Miguel strategy

1. Wait: Try to bait out a whiff 2. Approach: Approach an enemy and attack them 3. Keep out: Attack to stop an enemy from approach and attacking you

Wait: Movement

• Miguel's back dash and side step are superior to almost all other characters.
• Try out different spacing and timings to try to get your opponent to whiff.
• Mixup entering SAV stance or not

Example you can do with d/f+1

• Approach opponent with d/f+1. Usually it's blocked, sometimes it hits
• E.g. d/f+1 blocked is -2
  • If you tried to do d/f+1~f SAV mixup, you'd lose to jabs or counter hit attacks
  • Use your superior side step and back dash to make mashers and dick jabbers pay, by making them whiff
• Once they stop mashing, you can add a SAV mixup 50/50
  • E.g. #1 low and a safe mid, d/f+1~f SAV d/b+3~f SAV b+1
  • E.g. #2 d/f+1~f SAV 2 high damage, safe mid
  • E.g. #3 d/f+1~f delay to see if they guess, or side step, or try to attack
  • E.g. #4 d/f+1,2: If they mash after d/f+1, then the 2nd hit will KND into free manual SAV 2

Approach

Mix up your approach tools and timing

• d/f+1[~f] SAV -2 on block, +5 on hit
  • Weak to SSL
• d/b+3[~f] SAV +4 on hit.
  • Weak to SSR
• u/f+1[~f] SAV +4 on block
  • u/f+1~f SAV d/f+2 guaranteed on everyone but Dragunov, Fahkumram, Marduk, and Miguel (tall characters)
• f+4[~f]: homing, +7 into SAV on hit, longer range
  • Important tool for tracking, both up close, and far away
• d+4: Long range low, +0 on hit

Approach/Keepout Combined

How to approach some who is trying to keep you out

• Back dash or side step if they are being predictable to try to bait a whiff
• Jab: 1 and 1,2 are important to interrupt the opponent timing.
  • 1,2: Tracking isn't very good, but sometimes the 2nd hit track
  • Sometimes do 1,2,4 to interrupt opponent, but risky since they can duck and launch 3rd hit
• d/b+3+4: i12 generic low kick with superior range
• (d/f+1),2:
  • 2nd hit CH KND into free manual SAV 2
  • Helps stop mashers after d/f+1

Keepout

• Jabs: 1 or 1,2
• 4: high, longer range hit box
  • Magic 4 starts a juggle on counter hit
• b+1: high, small hit box
  • Starts a high damage juggle on counter hit
  • Very short range and doesn't track
  • Can be used to interrupt strings or flow charts
• d+3: high crush low
  • +1 on hit
  • However is slow at i20
• d+1+2: mid
  • -12 on block, high crush, wall splat and wall break

SAV stance

SAV (Savage) is Miguel's special stance that has a set of moves specific to SAV

• d/f+1[~f SAV]:
  • This means, you can do d/f+1 and choose to enter SAV stance or not
  • You may enter SAV stance regardless of if the attack whiffs, is blocked, or hits
• Enter "manual SAV" stance anytime with 3+4
  • Takes 8 frames and you can be hit during this

SAV Stance basics

• Auto block even if you hold Forward, e.g. d/f+1~F ... (blocks move)
• You **cannot** side step, back dash, or forward dash
• Cancel it by ~d/b or ~d/f
• You can low block or low parry from stance

Important SAV stance attacks

• SAV 1 strings: i12 high strings
  • SAV 1<4: Delayable two hit string.
    • SAV 1,4: Natural combo, wall bounce
    • SAV 1<4: Delayable 2nd hit, not a natural combo on delay, 2nd hit will wall bounce if it hits
• SAV 2: i16 mid, high damage single attack from Miguel
• SAV b+1[~f SAV]: i14 homing mid, shorter range. Very good!
  • SAV b+1<4: Delayble 2nd hit and 2nd hit is a CH launcher
    • SAV b+1,4: Natural combo
• SAV d+4,3[~f SAV]: i15, low, mid string. High damage. -2 on hit.
• SAV d/b+3[~f SAV]: i19, low, high damage
  • CH SAV d/b+3: Free damage. Can do manual SAV d/f+2 (3+4 SAV d/f+2) or f,f+2,1 3+4 SAV d/f+2 (difficult)
• SAV b+3[~f SAV]: Power crush, high
  • SAV b+3~f SAV d/f+2 is a combo on hit
• SAV 4: homing, i16, CH launcher, KND on normal hit with free 3+4 SAV d/f+2
• SAV 3<3: i15 mid, high
  • Delayable two hit string and a hit confirm
  • 2nd hit launches on CH

Elbow/Knee

Sometimes you need to counter with a knee or elbow to stop certain types of reversals or parries

All mids:

• d+2: Elbow
• d/f+4: Knee
• SAV 3: Knee