Doa4 Critical System

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There are many situations in doa4 in which an attack will cause a special hit animation. These hit animations are broken up into a couple of categories, that have their own specific properties:

Legend:

• Hold- Refers to the ability to hold out of a Critical situation
• Struggle - Refers to how much you need to Struggle while Slow Escaping.
  • Heavy - You have to struggle a lot and fast
  • Medium - You have to do an average amount of struggling
  • Light - You have to struggle a little.

Stuns:

When Hit, a player's character will be stunned. These stuns will result in a distinct animation and said character will be immobile for a brief time period.

Hit Stuns:

When a character is hit he/she will snap back to reflect being hit. This is a stun because no attack can be executed during this time.

Example: Any character's attack
Struggle: No
Hold: No

Pin down double over stun

The opponent bends way over and is considered a crouching non defender. A low throw is possible when an opponent is not buffering an attack.

Example: Tina's P
Struggle: No
Hold: No

Guard Stun:

When a character block, he/she will do a guarding animation to reflect the activation of the Guard. This is a stun because no attack can be executed during this time.

Example: Any character's or :K on block
Struggle: No
Hold: No

Staggers, Stumbles and Crumples:

Staggers, Stumbles and Crumples are a result of being hit by a critical blow/ or an attack on counter blow. A staggered character looks as if he/she is about to slip and fall down. While in a stagger state, you can use a defensive hold or Slow escape to reduce the stagger period. Stumbles are the same as Staggers, except for the fact that the player falls to the floor for a brief period than rise again. Crumples are the 3rd and last form of being in a critical state. Unlike Staggers and stumbles, Crumples result in the player falling to the ground, and staying there until he/she recovers.

Unlike Other fighting games, each stagger have different durations. The more frames you are in a critical state, the greater the disadvantage you are in. This is akin to the concept of having frame advantage on hit in other fighters. Note, these are not the exact amount of frames you or your opponent is in, while in a critical state. To get an accurate number, you will need to subtract the recovery frames of the critical blow, from the Critical state.

30 Frame Critical state:

Side Stagger:

The opponent takes a step into the foreground/background

Example: Jann Lee's P
Struggle: Medium
Hold: Yes


Forced stance stagger:

The opponent takes a step backwards while his/her stance shifts

Example: Jann Lee's :K
Struggle: Light
Hold: Yes

Light Lift Stagger:

The opponent lifts upwards while staggering backwards

Example: Kasumi's +:K
Struggle: Medium
Hold: Yes

Double Over Stagger:

The Opponent bends over onto his/her knees

Example: Zack's K
Struggle: Medium
Hold: Yes

Double over Shove stagger(light):

A more powerfull double over stagger, pushing the opponent back in addition to doubling over. Double over stagger is almost indistnguishable, except for the shoving of the opponent.

Example: Lei Fang's 6 on Counter blow
Struggle: Light
Hold: Yes

30 Frame Critical States while Back turned:

Back Foot stagger:

The opponent loses his/her footing and stumbles forward

Example: Kokoro's K
Struggle: Medium
Hold: No

 

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40 frame Critical state:

Side forced stance stagger:

The opponent takes a step back into the foreground/background while his/her stance shifts

Example: Ayane's +P
Struggle: Light
Hold: Yes

Low Side Stagger:

The opponent staggers left or right with torso doubling over.

Example: Christies P
Struggle: Light
Hold: Yes

Low Stagger(light):

The opponent takes a little stagger backwards, with the upper torso doubling over.

Example: Eliot's FK
Struggle: Light
Hold: Yes

Double over Lift Stagger:

This is a double over stagger in which your opponent is lifted slightly into the air.

Example: Tina's K
Struggle: Medium
Hold: Yes

Trip Stumble:

This is a stumble that result in your opponent tripping, than rising again.

Example: Tina's K
Struggle: Medium
Hold: Yes

50 frame Critical state:

Face Stagger:

The opponent recoils a bit and holds his/her face, still standing relatively straight.

Example: Kokoro's 6
Struggle: Medium
Hold:Yes

Crying Stagger:

The opponent leans forward, usually to the side and holds his/her face like a weeping baby.

Example: Christies's K
Struggle: Heavy
Hold: Yes

Dizzy Stagger:

The opponent takes a couple of short steps backwards while having an overwhelming look on his/her face.

Example: Tina's PK
Struggle: Light
Hold: Yes

Back turned Drunken stagger:

The opponent spins around and takes a couple of steps backwards while exposing his/her back.

Example: Hitomi's K
Struggle: Heavy
Hold: Yes

Generic Stagger:

The opponent stagger backwards while in a dazed state.

Example: Jann Lee's While Jumping
Struggle: Heavy
Hold: Yes

Low Stagger:

The opponent takes a little stagger backwards with the uper torso doubling over.

Example: Kokoro's K on counter blow
Struggle: Medium
Hold: Yes

Double over Shove Stagger(heavy):

A more powerful double over stagger, pushing the opponent back in addition to doubling over.

Example: Tengu's 6
Struggle: Medium
Hold: Yes

Double over Crying Stagger:

The opponent double over while crying.

Example: Zack's K
Struggle: Medium
Hold: Yes

Sit down Stumble:

The opponent stumbles to the floor, sit down, than rise again.

Example: Lei Fang's PK
Struggle: Medium
Hold: Yes

Sit down Knock down Stumble:

The opponent is pushed back and knocked to the floor (on their ass), sit down than rise again.

Example: Tina's 6:K
Struggle: Medium
Hold: Yes

Foot Crumple:

The opponent hold his/her leg and fall down to his/her back or to his/her face (stance specific). Crumpling opponents can hold until aprox the 15th frame while grounded. All ground attacks and throws are guaranteed if the opponent do not hold.

Example: Tina's K on CB
Struggle: Light (open stance)/ Medium (closed stance)
Hold: Yes

Crumple:

The opponent falls back in a generic manner. Crumpling opponents can hold until aprox the 15th frame while grounded. All ground throws and attacks are guaranteed if opponent do not hold.

Example: Lei Fang's 4
Struggle: Light
Hold: Yes

 

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50 Frame Critical States on BT Opponent:



Back Foot Crumple:

The opponent hold his/her leg and fall down to his/her back or to his/her face (stance specific). Crumpling opponents can hold until aprox the 15th frame while grounded. All ground attacks and throws are guaranteed if the opponent do not hold.

Example: Christie's P
Struggle: Light (open stance)/ Medium (closed stance)
Hold: No

Back Crying Stagger:

The opponent leans forward, usually to the side and hold his/her face like a weeping baby.

Example: Kokoro's :K
Struggle: Medium
Hold: No

Back Side Stagger:

The opponent takes a step into the foreground/background.

Example: Christie's P
Struggle: Medium
Hold: No

Back Double over Crying stagger:

The opponent doubles over while crying.

Example: Jann Lee's P
Struggle: Medium
Hold: No

Back Stagger:

The opponent takes a step forward while in a dazed state.

Example: Lei Fang's P
Struggle: Heavy
Hold: No

Back Sit down stumble:

The opponent stumbles to the floor, sit down, than rise again.

Example: Lei Fang's PK
Struggle: Medium
Hold: No

Limbo Crumple:

The opponent bends way over backwards, slowly falling. All ground throws and attacks are guaranteed if the opponent do not Slow escape.

Example: Tina's P
Struggle: Medium
Hold: No

Back head Crumple:

The character will snap back, fall on his/her knees, than fall face down head away. All ground throws and attacks are guaranteed if the opponent do not Slow escape.

Example: Lei Fang's 4
Struggle: Light
Hold: No

60 Frame Critical State:

Lift Stagger:

The opponent goes limp and shrugs upward.

Example: Kasumi's K
Struggle: Heavy
Hold: Yes

Sit down shove Stumble(knee):

The opponent is pushed back than stumbles onto their hands, sit down than rise again.

Example: Eliot's 6
Struggle: Medium
Hold: Yes

Wall Crumple:

The opponent hold his/her stomach while falling face down, and head towards you. Wall crumpling opponents cannot hold once his/her knees touch the ground. All ground throws are guaranteed if the opponent do not hold. If your opponent Slowescape, all ground attacks become guaranteed.

Example: Ein's 6
Struggle: Heavy ~ (Mid -Light when charged)
Hold: Yes


70 frame Critical State:

Drunken Stagger:

The opponent spins around while taking a couple of steps back.

Example: Lei Fang's K
Struggle: Heavy
Hold: Yes

Stomach Crumple:

The opponent hold his/her stomach while falling face down and head towards you. Crumpling opponents can hold until aprox the 15th frame while grounded. All ground throws and attacks are guaranteed if the opponent do not hold.

Example: Tina's P
Struggle: Medium
Hold: Yes

Head Crumple:

The opponent will snap back, waver than fall face down head towards. Crumpling opponents can hold until approx the 15th frame while grounded. Attacks will have normal properties. Example: Bass's Buffalo horn will launch the opponent into the air.

Example: Bass's PK
Struggle: Medium
Hold: Yes


70 Frame Critical States on BT Opponents:

Back Crumple:

The opponent will snap back, than fall face down head away. All ground throws and attacks are guaranteed if the opponent do not Slow escape.

Example: La Mariposa's K
Struggle: Medium
Hold: No

 

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Special Critical States:


Slip Stumble:

This is a stumble that results in your opponent being placed into a critical state on a slippery surface.ie Water, Ice, Snow.etc. These critical states are extended by at most 20 more frames. Example:

Tina's P on CB cause a trip stumble which is 45 frames. On a slippery surface, that same critical state will be 65 frames.


Partition Stumble:

The opponent Stumbles to the ground, and slowly rise.

Example: Tina's 6:K
Struggle: Heavy
Hold: Yes

BT Partition Stumble:

The opponent Stumbles to the ground, and slowly rise.


Example: Tina's 6:K
Struggle: Heavy (however, any partition attack is guaranteed)
Hold: No

Ceiling Stumble:

The opponent a stumbles to the ground, than rise again.


Example: Hayabusa's :hcf +
Struggle: medium
Hold: Yes


BT Side stagger - BT Double over Shove Stagger - 50 frames:

There are some characters who have attacks that will produce two different types of stuns with one hit(depending on your stance).

Example: Bass's P
Struggle: medium
Hold: no

 

[virtuaPAI]

Addendum:

• Staggers that come after the innitail stun, retains its stun threshold.
• Out of every stagger, A jab will cause a regular stagger.
• Every new stagger(or the continuation of a stagger) will have different frame advantage for each hit. EX:
  Tina's while Jumping = +22 frames tacking on P = +45 frames, than tacking on P = +23 frames.
• When there your opponent have an Stagger advantage of 30 frames or more, it is realy hard(near impossible) to SE. So the continuation of P will allow your opponent to reach the staggers threashold, while maintaining high frame advantage + hard to SE. Once your opponent changes his attack squence, it becomes much easier to SE.