The King of Fighters '98: Ultimate Match/EX Blue Mary

From SuperCombo Wiki

Introduction

EX Mary is a new “character” for UM. She lacks normal Mary’s powerful trap moves and anti-air techniques, so her overall balance is worse. Baffle the opponent with quick movements.

Move list

At a glance

Normal throws
Viktor Nage (throw) f/b + C
Head Throw (throw) f/b + D
Command moves
Hammer Arch f + A
Double Rolling f + B
Climbing Arrow df + B
Special moves
Young Dive d (charge) u + K
┣ Reverse Kick (during Young Dive) K
┗ Dangerous Spider (during Young Dive) P
M. Spider (air) qcf + C
Straight Slicer b (charge) f + K
┗ Stun Fang (during Straight Slicer) qcf + K
Leg Press (opponent grounded) d d + B
Vertical Arrow dp + K
┗ M. Snatcher (during Vertical Arrow) dp + K
Real Counter qcb + P
┣ German Suplex (during Real Counter) hcf + P
┗ Face Lock (during Real Counter) hcf + K
Special moves (M. Escalation mode)
Young Dive d (charge) u + K
┣ Reverse Kick (during Young Dive) K
┗ Dangerous Spider (during Young Dive) P
 ┗ (M. Dynamite Swing) (during Dangerous Spider after M. Escalation) d + P
M. Spider (air) qcf + C
┗ (M. Dynamite Swing) (during M. Spider after M. Escalation) d + P
Straight Slicer b (charge) f + K
┗ (Double Clutch) (during Straight Slicer after M. Escalation) qcf + K
 ┗ (M. Triple Ecstasy) (during Double Clutch) d + P
Leg Press (opponent grounded) d d + B
Vertical Arrow dp + K
┗ (Double Snatcher) (during Vertical Arrow after M. Escalation) dp + K
 ┗ (M. Triple Ecstasy) (during Double Snatcher) d + P
Real Counter qcb + P
┣ German Suplex (during Real Counter) hcf + P
┃┗ (M. Dynamite Swing) (during German Suplex after M. Escalation) d + P
┗ Face Lock (during Real Counter) hcf + K
 ┗ (M. Dynamite Swing) (during Face Lock after M. Escalation) d + P
(Spin Fall) (after M. Escalation) qcf + K
 ┗ (Double Spider) (during Spin Fall) qcf + P
  ┗ (M. Triple Ecstasy) (during Double Spider) d + P
Super special moves
M. Escalation qcf qcf + P
┣ M. Triple Ecstasy (during “Double” moves) d + P
┗ M. Dynamite Swing (during certain moves) d + P
Diving Smasher (throw) hcb hcb + K

Normal moves

  • cl.C – two-step move, and cancelable, making it pivotal for combos.
  • cr.D – slow to get out and not cancelable, so it’s hard to use. Use cr.B.
  • cr.B – spammable.
  • j.D – although it has crossup capability, it is difficult to link to a ground hit. It is quick to get out and the reach is long, so use it as an overhead.
  • j.A – for most jumping in, this is probably the best to use.

Command moves

  • Hammer Arch
  • f + A
  • Mary clasps her hands, hops and brings them hammering down. Thus, this is an overhead, and has low-level invincibility at startup. The recovery is the same as normal Mary’s (which is less than in OG). The cancelled-into version can combo from strong attacks and does not do knockdown; since the move travels forward, it can close up some distance. Unlike normal Mary, this does unrollable knockdown.

  • Climbing Arrow
  • df + B
  • Mary kicks upward with one leg while the rest of her body is close to the ground. The reach is short, but the hitbox upwards has extremely high priority. It is possible to use it as an anti-air.

  • Double Rolling
  • f + B
  • Two kicks, the first a low jumping kick, the second a crouching low kick. The first step does not do pushback. When not cancelled into, the second step is a low hit. This move isn’t cancelable, and the reach is short, so it’s hard to use.

Special moves

  • Young Dive
  • d (charge) u + K
  • A body slam beginning from low altitude. The height is different according to the button you use; only the weak version can touch crouching opponents. It does not do knockdown, and when you practically hit the opponent’s far end with it, the landing stun is close to nil, but when the opponent is cornered and such, then after the move (where you’ve come to close range), only Diving Smasher will combo. The follow-ups are possible even if this move touches (though for the B version, Reverse Kick won’t come out before Mary lands). This has foot-level invincibility at startup.
  • Reverse Kick
  • K during Young Dive
  • A kick that looks just like j.D. When it hits, it launches the opponent, making a juggle possible. It takes a while for the attack hitbox to activate, so if you don’t input it in a timely manner, you will land before it happens; moreover, the landing stun is somewhat longish.
  • ┗ Dangerous Spider
  • P during Young Dive
  • Mary temporarily stops, then descends for the grab. It is slow to get out, making it hard to use.

  • M. Spider
  • qcf + C in midair
  • A moving throw started from midair. It is the same as Dangerous Spider (except for the activation conditions), so you probably won’t use this much.

  • Straight Slicer
  • b (charge) f + K
  • An extremely low rushing jump kick. Hits low. For the strong version, the hit is actually blockable high and low if launched anywhere near the opponent. The weak version combos from weak moves. When it hits, you can combo into Stun Fang for free damage and an unrollable knockdown.
  • Stun Fang
  • qcf + K during Straight Slicer hit
  • Do it.

  • Leg Press
  • d d + B
  • An OTG move. When you miss, it leaves you open in its own right, but the animation is similar to cl.B, so you might get lucky if the opponent overlooks it.

  • Vertical Arrow
  • dp + K
  • Mary kicks, rising diagonally upward. It looks like an anti-air, but the invincibility is short and the hitbox doesn’t have high priority. When it hits, you can combo into M. Snatcher.
  • M. Snatcher
  • dp + K during Vertical Arrow hit
  • Pretty straightforward: Mary grabs the opponent in the middle of her kick, and takes them to the ground. Extra damage for free, but you gotta hit with the Vertical Arrow first.

  • Real Counter
  • qcb + P
  • Makes Mary invincible to strikes for a bit. It leaves you a bit open at the end, and is defenseless against throws. The system accepts the add-on commands until the point at which you begin to be left open.
  • Note that you can activate German Suplex in one frame using a little trick: buffer the qcb hcf, return the stick to neutral, and immediately press P. It will backfire on you if you’re late pushing the button, but if you succeed, you can lay combos and blocks to waste, and it is a useful weapon for reversals.
  • German Suplex
  • hcf + P during Real Counter
  • Face Lock
  • hcf + K during Real Counter
  • These two moves are one-frame throws with short grabbing range. The damage done isn’t all that different, and the techincal mechanics (direction, location, etc.) aren’t all that different, either. Face Lock is a better setup for meaties, and since the opponent gets up facing backwards, it’s basically the better follow-up for a Real Counter.

Escalation special moves

  • Spin Fall
  • qcf + K while in Escalation mode
  • Mary arcs through the air, driving in with a heel-dropping kick. Neither version combos from anything. When it hits, it can be comboed into Double Spider.
  • Double Spider
  • qcf + P during Spin Fall hit
  • Yet another free damage move.

  • Double Clutch
  • qcf + K during Straight Slicer hit while in Escalation mode
  • Escalation-mode replacement for Stun Fang.

  • Double Snatcher
  • dp + K during Vertical Arrow hit while in Escalation mode
  • Escalation-mode replacement for M. Snatcher.

Super special moves

  • M. Escalation
  • qcf qcf + P
  • Spends one gauge stock, making various moves available. You can use any of the newly available moves without spending any more stocks; you can also put more damage into combos. Mary’s body is followed by blue afterimages while this mode is active; the mode will end after 10 timer counts, after the round ends, or when M. Triple Ecstasy or M. Dynamite Swing is used. The recovery on this move itself is extremely short, and has invincibility at startup. The MAX version doesn’t change the duration or anything, but it does make M. Triple Ecstasy / M. Dynamite Swing do the MAX versions.
  • M. Triple Ecstasy
  • d + P during Double Clutch, Double Snatcher, or Double Spider.
  • M. Dynamite Swing
  • d + P during Dangerous Spider, M. Spider, German Suplex, or Face Lock
  • These two are the same move, with different names (right down to Mary yelling “Flying Dynamite Swing!”, even). It ends up throwing the opponent far off, so meaties will not be an option afterwards, unfortunately.

  • Diving Smasher
  • hcb hcb + K at throwing distance
  • A one-frame throw that does a lot of damage. Use it in combos and such.

Combos

Basic

  • j.A > cl.C (2 hit) >> Hammer Arch >> (Vertical Arrow >> M. Snatcher) or Diving Smasher
  • Safe combo from strong attack.
  • cl.B > cl.C (2 hit) >> Hammer Arch >> certain special moves
  • Only possible when very close. The timing for the link is pretty harsh.
  • cr.B (>> cr.B) >> cr.A >> weak Straight Slicer >> Stun Fang
  • A damage intensifier from weak moves. In the corner, you can add OTG with Leg Press.
  • Hammer Arch > Leg Press
  • Press with two options between this and a low hit.
  • j.D > j.D
  • The second j.D is done while ascending. The reach is long, so even a rear jump will work.
  • cl.C (2 hit) >> Hammer Arch >> M. Escalation > cr.C >> weak Straight Slicer >> Double Clutch >> M. Triple Ecstasy
  • You can cancel the recovery of M. Escalation to combo into various moves, but they all follow this basic pattern. When the distance is far, cr.C isn’t safe, so while it’s harder, an immediate weak Straight Slicer is safer.

The Basics

As the combos from cr.B are powerful, meaties and such are safe. Hammer Arch (overhead) and cr.B (low) are extremely safe. Both do unrollable knockdown, so it is possible to continue on the offensive.

You’ve got anti-air, but Climbing Arrow and Vertical Arrow are unreliable. As much as possible, use vertical j.D and j.C to deal with air-to-air. At close range, zone with st.B, st.A, vertical j.D, and such; you want to pay particular attention so that you don’t get jumped. Now should that happen, settle for traded hits with strong Vertical Arrow or block (then guard-cancel CD) to settle the matter.

Also, lest it be forgotten, avoiding attacks with Real Counter and countering via the derived moves is also good. But be the one doing the looking ahead; when the opponent knows what you’re doing there, you’ll be on the wrong end of an ugly counter.

EX Mary’s greatest advantage is M. Escalation. After using it, various combos can do more damage; also, the move itself can be included in combos; and of course, you can just use it walking around.

First, in the case that you begin a round with gauge it’s okay to go straight into the Escalation. Whatever the opponent comes to do, blocking will generally work as it always does. After using it, you don’t have to go aiming for an impossible combo; for example, it can do stuff like allowing you to punish a cautious opponent’s wakeup move, and stuff like throwing them when they are blocking will also be strong.

Against opponents who will interrupt blockstrings like cl.C >> Hammer Arch with something like a guard-cancel, canceling the cl.C into M. Escalation is also good. It has invincibility and doesn’t leave you open, so in doing this, you can check the interruption, and can always stir up the opponent’s cautions whenever you’re simply walking around.

Particularly in Extra Mode, you can charge the gauge on its own so that you can use it as you like when you’re in a pinch; thus, you can probably use it without having to be careful. Restricting the opponent’s movements with this move, then aiming for Diving Smasher just when they’ve forgotten will also be extremely effective.

Advanced Strategy

Match-Ups