Miguel strategy

Standard 33/33/33 playing Tekken:

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

Wait: Movement

Use Miguel's superior movement and annoying 50/50s to bait out a whiff.

Whiff punishers

Up close:

• u/f+4: i15 launcher, aka hop kick, -13 on block
• d/f+2,1: i16 launcher, but risky at -15 on block
• f+1+2: i14 KND with free manual SAV 2, safe on block with pushback

Farther away:

• f+4,2: KND and wall splat
  • Miguel's main whiff punish from back dash
• Sometimes d/f+2,1 can work, however it is -15 on block
• d/f+3,2: Low damage, very safe

Approach

Mix up your approach tools and timing

• d/f+1[~f SAV] -2 on block, +5 on hit
  • Weak to SSL
  • Combines interrupting their keep outs and approach
  • Can lead into a 50/50 out of nothing
• d/b+3[~f SAV] +4 on hit.
  • Weak to SSR
  • If they don't duck
• u/f+1[~f SAV] +4 on block
  • For if they may duck
  • u/f+1[~f SAV] d/f+2 guaranteed on everyone but Dragunov, Fahkumram, Marduk, and Miguel (tall characters)
• f+4[~f SAV]: homing, +6 on hit, longer range
  • Important tool for tracking, both up close, and far away
• d+4: Long range low, +0 on hit
• d/f+3,2 Safe mid,mid string

Example of approach and 50/50s

d/f+1 can suddenly lead to two big lows in a 50/50 and 25+% of their HP is suddenly gone.

However, there are risks, such as getting counter hit launched by a magic 4, or if they guess correctly.

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 such as d/f+2, hopkick, and magic 4
  • Use your superior side step and back dash to make mashers and dick jabbers pay, by making them whiff
  • d/f+1,2: If they mash after d/f+1, then the 2nd hit will CH and KND into free manual SAV 2
    • CH (d/f+1),2 3+4 SAV 2
• Once they stop mashing, you can add a SAV mixup 50/50. Here's some examples:
  • Low and a safe mid, d/f+1~f SAV d/b+3~f SAV b+1 -> run around
  • SAV b+1 is a homing mid, very good for safety. But it has a shorter range and they can backdash in many situations.
  • d/f+1~f SAV 2 high damage, safe mid
  • d/f+1~f delay to see if they guess, or side step, or try to attack
  • d/f+1 into d/f+1 or u/f+1. Don't have to enter SAV
  • d/f+1 into side step, see if you can bait a whiff or an opening for another d/f+1 poke
  • d/f+1~f SAV d+4,3 (i15): In case they are timing their ducks for the slower SAV d/b+3 (i19)

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 the 2nd hit tracks some characters and/or situations well.
  • Sometimes do 1,2,4 to interrupt opponent, but risky since they can duck and launch 3rd hit
• d/f+1
• d/b+3+4: i12 generic low kick with superior range
• d+3: i20 low, high crush, +1 on hit
• (d/f+1),2:
  • 2nd hit CH KND into free manual SAV 2
  • Helps stop mashers after d/f+1
• d/f+3,2 safe mid,mid string.
  • Lower hitbox than f+4 and also relatively long range, compared to some of Miguel's tools
• f+4 homing
  • Has a high hitbox for a mid and is evaded by things
  • But has long range and can mess up their timing if they're used to dealing with short range attacks

Keepout

• Jabs: 1 or 1,2
• d/f+1
• d/b+3+4: i12, quick low to crush highs or beat slower attacks and interrupt your opponent
• 4: Magic 4 counter hit launcher. High, longer range hit box
• b+1: high, small hit box
  • Starts a high damage juggle on counter hit
  • Very short range and doesn't track anywhere
  • Can be used to interrupt strings or flow charts
• d+3: high crush low
  • +1 on hit and long range
  • However is slow at i20
• d+1+2: mid, high crush, long range
  • -12 on block
  • Wall splat and wall break
• Manual SAV:
  • At long range, can manually enter SAV with 3+4 and can use SAV attacks
  • E.g. SAV 2 or SAV 4 or SAV 1 as keep out

Mashers

Dealing with mashers is annoying

You can gain frames by slipping in a well timed d/f+1 (+5 on hit), which gives you all the frames you need

If they are mashers after d/f+1 hits:

• d/f+1 -> b+1 or 4
  • Counter hit launch them. CH b+1 combo does almost as much as delayed hopkick u/f,N+4
  • They can high crush or side step these
• d/f+1 -> d/f+1:
  • Maybe they try to high crush or mash jabs. This will most likely shut them down.
• d/f+1,1
  • If you aren't afraid of the opponent ducking the 2nd hit of d/f+1,1, then maybe mash that two or three times in a row until they stop attacking

If they are mashers after d/f+1 blocked:

• (d/f+1),2: 2nd hit will KND for free 3+4 SAV 2
• d/f+1 -> side step: may evade most jab strings, dick jabs, and a lot of other stuff
• d/f+1 -> back dash: may evade shorter range attacks
• d/f+1 -> block:
  • Maybe they do something like hopkick (-13): Block and punish it
  • or maybe something that is safe, but -9 on block: Block and apply a mixup with your frames
• d/f+1 -> jab or b+1: If they try to apply a slow attack, e.g. 15 or more frames, you can slap them out of it.

If they Stop Mashing

If they stop mashing, you can approach with:

• u/f+1 +4 on block
• d/b+3 +4 on hit
• f+4 +6 on hit, if they try to side step the above two

Then at +4 or +5, you can use a SAV mixup, e.g.

• If they won't mash: another 50/50
  • Lows: SAV d/b+3 or SAV d+4,3 or regular d/b+3
  • Mids: SAV 2 or u/f+1
• If they mash: CH b+1 or 4
• Not sure: d/f+1 and try to get into the same situation we are familiar with
• Not sure/safer: SAV b+1 homing mid
  • Optional delay 2nd hit SAV b+1<4, as 2nd hit is a CH launcher
  • If they are sufficiently scared of 2nd hit of SAV b+1,4, you can do SAV b+1~f SAV 50/50

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
• SAV u/f+3: Knee

NOTE: You can also bait them out to whiff and whiff punish their parry/reversal

Anti Special Stances

E.g. Zafina or Xiaoyu or Eddy

• d+2: Mid
• d/b+2: Mid
• d+4: long range low
• d/b+3+4: generic fast low
• d/f+1: Hits regular AOP, but whiffs on AOP duck

NOTE: d/f+1 has a high hitbox, and whiffs on many special stances

Leroy parry:

• SAV 1<1 will CH launch Leroy's parry into parry attack, if they mash
  • SAV 1<1 means delay 2nd hit, although SAV 1,1 is effective, it may not CH launch