Fuzzy guarding

[virtuaPAI]

Fuzzy Guarding occurs during the While Standing state where you can both guard a mid-level attack and avoid throws at the same time. As you can see, to normally guard against a mid-level attack you need to be standing, but then you'll be vulnerable to high throws. With Fuzzy Guard you can protect yourself against both. There are three scenarios where Fuzzy Guarding is practical.

1. Recovering Back Turned
During times when you've recovered with your back turned, you can apply fuzzy guarding. It is performed by holding :2b :F for 4 frames and then releasing to neutral while still holding :F on the 5th frame.

2. 50/50 or ~1 Frame Disadvantage
The second case occurs during 50/50 situations or at approximately 1 frame disadvantage. No frame numbers are given, but the method is essentially the same - hold:2b :F and then release to neutral with :F still held. Given that throws need 6 frames to execute(+1 frame to be guranteed), and the fastest mid attacks are around the 13~14 frame mark, you could probably hold :2 for 6 frames to foil the throw and release to neutral to block the mid. You must take into consideration that throws have a hit-detection time of around 2 frame so try not to stand up into their throw. One final note, if you're at a 2 or more frame disadvantage, you won't have enough time to crouch to avoid a throw. So that's why this only works on 0 or 1 frame disadvantage.

3. Recovering Crouching
The first two cases showed how you can fuzzy guard when you're in a standing state, by simply holding :2b :F for a certain time and then releasing to neutral with :F still held. In this case, it can work when you're already in a crouching state. To perform it, you simply delay your standing up. You want to be able to stand up slow enough to avoid a throw, but fast enough to block a mid. The actual time you delay for is dependent on how many frames disadvantage you're at.

Vulnerabilities
Like other defensive techniques, you can counter this technique by simply delaying your attack or throw. Against fuzzy guarders, you know eventually they'll be standing and guarding, so if you delay your throw just a little, you should be able to nab them. But of course, this only adds to the mind games and setups, and deepens the strategy in Doa3.

you cannot fuzzy guard after an opponent parries you(except with some of Kasumi parries). The parried opponent is put into around 15-17 frame disadvantage at which your opponent can continue with the assault with a move that is under 17 frames and includes the +2 frames for it to me guranteed. If your opponene uses a move that is exactly 17 frames, the only thing you can do is block(only at the height your standing in), and the player who parried you can throw or hit you with a low attack.

Some of the position change throws you can fuzzy guard but some like Tina's position switch chain throw cannot be fuzzy guarded if she continues with the 2nd part of the throw. If the opponent chooses not to complete the throw, you do have a chance at fuzzy guarding.

 

[virtuaPAI]

Fuzzy guard cont.

At this point, I have to explain first on how blocking works in Doa3. As long as :F is held, you are able to block high and mid attacks. If :F is held without :2 or :2b , you can be thrown(standing throw). If :F is held with :2 or :2b , you block low attacks and avoid throws. Here is a little detail about blocking that will play into what will be said later. Once the blocking animation starts, for example, guarding a side kick, there will be an amout of block stun animation where any direction input becomes buffered and not executed. So in said example, while the side kick is in contact with your character, holding down will not pull you out of a high guard and let you get hit. Another small detail is that the animation in between the motion of going into crouch and standing up from crouch do NOT play part in deciding which level you are guarding. Which level you are guarding is SOLELY dependent on your input. This is why sometimes you'll run into situations where your character instantly stands up and guard and attack while recovering from a knockdown. Now onto the details.

In Doa3, low attacks are generally slower than mid or high attacks. You can exploit this idea with what is said earlier about the concept of guard being dependent of input. If you are just inputting :F , you can block high/mid attacks, and while you are in the block stun animation, holding :2b doesn't cancel the high guarding. So if you always start holding :2b after the the time it takes for the potential mid/high attack to make contact, you can still guard against the mid/high attack. Since the low attacks takes longer to reach you than the mid/high attacks, holding :2b will always get you a low block against the low attack. So the theory is hold :F until you see your opponent coming towards you for the potential mid/high attack, once he/she gets close and just pass the time that it takes for the mid/high attack to hit, start holding down. You will always guard both of the attacks this way. Practice this and you'll understand it easily. You might start out holding down too soon and eat the mid/high attack, but that's because you haven't gotten a feel for how long it takes for the attack to hit. Keep on practicing until you understand this bit.

later on in gameplay, you may have to deal with the guessing game of throw, mid/high attack, or low attack after guarding a jab. Now if you hold down :F until your opponent gets close, you can possibly eat a throw, so now this is where fuzzy guarding becomes a part of the formula. When you guard against your opponents Jab, start to hold :2b to avoid a potential throw, but stand back up in the time that it takes for a throw to execute. Since a throw is much faster than a mid/high attack or a low attack, being crouched for that quick moment will make the throw whiff if you've timed it correctly. At this point you have avoided the potential throw after guarding the jab. Now to guard against the potential mid/high attack or the low attack, it's back to what was explained ealier. So in practice, this is what you have to do to successfully guard against all three potential attacks. It goes like this, hold :F until you see the jab is being guarded, start holding :2b while the jab is being guarded, let go of :2b to avoid the potential throw, then hold :2b again when you anticipate the potential mid/high attack to make contact to block the potential Low attack.

Last but not least, While in the animation of crouch dashing, you cannot be high thrown, but the moment that you cancel the crouch dashing by hitting :F . you instantly become throwable. If your opponent hits you with a or :K (depending if it puts you at a disadvantage) , when they hit and after your character recovers immediately input a forward crouch dash by :3 :3 . Do not at this point input :F , because if you do, you can instantly be thrown since you were at a disadvantaged situation. The important part here is to understand how crouch dashing will avoid throws even at a disadvantaged situation. While you are doing this make sure to also start getting a feel of how long the delay is for your opponent to execute his attack.


To wrap things up,when your at -2 frames disadvantage. As you cannot simply hold :2b :F to avoid a throw since it takes around 5 frames to go from standing to crouch, which means an 6 frame throw (+1 frame to be guranteed)will make contact with you before you can reach the crouch state. However, crouch dashing makes you go into a crouch state faster and allows you to avoid the throw. In other words, instead of the sequence being :2b :F ~ neutral:F , it is now :3 :3 ~ neutral:F .

The principle remains the same -- you're crouching to avoid a throw. In a small disadvantage (-1 fr) situation you can simply hold :2b to crouch, but in a medium or worse disadvantage (-2 fr or more) you must CD to crouch.


Vulnerabilities

You can stop a fuzzy guarder by delaying your attacks and throws or low throwing your crouching opponent.

The KEY here is TIMING and ANTICIPATION, not reaction.

Once you have understand these concepts, you should be able to rely more on Doa's blocking system and have less reliance on counter holds which can leave you at great disadvantages(-30 frames).