Robyrt's OMF 2097 Combos, Acts 1-3 Compilation
Transcripts, Explanations, and Notes
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(See readme.txt for copyright notice.)


Act 2 Combos
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act2_0t.rec: Jag almost-unbeatable blockstun trap with hcf+P xx K, repeat. A fully upgraded Shadow like Nicoli could have used a perfectly timed b+K to beat the Shadow Jag Leap as it started, or to hit Jag in the pause between normal and air Jag Leaps, but like the video shows, even mindless mashing of hcf+P,K will get instant stun off a connected Shadow Leap. Note that the optimal b&b tourny mode combo (jump-in, cannon, leaps) was not used.

act2_1t.rec: Shadow f+K infinite. Braindead easy, especially since all you need is stun to go into even easier Shadow Grab infinites.

act2_2t.rec: Thorn abuses the enhanced Spike Charge (which actually hits several times, allowing it to run right through the shadow) and performs some basic, foolproof combos. Note that Thorn's arm speed is so low that even crossup jumpkick, b+P doesn't set up anything worthwhile, but db+P at least starts combos.

act2_3t.rec: Pyros with db+P -> Thrust Attack links is scary. Note that the df+P -> u,P ender after the enhanced Fire Spin launches is actually quite weak, but very reliable. 

act2_4t.rec: Electra fails to do the jab infinite, does lame button-mashing combos, then actually does the jab infinite. Heck, I didn't even abuse enhanced Shards or Ball Lightning in this one. Note how much priority Electra's db+P has.

act2_5t.rec: Katana busts out some fun combos like fireball -> df+P and qcf+P -> K and b+P,b+P -> qcf+P. If I wasn't so lame, I could have followed up that first f+K combo with fireball for a nasty AR trap.

act2_6ta.rec: Shredder's jab infinite. Even easier than Shadow's because Shredder's jab has more range.

act2_6t.rec: Shredder uses his jab infinite to get the opponent stunned and in the corner, then proceeds to slowly flub the combo - poor timing results in a whiffed followup to hcf+P (should be P, d,d+K xx qcf+P, qcb+P, etc. for the kill.) However, flipkicks save the day.

act2_7t.rec: Flail almost-unbeatable b,b+P xx f,f+K setup. This is much harder than the Jag trap above because an early cancel will get the Spinning Throw blocked and a late cancel is easy to get jabbed out of (f+K in this case). Then the fun begins with some incredible tourny mode combos. (b+P does not link into Spinning Chains, but d+P does for some reason.) A successful crossup jump punch with Shadow's back to the wall can land b+P -> d+P -> d,K xx b,b+P xx f,f+K under good conditions! Also note the combo meter activates because the hitstun for the original Shadow is interrupted with another attack.

act2_8t.rec: Multiple fierce easymode combos. Crossup jumpkick, triple fierce, wing charge does work, but I didn't use it. Gargoyle's jab infinite in the corner is extremely difficult and may not even work past a dozen hits on most characters, despite Garg's 10 arm speed. Perfect timing for cancelling the trijump allows a Diving Claw to connect after a BLOCKED Wing Charge.

act2_9t.rec: Chronos fun. You can still land all its crazy combos in tourny mode, thankfully, and while the Powerplant diminishes it quite a bit, jumpkick, jab jab roundhouse is a combo starter that certainly can dish out the pain.

act2_10t.rec: Nova shenanigans and some fun Earthquake Smash traps.

act2_0e.rec: Too much stuff to count. Note that the final Overhead Throw combo is an Overhead Throw off a BACKWARDS jump!

act2_1e.rec:
1. Shadow Grab resets the combo meter so the sweep is not counted in the total. Shadow Grab is transferred to Ice Freeze at its max range to push the opponent further into the corner.
2. I start in the corner next, meaning I can add df+P before the sweep, then replace the b+K ender with a Shadow Kick infinite.
3. Shadow's most powerful ground combo: jumpkick, d+P,df+P,df+P,d+P.
4. Movement on my part will mess up the spacing of the Shadow Grab.
5. Ice Freeze hits until they're all the way unfrozen.
6. A full-speed Shadow Kick infinite will make you miss. You have to time it correctly or tack on a flashy ender like Shadow Punch.

act2_2e.rec:
1. Thorn's most powerful ground combo: jump-in, b+P, Spike Charge-df+P infinite. The timing for this is very tight, because you must move forward a few pixels and then hit df+P to connect. It's only possible because the Spike Charge is a throw and thus resets the combo meter. It also makes both bots invincible, as the clip shows.
2. Said infinite set up from a normal throw.
3. General corner combo tomfoolery. Double Speed Kicks are really optional for this stuff. Also, a connected b+P in an air combo will usually net you a Spike Charge. Note that Off-Wall Attacks and any late Speed Kicks are interchangeable.
4. The right distance to start a Shadow Speed Kick against a cornered opponent: far away, so the second hit still connects.
5. Meaty db+P starts combos.

act2_3e.rec:
1. Pyros' bread-and-butter ground combo: jump-in, b+P, db+P, Thrust Attack.
2. Super Fire Spin combo into Air Fire Spin for maximum coolness. (Air Fire Spin makes a much bigger hit sound than a ground Fire Spin.)
3. Flubbed double jetswoop combo. (It works if you time it right.) I try it from a throw later on, and get a modified version.
4. Meaty Thrust Attack starts combos. And yes, Virginia, jumpkick CAN end combos without retaliation.
5. Double Jetswoop right-corner-only side-switching combo.
6. L33t random-fireball combo. 'Nuff said.

act2_4e.rec:
1. Corner Jumpkick Combo of Death. The combo counter says only 9 hits, but it's a 10-hitter.
2. Max 8 hits from jump-in and shards. Horribly unsafe.
3. Same-frame hit from fireball and Shadow Rolling Thunder - I do it on the 3rd try after showing both ways to mistime it.
4. Corner throw 12-hitter.
5. Corner throw + triple fireball insanity. 9 hits, AR opportunity, another 12. I could have connected the two with proper timing.
6. Double jump punch combo shows that Electra's jump punch isn't as slow as it looks.
7. Various badly done knee and wall throw combos.

act2_5e.rec:
1. Standard wall combo with d+K,d+P into a very tight Blade combo.
2. 4 hits of Rising Blade in a row.
3. Fireball into df+P combo.
4. Meaty sweep starts combos.
5. The optimal Rising Blade wall combo, unfortunately with no ground chain in front of it.
6. Meaty db+P starts ground combos.
7. Low Head Stomp combo into air Head Stomp finisher. Horribly unsafe.
8. Meaty b+P starts ground combos.
9. d+K,d+P,df+P into another flubbed Blade combo. I'm just on a roll today, aren't I?

act2_6e.rec:
1. Headbutt xx Flip Kick cancel works on the first frame of the hit, too, but the frame advantage it gives is pretty small.
2. Fireball successfully worked into a standard aircombo.
3. My new 15-hit corner jumpkick combo, even with the loss of the Flying Hands infinite. Enders are b+K, db+P or db+K.
4. Another successful integration of fireball, this time with a throw combo.
5. Ghetto ground chain: P,P,b+P. Then I show how the enhanced Flying Hands go PAST his hands on retrieval.

act2_7e.rec:
1. Standard, boring Powerplant close-to-wall combo.
2. A better way to combo into Spinning Throw.
3. Your average ground chains into cancels, throw or df+P into AIR SPINNING THROW followup.
4. Meaty b+K starts ground combos.
5. Stupidity in ground chains reigns, also how to combo jumpkick into Spinning Throw blocked with optional delay, also yes Shadow Charging Punch does cancel into Spinning Throw.

act2_8e.rec:
1. The 16-hitter. 'Nuff said.
2. How a fullscreen Wing Charge combos and a near-fullscreen Wing Charge does not. (Hint: Check the arc.)
3. How to land combos after Garg's throw, using OMF's weird command buffer. (The Wing Charge is entered as b,b+P instead of f,f+P... weird!)

act2_9e.rec:
1. The mysterious hit-dropping of the combo counter. It says it's 10 but it was definitely 12.
2. Various random stuff, then the all-the-kicks combo from throw or Matter Phasing.

act2_10e.rec:
1. Belly Flop into meaty b+P hit, and meaty b+P knocks down!
2. Almost unescapable Earthquake Smash setup after standard ground combo.
3. Grenade into Missile, Grenade, Flop, Grenade into aircombo, Missile into Smash both ways, Smash into Grenade.
4. Stupidly good aircombo, but the first grenade doesn't hit.
5. Meaty Missile knocks down.
6. Air Missile as a stupid ground combo starter.
7. Nova's most powerful ground combo: PPP.
8. Belly Flop into K,d+K is a lot harder than it looks, so I stick to jumpkick for the Smash setup (see #2).
9. Grenade misses out of the right corner only. Then more stupid combos.


Act 3 Combos
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act3_9m.rec
1) Jumpkick, P, b+K, Activator downwards, db+K (Opponent stunned)
This combo requires precise spacing and timing to get the db+K in. I can only do it 20% of the time myself.
2) Activator, jumpkick, P, P, b+P (Stun at max)
The first hits establish the precise distance required to get P, b+P to combo. The Activator is purely optional, put there to show how it reacts to a stunned opponent under "normal" conditions.
3) Jumpkick, P, P, P, b+K, f+K (Stunned)
Wall to their back required, of course. Against Christian/Pyros, an immediate K would also have connected, but I didn't want to put in ANOTHER light-bots-specific combo.
4) Activator, jumpkick, db+P, df+P, db+K (Stun at max)
Again, the wall is required but the Activator and jumpkick are not. This one-frame link proves that Chronos' db+K starts just as fast as his d+K, which would also have comboed here.
5) Jumpkick, d+K, d+K, db+K (Stun at max)
Note that because the opponent has not yet begun his standing animation after being stunned, his stun bar does not decrease from this combo. This glitch is widely known, and may actually extend to a couple frames INTO the standing animation. Without a wall to their back, this combo will only work if any one of the four hits is removed.
6) Activator, throw, Activator, late jump punch, K, Activator, late jumpkick (Stunned)
Three Stasis Activators in one combo, folks. Everything about this combo is glitchy and strange, as anyone familiar with OMF will realize by the weird behavior of the jump attacks when confronted with an opponent in various stages of freeze and/or combo. For a full explanation, email me.
7) Activator, Matter Phasing (whiffs), K, f+K (Dead)
As my little homage to "Ode to the 2-Hit Combo," this combo goes out of its way to be only 2 hits. The Matter Phasing has just enough air to go through the wall but not enough to hit the opponent, so it acts like a teleport. (Incidentally, this is the only way to get behind an opponent with his back to the left wall.) The Activator runs out just before the K hits. K, f+K combos at any distance.

Act 3 Highlights: (act3_#m.rec)
* Jag corner-to-corner combo using both d+K and a Jag Leap
* The remnants of the Shadow Combo Tree from the strategy guide
* Thorn's Spike Charge magically un-stunning an opponent
* Pyros stuns opponent with 3 hits
* Electra ground combo starting with db+P and ending in d+K
* Katana headstomp, jump punch, ground combo
* Shredder's most powerful ground combo
* Flail ground combo into Spinning Throw


Act 3 Combo Challenges
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_First Challenge_ (robchal1.rec)
This one's for OMF 2097. We all know how to get two of Shadow's "shadows" on the screen: either combo a Shadow Grab into another special, or just do a Scrap. So, I want you to send me a match where at some point there are three shadows on the screen at once, from the same player. 
Conditions: You may not use tournament mode or any cheats. Also, note that there are multiple solutions (I can think of two right now); if you think yours is different, post it and you'll get credit too.
Difficulty: 4/10
Solutions:
* Shadow Grab, sweep (opponent dies), (grab connects), Scrap 
* Slow pilot (or Ice), proper distance from corner: Shadow Slide x3
Note that I cause the game to freeze WHILE three shadows are on the screen by making too many actions coincide with the opponent's death, just to show I can one-up you all.  

_Second Challenge_ (robchal2.rec)
In OMF 2097, make a five-hit combo with Katana using only special moves.
Conditions: You may not use tournament mode, any enhancements, or any cheats.
Difficulty: 7/10 (Hard)
Solutions:
* Headstomp, headstomp, air Rising Blade, Rising Blade. Works only on Pyros (or on Nova in the corner). Remember, an air Rising Blade knocks down, and a normal Rising Blade is Katana's fastest move, so it's easy to connect after the air blade.
* Deep air Rising Blade (1 hit only), Rising Blade, headstomp, air Rising Blade. Looks awesome, works only on light bots like Pyros or Garg, easy to do with practice.
* Deep air Rising Blade, headstomp, air Rising Blade, Rising Blade. This is the hard one. Works only on Pyros or Nova, and you have to be very precise to prevent accidentally jumping too high for the air Rising Blade to connect with both hits.
The "bonus combo" featuring a jump attack in between the hits can be found in rob3_5.rec.


Act 3 Exhibition Matches
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exh3_0.rec
*  First round: The fireball does not count as part of the combo, yet still sets the shadow into another hit animation. Good and bad ways to space Jag's b&b jumpkick, cannon, leap in the corner.
*  Second round: The combo meter counts only hits on Shadow himself, not shadows. Jag gets a free wall combo off a jump punch fireball, and proceeds to land a showy wall throw combo.

exh3_1.rec
*  First round: Shadow Punch is counterable by Shadow's P, but only with perfect timing. Hits to the shadow have their normal hit effects on a jumping Shadow as well. Shadow's jumpkick and b+K hit for a long time. Shadow Punch does have startup. Shadow Grab's upward arc does zero damage, but still counts as an attack. Shadow's P links to itself only with good timing and distance. Meaty moves can do weird links like Shadow's jab-sweep.
*  Second round: The one-hit rule keys off of Shadow himself, not a hit shadow. The opponent recovers stun as normal while being grabbed. Stunned-only combos mean you can actually land db+P as a combo ender.
*  Third round: Stupid infinite setups abound. Shadow Grab can catch airborne opponents. Shadow d+K chains to itself on a stunned opponent. Showoff Grab unstun combo for the kill.

exh3_2.rec
*  First round: Speed Kick beats pretty much all of Shadow's moves. The AI walks into an air Speed Kick combo.
*  Second round: The Spike Charge's startup is invincible from the arms down. A late hit from any Speed Kick starts Thorn's infamous corner combos, which work even on Milano.

exh3_3.rec
*  First round: Thrust Attack does not have startup invincibility to anything but projectiles. b+K hits along almost its entire length. b+P can hit very late. The AI has trouble against Jet Swoop mixups and blocked Thrust Attacks. The pseudo-combo is easily punished by pretty much anyone, I should have replaced the jab with K or something. Against adequately slow opponents, a Shadow Thrust Attack is a rehit combo ender for anything. Double Jet Swoop combos work only against a wall.
*  Second round: Pyros doesn't have options against Gargoyle's specials.
*  Third round: I could have used jump P -> b+P -> b+P -> db+P for the kill, but instead I demonstrated firespin's ability to catch random limbs. Also that easy 4-hitter does a LOT of damage for Pyros.

exh3_4.rec
*  First round: The jab is NOT NECESSARY for this combo to be an instant kill on Shirro. It's crazy as is. Throw,b+K,Shadow Rolling Thunder works on all but the fastest opponents.
*  Second round: Whiffed b+K could have been punished by a low air Thrust Attack, but meaty db+P into Thrust Attack works too. Electric Shards cancel works well for anti-air.

exh3_5.rec
*  First round: Rising Blade beats wakeup Thrust Attack. Pyros' size makes it vulnerable to Rising Blade followups. Katana's f+P launches absurdly high. The Danger Room spike can start the combo meter.
*  Second round: The Danger Room spike gives no points and so does not end the combo meter.
*  Third round: Random showy combos showing off how fast Katana's jump attacks and f+P are.

exh3_6.rec
*  First round: The right range to land a 2-hit combo with Flying Hands, a basic flubbed Air Headbutt 5-hit combo, abusing Shadow Headbutt's priority. A connected headbutt puts you in a normal jump situation. Also some brief abuse of the headbutt-to-flipkick cancel. Shredder's jumpkick beats the Flip Kick's startup.
*  Second round: The right and wrong ranges to combo df+P after headbutt. The wrong range to land a 2-hit combo with Flying Hands. The throw's instant startup grabs headbutt's minimal recovery.

exh3_7.rec
*  First round: The big pushback for the startup on df+P allows it to connect in a low juggle and get f+K blocked, and it combos into Spinning Throw. Because Fire Spin travels upward, Flail's horizontal chains will connect perfectly if it whiffs. Shadow Charging Punch has so much priority it trades hits with the startup of Pyros' flames.
*  Second round: Flail jump punch can trade hits with Thrust Attack, if timed properly. The AI walks forward after blocked rush moves, making it vulnerable to throws. f+K has a substantial minimum range.

exh3_8.rec
*  First round: A properly timed Wing Charge will beat a Fire Spin. A blocked Thrust Attack guarantees a Rising Talon. A ground Wing Charge's recovery increases with distance, allowing it to chain from low jab and another Wing Charge in the corner. Pyros' large size and Talon's no-AR property allow the db+P->b+P followup after a whiffed Diving Claw.
*  Second round: A fast Diving Claw "beats" Pyros' flames by avoiding their hitboxes.

exh3_9.rec
*  First round: Matter Phasing, once it gets going, is very easy to combo off of. Chronos could not have avoided this reset because it has no suitably fast jump attacks. Teleport is a ground move, so it reverts to a standing hit animation after being frozen. A Stasis Activator prevents Chronos' opponent from struggling out of the following combo.
*  Second round: I flub the followup to b+K after jumpkick, but not during the rehit combo immediately afterward. (A jumpkick on its way down does not recoil when it hits an airborne opponent.) This time the knee does combo. 2 perfects!

exh3_10.rec
*  First round: Nova does a pseudo-combo that Katana could only have avoided with a reversal Rising Blade, and a stunned-only double fierce, db+P combo.
*  Second round: Nova demonstrates the AI's propensity to always sweep against wakeup air missile, the standard Nova ground combo of jump-in, fierce, db+P, df+P, aircombo, and Nova's mad jumpkick priority.


OMF 2097 Straight Character Challenge 6: Shredder
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Rules:
* Start Heavy Metal, World Championship, Rehit Mode on
* Switch to your chosen bot as soon as it becomes available
* No bot upgrades except in your chosen bot
* F10 cheating is allowed

Hardest Matches:
* Cossette and Steffan, the first two opponents, are HARD because you don't have enough stats in any area to avoid getting stunned and killed quickly. If you can time your Overhead Throws well, you can win mind-numbingly; I prefer repeated jump-ins and pauses to bait a counterattack, which is harder.
* Dr. Lynn Yarr was a Gargoyle against me when I was still a Jag. Her high special move preference and high arm/leg speed let her chain fierces to punish mistakes, Rising Talon all my air moves and Wing Charge all my ground pokes. I finally beat her by throwing Concussion Cannons in the Power Plant from perfect range so she'd jump over me (since Garg has nothing that goes through projectiles, the AI will always either take the hit, block low, or jump forward against one), then punch-jumpkick her into the wall and repeat.
* Jazzy. 'Nuff said.

Easiest Matches:
* My first few matches as Shredder, before they had enough agility to bounce up beyond my Flip Kick rehit combos.
* Anything after I got the jab infinite working. See robscc3.rec.

Recordings (robscc*.rec) show matches I thought were particularly cool.

Another AI flaw I discovered: when they flip out of a rehit combo, they'll try to air attack 99.9% of the time. For bots with no good anti-ground jump attacks, you can just sit there against a wall using your anti-air normals on them over and over and they'll die. AI Shirro/Flail is particularly susceptible, as he almost never jump punches for some reason.


New Bugs (Act 3)
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act3bug1.rec: Early in the round, Jaguar interrupts Electra's throw with his own. I've never seen this happen before, and I bet it has something to do with the one-frame invulnerability window that allows you to throw someone if they attack you as you "wake up" from a knockdown.

act3bug2.rec: In the first round, Fire does obscene amounts of damage. At the end of the second round, Ibrahim is killed by a rehit combo and thus becomes invulnerable, causing the 2nd hit of Fire's Shadow Rising Blade to whiff. But when the Shadow hits the ground, it mysteriously stops being invincible and gets scraped off the floor into a grounded hittable state by the third hit of the Blade. (Maybe it mistakenly triggered as in a losing-animation state instead of a falling animation?)

act3bug3.rec: At the end of the first round, the game is clearly over, both parties having been knocked down. But when Thorn gets up, it mysteriously doesn't activate the win animation and instead keeps attacking. Thorn's next attack hits Jag's losing animation and knocks it down, this time triggering the correct win animation.