Starting out with Pai

Note: This was written by Aopai and translated by Modelah. Information from Aopai's 'Pai Combos' post was added (in it's entirety) to the 'Combo Starters and Sample Combos' section at the end of this post for ease of reading.

Aopai's VF5FS Beginner's Blog Post
Aopai's VF5FS Beginner's Blog Post- Pai Combos

Hi, I've been using Pai since VF3.

Pai's Characteristics, Strengths and Weaknesses
Pai has great speed, and can use that speed to dictate the pace of matches. She also has a great balance of high, mid and lows, and many evasive attacks and reversals to negate her opponent's offense. Her and mid are among the fastest moves in the game, which means it's easy for her to abare against an opponent's attacking pressure. As for her own attacking options, her Bokutai stance and mid/low attacks out of Meishoushou stance are excellent.

However, the overall damage Pai inflicts is low. She will also struggle against strong defenses and crouchers. She is also classed as a lightweight, so the combo damage she takes can be potentially high.

Basic Strategy
Use that fast and hit to get opponents defending, and when you see them locking up go for a throw. After a knockdown, look to pressure with a low or a mid . If your attack is blocked or find yourself at disadvantage after being hit, use with it's evasive properties to get yourself out of trouble.

If you're not sure what to do, just try to abare with or .

Also, sometimes try , and from that, or a throw for nitaku pressure. Remember, Pai's counterattacking potential is excellent so bear that in mind and good luck!

Basic Skills
- An 11f high punch. Gives you advantage on block. Long reach.
- A 12f special low. Gives you advantage on hit, so go for a mid or throw for nitaku pressure.
- A 14f mid. Slight disadvantage when blocked, advantage on hit.
()- Similar properties with but goes over the opponent's low attacks.
- A 12f double-handed mid. Good pushback on block.
()- A 16f mid. Long-reaching and great against back dashing opponents.
- A 15f mid. Knocks down on hit, safe on guard.
- A 15f mid, mid. Stop after the first and go for a sneaky throw attempt.
- A low. Use to counter hit opponents who evade or abare and knock them down.
- A low. Slow, but gives advantage on normal hit and combo opportunities on counter hit.- A 16f mid. Leads to damaging combos on counter hit. Safe on guard.
()- Hits low, high, (mid). Use this and mix with (throw) for strong nitaku guessing games.
- A fast mid. Starts combos. Gives advantage on block. After a knock down using this for follow up pressure makes for a great okizeme game.

Moves to use Defensively
Use these when at disadvantage, like after getting hit by your opponent or when your attacks are blocked.
- A high. A move with a withdrawing animation that is useful for avoiding attacks. Starts combos on normal hit. A high-risk, high-return kind of move.
- A mid. A quick withdrawing animation good for counterattacking. Only good against short-reaching moves. Gives large advantage on hit, slight disadvantage on block. A very useful move.
- A reversal that will take care of most mids. becomes guaranteed after a successful reversal.
- A high reversal, has the same properties with the above. I don't use it that often.

Throws





Listed in order of damage; highest to lowest.

Low Throws
- Follow with backturned to start combos.


- becomes guaranteed.
Listed in order of damage; highest to lowest.

Powerful mid/low pressure from Meishoushou
*(Meishoushou), BT(mid)- When this is blocked, go for these mid/low nitaku options.

(mid)- On normal hit, a combo starter is guaranteed.
(mid, mid)- A mid string, knocks down on hit.
(low)- A fast full-circular that knocks down.​

*Use this like you would use for punishment. changes stance, and is a very strong tool.

Combo Starters and Sample Combos Note: Elements from Aopai's Pai Combos post marked *.
Good to use as punishment, when opponent's moves whiff, and when you think the opponent will try to throw you.

*I divided the combos into weightclass-specific groups:
Superlightweight- El Blaze, Eileen
Lightweight- Vanessa, Aoi, Sarah, Lion, Pai, Shun
Middleweight- Lei-Fei, Kage, Brad, Goh, Lau
Heavyweight- Jean, Jacky, Akira, Wolf, Jeffry
Superheavyweight- Taka-Arashi

- A 14f high.

*, , , - El Blaze to Shun
*, OR - Lei Fei to Akira
*, - Wolf and Jeffry
​

- A 17f mid.

*, , - Everyone up to Akira
*, , - Everyone except Taka
*, , - Vanessa to Shun
*, , - Jean To Jeffry
​

- A 22f mid, +4 on guard.

*, - for all characters
​

- An 18f high, mid. 17f with fastest input.

*, , , WS- El Blaze to Pai
*, , - Shun to Jacky
*, Akira to Taka
​

- Only used when evading opponent's attack/throw nitaku.

- A 16f mid. Starts combos on a counterhit, great to use in your attack/throw nitaku pressure.

*Wall Combo
(wall stagger), (wall splat), OR, , , ,

※ The input requires you to crouch, then return to a standing position; ie. crouch then release the stick/directional buttons. It works as long as you start from a crouching state, so , , can be used also.

Aopai

 

Oh cant wait!! Thx modelah

 

I Will Be Reading This Lol

 

Doesn't work. Instead of he may have meant

 

Thx for the translation modelah. Pretty good and simple to get the meaning. Great Pai guide.

* And yes.. he meant 6K+G

 

I will have to try some of this stuff out when I get a chance but alot of it is stuff I am already aware of. Still it is worth reading regardless to remind me of all this stuff again when I get lazy and go on autopilot again.

 

Thanks, Modelah! I'll definitely work through this in the dojo.

 

Yes, you're right- I rechecked the post and it's . Thanks! So the combo works? My fingers are too dumb to do it.

 

Yes, it works.

 

I found her rising throws give a slight follow up advantage. 60-70 damage was the highest I did. Her forward one has combo potential.

 

The highest damage she has from 1 throw is her 6,4 P+G putting them into the wall and you would then get a wall combo from there. That is at least 100 damage with a wall. Without a wall she can at least 80 from her 46P+G into a 33P+G low throw. She has some good damage options from her throws even her 66P+G can lead to about 80 damage when she throws them into the wall as well.

 

- my bad. I should have said comboing into, which would be inaccurate since you'd have to use her scissors kick move after the stagger from crouch rising 9 + P + K. You're right: you could get alot out of comboing with wall.

 

I do like that. It's not guaranteed but it's nice.

 

This is definitely what I need to get my
Pai Chan game started.

Thanks for this great translation.

 

Nice! Thanks for this! I was trying to get her down to a tee. I passed up Kage for her. I wanted to try something different for a change instead of maining a ninja (but will sub Kage).

 

Shweet, I just started messin with Pai a few days ago. I'll have to study this. Though I'm pretty lazy so I don't know how far I'll get, hahah. Until then ima have fun pushing buttons with her like I have been.

 

It's been years since I've played any VF, but lately I've been wanting to mess around with Pai for a bit. She was my unofficial sub in VF2 back in my scrub days

 

Sorry wasn't sure where to ask this, and sorry for the low quality pic. Could someone help me out with this player’s name?

 

my Google app shows it as 鯛焼 "Taiyaki"