Online Aoi player...

Aoi's counter are extremely useful in defense techniques. She can counter every move in the game unlike other characters with counters.

After a counter you can usually get a small down attack, a ground throw or a ground throw and a down attack if the opponent is slow to struggle. The damage is good and opponent is usually unaware you are trying to counter if you buffer together with throw escapes.

 

wow nice, didnt know that was possible. how does that work?

 

You should use them more. The point of reversals isn't to "make yourself feel good"... it's to make your opponent feel scared. If you can land one or two reversals just to "prove" that you're able to correctly predict your opponent's attacks, then your opponent is probably going to start worrying about being predictable, and put a little more thought into their attacks. If that extra thought turns into hesitation... *BAM* you 0-frame throw them. If you can create the illusion that your opponent can't safely attack you (threat of reversal), and can't stop to think (threat of throw), then you're about to win a match. That's really what Aoi is made for.


Not sure what you guys mean about reversal-throw escape. It's certainly possible, and works to some extent as an alternative to ETEG for Aoi. However, it's by no means safe... if you actually escape a throw, the reversal attempt will be "hidden" by the escape animation. But if your opponent doesn't throw you (or doesn't do anything), then you'll still get the reversal hand wavy move. You should always, always, always buffer throw escapes into reversals, just because it's a safer way to use them... not because it somehow hides the reversal.

 

At higher levels of play the reversals definitely do help to make your game stronger...but I think a lot of beginning players tend to focus on them too much instead of understanding what other tools she has available outside of the reversals in the first place. I'm sure a lot of people get into Aoi because of her whole grapple/reversal intensive Aikido style. People wanna throw the opponent around like Steven Seagal and all that. LOL.

The reversals work best to scare the opponent into thinking that their game is becoming predictable. Allowing Aoi to further work the rest of her game. Which definitely makes sense but the reversals are simply just being able to understand exactly where and when your opponent is going to attack and making them pay for it. If you don't know exactly where and when an attack is coming...there's plenty of other options Aoi has that don't require you to to work a reversal into your game. It's not really something that should be greatly focused on IMO until you understand the rest of how Aoi works in the first place. Otherwise you're gonna lose a lot.

I guess I'll find my own groove for the reversals once I start to really understand the game. It's just I right now don't see a reason to really incorporate them unless I know absolutely what's coming at me. It's very risky to use one at the wrong time and Aoi has so many other tools outside of the reversals that should also be learned.