Neutral
In neutral, Boingo's generally most comfortable at a range just outside the tips of 5B and 2B. At this distance, the opponent has to be prepared to deal with your strongest pokes while also considering options such as you running away or throwing out a projectile. Keep in mind that usually the risk/reward for any of these options is stacked heavily against you, so it's advisable to play passively.
Zoning
If you find yourself at a safe distance from the opponent you can initiate Boingo's solid zoning game. Your primary tools for this are:
- 236X - Gunshot is your safest and most conventional projectile.
- A/B - Shoots while standing, letting it hit hops as well as careless forward movement on the ground.B Gunshot fires a faster projectile, but A Gunshot moves slightly slower, which gives you more time to curve it up or down to cover more space.
- C - Shoots while crouching. Better at covering the ground, but pretty much useless against any jumps. Hits low, letting it catch people walking backwards. Recovers slightly sooner.
- 623X - Glass isn't a conventional zoning tool, serving more of a setup function. B Glass can be useful to cover the space directly in front of you in case the opponent makes it past your other projectiles. C Glass' bullet can hit things like superjumps and double jumps, but the Glass itself covers a useful area and can set up an unblockable in tandem with 236C if the opponent isn't careful.
- S - S-Bullet can theoretically hit any point on the screen, but in basic zoning your primary options are going to be:
- 5S(416) covers the ground with a delayed projectile. Its delayed nature allows you to act while the opponent has to deal with the bullet. You can use this time to reposition, set up another projectile, anti-air them or to run in for close-range pressure if they hesitate.
- 5S(476) is similar to the above, but covers a head-height level, meaning it's easy to crouch under but is good at catching jumps.
- 5S(634) is a more immediate threat that covers a waist-level height. If the opponent jumps or rolls over this, they have to be careful about the bullet returning at a ground level which can now cross up.
- 5S(694) is again similar to the one above, but the projectile instead returns at a head level.
While zoning, be prepared to deal with moves with lots of i-frames like Stand ON Star Breaker or Tandem. Be ready to adjust your zoning patterns to account for unique movement options such as airdashes or teleports. Against characters with fast rolls you should assume that 'a safe distance' is a tiny bit further than midscreen.
Techchase
S-Bullet
Hoingo’s main appeal as a character is his S-Bullet special: a quick, 10-hit projectile that can have its movement preprogrammed. This gives Hoingo access to powerful zoning, techchase, okizeme while also being useful in pressure.
Useful Patterns
- 5S(634) - Possibly the most important pattern to have in your muscle memory. It’s okay at normal zoning, but the real fun starts once the pattern loops back and starts to return. Because Boingo can block while the bullet is out, it can serve as a deterrent against grounded approaches, and this pattern is also one of the most consistent ways of causing an S-Bullet crossup in neutral.
- 5S(694) - Very, very similar to the above pattern, but covers the air more than the ground, meaning most characters in Stand OFF can crouch under it to avoid it. Great techchase option thanks again to staying out even when Boingo blocks.
- 5S(416) - Reliable way to keep the opponent in blockstun/hitstun. Because of the way the bullet moves, this pattern can be very advantageous if you can get your opponent to block it. In addition, this is a strong zoning tool if given time set it up: the bullet’s forward movement is “delayed”, allowing you to act while the bullet covers the ground. Depending on their hurtbox, using this pattern point-blank to the opponent can be a crossup.
- 5S(476) - Very similar to 5S(416), but also has additional utility as a way to cover the airspace directly in front of you. If your opponent is jumpy, setting up this pattern might make them reconsider their approach.
- 5S(821) - Sets up a nice, short-lived “wall” in front of you. Can be a faster crossup than 5S(634)/(34), and especially so when you catch someone rolling through it. If you’re sneaky, you can use this to cross up and knockdown a cornered opponent.
- 5S(4169)/(4189) - Not as consistently useful as the previous patterns, but can sometimes be used to catch people carelessly airdashing or doublejumping away.
- 5S(7631) - Very good at covering the middle section of the screen, can also unexpectedly cross up.
S-Bullet Crossups
In certain situations, S-Bullet can hit as a crossup, meaning it has to be blocked by holding toward you, as opposed to away from you. This catches many opponents off guard, since there are very few moves in the game that behave this way. This can net you some free damage every now and then, especially if you can react and confirm into a Truck or a knockdown.
S-Bullet Crossup Conditions
There’s two main conditions:
- The bullet has to hit your opponent “from behind”
- They must not be in preblock.
The first one is easy enough to understand - if the bullet hits their back, they have to block it as a crossup. The second one is trickier: if they’re in preblock when S-Bullet hits them from behind, they can block it normally. This is especially important when trying to cross up with patterns like 5S(634) - if the bullet hits them on the way forward, it has to go far enough behind them to let them leave preblock, and then turn back and hit them from behind. If it doesn’t travel back far enough to let them leave preblock, they can block it normally. In addition, forcing the opponent into preblock by pressing buttons or using projectiles near them, they can block the S-Bullet crossup normally.
