Oleander:
[tutorial intro]
Hello there! My name is Oleander, Champion of Foenum, and your tutorial guide. Pleasure to meet you. Press Confirm to advance my dialogue and Start to skip straight to play. During play, press start to open the options menu. Right then. Shall we get started?

[basic movement]
Let’s begin with walking. Simply hold back or forward. Go forth, and touch these targets I’ve set up for you.

To jump, press up.

[if the player jumps on their own] Looks like you already know how to jump… carry on, then!

[attacking]
These are your three basic *Attack* buttons: Light (“A”), Medium (“B”), Heavy (“C”).

Destroy these targets with Light, Medium, and Heavy attacks.

Good good! Now, same routine but belly to the ground. Hold down, then press A, B, or C for crouching attacks.

[health]
Look at that smug cow. Standing there… taunting you. Will you let her get away with it?

That’ll teach her. If this were a real match, you would’ve just won a *round* by reducing her health bar to zero. This is known as a *Knockout* or *KO*.

These bubbles here at the top keep track of how many rounds you’ve won. The standard rule is best two out of three. There’s also typically a time limit of 99 seconds. When the timer runs out, the winner is whoever has the most health percentage remaining.

[input notation]
Now, a note about notation. When written, direction symbols always assume you are player 1, facing right, as you are now. When we use this symbol (>), it means *forward*, as in *towards* your opponent. This symbol (<) means *back*, as in *away* from your opponent. But you know what? Let’s cheat a bit and adapt these direction symbols on the fly. Here, try it with me.

Good, simple enough. Now let’s switch sides.

There you go. You’re getting the hang of it.

The direction *towards* your opponent is still *forward*, even though I flipped the arrow. That should make it easier to follow instructions. What do you think? Ready to move on?

[blocking]
You won’t get very far if all you do is attack, so let’s work on some basic defense. Your character automatically blocks attacks as long as you’re holding back. The cow here is going to attack you, but in this demo, she’ll jump first so you can see it coming. Don’t get hit.

Nice. Again!

Whoops! She got you with a *low attack*. To block lows, you’ll need to *crouch block* with down-back. Here it comes! Hold down-back to crouch block!

Very nice. Most of the time, it’s best to crouch block. Low attacks are rather quick, as you saw, and crouch blocking defends against both mids and lows. Of course, you’ll need to use a standing block to protect your noggin from *high attacks*. I’ll cover those later once we get to the Fancy Blocking tutorial.

[if the player blocks Arizona’s 2nd attack] …looks like you already know how to crouch block.

[if they get hit by Ari’s 3rd attack] Gotcha! You’re a bit ahead of the curriculum, but you still have much to learn.

[if the player blocks all of Arizona’s attacks] [long pause] …….. I will not be toyed with. We’re moving on.

Now, let’s have some fun. I’m going to send a wall of magic at you. Let’s see if you can make it to center stage without getting hit. Move forward, then block when the time is right!

Mashing buttons is all well and good, but to put some *real* meat in your attacks, you’ll need to learn how to *combo*. When you land a hit, your opponent is stunned for a brief moment. You can then do a series of follow-up attacks before they recover. That… is a combo. Combos can’t last forever, though. Your opponent *will* escape eventually, one way or another. Get in as much damage as you can before that happens. Let’s begin with the most basic of basic combos. A B C. Light, Medium, Heavy. All fighters can do this one. Execute quickly or else they’ll escape. You can even hit buttons a little early, right before your current attack ends.

Nice and easy. Let’s take it a step further and add a *Launcher* to the end, which will send your opponent into the air.

[basic combos: air]
After you launch your opponent, jump after them and do the basic combo again. As before, you’ll need to be quick so your opponent doesn’t escape.

[Arizona - nothing additional]

[Velvet]
Velvet, the character you’re playing, has extra considerations when doing her air combo. The standard air sequence doesn’t really work for her since B only hits opponents above her. On Velvet, use A then C. Also keep in mind that A hits twice. For best results, wait until both hits land on A before proceeding to C.

[Oleander, Paprika, and Tianhuo - nothing additional]

[Pom]
Pom, the character you’re playing, has an extra consideration when doing her air combo. Her air B attack hits multiple times. You’ll need to wait until all her little flailing legs hit the opponent or they’ll escape. Something to keep in mind.

[Shanty, Texas, Stronghoof, Nidra, and Baihe - nothing additional]

[Basic combos: All together]

All together now! Combine ground and air for a *full* combo.

Each character has a set of unique, powerful moves called *specials*. They’re generally stronger than normal attacks, so they require slightly more complex inputs. Think you can handle it?

[Arizona - Headbuck]

Naturally, a cow’s special move would have *something* to do with her horns. As such, Arizona’s first special is called *Headbuck*. To perform this move, do a quarter-circle-forward motion, then any attack button.

Depending on which attack button you press, you get a different variant of the move. Headbuck attacks get stronger but slower the heavier the button.

You can combo into a stronger version of Headbuck right after you hit with Headbuck A. She’s got two horns, after all. There’s no need to input quarter circle forward twice. Just start with quarter circle forward A then press B or C during the first Headbuck.

Again!
AHH HAHA! Whoops! Forgot to mention that Headbuck A and B don’t hit crouching opponents! This leaves your squishy little chin out in the open.

[Stomp]
Far be it from me to question your expertise on anatomy, but did you know that cow legs can cause seismic events? Arizona’s *Stomp* move shakes the very ground under her opponent’s hooves. Double tap down, then A, B, or C.

Similar to Headbuck, if you hit with Stomp A, you can immediately combo into Stomp B or C. Stomp with B before she recovers from hitstun! [pause] Put both Stomp and Headbuck together and you’ve got yourself some fancy moves!

Try again with Stomp B.

[unknown condition] Stomps only hit opponents near the ground. You should be careful of opponents that jump at you.

Ah, there’s the rub. Stomping makes you vulnerable to jump attacks, especially if you’re too close. This leaves your squishy little chin in a position where they can easily strike you back.

[Velvet - Icicle missile]
There are many different varieties of fighters with mastery over all manner of styles. Velvet has perfected the art of being a jerk. As such, she bombards you with ice magic from all the way across the stage. One of her favorites is the *Ice Missile* attack. To perform this move, do a quarter-circle-forward motion then any attack button.

Depending on which attack button you press, you get a different variant of the move. When cast from the ground, heavier buttons delay the time the Ice Missile launches forward. When cast in the air, your button choice slightly alters the trajectory angle.

Velvet’s magic is somewhat limited in that she can only have one ground and one air Ice Missile active at once. So no spamming. Ice Missiles are relatively quick to cast but don’t become dangerous until they actually launch. Also, they disappear if Velvet is hit. Let me show you.

And despite the fact that Velvet looks down on almost everyone, she apparently cannot hit opponents near her that are crouching. Observe.

[shatter]
Now, despite what you might have heard her say, Velvet is perfectly willing to touch you with a 10-foot pole. Of razor-sharp ice. This special attack is called *Shatter*. The input is quarter circle backward then A, B, or C. Each of these variants are very different from one another. Let’s start with A. Shatter A is one of Velvet’s few low attacks, and as you can see, has enormous range. Now, see what the others can do.

Shatter B is great for ending combos, since it sends the opponent flying far across the screen. It also works weel as a defense against jumping opponents.

Shatter C is a powerful Overhead attack, but it’s slow and leaves Velvet open to counterattack if it misses or is blocked. Feel free to experiment.

[eruption]
Ever creative in ways to avoid chipping her hooves, Velvet can use Ice Eruption to summon spikes from the ground and chip yours instead. (Did you notice how the A and B variants knock your opponent towards you, while C knocks them away?) This move is performed with a Z motion plus Attack. Z motions can be tricky to pull off, so we'll do it a few times. If you’re stuck, think of the Z motion as a quarter circle forward motion that wants you to press forward first. Give it a try.

You’re getting it. Once more…

Excellent! There’s hope for you yet. Each variant of Ice Eruption changes the precise distance of the attack. Let’s practice each one by one.

Did you notice how the A and B variants knock your opponent towards you, while C knocks them away? Let’s take advantage of this property and add some follow-up attacks. Don’t let your opponent escape!

[Oleander - Shadow Spark]
My most basic attack spell summons ghastly-looking fireballs that strike my opponent from a distance. I call them… Shadow Sparks. To perform this move, do a quarter-circle-forward motion then any attack button.

Depending on which attack button you press, you get a different variant of the move. Casting these with A, B, or C will determine how fast the spark travels across the screen. There’s a limit to how many sparks I can have out at a time: one air and one ground, so simply spamming them isn’t an option.

Do that once more for me would you?

Ouch. That’s why you should be careful about using them up close.

You might have noticed that all my onscreen sparks disappear immediately if I DO get hoofsmacked.

[Paprika - cartwheel]
Paprika throws her weight around with a set of moves she calls incoherent alpaca noises. Everyone else calls them *Cartwheels*. These specials require what’s called a *charge input*. Hold the direction away from your opponent for about a second, then press the opposite direction along with an attack button. Go ahead and try all the variants for A, B, and C.

The key to mastering *charge inputs* is knowing two things… First, any “back” input works. That means back, down-back, and up-back all count for the charge. Down-back keeps you from moving backwards while you charge. Like so…

Second, you can charge your back input during other attacks, or even before the round begins! Practice performing a charge move in the middle of a regular combo.

[zippy teleport]
As if you weren’t already concerned for your safety around Paprika, she also has the inexplicable ability to teleport with seemingly no magic I’m aware of, and that’s saying something. Yes, not even physical barriers can keep you safe. Believe me, I’ve tried. *Zippy Teleport* is also a charge move. This time hold *towards* your opponent for about a second, then press back with A, B, or C.

As for variations… A is same side, in front of her opponent. B is other side, behind her opponent. C drops her down from above for a surprise overhead attack!

Much the same, forward, down-forward, and up-forward all work for charging. Use down-forward so you stay in place while charging, and to keep your opponent guessing whether you’re about to Cartwheel or Teleport. Practice these teleports, and try not to think too hard about where she’s going when she’s offscreen.

[Pom - bark/sheep herding]
Pom’s puny voice can actually cause a shockwave if she tries hard enough. Looks like she’s picked up a few things from those pups. If it were me, I’d leave the barking to the dogs, but bleatboxing does seem to be popular with the foals these days…

This special requires what’s called a *charge input*. Hold the direction away from your opponent for about a second, then press the opposite direction along with an attack button.

Next, there’s a note here about… *Sheep Herding*? Am I reading this right?

Okay then… give me a moment to just… look through the notes here and find out what this does. Go ahead and try all the variants for A, B, and C.

Pom’s Bark causes her opponent to stagger, leaving them completely defenseless for a period of time.

Pom often uses this stagger time to summon a dog onto the battlefield. More on that during the magic section of the tutorial, which is coming up soon. Aha! It says here that during Sheep Herding, Pom avoids all attacks if timed correctly. Let’s look…

Seems like you could use this to surprise your opponent, get on the other side of them before they can react. [Repeated from Paprika's tutorial.] The key to mastering *charge inputs* is knowing two things… First, any “back” input works. That means back, down-back, and up-back all count for the charge. Down-back keeps you from moving backwards while you charge. Like so…

Second, you can charge your back input during other attacks, or even before the round begins! Practice performing a charge move in the middle of a regular combo.

[Tianhuo - volcanic specials]
Tianhuo has a set of *Volcanic* specials which are all close-range attacks. To perform these moves, do a quarter-circle-forward motion, then any attack button.

Depending on which attack button you press, you get a different variant of the move.

Volcanic Ash is great for clearing the skies in front of her. The second hit groundbounces for an easy combo extension. Give it a try, but do it quickly! Don’t give her a chance to escape the combo!
Keep in mind that the first hit will miss grounded opponents and leave you vulnerable. Like so…

Volcanic Crash is an aerial grab, meaning it’s unblockable if your opponent is in the air. It’s good for capping off combos. Allow me to demonstrate.

Tianhuo is most effective when she’s using the right Volcanic Special at the right time during her combos.

[Shanty - cutlass]
The goat’s special attack is Cutlass. I looked into it and much to my disappointment, no actual swords are involved, despite the name. And it’s not *cute lass* either… To perform this move, do a quarter-circle-forward motion, then any attack button. Depending on which attack button you press, you get a different variant of the move. Go ahead and try them all.

All Cutlasses end in a *hard knockdown*, which prevents your opponent from rolling away after they hit the ground. Notice how the B and C variants launch your opponent into the air while keeping them close, which allows for follow-ups…

And, use the forward motion in the C variant to cross up your opponent, like so…

During this movement, the goat is invulnerable to projectiles. Use it to aid your approach.

[Texas - Texas Smash]
Ever wonder what would happen if you got caught in Texas’ ropes? Me neither, but I guess we’ll be finding out together very soon. This first special is called *Texas Smash*. He named it after himself. How adorable. To perform this move, do a half-circle-back motion, then press forward followed by any attack button.

[Rodeo Run]
Size definitely matters, but advantages in some areas often come at the expense of others. Like, not having a forward dash! Lacking conventional options, one way Texas can close the distance is by using his next special: *Rodeo Run*. This special requires what’s called a *charge input*. Hold the direction away from your opponent for about a second, then press the opposite direction along with an attack button.

To stop early, press A. To perform attacks, press B or C.

Each of the two attacks offer you different options for different situations. C is slower to hit but safer on block, while B is faster but takes away your armor, and is not as safe on block. Use Rodeo Run’s armor, and its ability to cancel out of Cowbell attacks (more on that later), to set yourself up for Texas Smash.

[Repeated from Paprika's tutorial.] The key to mastering *charge inputs* is knowing two things… First, any “back” input works. That means back, down-back, and up-back all count for the charge. Down-back keeps you from moving backwards while you charge. Like so…

Second, you can charge your back input during other attacks, or even before the round begins! Practice performing a charge move in the middle of a regular combo.

[Stomp / Earth Pull]
Texas’ sheer strength and hulking mass gives him the power to move earth itself. Shift the ground under your opponent’s hooves with Stomp, followed by Earth Pul. Let’s start with Stomp. Press down-down then A B or C.

God. Now, let’s add the second part. Perform the input again during Stomp to follow up with Earth Pull.

Excellent! Why don’t you give it another go, this time at full distance?

Mmmm. You missed. Even though these moves *can* hit from far away, stricter timing will be necessary.

Try again. After your Stomp, wait… then follow up as your opponent starts to fall. If you’re too early or late, you’ll miss!

Nicely done. Practice as long as you like, then we’ll move on.

[Stronghoof - Arsenal]
Stronghoof is able to use his unique brand of Winter Magic to conjure ice in the shape of various types of weapons. This special is called Arsenal. To perform these moves, do a quarter-circle-forward motion then any attack button.
First, we’ll begin with A, the warhammer.
This move causes a wall bounce, which allows you to follow up with another attack as they return. Go ahead and try to catch your opponent.
Very good! Next is B, the battleaxe. This move is an overhead, so it can be used to cut through your opponent’s crouch block. Try it.
Right. The last “weapon” is C, the shield. While this move is active, it auto-guards attacks. Take a look here. Rather interesting, hmm?
Now, I know what you’re thinking. Is there any creature in Foenum that can wield such oddly-shaped weapons? And why do the weapons remain on the battlefield after use? The answer to both these questions lies with Vetr, the Winter Sprite by Stronghoof’s side. I’ll explain during the Magic section of this tutorial which is coming up soon. Feel free to practice the first swing of each weapon in Arsenal. We’ll continue when you’re ready.

[Ice Crusher]
What’s more fun than creating hundreds of gorgeous, carefully crafted ice sculptures in seconds with adept use of Winter Magic?
Shattering them to pieces.
Stronghoof’s Ice Crusher special does just that. By itself it’s a formidable attack, but it also has interactions with other parts of Stronghoof’s moveset. We’ll cover those situations as they become relevant. For now, give the move a try. Press down-down then A, B, or C.
Ice Crusher is a good choice as the last move in a combo since it causes a knockdown. Now, let’s see what happens when you use it while an Arsenal weapon is on the battlefield.
That’s right. *All* active Arsenal weapons are cleared away. [mild frown] And just because I know you’re thinking it… no, this doesn’t do any damage. The clearing effect is completely harmless. Use this when you develop an attachment to a particular weapon and love both making it and breaking it. Destruction and creation are two sides of the same coin after all…

[Nidra - Cloud Surf]
Nidra’s first special is Cloud Surf. After dashing forward a short distance, she’ll perform a swift attack. To perform these moves, do a quarter-circle-forward motion, then any attack button. Depending on which attack button you press, you get a different variant of the move. Go ahead and try them all.
Each of Cloud Surf’s variants produce a hard knockdown, which limits your opponent’s options as they stand. This property makes the special a good option as both a setup and a finisher. Try experimenting in ways you can approach your opponent using Cloud Surf. With both high and low options, there are plenty of ways to catch them off guard!

[Moon Stance]
Next we’re going to review Nidra’s three stance techniques. Generally speaking, each stance temporarily changes Nidra’s idle pose and the types of attacks she has access to. Stances flow into and out of certain moves. Even if you’re just randomly throwing out attacks, stances usually still allow you to move continuously. However, mastery of the stances is key to obtaining precise control of Nidra’s full moveset.
Moon Stance is automatically entered after contacting your opponent (hit or block) with C, or after using Cloud Surf B. From this stance, a number of unique attacks can be performed. After attacking, Nidra exits this stance and returns to normal.
It’s also possible to exit a stance without attacking. Try this “Step” maneuver, which is exclusive to Moon Stance.
“Step” is partially invulnerable. It can be used to get Nidra closer to her opponent while dodging most attacks. Observe…
“Step” can also be used to retreat to safety. Say one of your attacks is blocked. Here’s what you can do…
I yield the floor to you for practice.

[Star Stance]
Star Stance puts Nidra in a low position and can be entered from down C. You must hold down to maintain the stance. Give it a try.
From here, you can use A to attack while remaining in Star Stance. B exits the stance. C enters Nidra’s third stance, which we’ll cover in more detail shortly.
Now, exit Star Stance with a roll by holding left or right.
Excellent! That’s two stance down with one more to go. Let me know when you’re ready to proceed.

[Baihe - Cinder Shot]
Baihe possesses a variety of tools to deal with opponents from far away. The most basic of which is Cinder Shot. To perform these moves, do a quarter-circle-forward motion, then any attack button. Depending on which attack button you press, you get a different variant of the move. Go ahead and try them all.
Knowing the difference between each variant is critical. A is slow (but not low, despite its appearance), B is straight and fast, and C is more of a *lob* rather than a *shot*. This can be used to hit targets in the air. Do take note of the limitations. You may only have one of each variant active at a time, and they instantly disappear if you are hit.
Have fun, soldier.

[Backdraft]
Baihe’s second special is Backdraft, a reminder for opponents to keep watch for hotspots lest they be greeted by a blast of fire to the face when they least expect it. The input is quarter circle backward, then A, B, or C. Each of these variants adjusts the vector of the strike. Try them all.

Excellent work. You must have noticed that each of the variants strike different positions. A is a low attack, B is mid, and C is anti-air. Always remember to assess the situation and determine the best tool for the job.

[Ricochet Shot]
Baihe’s third special is Ricochet Shot, for when speed and precision is paramount above all else, or your opponent is in a hard-to-reach location. The input is down-down and A, B, or C. Each of these variants launch a bouncing projectile at a different angle.
Here are some facts to know. First, they bounce off the ground and ceiling, but not the walls. Second, the A variant has two special properties. It always bounces up and down regardless of angle, and it also slides down walls! That second one is especially useful when you have your opponent cornered. As is the rule with projectile attacks, you can only have one of each variant out at a time, but that doesn’t stop you from combining Ricochet Shots with Cinder Shots to create a curtain of destruction between you and your opponent.

[Return Fire]
Baihe’s last special attack is Return Fire, a *reflect* type move that absorbs projectiles and redirects them back at your opponent. The input is reverse Z-motion plus an attack button. This one can be a bit tricky. First, let me show you what successful execution looks like…
If you’re having trouble with the directional input, think of it this way: just hold back, then do a quarter circle backward plus attack.

[magic: intro]
Now… onto a topic that’s a bit of a specialty of mine… *Magic*! Your Magic Meter is displayed above your Super Meter. It’s a secondary resource available to all characters. You’ll find that every fighter gains and uses Magic much differently. Each expression of power is unique. Many creatures in Foenum *believe* their abilities are actually magical. It’s endearing, but despite what they call it there are few of us who *truly* possess the gift.

[Arizona]
Arizona gains what *she* calls Magic by landing a Lasso attack. Just press D.

If I had to make an educated guess as to *why* this gains her magic power, perhaps it’s linked to self-confidence. Young ones seem to feel invincible when they’ve done something well. Someday she’ll learn. In any case, there are a few more variations of Lasso to go over. Keep in mind that Lasso is a grab that only works at the end of the rope. You might have to reposition so you’re in range.

Magic can be used to do powerful moves, like this headbuck that slams opponents against the wall.

She can also do a far-reaching version of Stomp that’s completely unblockable! This takes 2 bars of Magic.

[counter]
Arizona’s *Magic Counter* move allows her to strike back at an opponent that hits her during the active counter state. It costs 1 bar of Magic Meter.

Counter is done by inputting quarter-circle backward then Magic in sequence. Time it carefully. If you’re too early, the active counter state will end and you’ll be completely defenseless.

Try to counter your opponent’s attacks. Your opponent will jump before attacking you. Time your Counter perfectly and strike back!

[magic dash]
Arizona’s Magic Dash gives her a sudden burst of speed to chase down or cross over your opponent. It requires 1 bar of Magic. This takes a half-circle-forward input. Give it a try.

You are not invincible while dashing. Low-hitting attacks can still hit you.

[Velvet]
[instant snowball]
Velvet has a special magic snowflake attack. Very threatening. You can do it by pressing D. Combine with a down direction for different variations.

Each snowball takes up 1 magic bar and Velvet will regenerate any missing magic over time. All of her snowballs can also be done in the air.

[wind]
“Oh goodness, zis cow is downright P-U-tiful!!” says the deer. Why don’t you relieve this snooty deer’s snoot and move the cow somewhere else? (Make Velvet not miserable.)

Oh, but now you’ve made the cow feel bad. (Make the cow feel better.)

Wind drains Velvet’s Magic while it’s in use, so be careful of using it for too long!

[magic eruption]
When precise won’t suffice, Velvet also has a magic version of Eruption, executed with a Z motion plus D. Remember that the Z motion is also expressed as right-down-downright. Give it a try!

During this move, Velvet actually becomes invulnerable for a short while. Use it against opponents who are just too close for comfort!

[Oleander]
[study]
The knowledge I need for advanced spellcasting is contained within the ancient script of the Unicornomicon. I always sneak in a page or two while my opponent is flailing about. Simply press D to study and I will gain a magic stock.

I can also read in the air. Or upside down. Or with my eyes closed. It takes practice but someday even you might be able to do it.

Hold D to Study continuously. My Magic maxes out at 3 stocks. Studying after my Magic is full will give me Super Meter instead. “Extra credit” one might say.

[Magic Spark]
Now, to put it to use. Cast a powered-up version of Shadow Spark with quarter circle forward (plus) D. Magic Spark consumes all the Magic I currently have. The more Magic consumed, the more powerful the spark will be.

As with all my specials, these work in the air too.

[Chapter Trap]
*Chapter Trap* is a spell that creates volatile orbs of condensed dark magic, perfect for keeping our defenses strong and surprising unwary foes. It may or may not involve a “donation” page fragment as a material component. The input for *Chapter Trap* is quarter-circle backward then A, B, or C.

The different variations affect the trajectory the trap is launched. Gather some magic with Study, then try ‘em out.

And in the air…

If an opponent is foolish enough to trigger a Chapter Trap, I steal some of their Super Meter. Supers will be explained very soon.

Lastly, the Magic Trap variant. This one pulls out all the stops. Observe.

Impressive size, don’t you think? The Magic Trap variant costs all 3 Magic and is done with quarter circle backward (plus) D. It also steals the most Super Meter out of all my spells. Try to do it now.

[Teleport]
I don’t know about you, but I find this notion of “walking everywhere” to be dreadfully dull. That’s why I’ve mastered hopping across the ethereal plane with Teleport. Double-tap down with A, B, or C.

Let’s do a quick survey of all Teleport variations.

All Teleports cost 1 Magic except Teleport Away, but only if used on the ground. You’ll also notice that Teleports A and B position you relative to your opponent.

Ouch! Looks like you’re vulnerable for a brief moment after you Teleport, so don’t get predictable! Continue practicing if you like.

[Magic Teleport]
Now as we all know, two pieces of matter cannot occupy the same space at the same time. Like all good intellectuals do, we’ll weaponize this fact!

Magic Teleport, in addition to being a more exciting way to travel around, also bends the laws of space and time for the purposes of slapping cute animals in the face.

Once more for me please.

That’s right! Magic teleport makes you temporarily invulnerable, so you don’t run into that nasty little problem we saw before.

[Paprika]
[Gift Toss]
Paprika loves giving gifts… but to no one’s surprise, few if any who’ve survived an encounter with her have enjoyed receiving one. Let’s proceed with caution. Use D to launch a random gift.

Now, use down D to launch a random gift up high.

Where is she getting all that food? Who knows. She could solve world hunger, if she wasn’t so busy literally killing everyone with kindness. Random gifts only cost 1 magic per toss, but she just mindlessly lobs the first thing she finds under that blanket of hers. No control whatsoever. Let’s sort through all this and analyze the effects of each gift.

[Edible Gifts]
Self-control is not exactly her strong suit, so Paprika must expend MORE magic to pick exactly the kind of gift she gives you. To toss only edible gifts, do a quarter-circle-back motion then press Magic.

How’s it taste? I’ve been told the apple gives health while the broccoli gives Super Meter. Curious, isn’t it? But that’s Magic for you. When Paprika runs out of Magic, that’s it, no more for the round… …with one exception. If her opponent eats one of her gifts, Paprika regains 1 Magic!

Seems that she doesn’t gain any Magic back if she eats her own gifts. External validation is what gives her strength.

[Flower Pot]
Further reinforcing my hypothesis that she has an entire greenhouse under her floof, Paprika can also toss potted plants. To toss only flower pots, use quarter-circle-forward and Magic.

You might have noticed that flower pots bounce and can hit a second time, making them [a] useful offensive item.

[Cinnamon Roll]
Paprika’s last gift is a nice, tasty *Cinnamon Roll*.

[if the player gets hit] …with the mass of a lead brick. Oh, it hits low, by the way. The Cinnamon Roll isn’t part of the random gift toss. Produce one with back D. The cost is 2 Magic.

[if the player blocks it] Oh, I bet you think you're so clever…
As you anticipated, the Cinnamon Roll has the mass of a lead brick, and it hits low.
It isn't part of the random gift toss. Produce one with back D. The cost is 2 Magic. [aside] Cheeky.

There's a bug after Cinnamon Roll in the tutorial that prevents going on without "skip to next", but there is no text after this, confirmed by examining text data.

[Pom - puppies (A)]
Pom uses… sheep magic I guess… to deploy dogs onto the battlefield. There are many different kinds of dogs, summoned with either quarter circle forward or quarter circle backward and an attack button - A, B, or C. Each dog costs a certain amount of Magic, depending on the type. They refund that Magic when they are unsummoned. Let’s begin with “A” dogs, which cost 1 Magic. Use quarter circle forward A to summon Digging Pup.

“A” dogs can only attack 1 time before they are automatically unsummoned. Use Digging Pup to extend your combos or cover Pom when she is vulnerable. Calling a puppy takes a bit of time. You will need to plan ahead to account for that. Next, call a Digging Pup using quarter circle backward A. This one follows Pom around. Watch.

Same as before, to attack with the Following Digging Pup, use forward D or backward D.

You can dismiss a group of pups with down-down and the button you used to call them. In this case, A.

Since each Digging Pup costs 1 Magic, you can have many on the stage at once. All dogs attack at the same time when you command them with D. However, multiple Following Digging Pups will attack in sequence, one after another.

[puppies (B)]
Pom can call upon a more *active* type of puppy with 2 Magic and the use of B. Growly Pup has 2 different attacks, forward D and down-forward D. Backward directions work as well. Dogs summoned with B can attack twice before they are unsummoned.

Growly Pup’s down-forward D is a low attack. It leaps when attacking, which increases its range but may cause it to leap past your opponent and miss. Same dismissal command as before.

Quarter circle back will summon Pilot Pup, which can fly. I know… you’ll see. Pilot Pup moves with your opponent and can produce an overhead attack.

[puppies (C)]
Pom summons the pack’s Big Momma dog with quarter circle forward C. Big Momma costs all 3 of Pom’s Magic and can attack 3 times before leaving the stage. She also has 3 attacks: down-forward D, forward D, and up-forward D. As before, you can perform them in the direction you want to attack.

You might have noticed that Momma’s Bark ability didn’t seem to do anything. That’s because it’s a counter move. If your opponent hits her during the beginning of the move, she’ll strike back. Let me show you.

Big Momma is big and powerful. She can be very disruptive for your opponent. However, her attacks are slow and easy to react to. Since she costs all of Pom’s Magic, you will not be able to summon any other dogs with her out. There is also a lengthy time after Big Momma exits the stage before Pom’s Magic returns to her, so call her with intent! You can dismiss Big Momma with down-down C.

[dismiss puppies]
Next on “A Practical Guide to Dog Summoning”, Pom can call off all dogs at once using the Dismiss All command, down-down D.

[move puppies]
You can move dogs around by holding D then pressing left or right. This can be done with every type of dog except Following Digging Pup.

[rally puppies]
Pom can pull all dogs to her position using the Rally command, D D.

[Tianhuo]

[flight/firecracker]
Tianhuo has 2 bars of Magic which refill over time. Her primary magic ability is *Fly*. (Which is, actually more of a hover really.) It pauses Magic refill while active. Fly only lasts a short time, so be quick.

If you do press a direction with D, Tianhuo will do her *Firecracker* move. Each one uses 1 Magic normally, but I’m going to give you infinite magic here so you can practice.

Pretty cool huh? Uh, I guess I mean hot. Pretty… hot. *Ahem.* You can do this attack in many other directions. These can really move Tianhuo around, so be careful not to get confused by flipped inputs if you end up on the other side of your opponent.

Firecrackers with backward directions don’t damage your opponent. They’re for quick movement.

Her Magic Meter regenerates to full over time. Certain moves temporarily stop regeneration, like Flight.

[Shanty - parley]
The goat’s Magic bar fills by itself over time… but if you just can’t wait, there’s always the age-old tradition of screaming at the top of your lungs until you’re powered up. Double tap down plus A to Parley and shout your Magic into existence. The longer you hold the button, the more Magic you’ll gain. Give it a try.

Indeed! …Now, be aware of Parley’s offensive uses as well. The shockwave it emits destroys projectiles, and it stuns opponents in different ways depending on how long you hold. I’ll leave you to experiment.

[run stance]
Now, onto some practical uses for the stored shout energy. The goat can use her superior agility to execute a variety of moves from the basic Run Stance. Think of Run Stance as the center of a great tree. From a single trunk sprouts many branches of possibility… Anyway, let’s start with movement…

Time to add some attacks. Remember, for each one you must first enter Run Stance!

The possibilities are endless, much like the goat’s stamina… [slightly sweating, talking to herself] (Doesn’t she ever get tired?) *Ahem*. Before we move on, let me show you one more thing. Go ahead and run backwards until you reach the wall…

Ah, looks like we’ve discovered something! I will explain this phenomenon, but first, go ahead and take some time to review what we just covered…

[wallcling]
I’ve read about some of the most astounding skills the creatures of Foenum have attained, and few are more impressive than the goats’ natural ability to walk on sheer, vertical surfaces. One could argue this talent is Magical in nature, but that is yet to be truly determined…

In learning to walk on walls, the first step is getting onto and off of the wall. Let’s begin…

Let’s add a little more. You can hop to the *opposite* wall with down-down C. Change walls with D. *Jump* from the wall using up-forward or C again.

You didn’t think moving around was all you could do on the wall, did you? You’ve got a set of attacks with A. Then, B takes you off the wall with [a] glorious downwards strike.

As you can see, wall magic is both fascinating and complex. Play with these tools to your heart’s content with infinite resources, and then we will move on.

[Texas - cowbell]
Texas’ Magic abilities allow him to attack using the cowbells attached to his yoke. D gives you a basic standing strike. Add forward or down for different variations.

Hitting with the very tip of the attack’s range gets you a Bullseye, which generates 1 Magic and causes the attack to stagger your opponent, or pull them towards you!

Bullseye! Learn to use the correct Cowbell attack for your opponent’s position to maximize Magic gain. You can spend that Bullseye-earned Magic by pressing D again after hitting with any Cowbell attack, regardless if you landed a Bullseye or not. This is called a Followup. Followups add an additional effect that sets your opponent up for a combo or puts them in range for a grab, depending on the type of Cowbell attack used. Give them all a try.

Nicely done! Feel free to experiment further, then we’ll move to the next topic.

[Stronghoof - Vetr action]
Stronghoof’s magic abilities involve the use of Vetr, the Winter Sprite that fights by his side. Vetr has a list of actions he can perform, but he can only do one action at a time. He always finishes his actions before accepting new commands. Certain actions briefly leave Vetr vulnerable to hits. When Vetr is hit, the action is interrupted and he’s taken out of the fight for a short while. Watch for the red flash. Like so.
All of Vetr’s actions cost varying amounts of Magic. Stronghoof is unique in that his Magic starts every round full, and it refills over time.
Let’s review all of Vetr’s actions, one by one.
[Arsenal (followup strike)]
The first of Vetr’s actions is a followup to Arsenal. While one of these weapons remains on the battlefield, Vetr can be commanded to pick it up and strike a second time! Conjure your warhammer with quarter-circle-forward A, then input the same command again to order a followup strike!
Positively brutal. Next, try the battleaxe with quarter-circle-forward B.
Such a vicious swing! Now, brandish your shield with quarter-circle-forward C.
This one is a little different. Instead of striking with the shield, Vetr holds it up and advances forward. This can be used to guard you against hits. Watch.
But even a mighty ice shield has limits! If it takes too many hits, it’ll break.
Vetr can strike any time he’s available, regardless if Stronghoof is already in the middle of his own attack. Think of all the dangerous dual attacks this duo is capable of!
[Lariat]
Even without weapons, Vetr is plenty dangerous. He can perform unarmed Lariat attacks with D. With a simple press, it’s a quick hit. With a longer press, Vetr will also push or pull the opponent after the hit connects.
At a cost of 2 Magic this is Stronghoof’s most expensive move, but when used the right way it can catch opponents unaware and set them up for a combo.
[Winter Wind]
Another technique Hoofstrongs must master is the manipulation of Winter Wind, which creates a forceful gale that moves your opponent around the battlefield. Put your opponent where you want them by using left or right with D to pull towards or push away.
Stronghoof isn’t constrained to just one axis! Use up or down with D to lift up or force down.
Winter Wind drains Stronghoof’s Magic while it’s in use, so be careful of using it for too long! It can also be interrupted before it gets going, as indicated by the red flash on Vetr.
[Ice Slick]
It’s said that reindeer are most comfortable on a bed of ice, and Stronghoof can make one wherever he goes. Create an Ice Slick where you stand with down-down D. Hold the button for a little longer to make a larger one.
While you’re standing on an Ice Slick, your Magic refill rate increases, and you can perform two additional Slide maneuvers. Give them a try!
[Slick Slide is demonstrated]
[Slick Skate is demonstrated]
Stronghoof is not terribly mobile on his own, but Ice Slick and his other Magic abilities offer several powerful ways to control distance between him and his opponent.
Lastly, Ice Slick can be shattered if struck by Arsenal (quarter-circle-forward B) or Ice Crusher. This produces ice shards that can damage your opponent as they fly through the air.
And that’s it for Ice Slick! Take some time to practice, then we’ll proceed to the next topic.

[Nidra - Night Stance]
Nidra’s final stance, and the one that sits at the core of her Magic system, is Night Stance… in which Nidra flops down on the ground and takes a nap right in the middle of battle…
Yes, us four-legged creatures are cursed into needing regular sleep to survive, but this many micro naps in ninety-nine seconds seems a bit excessive, don’t you agree? Just saying.
Anyway… enter your sudden slumber with D. Night Stance is primarily used to charge Nidra’s Magic. See it in glorious action…
Hmph. *Some* of us do a little more than *sleep* to maintain peak performance, like you know… hard work and study. Just saying.
From Night Stance, a wider variety of attacks can be performed. Let’s start with the basics…

[Night Stance’s moves are offered for free practice: Sleepy Sweep, Spin Strike, Floating Flip, and Wake Up!]
Moving on. Night Stance has two more sets of attacks, only these allow you to remain in the stance. “Flip and Flop” and “Toss and Turn” are performed by holding a direction while pressing D.
“Flip and Flop” (left or right D) produce different attacks depending on whether Nidra is on her back or her belly.
With “Flip and Flop”, the rule of thumb is: alternate directions to stay asleep, repeat directions to wake up.
For “Toss and Turn” (down-left or down-right D), it’s a little simpler. Holding the same direction (regardless of which) while continuously pressing D keeps the attacks going.
You can leave Night Stance without attacking simply by pressing up or by holding left or right. Double-tap left and double-tap right work too.
One final note. All Night Stance attacks cost a bit of Magic to use, but they will refund Magic if you successfully hit.
There certainly is a lot you can do with this ability, isn’t there? Go ahead and practice some more. We’ll move on to other uses of Nidra’s magic when you’re done.

[Dream Drop]
Dream Drop is a spell that creates a bouncing orb made of condensed night magic. It costs one Magic to use, and each variant launches the projectile from a different angle. It also works in the air. See for yourself.
[the player executes this command with quarter-circle backward and an attack button]
Hmmm, doesn’t this attack seem familiar…?
Someone else you know *might* have perfected a similar technique already. With dark magic. The superior magic. Just saying.
… *ahem* go ahead and practice more if you like. I’m moving on.

[Awakened State]
When Nidra’s Magic is fully charged, she’s able to enter and Awakened State with double-tap down D. The primary use for this ability is to immediately cancel out of whatever you were doing, even a missed attack. This can afford you a second chance if things don’t quite work out as planned.
After using Awakened State, Nidra’s Magic begins draining. It drains much more rapidly if your opponent starts comboing you. When empty, Awakened State ends. While in Awakened State, landing any hit refills Magic and Dream Drop costs less Magic, allowing more to be fired off at a time. In addition, Nidra gains access to a powered-up version of Dream Drop with quarter-circle back D. Using this version immediately empties Nidra’s Magic, thus ending Awakened State. Let’s go through the whole sequence. Charge your magic with Night Stance, enter Awakened State, then use Magic Dream Drop.
[the player does D, down-down D, and quarter-circle-back D]
Well done. I’ll leave you to continue when you’re ready to move on.

[Baihe - Turret Stance]
Baihe embodies the very essence of a *living weapon*, a perfect operator shaped by decades of intense training and experience. By focusing her energy with D, she can enter Turret Stance to recharge her Magic, armor through attacks, and access powerful new abilities. Let’s explore how it works, step by step.
With no other inputs, Baihe will leave Turret Stance on her own and gain a decent amount of Magic. This is called a *Reload*. It’s quite similar to my Study ability, if you’re familiar with my work. But surely you noticed the indicator above her head while the stance was active? If you time a second D press as the indicator lines up with the notch, you’ll execute a *Perfect Reload* and gain a bit more Magic.
[the player inputs D twice with the correct timing.]
Ah, I can see the gears turning. Well done. In case you’re wondering, there is no penalty for failing to hit the notch in the perfect spot, so you should always try it!
In Turret Stance, Baihe might be stationary, but she’s far from defenseless. While she is executing a Reload, she is armored. If struck by an attack, Baihe will automatically absorb it and fill her Magic meter entirely! Watch.
[see image at left] My my, how intimidating…!
[back to a smug expression] But, no armor is completely impenetrable. Armored states can be bypassed with a grab or one of the few attacks capable of *Armor Break*.
One more thing. If you want to end Turret Stance early, simply jump or dash. And there you have it! Now, let’s discuss how Turret Stance can put Baihe’s Magic to use.

[Cinder Shot (Rapid)]
While in Turret Stance, Baihe can use her Cinder Shot ability with A, B, and C. No directional input necessary.
This version of the move costs one Magic per shot, but it can be used rapidly. That means it breaks the normal rule of only one of each variant active at a time!
However, Baihe loses her armor while she is attacking… [with a slight smile] Hopefully you won’t need it. Happy spamming.

[Counter]
Lastly, Baihe’s *Counter* ability allows her to strike back at an opponent that hits her during the active counter state, for the cost of Magic.
Perform a Counter with quarter-circle-backward then Magic. Proper timing is required. If you’re too early, the active counter state will end and you’ll be completely defenseless.
Try to Counter your opponent’s attacks. They will jump before attacking you. Remember to enter Turret Stance first!

[Siege Cannon]
Ah, now we’ve come to the *pièce de résistance* of Baihe’s Magic arsenal… Siege Cannon! This powerful ability launches a homing missile of concentrated flame at your opponent. Unleash it with Z-motion D.
Satisfying, yes? You must have at least 1 Magic to use Siege Cannon, and it depletes all Magic when used. There is no extra benefit to stocking more Magic beforehand. The effect remains the same. Keep going until you’re ready to continue.

[Phalanx Strike]
Is your opponent getting too close? Need them to back off? Phalanx Strike is Baihe’s close-range power punch that gives your opponent nothing, but takes from them… everything.

[see image at left] Well… maybe not everything. But it certainly isn’t something to mess with.
[back to a serious expression] To attack with Phalanx Strike, perform a half-circle-forward motion with Magic.
[eyes wide] Such a mighty blow! Phalanx strike will get you out of a jam, but it completely depletes your Magic in the process…
…That is unless your opponent was foolish enough to fall victim to your armor. Then you’ll get it all back!
[this is demonstrated]
Just so. Onto the next!

[Tactical Retreat]
And finally, we have Baihe’s one measure of escaping harm quickly… employing the Tactical Retreat. Flip your body out of the danger zone with back, down-back, or down, and D.
Nice moves. Just keep in mind that this isn’t a free hall pass. You are still vulnerable to hits while retreating.

[Super: Level 1]
[Arizona]
Arizona’s level 1 super is called Trample, during which she declares that it is, in fact, “time for a beating”... as opposed to the rest of the match which clearly isn’t. Trample hits from a very long distance, but the closer Arizona is to her opponent, the more damage she does. The results are especially painful if she catches you in the middle of an attack. Jump or block to avoid it.

[Super: Level 2]
Arizona’s level 2 super is Rebound. Using this move extends how long her combo can be. Execute a Rebound by pressing quarter circle back and two attack buttons just as she hits with her level 1: Trample.

Give it a go…

[Velvet]
Velvet’s level 1 super is called Ice Cyclone. It covers a wide area and has a wind effect that pulls opponents towards it. When it hits, it creates a lot of distance, but you’re vulnerable as it’s spinning up. If your opponent is really close to you, they can interrupt it.

[Super: Level 2]
Velvet’s level 2 super is Frostbite. This leaves a temporary slowing effect on her opponent. She can do this by hitting quarter circle back and two attack buttons when she hits her opponent with her level 1: Ice Cyclone.

Give it a go…

[Oleander]
My level 1 super is called… Shadow Blast. It’s a raw expression of power… a beam of pure darkness that stretches across the entire screen. There’s no escape! I mean, unless you jump or something cowardly like that.

[Super: Level 2]
Ohhh ho ho… I’ve been waiting for this one. For my level 2 super, I can summon forth a terrifying demonic entity that will make even the mightiest opponents tremble with fear! He is a creature from the darkest depths… with a name unknowable… unpronounceable! …so I just call him Fred. Summon Fred by using quarter circle back and two attack buttons when I hit with my level 1: Shadow Blast. [smugly] And here’s my favorite part… [darkly] I’m in control.
Give it a go…

[Paprika]
Paprika’s level 1 super is called Smother (With Love). Arguably the attack itself is less damaging than the nightmares it causes afterwards. She can activate her super with either quarter circle back or quarter circle forward with two attack buttons. The direction determines the side of the screen she’ll attack from. Paprika telegraphs this during her super’s startup, but only for a moment. So pay attention!

[Super: Level 2]
Paprika’s level 2 super is Picnic Basket. [with disdain] I’m not surprised. She’s a bit “out to lunch”. [informative] Set up the basket with down-down and two attack buttons while hitting the opponent with her level 1, Smother (With Love). [disdainfully again] Yes, I must include the *with love* part. Every time.

If Paprika’s near the Picnic Basket, she can pull food out of it without expending magic stocks. It makes sense if you don’t think about it.

You can also have Paprika burst out of the Picnic Basket herself by using the magic variant of Zippy Teleport: Hold back, then forward D.


Give it a go…

[Pom]
Pom’s level 1 super is a literal stampede of puppies. As if that weren’t enough, she’s free to continue moving and attacking with yet more puppies while all of that is going on. I mean, as far as face-pummeling beatings go, it’s…

…not so bad… [silence]

[Super: Level 2]
Pom’s level 2 super calls in Big Papa, the father of her puppy stampede. It seems adult dogs have a slightly higher attention span, so he’ll stick with you after the pups have gone off, to chase shiny things or whatever dogs do. Press quarter-circle backward and two attack buttons anytime during Pom’s level 1 super: Stampede.

Pom doesn’t like it when you remind her that *all* those puppies are going to be that size one day.
Give it a go…

[Tianhuo]
During her supers, Tianhuo employs the classic technique of shouting her attacks before she performs them. I, on the other hoof, would never make such a rookie mistake. [thinly-veiled lie; see picture →]

Anyway… she calls her level 1 super Men Shao Ti. It’s a very close range attack that’s easier to hit if the opponent is airborne.

[Super: Level 2]
Tianhuo’s level 2 is a power-up or *install* called Ran Shao Feng. That’s when things really start to heat up. Hmm. I’m looking for the part about gathering anti-order crystals or spending a thousand years training in a dimensional time compression capsule…

Really?! Just like that? No sacrifices or blood rituals? (I’ll need to look into this power more later). In any case, the notes say that while Tianhuo is in this state, her special moves gain new properties. Enter Ran Shao Feng by pressing quarter circle back and two attack buttons as you hit your opponent with your level 1: Men Shao Ti.

Give it a go…

[Shanty]
The goat’s level 1 super is Cannonball, continuing the endearing trend of naming her attacks after weapons she doesn’t have. It’s a close-range attack that rises upwards. It’s impossible to stop once started, and she finishes the whole thing even if the initial hit is dodged. Tenacity in its purest form. I admire it, in a way one admires an upstart foal. [see image at left ←]


[Super: Level 2]
The goat’s level 2 is a power-up or *install* called “Avast!” That’s sailor-speak for when you want someone’s attention. How fitting. To activate this ability, press quarter-circle-backward and two attack buttons anytime during your level 1 super: Cannonball.

In this state, the goat gains increased Magic regeneration, and certain moves have a reduced Magic cost. In other words, she’s about to bounce off the walls.

Give it a go…

[Texas]
Texas’ level 1 super is called Prairie Pummel, a close-range attack with devastating consequences. This super is armored, so it’ll shrug off interrupt attempts from weaker attacks!

[Super: Level 2]
Texas’ level 2 super is Pummel Pillar. When activated, a second pillar of rock appears, closing your opponent into a smaller space!

Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. Just you, and the bull.
Give it a go…

[Stronghoof]
Stronghoof’s level 1 super is Hailstorm, in which Stronghoof sends out Vetr to make the opening hit, following up if he’s successful. Vetr travels across the entire screen for this attack, which technically makes it effective at long range. At least, so long as your opponent isn’t in a hurry.

[Super: Level 2]
Stronghoof’s level 2 super is Ice Fjord. When activated, Stronghoof forms an Ice Slick that covers the entire screen and remains intact if shattered. Otherwise, it has the same properties as a normal Ice Slick.
Give it a go…

[Nidra]
Nidra’s level 1 super is Blooming Lotus. Open your mind’s eye and float into sweet oblivion… This attack lifts Nidra straight upwards, so you must be relatively close to your opponent for it to hit.
[Super: Level 2]
Nidra’s level 2 super is Lotus Seed. When activated, Nidra conjures a special projectile that orbits her which can strike the opponent up to 3 times.
Give it a go…

[Baihe]
Baihe’s level 1 super is Scorching Nexus, an attack that pulls your opponent into a swarm of searing motes. This is a very fast attack that can zero in on your opponent regardless of distance or position! Their only option of defending against it is to block.
[Super: Level 2]
Baihe’s level 2 super is Supernova. It conjures a stock of energy orbs that enhance the next twelve uses of your Backdraft special. What do I mean by enhance? Additional effects. Specifically, the A variant will leave behind some Scorched Earth, while the B and C variants will create a small fire missile that homes in on your opponent. Activate Supernova with quarter-circle backward plus two attack buttons when Baihe hits her opponent with her level 1: Scorching Nexus.
Give it a go…

[Basics: Outro]
Congratulations! This marks the end of the basics section. If you’d like to keep going, I’ve got stacks of notes here expanding on how each of the fighters work. So, if you’d like to exit the tutorial here, it would be a good stopping point. To continue on, choose “Resume Game”.

[game is automatically paused, making it easy to quit, but if you unpause...]

Very well. You’re mine for just a little while longer!

[Everyone except for Texas, who cannot normally run and has a special dash]
{Run (Arizona, Paprika, and Nidra) or Dash (Velvet, Oleander, Pom, Tianhuo, Shanty, Stronghoof, and Baihe)}

I’m not the biggest proponent of “slow and steady”, so let’s learn a little more about how to get around the stage quicker.

{Run, Arizona, Paprika, and Nidra; Dash, Baihe}

If walking isn’t quite your style, why not go for a run? Only some characters possess this skill. Others like yours truly prefer… *ahem*... higher methods. To run, double-tap forward and keep holding. [despite this, Baihe can only dash, not run. This appears to be an oversight, given her rushed development and cut-short QA.]

[Run, Paprika]
On the list of things I wish Paprika would do more often: you can run *away* by double-tapping back and keep holding.

[Dash; all except Texas]
To dash, just double-tap forward.

[Dash; Texas]
Texas’ dashes work very differently than others. He does not have a forward dash, but his backdash lasts for an extended period of time, allowing him to stay invulnerable for much longer than usual.

[Arizona, Nidra, and Baihe]
An honorable warrior never runs away from a fight, but she can dash backwards by double-tapping back.

[Velvet, Oleander, Tianhuo, Pom, Shanty, Stronghoof]
You can also dash backwards by double-tapping back.

[everyone]
Nice! Backdash can be a good option for defense. Not only does it move you away from your opponent, it makes you invincible for a brief moment.

[slide; Stronghoof]
A technique shared through the Hoofstrong family line is the ability to glide across any surface, rough or smooth. Dash, then quickly crouch afterwards. This allows Stronghoof to get closer to his opponent while attacking simultaneously.

[air dash; Pom, Tianhuo]
Your character can air dash by pressing forward-forward while in the air.

Similarly, you can air dash backwards with double-tapping back.

Air dash is commonly used to “cancel” air attacks, making it possible to perform multiple overhead strikes even if your opponent blocks. And in case you were wondering, you can only do one air dash per jump.

[simple targets; for everyone except Shanty and the DLC characters]

Test time…!

Wait, something’s missing…

…

TEST TIME.

Your objective is to use your new dashing skills to make it through the stage and hit all the targets.
You have 22 seconds. Begin!

[super jump; Arizona, Paprika, Tianhuo, Texas, and Baihe]

Uhhh let’s see… super jumps. They’re like regular jumps…

…But super… [see alternate expression for this line; both can be called]

Who wrote these notes…? Fred?!

Perhaps an example is in order. [any of these images can be called]

To super jump, tap down then up quickly. Go ahead. Try it out.

[short hop; Arizona, Paprika, Shanty, and Texas]
Some fighters have the ability to jump lower than they normally jump. [sarcastic] Yes, we are all impressed by your impeccable motor skills. To short hop, just tap up really quickly. It looks like this…

If you get a normal jump instead of a short hop, you’re not releasing up fast enough. It’s worth noting that this also works in different directions, such as back-up or forward-up.

[double jump; Oleander]
Some fighters have such strong legs they can super jump, but mine are so superior that my hooves can push on air to propel myself.

That’s right. While I’m in the air I can press up to do a double jump! Useful isn’t it? Double jump can “cancel” air attacks and specials, making it possible to perform multiple aerial strikes even if the opponent blocks. However, I can only do it once after leaving the ground. Breaking too many rules has a tendency to attract unwanted attention.

[float; Pom]
Pom’s puny little bean body can float during a jump. Just hold up-back, up, or forward-up while she’s airborne.

It works for backward jumps too.

[slide; Velvet]
Velvet has spent so much time polishing her hooves that she can glide across any surface, rough or smooth. Dash, then quickly crouch afterwards. This allows Velvet to get close to her opponent without letting them touch her.

[obstacle course - everyone except Shanty and the DLC characters]

Test time…!

Try to break the red target at the end without touching any of the obstacles. [pause] I’ve taken the liberty of removing some of your abilities so you can’t cheat. Teleports, summons, wallclings and such. And don’t you mind me. I’ll just be sitting here watching… Judging you silently.

Everyone can execute a grab (also called a throw) by pressing B and C together. To throw backwards, hold the opposite direction while pressing B and C.

You can also throw in the air! This is called, as expected, an air throw.

*Grab* and *Throw* mean the same thing. Air throws only work on opponents in the air. Likewise, the ground throws only work on grounded opponents. Something to keep in mind: you cannot grab an opponent that just got hit. Let me show you an example.

This means standard throws cannot be used to extend combos. What they’re really for is to get through your opponent’s block. You might also be wondering what that exclamation point means. I’ve got more information on that in the Fancy Blocking tutorial.

[throws; Oleander]
My throws also have an extra property. They steal-- I mean… *BORROW* super meter from my target. They’ll get it back eventually.

[command throws; Paprika]
While regular ol’ grabs might propel you across the stage with physical force, others disarm you by filling you with disgust. Paprika can Kiss, done with a Z motion, then A, B, or C. How can one be paralyzed by a kiss, you ask? To which I say… *try it*.

See? Gross. Grabs like this are *very* difficult to defend against since you can’t “tech” out of them. More on that later…

[anti-air, everyone]
Whenever you need to swat a pesky flying mammal out of the air, just use your Anti-Air attack. All characters have one. Execute with forward A. You can even hold forward beforehand.

[anti-air; Texas]
Texas’ anti-air works a little differently than the others. If your opponent is in the air, it’s a grab! Take a look here…

There’s nothing your opponent can do to avoid this attack if they’re in range, *except* if they’re descending. Then, they can block it. If you suspect that your opponent might jump to avoid you, use this move. They’ll hate it. You can thank me later.

[anti-air, everyone]
During the Anti-Air you’re invulnerable to high-hitting attacks, which makes it extra-perfect for countering jump-ins.

[elbow drop; Arizona]
Arizona can do an Elbow Drop by pressing forward B.

Wait, do cows have… Hrm…

Well, that’s not important. What IS important is that this is called a Command Normal (a basic A, B, or C button while pressing a direction).

There you go! Elbow drop is also an overhead attack, meaning it can hit crouching opponents, even if they’re blocking.

[doom claw/smite; Oleander]
Regrettably, Fred can’t be beside me all the time, but he never really goes away. He can attack with his Doom Claw by pressing forward C. This is a *Command Normal* (a basic attack combined with a direction). Doom Claw is also an overhead attack, so the opponent must be standing in order to successfully block it. I’ve got another one of these: Smite. This is done by pressing down C while in the air. Smite also causes a ground bounce on aerial opponents.

[Free T-Shirt; Paprika]
Oh look, Paprika has invented a rather useless article of clothing. I think I’ve heard it called a T-shirt? Nobody’s certain how to wear them properly. Nevertheless, she knits with forward C.

Wait, isn’t there more? This is a command normal, but it has multiple stages. After starting the T-shirt, press C again to knit it and C a third time to offer it.

[Bulkhead; Shanty]
A common goat behavior when delivering signature headbops is the practice of standing on their hind legs for a brief moment prior, which increases momentum for the attack. I agree it looks adorable, but those might be “famous last words”, as they say. To execute a Bulkhead attack, press backward or forward with C.

This is a *Command Normal*, a basic attack combined with a direction. Bulkhead is also an *overhead attack*, so the opponent must be standing in order to successfully block it. Further, Bulkhead is *high-profile*, meaning it’s invulnerable to many ground-based moves. Let me show you…

But don’t let it get to your head! Literally…

You may have also noticed that Bulkhead *staggers*. Your opponent is vulnerable to a follow-up attack after it connects.

Lastly, you can *Feint* a Bulkhead by holding C for the duration of the move. You’ll move into the upwards stance, but will not execute the attack. I’ll leave you to play around with it.

[specials after normals; all except Paprika and Pom]
Quick refresher: All specials can be used immediately after hitting with any basic attack.

…aaand go!

[charge during normals; Paprika and Pom]
Quick refresher: you will need to hold back to charge while doing an A B C combo and finish with a charge attack.

…aaand go!

[super after specials]
Quick refresher: normals can cancel into special attacks, then Specials can cancel into supers. GO!

[basic super combo]
Quick refresher: Basic super combo: go!

As much as I’m sure you love getting concussions, it’s not exactly the best way to become Champion now, is it? We already covered a bit about blocking earlier, but I’m sure you’ve caught on by now that there’s different *types* of blocks you can do.

Standing A B C *middle* attacks. All forms of blocking work on them. You can stop them just by holding back away from your opponent. But what about low blows? Some attacks can go straight through a standing block. You’ll need to crouch block by holding down-back in order to avoid getting tripped up.

Your opponent will jump before attacking. Try to block all of your opponent’s attacks.

[jump attacks]
NOW HOLD ON A MINUTE! I know what you’re thinking! “Well, if crouchblock protects me from middle and low, I’ll just squat like a rock and become a living tank!” I didn’t get away with that and neither will you! You’ll have to suffer with me through *High Attacks*. If your opponent jumps in the air, most of the time they’ll be able to hit you high, like this…

If you’re crouching, you have no defense from above. You’ll need to stand up again to defend from such things.

If you notice that your opponent is constantly crouch blocking, a sudden overhead attack can catch them by surprise.

Engrave it into your brain: if you see your opponent in the air, stand up to block!

Think fast!

[overheads]
Worth pointing out: some attacks are high even if they’re not in the air. It will usually be visually obvious. My Doom Claw attack is one of these. Lucky me.

These grounded overhead attacks can be mixed into a string of attacks.

Attacks like these, called *Overheads*, tend to be quite slow. If you stay alert, you can block them just by reacting.

Trial time.

[ground throw]
Remember grabs? They bypass both crouch and stand blocks entirely.

You’re not *entirely* defenseless against grabs, however. You can break them by pressing B plus C at the same time. This is called a *Throw Tech*. There’s only a small window of time you can do this, so be ready! Remember that exclamation point? It tells you when you can tech a throw. Green means go! Red means… well, dead. To elaborate, red means you’re locked out of teching that throw. This happens if you get thrown while doing an attack. That’s called getting *counterhit*.

[air throw]
Air blocks are just blocking while you’re in the air. In addition, ground throws do not work against aerial opponents. Blocking in the air shields from more or less everything… save for air grabs.

Now let’s make it a little more complicated to defend yourself… When you’re fighting someone else, remember how difficult it is to block these attacks. If you can master mixing up your offense like this, you’ll be quite the force to be reckoned with.

[command grab]
One more thing worth mentioning… Paprika’s *Kiss* move cannot be teched out of. You’re doomed to be grossed out by it no matter what.

BUT WAIT! There’s still a way to escape the awkward moment! Since command grabs only work on grounded opponents, just jump in the air! This will also put you in a position where you can easily counter attack.

[Outro]
Welp! That’s the end of the advanced section!
Feel like a champion yet?
No?
Good! Then you understand this is a challenging art to master! Once again, the best thing you can do right now is find real opponents to fight!
Challenge your friends and act smug when you beat them!

That’s what I do and look how I turned out!

AH HA HA HAHAHA---

ha………..

Anyway…
Remember you can always come back here if you need to brush up on your knowledge. Even expert fighters must brush up on the basics if they wish to stay sharp.

[hitstun]
As a surprise to no one, getting hoofed in the face results in a bit of shock. So after taking a hit, there’s a brief moment where you’re unable to move. We call this *Hitstun*. Weaker, faster moves, such as Stand A, will have less hitstun than stronger, slower moves such as Stand C.

If you’re in hitstun, you can’t block, attack, or do… well, pretty much anything. If you attack fast enough, you can keep your opponent helpless and dish out more damage. This is what allows combos to work in the first place.

[blockstun]
Even if an attack gets blocked, it *still* results in a stun of sorts. If a stun that happens when you get hit is hitstun, clearly a stun that happens when you block is *blockstun*. [smug] See? Not *every* fighting term is obscure! As before, fast attacks tend to cause less blockstun than heavier ones. Even though heavy attacks cause more blockstun, there’s a diminishing return on how long you can keep your opponent stunned like this. That means that getting your overconfident heavy attack blocked will result in your opponent recovering from blockstun faster than you can recover from the attack. They can easily punish you if this happens.

Try this out: Hit the training dummy here with different attacks. (No offense to dummies.) Can you block their attack when they attempt to strike back? Try out A and then C, for instance.

[pushblock]
Unlike hitstun, there are some things you can do while you’re in blockstun… One is that you can give yourself some breathing room with *push blocking*. Press any two attack buttons (like A plus B or B plus C) while you’re in blockstun.

[cross canter]
Another move you can do while in blockstun is *Cross Canter*. It costs half a level of super meter, which is no small price, but… well… Watch this…

Counter attack while blocking. Neat, huh? Use two basic attack buttons and push forward while you’re in blockstun.

[instant block]
Remember how I said before that “mashing buttons” wasn’t a good way to play? Here’s your first explicit lesson in that. If you time your blocking juuuuust right before you get hit, you can get a little bonus for doing so. You’ll flash white to indicate that you succeeded…

From this, you’ll get more super meter, reduced blockstun, AND you’ll get pushed back by the attack a little less.

[pre-block]
If you hold back to block, you may notice a small quirk. You will begin blocking before a move hits you. [pause] Let’s see that once more. [scene plays] This is called *pre-block*. This means that you will be locked in place blocking as soon as your opponent starts an attack.

[teching] [pronounced “teck-ing”]
We’ve covered teching a little bit, but let’s get more into detail. Observe what happens when you hit the ground here. Notice the quick blue flash? This means you can *ground tech*. Just hold down an attack button to tech in place. Teching allows you to stand quicker with brief invincibility to all attacks. Ready? Give it a try.

Additionally, you can hold back or forward while teching to roll in that direction. Keep in mind that there is no “best” way to tech. Avoid predictability by switching up the direction you roll, or not teching at all!

[air tech]
I’ve no doubt you’ve been annoyed by your training dummy “escaping” from your combo if you don’t attack fast enough after launching them. What they’ve been doing is called *air teching*. Here’s what happens when you *don’t* air tech…

Compared to when you do air tech…

Like before, just hold down an attack button to tech in the air…

Like ground teching, you’re briefly invulnerable after performing the tech. And, you can still tech in either direction.

[tech escape]
There are semi-ethereal beings out there that can absorb every speck of knowledge that happens to drift by them. But for you mere mortals, learning is a process of repetition. So let’s review the concepts we’ve just covered. Remember that you (and your opponent) can hold an attack button to tech out of a combo. You know it’s time when their body flashes blue. Like so…

Did you happen to notice that the combo hit counter on your HUD turned blue? That means your opponent could have escaped your combo, but didn’t. Novice players may not know how to tech, allowing you to keep hitting them. But you’ll find that skilled opponents will always escape a combo if it is technically possible to do so.

Remember, the rules say only one *wall stick/bounce*, one *ground bounce/tumble*, and one *stagger* per combo. If you surpass these limits, or you’re too slow, your opponent will be given an opportunity to tech out. To confirm if your combo is untechable, you can enable the ground and air tech settings in training mode to force your opponent to tech. Try your favorite combos here and see if they can escape!

[wallbounce]
Some attacks can wallbounce. This means they will fly towards and bounce off a wall. They will also flash red during this time. Velvet’s jump C has this property. [pause] You are limited to 1 wallbounce or wallstick per combo. If you attempt to use more than 1, the wallbounce will not take place.

[wallstick]
Some attacks can wallstick. This means they will fly towards and stick to a wall before falling down. They will also flash red during this time. Arizona’s magic headbuck has this property. [pause] You are limited to 1 wallbounce or wallstick per combo. If you attempt to use more than 1, the wallstick will not take place.

[ground bounce]
Some attacks slam your opponent against the ground so hard that they’ll bounce back up! Appropriately, this is called *Ground Bounce*. [pause] You can use this once per combo. It’s useful for making the victim easier to strike and keep in hitstun since it prevents them from ground teching.

[tumble]
Continuing our tour of terrible things that can trouble you throughout the tussle… At some point, you’re likely to have your butt, head, face and hooves hit the ground in sequence, roughly in that order. This is called a *tumble*. [pause] Like ground bouncing, you can do this only once per combo.

[stagger]
Some attacks can stagger the opponent. They will remain standing but will be unable to attack or block during this state. Pom’s bark has this property. [pause] You can cause one stagger per combo. If you attempt to use more than 1, your opponent will fall to the ground and will also give your opponent a ground tech opportunity.

[hard knockdown] [for some reason, selecting “Juggle decay” starts you here.]
We learned about *Ground teching* before, but did you know there’s a way to prevent your opponent from teching? Some moves can cause a *Hard Knockdown* that will cause them to flash red and be unable to tech. [pause] Since they can’t roll, you can position yourself to attack again since you know where they will be when they get up. Try ground teching with A here when you get knocked down.

Sigh… [unclear if this is meant to be literally said or an actual sigh, but assume it’s a real sigh.]

My goodness, so many rules. Why do they have to make this so complicated? If you look by your opponent’s health, you may notice there’s a little green bar that begins filling up when you land hits. [pause] This measures *Juggle Decay*. JD for short. When the bar is filled, your opponent enters the *Juggle Decay State* and becomes very difficult to keep in the air with a combo. You’ll know it by the red hitsparks. Like so…

You can continue to build Juggle Decay in the Juggle Decay State, but it will become harder to maintain the combo. Oh, and a grounded opponent with full Juggle Decay will be popped into the air on hit.

When the combo stops, Juggle Decay drops. Gradually over time, of course. And one more thing… the first hit of your combo determines how much Juggle Decay you start with. The heavier the attack, the longer it takes to fill the JD bar. Give it a try! I’ll start your opponent off with higher Juggle Decay so you can practice.

Before you get too cocky, I feel I should remind you that you are still a soft, squishy mammal and you can’t expect to just absorb any damage you want. Specials and Supers do damage even if you block them, albeit much less.

This is called *chip damage*, and it builds up faster than you think. Be careful when fighting Velvet especially.
You’ll think you’re doing fine, distracted by her zooming ice missiles and highly punchable face, only to glance at your health and realize half of it is gone.
Eeeeeven if you blocked it all perfectly
See what moves you can find that do chip damage.

[first hit bonus]
The very first hit in a combo does more damage than normal. Watch…

Not too bad, but see what happens when they aren’t in the same combo.

Now we’re getting somewhere. Strong attacks like C provide a higher first-hit bonus since they have higher base damage. You should REALLY try to avoid getting hit by stray, single attacks. Especially C or specials.

[damage scaling - Arizona is always the player 2 dummy here]
Each additional hit in a combo will do less and less damage. You’re bound to get exhausted with all that hitting, after all.

That/This [depends on if you're playing as Arizona or not] did 351 damage. Now watch what happens with that same headbuck after a few hits in a combo…

Now it did 111 damage, a fair bit less. This is called *damage scaling*. In an even longer combo…

Now we get 57 damage. Pathetic… Hence, sometimes you’re better off leaving out some smaller hits so the larger attacks can do more damage later. When you see some prodigies out there racking up ridiculous amounts of damage, it’s probably because they’ve spent hours in the lab finding out how to “optimize” the damage they can do. Just tell them they’re nerds.

Until you figure out how to do it.

Then it’s cool.

[throw scaling]
Expanding on damage scaling, grabs have an even more intense effect on diminishing your damage. Opening your combo with a grab can reduce damage for all following hits by up to 30 percent. This is called *Throw Scaling*. Observe…

351.

…and after the grab it did 116 damage. This scaling is actually separate from damage scaling. It’s just another factor that gets added on.

[counter hit]

Oh dear, we should really take a break from all this depressing “penalties” and “reductions” rubbish and talk about--

REVENGE!

Make your opponent’s attack backfire with a *Counter Hit*.

If you land a counterhit, it’ll cause more damage AND more hitstun. Get creative with that extra hitstun! Hit them with an attack that they could normally defend against.

[armor]
There’s a fine line between dedication and stupidity. We can blur that line with *Armor*! If a move has Armor, you can finish attacking even if you get hit while performing it. You’ll still take damage, but at least you won’t be in hitstun! Watch here. We’ll do a regular headbuck.

And now *Magic* Headbuck, which has armor. Armor can only protect for a certain number of hits. In this case, Arizona’s Magic Headbuck protects her for one hit. A second hit will allow you to make her flinch and stop her attack. Besides Magic Headbuck, Arizona’s Counter and Trample have armor.

Now we move onto…

um…

Oh dear… this is a bit out of my league…

FHTNG I SUMMON TH-- [an earthquake happens during this]

Fred: SHEESH, you don’t have to make a scene about it! I’m right here.

Oleander: Um… Fred… Could you… perhaps…

FHTNG: Draw back the curtain of reality to reveal your beloved plane of existence is a laughable charade of order held together by glue and popsicle sticks?

Oleander: …yes?

Fred: Fine, but you’re buying donuts next time!

Ah hem… Looks like we have quite a bit of work to do on your perception.

When your punch lands, I wager you think it’s because your body made contact with theirs.

That’s cute…

Open your eyes…

TADA!

Your physical presence in this world consists of little rectangular *Hitboxes*.

These current ones you see are your vulnerable bits, called *Hurtboxes*. I’ve taken the liberty of putting them in a lovely shade of green. [widened eyes] Damage is caused by red *Hitboxes*. When the green hurtboxes turn blue, it means they’ve entered a blocking state. At the end of the day, everything you do is learning increasingly clever ways of putting your red hitboxes over their green hurtboxes. When they turn yellow… they’re in a hurt state. This means they’re either in hitstun or being thrown. White hurtboxes mean invulnerability. Red hitboxes can’t ever touch white hurtboxes. I’m sure you love me crushing your perception of reality into tiny fragments, but I can’t be catering to your every whim. Training mode has options for you to view these “hitboxes” yourself. For now… play around with them a bit. I’ve slowed down time to make things a bit easier to see.

[understanding frames - last portion where dummy is a mirror of your picked character]
For your, shall we say, “ungifted” eyes, time appears as a continuous flowing of motion. …but as you’ll quickly learn around me, trusting your eyes is unwise. Allow me to put a slight draaaag on the 4th Dimension for you so you may see for yourself. Time is actually made up of little slices called *Frames*. There are 60 frames for each second of the time that *you* perceive. When you start thinking of the world in frames, your chaos-filled perception of reality will begin to sort itself out. Do a few attacks if you could here…

[parts of an attack - dummy is always Arizona]
If you’re prepared for a lengthy explanation, we’re going to… re-frame some things we’ve learned before. All attacks (and in fact, everything you do) can be measured precisely in these little time slices. Take the cow here as an example…

She’s moving her leg into attack position, but there’s no *Hitbox* yet. Therefore she can’t hit anything, even if her hoof appears to touch the enemy. Hence why I showed you that your naive notions of physics are misguided. NOW she has a hitbox deployed, which can do damage. These are called *Active Frames* of an attack.
For those frames, there exists a suspended volume of *pure unfiltered pain* around her leg. [mouth open wider than before] Try not to touch it… When the hitbox goes away, it means she’s *Recovering*. She’s still dedicated to finishing the move, but she’s stuck in a position and can do no damage until the move finishes. Since she’s helpless for those 15 frames, now is the perfect time to touch the cow and get away with it. And now she’s back to her standing position… ready to do any attack she pleases.

[frame advantage]
“Now why, oh why, does all this matter?” In a vacuum, it doesn’t really… but in the ring, we can make sense of who wins while trading blows. We’ll take another look at Ari’s Stand C. The startup lasts for 11 frames. As you can feel from the tremendous pain, you are now in hitstun… I won’t keep you frozen in this state for too long… my that would be cruel. Ignore your splitting headache for a moment and pay attention to what happens to the cow and her hapless victim. Arizona pulled her leg back and you left hitstun at the *same time*... interesting, no? You both entered your neutral state on the same frame, and neither of you has the advantage now. This is why canceling attacks into each other is vital… you skip the recovery period and start a new attack while your enemy is flailing around in hitstun. Now, let’s take a look at why blocking rewards you more than you know…

11 frames for startup. [pause] And here, you begin to recover from blockstun. [pause] And here’s where our little prairie grazer has messed up. The blockstun that Stand C does is shorter than its recovery time. Now *you* have 4 frames where you’re free to attack, but your attacker is stuck.

We’ll have some fun with this fact shortly…

We call this *Frame Advantage*. Because you have 4 frames of freedom, and we always look at this from the attacker’s perspective, Stand C is said to be “-4 on block.” [read as “minus four on block”.]

From the example before, we get that Stand C is “zero on hit” since neither fighter gets the advantage… canceling aside.

[frame data: training option - dummy is your picked character again]
[normal] If I were to cover the frame advantage of all the different attacks, we’d be here all week. [eyes wider] You can find these numbers for yourself in training mode by setting “Attack Data” to “Advanced”. [pause] Each block at the top represents one frame. The color of the box represents your character’s hurt box color. It also shows which frames have an active hitbox with red squares. [eyes normal] In the bottom center, the startup frames of a move is displayed followed by the frame advantage.

[negative edge - dummy is Arizona again]
Now, ahem. Did you know that sometimes you can do the same number of moves with fewer button presses? That’s right! You can perform some special moves by using your fingers to--

Oleander: I’m sorry, using your *what*?

Fred: Oh, don’t you worry your pointy little head about it Ollie!
It’s possible for you to keep a button pressed after a Normal attack, then release it to use a Special attack. That’s two moves for one button. This mechanic is limited, but it can simplify input sequences for combos.

........

WELL that’s all I had for now. Tootles!

........

Oleander: I guess I’m taking over from here then… Finish up these trials while I go… contemplate.

[Everyone]

Quite early on, we went over “canceling”. That is: the ability to “skip over” the end part of an attack so that you may quickly start another move.

Combined with hitstun, canceling allows you to form combos that keep your opponent helpless!

Observe: Stand C. Note the slow recovery portion from the attack… [pause] But what if that same Stand C is part of a combo?

Because Stand C “cancels into” the launcher, we don’t have to awkwardly wait around while the former finishes. HOWEVER, most moves will need to actually “touch” your opponent in order to cancel into anything. Entirely missing your opponent is called “whiffing” and will usually make canceling impossible. [pause] Even if they block your attack, that is NOT a whiff, and you can still cancel.

As you can probably put together by now, canceling is a supremely important aspect of combos.

[chain level]
To learn good combos, it’s important to understand chaining and canceling. In general, simpler normals (like A) chain into stronger normals (like B) or more complex normals (like forward A). Normals then cancel into specials and specials cancel into supers. Got all that? No? Well, no worries. The best thing you can do right now is develop an intuition for what moves cancel and chain.

I assure you, you’re not going to become a world-class fighting champion by “reading many books on the subject”.

[First time]

Up until now, you’ve mostly been relying on *canceling* to form your combos. That is, while you’re doing one move, you can just mindlessly start performing the next move, which skips over the recovery portion and transitions to the next attack. But that isn’t the only way to combo. Some moves *Link* into each other. This means the previous move finishes (with recovery) and the next move starts immediately after. There’s no Cancel, but it still happens fast enough that it keeps your combo going AND keeps them in hitstun. The trick is that you need to time your attack right while recovering. Too late and the combo won’t be kept up. Too early and the move won’t come out at all. The timing window is measured in… Frames(?) I think Fred called them? So for example, for a 3 frame link, you’ll have 3 “frames” AFTER the attack recovery that you can start doing the next move. Give it a shot…

[Returning a 2nd time]
I’ve already explained how links work, so I’ll spare you the soap-box session. For a quick refresher, moves link into each other if they don’t cancel into each other, but you can perform them fast enough that they’ll keep a combo going. Once again, the timing of the move is important… give it a shot.

[Returning a 3rd time or more]

Blah blah blah link timing…

GO!

[reset]
You remember *Damage Scaling* from before, yes? The longer a combo goes on, the less damage that each hit will do. The obvious way to get around this is to intentionally stop your combo and start it up again. This is called a *Reset*. Of course, the problem with this is that stopping your combo gives your opponent the chance to retaliate. That’s just life. The greater the risk, the greater the reward. You’ll need to figure out the best way to restart your combo while giving them the least chance to react. Here’s a little example of a reset in a combo.

[these first three portraits can be picked randomly at four different times]

My! Just look at the time! We’ve covered quite a lot, but I’m afraid that’s all I can teach you right now. [expression change] Even with all this, you’ve barely scratched the surface of what you can uncover in the art of hooved combat.

The best way to improve from here is to get out there and start picking some fights!

I’ll be around if you’d like to return and brush up, or try going through my topics with a different character.
So… go get tough and rough some fluff! Tah-tah for now!

---

Oleander and Fred images obtained from /dev/temp/UI/Win/Output/Textures/BuckHUD/Tutorials