Paul strategy

This page is for Tekken 8. For Tekken 7, see Paul strategy (Tekken 7).

Transition Charts

df+1~b (r15 SWA +3 +9)

	Level	Startup	Gap oB	Gap oH	Crush
1	h	i11	-8	-2
db+4	l	i13	-10	-4	cs5~
SWA.2	m	i15	-12	-5
df+1	m	i15	-12	-6
df+2	m	i15	-12	-6	High Evasion 11~
SWA.4	h	i15~16	-12	-6
SWA.1+2	m	i16~17	-13	-7	High Evasion 10~
uf+3,4	m	i16~17	-13	-7	js8~29
SWA.3	L	i18~19	-15	-9	cs1~
SWA.1	M	i21~22	-18	-12
db+1+2	M	i21~22	-18	-11	pc8~

ws1,2~b (r19 SWA +1 +14g +15)

	Level	Startup	Gap oB	Gap oH	Gap oCH	Crush
1	h	i11	-10	+2	+3
db+4	l	i13	-12	0	+1	cs5~
SWA.2	m	i15	-14	-1	0
df+1	m	i15	-14	-1	0
df+2	m	i15	-14	-1	0	High evasion 11~
SWA.4	h	i15~16	-14	-1	0
SWA.1+2	m	i16~17	-15	-2	-1	High Evasion 10~
uf+3,4	m	i16~17	-15	-2	-1	js8~29
SWA.3	L	i18~19	-17	-4	-3	cs1~
SWA.1	M	i21~22	-20	-7	-6
db+1+2	M	i21~22	-20	-7	-6	pc8~

Overview

High Crush

	Startup	Level	Crush
CD	2		cs1~21
SWA	3		cs1~14
DPD	4		cs1~30
db+1	i10	sl	cs
d+2	i11	sl	cs
db+4	i12	L	cs
db+3	i15~i17	L	cs
DPD.4
qcb+3	i18~19	L	cs1~
qcf+3	i18~19	L	cs7~40
qcf+1+2	i32~33	L	cs1~33
2,d+3	i10,i22	h,L	cs21~
1,4	i10,i23	h,L	cs14~
f,F+2,2	i15~17,i36~38	m,L	cs33~83

Low Crush

	Startup	Level	Crush
uf+3	i15~16	m	js8~29 fs30~32
uf+3,4	i15~16,i13~14	m,m	js8~29 fs30~32
uf+4	i15~17	m	js8~29 fs30~32
uf,n,4	i23~25	m	js8~29 fs30~32
f+4	i22	m	js9~22
uf+2	i22~23	h	js9~24
f,F+3	i15~16	m	js10~31 fs32~34
f,F+3,4	i15~16,i13~14	m,m	js10~24 fs25~27
f,F+4	i27~34	m	js14~31 fs32~34
qcf+3+4	i19~20	m	js19~39
DPD.3+4

Armor

	Startup	Level	oB	oH	Crush
2+3	i16	m	+1	+2c	pc7~
db+1+2	i20~21	M	-14	+30a (+22)	pc7~19
b+1+2	i24	h	-9	+21d (+16)	pc7~23
RA	i20	m,t	-15	+0d	pc8~

Homing

	Startup	Level	oB	oH
SWA.4	i15~16	h	+1	+23d (+14)
f+3	i16~17	h	-9	+2
f+4	i22	m	-5	+6

Launchers

	Startup	Level	oB	oH
b+3	i14~15	h	-6	+31a (+25)
df+2	i15~16	m	-8	+33a (+23)
qcf+1	i16~17	h	-4	+33a (+26)
SWA.1+2	i16~17	m	-14	+37a (+27)
f,F+4	i27~34	m	+2	+18a

df+2

Safe, extremely high-evading mid. Close-range whiff punish. Can be combined with with df1~b, ws1,2~b and backdash to launch overextensions.

SWA.1+2

Best range among Paul's launchers. Has some high evasion on startup, but punishable at -14.

qcf+1

High and slow, but very safe at -4.

b+3

Faster than df+2 for clutch situations but has a high hitbox and limited range. Good for pressure. Tracks left.

f,F+4

Cartwheel launcher. Recovers in full crouch. Tons of active frames, but slow and linear, making it vulnerable to floats and sidesteps. Advantage on block ranges from -1 to +5 based on how late the attack connects.

Hopkicks

	Startup	Level	oB	oH
uf+3	i15~16	m	-16	+25a (+15)
uf+4	i15~17	m	-13	+33a (+23)
uf+3,4	i15~16,i13~14	m,m	-16,-13	+32a (+22)
f,F+3	i15~16	m	-17	+24a (+14)
f,F+3,4	i15~16,i13~14	m,m	-17,-16	+30a (+20)

All hopkicks crush lows but are unsafe on block. uf+3 and f,F+3 can be extended with 4 to frame trap and launch premature punish attempts. f,F+3,4 can be further extended into a high, mid or low followup with 4, f+4 or d+4.

Gimmick Lows

	Startup	Level	oB	oH
f,F+2,2	i15~17,i36~38	m,L	-17,-19c	+27a
qcf+1+2	i32~33	L	-12c	+71a (+55) T!

Cancelable, but slow enough to be hopkicked on reaction. If not interrupted, both attacks recover in full crouch when canceled, giving Paul access to Ultimate Tackle (FC.1+2), mixup from FC.df+2 (an alternate input for f,F+2) and pressure from ws1,2~b.

Counterhit Launchers

	Startup	Level	oB	oCH
db+2	i19~20	M	-11	+28a (+18)
SWA.4	i15~16	h	+1	+59a
SWA.3,2,1	i18~19,i27~28,i18~19	L,m,h	-21c,-10,-5	+63a (+47) T!
qcf+3+4	i19~20	m	-9	+74a (+58) T!
SWA.1	i21~22	M	+0c	+53a
(2),3	i10,i22~23	h,h	+0,-9	+51a
df+(3),4	i16,i21~22	m,m	-9,-10	+59a
(3),2~b	i15~16,i23	m,h	-7,+4	+57a
DPD.(2),3			,
SWA.3	i18~19	L	-21c	+21a
SWA.(3,2),3	i18~19,i27~28,i25~26	L,m,M	-21c,-10,-13c	+46a
b+(2),1	i18,i36	m,m	-5c,-12	+48a
b+(2),1*	i18,i60~61	m,m	-5c,+8	+56a
ws(1),2~b > H.SWA.2~F	i15~16,i20,i15	m,m,m	+1,-9	+36a (+26)

Enders

Damage/Floor Break

wr2

Paul's standard max damage ender, made slightly more damaging (and more difficult) with 2 > wr2. Decent oki. Outside of combos it is unsafe at -10, but its big damage and Spike property make it worth the occasional use in neutral, especially when floor gimmicks are available.

Wall Carry

d+4,2:1+2

Optimal ender for damage and wall carry. Perfect input required to maximize both.

f,F+2:1

Useful for splatting at ranges where Demoman will not recover in time for a wall combo follow-up.

ws3,2

Useful for splatting at ranges where Demoman and f,F+2:1 will not recover in time for a wall combo follow-up.

DPD.2,1

High damage 2-hit carry string. Second hit uses Tornado, which can limit follow-up combo potential after a wall splat.

f,F+3,4,4

Paul's highest damage carry from ranges where Demoman is too far to wall splat.

Okizeme Enders

• wr2 (Spike)
• d+1 (Spike)
• CS.1
• CS.3+4

Pressure

df+4

Low risk at -2 and high reward with CH confirm into f+2 Heat Engager or d+1+2/b+1,2 knockdown. On block, best used in combination with sidestep to evade and launch mashing opponents. At +8 on hit, df+1~b can only be interrupted by parries or teleporting attacks, a second df+4 can only be interrupted by armor or teleporting attacks, and throw attempts can only be ducked or interrupted by a mashed Rage Art.

ws1,2~b

Delayable, sway cancelable mid-mid pressure tool. First hit tracks far to Paul's left side and combos into second hit on CH. The second hit, which should always be sway canceled, is +1 on block, +14g on hit, and CH leads to two confirmable Heat Engager options with SWA.2 or f+2. Great range when used as iWS from either crouch dash or DPD. Highly abusable attack and one of Paul's best all-purpose moves.

df+1~b, df+1,1, df+1,1,2

df+1 is a versatile plus on block mid when sway canceled, and can be used to frame trap with delayable df+1,1. Second hit on CH guarantees third hit into qcf+2 mini-combo. df+2, with obnoxious high evasion, pairs well with df+1~b on block as opponents will try to jab check the stance transition and can be launched for trying.

SS.3

Low with huge reach. Only -12 on block. Guaranteed d+1+2 for 50 damage on CH. Ideal after df+1~b~u or ws1,2~b~u.

f,F+2:1

Second hit can be ducked but requires awareness and fast reaction. At -4, mshing on block can generally be backdashed or sidestepped.

d+4,2:1+2 (Demoman)

Paul's most damaging unseeable low. Requires clean hit or CH for all three hits to connect, lacks any high crush and is extremely punishable on block. Best used sparingly, but always worth establishing as a threat. Most effective near wall, where it cannot be backdashed.

qcf+2 (Deathfist)

Huge, fast, damaging mid Heat Engager. Linear and vulnerable to sidestep. Forms the foundation of Paul's mid-low mix along with Demoman.

qcf+3

Go-to unseeable low outside Demoman's Clean Hit range. Crushes highs and leads to a Demoman mini-combo on most counterhits.

3,2~b

Big frame advantage on hit or block and Ch launch potential make this an enticing move to use in neutral, but the second hit is easily ducked and launched on reaction, crippling its usefulness as a poke - it should not be used outside of combos unless the opponent is unaware of the punish opportunity or istoo slow to capitalize. Can be made slightly more difficult to whiff punish with a buffered sidestep cancel into block, but still not a good idea.

Plus Frames

• SS.1
• uf+2
• f+1+2
• df+1~b
• SWA.4

Keepout

• d+1
• 3
• f+4
• CS.3
• SWA.2
• SWA.4

Wall

ff+1+2

Sets up wall combo if unbroken. Risky - causes FDFA knockdown if broken at wall.

df+1+3:qcf+2

Safer option for wall setups, but missing the perfect execution window can limit combo possibilities.

Stances

Crouch Dash/Cormorant Step

• cd
• qcf
• CS.1
• CS.2
• CS.3
• CS.3+4
• ws1,2~b

Close in on opponents while ducking highs with d,df Crouch Dash. Cormorant Step, which requires a full QCF motion, loses high evasion but has more forward movement than crouch dash and is necessary to execute stance moves. Therefore, when using CD/CS as an approach tool, it is generally better to use d,df first and delay the f input until the moment of your attack.

Good pokes from crouch dash are iWS1,2~b (mid-mid) and qcf3 (low). Whiff punish from this stance with qcf+2 Heat Engager at a distance or qcf+1 to launch at closer ranges.

Deep Dive

• DPD
• DPD.2
• DPD.4
• ws1,2~b

Because Deep Dive stance attacks do not require a forward input, Paul can use this crouch dash extension to more safely sail underneath keepout highs and punish. DPD.4 is especially strong against highs as unlike qcb+3 it does not require a standing state at startup.

DPD.2 is a strong, hit confirmable mid that is punishable at -10 on block but its two delayable followups can punish mash attempts.

iWS1,2 is, once again, an excellent option when used from Deep Dive.

Crouch Dash and Deep Dive can be chained together for a pseudo-wavedash with the input d,df,d,df,u. This is especially useful for chasing down techs after a knockdown.

Sway

• d,db,b
• df+1~b
• ws1,2~b
• 3,2~b
• SWA.1
• SWA.2
• SWA.3
• SWA.4
• SWA.1+2

Grabs

• i11 - B 1+4 - 40 DMG - 1 break
• i12 UF1+2 - 40 DMG - #floorbreak - 1+2 break
• i12 FF1+2 - 38 DMG - #wallbreak - 1+2 break
• i12 2+4 B hold - 40 DMG - 2 break
• i12 DF1+3 - 22 DMG - +9 trap setup - 1 break
• DF1+3 > QCF 2 - #wallbreak #uhhhhaa
• Takedown.2,d+1,1,1+2 -50 DMG - 1 break
• Takedown.1+2 - 25 DMG - 1+2 break

Frame Traps

Setup moves

• i12 DF1+3 (throw +9/ -2 ob)
• i12 DF1,b (+3ob/+9oh)
• i15 SWA4 (+1ob)
• i22 UF2 (+5ob)
• i20 SS1 (+8ob)

Samples

Safe

• i15 SWA4 (+1 ob) > 1,2 (-3 ob) - 18 DMG
• i20 SS1 (+8 ob) > QCF 1(-4 ob, #launcher) -21 DMG
• i22 UF2 (+5 ob) > B3 (-9 ob, #launcher) - 19 DMG

Unsafe

• i15 SWA4 (+1 ob) >!i10 1,2,3(-25 ob) can be hit confirmed - 25 DMG
• i20 SS1 (+8 ob) > QCB1+2(-14 ob, #launcher)