The opposite of mashing punch or kick buttons. The basis for all defense is learning how to block. You can block your way out of almost anything, but it does not defend against throws or the very few unblockable strikes in the game. Blocking is number one because you can punish your opponent very effectively, causing the tide of the match to change in your favor instantly. If you are not striking or grabbing, you are blocking. Beware of Guard Break (GB) attacks however, because they generally grant frame advantage (For a detailed look at Frame Data follow the link at the end of this guide) allowing your opponent to maintain their offense. Though some GB’s are actually negative on block such as Marie Rose’s Minuet~P+K. Always block if you’re unsure of the situation, since this will allow you to read your opponents more thoroughly.
In DOA5, there are a few ways to block aside from standing guard (5H) and a crouching guard (2H). Holding 4 or 1 on the directional pad performs a standing or crouching guard while you slowly creep backwards. Double tapping and holding back, or 44_ on the D-pad, enters a “retreating blocking stance” that walks backwards while guarding high and mid attacks except for unblockable attacks. Holding 1 or 7 while in this stance allows you to strafe up or down. You can also enter this stance by holding 7.
Otherwise known as counters or counter-holds. For someone newer to DOA5, countering has a bit of a learning curve. For instance you have your high and low counters (7H & 1H respectively) for punches and kicks, and you have your 4H counter only for punches, and your 6H counter only for kicks. Only use counters if you know what’s coming. Do not spam counters like a twit, because that will only get you killed faster against more competent opponents. This is mostly attributed to the damage bonus that using a throw against a counter-hold grants, which is 150% or “Hi-Counter” damage. Counters should only be used secondary to your block, not as a replacement. Learn your opponent’s tendencies through utilization of your defensive blocks, and counter if you see repetition or recognize the parts of the string, i.e. Holding the Mid-P of a High-P~High-P~Mid-P string such as Hitomi’s PPP, or other such predictable stuff.
Also known as Grabs, Throws serve three purposes in DOA5. The first purpose is to punish players for blocking. Anytime you suspect an opponent will remain blocking, feel free to open them up with a grab. Some people love that block button, so just throw their asses to get them to stop blocking! The second purpose is punishing opponents that misuse counter-holds. If you grab an opponent that misplaces or whiffs a hold, the damage of your grab will be increased to 150% of its original damage amount, i.e. 60 damage turns into 90 damage, 80 damage turns into 120 damage, etc. The 150% bonus comes from the Triangle System in DOA5 where Throws beat Holds, Holds beat Strikes, and Strikes beat Throws.
The third purpose of throws is to punish strikes that are enough negative frames on block to be thrown for free. Any strike that is about -8 (or even lower for grappler characters such as Bass) on block can be thrown by a 7-frame/i7 throw guaranteed. In DOA5, with regards to frame data, you need to add 1 frame to the displayed number (in this case: -8), in order to punish an “unsafe” strike that is blocked. With the example here: 7 + 1 = 8. This is also why blocking is so important in DOA5; it allows you to set up punishment against careless opponents with throws or punish predictable opponents with holds. As a sidenote, i5, or 5 -frame neutral throws can be used against negatives as low as -6, however, neutral throws can be broken unlike i7 or slower throws.
Some characters have what are called Offensive Holds, or “Catch Throws” which can go through and beat out attacks when timed correctly for a 150% damage boost (In this case Hold > Strike, because offensive holds still count as “holds” despite operating like slower throws). These special grab-holds are generally given to grappler characters, such as La Mariposa, to help them deal with opponents that are faster or more strike-heavy. However, characters such as Leifang, Alpha-152, Brad Wong and Jann Lee also possess offensive holds in their arsenals.
Offensive holds are beaten out by throws, under the Throws > Holds aspect of the triangle system. If a throw is activated any time before an offensive hold connects, the throw will beat it out and receive a 150% damage bonus. For a jumping offensive hold like Lisa’s 8T, you can beat it out by crouching first then performing a low throw for the juicy 150% hi-counter damage.
