Fighting Game Guide

Tagging

Tagging varies greatly between games. There's usually a window of vulnerability where either the outgoing character or the incoming character can be punished. If there is any kind of invincibility during a tag, it usually costs meter and/or is very unsafe on whiff or block. A default tag in neutral is called a raw tag.

In many games, the default tag is a tag attack. Tag attacks are just like any attack with startup and recovery. Tag attacks are unsafe on block in most games.

In this game, the outgoing character leaves quickly and won't get hit but the incoming character will.

In this game, if the outgoing character is hit during the startup of the tag, no tag is made.

Delayed Hyper Combo (DHC) is a safe(r) way of tagging. It involves starting a super attack with one character and then having the incoming character continue the combo with their own super attack. Usually this is done by inputting the command for the second character's super attack during the first character's super attack. DHC is very versatile but it can be expensive. Because of damage scaling, it may be better to tag into the second character's super attack before the first character's super attack finishes.

The second character on the team is the bridge between super attacks that make DHC possible. Their super attack should be able to keep the combo going especially if there is a third character you can baton pass the combo to. Another good trait for the second character to have is a super attack that's safe on block to tag in safely outside of combos.

Team Hyper Combo (THC) calls the whole team to perform their super attacks simultaneously. It costs a lot of meter and there are better uses for your meter but it has a couple of uses.
1. It does a lot of damage. When you really need to kill a character and THC is the only thing that will do it.
2. It does a lot of chip damage. Even on block THC takes a chunk out of your opponent's health bar and can chip kill.
3. It's useful for whiff punishing. The input for it is simple as it's usually only pressing two buttons. The simple input and the long range of THC means it is a great, albeit expensive, whiff punishing tool.

Variable Counter is a tag performed out of blockstun. It's like a tagging Alpha Counter. The incoming character comes in with an attack. This attack is usually not that good and/or unsafe on block. There is a way around this. Variable Counter counts as a special attack which means it can be canceled into a super attack to be made safe.

Snapback

Snapback is an attack that forces the active character out and brings the next character on the team in. It is an attack and can be comboed into. The snapback is a great tool to bring in a weaker character to finish them off or to disrupt a team's order. Also you can snapback a character out so that their teammate is forced to come in early and forfeit their recoverable health.

Incoming

After killing (or snapbacking) a character, the next character on the team takes their place.

A mixup attempted on the incoming character is called an incoming mixup. Think of it like okizeme on the incoming character. You will see players killing characters with super attacks even if they didn't have to because super attacks give the player more time to setup an incoming mixup.

In most team games, the incoming character is considered to be airborne and will be air blocking as they enter. Try to setup a left/right mixup, unblockable, or air throw mixup on the incoming character.