Neutral (Awareness Priority)

• Dealing with 214LP
  • Due to 214LP and Venomous Fang, don’t walk back
  • Walk forward to Block 214LP at close range — this shortens A.K.I.’s Advantage and prevents Overhead and Rush attacks from meatying
  • Walk forward even after 214LP is fired
• Be aware of frequent delayed strikes
  • A.K.I. has difficulty confirming throw whiff
  • Also, anti-airing cross-ups with specials is difficult in some situations — mixing in forward jumps when she has Advantage improves your situation
• Watch for cross-up attacks
  • A.K.I.’s cross-up has an extremely strong hitbox — normal anti-air almost never works
  • Special anti-air can also get beaten by the attack arriving first — during Shimmy, walk back properly so she can’t cross-up
• Remember that A.K.I.’s strong cross-up only has cross-up hitbox — it doesn’t hit from the front
• Punishing 236K
  • OD Snake Step has strike invincibility
  • When Shimmying during Oki, first walk back firmly and create time to punish 236KK
  • When choosing safe jumps for Oki, buffering throw just before the jump attack can throw 236KK — don’t skip this
• Don’t worry about Lows
  • Without 2MK Rush, even at strike range, using more walk back to create whiff punish time is fine
• Watch for Overhead during Oki defense
  • Many Overhead setplays — always be on guard

Recommended Counter

• When poisoned
  • Jumping is dangerous — 236HP returns increase
  • Projectiles are dangerous — 2PPP returns increase
• Removing poison
  • Poison wears off over time — playing patient ground game is fine

Recommended Counter

• 236LP
  • Forward jump and DI tend to land, so keep them as options
  • Close Block: standing LK or other fast long-range normals may Punish. Check per character.
  • Whiff punishing is tough, so don’t try
• 236MP
  • Medium version is used against neutral jumps
  • It does give return on neutral jumps, but it’s very difficult in practice — don’t remove neutral jump as an option because of this
• 236HP
  • Strong version is an anti-air invincible special aimed directly above
  • Only has hitbox directly above, so if she only uses this for anti-air, empty jumps are very effective

• 236PP
  • -14F on Block
  • Punish up close with a Block Punish combo

Recommended Counter

Fuzzy is possible but delayed options make it still a mixup. Rather than complicating the mixup, the following is better:

• If you read 2PP > LPLK: fastest heavy attack for maximum return
  • If it’s strike follow-up, Counter Hit starts a combo — accept it as rock-paper-scissors
• If you read 2PP > K: Drive Impact for return
  • Loses to 2PP > LPLK, but the damage is low
  • Aggressively press Drive Impact to balance risk-reward

Not very effective, but Fuzzy is possible — very effective against A.K.I.s who only do fastest timing. When Fuzzy pressing buttons, always use crouching attacks. Standing attacks will whiff.

The video below has these recorded:

• HK > 2PP > K
• HK > 2PP > LPLK

Recommended Counter

Recommended Counter

• 214LP
  • From closer than mid-range: invincible on Rush confirm or delayed neutral jump
  • From farther than mid-range: risk of anti-air/invincible being late and Blocked, but better than doing nothing
  • Also, neutral jump landing can give a return
  • If both jump and invincible are difficult: Parry before Blocking 214LP to push your hurtbox forward, denying 2nd projectile true Block string
    • This creates a gap for invincible — use this as a mixup point

Adjust options based on distance — Block at close range and prepare for Rush. When Blocking, use Parry — it widens Block hitbox, reduces Block stun compared to normal Block. A bonus Just Parry is a nice extra.

Recommended Counter

Recommended Counter

Against close-range A.K.I. forward jumps, don’t Parry — walk forward to dodge and Fuzzy with a heavy attack. Losing to the opponent’s mistake is very mentally draining.

Recommended Counter

• Parry > Drive Reversal > Rush

Recommended Counter

• Quick Rise is standard unless there’s a specific reason otherwise
  • Rush: A.K.I. can’t walk Shimmy
  • 214LP: Drive Impact is guaranteed
    • Even 1F late and Drive Impact is no longer guaranteed
    • You can buffer DI on wakeup. If opponent uses 214LP: DI lands / if opponent Rushes: flash erases input so no need to confirm — very easy

If you could react to 214LP and Impact that would be ideal, but 1F late and it gets countered. In ranked, A.K.I. typically uses Rush and 214LP after forward throw, so the DI buffer is relatively easy to apply.

The video below has these recorded:

• Throw > Raw Rush > 2MK
• Throw > 214LP

Recommended Counter

• Against Rush
  • Becomes a mixup. Quick Rise prevents Shimmy — don’t carelessly take Back Rise
• Against 214LP > Rush
  • Quick Rise > Walk forward > Parry 214LP (buffer heavy attack or OD invincible) is recommended
    • On Just Parry success
      • Just Parrying 214LP means your buffered attack hits the raw Rush. Always buffer an attack with Parry
    • On Just Parry failure
      • If you see Rush, interrupt with OD invincible
      • Walking forward shortens 214LP Block stun, preventing true Block string. Walking forward prevents Parry recovery from eating Punish Counter. Create “gaps” with walk forward awareness

Recommended Counter

• Projectile meaty
  • Characters with projectiles should meaty with them
• Normal throw
  • 236KK gives Punish Counter on throw — highly recommended
  • If you want to cover invincible, include delayed throw
• Safe jump
  • Buffer throw just before the jump attack lands
  • If 236KK was used, you throw her
    • Since A.K.I. has no OD invincible, there’s no need to hold back
    • To prevent accidental back throw, input neutral or forward instead of back