Understanding the art of Team Building in The King of Fighters XV

[@rooflemonger]

In KoF you always need a team, and what is important just besides the characters, is how you utilize them in your team order! Putting someone in front instead of last potentially might handicap their options, and putting someone last instead of first maybe gives them resources they don't fully need! So lets go over the basics of teambuilding in this video and if it helped you then leave a like!

[@Ticketman99]

I'm not liking this comment because the video helped me, I'm liking this comment because you're spittin' FACTS.

[@bryanyoung1968]

Do you have a kof section in the discord?

[@rooflemonger]

@@bryanyoung1968 I don't have any discord. There's a million people asking you to join their discords already I don't wanna be another one on the pile

[@nuraby_9228]

I just pick characters I like without thinking lmao

[@microfiber]

This was one of the biggest things I struggled with in DBFZ and MVC. This video helps so much!

[@rooflemonger]

Lots more KoF XV content coming! Maybe a couple quick combo guides next to help prep for launch? If you have suggestions for videos now is also the best time to have those realized because im willing to cover just about anything right now. Also those looking for the Ash Crimson saga video, I said Sunday but realistically that can't happen now. Its still coming, but originally I wasn't allowed to post KoF XV vids til monday, and now embargo got moved up so the new hot thing takes priorty cause that's what youtube demands. It is still coming but its just getting pushed back a smidge.

[@MeatOfJustice]

You touched on meter consumption on this video, but could talk more about who are the most and least meter hungry?

[@rooflemonger]

@@MeatOfJustice well that would detail going over all 39 characters again, and the last time I did that took almost 2 hours in a video lol. I give a couple examples in the video in the later section anyways

[@MeatOfJustice]

@@rooflemonger I wasn't talking about everyone on the roster, maybe top 5 each?

[@mast3rharo]

Cover all the "Grapplers" (so half the cast haha) first.

[@naransolongoboldbayer8030]

Wouldn't mind a guide on mix and pressure as it's the one thing I can never find videos for

[@DevilJin01]

Zoner characters are easy first spots for your team. They dont really need meter to do what they want and because they land a lot of stray hits they build meter well for the teammates. Up front zoners have to deal with less anti projectile ex moves and supers also

[@shai310]

True, but I do think you'll need to change their positions once in a while because your opponent might switch in a character that can handle zoning very well thus making it more easy for them. But I do like the idea of putting them as point characters since they don't use meter that often.

[@bigredradish]

I really love the way you build teams in this game and the meter system in general. it adds a fun layer of depth to it all and I love almost "building" my mains depending on where they are in the team? like I'd play point whip a bit more pester-y than a mid/anchor combo machine whip

[@Scrubermensch]

you know what? it's 2022, 20 years after KoF 02 made its debut and it's fair to see it growing so popular again that there are tutorials for XV on my front page! let's go SNK! The queen of Arcades is back!!!!

[@TheCJRhodes]

I appreciate you relating the point characters to different fighting games. I've been watching a lot of pre-release combo videos, but most of them seem to be crazy situational full bar ones. Don't see a ton of the 'Street Fighter' variety for their point characters. Can't wait to eventually see a breakdown, when the dust has settled, of what characters really thrive where, and if there ends up being any surprises.

[@XmortoxX1990]

Those types of videos a are always meant for easy views for the more casual audiences who thinks fighting games are just long combos. I prefer character guides that have bread an butter combos rather than just combo videos, you learn nothing fro the later

[@Nowel22222]

@@XmortoxX1990 ???

[@zero123alpha6]

@@Nowel22222 whats confusing?

[@Nowel22222]

@@zero123alpha6 this isn't a character or combo guide... this dudes comment doesn't make any sense

[@zero123alpha6]

@@Nowel22222 Yeah, but its a response to OP talking about combo vids

[@ogredanhibiki]

Prepared for the eventual tier list that "ranks" characters by their best position on the team. All spots Point Battery Anchor

[@pauljung9620]

the reasons for character order is kinda the reverse in like mvc and dbfz, where point characters in kof can do fine without resources, whereas a point character in marvel or dragon ball would usually like to have resources, aka assists

[@CerberusCo]

For a guy who doesn't know alot about fighting games, you sure do put out alot of in depth guides 😂 Much love Rooflemonger! Thanks for your hard work!

[@rooflemonger]

I just guess at random everything I say and do and turns out Ive gotten lucky every time!

[@shai310]

Yeah I really like the fact he speaks in general to make a new player understand the basic mechanics of the game. People like Roof is the kind of people I really like in the FGC.

[@alkalinemk1588]

Bro I'm kinda intimidated to pick up KOF but your videos are really really selling it to me I gotta see if I can improve my combo execution I struggled in the KOF14 trials lol

[@rooflemonger]

Its a really fun franchise and KoF 15 is the most welcoming of all of them imo

[@keithsimpson2150]

Don't be. It's just fun to play and jump around in. Hop around in neutral l ike it's smash and learn a few confirms and you will be doing fine. KOF stuff is very portable from older versions so you can play old games well too as you learn.

[@abc2390986]

Just try use max mode as your hit confirms like it is shown on the video. It makes hit confirming a combo way easier while the damage is rewarding. Welp actually it is the same with KOF 14. No fancy combo is better than stand C/D Max cancel follow ups.

[@alkalinemk1588]

Hell yeah thanks for the advice all around

[@absoul112]

9:52 When you say it out loud that makes a lot of sense

[@DropkickSuplex]

We need more videos likes these to help get new players into fighting games. Thank you

[@pablo-sj5cc]

What a great video! I'm a returning player so I've basically forgotten almost everything there is to know about KOF and this video is definitely as succinct as it needs to be. I'm so excited to lab my childhood faves.

[@lazyfigninja]

We don't deserve Rooflemonger. Thank you for being an absolute legend my dude. It's astonishing how much you do for us.

[@rooflemonger]

Fighting games have been my passion for basically my entire life since SF2 hit in 1991. I just wanna share it with everyone and make sure people can enjoy fighting games to their maximum

[@r3stless_82]

@@rooflemonger Your Videos are imenseley helpful to achieve this! I am not particularry good at fighing games, but i enjoy them. I more have to play the basic characters without insane combo routes (i can't remember) or special moves i have to break my fingers with (and don't get right under pressure). I am 40 years old it aint as easy as it was with 15.

[@rooflemonger]

@@r3stless_82 I turn 39 later this year. Age ain't a factor yet for people like us, put in that practice and you will get results!

[@r3stless_82]

@@rooflemonger i always thought damn those guys have mad eyesight to see which move i am starting up. But basically it's a knowledge game they play. They know my options and know which is the most likely. This took me long to realize...

[@MarqMervin]

Oh man, this was SO helpful! I've played KOF recreationally over the years, but never sat down to dedicate massive time to it. Team games were always harder for me than my bnbs like Xrd or 3S (solo) because I had to consider team synergy alongside personal synergy. This breakdown, especially the SF/MVC analogy at the end, was soooo helpful! Thank you for this!

[@caiooa]

This was really well put together, beginners watching it will get a very good idea on how to team build. The only thing that i would add is what it means to be a "good 1st position character". It means simply having a plan to keep working on without meter! Maybe you want a character with good projectiles/pokes to dominate the neutral while the opponent don't have meter to super through it. Or someone that have a command grab/fast overhead so you can mix them up post knockdown ("okizeme"/"vortex") while they don't have meter for a super reversal or a universal defensive mechanic (guard cancel roll, guard cancel blowback, shatter strike). Or a character with a full invul meterless reversal, so you can contest stuff while the opponent don't have meter to punish you too hard for a "random yolo shoryuken". Or a character that can build meter faster than others by whiffing a fast special move (normals need to hit the opponent to build meter on kof, special moves build just by you using and then build a 2nd time if they connect). There is no right or wrong, as it depends on your objective/playstyle and the matchup you are dealing with. But having a plan is better than having none!

[@DrSlump-fz9ki]

Glad you made this video for modern/new players getting into the game. I love my team, Ash, Meitenkun, and Heidern because they are flexible in almost any position, so it can be player dependent on how you position them. Traditionally I use Meitenkun as point, Heidern as mid, and Ash as anchor, but Ash can be a point, Heidern an anchor, and Meitenkun a mid because of their meter usage. Also in this game I find the best combination of teams is made up of members from all different teams, weird, but it compliments the teams in this game imo

[@viridianknight]

The more videos I see, the more I look forward to the game. Gonna try to learn them grapplers for once.

[@cpt.hebikurashota7545]

Great information sir, the composition of your characters really needs a lot of consideration when composing your team(s). This information is quite solid. Thank you for making this

[@matthewa63]

You are the backbone of the FGC, would be lost without your videos boss man.

[@rooflemonger]

Happy to help!

[@BloodSportA2]

Just from playing the second beta, I know Krohnen's gonna be a popular anchor choice. His EX strike slash is already a fast overhead for how far it goes, but with the MAX mode meter discount it can easily lead to death just from one wrong block.

[@TrulyAmiracle]

Unless the final version changed this, his EX version wasnt an overhead, only the slow heavy kick version is an overhead. You are right though he's basically made to be a crazy anchor.

[@ITSTHATBOI369]

I’m very excited for release. This will be my first KoF and I really like the fact it’s a team fighter and not a tag fighter. I hate in dbfz when I drop a combo due to miss timing an assist or assist creating unseeable mixups. I primarily play Sfv but I never settle on one character so being able to play multiple is great

[@rooflemonger]

If you know SF then you will have a head start over most. Its a bit reductive, but you can say KoF is street fighter, but faster

[@chronology556]

Beginners need to realize this aspect of KOF. Do not play it like SF and wait for things to happen, and fish for pokes and whiff punish things. You have a run, a roll, and 4 different jumps. It’s extremely hard to check every movement option. You just need to put out hit boxes on defense and be evasive yourself, and look for cross up angles with your 4 jumps. Use your meter for the three defensive options available to you, Guard Cancel Roll, Guard Cancel Blowback, and Shatter Strike. Beginners keep stocking meter for combos, but they don’t know how to confirm or find those opportunities, anyways. Think Smash for neutral. If you can get a CD attack either jump or standing, the massive block stun you get from the move, basically implies it is still YOUR turn. In regards to this video, for a beginner all this stuff doesn’t matter, just put your best characters last.

[@akasajian]

Another tip I hear a while back is that you should place the character you're worst with up front and the one you're best with as the anchor so that you get in more practice with your bad character.

[@phdbot4483]

I think it's amazing how much of a difference in power there is between the point and anchor characters in KoF, I learned a lot from you and others on how to arrange my own team. With that in mind, I'll be sure to keep an open mind and adjust the order if needed depending on my opponent's team. It'll definitely be a good idea to have my Maxima avoid hard zoners like Athena for example, lol!

[@AZYG4LYFE]

I really appreciate this insightful video breaking down the important variables in teambuilding, as a newcomer to KOF XV ( but not to FG's as it's my very first KOF), I almost got tired of seeing combo videos spending 5 bars with little context, but I guess they were more tailored for anchor slots.

[@rooflemonger]

yeah, you can't even spend 5 meters unless its the last character

[@rodrigodelarosa2561]

My #1 channel to go for guides !

[@whizthesugoi]

Nice video, loved the edit of Clark's Vietnam

[@jesterje]

Long time viewer but we usually don’t play the same games. Im just starting KOF15, it’s my first SNK fighter, and im excited to get into it. Thanks for the videos! They are very helpful.

[@scottnotpilgrim]

These videos serve as a great refresher for me and make me more excited to play this come Monday

[@petermena4688]

Thank you! This helps me a lot because this Is my first KOF that I will truly dig in and didn't know what criteria I had to use to build my first team. I'm not new to fighting games but your guides are always the best. Cheers from El Salvador Central América!

[@mastadonxo7662]

You've been killing it on the content for this game great job

[@4boni729]

Bro thanks for explaining this so simply!

[@prophecy0731]

a must watch for anyone gettin into kof...thx...i came from kof13....i want chin and kensou back

[@Shan0a]

Thanks a lot for this video, I've always sorta put my team in any order without paying too much attention on a deeper level but this video absolutely helped!

[@xxwallzxx4509]

Thank you Rooflemonger. You give great stuff for learning in fighting games. You are great at that. 👊

[@fumin2689]

i been needing this for a long time. THANKS!

[@gamblerfls]

Finally a channel that isn't KOF XV clickbait. I was getting really tired of those to the point of blocking them. Subscribed.

[@rooflemonger]

There's an ocean of garbage clickbait out there, thats why I work extra hard to make sure people can learn properly. I'd get more views and money if I went to the dark side, but someone has to help people out.

[@JinKami]

Your videos have helped me a lot the last kof I played was 13 and I stopped after a while these do help a lot

[@adg1390]

I can't wait to hear "Psycho ball" like 300 times in a match all while seeing my health bar diminishing.

[@andreiiliuta4901]

Amazing video, very informative and great style to your content. Love your work Roofle :D

[@acey4626]

IM SO EXCITED TO GET MY HANDS ON THIS GAME!!!

[@Gloomistic]

Out here releasing /the/ fighting game guides. Keep it up!

[@srseki]

the most valuable aspect of quick max mode is you can do level 1 super then level 3 super, and it's almost only available to the anchor character.

[@1blueeye]

Dude your videos are always informative and entertaining. Love your channel and looking forward to more KOF content!

[@Ticketman99]

What I'd do if I were to take a match really seriously is this: with 3 of the characters I'm best with, it's #1. the one I'm "not very good with, #2. the middle, and #3. my best character. Otherwise, I'll choose anyone in any order. Sometimes I even ask my opponent to choose my characters for me. Keeps the game interesting.

[@eshaanbasu9342]

My team: Krohnen: inspired from tetsuo from Akira KOD: he's a dinosaur guy Luong: culture

[@metallion2123]

Remember kind of learning a little bit of Team building when I played KoF 13 and did my research and stuff but yeah it's a little bit like DBFZ or Marvel just without tagging or assist. I played Maxima as Anchor in 13 as he was powerful comeback character in 13 with the Drive System but who knows if I'll still play him Anchor or point in 15

[@XmortoxX1990]

I never knew about this "guideline" for team building, fortunately is not hard to learn.

[@stovetopism]

Terry being my best character makes me hesitant to put him up front and would rather have him as an anchor, but when the remaining 2 members on my team are King of Dinosaurs and Yuri. Sure I have secondaries in K', Iori and Shermie but the original team has been my favorite since 14 but I've been playing Terry and Yuri since forever

[@TrulyAmiracle]

KoD is a good point character, the opponent not having meter means less options to nagivate while getting in. Yuri is great anywhere so she can do 2nd. KoD/Yuri/Terry is solid.

[@alextrejo9239]

Just subscribed this is the content I need. I’ve learned so much from your vids I definitely appreciate your help

[@lightmusicguitar]

I was always under the impression that because there's no tag mechanic that team composition doesn't matter. Very informative video!

[@ElAlex214]

This is very informative, i never looked at it this way, i mostly picked my 3 strongest characters with the last one being my most dominant one.

[@wavesofbabies]

I would love to see which positions each character thrives in. I always had a terrible time figuring that out.

[@miojocomfarinha]

Great video, man. As a long time KoF player one thing I always do right after launch is pick my confort character (or Coin Savior) at the end. But as time passes and I get used to the game, strategies change. So, a good advice is: Master a good normals char and use it as the first one; a balanced char as the second one and a gauge-eater-combo-freak as the third one. It does work since vanilla 2k2. Chris as second char used to be a great gauge miner to the 3rd char.

[@keithsimpson2150]

Fireballs or grapplers up front, characters you can cash meter on the backside is the day 1 for me. Team comp/order never felt so important to me in KOF outside preferences compared to how important it is in MVC3.

[@Ramsey276one]

My basic KOF playstyle didn’tgo farther than RPS with the opponent’s character matchups This will be very educational

[@jorgecotrinax8723]

2 3 it all began in ´94 Kept on rolling in ´95 Pieces fell in place in ´96 it came to the end in ´97 And now it comes and here we go the KOF is here again Nothing´s gonna stop it´s 2022

[@arturogabriel6863]

Great video, I'm even more excited to play KOF now!

[@TaraRaeDev]

This helps me appreciate even just watching KOF.

[@LEGENDARY11GAMER]

rooflemonger super duper godlike huge help for KOFXV team build on building teams.

[@mychaeljones7526]

I remember seeing your profile on DCs Peacemaker. 🕊️

[@rdxgamer1772]

ig the ability to know team comp is what u would call....the art of fighting??

[@jasonsmith530]

👏 👏 👏

[@raytherad]

I usually pick like: 1. Someone who I'm not that comfortable with, berserk mash 2. zoner/screen control to take things slow (Mai, Kukri) 3. Ace/clutch to save my a$$ (king) Am I doing things wrong?

[@rooflemonger]

If you are having fun with it, there is no wrong answer

[@raytherad]

@@rooflemonger I'd love to pick up Elisabeth for KOF15. Do you think she would be a good no.1? I did see her using meter but there seemed decent meterless options too

[@Dallas4090]

Triple Shermie Gang

[@DouglasStewart99]

This was informative. Thanks rooflemonger! This gives me a chance to put more thought into the team I build. Even if I just want to make an all earth user team (Yashiro, Kukri, and Delores)...

[@TarnishedGoon20]

Thanks Roof. Man I can’t wait to jump into this game on Thursday and start training. Thinking my team is gonna be Terry, Shermie and maybe Athena or Krohnen idk. What sucks is that I got school HW to do before that tho but that’s life😂.

[@ubergamer2010]

For everyone out there, just know that videos like this can be extremely helpful but should not stop you from trying your own strategies too! Example, I felt discouraged from having Blue Mary as my anchor at first because it's a fairly unique strategy... I don't think I've ever played another person in ranked who does it, maybe one. However, Blue Mary is the character I play best with when it comes to meter usage/end game strategies, so I've persisted and made it to Rank 20+ now with her as my fixed anchor. I now also have Mai as a point character which is fairly unusual strategy, but it works really well against a lot of my opponents! TLDR: Use these videos as guidance, but still try your own thing once you gain a deeper understanding of the game mechanics!

[@Thalanox]

I've still got a good while to go before I've got enough grounding in the game for this level of meter management to matter, but I'm having a good time looking ahead at what I'll eventually be learning. Right now, my anchor character is the one I've got the best skill with. I still need to learn the muscle memory of doing simple bnb combos.

[@nathanieljohnson1779]

IM SO READY

[@TheEffectOfMass]

If I could, I'd make a team of 3 Terry's.

[@asterhogan1]

Now that all characters have the ability to ToD it's great to put usual battery characters as anchors, control characters have that ability too but personally they'll still stick to point or mid. Kyo is usually amazing at meter build since he's got rekkas and simple but effective special move combos but I place him last for ultimate rushdown pressure.

[@ayyhowie]

Idk what it is… but this game is looking sicker and sicker I can’t wait

[@naransolongoboldbayer8030]

I'm still not too sure on an order for my team (Shermie, Isla and Krohnen) but I think the video has helped a bit with wrapping my head around what each position means

[@MrTaikobo]

I just got the game today, been eyeballing it for a while now. I do have a few characters I wanna work with as a team, like Meitenkun Leona and Angel, so I can't wait to sit down and practice with them. I heard that Leona and Angel are hard, and I've never really played a KoF game aside from 13...then putting said game down because holy crap the execution was HARD.

[@Alex-jz2hk]

When if finally get my chance to try out (I am living on that Latam money) the game I was planning to play Iori, K' and Roberto Garcia Thanks for the vid, since all of them all pretty all rounded I was thinking which char. play where Thanks roofle 🙏

[@kingclamo]

Is there a breakdown out there or Could you do a breakdown on which characters do better with and without meter? Would help a new player to the series, like me, come up with teams alot easier! Might be a long video or maybe a tier list? Thanks for all the content man great work! Its good stuff!!!

[@danzixx6]

Great video and i realize too when i play the demo. Some chsracters need meter more than others grqt 101 intro to kof 15

[@awitao]

I love your videos dude!

[@eduardocortez2938]

I suck at fighting Games but watching this rocks ^^

[@max_out987]

Great Content man, I'm all in ✌ and ❤

[@TheCrimsonCat89]

So far I've been faring well with Rock, Kyo, and Iori in that order. But i also have swapped Rock for K' when I need to.

[@heardofrvb]

I usually arrange my team in order of how efficient I am with them.

[@ibrokemykeyboard]

Nice explanation. I had no idea this was even part of the game. Is the char team select set up in order of suggested point, mid, anchor?

[@rooflemonger]

Its in the order you initially picked them in

[@Gilbot9000]

So the order for mine ought to be Shermie, Maxima, and then Dolores? I'm sure I'll iron it out when I get my hands on the game.

[@vukdespot]

Finally!!!!

[@musketeer6498]

My gonna be in this point: Vanessa mid: king of dinosaur anchor: Robert

[@HWHY]

I will never play the game, but I can't wait to listen to this video.

[@rooflemonger]

You should play the game!

[@slash5235]

Play KOFXIV first it's cheaper and basically the same to see if you like it. I haven't got KOFXV yet not ready for it and a bit expensive.

[@inmortuae4512]

But also you could just put the character you like the most up front, and let the rest of the team strugle with bad match ups. Just try to have fun while learning the game.

[@343ishill]

Nah bruh... put you're favourite character in last spot for those amazing comebacks :)

[@brewhaha1380]

I can’t believe they added terry from smash bros to this game

[@ForeverImmortal198]

going from DBFZ to KOF is gonna be a struggle but i played KOF '98 as a kid so i got this... right? RIGHT??

[@rooflemonger]

yeah you got it in the bag

[@Ticketman99]

If you can remember your experience in KOF '98, you'll be fine.

[@Colecionador7162]

XV is easier to get into than 98, you will be ok

[@lazycouchman]

Awesome video! Didn't know about alot of this stuff. I'm excited for this game, but I'm worried I won't enjoy it as much as I did Guilty Gear and Fighterz. I liked kof 14, but since the online was bad and I didn't have anyone near my awful skill level to play, I didn't play it much. Not sure if I should pre order this now or wait until a sale later. Agh! Lol.

[@itsjarrrd]

Thank you for the vid! Can’t wait for this game! Is there a Dustloop equivalent to KoF by any chance? When the game eventually comes in, I like looking at frame data and such. So knowing where to look would be great!

[@rooflemonger]

dreamcancel is the "dustloop" of KoF yeah. Great site and wiki. Obviously itll take a while for stuff to get filled in cause game isnt even out yet but that is the place

[@BruhImSkill]

How would ya'll arrange Robert, Benimaru and Maxima? I'd say Robert and Maxima are pretty interchangeable in the point/mid position (probably leaning more toward Maxima point) whereas Benimaru's big damage comes from crumble off EX moves, so he would naturally be anchor?

[@jaycee1870]

why was there a faint scene of a helicopter overlaid on the video when you were talking about Clark vs Athena??

[@mast3rharo]

I wanted to run Angel point and Maxima anchor. I'm in the air about character 3. Thinking King of Dinosaurs, Hidern, or Clark. The thought was Crazy Angel who needs the most practice up front so I always get to play her. More play equals more experience equals more better. Meanwhile I wanted Maxima to be my "Last line of defense" or my reliable, if somewhat simple, fallback. And from their just looking for someone to fill what I'm missing. I'm a grappler at heart and Dinosaur and Maxima caught my eye first, but I'm lacking in Zoning on the team otherwise... Thoughts on any of this are appreciated

[@rooflemonger]

Angel basically doesn't need meter. All her strengths come from the unchain system, meter is just just for supers to end combos. Maxima also is low on the meter needing end of things, so you can run angel first maxima 2nd then save all the meter for the last person.

[@mast3rharo]

@@rooflemonger thanks. I had a feeling about Angel when from you video. Maybe I'll throw Antinov on anchor. Even though he's no grappler, I tend to like the same kind of characters you do. Though I'm really betting I'll like King of Dinosaurs..

[@Siinory]

Now I wonder if my team is good enough, B.Jenet (No DLC currently so I'm thinking Mai or Terry maybe Ilsa)/Vanessa/Leona. And I'm a huge KOF beginner

[@Saugerdees]

Are you going to be doing character specific guides? For instance I've decided to try learning Athena and I have no idea why she has two projectiles and why I would use one over the other.

[@zedbarrett9376]

Is it normal to poke that much with low kicks in this game? Seems like a Bnb type of thing to start combos.

[@rooflemonger]

Generally combos wanna start from lights, or close heavies. From lights, crouching kicks is generally a way a lot of the cast wants to do it