Dark-truth
Well-Known Member
Hey everyone, Dark-Truth here with the Newbie to advanced player guide. In this guide i will talk about various subjects that i will list down below. Also, this is my first guide so don't expect too much of it. Sorry for the delay by the way, something happened and i lost it so i had to re-make it do it all over again.
Chapter 1: Info.
Chapter 2: You and the character.
Chapter 3: How to attack and defend properly.
Chapter 4: About the characters.
Chapter 5: Experience.
Chapter 1: Info.
1: Input directions and data.
In DOA or any other fighting game we give certain inputs, moves and combo's shortcuts to memorize and explain them easier so players can understand and learn it quicker. in Doa we use these:
is punch.
is kick.
is hold.
is throw ( on here it's displayed as "F" but it basically just is the "T" of throw.
is 1.
is 2.
is 3.
is 4..
is 5.
is 6.
is 7.
is 8.
is 9.
is 214.
is 236.
2: The triangle system.
The basic components of DOA5LR are attacks, holds and throws. In the game attacks beat throws, throws beat holds and hold beat attacks. This is also called the triangle system..
3: What is safe and unsafe.
Every move has 3 kind of frames. Start up frames, impact frames and Recovery frames.
Start up frames: The amount of frames it takes to start the move.
Impact frames: The amount of frames it takes to impact.
Recovery frames: The amount of frames it takes to recover.
When we look at safe and unsafe moves we only focus on the recovery frames.
When is a move safe ? a move is safe when the recovery frames are -5 or less.
When is a move unsafe ? a move is unsafe when the rcovery frames are -8 or more.
But what's in between -5 and -8 then ? between -5 and -8 a move is semi-safe and can only be punished by a neutral throw.
Chapter 2: You and the Character.
1: Knowing your style.
As you've been playing you started to develop a certain playstyle that you use during the fights, if you don't know your style just ask yourself these questions:
Do i like to be in the attack role most of the time and stay as close as possible to my opponent ?
Do i like to be balanaced and not be too offensive or defensive ?
Or Do i like to be defensive and stay as far as possible from my opponent so i can bait them ?
If you asked yourself these questions try it out during fights to see if you're really comfortable with the playstyle you chose.
2: Finding your main.
As you've been playing you started to use a certain character that you like or because you have the free version. To really find your main i recommend you to have the full game, so you can try out all the characters so you know which one you like the most.
Most people pick their mains by:
Appearance
Fighting style
Special attack
Gender
Or background story.
You can pick your main by that but if you really want to reach that high level of play it's better to pick a main that really fits your playstyle.
I like my main a lot and don't want to drop him/her but, he/she doesn't fit my playstyle what should i do now ? if your main doesn't fit your playstyle, try to adjust your playstyle to the character's playstyle so you can get the most out of your character.
3: Knowing the character's style.
How do i know the Character's playstyle ? well, thanks to @iHajinShinobi and @KasumiLover69 i could list the characters down below according to their their playstyle.
This are offensive/rushdown characters:
This are the more balanced characters:
This are the more defensive/spacing type of characters:.
Please note that not every character that is offensive is good at rushing down the opponent and that not every character who is defensive fights from far away from the opponent or is good at spacing.
Chapter 3: How to attack and defend properly.
1: Fundamental offense.
Fundamental offense exists of offensive elements that everyone has in the game, this are things everyone should train.
Stuns: Find moves that stun the opponent and train how to use them properly.
Extending the stun:. Practice extending the stun, launching a stunned opponent, knocking down a stunned opponent. Practice all these options.
Launching. Practice launching the opponent in various situations. try to practice this when the opponent is stunned or when you have frame advantage.
Juggles: Practice various juggles after you launched the opponent into the air.
Ground game:. Practice hitting the opponent with attacks while he/she is on the ground. Also, practice following up with force techs.
Crushes:. look for crushes in free training and practice using moves that crush attacks of a certain hit level. Some attacks crush high attacks. Some attacks crush low attacks. Some attacks crush attacks of multiple hit levels.
Attacking according to the triangle system:. Practice attacking the opponent when they whiff a throw. try to stun them or launch them, launch is preferred since the opponent can't do anything while being launched.
Throwing according to the triangle system: Practice throwing the opponent when they whiff a hold. It's better to use the most damaging throw.
2: Fundamental defense.
Fundamental defense exists of defensive elements that everyone has in the game, this are things everyone should train.
Blocking. Practice blocking attacks. High/Mid and Low. Most attacks give you frame advantage on block so you can strike back.
Spacing/turtling/camping: Practice spacing yourself from the opponent. Spacing baits the opponent to get close to you or whiff an attack, allowing you to punish their unsafe moves.
Punishing: Practice punishing the opponent when they whiff a hold, attack or throw, you can you throw punish them, or punish them with attacks. It's better to punish whiffed holds and attacks with throws and punish whiffed throws with attacks, when you punish a whiffed throw it's better to use a launcher since they can't do anything while they're in the air. Punishing is extremely important in the game and is extremely underrated.
Interrupting: Practice interrupting slower attacks with attacks that are faster, How do i know a move is faster ? If you go to training mode and look at the start up frames you can see which attack is faster. Interrupting is also useful when the opponent whiffs an attack, you move in, and they try to attack again. please note that interrupting can be a hard defensive skill also, some characters are better at interrupting than others due to their speed.
Stagger/Slow escaping. Practice stagger escaping out of stuns when the opponent stuns you. it's better to slow escape than panic holding like an idiot.
Holding according to the triangle system: Practice holding the opponents attacks, it's better to hold slow attacks and/or charge attacks, don't spam holds like an idiot because it won't take you anywhere. just saying.
Throwing according to the triangle system: Practice throwing the opponent when they try to use offensive holds on you, it's better to use the neutral throw since neutral throws are the fastest throws in the game.
Chapter 4: About the characters.
1: Learning their moveset.
This isn't even a hard thing to do, go to command training. Go through the character's movelist you chose as your main. keep repeating the character's moveset a few times. Use arcade and/or online to see if you remember it a little. The goal is to be able to command ALL of your character's moves by pure instinct at anytime. if you don't remember some moves just keep doing the command training until you do.
After you know their moveset out of your head, do the same practice with the character's various juggles. (write them down if necessary)
2: Learning the properties of a character's movelist.
Go to Training mode. Have hit levels displayed on your screen. Do every attack of your main's movelist, look at the hit levels of the moves and learn it out of your head. Watch the animation for each move. Learn to distinguish the hit level based on the animation. Do this multiple times and then go to arcade or online and try to remember it.
Go to training mode and look for attacks that stun the opponent.
Go to training mode and look for any crush attacks, and the hit level the attack crushes.
Identify any sabaki attacks. Set CPU dummy to punch/kick at various hit levels to identify the levels the sabaki works against, and to get a feel for properly timing the sabaki.
3: Learning their weight classes.
In DOA characters have certain weight classes not every combo works on every character.
Here are the weight classes and the characters in those classes thanks to @KasumiLover69 :
Featherweight:
Lightweight:
Normalweight:
Heavyweight:
4: The distances you should use the characters at.
I'd like to talk about the distances you shoudl use the characters at. The DOA characters are very versatile and each one are different in fighting style and how they should be used. i made a list of the distances the characters should be used. Please correct me if i'm wrong so that i can change it in the future.
Close range:
Mid range:
Far range:
Chapter 5: Experience.
1: How to read your opponents.
Well, just by looking at the section name you already know i'll talk about how to read your opponents.
To be able to read your opponents you need to play a lot against many different players with many different play styles in order to make good reads. Also, you need to look for patterns, habits, tendencies, and at the strong and weak points of your opponent. For example i like to go for critical bursts a lot and like to start with high punch at the begining of the round, the trick is just to pay a lot of atttention to your opponent, you need to have a good mindset and a good responsiveness in order to win the fight.
2: How to read yourself.
Reading yourself is one of the most easiest things to do in my opinion when you have a certain style. If you don't have a idea how to read yourself play a few matches and save the replays no matter if it's a win or a loss, winning doesn't eventually make you a good player, knowledge and experience make you a good player, even the best lose. Anyways, After you started to notice your Habits and patterns go to training mode or online or whatever and try to mix up more and break those bad habits and patterns so you'll always stay unpredictable.
3: Learning other characters.
Learning other characters isn't that hard, just take the steps you took when you found your character, doesn't matter if the character has a different play style than your play style that just means you have to adapt to their style in order to play them properly like your main. learning other characters also has their advantages, with a other character you can cover up the flaws of your main for example i mainso she has a weak defense, so if i train a character like, uhm let's say i can cover kasumi's weak defense up with bayman's god like defense, this is also better for the player so they're very versatile and adaptable. Learning other character's isn't necessary if you don't feel like it but it will make you better in some sort of way.
4: Learning how a character matches up.
This is very important imo, after building solid play with your main take time to break down other characters, you don't have to go that far just go to the point where you know what their moves, hit levels of the moves, properties and strengths and weaknesses are so you can adapt to it more easily. Compare your character's strengths and weaknesses with other characters so you know when you're at advantage or disadvantage when you're fighting the rest of the cast.
This was my guide i hoped it really helped, if it didn't too bad. anyways, i want to thank everyone who helped me even if it was with the smallest question. I will edit and correct all the mistakes I made during this guide so it'll get better.
Table of Contents.
1: Input directions and data.
2: Triangle system.
3: What is safe and unsafe.
2: Triangle system.
3: What is safe and unsafe.
1: Knowing your Style.
2: Finding your Main.
3: Knowing the Character's style.
2: Finding your Main.
3: Knowing the Character's style.
1: Fundamental offense.
2: Fundamental defense.
2: Fundamental defense.
1: Learning their movesets.
2: The properties of their moveset.
3: Learning their weightclasses.
4: The distances you should use them at.
2: The properties of their moveset.
3: Learning their weightclasses.
4: The distances you should use them at.
1: How to read your opponents.
2: How to read yourself.
3: Learning other characters.
4: Learning how a character matches up.
2: How to read yourself.
3: Learning other characters.
4: Learning how a character matches up.
1: Input directions and data.
In DOA or any other fighting game we give certain inputs, moves and combo's shortcuts to memorize and explain them easier so players can understand and learn it quicker. in Doa we use these:
is punch. is kick. is hold. is throw ( on here it's displayed as "F" but it basically just is the "T" of throw. is 1. is 2. is 3. is 4.. is 5. is 6. is 7. is 8. is 9. is 214. is 236.2: The triangle system.
The basic components of DOA5LR are attacks, holds and throws. In the game attacks beat throws, throws beat holds and hold beat attacks. This is also called the triangle system..
3: What is safe and unsafe.
Every move has 3 kind of frames. Start up frames, impact frames and Recovery frames.
Start up frames: The amount of frames it takes to start the move.
Impact frames: The amount of frames it takes to impact.
Recovery frames: The amount of frames it takes to recover.
When we look at safe and unsafe moves we only focus on the recovery frames.
When is a move safe ? a move is safe when the recovery frames are -5 or less.
When is a move unsafe ? a move is unsafe when the rcovery frames are -8 or more.
But what's in between -5 and -8 then ? between -5 and -8 a move is semi-safe and can only be punished by a neutral throw.
Chapter 2: You and the Character.
1: Knowing your style.
As you've been playing you started to develop a certain playstyle that you use during the fights, if you don't know your style just ask yourself these questions:
Do i like to be in the attack role most of the time and stay as close as possible to my opponent ?
Do i like to be balanaced and not be too offensive or defensive ?
Or Do i like to be defensive and stay as far as possible from my opponent so i can bait them ?
If you asked yourself these questions try it out during fights to see if you're really comfortable with the playstyle you chose.
2: Finding your main.
As you've been playing you started to use a certain character that you like or because you have the free version. To really find your main i recommend you to have the full game, so you can try out all the characters so you know which one you like the most.
Most people pick their mains by:
Appearance
Fighting style
Special attack
Gender
Or background story.
You can pick your main by that but if you really want to reach that high level of play it's better to pick a main that really fits your playstyle.
I like my main a lot and don't want to drop him/her but, he/she doesn't fit my playstyle what should i do now ? if your main doesn't fit your playstyle, try to adjust your playstyle to the character's playstyle so you can get the most out of your character.
3: Knowing the character's style.
How do i know the Character's playstyle ? well, thanks to @iHajinShinobi and @KasumiLover69 i could list the characters down below according to their their playstyle.
This are offensive/rushdown characters:
This are the more balanced characters:
This are the more defensive/spacing type of characters:
.Please note that not every character that is offensive is good at rushing down the opponent and that not every character who is defensive fights from far away from the opponent or is good at spacing.
Chapter 3: How to attack and defend properly.
1: Fundamental offense.
Fundamental offense exists of offensive elements that everyone has in the game, this are things everyone should train.
Stuns: Find moves that stun the opponent and train how to use them properly.
Extending the stun:. Practice extending the stun, launching a stunned opponent, knocking down a stunned opponent. Practice all these options.
Launching. Practice launching the opponent in various situations. try to practice this when the opponent is stunned or when you have frame advantage.
Juggles: Practice various juggles after you launched the opponent into the air.
Ground game:. Practice hitting the opponent with attacks while he/she is on the ground. Also, practice following up with force techs.
Crushes:. look for crushes in free training and practice using moves that crush attacks of a certain hit level. Some attacks crush high attacks. Some attacks crush low attacks. Some attacks crush attacks of multiple hit levels.
Attacking according to the triangle system:. Practice attacking the opponent when they whiff a throw. try to stun them or launch them, launch is preferred since the opponent can't do anything while being launched.
Throwing according to the triangle system: Practice throwing the opponent when they whiff a hold. It's better to use the most damaging throw.
2: Fundamental defense.
Fundamental defense exists of defensive elements that everyone has in the game, this are things everyone should train.
Blocking. Practice blocking attacks. High/Mid and Low. Most attacks give you frame advantage on block so you can strike back.
Spacing/turtling/camping: Practice spacing yourself from the opponent. Spacing baits the opponent to get close to you or whiff an attack, allowing you to punish their unsafe moves.
Punishing: Practice punishing the opponent when they whiff a hold, attack or throw, you can you throw punish them, or punish them with attacks. It's better to punish whiffed holds and attacks with throws and punish whiffed throws with attacks, when you punish a whiffed throw it's better to use a launcher since they can't do anything while they're in the air. Punishing is extremely important in the game and is extremely underrated.
Interrupting: Practice interrupting slower attacks with attacks that are faster, How do i know a move is faster ? If you go to training mode and look at the start up frames you can see which attack is faster. Interrupting is also useful when the opponent whiffs an attack, you move in, and they try to attack again. please note that interrupting can be a hard defensive skill also, some characters are better at interrupting than others due to their speed.
Stagger/Slow escaping. Practice stagger escaping out of stuns when the opponent stuns you. it's better to slow escape than panic holding like an idiot.
Holding according to the triangle system: Practice holding the opponents attacks, it's better to hold slow attacks and/or charge attacks, don't spam holds like an idiot because it won't take you anywhere. just saying.
Throwing according to the triangle system: Practice throwing the opponent when they try to use offensive holds on you, it's better to use the neutral throw since neutral throws are the fastest throws in the game.
Chapter 4: About the characters.
1: Learning their moveset.
This isn't even a hard thing to do, go to command training. Go through the character's movelist you chose as your main. keep repeating the character's moveset a few times. Use arcade and/or online to see if you remember it a little. The goal is to be able to command ALL of your character's moves by pure instinct at anytime. if you don't remember some moves just keep doing the command training until you do.
After you know their moveset out of your head, do the same practice with the character's various juggles. (write them down if necessary)
2: Learning the properties of a character's movelist.
Go to Training mode. Have hit levels displayed on your screen. Do every attack of your main's movelist, look at the hit levels of the moves and learn it out of your head. Watch the animation for each move. Learn to distinguish the hit level based on the animation. Do this multiple times and then go to arcade or online and try to remember it.
Go to training mode and look for attacks that stun the opponent.
Go to training mode and look for any crush attacks, and the hit level the attack crushes.
Identify any sabaki attacks. Set CPU dummy to punch/kick at various hit levels to identify the levels the sabaki works against, and to get a feel for properly timing the sabaki.
3: Learning their weight classes.
In DOA characters have certain weight classes not every combo works on every character.
Here are the weight classes and the characters in those classes thanks to @KasumiLover69 :
Featherweight:
Lightweight:
Normalweight:
Heavyweight:
4: The distances you should use the characters at.
I'd like to talk about the distances you shoudl use the characters at. The DOA characters are very versatile and each one are different in fighting style and how they should be used. i made a list of the distances the characters should be used. Please correct me if i'm wrong so that i can change it in the future.
Close range:
Mid range:
Far range:
Chapter 5: Experience.
1: How to read your opponents.
Well, just by looking at the section name you already know i'll talk about how to read your opponents.
To be able to read your opponents you need to play a lot against many different players with many different play styles in order to make good reads. Also, you need to look for patterns, habits, tendencies, and at the strong and weak points of your opponent. For example i like to go for critical bursts a lot and like to start with high punch at the begining of the round, the trick is just to pay a lot of atttention to your opponent, you need to have a good mindset and a good responsiveness in order to win the fight.
2: How to read yourself.
Reading yourself is one of the most easiest things to do in my opinion when you have a certain style. If you don't have a idea how to read yourself play a few matches and save the replays no matter if it's a win or a loss, winning doesn't eventually make you a good player, knowledge and experience make you a good player, even the best lose. Anyways, After you started to notice your Habits and patterns go to training mode or online or whatever and try to mix up more and break those bad habits and patterns so you'll always stay unpredictable.
3: Learning other characters.
Learning other characters isn't that hard, just take the steps you took when you found your character, doesn't matter if the character has a different play style than your play style that just means you have to adapt to their style in order to play them properly like your main. learning other characters also has their advantages, with a other character you can cover up the flaws of your main for example i main
so she has a weak defense, so if i train a character like, uhm let's say i can cover kasumi's weak defense up with bayman's god like defense, this is also better for the player so they're very versatile and adaptable. Learning other character's isn't necessary if you don't feel like it but it will make you better in some sort of way.4: Learning how a character matches up.
This is very important imo, after building solid play with your main take time to break down other characters, you don't have to go that far just go to the point where you know what their moves, hit levels of the moves, properties and strengths and weaknesses are so you can adapt to it more easily. Compare your character's strengths and weaknesses with other characters so you know when you're at advantage or disadvantage when you're fighting the rest of the cast.
This was my guide i hoped it really helped, if it didn't too bad. anyways, i want to thank everyone who helped me even if it was with the smallest question. I will edit and correct all the mistakes I made during this guide so it'll get better.
Last edited:
