After getting in some more lab and playtime with the (admittedly fradulent) online while the local scene figures out what's up, I'm beginning to think what Tina really wants out of life are hard knockdowns. After almost all of her throws (including her ground throws for the most part), you're generally right on top of the opponent or at just about the tip of the rising kick range. Given her basic crappiness in close to any decent striker and her plethora of ways to get in that give you knockdown and are relatively safe (6f+k, 66k, 2f+k, 99pk/2k) it seems more and more like her style should revolve around using these to get in and get the knockdown to force pressure on wakeup, in tandem with 66f+p and her frame advantage attacks (7k, 46p, 1k to some extent even if it is grossly unsafe on block). The question then becomes how best to exploit that.
Here's my current thoughts and strategy. For this example, assume we've got a standard knockdown into ground throw, so typically from launcher to 8p to 2f+p or 6f+k to 2f+p.
I think your best option is probably to 33f crouch dash cancel and hold 3 at just about the tip of hold 3p range. The reasoning being that this puts you in optimal position to threaten with both a fast if unsafe mid punch (hold 3p; followup p somewhat mitigates safety issue however) and a relatively fast and definitely safe mid kick (3k), as well as to be able to let off and 64f+p to JO Cyclone or possibly 3f+p for the JO Bomb. This should let you cover most of the opponent's options if they choose a normal wakeup; they shouldn't generally be able to beat the strikes out if timed properly, and they will have to decide between mid kick and mid punch if they hold. If they guard or hold, they risk the (hi-counter) throw for another 80 to 120 points of damage and another knockdown; odds are that will be the round if they screw up again. 3f+p might be situationally useful if they have some sort of way to get around the mids (thinking Helena here, possibly other characters); but in general you're forcing the mid/throw mixup from here.
The opponent can rising kick, but this is a very, very bad idea against Tina. In particular, sitting in crouch will bait a mid rising kick, which you should be able to punish on reaction with the mid kick hold or, better yet, advanced mid kick hold. That's going to be 50 odd damage into the mixup (66f+p or 3f+p against backturned, thanks to Magnus Core for this one) which will possibly net you another 90 damage if they respond incorrectly. The low kick can be easily held as well, and you should usually be able to shift to 6f+k in time to crush the low rising kick for counterhit damage to ground throw to reset. I'm not sure of the frames on block but a low throw might be guaranteed on the low rising kick, in which case countering it isn't even necessary.
I had thought it might be a good idea to try to play around at the tip of the rising kick range and try to land 46p or 3p+k for guard breaks, but I don't think this is as effective or necessary. The rising kicks are so easily punished I think you're better off in the opponent's face face since one bad choice can shave half their life off and both the mid options force a choice as well (either against hold 3pp or hold 3p/throw, or 3kk/3kp/3k-throw). I think elbow may be viable here too but I like hold 3p for evasiveness against highs mainly. Thoughts?
Here's my current thoughts and strategy. For this example, assume we've got a standard knockdown into ground throw, so typically from launcher to 8p to 2f+p or 6f+k to 2f+p.
I think your best option is probably to 33f crouch dash cancel and hold 3 at just about the tip of hold 3p range. The reasoning being that this puts you in optimal position to threaten with both a fast if unsafe mid punch (hold 3p; followup p somewhat mitigates safety issue however) and a relatively fast and definitely safe mid kick (3k), as well as to be able to let off and 64f+p to JO Cyclone or possibly 3f+p for the JO Bomb. This should let you cover most of the opponent's options if they choose a normal wakeup; they shouldn't generally be able to beat the strikes out if timed properly, and they will have to decide between mid kick and mid punch if they hold. If they guard or hold, they risk the (hi-counter) throw for another 80 to 120 points of damage and another knockdown; odds are that will be the round if they screw up again. 3f+p might be situationally useful if they have some sort of way to get around the mids (thinking Helena here, possibly other characters); but in general you're forcing the mid/throw mixup from here.
The opponent can rising kick, but this is a very, very bad idea against Tina. In particular, sitting in crouch will bait a mid rising kick, which you should be able to punish on reaction with the mid kick hold or, better yet, advanced mid kick hold. That's going to be 50 odd damage into the mixup (66f+p or 3f+p against backturned, thanks to Magnus Core for this one) which will possibly net you another 90 damage if they respond incorrectly. The low kick can be easily held as well, and you should usually be able to shift to 6f+k in time to crush the low rising kick for counterhit damage to ground throw to reset. I'm not sure of the frames on block but a low throw might be guaranteed on the low rising kick, in which case countering it isn't even necessary.
I had thought it might be a good idea to try to play around at the tip of the rising kick range and try to land 46p or 3p+k for guard breaks, but I don't think this is as effective or necessary. The rising kicks are so easily punished I think you're better off in the opponent's face face since one bad choice can shave half their life off and both the mid options force a choice as well (either against hold 3pp or hold 3p/throw, or 3kk/3kp/3k-throw). I think elbow may be viable here too but I like hold 3p for evasiveness against highs mainly. Thoughts?
