Advanced defensive options
This section covers “fuzzy defense”. Fuzzy defense refers to defensive option-selects that exploit the startup/hitstop/blockstun frames and the properties of various options through a series of inputs in order to negate several offensive options of your opponent at once. They exist in all fighting games.
In this section, I will concretize fuzzy defense by explaining four different types, namely fuzzy abare, fuzzy jump, fuzzy block and fuzzy throw in GG. The areas of use for fuzzy defense are often specific, and are most commonly used on wake up but can also be used in other specific situations in specific matchups.
Fuzzy defense represent the strongest defensive options in GG because they reduce the risk involved in different defensive decision-making situations by covering multiple options of your opponent. But before we carry on it must be mentioned that fuzzies only are additional defensive options. You must accept that mindgames will emerge because even these have weaknesses. But if you want to become really good at GG, or any other fighting game, you need to learn fuzzy defense.
Fuzzy abare
Briefly summarized fuzzy abare means doing:
Block – Hit – Block
…where the timing of the hit is during blockstun of the first move the opponent would have a done. This is done to (1) block and then (2) hit the opponent before certain moves/mixups have completed their startup frames.
Example Ky (safejump okizeme from stundipper knockdown) vs Sol: Dash-jump jS is a safejump setup after stundipper knockdown
– This means that doing VV is a bad option
because it will be blocked (, but if they have tension Sol could ofcourse do VV
RC).
– Ky can also do a classic high/low/throw from this jump-in.
Ky does stundipper, dashjump to:
(a) jS meaty, or
(b) ad jS jH, or
(c) empty jump-in 5K cS, or
(d) empty jump-in throw after throw invul. on wake-up has ended.
Sol answers with fuzzy abare:
– i.e. Sol blocks the timing of the meaty jump attack and presses 5K
immediately after
– if he does this correctly the following happens
(a) Sol blocks,
(b) Sol does 5K before jS comes out,
(c) Sol does 5K before Kys 5K,
(d) Sol does 5K before Ky is able to throw
In this example, fuzzy abare wins versus Kys entire (so called) mixup. If the Ky player doesn’t answer with something that wins versus fuzzy abare their option will never become a mixup.
Somewhat simplified you could say that you during fuzzy abare want a fast move (here one that preferably hits upwards as well). Sol is perfect for this case because his 5K does just that and starts up in 3-5 frames.
For the invested: what Ky can do in this scenario is do stundipper dash-jump to air stun edge (to confirm, rc airdash combo). But if Sol would have done VV Sol would instead have gotten a counterhit and meterless pickup!
Fuzzy jump
= block low and jump throws;
extra strong versus characters with command throws.
Shortly summarised fuzzy jump means doing:
(FD) block – Jump – (FD) block
…where the timing for the jump is exactly before throw-inv ends after blockstun on the first move that the opponent does.
This is done to (1) block and then (2) jump away from the opponents throw before it has finished startup.
For example Potemkin (safejump setup from 2D): After 2D Potemkin can do a safejump setup by doing forward high-jump jH.
– This means that it is a bad option to do a reversal srk because it will be blocked (, but if you have tension you can do VV RC)
– Potemkin can however do low or throw
from this Potemkin does 2D highjump to:
(a) jH meaty to 2K2D,
(b) jH meaty to Potemkin Buster
(c) empty jump-in 2K2D
Sin answers with fuzzy jump!
– i.e. Sin blocks at the timing of the jump meaty, does low FD, does
up-back jump, to low FD immediately after,
if he does this correctly the following
happens:
(a) Sin blocks,
(b) Sin jumps (and confirms to punish combo from the jump),
(c) Sin blocks
In this example fuzzy jump wins versus this Potemkins mixup. Yet again if the Potemkin-player doesn’t add something to this string that wins versus fuzzy jump this never becomes a mixup! Potemkin can e.g. do raw heat knuckle or delayed low, but if they start doing this it becomes riskier or alternatively gives them lower reward. Fuzzy jumps forces command throw characters to do other, less efficient, options which is one the main merits.
Somewhat simplified one could say that fuzzy jump is a strong option versus characters that need throws for their mixups to be effective and it becomes extra strong for characters that can convert to combos with high damage (Sin could e.g. get +200 damage when potemkin went for a potemkin buster).
When performing fuzzy jumps midscreen, for some characters, it can be benefitial to input an upward jump instead of a backwards jump. While this increases the execution difficulty, it allows you to punish command throws, instead of just having them whiff and returning to neutral. If you have a significant life lead, the reduced burden on execution that comes with the back jump may be worth it, but if you need damage to get a comeback it might be worth it.
Detailed information about throw inv. frames in GGWhile the opponent is in hitstun + 6 frames after. Basically this means that after an attack strikes the opponent, even if you RC the attack, they will be invulnerable to throws for an additional 6 frames from when they left hitstun.
– While the opponent is in blockstun + 5 frames after blockstun ends.
– While the opponent is knocked down + 9 frames after.
– During the opponent’s jump startup.
Fuzzy block
Briefly summarized fuzzy block means doing:
Low block – High block – Low block
or High block – Low block – High block
or Left block – Right block – Left block
etc.
… where the timing between the shift depends on which mixup hits first.
This is done to (1) block and then (2) block the opponents initial move and then the following options.
= Good for blocking specific high-low mixups (or crossup-mixups).
For example Ky’s (grinder charge stun-edge meaty okizeme):
– Ky does a charged stun-edge okizeme from a grinder-setup.
– Ky can do a classic high/low from this. Ky does charged stun-edge yrc, grinder charge stun edge, dash forward jump to:
(low) 5K cS, (high) airdash jS jH (jump-in) jS 5K
The player responds with fuzzy block!
– i.e. Player (1) blocks the timing of the jump meaty, (2) blocks low (that happens before the high mixup), (3) blocks high (at the timing that a jS would have hit), to (4) low/high block depending on what happened. If done correctly the following happens: (low) blocked, (high) blocked, (jump-in) blocked.
To clarify you can look at this rough frame-sketch that illustrates the events:
(low) ├──5K───── cS─── (Ky)
(high) ├──AD───── jS─── (Ky)
(jump-in) |jS────5K── cS─── (Ky)
(your input) |H── L───── H─── (Your block)
(mixup) |H── L───── M/H── (Kys mixup)
For Ky to defeat this fuzzy block he must do another sequence that hits low (or high) when the opponent switches guard.
Simplified one could say that fuzzy block is a good option versus specific high/low-mixups.
Fuzzy throw
Briefly summarized, fuzzy throw means doing:
FD block – Throw – FD block
…where the timing of the throw is exactly before throw-inv frames end after blockstun on the first move that the opponent does.
It is similar to fuzzy jump in other words, though not as strong versus command throws and it means greater risk (because you will always get 5HS if the throw whiffs). But if you are Sin with over 50% tension and think that Ky will go for throw after his safe jump it can be a good idea because sin gets a lot of damage from his throw in the corner.
= Good for blocking low and also throwing a dashing throw. Your character should preferably have a fast 5HS.
Summary
It is worth to emphasize once again that these are only additional defensive options. You must still accept that they have weaknesses and mindgames will emerge.
| Fuzzy Abare Block – Hit – Block = Very strong in safejump-situations = Preferably a fast movewith a good hitbox = Strong in specific situationsin certain matchups Fuzzy Jump (FD) block –Jump – FD block = Block and then jump throws = Good against characters with command throws = You get punish on whiffed throws = Costs tension | Fuzzy Block Low – High –Low, or High – Low –High = Very strong versus the classic mixup from jump-in (i.e. air-dash to an attack with high mixup and land to a low attack as a low mixup) = Very strong versusc ertain specific high-low mixups! Fuzzy Throw (FD) block – Throw – FD block = Block low and throw dash throw = Should preferably have a fast 5HS = Higher risk (due to 5HS on whiff) = Costs tension |
Hence, top-players do not stop your offensive options by having insanely fast reaction speed. Instead it is most likely that they do so because they have done their homework and learned the different types of fuzzy options there is for each matchup.