Do you use neutral guard or always hold back?

[Giganx]

My reflex is to always hold back but it's kind of inhibiting. You're just constantly drifting backwards and having a back input clip your other inputs can completely mess up your attacks.

Training myself to rely more on neutral guard has helped my mobility and is stopping me from flubbing my other inputs. I've heard it's unreliable, though, but haven't heard any specifics on why.

I think pressing back might activate faster than neutral guard, so it's good to at least press back once when you finish an animation, but I feel like I should be using neutral guard most of the time. What do you all do?

[Magos Flibble]

you always hold back

[Giganx]

Why though?

I'm playing Steve and constantly drifting backwards not only takes me out of range, but it messes with my attack inputs. The only problem I've seen with neutral guard is it sometimes doesn't activate fast enough after animations, but just pressing back for a second fixes that. I don't see the point in constantly holding back.

[Cheez3]

always hold back because some attacks can "break" the neutral guard once u recieve dmg, reina can do that as matchup knowledge check. she will kick your feet and push u, if u dont press back, u recieve dmg.

[Giganx]

Originally posted by Cheez3:

always hold back because some attacks can "break" the neutral guard once u recieve dmg, reina can do that as matchup knowledge check. she will kick your feet and push u, if u dont press back, u recieve dmg.

Interesting. I think Steve has one of those combos as well where you attack low and the follow up high always lands if the low lands. I feel like that works even when someone's holding back, though; figured it was just free damage if the low lands. I'll have to play around with it in the lab.

Good to know, though, thanks.

[Boss]

Some strings soft-break your guard because of the blockstun animation unless you actively guard by holding back. Also if you're holding back while the enemy isn't attacking for long enough to walk out of range, there's bigger problems in your gameplay

[Giganx]

Originally posted by Boss:

Some strings soft-break your guard because of the blockstun animation unless you actively guard by holding back. Also if you're holding back while the enemy isn't attacking for long enough to walk out of range, there's bigger problems in your gameplay

That's the thing with holding back constantly; it's always drifting you.

That's why I think neutral guard is what you should be using most of the time. That said I do think there are specific situations where you should hold back, which is why I'm curious what things neutral guard can't handle.

I'm trying to train myself to not be constantly holding back because I agree it's bad play.

[C1REX]

Some strings break neutral guard.
Other strings become natural combos if you don't hold back instantly on first hit.
But anybody can play however they like.

[Sirlion]

If you dont hold back you're doing it wrong tbh

[Boss]

Originally posted by Giganx:

Originally posted by Boss:

Some strings soft-break your guard because of the blockstun animation unless you actively guard by holding back. Also if you're holding back while the enemy isn't attacking for long enough to walk out of range, there's bigger problems in your gameplay

That's the thing with holding back constantly; it's always drifting you.

That's why I think neutral guard is what you should be using most of the time. That said I do think there are specific situations where you should hold back, which is why I'm curious what things neutral guard can't handle.

I'm trying to train myself to not be constantly holding back because I agree it's bad play.

It's the other way around. You should use active guard most of the time, and only neutral guard in some specific situations you don't need to worry about yet

If you had time to hold 'back' long enough to see yourself moving back significantly, you had time to backdash, sidestep (or step block), dash forward into block, or initiate your own attack.

[progste]

Block is better, neutral guard will randomly not work in some situations and get you launched for no reason.

[C1REX]

Originally posted by Boss:

It's the other way around. You should use active guard most of the time, and only neutral guard in some specific situations you don't need to worry about yet

I know there were some very specific moves that could only be punished after neutral guard and less pushback in T7 but is there any such move in T8?

[Giganx]

Originally posted by Boss:

Originally posted by Giganx:

That's the thing with holding back constantly; it's always drifting you.

That's why I think neutral guard is what you should be using most of the time. That said I do think there are specific situations where you should hold back, which is why I'm curious what things neutral guard can't handle.

I'm trying to train myself to not be constantly holding back because I agree it's bad play.

It's the other way around. You should use active guard most of the time, and only neutral guard in some specific situations you don't need to worry about yet

If you had time to hold 'back' long enough to see yourself moving back significantly, you had time to backdash, sidestep (or step block), dash forward into block, or initiate your own attack.

I mean there isn't really any situation where someone couldn't throw out some attack that covers half the screen and blockstuns you. If you know you're caught in a string holding back makes sense, but I'm more talking about neutral.

[Boss]

Originally posted by C1REX:

Originally posted by Boss:

It's the other way around. You should use active guard most of the time, and only neutral guard in some specific situations you don't need to worry about yet

I know there were some very specific moves that could only be punished after neutral guard and less pushback in T7 but is there any such move in T8?

Hardly any I can think of, probably deathfist at tip range. Was more common in T7, like I couldn't punish Heihachi's ff2 with Acid Storm unless I block with neutral guard. Now I think things generally have less pushback.

[Boss]

Originally posted by Giganx:

Originally posted by Boss:

It's the other way around. You should use active guard most of the time, and only neutral guard in some specific situations you don't need to worry about yet

If you had time to hold 'back' long enough to see yourself moving back significantly, you had time to backdash, sidestep (or step block), dash forward into block, or initiate your own attack.

I mean there isn't really any situation where someone couldn't throw out some attack that covers half the screen and blockstuns you. If you know you're caught in a string holding back makes sense, but I'm more talking about neutral.

In neutral you should constantly be moving around trying to get into your ideal range or trying to bait out either a punishable / negative on-block attack or a whiff

[Castyles]

I hold back.

Pfff.... Like it works, to begin with.