Marvel vs Capcom 2/Jin/Strategy

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Overview

Jin is on the slower side frame-data wise, but he has reach, damage, and a solid aerial command normal in j.2HK. His special moves have some quirks, but weave into his combos well and allow him to pick the right super for whatever job is at hand. For starters, I want to break down his moves and their main use cases, to help build a rough gameplan draft you can use. I'll be using less objective wording here, as while I think every move has a use, Jin can be better off avoiding some of them.

Assist Choice

Expansion

Jin's Expansion assist is a great pick, though it's a little tricky to use. You can get OTGs off it, since it has the same until-landing hitstun -> knockdown state as Psylocke's anti-air assist. Its multiple hits can pop opponents up higher for slower attacks or moves with high hitboxes to combo (or infinite) out of it. This assist is also useful in blockstrings due to it's multiple hits, where four hits of chip are guaranteed if you're close to the opponent already. Its Alpha Counter is the HP version of Typhoon, which travels much farther and faster. It can get Jin close to the opponent unlike his other counters, and with enough hits he can super cancel for more damage. The THC super for this assist is Saotome Cyclone, which can be a problem. If Jin comes out too close to the opponent, he'll take them from the other supers (and they likely won't connect after it ends), meaning you spent extra meter for what might be solid damage (at least, before the point character OTGs off the knockdown it provides). If he's not close enough, however, Cyclone will whiff entirely. There are situations or team compositions/assists where you could get better damage out of the meter spent, but it's not an issue if for whatever reason you aren't using THCs anyway.


Anti-air

Jin's Anti-air assist is Expansion's only competition. Dynamite may be preferred over Typhoon assist as its invincibility, speed, damage, range, and defensive properties thanks to the armor hurtboxes make it one hell of an assist in tight situations. It's not as useful in combos or on offense, but as a counter-zoning measure or on more defensive/zoning teams it can easily prove its worth since it sends the opponent high up and away. As an Alpha Counter, unless you're in the corner, most times you won't be comboing Dynamite into a super. Another point Anti-air has over Expansion is that its THC super is Blodia Punch, which can be much more useful since it cooperates with other supers better than Cyclone does thanks to its fullscreen reach and knockdown on hit still granting the point character OTG opportunities like Cyclone can.


Launcher

Jin's Launcher assist sure is a Launcher assist. The other two options outshine this one in most aspects, but having an easier time cancelling on-hit into Cyclone out of an Alpha Counter can be useful, since Expansion has to hit multiple times to get them at a height where Cyclone would combo, and Anti-air has to be kara-cancelled midscreen because it sends them too far on-hit for it to connect. I say Cyclone and not Dynamite or Typhoon because even though his counter is 5MP, it's treated like a special move, so you can't actually cancel it into specials. If your back is to the corner, you can also combo this Alpha Counter into Blodia Vulcan, since the bullets rain down from the wall behind you at an angle.

People tend to pick either A or B, out of preference for their strengths or which one helps the other characters on the team more.

Normals

Lights

5LP does 2 damage, while his other three lights all do 6. 5LP does have its uses in niche combos where 2LP may miss, but in almost every case you should be using 2LP instead for the damage. When it comes to his heavies, 5LP and 2LP can only combo into 2HP, but all four of his heavies are fair game if you start from either LK.

Jin's slower 5LK and 2LK have similar speed to each other, and their far reach can make them good pokes if you use them while charging a Saotome Dynamite or Saotome Typhoon. 2LK is a low, and its farther reach can make it ideal from mid ranges where 5LK may whiff. 2LK's low hitbox placement also makes it one of his key OTG choices, and its low profile hurtbox can come in handy.

Jin's j.LP and j.LK can both instant overhead and have decent active frames, and j.LK's long reach can make it a fine air-to-air and a niche OTG option if you're on the way down. j.LK is also a better choice as a jump-in thanks to its downwards angle.


Mediums

5MP (and the similar 3HP) is Jin's launcher, and it does what it's supposed to. Unfortunately, the hitbox isn't particularly wide, so it can whiff after LKs depending on your spacing. After it hits, Jin has ample time to dash under and hit them with a crossup as they fall back down. 5MP can combo into Saotome Cyclone if timed right, and Blodia Vulcan if his back is to the corner.

Jin's 2MP will be your go-to for comboing into his special moves (or straight to supers, if you need to), especially if you built charge already from downbacking with 2LP or 2LK. Jin's medium punches are going to be the mediums you use probably exclusively, as his medium kicks lock him out of both specials and supers, and their multiple hits cause combo scaling to kick in sooner.

5MK and 2MK both put Jin into the air, and he can't act until he lands (nor can he call assists, for some reason). Without air specials or supers, these moves put Jin in an awkward spot and don't provide much reward (he could instead combo into 5HK or 2HK for a knockdown / 5MP or Dynamite if he wants to put the opponent in the air). If you want to use these in combos, you'll need to call an assist as you press your Lk.png button. 5MK knocking down can make it preferable to 2MK's shorter hitstun, but 2MK's not knocking down means they can't roll away from you. However, it seems to only combo off of LPs in the corner. I would avoid both of these normals unless you have specific setups that require them, like 5MK into an assist that has slow startup or takes time to travel the screen.

Jin's air mediums are pretty standard and both are useful. j.MP's range is long enough that you can combo it off of a max-distance air-to-air j.LP or a jump-in j.LK. j.MP also has shorter recovery than j.MK, so you can use it to link back into lights during air combos. j.MK can be used as filler during jump-ins more easily thanks to its hitbox which reaches lower than j.MP's, but there don't seem to be many situations where j.MP wouldn't work, so feel free to use either.


Heavies

Jin's heavy attacks are the tickets to damage city. 5HP gives him a boost forwards, and its long hitbox makes it cover about a little over 1/2 the screen. This move is a key part to Jin's kit, as its the star of his semi-infinite as well as a strong button with long enough hitstun that even raw tags combo off of it. When cancelling out of 5HP, Jin will get pushed back a surprising distance, but an HP Typhoon can get him back in with ease, and if it combos with enough hits, you can consistently combo it into either Saotome Cyclone or Blodia Punch. 2HP is similar to 5HP, but instead of travelling forwards it keeps Jin in place. It also doesn't have the strong pushback when cancelled into specials and supers, so there are cases where 2HP can be used instead of 5HP for easier followups.

Jin's 5HK has until-landing -> knockdown hitstun like 5MK, and you get ample time to charge a Dynamite to hit them OTG if they don't roll. 5HK travels most of the screen, and the hop during startup allows Jin to go clean over attacks and some projectiles. During the recovery of the move (after he lands) he regains the ability to cancel into specials/supers (namely Dynamite to OTG) and call assists. Calling certain assists before Jin hops can give him the opportunity to combo off of 5HK hitting.

2HK is Jin's second low and another OTG tool, he slides across the floor with an active sweep hitbox and his hurtbox stays low to the ground. The later it hits, the more time you have to OTG with Dynamite if you held down after using it. Its long active time also makes it great for Juggles (hitting the one-frame window on knockdowns where OTGs are guaranteed) and its high damage can make it a solid choice for OTGs off of Blodia Punch's Flying Screen knockdown, usually into a second Blodia Punch.

Jin's j.HP is his only Flying Screen trigger, as j.HK doesn't have that property. j.HP has a nice hitbox and damage, and can serve as a fast overhead when used like an instant overhead. It has a very steep angle when used to trigger Flying Screen, so with the right super jump momentum Jin can cross them up after it hits and with the right setup, he can even use an air light on the way down to meaty with an overhead.

j.HK is a purely horizontal move with two hits, and while theres a gap between the hits it still covers good space in front of Jin and can be used as a jump-in from mid range. Instead of being a Flying Screen trigger, Jin's j.HK instead forces him into the Normal Jump state after the animation finishes, which gives him a brief window before he lands from a super jump where he can call an assist! This move also has some tricky usage in air combos. I haven't been able to do any of this myself (both of these are tool-assisted) but I'm sure with the right timing it's at least feasible.


Command Normals

j.2HK is a dive-kick like attack with three hits (and each deals chip) and is a nice tool when used in moderation. If it's done too high or at a bad angle, you won't be able to combo off of it on hit and/or it will leave you vulnerable until landing. With correct spacing, or even a quick super jump j.2HK, it can be combod into 2LP or LKs > 5MP > Saotome Cyclone, or into 2HK > Blodia Punch (or Saotome Dynamite if you're low on meter). Due to the height requirement and his momentum being preserved until he starts descending, you can't really tiger knee this attack. Since it has no landing recovery, using it repeatedly as soon as you're able can make it a rudimentary lockdown trap, and with the right assists it can grant a decent bit of chip until your opponent finds a way out. The three hits each deal 5 damage, so while its forward movement can keep Jin relatively close to his opponent when he lands, it's not a better jump-in than j.HP.

3HP is 2 frames slower than 5MP, but otherwise identical. If you have meter and hit it point blank, you can cancel it into Saotome Crash to sneak under them and then cancel *that* into a Cyclone (input for the direction you were facing before the cross under) and have the Cyclone hit as a crossup, then OTG after with a Dynamite. You'll probably only use 3HP behind an assist for more damage/less scaling than what Light > 5MP would result in. Like 5MP, it can combo into Blodia Vulcan if your back is next to the corner due to the gunshots' downwards angle starting from the wall.

Throws

Jin's HP throws are similar whether you're grounded or airborne, and if Jin is high up enough after his air throw animation ends, he can act before landing. His HP throw gives him much more frame advantage than his HK throw, to the point where he can dash in and high-low if you're fast enough and they don't Tech Roll (but if they do, they'll be next to you if you don't move).

If you can mash fast enough during his HK throw, the guaranteed positioning since they can't roll and its higher damage potential can make it the main one to use, unless you'd rather have the frame advantage from (or use assists that can combo off of) his HP throws.

Specials and Hypers

Saotome Typhoon

Typhoon is great for comboing into Saotome Cyclone and Blodia Punch, so long as you get three or more hits. Its active frames and until-landing hitstun also make it good at catching stray mashes or assists and can disorient your opponent if they weren't expecting to get caught by it. With its forwards movement, it can also end with Jin crossing the opponent up, making it so their Tech Roll takes them into the corner next to him instead of away from him. When downbacking, having to choose between Typhoon and Dynamite can make or break a situation. After a launcher hits, if you cancel into Typhoon then Jin will cross under the opponent, and with the right timing you can cancel into a cross-up super while they're still above him.


Saotome Dynamite

Jin's most iconic special move, known for its invincibility, high damage, and range despite its quick startup. Despite the animation, only the armor pieces that go in front of and directly above him have hitboxes. The ones behind him are purely cosmetic. The armor pieces themselves don't do much damage, but the move can easily do 20+ damage if multiple hit off an OTG or in the corner. Each piece sends high into the air on hit, hit of chip on block, and have hurtboxes that can trade with other projectiles. As an OTG, you can use Dynamite to combo into Blodia Punch if you're fast (if only one armor piece hits, as to keep them in range of the punch) or Saotome Cyclone in the corner.


Saotome Crash

A hitgrab (not a command grab) that only combos off of 5LK and 2LK. While cool visually, it isn't used particularly often since its short range makes it less desirable than the other cancel options his LKs have. On hit it puts Jin in a similar spot that his HP throws do, and the 24 damage it deals is nothing to scoff at. Thanks to kara- and whiff cancelling, you can cancel 5HP and 2HK early to increase Crash's effective range some by inputting either 63214HP~K or 6321HK~4K. It can 'hit' assists (and OTG also), but the screen-dragging segment doesn't occur, so it won't do much unless it hits a standing or crouching opponent. If he's close enough to the opponent, cancelling into Saotome Crash from a 2HK hit will cause him to cross the opponent up, and Safe Rolling will keep them in the corner if they do it. After a point-blank 3HP, cancelling into Crash will cause Jin to cross under the opponent like with Typhoon, and you can cancel into a cross-up super. Calling an assist as you're inputting Crash can prove useful, just in case your assist can clip your opponent's while Jin handles their point character. Jin is fully invincible while dragging his victim during Crash, so you could use that to avoid an assist, for example.


Blodia Punch

This super does more damage the closer your opponent is to the corner behind you (where Blodia's punch comes from, as it gets to hit more). In some cases, it hitting an assist can also make it unblockable for their point character! While high in total damage, the multihit quality of this move can make it inconsistent when comboing (and especially DHCing) into it as it may not all connect, so in some cases you may be better off using Saotome Cyclone or Blodia Vulcan. Blodia's fist can actually hit OTG, so Typhoon > Blodia Punch can work even if it doesn't true combo. While the knockdown that Flying Screen provides it can be OTGd (and can't be rolled), you can mash buttons to get up sooner and prevent Jin from following up. In the event the opponent doesn't mash, Jin gets to OTG with 2LK into 5HP > raw tag, or if he has meter he can do 2HK into another Blodia Punch or Cyclone if he's close enough. The OTG isn't always possible to go for, as in some spaces on the screen this move will send them too far for your OTG options to reach. However, the lack of pushback on hit makes going for the OTG in the corner a more consistent option.


Saotome Cyclone

One of the highest-damaging and highest-reaching supers in the game. Like Blodia Punch, you can't DHC out of Cyclone after it does it's notorious damage, so it's best used at the end of a DHC sequence. It has a lot of active frames, but anyone that blocks it should punish you without fail if it whiffs. The knockdown provided by this super can be OTGd, usually with Dynamite (into another Cyclone if you're in the corner)


Blodia Vulcan

A unique super, Jin has Blodia rain bullets onto the screen, and if enough hit he'll jump into the cockpit and keep firing. The damage is solid, but the long startup and bullet spread prevents him from reliably comboing into it solo. If it whiffs or is blocked, Jin is fully punishable, so you'll have to save Vulcan for the right times. When DHCing after supers Blodia Punch would be too slow or Cyclone would whiff, this will be your best bet. This super also treats Jin's current position as ~1/4 screen away from the wall behind him (where he lands afterwards), so when DHCing out of this super into another one, be mindful that the next character may not spawn in where you'd expect. With a quick enough cancel, you can combo into Vulcan off of 5MP or 3HP (as well as the Launcher assist's Alpha Counter) if your back is to the corner. It seems like the shots come in from that side, so they're more likely to combo there than anywhere else.


Saotome Shine

You basically don't get a choice when it comes to using Saotome Shine, since it'll activate immediately if Jin is grounded and actionable when his health is low enough. Invincibility on startup is a great asset even if you can't manually use it, but what comes after has its pros and cons: While a damage buff and super armor is nice on paper, having armor means that instead of flinching from hits, he'll instead come to a stop during hitstop which makes his laggy buttons even *more* laggy and he'll eat free damage in the process, which can prove even more dangerous when he's already at low health. With the 'right' team order or DHC/raw tag usage, this passive can be avoided entirely if he goes down first or second and you can let a healthier or stronger character fight as the last character alive.


Strategies

Jin is a character with some strong buttons with good reach, but his frame data prevents him from throwing out hitboxes like other characters can. Your mission with Jin is to keep your opponent on their toes with the constant threats of his explosive damage, and whiff cancelling his normals into Dynamite and Typhoon when people would typically try to punish is a key tactic you'll have to take advantage of. Frame trapping with special/super cancels is like setting bait for a trap and swinging when they reach for it, but of course, if you do it too frequently, most characters can capitalize easily off it with things like AHVB, Rocket Punch, or Hailstorm. Remember that Jin has a good bit of endlag on most moves, so even attempting to frame trap with something like LP Typhoon is still a risk. Pre-emptive assist calls can help cover Jin in case things go wrong, but don't be surprised if they start bleeding afterwards since he can't always recover quick enough to protect them in turn. A more advanced approach you can implement is using the forwards movement from 5LK, 5HP, and 2HK to kara-cancel into his specials to give them increased range and hit people at distances they would think are safe. Forward dashing before a kara-cancel will get you even closer, while backdashing first can give them room to miss an attack and yours can whiff punish.

As mentioned above, j.2HK is a key tool for Jin's rushdown, as its three hits of chip and until-landing active frames make it a pesky trapping move, and its forwards angle prevents pushblock from helping as much as they might hope. With assists, j.2HK by itself or [j.LK, j.2HK] can make a simple looping lockdown trap, and holding downback lets you throw out a sudden Dynamite or Typhoon whenever you land.

While Jin has two options for instant overheads with j.LP and j.LK, he has the two-hit Magic Series when in Normal Jump, so he can't convert off of them solo. With the right assists called early enough, he can combo off of their attack into his regular options like 5MP > Cyclone or something into Blodia Punch for an opportunity to OTG after. In terms of his high/low game, Jin can also go for meaty overheads on his way down (even after air combos ending with j.HP, with the right setup!) j.LP has 16 active frames and j.LK has 12. 2LK has 4 active frames starting on frame 13, while 2HK has 16 active frames starting on frame 15, so Jin also has meaty low options provided he has enough frame advantage first (like dashing in after a HP throw or Saotome Crash) and they don't Tech Roll.

On the topic of air combos, the steep angle j.HP sends at can give Jin opportunities to cross the opponent up on his way back down, making a left/right situation that could be made trickier with his high/low options (even though the high would work best on the way down, and his lows are slow) if you want to mix them up that much to risk getting hit. If you're confident, you can sacrifice some damage in an air combo by going for a delayed chain into a reset with a landing j.HP overhead, a crossup 2LP, or even a throw / an air throw if you're close enough. In the corner, a delayed chain into a j.2HK can put you in the corner for a crossup with your back to the wall where Vulcan can combo. DHCing partway through can result in another crossup, and the character that comes in from the DHC will spawn midscreen, putting the opponent into the corner again.


On defense, Dynamite will be your best friend. From keeping the pressure on in scramble situations to fighting back against air attacks on their way to you, the invincibility and knockback will keep you safe, while the armor pieces can handle anything else like projectiles or sending stray assists flying. As part of Jin's ability to play like a ticking bomb, even raw supers can catch people by surprise and cost them a lot of health. All three of his supers are punishable, but they do have their unique cases as counterattacks as well. As risky as they may be to go for, pre-emptive Blodia Vulcan could bait a wake-up reversal or assist call, or a backdash into Blodia Punch may whiff punish a poke incredibly hard.


When it comes to partners, like with any character, anti-air assists can always be good help, same with assists that can expand his limited combo options. Anything that can patch up the gaps in Jin's offense, whether that's covering the downtime after attacks/specials or something that helps j.2HK chip or trap more. Though his ground dashes are fast and cover nice distance, a projectile to help counter-zone can also prove useful. Another factor you should consider is DHC sequences, specifically characters with air supers they can combo into and then DHC into Cyclone. For example, Jin can work well with Storm's support, as her Lightning Attack > Lightning Storm combo goes extremely well into Cyclone (or Blodia Vulcan if for some reason the opponent is too far away for Cyclone) and her assist selection can open up more damaging combo routes for him. Jin can also run with staple assist picks like Gambit projectile and Thanos capture for combo extensions, or Doom anti-air for rushdown supplement.



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