Ayane (i10/i13/i12) vs Kokoro (i10/i12/i13)
Before, I stated that this match up was uphill for Ayane. After gaining a lot more experience in the match up, I no longer believe it is uphill. It is rather more favorable for Ayane than it is for Kokoro.
Ayane has a lot of variety in her CQC arsenal;
- P (Jab cancel mix ups)
- PP (and strings)
- P4P (Safe)
- 6P (crushes jabs at initial frames and has follow ups)
- 6K (has a delayable low sweep)
- 2P
- K/KK (Rapes sabakis and special punch parries)
- 8K (hi crush)
- 4P (hi crush)
- 1P (hi crush)
- BT PP (and strings)
- BT 2P
Kokoro has very good string variety that include lows mid string, and throws at the end of some strings to keep side step attempts in check. Her strings are indeed good, but better strings like 1KK have been toned down, as in, it has gotten slower for the mid kick follow up. Kokoro can only really open Ayane up through her mids (ideally 6P) and her lows. Because Ayane has 8K and 4P to deal with highs (not to say that Kokoro cannot use her highs or jabs in the match up, but if she expects to do it often, Ayane gets easy damage). Ayane's 2P blows up Kokoro's low game, but it loses out to Kokoro's 6P (obviously, since it is a damaging mid of the same frame as the low).
Kokoro's throw attempts from her strings and her side step can be counter hit on reaction once you start recognizing what they look like. Take her to the lab and just mess with her strings that lead into her throw options, and set the A.I. to her doing these strings. Some practice there will make the difference of just guessing and reacting.
Keep this bit in mind;
While upclose, it's about knowing what Kokoro's options are as opposed to your own. Kokoro has very good string mixup. Kokoro has her new Heichu transition from various moves such as PP2KP+K, 2H+KP+K, 66P+KP+K, etc. Heichu consists of a high, mid (guard break), and low follow ups.
However, all three options are linear, making them susceptible to side steps. Furthermore, all three options of Heichu can be interrupted by 9 to 10 frame jabs. You may interrupt certain options with a faster mid or a low jab, but a simple jab is your safest bet if you intend to interrupt Heichu on reaction instead of side stepping it.
To add to this, you can interrupt Heichu option selects with Ayane's low jab (2P) as well (other chararcters with a i12 or i11 mid can interrupt Heichu option selects as well). You are only going to fear Heichu when you are in Critical stun because you actually have to guess. Kokoro has a new sabaki that is made to sabaki mid punches, specifically. However, the active window for it is small, and it doesn't actually mean anything to Ayane because she has her K and 6K kicks (sabakis and punch parries mean very little to Ayane).
Ayane has a good time dealing with Kokoro in CQC, but she has a better time keep her out at a distance.
Let's not be ignorant here, Kokoro is actually pretty good at a distance too. 66P is really good, 214P is good for whiff punishment. She also has 1KK, 1P, 46PP, and P+K. Kokoro's 1KK in general is actually very legit as a means of getting in. And 1KK4K ends with a mid kick, and is safe on block. But keep this in mind, 1K, 1KK, and 1KK4K are linear. Her only tracking move from 1KK is 1KKK, which ends with a high kick, and it's -7 on block.
1P is a low punch, followed by a high (1PP), into a mid (1PP6P) or a low (1PPP). Or 1PH+P, which is a throw. Either way, you DO NOT ever have to respect 1P's follow ups, if you see Kokoro going for 1PP or 1PH+P, just hi crush her with 4P, 8K, 1P or 2P.
Her P+K is +1 on block, and is a high punch.
46PP starts high and ends with a mid punch. It's range is pretty deceptive, but linear. All of these options I listed are linear.
The nerf to her 6P+KP also did a number on her brain dead rush down. Since it no longer stuns on neutral hit. But she doesn't have nearly enough to scare Ayane from not wanting to do anything while keeping Kokoro off her, either. All of Kokoro's options to get in or "rush in" with are linear (means you can side step them).
Ayane has;
- 3P
- P4P
- 3H+K
- BT P
- BT PP
- BT PP6KK4
- BT 4P+KP (delay or free cancel the follow up to keep players in check)
- BT4H+K
- BT 6P
- BT 2K
- BT 2P
- BT 6K
- [1]P+K P (guard breaks)
- 1P+K K (whiff punishment and is safe on block at all ranges)
-- to keep Kokoro in check, to keep her out, and to whiff punish her with. All Kokoro can really do to a competent Ayane at range is punish her if she gets sloppy somewhere and whiff punish any badly place whiffs (as you would with any character in any match up).
I believe this match up is 6-4 in Ayane's favor. Both characters can dish out a lot of damage, and once Kokoro stuns you, she can mix up well for the Critical Burst or her combo throw or launch for big damage. Ayane can dish out the same damage just through stun > launch. And Ayane's 214H+P will do 99 damage on hi counter, and about 109 on hi counter with a wall.
Kokoro has been nerfed a bit in this game, and it has hurt her a bit in this match up. While Ayane has actually gotten better in this game than she was in Vanilla.
