} | Used even less, but can squeeze out a round if you're desperate for damage. Does extremely pitiable damage, and has the tendency to be stuffed out by any aerial move as Alessi's pre-emptive hurtboxes come out even if you're still supposed to have iframes from custom combo. You can try adding a 214+AA after gun, either from mashing or cancelling to catch the opponent off guard. 214+AA in CC recovers fast enough but is still very risky to throw out. |
Opening Opponents Up
In this game, most pressure relies on turn taking and turn stealing. In layman's terms, if you keep the opponent under constant pressure with your normals and specials, leaving as little gaps and moments to breathe for the opponent as possible. Alessi's gameplan focuses a lot on conditioning the opponent by faking habits and then breaking those habits to punish a poor attempt at turn stealing by the opponent. Some ways to do this include baiting out a roll, getting the opponent to whiff a guard cancel or move, and stuffing out approaches with your better normals. Remember that any move with Sethan will have pre-emptive hurtboxes, so don't rely on them for counterpoking.
Spamming 2B is a very reliable way of getting the opponent to approach you. Not only are you building meter, giving access to your win condition of CC combos, but you're also making yourself look vulnerable by whiffing moves. Be wary that a character with fast approaches can catch you with your pants down, so make sure to not do this often if they're constantly rushing you down.
Baiting Responses During Pressure
- 663C, (wait) > (opponent rolls) - If you condition the opponent to pushblock your 663C 663A approaches, waiting a bit could make them accidentally roll, meaning a free grab for you. If the opponent is in s.On, you can just s.5C or go for another dashing approach to catch their whiffed grab tech attempt.
- j.A, (empty jump crossup) > (opponent reacts) - A j.A close to the ground is very strong tool to bait out reactions. You're safe from anti-air Guard Cancels, and if they try to jab you out, they will likely be facing the wrong direction, giving you a j.A crossup or 5C confirm opportunity. If the opponent panic rolls, grab them if you can or 2C after their roll finishes. If the opponent tries to hold block, grab them. Worst case scenario, your opponent anti-airs you, grabs you on landing, or both of you hold downback looking at each other. Make sure you're holding 1 so they can't catch your landing with a combo starter.
- (empty jump) > 1C - Usually a nice and safe way to keep the opponent in check if they're responding to your actions. Since 2C is roll cancellable, your chances of being punished are small if you can react, or they dash in trying to catch your landing and eat a 2C. Be aware of your pre-emptive hurtboxes, as 2C can still be beaten by other moves. Empty jump and block low if you think the opponent will press buttons before you can.
- 663C, 663A, (high forward jump) > (opponent reacts), j.A (crossup)/5A/(grab) - Jumping after a blockstring is very strong at baiting out a reaction. They will either whiff a punish, allowing you a full BnB off j.A or recover in time but get crossed up by j.A into a full BnB or tick grab. Worst case scenario you get hit mid-air by a few smacks, or they block/guard cancel j.A. No matter what, it's still a heavily lopsided risk vs reward interaction in your favor if you play your cards correctly. Don't overextend, block, and play safe as much as you can.
- s.664C, (wait) > (opponent reacts) - A lot of people like to pushblock Alessi's s.On normals and attempt to punish afterwards. If you jump, you can dodge low dashes and j.s.A/B into a full BnB or tick grab. If you block low, you can GC their approach or lose nothing if the opponent doesn't approach. A well spaced s.664C usually means your punishes only mean a single s.5C (far), but it's still better than nothing and a good conditioning tool. Be aware of jump-ins after s.664C however.
Of course, these aren't the only possible routes you can do. Once you get familiar enough with the character, many of these things will come naturally to you. You don't even have to just use normals; specials, GC, and other moves all work as conditioning tools. Make sure to spend plenty of time experimenting, and see what little nifty tricks you pick up. These will stack up in the long run to turn you into a truly great Alessi.
Stand Stretch
Holding S when standing still makes Sethan slowly increase its length, up to s.5C (far) nearly reaching at full screen without screen stretch. You can release S at any time for your desired Sethan length. All far normals except s.2C have their range increased, while proximity and dashing s.On normals are kept the same. Turning your stand on and off without a directional input, using s.63214+A/B/C, or doing (s.)236+AA will reset Sethan back to normal.
In low health scenarios, or against certain characters at fullscreen, stand stretch is actually a decent way of getting those last few hits needed to secure a round. However, it should be noted that it's quite risky to commit to, as your defense suffers in compensation for an ultimately underwhelming 50/50 game. However, against characters with a poor punish game off simple pokes or against zoners, stand stretch can be very useful. The only moves you need include:
- s.6B (far)
- s.2A (far)
- s.5C (far)
Mixing between s.6B and s.2A makes the opponent forced to fuzzy block an unreactable mixup constantly if they don't jump. s.5C (far) has crazy range and can interrupt a lot of opponents when they think they're safe. Absolutely hellish to fight as a zoner, and is used often in those matchups. For defensive purposes, you should use:
- s.2C
- s.5B (far)
- s.2B (far)
- s.664B/C
s.5B and s.2B are both your only anti-air normals, and since their range is huge you can reliably hit the opponent out of the air or keep them grounded. s.2C keeps its regular range, so is still a good panic button. The two dashing buttons keep their original range as well, they have their original purposes as well. s.664B is an ok panic anti-air, but don't be predictable unless you want to be punished, hard.
Alessi Mode
When certain specials or supers connect, Alessi will (or will not) do a small taunt as the opponent transforms into a somewhat hapless child version of themselves. s.63214+A/B/C and (s.)236+AA both have guaranteed poses after a successful connection, while 63214+A/B/C and (s.)214+AA don't. However, 63214+A/B/C only skips the pose if it hits a s.On opponent. Doing s.63214+A/B/C or 236+AA in CC will significantly lower the pose's speed.
Characters in child mode only have access to k.5X and k.j.A/B/C, with some having a k.2X. They cannot roll, use specials, supers, or even turn on their stands. Most opponents will hold jump to minimise the damage taken, as children are fully invincible during their falling state after they get hit mid-air. However, across every character, there exists 1 single frame right when they land where they cannot do anything at all, as children cannot block either. By connecting an attack on this frame, you are able to keep them grounded and get a full combo afterwards. Some characters have longer pre-jump frames, which allows more damaging combos to be done. What combos work on who and specific information is given in the Alessi Mode Combos section.
Alessi is the only character in the game with technically 4 stances. He has his standard s.On and s.Off modes, and accessing Alessi Mode with certain specials or supers turn both modes into slightly or entirely modified versions of themselves. You will primarily be using he s.Off version of Alessi Mode, as it's a lot more consistent and gives higher damage. However, s.Off's range is a bit short and won't work as well in meterless child transformations, so you will be using s.On to chase down freshly transformed children more often. Do be aware that a large amount of children can use their aerials to hit the pre-emptive hurtboxes of your s.On normals, so just build meter with a.2B if you don't think you can chase them down.
| Character | Frames | Character cont. | Frames cont. |
|---|---|---|---|
 Alessi |
1 |  Khan |
6 |
 Avdol |
1 |  Mariah |
1 |
 Black Polnareff |
1 | Midler |
1 |
 Chaka |
1 |  New Kakyoin |
4 |
 Devo |
1 |  Old Joseph |
4 |
 Dio |
9 |  Pet Shop |
1 |
 Hol & Boingo |
5 | Polnareff |
1 |
 Hol Horse |
1 | Rubber Soul |
5 |
 Iggy |
5 | Shadow Dio |
1 |
 Jotaro |
1 |  Vanilla Ice |
1 |
 Kakyoin |
4 |  Young Joseph |
1 |
Grab Game
Alessi's grab is also quite good for his gameplan, as depending on where the opponent techs, it either opens up a tech chase for you, or it resets the game state back to neutral, the state where Alessi shines the most if he has a lifelead. His tools punish approaches while maintaining a strong defense, slowly whittling down the opponent's health bar and patience, leading to more mistakes for you to capitalise off of.
An important and often successful way to bait out a response is through fishing out a roll, by staggering your pressure moves to get a failed pushblock attempt. Most people will pushblock with a bit of autopiloting, especially if you condition them to expect a certain blockstring, such as doing 663C 663A. Instead, hold off on doing 663A, and sit back. You don't lose anything except pressure (that was kind of unsafe to begin with) if the opponent doesn't roll, and if they do, you get a free grab. Remember that many of Alessi's moves can be baited from, such as j.A, s.66C, and more.
Tick Grabs
Alessi's tick grabs are quite strong, as all of them count as regular pressure strings, roll bait setups, or tick grab setups. His moves are also just fast enough to allow you to safely block or even guard cancel afterwards. Any of these options can also convert to a full BnB if the opponent fails to punish accordingly, so the threat of whiffing buttons is another level of mind games you can use to control the opponent's options. Remember to crouch after any of these options if you don't feel like grabbing, as Alessi's tiny crouch hurtbox allows him to duck under many optimal BnBs by the cast. Also, be prepared to super through a whiffed grab attempt if the opponent tries to reversal you, such as with a Black Polnareff 214+AA. Mix up your options to potentially bait a roll, or a failed grab tech. Some basic tick grab options include:
- 5A
- 663A
- 663C
- (s.)j.A
- j.C
- s.66C
Grab Followups
Depending on which way the opponent techs after your grab, you have quite a few options to get some cheeky damage off. They can down tech, neutral tech, forward tech, or back tech. Most open up tech chase opportunities for you, or reset the game back to neutral.
(Opponent neutral techs) 41236+B - You have just enough time to hit the opponent mid-air with gun if they neutral tech. A bit more of a committal choice, as they can tech towards you and do a full BnB since, even if cancelled, gun will still be in recovery.
(Opponent down techs) s.4B - Since Alessi's stand extends after a grab, even in s.Off, s.5B (far) is the perfect distance to catch an opponent. Holding a direction keeps Sethan's extended length, so make sure to hold 4 and not 6, as you would get s.6B (far) instead. The opponent might down tech and immediately do an aerial, which you will lose the trade to.
(Opponent forward techs) 7B/C - Doing a short hop back to meet the opponent with an air-to-air is usually effective at making them less willing to tech towards you, forcing them to approach you in neutral again. Use j.B if they're a bit too high for j.C. Make sure not to contest an active aerial, as pre-emptive hurtboxes are still here. GC instead against moves like Polnareff 's j.B.
(Opponent back techs) - Not much you can do at this point. Since it resets the game state back to neutral, you either force them to approach if you have the lifelead or go in yourself if they have the lifelead. You can whiff 2B a few times to gain some guaranteed extra meter when they're still in the air.
Resets
As stated in the combo page, Alessi has access to a volatile stand crush reset against stand characters. Learning these resets are crucial for maximizing Alessi's true damage. Against most characters, the crush reset combo can deal around 50% without including Alessi mode damage. With Alessi mode, however, he can deal around 75% to 90% depending on the character. The setup for the reset is listed in the combo section, but all you need is the 663A > S+6C with 13 points of stand gauge health remaining for the opponent. This is essentially Alessi's robbery mechanic. Read the combo page for a guide on the combo and the notations.
Important Tech
| Move | Notes | Extras |
|---|---|---|
| Guard Cancel | Most often your best way of getting out of pressure is with Guard Cancel. Make sure you do many of these against jump-ins, or against predictable pressure strings. Examples include GC'ing the 214+A of Dio 's 2A, 2A, 2[A] xx 214+]A[. Always do the A version and block accordingly (usually downback) after the DP input, as if you don't manage to GC properly, 5A is the least punishing normal to whiff or you will continue blocking. Be aware that grabs will usually beat GC attempts, and doing a GC from a low block can sometimes result in 41236+A/B/C appearing, which you don't want. Don't tunnel vision for GC's, as it can be baited, and pushblocking is safer/more generally applicable.
| |
| 1C | 2C is an incredible move that catches people not low blocking, is relatively safe on block, has fast startup and good enough recovery, is quite far-reaching, and can even be roll-cancelled. If the opponent tries to grab you, 1C also techs their grab. It also maintains your low crouch height, so even if you get hit the opponent can't do optimal combos (depending on the character). The s.On version is less safe, as it can't be cancelled with supers or rolls, but is good enough. Be aware of the pre-emptive hurtboxes however. | |
| (s.)4AC | Similar to the 1C option select above, but for jump-ins. Even if you mess up and input A or C individually, they still either jab out the opponent while grounded, tech their throw, throw the opponent, or anti-air. Less consistent in s.On due to proximity normals, but still quite good. Can confirm into a CC if the opponent is hit by any of these moves. | |
| s.4ABC | A good option select against many kinds of jumps. Jump-in? Pushblocked. Empty jump? cl.s.5A into combo or worst case scenario s.5A. Empty jump grab? Techs the grab or jabs them out beforehand. You might even grab them yourself. Be aware that s.5A (far) can miss the opponent if they are too close. Unfortunately, it is susceptible to moves that stall or delay their air momentum (such as passive stand j.S, double jumps, air supers etc). | |
| s.664C | All of Alessi's dashing normals have their range dependent on his speed the moment the button input is done. Essentially, the slower you are, the faster the move will end. Holding 4 after a dash and timing the heavy input allows you to have better frame advantage and positioning at the cost of range, but it is usually a very worthwhile trade. |
Glitches
Despite many of Alessi's glitches handicapping many of his potential strengths, some of them can be utilised to increase Alessi's potential and skill ceiling to a rather high degree. Note that many of these are not necessary or even usable, but a few can be potentially game changing if semi-consistent. Practice some of these, as they can be used in many situations. These will be ordered from most useful to detrimental.
236S/Guard Cancel Cancel
Alessi can cancel his GC or 236S into a Custom Combo. His GC cancel is particularly strong, as it allows for extremely high damage from a defensive option and makes attacking Alessi a lot more risky.
To perform this glitch, you need to 1. Use s.[AA] in any capacity (hit, block, or whiff), 2. Don't use any specials or supers (excluding CC) in s.On, 3. Don't get hit in s.On, and 4. Don't let a limb get hit in s.On. After the install is active, you can cancel either the initial startup of 236+S, or any part of GC. However, do note that GC can only be cancelled into 214+S after at least 13 frames, so make sure to input your GC slightly later than you normally would. Unfortunately, since 236+S is only cancellable right before the hitbox spawns, this means you can't get a guaranteed follow-up from an unblockable child mode transformation, removing the possibility of an unblockable child transformation off of Okizeme.
Double Stand Attack Glitch
When Alessi is Stand ON and dashes, if you press a button on the last frame of the dash, and then press another on the frame after, Alessi will do both attacks just as the dash ends. The first button you press will come out as the dashing variant, and the second will be the standing version. This is important if you use s.5B with this glitch and/or if your stand is extended. This also means your second normal can be any grounded move you want, including command normals and crouching moves. Recovery on moves when using this glitch is much faster than normal.
Using this glitch allows you to do a lot more damage while covering more of the screen with hitboxes, and you can even get a true 50/50 mixup off of oki. Note that the routes shown aren't the only ones possible, and some can even lead to further combos. Also, due to the side-specific dash range glitch, the two sides both have different timings. Experiment to see what you can do with this glitch. Some useful routes to mention include:
- s.664C+4B... - Does very high damage, and covers both the vertical distance of s.5B as well as the grounded areas of s.664C. Make sure to do the 664 version, so s.6B doesn't come out and whiffing is less committal. This has the hitstun of s.66C, so any move that reaches can be combo'd from, such as another s.66C.
- s.664A+5C... - Similar to the combo above, but with a slightly faster recovery. Does less damage and is less committal, but not very worth it over the previous combo. Only combos into s.5B/C.
- s.664A+6B > 214+S... - A strong overhead mixup on oki and sometimes in neutral that confirms into CC. Very difficult to execute but very rewarding if done correctly. Most characters will block low to block gun or (s.)2C on wakeup and in neutral, so catching them with an overhead will usually surprise them. For oki, hitting s.6B (far) as a meaty is the best case scenario, but hitting s.664A as meaty works well enough too.
The KneeLow
When using a.s.j.A, its hit properties change depending on what move was used before it. Most of the properties are useless/non applicable (like using hit properties from his child form attacks), however, there is one that's useful. Discovered by KneeCo, using a.s.cl.6C changes the hit properties to a.cl.2A which hits low. If timed correctly, you can get a full combo with a.s.j.A [AB], s.cl.5C, ]AB[ xx 214S. Keep in mind that the other player has iframes after coming out of child mode, so it's not a true meaty.
If the opponent jumps and blocks s.jA after they transform back, you can still cl.s.5C xx ]AB[ to do some hefty anti-air damage. Mostly only applicable in the corner, but since Alessi's corner carry is so strong you'll often find yourself in this situation anyways. Worth using as a knowledge check or if you mess up a child mode combo.
The Gunblockable
Alessi's 41236+A/B/C summons a reticle on the screen that triggers pre-block when going near an opponent. In Heritage, moves that are unblockable, e.g. Hol Horse 's 421+AA, are only unblockable because they do not trigger pre-block. If the reticle is spawned behind the opponent and positioned to just barely clip their hurtbox, pre-block won't be triggered, causing the attack to become unblockable. Moving the reticle towards the opponent while mashing is an easy way to make sure it becomes unblockable.
This is quite useful in a last-touch scenario if the opponent is downbacking, or if they roll into your well-positioned gun reticle. You can do this upon a 2C Okizeme as well. Be careful when using this glitch, as the opponent may have enough time to rush in while you are positioning the reticle. If this does happen, cancel gun as fast as you can to hopefully block their attack in time. This makes using the glitch only really possible if the opponent is fully committed to downbacking.
Alessi 5A recovery framerule
While Alessi is in recovery after pressing 5A, there is a one frame window where he can perform movement inputs before his recovery has ended. This means you can only walk, crouch, dash, or jump. Buffering a dash through 5A's recovery and performing the dash during this framerule will put Alessi in a dashing state on the next frame, but he will be unable to input any dashing normals during this frame as he'll still be in recovery. The glitch does not seem to affect Alessi's other buttons nor other characters.
For example:
Frame #1: Alessi is still in 5A recovery and cannot act
Frame #2: Alessi is still in 5A recovery and cannot act
Frame #3: Alessi can now act and input buttons/directions (such as dashing, jumping etc.)
Frame #4: Alessi goes back to 5A's recovery and cannot act
Frame #5: Alessi officially leaves 5A's recovery and can act as normal from this point onward.
Fortunately, this doesn't negatively affect anything and in fact creates a very useful tech for this glitch. Since you can walk on frame 3 of 5A's recovery, technically this means 5A is walk-cancellable. When doing combos on thin characters, holding forward towards them allows you to squeeze in a small microwalk to cut 5A's recovery and increase your range, allowing combos that would otherwise drop.
Child Mode 1-Frame Gunshot Reset
When a character is in child mode, they have around 3 seconds of transformation time once they stop bouncing off the floor. The timer only drains when they are not in hitstun or when they're falling in the air. As for the glitch itself, there's a single frame after hitstun wears off where the opponent can't act (jump or block) but also won't drain child mode time. For any child mode combo that ends with 41236+A/B/C, delaying the next gunshot to hit on the 15th frame (wait 14, input on 15th) after the previous gunshot allows you to employ the glitch. Unscaled gunshots do 2 damage, which theoretically allows you to double your gun ender damage. However, if you're even 1 frame too late, the opponent will turn back into a child, causing this to be a high risk low reward tactic. If the opponent is below 45% health, this glitch is entirely useless due to Guts, as unscaled gunshots now do 1 damage.
236+S/63214+A/B/C Preblock Shenanigans
Similar to the Gunblockable, both of these moves can spawn a hitbox behind the opponent and not trigger preblock. If the opponent rolls into either of these two moves at the right time, you get an unblockable child transformation. However, since the frame data on both of these specials are among the worst in the game due to the small taunt Alessi does after it connects. At best you can get 66C > S+5C. Usually you'll be around -30 after the taunt, so good luck catching up to the opponent. Slightly more manageable in the corner. If the opponent was in s.On, Alessi will actually skip the taunt and you can get a followup after the hit, but this will almost never come up.
Unfortunately, this glitch is quite useless in Alessi's gameplan, as the specific spacing and window to perform are both very strict. There is one use however, where you roll bait after a 2C knockdown and cancel into 63214+A/B/C. The notation looks like this: 2C xx 41236+A/B/C (one shot) > S > (opponent rolls), 63214+A/B/C. It only works on characters with a slow wakeup, and the followup in Alessi Mode is never guaranteed, but it's very flashy and one of the best clips you can get.
Side-Specific Dash Framedata
This is the start of the detrimental glitches. Depending on what direction Alessi is facing, the recovery and frame advantage you get after a dash or dashing attack will be different. The duration works just fine when Alessi is on the left side of the screen, but if he's on the right, the glitch takes effect. The effects of the glitch include:
- Followups after a s.66C will be impossible
- Any kind of dash (empty or attacking) will take longer to recover. Hitboxes will have the same frame data
- Double Stand Attacks will have different timings
- Moves will be more unsafe on block
Here is the abridged version for an in-depth explanation of the glitch. Alessi's dash starts with his velocity at 0, increases to a peak after it's inputted, then decreases. When Alessi dashes towards the right side of the screen, the game stops the dash when his velocity becomes lower than 1 (e.g. 0.9999). However, when Alessi's dashing towards the left, it instead decreases his velocity until -1, then slowly goes back to 0. The issue arises with the skip to 0 after the velocity is lower than 1, as a positive dash meets the requirements much faster than a negative dash. If the devs checked for the same number for negative dashes, everything would've been just peachy, but they forgot that dashes can be negative velocities when they made this mechanic. Unfortunately, this is just something you need to learn to deal with.
Aerial 41236+A/B/C Inconsistencies
There are a few specific interactions that should be noted of when anti-airing with 41236+A/B/C. Most importantly, if you don't mash hard enough if the opponent is hit by gun, they can tech out for a potential punish. This won't apply if they air block gun instead. However, do be warned that smart players can intentionally stop blocking and get hit to tech in for a potential punish. You can prevent this from happening if you mash hard enough though.
On another note, due to how they interact with projectiles, s.On characters will be able to tech out after the 4th gunshot no matter how hard you mash. Unfortunately, this means yet another of Alessi's anti-air options has a crippling weakness you need to be aware of. If the opponent knows this, they can tech in for a full BnB, which you are powerless to stop even if you cancel gun as fast as you can. s.On characters also don't take chip from gun if they block, so the risk/reward is even less appealing. Don't use gun against s.On characters unless they're grounded.
Shadow Dio also gets iframes if he air-blocks gun. For every gunshot Sdio blocks, he gains a brief period of invulnerability that is most evident when you mash gun particularly fast. Blocking gun while grounded works as normal, but anti-airing with gun won’t give you the same amount of chip. This slightly lowers gun as an effective anti-air, both in terms of damage and positioning. Spacing out your gunshots is the only way to deal with this.
How To Get Better
Learn the BNB, some confirms into it and practice child mode a lot. You'll naturally get child mode practice in real matches so don't worry about spending a billion hours labbing it out. Know when to use each special and super, how to Guard Cancel (one of the most important things to learn), and your options for breaking an opponent's defense via crossups, crossunders, tick grabs, etc. Optimise you combos as much as you can, then start utilising the glitches to reach the end stages of Alessi optimisation.
