How Strong Players "Get Away With It" On Offense

[@sylascole5254]

Folks got mad confirmation bias too. They see all of the stuff you do that works, but they don't see all the small baits and OSs that go on that you used to cover yourself prior to getting the hit to begin with.

[@johnpetrila4823]

Very good point. Broad analysis is much easier and faster than looking at a ton of details to paint a better picture of what actually went into you getting beaten (which also takes a certain level of game knowledge). I imagine that post-lost salt also clouds a lot of people's judgment, and by the time that clears they're not willing to go back and really examine what happened and why.

[@leithaziz2716]

"Missing The Forest For The Trees"

[@CarbonRollerCaco]

Right. People gotta pay more attention to the whole picture. Everything's connected. And that's how (almost) everything connects.

[@JCintheBCC]

There is definitely a respect that is a deterrent, but it's earned through the things you are describing. In Silver in SFV, you can be liberal with jump-ins. You'll get anti-aired about 60% of the time with a normal or a single-hit DP. At higher ranks, that will be nearly 100% and will often be a 300dmg combo. So you just don't try it against those players. Brian_F has a great video where he takes about 8 minutes to explain a 7 second series with Balrog rekka. It was eye-opening to see how many tiny reads and choices are being made at high level play.

[@MagicMoste]

I was thinking about this while I was editing it and why this kind of idea is so prevalent among intermediate and beginner players. When you think about the beginner -> intermediate pipeline, the primary things you learn are how to pilot your character more comfortably and the answers to a whole bunch of knowledge checks (because knowledge checks are primarily how beginners are winning a lot of their matches and to get to intermediacy you would be beating other beginners). Now they've reached a point where they have learned a lot and are no longer beginners, but the only real problem solving they've learned to get there is through beating these knowledge checks. There's a whole ocean of skills that are tested and problems that need to be solved that aren't just "this string is -7, just hit close slash" that they have very little to no experience in. In my general experience, players at this plateau have a hard time internalizing things in the game that can't be directly quantified; moves that are just really strong (but not plus), spacing, how difficulty in execution relates to strategy. This is the plateau where those players that fixate on frame data reside, you know the ones. I don't really have a conclusion I just thought the line of thought was interesting; how the prevalence of knowledge checks can sort of limit the scope of what problem solving skills new players learn and expect to have to use. (although learning knowledge checks and using them are an important part of the beginners growth as well)

[@Uluyo]

I think knowledge checks limiting low level is natural because of how strong they are, low level players focus on that because they have to. In order to win at low level you have to learn how to deal with those strategies first or win with your own knowledge check. I think only after you've gotten past the level of just knowledge checks you're able to start learning the other parts of the game. My personal experience in SFV was trying to learn the other parts of the game first, footsies, strike-throw, anti-air, hit confirms, etc. None of that got me too far because I was overwhelmed by the crazy stuff my opponents were throwing out because at that stage everything was a knowledge check. I couldn't out-footsie a balrog mashing dash punch if I didn't know how to deal with that. What got me past it is both learning those knowledge checks, punishing them and applying my own knowledge check by learning a basic fireball/anti-air game. After knowing how to deal with Rashid shenanigans or Zangief when he got in then I could finally focus more on learning the rest.

[@El-Burrito]

Love to hear thoughts from the editor, thanks Moste :)

[@kyleflournoy7730]

I'm a really good player, I've won money in many different fighting games over the years. And it's still hard for me to conceptualize and visualize all of the things that aren't directly happening on screen. I'm only now coming around to the idea that my opponent isn't reading my mind to be able to jump my command grab. And sometimes they're just guessing or trying to option select block and delay jump lol. But gaining that level of awareness, when all you see on the screen Isa command grab getting jumped over is really hard

[@AED_001]

You hit the nail with the hammer. Tekken has this problem extra-bad. Low-level play in Tekken is knowledge-checking (accessible to all, with move lists of hundreds of moves, on a cast of 50+ characters), because if you land a knowledge-check it can mean a launch, which then means half a life bar + oki for the rest of their life should the low-level player know how to execute combos. High-level play in Tekken revolves around timing and fishing Counter-Hit, because it is the safest strategy/highest risk to reward ratio in favor of the user-- you land a CH, you get a launch and do over half of someone's life bar + oki for the rest of their life. These two things are equally easy to pick up and learn, but one is advertised more front-and-center due to what players are exposed to, like you mentioned. Players are taught from the beginning to knowledge-check their opponent because they go to practice mode, see a move list of 100 moves, look at them and go "wow that looks cool and it does a lot of damage", and then proceed to roll other new players who don't know any better until a gatekeeper shows them "no, you can't do that because you will die. immediately. for your entire HP bar.". There is no tutorial teaching players that they can win with 2-3 safe moves and no lows or grabs vs the vast majority of opponents who refuse to turtle. Contrary to popular belief, Tekken 7 is not poorly balanced. It's actually really well balanced apart from some outlier characters in the Top 5. It's just that the people calling it poorly balanced are either new players that haven't sunk in the time to get over the knowledge-check hump, or veterans who are absolutely jaded because they're stuck in the intermediate trench mentality-wise. Any Tekken player regardless of experience can choose to play low-level Tekken or high-level Tekken. It's their choice when they fire up a match, and it's the game's fault for not showing them that they can play high-level Tekken even if they're new. The issue becomes, as soon as they get BEATEN at high-level Tekken things can spiral into low-level Tekken if they are not up to snuff on their knowledge-checks. This is a feeling I've grappled a long time with doing mirror matches vs one of my mentors. Just like Sajam says in the video, I'd always wonder how he "could get away with playing like that". It's simply because you got beat at the actual game, so now you have to deal with the mind-fuckery if you can't put a stop to it at the source.

[@PoppinBgO]

Risk vs Return is what makes a lot of things that may seem simple or easily reactable safer. If its to risky most "better" players will understand this and understandably chose a safer option which will allow the advantaged player to take more space or turn than they should be allowed. This coupled with nerves will likely make it seem like the advantaged player is just getting to twerk all over the opponent.

[@SolidBones]

Boy am I glad that he's typhooning in there and we're out here and he's the sheriff's brother and that we're guardcrushed in here

[@tinglejingle9147]

But what I want to know is where's the whiff punish?

[@georgesears934]

@@tinglejingle9147 (Stares in stupor at super meter)

[@Dale967]

3:56 This is actually how I help myself not get too scrubby/complainy about certain strategies that seem whack but are beating my ass at a low to mid level. Usually the thought process is, "if what they're doing is really That Good, we'd be seeing it during high level play, but we don't. So there must be an answer." Good vid topic

[@tingispingis]

Yeah same with me. Whenever I catch myself getting mad and thinking "this guy's playing like an idiot" I try to follow it up with "that means there must be an easy way to beat it and I'm doing something wrong"

[@TheSatyrical]

@@tingispingis I completely agree. However, I think this creates a problem because to people who already know the answer, it seems a bit too obvious to them. So what ends up happening is that it's actually harder to find basic information. Basic tips sound basic but it's really in the eyes of a better player. I play Blazblue so sometimes you can get into an infinite blockstring if you don't learn to instant block. It's not hard in some cases, but it's not exactly obvious to a beginner even when looking at frame data (because to them it looks like everything is plus). It seems impossible to beat and just teaching people to lab isn't enough. Even if they do figure this out, they're still not equipped to understand the rps after.

[@BBGunRenegade]

I remember this in Street Fighter 4 with Daigo. There was a point where he could literally walk 1/2 or 3/4 screen and just throw people. The reason being that Daigo was so liberal with DPs in that game that people were afraid to press buttons when he had 2 meters, lest they get hit with DP FADC Ultra.

[@semantik95]

You're almost right. The usual reason long walkup throw works is because of the combined implied threat of poke and counterpoke, not DP FADC. In other words, if you have been winning footsies consistently by whiff punishing them, they are scared to hit a button at midrange (implied threat of counterpoke). So then the opponent tries to only press a button or walk back when the you walk into close range. But then they get tagged by preemptive cr. mk and cr. mp and eat a combo which is even worse. That's why long walkup throw is so rare and so hype in high level play. You have to have really conditioned your opponent around two options in neutral, AND make a read that they will be playing safe at the time you choose to do it. If the threat were DP FADC ultra, you wouldn't see long walkup throw at high level in games without invincible options that can be combo'd out of, but you do. And you see it in SF4 even when meter and ultra aren't stocked for precisely this reason.

[@jaayro]

Daigo confirmed woke moralist

[@Bober909]

@@jaayro Let's see who will FADC who.

[@CarbonRollerCaco]

@@semantik95 So DP in this case is Daigo Poke.

[@kobunz]

The No Mixup Mixup is the best possible Mixup but it only works if your opponent is good

[@bootywarrior6845]

So true

[@BRAZILIAN_MIKU]

Or you already read them like a book

[@GuyWithAnAmazingHat]

The talk about "aura" and "respect" is actually what the auras "haki" from One Piece and "touki" from Fist of the North Star refers to. When approaching someone who is powerful, you feel a lot of pressure facing them and become cautious and fearful, you "respect" their power, that's their "aura". And this "aura" is only possible because someone has build up a reputation as well as learnt how to present themselves through experience and training over time. Like how Daigo has created the idea of Ume Shoryu and people are legitimately afraid of it and how everyone knows Daigo will beat you FT10, he has created this "aura" of The Beast.

[@CamFGC]

Strives tower system has really helped me with this. After my 3rd month of celestial I fought darkrai, daze, and baccpack, and step one to beating them is not to be afraid just because they're better, cause then they're gonna meme on you. Tell yourself you're just as good and you might even take a few games

[@maikol4128]

People always remember the wild throw, but never remember what conditioned them to take the wild throw

[@zaybak]

I think there are 2 aspects sort of related to this that make it harder for less experienced players to see what's going on. 1. There seems to be a cliff separating players where you can just run your shit and stomp and players who will adapt and need to be conditioned. There seem to be (in my experience) few people in that grey area where you're just learning the real give and take of a fighting game and how to play outside of running your pressure. I think this is especially true in Strive because a strong offensive gameplan can take you really far. Somewhat related to this, weaker players who play ranked will tend to get put up against people you can't condition, who will get hit by the same thing 3 times in a row. That makes the jump to fighting ppl who will react to what you're doing even more jarring. 2. Ranked really makes it hard to learn how to condition an opponent. If you don't already know how to do it, by the time the set is over you've lost the opportunity to even try to condition. Again, in Strive, you lose this opportunity even sooner if there's a rating update during the set. I think for a lot of newer players, there's a misconception about what ranked is and what you need to practice outside of ranked. Imo, ranked is not a good way to practice; it's where you go to see how effective your practice has been. Also, you shouldn't just be practicing how to pilot your character in training (though that's important). Long sets in the park are great for practicing the intangibles of fighting games - how to play against the opponent rather than just the character, how to maintain mental stamina, how to recognize when you're autopiloting too much and how break out of that, etc.

[@Hayden3732]

I love that you mentioned that,it’s really easier to see from a third perspective than being in the scramble. Sometimes it’s not what you were looking for or were not ready to punish the Dp.

[@AggroSZN]

Aye I can confirm after being in multiple tournaments local and otherwise, when your *NEW* top player aura is real AF

[@johnpetrila4823]

While Sajam's thoughtful analysis here is great as always, that "Doin' Thangs" throwback was an absolute gem. Haven't seen that one in a very long time, and it still made me chuckle. Cheers!

[@decksteroussnail]

Hugs talks about a similar issue when players just copy some technique and do it raw and it doesn't work but gets upset when top players have the same tech work for them every time. The course of a match between two players evolves rapidly EVEN BEFORE the match begins. Maybe theres of this player's playstyle, maybe they had some casuals and someone picked up on a bad habit of theirs, maybe they noticed they were extra tilted from a previous match. Theres a lot of nuance that goes into a set than just the actual set.

[@NeoBoneGirl]

You're still not convincing me you didn't use wizard powers to get people to never punish your blocked DPs in +R, I'm not buying it

[@P0rk_Sinigang]

So basically, strong players get away with it the way that actual successful criminals get away with it. Planning, knowledge, and practice.

[@ividboy7616]

I was thinking about this a bit, and to me it feels like newer players have to live entirely in the present, because that's all that they have the brainspace for since they're trying to wrap their heads around too much at the time. This is why they just see "sol do run up wild throw" and not all of the conditioning and info gathering that was done beforehand. This is also why conditioning doesn't really work on new players, since they just see what's in front of them, and don't even really remember, or at least aren't thinking about the things you did prior. When they get more acquainted with the game/genre to the point where controlling your character is muscle memory, it frees up the brainspace for them to condition (thinking about the future) and to be conditioned (thinking about the past).

[@kyleflournoy7730]

I was actually just wondering how you were able to pull off full screen dash up grab on people's wake up so often, and now, seeing how many counter hit behemoths you get, makes everything makes so much more sense

[@WrathMilten]

"there is no top player respect" Mr 'grabbed 8 times in a row by hotashi' sajam

[@blargh559]

Having non-fgc people in the room when watching a man talking about swingin it meaty and people running up and DPing him is a lil hard to explain

[@Alwaysocean]

I feel like this, if ever so partially, could be caused by the matchmaking system in GGST. Being kicked out of a match bc of floor changes and the like make it really hard to figure out a person, which takes away from the conditioning and learning the other person as well, which then makes it harder to work in some of the things they see you do. The number of times I feel like I just started learning how to deal with how someone is playing a particular character just for one of us to get moved to a different floor is far too large.

[@crkhane]

I was not mentally prepared for that Big Bear reference. What an album.

[@ramiel5628]

This is something I noticed in Melee. When I was new I always wondered why in top level play, players did a lot more with their shield pressure because I knew that whenever I shielded my opponent would just run up and grab me. I had to recognize that as you get better you need to improve your options for getting out of shield. It's a hard thing to do as a low level player so you tend to just get grabbed instead.

[@rensenware5375]

By the way, I've been watching a lot of Goldlewis players lately, and despite how strong I've heard his 'infinite' fast RC pressure in positive bonus is, I've not seen it a single time in tournament or in serious matches. Is it difficult to set up, is there some reason I'm not seeing it more often?

[@chungusumungus4004]

His doesn't ignore FD pushback unlike some other characters' sequences

[@Sporkyz74]

Of all of the characters who can infinite FRC pressure with positive, Goldlewis' is (arguably) the most difficult to execute because you need to do a Dash forward FRC into an immediate 486, so there's a 66486 input if you don't use the dash macro. Additionally, wallbreaking with super with Goldlewis to break the wall while guaranteeing pressure to get the FRC pressure also usually means your opponent will die anyway, meaning the number of scenarios where he can run it is fewer than many other characters.

[@graveaxel3607]

Ive been spending time practicing Chipps cS - 2S - 2HS - 236S - 236S fast RC 236HS repeat, and Ive only been able to use it twice, and only against 2 celestial players, because Im having a hard time finding people who will block on wake up lol. That seems to be the hardest reason why, you need to have positive bonus, and they need to actually respect you

[@semantik95]

@@graveaxel3607 BTW, I don't think this is the string you should be using. I would recommend cl.S xx 2S xx 2HS xx 236S xx 236S and then either go for FRC 2S repeat (low option) or 236K FRC j.HS (overhead option). The low version is a true blockstring so it serves the same purpose as your string. The high version can be interrupted, but the threat of the mix is big and you are plus on block anyway. If you don't want to go for the mix, you can go for the low version, but the threat of an infinite blockstring that can also be a borderline unreactable high low mix that allows you to continue the string on block is pretty good. I understand there's an argument to just go for the simplest true blockstring cuz you want to mix them specifically when they get max risc. But the problem with that is that if the opponent understands the situation, you are giving them more time to IBFD, YRC, or burst which they will do because they know they have to. Against most random players even in celestial, you probably don't have to cuz they will try to mash at some point in the string anyway, but against someone who understands the situation, the mix is valuable.

[@zex69]

HE CAN'T KEEP GETTING AWAY WITH THIS

[@jpVari]

I remember the first time I played Aroo in Kof and it was the first time my bad dps were getting full optimal punished every time. That was an eye opener lmao. Edit - great video! This is something I first learned watching foxygrampa in mk11. He could somehow do whatever he wanted and I couldn't make those same things work. But then I watched closer, and closer, and closer. And I think I've learned so much in this area because it's where I had the most to learn. It's not easy or straightforward. But its real, it's not magic or mysticism.

[@no_nameyouknow]

I mean people say that all ky knows how to do is run up throw. But the reality is is they run up throw because they have forced the point of their offense to the point where the opponent must just stand and block right you use 6p use flippy kick you use slidey kick with Roman cancel you use all these moves to force them to freaking block and then you run up throw.

[@DoctorGalactor]

True. I play in Celestial a lot, and people tend to either respect Ky in mid range, which opens them to run up C.S or run up throw, and others are so impatient that they IAD after two fireballs.

[@MMurine]

This guy really knows his Ky moves.

[@no_nameyouknow]

@@MMurine Who wants to remember stun dipper. What does that even mean.

[@Exeeter1234]

I respect best sajam is saying there, and most of it is absolutely true. But honestly, there is a very real psychological effect that playing a known player has on alot of lower skilled players in an online space. It's not so egregious an effect where the rich get richer, but it very much does exist. And it's a perspective that I find more seasoned players lose sight of. This isnt just about "known" player, it can also be as simple as a ranked tag on the player name. There is certainly an element to this is modern online fg play.

[@no_nameyouknow]

Of course for some people nerves are an issue, and playing against someone who is supposed to be way better than them can add to your nerves, it can also work in the reverse. Sometimes playing a game you think you have no shot of winning can result in you playing better than ever, because you are not worried about losing or winning, you focus on playing properly instead.

[@adamyohan]

Your conditioning is just too good 🥶

[@Ef-Eff]

Gg i was the bear on the left

[@samcurry2361]

How do you recommend learning how to counter tactics that are “solved” or not present at a high level? Is that something I ought to just try to figure out on my own?

[@BRAZILIAN_MIKU]

Go to training mode, recreate and then test shit, try block, grab, dp, low, high, p, k, c.s, etc. You will find the answer

[@no_nameyouknow]

If it's not present at a high level, it means there is a counter that is pretty consistent. Find out what that counter is, google, training mode, ask someone, whatever. Then practice it.

[@chromethug]

im glad this isnt something i ever thought about personally, makes me feel like im doing things right. i have a friend that though mix mattered less vs pros or something like that he said but i was like bro a 50/50 is a 50/50 they have to guess the same way we do, these people are human and they just play in a way that lets them make more informed decisions on the given situation.

[@vincechan2096]

It's definitely mind games, I play thousands of hours of GGRev2, and am really good at baiken, and really good at driving below the speed limit. My objective when fighting someone of lesser skill, is to literally walk up and throw them, repeatedly. Until they learn to defend themselves before I get into throw range, far slash, then I counter their far slash with forward P or 2k, until it becomes a zombie paper rock scissor game, with my ultimate objective being walk up and throw. I mean, I'll go super saiyan 4 at the end of round 3, I've seen your BS for 2 full rounds now, can you counter mine? and then for the fatality i'll try to walk up and throw them.

[@tahmwithanh118]

yeah in my opinion it’s just conditioning and building the mental stack. if you get your opponent to respect your high low and they are conditioned to wait for their turn it will take more time for them to process that they’re going to get command grabbed. good players know how to make people respect their pressure

[@jelaninoel]

Glad to know I’m not the only one who wonders why ppl don’t play the same against good players as they do against me

[@EveryGamerLife]

It's because the frame data changes once you "git good"

[@doogdog6965]

Picking only rock doesn't work if you don't threaten them with the occasional scissors

[@Fooacta]

Big Bear meme? LIked.

[@AchedSphinx]

mental stacking it seems. if the opponent is looking for X you can get away with Y. that plus considering risk vs reward. if goldlewis baits the DP he loses pressure if the opponent doesn't DP and just mashes out. but if he doesn't bait the DP he gets to keep chipping and maybe catches the mash attempt or back dash or jump and wins off that alone. while the DP doesn't lead to a ton of reward unless it's vs Leo. something else to think about is how much meter the opponent has. 50 meter means they can RC the dp and baiken can PRC on whiff. sometimes you just gotta go for it because bait can easily cause you to lose the round. if they're doing DP a lot then baiting it is probably wise.

[@bowpow1]

I feel like risk assessment is a huge factor. if you land a DP that's great and now to can start going to town on a fool, but if you don't then it's COUNTER and you're probably going to die as a result. because of this i feel some players just choose to eat a blockstring cause they feel it's less hazardous.

[@BRAZILIAN_MIKU]

And then there's characters that fuck you if you block too much, you HAVE to hit that dp, or whatever counters their move, and that's where the mental game lies, most people can't do it on reaction so they need to mentally prepare for the dp, but you can bait then and do something different, and now they need to prepare another thing, and then the mental game goes on

[@thecoolkid440]

I think its because beginner level players are focused on what option beats what, where intermediate and higher players establish multiple options in similar situations. they know what options beat what, they know every option can be beaten, but they also know every option beats something. i get away with bullshit because i have in the matches punished my opponent for trying to call out my bullshit. now i get free pressure resets out of nowhere because my opponent is respecting frametraps, dash throws, sweeps, jumping attacks, and i just get to kinda start my pressure over because they're scared of my other options.

[@LeafLeaf219]

he can’t keep getting away with this

[@kryeyingface5365]

Tell these gamers- thank you!

[@MisterMazoku]

To that last part, I had a friend claim we "went even" in Tekken 7. I checked my logs because he was the only person I played tekken on pc with. He won 3 games to my 75. I don't know where folks get these fairy tale wins from

[@CarbonRollerCaco]

A close loss is still a loss. And oftentimes closeness is an illusion.

[@McKayla24798]

Top players actually play the arcade boss versions of characters

[@MagnusXL]

Don't worry Sajam. I'd still mash against you on wake up.

[@Dr3am9553]

it's actually crazy how little most people look at the screen. Even when they aren't the ones playing lol When I watch sajam's goldlewis i'm fucking terrified cause I see/hear almost every meaty BT has an FD cancel behind it. He's doing run up throw and run up crossup jH to smoke DP inputs. He even calls them out. You know the slight bit of silence as he runs up ".... DP?" And doing run up jD safe jumps lol Or when he calls drone a fanfict move as he puts it on your knockdown cause he knows drone will basically bail him out of worse case scenario. and then the midset conditioning after getting oki'd multiple times as he goes for 'the millia" and airdash back jK And somehow all people saw was "the millia" at the end and not the trail of dead bodies getting to "the millia" ROFLLL

[@mikecampau438]

Yeah I think it's fair to just say it's both. Cause at a high lvl the reasoning checks but when your fighting viewers and you just have like a five minute block string... I mean... You gotta believe there might be a little over respect.

[@Trelastname]

I woulda went with the Jesse Pinkman "he can't keep getting away with this" face for the thumbnail personally. Good shit tho

[@justineubanks7662]

It’s funny I played against Fuudo at sega cup 2012 and got washed. And I looked at the replay and realized I was playing scared as hell. Woulda got washed anyway don’t get me wrong lol but since it was Fuudo I didn’t play like I normally do. Too much respect, too much waiting in a fast paced game. I knew I was beaten before we even sat down.

[@Sorrelhas]

Do one stupid thing after doing two smart things; they'll never expect it In fact, there's even the chance they'll go into a Twitter tirade about how you're random, or release a 10 minute video explaining how what you did isn't optimal and you should stop, because 100 points in SFV are really important apparently

[@pabloarammasmanian5391]

Sajam mind controlling his chat making it think that he gets away for a reason when is only top player privilege. The privilege is conditioning people to not dp not people not dpying all over the places. Well played Sajam

[@johnnyeffect]

What is DP?

[@Raxyz_0]

I mean, the mind game and pressure of facing a strong player _does_ come into play as well. It's not JUST that, but it's a factor. In your set against Hotashi months ago the first round was literally him dashing and forward throw and the only reason that worked is because your strategy against him is to wait for the pop. I'm a 10.5 floor player and there's nothing in God's green Earth I can do to make that work a single time across 100 matches except changing my R-code to "Moist | Hotashi" and using the green palette, lol.

[@SupermanSajam]

This isn’t true, it worked because either I was late to checking the fukyos, or I was willing to take the throw damage vs getting counter hit by cS. My general strategy vs Nago is also the same vs him, or anybody else, and I adjust as I play them. It’s not about them being a top player or not.

[@dash445566]

It's great that you recognize this situation, and analyzing what you understand and don't understand of it, will help you progress

[@Raxyz_0]

@@SupermanSajam Welp. I assumed it was your strategy vs Hotashi since that's not something I've seen in happen in other sets, but streaming and talking to the chat while fighting an EVO champ is definitely taxing. I might've misjudged what happened there.

[@Raxyz_0]

@@dash445566 Frankly, I don't think there's many lessons to learn from that. It was an unique interaction between two high level players while one was focusing on explaining the MU to the chat. It was just funny enough that it stuck to me, and people will not ever block twice on defense in the tower. It's mash city there, lol

[@dash445566]

@@Raxyz_0 to understand are you saying that in tower the only way to get ppl blocking on defence is already being a known top player?

[@MAGCOUSA]

Answer is: "I play in Heaven." 🤣🤣🤣

[@qedsoku849]

Fear aura is a thing, but it only works on players much worse than you

[@LivingShdw]

I'd say this just comes down to conditioning. You have them expecting something that isn't DPable. So, when you do something that is, they don't think of it as an option. This is part of why practicing against CPU isn't really a good idea. At high CPU levels, it will always punish you. You can't train it to allow things like niche setups to work.

[@Spades20XX]

That's the summation of the whole video! Conditioning, conditioning, conditioning. People are conditioned to expect something, be it from your own actions or from previous players who have conditioned them to predict what you might do. It's the mind control of it. There's more variables to it, like the pool of players you fit in and what they're expecting, but overall it's the big ol c word

[@kazmaahr]

Still doesn't explain why people let go of block mid string vs sonicfox captain cold or cage where there is zero mixup and no stagger possibility.

[@17Goop]

prime example of top player propaganda, smh

[@fakeigniz13]

Use shampoo and conditioning