Plasma Sword/Gamof

Introduction

Overview

(Insert brief description about character and how they play, other details)

Strengths

Weaknesses

High Health: As you would expect from the 2D grappler archtype, these characters are tanks with tons and tons of health. Shocking Mobility: Throw everything (else) you think you know about grapplers out the window. Gamof and Gantetsu have some of the fastest, lowest angle jump arcs in the game, allowing them to bully nearly everyone in the cast with relative ease and instantly force a strong grab/strike mixup. Command Grabs: They're grapplers. They have fast command grabs with big damage. Strong Close/Mid Pokes: 2A/2B/5K/5A all make up a brutal, wild-swinging set of normals that frustrate everyone in the cast effortlessly, and allow these grapplers to keep up the pressure. Containment: Gamof/Gantetsu have some of the best bully horizontals in the game, with 2B/5BBB/4B all locking the opponent down on block and hit Short Crouch: For some reason, despite being the "big bodies" of the game, they actually have smaller than normal hurtboxes during crouch that break a number of strings/combos. Perhaps most notably, it makes the Cat Jab blockstring infinite not work without extremely specific spacing--which is just one of the many reasons they are hard counters to the cats. (Gantetsu Only) Bomb Super: Bomb super, listed as 10t Bakudan do Kanjoyu Nage, gives a character that is supposed to be weak to zoning a almost-full screen whiff punish tool for a bar. (Gamof Only) Spin Super: Gamof's Super Gamo Torando turns any random stray cancelable hit into a strong hit confirm. It also has gimmicky safety that must be correctly parried in order to punish, and it even has some use in blowing up all options in some characters strings.

Can be zoned: They don't have fireballs and they don't really have much that can punish zoning without a jump-in. This is less true of Gantetsu, however, whose bomb super is an excellent whiff punish. Super Command Grab: Command grab super can be jumped after the flash. This severely limits its usefulness. Auto-Throw: Though Auto-Throw's Plasma Field is funny and hurts if it connects, it is nonetheless a two-step Plasma Field, meaning you can potentially activate it then get no reward. If the above issue with Auto-Throw wasn't enough, it also doesn't have any throw invulnerability, unlike all other Plasma Fields in the game.

Move List

Vertical Normals

5A

5A

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	13	-	-	-	-4	-3	-	Ground
A fast downwards vertical swing with the axe. Decent anti-air and "wall" of a poke.

5AA

5AA

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	13	-	-	-	+4	+4	-	Ground
A good damage natural combo and spacing poke used to frustrate opponents at close-mid range. Pushes out far on hit/block. In the cat matchup this loses a bit of value, as the second 5A in 5AA whiffs on them when crouching.

5AAA

5AAA

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	Overhead	13	-	-	-	-7	-7	-	Ground
A somewhat gimmicky overhead that checks people pressing buttons after 5AA. For what it is and the pushout it gives, its shockingly safe... as long as its blocked/hit.

5AAK

5AAK

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	Overhead	13	-	-	-	X	-4	-	Ground
A shoulder tackle overhead that knocks down. Is safer on block, but slower startup.

Sidestep A

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	Ground

While Running A

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	Ground

Horizontal Normals

5B

B

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	12	-	-	-	-4	-5	-	Ground
A strong, fast horizontal with decent follow-ups. Can be special cancelled into 236B for a combo.

5BB

5BB

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	12	-	-	-	-17	-16	-	Ground
While this hit/block advantage might seem bad on the surface, the safe of this move is protected by an extremely fast third option listed below. Whiffs some crouchers on block.

5BBB

5BBB

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	Low	12	-	-	-	+13	+9	-	Ground
An extremely fast low used to check people pressing buttons after 5BB. The +9 frame advantage is wild, but it does pushout a bit, limiting what can really take advantage of the frame data. Cannot be parried.

2B

2B

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	13	-	-	-	+6	+4	-	Low
While its speed is a bit slower than some other characters' 2B's, the grapplers having a 2B containment tool like this is very powerful. The fact that it's cancelable ontop of its hit/block stun data is very strong for Gamof in particular, who can 2-in-1 it into super.

4B

4B

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	9	-	-	-	X	+8	-	Ground
Combo starting fast horizontal into command grab super. For some reason, it's also extremely plus on block.

Kick Normals

5K

5K

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	9	-	-	-	+4	+4	-	Ground
The grapplers main super confirm/poke thanks to its speed and chain options.

5KA

5KA

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	9	-	-	-	-2	-2	-	Ground
The grapplers main super confirm string. Safe on block and easy to confirm into super, this string does a lot of heavy lifting in the typical grappler 50/50 situation.

Jumping Normals

While Jumping A

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	Ground

While Falling A

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	Ground

Special Moves

Gamo Tackle

Gamo Tackle
236B

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	32	-	-	-	-2	-4	-	Ground, Parry
A slow, linear special move that's safe on block and has parry frames late into the animation. Once he holds the axe directly in front of him. If you score the parry, instead of attacking, you gain +28 frames of advantage.

Second Technique: Smashing Light Ring
236B

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	Ground
WIP

Third Technique: Summer Salt Kick
236K

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	Ground

Fourth Technique: Paired Shadow Gods

Fourth Technique: Paired Shadow Gods
214A

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	Ground
WIP

Ashura
222

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	Ground

Gauge Moves

Super Gamo Torando

Super Gamo Torando
236AB (Gamof Only)

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	18 (2 pre flash, 16 post)	-	-	-	X	-5	-	Ground
Gamof's primary damage super. He spins around 17 times, then does a massive 18th swing to send the opponent away. Used in juggles and in option selects to beat certain strings. Has invincibility while Gamof winds up post-flash. If invincible supers to blow through your opponents offense are your thing, but you also still want to be able to use combos, this super will probably make you want to pick Gamof over Gantetsu. Can only really be punished if it whiffs or if the opponent uses a counter versus the last swing.

Plasma Giant Swing

Plasma Giant Swing
214AB (Gamof Only)

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	9 (2 pre flash, 7 post)	-	-	-	X	X	-	Ground
Gamof's command grab super. The startup being what it is means that if the opponent is neutral, they can simply jump post flash. However, at 9 frames, this does punish many things in the game, and it has a bit more range than it might initially look. Gamof can also combo into this super from back turned hits, such as his 4B, giving him slightly higher damage combos off jump ins than, say, 5KA normally would

10t Bakudan do Kanjoyu Nage

10t Bakudan do Kanjoyu Nage
236AB (Gantetsu Only)

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	2... sort of. Please see description. Bomb hits on frame 46.	-	-	-	-	-29	-	Ground
Gantetsu throws a bomb about half screen, which then explodes. This super breaks the normal conventions of startup in Plasma Field, as the first hit of the super (Gantetsu's kick during the flash) is actually -during- the super flash, not before or after. It is the only super in the game like this, meaning it effectively is also the fastest super in the game. However, it also has short range and has no invincibility, so using this bomb as a reversal straight up won't work versus spaced low profile moves that can avoid the bomb hurtbox, as the bomb despawns if Gantetsu is hit before detonation. -29 on block might seem really bad (and it is) but the push out on bomb often limits what can actually hit him. The answer in many matchups is "nothing at all."

Flying Gantetsu Buster

Flying Gantetsu Buster
214AB (Gantetsu Only)

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	9 (2 pre flash, 7 post)	-	-	-	X	X	-	Ground
Gantetsu's command grab super. The startup being what it is means that if the opponent is neutral, they can simply jump post flash. However, at 9 frames, this does punish many things in the game, and it has a bit more range than it might initially look. Gantetsu can also combo into this super from back turned hits, such as his 4B, giving him slightly higher damage combos off jump ins than, say, 5KA normally would. Gantetsu gets a free ground-and-pound 9K afterwards.

Plasma Revenge
AM

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	Ground
Gamof/Gantetsu slash past the enemy dramatically. Doesn't do much damage for the meter and is generally not worth it compared to B+M's reward.

Plasma Reflect
BM

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	-	-	-	-	+30	-	-	Ground
Of particular note on this is the fact that Gamof/Gantetsu get their command grabs off a successful parry, which is extremely meter efficient for the reward it grants and might make a Byakko/Rai-On think twice about that block string infinite they love so much. This + the fact they already can't do it on you at certain ranges makes this one of their hardest matchups. You also get high damage launchers like 3AA, though this is considerably more difficult to do and ultimately more expensive for meaningful conversions like super juggles.

Auto Throw

Plasma Field - Auto Throw
BK

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	Ground
Auto Throw is a two-stage Plasma Field that grants Gamof/Gantetsu super armor during its duration. While in Auto Throw, you chase down the opponent and hit any button to automatically throw them. In general, this means that you can potentially blow a bar on this and not get any reward, particularly versus characters that have the means to effectively stall it, such as Zelkin. It is the worst use of meter Gamof/Gantetsu have.

Miscellaneous

Throw
5AB

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Meter Gain	Property
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	Ground

Strategy

Matchups

Gantetsu v. Byakko (6:4) The best way to describe this matchup is hilarious. Both grapplers give the cats a lot of trouble due to thier low jump height, high health, and big chunky safe normals. Gantetsu gets extra juice vs. both cats however due to the multi-faceted value of his anti-air bomb super, which both shuts down fanicer movement from the cats and serves as a no-brainer punish vs. stuff like Byakko's sword super if something goes wrong with it. If that wasn't enough, both grapplers are semi-immune to 5A jab pressure from the cats. Byakko can win this, but he has to guess right considerably more than Gantetsu and has to do so versus a character who is genuinely difficult to anti-air, even though Byakko is perhaps best equipped to do so.

Combos