DOA 4: Dealing with Wake-Up Kicks

[Allan Paris]

This thread is for the beginner players that don't know how to deal with wake-up kicks effectively. Dealing with wake-up kicks can be annoying in Dead or Alive 4 as the game lacks a true back dash and getting away from them can be rather difficult for a beginner. But don't worry, beginners this thread will help you be more effective with dealing with them properly.

CHARGED ATTACKS
I know that some of you may be fond of charged attacks to beat out wake up-up kicks. Do not do charged attacks to beat them out, granted you can do them to do it, but it is not a very good idea. If the charged attack is whiffed you will be punished for it severely. If the timing of the charge attack is not timed right your opponent can execute the wake-up kick and hold the charged attack. So, you will lose in both situations. If you want to do charged attacks to beat wake-up kicks only do them to play around and not as a serious tatic to beat out an opponent's wake-up kick.

JUMP-DOWN ATTACKS
The other solution that you may be trying to do is the jump-down attacks, these are not effective at all. The jump-down attacks will stop wake-up kicks, but they only will reset the knock down postion your opponent is in. Allowing them to get back up with a wake-up kick, and if your opponent tech rolls your jump-down attack will miss, which will lead to more punishment. Again, do this to play around and not as a serious tatic to beat out an opponent's wake-up kick.

BLOCKING
Blocking wake-up kicks is one of the effective tatics you can do to avoid guessing on holding them. Blocking will reset the situation back to a neutral stand off, that is a good situation in DOA4 rather than missed guesses. Also, blocking a low wake-up kick allows you to punish it with a low throw. The mid and high wake-up kicks can not be punished with a throw if blocked, do not attempt to grab those (only Spartan can).

KOREAN BACK DASHING
KBD (Korean Back Dashing) is covered in this thread: http://freestepdodge.com/threads/stepping-techniques.334/ and is in the media section, on what it looks like as well as executing it (PL's Advanced Tatics Demonstration Pt. 1). This movement is not easy to pull off as a beginner, but once learned it is very effective. Moving away from wake-up kicks with KBD allows you to; whiff punish a wake-up kick if you time your attack correctly, it can reset the situation back to a neutral stand off, and because of the large hitboxes of wake-up kicks you can hold them out of the range of getting hit by them.

CHARACTERS​

Ultimately, once you start getting better at Dead or Alive, you will find that each character excels at doing one of the following solutions I gave to properly deal with wake-up kicks. Some characters have the ability to jump over wake-up kicks and get back turned damage i.e. Ryu Hayabusa, Lisa, or Tengu, there are more. There are characters who have an attack that will beat out wake-up kicks i.e. Jann Lee or Gen Fu, there are more. Some characters excel at holding wake-up kicks rather than blocking or KBD i.e. Hitomi, Kasumi, or Ayane, there are more. You will learn what each character can do through experience, and experimenting with the characters you like.​

 

[Rikuto]

I have personally either gone with blocking, or KBD.

However Bayman is a fatass and regardless of what people say, he simply starts too close to the grounded opponent after most of his throws, so he can't back it up fast enough.

For online play especially If your reflexes suck I recommend either blocking high/mid, or just randomly counter low. Either way you take care of two out of three possibly wakeup kick threats.

 

[Matt Ponton]

I pick Spartan.

 

[Scott]

Isn't it possible to beat wakeups if timed correctly. I don't know how to do the trick myself but sometimes if I have health advantage and can't get away I go for a mid and beat the wake-up. I wish I knew more about how it works though.

 

[Rikuto]

its possible, but you have about a 2 frame window in which the person is actually vulnerable.

Needless to say this is something that is very hard to time since they can get up up in different directions and attack at different heights to throw off your reaction time.

 

[Matt Ponton]

What Rikuto is stating is true.

Each wake-up kick has its hit frames at different times than the others. Which makes it difficult to "time" an attack to collide on those same frames. Additionally, the user can delay the timing of their wake-up, causing you to whiff and be punished by the wake-up kick.

 

[virtuaPAI]

If your character have a uramawari tactic...ie maneuvers that jump over the rising attacks, than those are better to use than rising attack breaks.

 

[Scott]

I know against a wall Ayane's BT 8K beats both low and mid wakeup kicks.

 

[Allan Paris]

I know against a wall Ayane's BT 8K beats both low and mid wakeup kicks.

Only if you time the attack correctly. That is not guaranteed to work all the time. Still it will work given the proper timing, I am not big on Ayane, but I have known for 1 particular player to do that. If her BT 8k doesn't hit it is safe (can't be punished), and if it hits it's decent damage on counter blow.

Now, if your prediction of a low or mid wake-kick is wrong and a high wake-up kick is done, Ayane is going to pay for it dearly. Being a light chararcter she's going to float for a good minute, for juggle damage. But you may luck up and her BT 8k will go over that high wake-up kick, so risk away if you're feeling lucky.

 

[Scott]

Risk and reward my friend. Lets say you launch on CH with 4P and juggle with 4PPPK. To your opponent it looks like you whiffed the juggle and he can kick at your open back. Only for you to follow with 8K and beat his wake-up.

 

[Allan Paris]

Granted, I see the setup that you are giving. But not to one up you or anything like that, getting 4p with Ayane on CH you don't want to "whiff" that glorious damage, purposely. But the point is, risk and reward, proceed with caution.

 

[Lobo]

Would someone care to explain the properties of Tina's (I think that's her somersault, I haven't played in a while) vs. wake-up kicks. I don't know if it's special or anything, but it seems that particular moves has a better chance of crushing kicks than other similar jump moves.

 

[virtuaPAI]

Tina's crush low/mid rising . Her will jump over all rising attacks and expose her opponent's back(dependent on timing).

 

[Red dragon]

i got one word.

duck

 

[Rikuto]

More a fan of turkey myself.

Not quite as gamey.

 

[Red dragon]

now how does a turkey help with wake up kicks?

U going to try and bait with a turkey?

 

[Rikuto]

Duck avoids highs, Chicken gets you out of counters, why can't Turkey get you out of wakeup kicks?

 

[Rikuto]

I'm making it official.

NEW FIGHTING GAME TERMINOLOGY

Turkey -- The art of countering something stupid with something stupid.

Correct application of Turkey: Stuffing wakeup kicks with your own standing kicks.

Incorrect application of Turkey: Taunting an obviously superior opponent back after he taunts you.

 

[Allan Paris]

As funny as that shit sounds, I will not be using this terminology! lol!

 

[Awesmic]

This turkey term sounds cool.

I like it.