Neutral (Awareness Priority)

• Dealing with fireballs
  • Don’t reversal jump after Blocking a fireball
    • Only jump if you get a Just Parry
  • Always input a heavy attack with Parry, aiming for return on Just Parry
• Dealing with HK
  • Blocking HK gives Akuma +2 frames and starts his offense
  • Doesn’t hit crouching opponents
    • If you duck it, punish with a medium or better, not a light
• 214P
  • If you can’t distinguish strengths, go with 4F light into Punish Counter route
• (During forward jump) 236P
  • If using a special anti-air, wait and do it late
    • Pressing too early will get hit by the fireball
  • Forward jumping when you see Akuma jump is also effective
    • This results in an air Hit, so choose your character’s max route
• Accept midscreen throws
  • The situation after midscreen LPLK isn’t very strong
    • Rush doesn’t give Oki either, so it’s better to accept the throw

Neutral (Awareness Priority)

• 236LP (Lv1)
  • Even on successful Just Parry, no attack is guaranteed, so return to Neutral
• 236HP (Lv1)
  • Input Rush or heavy attack with Just Parry

• 236LP (Lv3)
  • If 236LP (Lv1) is held at point blank, Akuma has Advantage, so play the mixup
• 236MP (Lv3)
  • If 236LP (Lv3) is held at point blank, Akuma has Advantage, so play the mixup
• 236HP (Lv3)
  • If 236LP (Lv3) is held at point blank, Akuma has Advantage, so play the mixup

Recommended Counter

• 214LK
  • Only hits standing opponents
  • Uses 2HK as the combo followup on Hit
  • The post-Hit situation isn’t great, so knowledgeable Akuma players rarely use it – no need to learn this
• 214MK
  • +41F on ground Hit
    • Forward jump can be anti-aired by 5F DP, so remember this
  • Only hits standing opponents
  • Forward step micro walk allows Shimmy Oki

• 214HK
  • On Hit, recovery choice creates a mixup, so remember this
  • Quick Rise
    • When Rush is used, walk Shimmy is not possible
    • Oki without Rush
  • Back Rise
    • No Oki without Rush

Recommended Counter

Using a special anti-air to swat it down is ideal, but 236K→2 feint and 236LK exist, making it less effective.

Since dealing with feints in ranked is tedious, Fuzzy jab is recommended. Press jab at the timing you’d Block 236K→K when you see 236K→P. It’s very hard to do every time in a match, but do it if you can.

The following has the following recorded:

• 236K→(no input)
• 236K→P
• 236K→K
• 236K→2

However, remember that once you Block it, Akuma already has Advantage, so ideally you’d air-to-air.

Recommended Counter

Recommended Counter

If distinguishing strengths on Block is difficult, press 4F after Blocking.

You’d want to include throw as an option, but 214LP and 214MP are outside throw range, making it very hard to throw. Once you’re comfortable, add throw as an option against 214HP and 214PP.

Recommended Counter

The response changes depending on your character’s anti-air capabilities, so check what’s effective for your character. Characters with anti-air invincible moves should wait and anti-air late.

Characters without anti-air invincible moves can get return by forward jumping when they see Akuma’s forward jump.

If both are difficult, try your best with air-to-air.

Recommended Counter

After Blocking, keep in mind that walk Shimmy is not possible when choosing your options. If the opponent backsteps, HP is guaranteed against throw, so recognize that teching is also dangerous.

Up to low ranks, the following is recommended:

• Parry
  • Akuma’s midscreen normal throw situation isn’t great
  • Punish Counter throw also isn’t great, so accept it and go for a chance

If you successfully crouch Block, Akuma is -13F so land a heavy Punish.

Recommended Counter

Recommended Counter

Recommended Counter