Replay Overview: "Pyrrha-licious!" -- SC5

Catching up on some of the previously uploaded replays. I managed to catch both the MLG and ECT4 Soul Calibur 5 streams this weekend and I'm really glad to see the varied amounts of characters from both tournaments. Besides the few repeat Violas and Pyrrhas in the MLG stream, I think we'll have a great variety of characters come EVO and after. Even with the repeat characters there's so much room for personal styles to make the characters play differently. Not a strict set of BnBs that a lot of the other games and characters fall prey to. With that in mind, I don't feel as dirty, picking up a character that could be "trending," and will be lauded as "A or S tier."

Soul Calibur 5

BULBABRAWLER29 (Natsu - "Yaminto") vs Eienhikaru (Leixia - "Lili cosplay") Ranked Match 05/19/2012

Bulba's Yaminto has some serious Mai Shirunai! Oh and a pretty dominating Natsu as well. As I rank into the C's now, many of the fights are more serious, and my usual RTSD > sidestep > RTSD isn't cutting it. Especially with Natsu, her bombs very literally, blow me up all day. I really need get a better feel for the match up, and take up some anti-Natsu tech (hops, low blocks, faster punishes). On the bright side, I'm learning to Just Guard better online (2 times starting at ~1:46). The problem is even if it gives me some frame advantage, it's obviously not going to blow up a faster combo. Maybe I can get in a 2K or something if I'm JG-ing something high? Either way it's not helping me just doing the JG alone, or at the very start of something that's high multi-hit.

Eienhikaru (Seigfried - "Saber") vs kranks02 (Natsu - 2P) Ranked Match 05/19/2012

Amazing the difference in playstyles between kranks and Bulba's Natsus. I got away with a lot of 1A's which help clear out feet, and is easy to fudge my way into if someone is pressuring me hard. I was a little more aware of bombs this time, but this match was a lot of luck and simple spacing for me.

Eienhikaru (Pyrrha - "Azunyan") vs Good_Cool_0306 (Hilde - "Haruhi Yatsubaki (6th)") Ranked Match 06/01/2012

Let this be a lesson in "Autopiloting is bad." Somewhere between D3-C5 I've run into this guy a bunch (5+ different matches). His Hilde is no slouch, but after the 2nd or so match previously I picked up on his B-throw > super low poke gimmicks (~0:40, ~2:04) early on. Also he has a combo that he can super into at ~2:08, but the amount of hitstun, or late execution make it a waste of meter. He only gets one hit as opposed to the full cutscene and the additional 4 other high damage blows. Finally mad props to the SC5 netcode, I'm fighting this dude who's in freaking Japan and the matches were super smoothe. I can't even get that fighting "localish" people in other games.

SoullessShogun (Voldo - "Sigyn") vs Eienhikaru (Pyrrha - 2P Recolor) Ranked Match 06/03/2012

Shoutouts to this Voldo player, I see them about as often as Vega's in AE. I'm also surprised at his choice of some of the crappiest looking armour for CaS, and making it work for that character. Amazing what some faux Zettai Ryouiki and a large rack will do for this game, haha! This was one of the matches where I fell in love with Pyrrha's 4A > B. I get one in at ~0:51, and it's the move where she spins and does like 2 huge strides to close in on the opponent with a massive overhead. I don't think it's that slow of a move, but I didn't see any of this move at all from the various Pyrrhas I saw on the MLG stream this weekend. I don't claim to be a real innovator, but I feel like this move is getting slept on, in favor of the 236 B stab move.

Negarema (Pyrrha - Custom) vs Eienhikaru (Siegfried - "Saber Lily") Ranked Match 06/03/2012

SPEAKING OF THE 236 B STAB MOVE... You'll see the varying versions of this in the match, the "good" version which requires an additional "just input," (perfect timing of a directional 4) starts off at ~0:34. Turns into a big command throw with flames and all. The "drop throw," which happens at "less than perfect timing," on that 4 (~0:46). Finally the stab with no throw at ~1:01. Sophitia had this move in the previous SC's and I grew to loathe it's speed and "spam-ability." Comparatively, Negarema has put a more time into his Pyrrha to know her punishes and mixups effectively. He also knows the Seigfried match up really well apparently. I had no idea that my 2nd wide sweep of that my 1A>A wasn't a true string.
TL;DR: Screw the Sophitia PTSD, punish with 236B with Pyrrha more, and learn to pick faster moves with Seigfried.