Who are your mains?
Edit: Sorry just read that you use Mila. Spacing is
very important. Once you let them get close it's all downhill as (like you've already said) they beat you in speed. You sort of have to back up and then go "in for the kill" as they say. Also spend some time in training mode learning Kasumi and Ayane's moves. You will be able to read them better if you do this. For example when I see Ayane turn backwards with a decent amount of spacing between us, I usually expect her to perform (if the character was to the right of me)
and so I would then perform Eliot's
(his cartwheel) to punish her for it and still keep some distance between us.
A good thing with Mila is the guessing game of whether you're going to kick or fake them out and tackle them for a throw (gets me a lot). The more mind games you can play with your opponent the better. Her
also covers a good distance and comes in really handy when Kasumi or Ayane are running at you.
And you know if all else fails and you feel like maybe you're limited with the character it doesn't hurt to experiment with other fighters.
This is incorrect about Ayane.
Argentus, Ayane is a character that greatly excels at mid-range combat as well as CQC (Close Quarters Combat). You need to be aware that Ayane at a distance is more dangerous than an Ayane in your face. Because she has great range pokes and keep away tools in her arsenal, she also boasts in having a nice array of track moves (Highs, mids and lows).
I'll give you the general breakdown about how majority of Ayane players play this character.
Up close, the go to moves players will be using are the following;
- PP (and strings, mainly PP6P stuff and PP6K2K)
- 4P
- 4K - Very good whiff punisher and as a ground bounce launcher, but that's all it's for. Most players use this as poke up close (which is stupid because it's 16 frames lol) but it's unsafe on block. Throw punish this on block.
- 6P stuff - Most players really don't understand how great her 6P really is, and will almost always opt for 6P free cancel into a BT H+P throw, a 6PP or 6PK and mash out of disadvantage. Throw punish 6PP with a 7 frame throw and throw punish 6PK with a 5 frame throw. There is no guessing involved there on block for either of those two string enders.
- 6K2K - Generally the go to string
online, I'd never advise this to be used so much as it's so easily to punish and it has no mix up.
- 2H+K - High crush, but she has other high crushes that are so much better than this. It's a low sweep and is slow, and unsafe on block. Low throw punish this if you block it.
- 3PK - Terrible idea up close because 3P is 15 frames, that is not the ideal speed for a mid up close at all. And often times 3PK is being mashed out, low throw punish 3PK if you block it. But be aware that 3P has a mix up with 3PP, 3PK and the free cancel/delay.
3KK6 - 3K is a decent poke option and for stun, and extremely good for wall slams. However, I've hardly ever seen anyone online use it in this manner. Majority use 3KK6 as a close range poke (again, terrible to do because it's 15 frames) into the roll thinking it's a mix up. It's not a mix up, lol. If you see this and block it and they roll, just do a low jab to interrupt her.
- P > BT H+P - Ayane's infamous punch grab set up. It's legit, for sure, but majority always opt for this when they use her P cancels and hardly anything else.
- BT PP6KK4 - Very good blockstring, however, the options majority of Ayane players online tend to use are questionable. Most seem to opt for a BT2P or a BT4P, when Ayane has sooo many good options from this pressure.
- 1P - Good high crush because most online Ayane players use 1P for shenanigans (looking tick throw set ups mainly),
At a distance, majority of Ayane players use the following;
- 4H+K - This isn't a range poke at all, but players choose to use it as such anyway, especially over 3H+K (which is Ayane's best single poke at range). 4H+K is terrible as a range poke, throw punish this for free if you block it, the distance does not matter as long as you blocked it.
- 3PP - Ayane's Bread n Butter range poke, unsafe on block, 3PP has tracking so you cannot side step this.
- 66KK4 - This is not a range poke, you can easily high crush this move from it's second strike because it is a high. Almost "everyone" playing this character uses this move terribly because they use it as a range tool when it's not one.
Rolling into BT 6H+K/BT 6H+P -There is no real mix up in this, if you see an Ayane player rolling toward you from a distance with every intention of using either option, just toss out Eliot's cartwheel, 2H+KP or a good fast mid.
The one primary focus almost (I say almost because those that come to me for help become more aware of how to play this character) every online Ayane player has, is getting critical burst. Making this your primary focus is a very inconsistent way of playing Ayane because taking unnecessary risks to get damage is a very weak and linear way of playing Ayane. Going for her critical burst is fine, but making it your overall game plan is not.
So be aware that majority of online Ayane players will be trying to get critical burst either through a set attack pattern, or throw extremely random and unconstructive hit confirms (the random hit confirms will happen if you hold randomly).
Alot of online Ayane players also like to flip over you after a hard knockdown for shenanigans, and their followups usually lead into a BT6P for a back turn launch on you, or a BT2K low sweep. When you see players going for this setup, don't get up with a wake up, just stand up and block. They will do something, and you can just throw punish them from there.
Also be aware that players will usually turtle against you or "attempt" (HUGE emphasis on attempt) to outspace you well enough for whiff punishment. However, what I've noticed from a lot of online players is that, even though they are turtling, they seem to eventually make a mistake on their own by throwing out something very unsafe or attempting to come toward you through rolling or her BT 3KKK string.
The EASIEST way to break down players like this; run in toward them and block. Either inch your way in doing this or just simply run at them and block. Most players turtle hard but they lack real defense, and if you can run in on the player this way "successfully", then you'll know that they have no idea about how to play a solid keep away game.
This is basically how majority of Ayane players play this character online, sadly.