Jab spam

[Peck]

I have been running into more and more players that relay on (staggered) jab spam to constantly pressure me.

It's the different intervals that I can't seem to find a proper way out of and it feels like I can't duck in time, sidesteps gets caught and multiple hits mess with the startup of my power crush/armored moves.

A lot of people probably have encountered this issue and replay doesn't seem to offer any advice; how did you deal with this pressure and is there a "default" way to work around it?

[C1REX]

A single jab is one of the most important move in the game. It’s the fastest move in the game (with very few exceptions) and it’s +1 on block.

There is no universal way to deal with that. It’s about having a read while understanding the frames. You can try some high crashing moves or armored moves. Or back dash/kbd to create a distance. The thing is your enemy can always adapt to your reaction.

Try opening with a single jab yourself and start learning your follow ups, frame traps and other options.

[Teruko]

I'm not exactly a pro (just a blue rank player), so don't expect too much here. I'll simply try to provide whatever advice sounds right to me.

The "default" response would be to do a crouching jab, which is quite fast and done while crouching, which would avoid successive jab attempts and any other highs. You can do a crouching jab by simply crouching and hitting 1. It can be done instantly with D+1, DB+1, or DF+1. However, some characters might have moves on one of those inputs, so be sure to check which input is "free" for your character to use for this.

If players are using jabs to disrupt you, try to keep your cool and look for an opportunity to deal with it. Depending on the frequency and what character you're playing, you have several options here:

Are they spamming jab repeatedly?
They may be doing this out of desperation or panic, or to enforce their frame advantage in the event that their opponent is pressing too much. Potential options here:
- Duck and whiff punish it. Risky if they suddenly stop jabbing, but useful if you are expecting another jab after the first or second time.
- (Character-specific) use an attack with a punch-parry effect on its startup, such as Jin's B+1+2 or Kazuya's F+1+2.
- (Character-specific) use a low-profile move (AKA, a move that causes your character to evade lows). Examples being Jin's D+2 and Asuka's B+1.

Are they randomly jabbing to disrupt you?
Throwing out a jab to disrupt opponents is an effective strategy to discourage the opponent from pressing their advantage. In addition, it is an excellent way to prevent false frame traps and expose gaps in pressure. Potential options here:
- Jabs are heavily advantageous on hit (+8), and slightly advantageous (+1) on block. If the jab hits you, do not press a jab in response, as you are likely to get hit again. If you blocked the jab, you MAY be able to sneak in a jab to check them, assuming they don't jab again immediately afterwards.

Are they doing stagger pressure with jabs?
They are likely trying to force a response from you by doing so. Potential options here:
- Keep calm and wait to see what they do next. Playing defensive for a brief moment can do wonders in a game where people are overly aggressive.
- If you're feeling aggressive back, you could attempt to throw something out to try and stop them, whether that's your own jab, a throw, or a low. Don't do anything too risky, such as a launcher.
- Power crush moves can be effective if you know they're going to jab again, but they are typically unsafe. Depending on your character, you may have a safe power crush. Look at the situation in your replays (or in practice mode) and find out what works there.

As an overall piece of advice for dealing with players who are able to easily pressure you, you should figure out how to skew the risk and reward in your favour. Utilise frame traps and other methods to scare opponents out of mashing in your face like this. You should force people to respect you in a match. Don't expect any player to respect anything you do until you manage to achieve that.
Also, be mindful that some characters have jab pressure that is unique to them, such as the Mishima 1,1,2 string (High-High-Mid. The second jab in this string is -1, and the final hit is -17, leaving them open for a good punish), or Jin's 2,1,4 string (High-Mid-Mid. This string is safe on its own, although the third hit can be delayed and turned into a low that is -31 on block).

[Pelikan]

Teruko said it all, great post and advices really.

[Super Cosmic Space Magnet]

The slowclap reward feels a bit unfair, that post is really excellent. Single jab is such a good way of stuffing out moves.

[Pelikan]

Originally posted by Super Cosmic Space Magnet:

The slowclap reward feels a bit unfair, that post is really excellent. Single jab is such a good way of stuffing out moves.

Sorry I picked a random reward from the list, I thought it was nice, just meant to applaud him.

[Peck]

That's an awesome and very in-depth response Teruko, thank you so much!