Media

Blackheart Explored

BHE AVIs | Youtube Links | Text Reference | Addendum

This projected was done with Blackheart King. I only helped record and edit the content. He provided all of the material. The videos are 32 minutes combined. They explore all kinds of aspects which involve dealing with opponent's attacks and tactics. It also demonstrates his demons, Inferno, air dash and other keep away abilities on top of the usual combo and reset clips. The material that was omitted is included in the "Addendum" section.

BHE AVIs

Dimensions: 640x480
Duration: ~ 14 minutes
File Size: 345 megabytes
Codec Used: H264 ~3232 kb/s
Container: AVI
Date of Completion 05/09/09

Dimensions: 640x480
Duration: ~ 19 minutes
File Size: 438 megabytes
Codec Used: H264 ~3130 kb/s
Container: AVI
Date of Completion 05/09/09

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Youtube Links

BHE Part 1

BHE Part 2

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BHE Text Reference

Basic Combos | Infinite Addressed | Throw Uses | Guard Breaks | Miscellaneous

Demon Uses | Pressuring | Supers and Specials | Assist Punishing | Unique Tactics

I decided to include "The All Inclusive Blackheart Thread" that's up on SRK. The thread is well organized and it thoroughly explores Blackheart strategy and other elements that we couldn't include in the video for different reasons. So this text reference will include other aspects that weren't presented as well as further elaborate on some of the things in the video.

1). Basic Combos

This section covered which combos you can do in various situations. It also covers methods of connecting his supers with and without assists. It also had how to transition from combos into pressuring the opponent which can lead into more combos.

Depending on the assists, you'll start your combos off in different ways, assists aren't always necessary but they can be categorized as follows:

Fast Acting Assists: CR.LK -> CR.MK + basic anti-airs (Cable, Cyclops, Capcom, Psylocke, Cammy)
Slow Acting Assists: CR.LK -> CR.MP + assists that set up the infinite(Doom, Sentinel drones, Spiral, Iron Man, Storm projectile)
Situational Assists: CR.LK -> S.HK + specific purpose assists (Storm Expansion/Projectile, Magneto, Sentinel Rocket Punch)
No assists: Using his launcher (most likely after picking them off with HK in the air). His launcher is best used going directly into supers because of damage scaling.

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2). Infinite Addressed

This section covered the different types of infinites, their setups and their respective applications.

In the video we mention that the infinite gives them much more meter than it gives you. To further elaborate, it's not something you want to use for the purpose of building meter for yourself; it's better used for setting up cross-ups. Some characters like Cable and Storm can really hurt you when they have meter. So when dealing with them, it's best to go for quick damage or a snapback. Don't use it if you can't kill a key character on their team by doing so.

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3). Throw Uses

This section covered all the uses for his throws. Used properly they can really get your oppopnent to second guess your follow-ups. That can lead to landing combos that would otherwise be easily blocked.

Throws can be an alternative finish to air combos because his SJ.MK is unsafe mid-screen. Furthermore, throws can lead into damaging combos when coupled with assists during resets or when the opponent thinks you'll use a poke. The only assists that work after a mid-screen ground throw are: Sentinel (Drones) and Doom. It also works with Iron Man, but only in the corner. However his air throw is different, in the corner they work with: Storm (Projectile), Sentinel Drones, Iron Man, Magneto, Doom and many other assists.

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4). Guard Breaks

This section covered the setups and follow-ups for his guard breaks. We also showed a few cross-ups on incoming characters using Blackheart's dash.

Blackheart's guard breaks can lead into very damaging combos. His SJ.HK demons are the perfect guard breaking attack, if they take the hit they'll be in hit stun for you to follow-up. If they block it, you'll be able to easily hit them when they come out of block stun. Finally, if they pushblock, you'll recover before they do allowing for easy follow-ups. Furthermore, with the right assists, any mid-screen guard break can lead into the infinite.

The timing for the SJ.HK guard break is as follows: you should jump when the dying character lands on the ground so it's one continous flow of motion, then when you reach the peak of your jump, throw the HK demons and fall towards them. So you throw them right before you start descending from your super jump. This places you on the ground right as they block the demons, at which point you'll be able to discern what option they chose.

It's a little bit different for the mid-screen guard break. The idea is to time a AD-SJ.HK so that you float with the demons and they hit the incoming character as high up as possible. You want to land right under a character that has been hit by the SJ.HK demons. If you do it that way, the follow-up is easy and safe. However, if you're timing is off, the character will block the demons and fall away from Blackheart, at which point you'll have to chase them. This is the only move he can guard break with mid-screen because any other move will halt his momentum upon touching the opponent due to the velocity rules in MvC2. Floating SJ.HK will allow him to maintain his momentum because he's not hitting anyone directly, it's his demons.

Finally, the solo guard break into the infinite in the corner, the idea is to set it up as you would any other guard break. From there, the S.LP is comboed into the S.HK as late as possible so that the character can fall onto the S.HK's demons. You have to super jump cancel right after the demons form at which point the character will fly up with you. If you wait too long, you won't super jump and if you cancel too early, the demons won't materialize. A good practice would be to LP immediately after super jumping. If done right, the SJ.LP will fill in the gap between the first hit of S.HK and the demons if they weren't going to combo. If the demons weren't going to combo, the SJ.LP will fill in the gap where the character would have recovered.

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5). Miscellaneous

This section covers all his DHCs and when to cancel into each super. It covers the idea of switching in other characters from Blackheart and vice versa. Furthermore, it covers the Blackheart anti-air assist and its appliactions, such as cross-ups, combos and traps.

When DHCing from Heart of Darkness into HSF, make sure you get the right positioning and timing: if the character is on the ground, let the demons from the HoD pick them up so that HSF will connect in full. Alternatively, if they're falling from the air after an Inferno, you shoud DHC out of HoD before the demons hit. This way they won't get picked up by the demons resulting in the HSF whiffing. However, it's best to avoid using HoD if you're planning on DHCing into HSF. Use Armageddon when you're a full-screen's distance, this allows you to let them fall without anything interrupting their descent. Use Judgement Day when DHCing in the corner.

The Blackheart-Cable DHC could use further explanation. The idea is to allow the demons from the HoD to pick them up high enough so that when you can cancel into Cable, you'll have enough time to aim his beam. This will cause the character to force roll before getting up, which is important against Cable.

Alternate follow-ups when switching in Blackheart. Instead of JD you can launch followed by Inferno into HoD, this is your best option when you're in the corner. However if you don't have meter, you can get the them in the infinite by doing a S.HK -> SJC -> SJ.LP so that the demons combo (as mentioned in #4). There are various setups into the infinite when you switch in Blackheart from mid-screen. Any one of the CR.MP setups work, you just have to call the assists before super jumping into the air strings that were demonstrated.

The underlining point to the Blackheart assist section was that you can do damaging combos with minimal effort. Because of the delayed hit you can use Blackheart's assist to cause resets and traps. Another use for the Inferno assist is to have it hit their assists while you focus on the point character. It's also a very effective tool for chasing down characters that like to runaway like Storm, Sentinel, Cable and Doom.

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6). Demon Uses

This section covers all his demons in detail. It shows which angles they cover as well as when you should use them. Furthermore, it also introduces the concept of baiting attacks that you can punish. Another idea shown is that in which you jump up into a character with the intent to block, filling the space that occurs afterward with SJ.HP demons.

S.HK: Best used to set up follow-ups from HoD. Besides being used in some of the throw resets, the S.HK can be used for a semi-infinite in which you jump in J.LK -> J.MK -> S.HK repeatedly. This can be mashed out of, however, they risk attacking in a way that can be punished

The floating SJ.HK: It's great for creating space when you're coming down on an opponent that has an assist that beats out anything you can do. It's also good for closing space since the opponent is forced to block the SJ.HK demons as you come down on them. Finally, it's the move you're going to use for mid-screen guard breaks without exception.

Horizontal Coverage

The initial SJ.HK was meant to pin the opponent before the drones hit.
The second SJ.HK was meant to keep them pinned as you land. If they evade the drones, you can substitute the HK demons with HP to cover Blackheart and your assist.
The jump-back HP demons were meant to cover Blackheart as your assists recovers. However, you can substitute your HP demons with HK if the opponent is still on the ground and able to dash through the HP demons. The third set of demons were meant to fill in space while your assist recovers until you can call it again.

Diagonal Coverage

The first SJ.HK was meant to pinned the opponent while the assist covered the ground below you.
The second SJ.HK protects the assists and secures your landing. Substitution isn't neecssary in the case of any diagonal assist since the path above Blackheart's head should be covered by the assist as he's landing.
As with the horizontal coverage, the jump-back HP demons were meant to cover Blackheart as your assists recovers. However, you can substitute your HP demons with HK if the opponent is still on the ground and able to dash through the HP demons. Again, the third set of demons were meant to fill in space while your assist recovers.

Vertical Coverage

The first jump-back HP was meant to interfere with the opponent's point of entry. If they run into it, the assists will combo from it. You can substitute jump-back HP with HK if they can dash in under the HP demons.
The second jump-back HP was meant to cover the assist as well as Blackheart. Alternatively, you can SJ.HK to protect your assist since it blocks the opponent from dashing under you.
The first jump-back HK is meant to cover Blackheart as you wait for your assist to recover. If you SJ.HKed on the second set, you can land with SJ.HP demons to protect yourself.
Like before, the jump-back HK demons are meant to protect Blackheart while you wait for your assist to recover. You can substitute the HK demons with HP demons if they can't dash through it. Notice you're throwing four sets of demons, this is because most vertical assists take longer to recover.

The HP demons have the ability to track the opponent if they're within the small radius that each demon has. This can alter their returning path because they'll follow the opponent instead of going directly back to Blackheart. The tracking ability is very minute to where they are not going to chase the opponent, rather make a passing attempt at them as they return to Blackheart.

The demons return to Blackheart in this order: middle, top and then bottom. The middle tends to come straight back whereas the others make a curved path toward Blackheart. The degree of variance in the return path can be controlled by dashing or jumping right before the demons begin to return to Blackheart.

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7). Pressuring

This section covered Blackheart's key pokes and methods of pressuring in and out of the corner using these pokes along with the demons. It also showed how useful Blackheart's supers can be for chipping.

CR.LK: This move wasn't mentioned in the video but it's the move you'll be using to start the majority of your combos since it's the only low-hitting attack he has. It has good range and decent priority.
S.LK: We briefly mentioned the range of this move in the video. Because of its range, it's a great move for cutting off ground entry from Magneto. There is almost no attack that anyone else can do to beat it when coming in. An exception would be Storm's S.HK launcher.
S.LP: This is useless for the most part because there is nothing this poke can do better than S.LK. Its only application is to combo after a guard break in the corner or the occasional block string as it recovers much faster than S.LK.
(S)J.MP: This move keeps the opponent closer to you while you fall with them. This allows you to control the immediate air space you have with them as you're falling. J.MP is more effective as an offensive tool in a block string. Especially for when you want to follow up with demons to keep them pinned.
(S)J.MK: This allows you to land faster than J.MP, use this when you want follow-up on the ground as opposed to with demons in the air. It's also good for cross-ups since it can hit as you're falling on the other side. The J.MK causes them to bounce when you hit them in the air while the SJ.MK can cause FS.

The mid-screen block strings will work with any assist that covers the ground. You just have to be conscience of whose assist has higher priority.

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8). Supers & Specials

This section covered additional uses for Blackheart's Armageddon and air Judgement Day supers. It also covered the uses for both of Blackheart's Infernos.

The last hit of HoD can sometimes be unblockable. This works like the Sentinel and Doom unblockables where the attack doesn't envoke guard stun but hits anyway. The HoD's unblockable frames occur toward the end of the explosion. If they avoid all your initial demons there is a high chance that they will get hit by the explosion since there will be nothing touching them the whole way.

None of the hits of the HoD can kill except the last hit (explosion). Even if it's chip damage, the HoD will not kill unless it's the explosion.

HoD puts you in normal jump so you can call assists before you land. Keep this in mind since you can air dash closer to your oppenent while calling an assist for immediate pressure after the explosion if it is blocked.

Judgement Day comes out of Blackheart's chest in ">" shape, there's three variations that can be created by holding the stick up, down or neutral while mashing punches. Mashing punches spreads the demons out. You can sometimes connect an Inferno after the JD if their positioning is right.

You can also control the Armageddon's path of descent by holding left or right. This will cause the ARM to favor a side.

The Inferno's two hit property is not random. The second hit happens at a fixed time and location (a bit higher than the peak of a normal jump), the second hit will always connect if the initial hit of the Inferno causes them to land at that location during the delayed hit frames.

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9). Assist Punishing

This section covered the idea of using all your resources to hurt the assist. These ideas included using supers directly on the assist, methods of keeping the assist in, ways to DHC for the purpose of assist punishing, and using his snap when applicable.

The general cycle that'll be used when the situations shown aren't possible is as follows:

Counter call with your assist.
Protect your assist with your specials -> supers which in turn, hurt their assists.
Follow your supers with demons to protect you and reset the situation.

If the point character dies while the assist is on screen, there is no reason for the assist to make it out alive since Blackheart has many tools to keep them on-screen. The only exception would be if you killed the point character with HoD mid-screen because Blackheart can't follow-up after FS.

CR.HP actually has a good use when the assist is coming down from high up. Since you can't see the assist, you'd have to precisely time your launcher, whereas with CR.HP, you can just spam it around the time you think they'll land and it'll pop them up for easy follow-ups.

Notes for keeping the assist on-screen:

When following up for an assist kill mid-screen (assuming the point character died before the HoD) you'll want to perform the floating AD.J.HK as low as possible or else you won't land fast enough for the follow-up.
When following up an HoD when the point character doesn't die (corner), you can use his launcher when the point character doesn't have a good attack to fall with. In cases where the point character can beat your launcher, you'd use Blackheart's J.LP (2 frames) -> J.MK (will make the assist bounce for follow-up); just remember, the J.LP -> J.MK are meant to juggle the assists so that you can follow up.
When using the "one meter concept", the idea is to place your attacks so that the point character's movement is restricted as much as possible while you are punishing their assist. The final SJ.HK was meant to protect your assist if they try to retaliate.

S.HK as a way to stuff their wake-up options: they can't beat it with a wake-up attack because the hit frames are already active; they can't jump out because the one frame they need to jump is also occupied by the S.HK's hit box. If they block properly there is an opening for their assist to come out and hit you, so be sure to cover yourself with an assist.

Referring to the "smart snap-in" of an assist that is in the red. Another idea is to switch in another character (Magneto, Sentinel, Cable etc.) during the infinite and use them to snap in the assist.

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10). Unique Tactics

This section covered many situations in which Blackheart can use his abilities for beneficial outcomes. These abilities included his ground dash, air dash, his options after recovering from hit stun, and using HK moves in unexpected situations. These situations occur more than you might expect so be attentive for them.

We showed that Blackheart can dash between AHVBs, the clip took place near the corner but the concept is applicable anywhere. You just have to be within a half-screen's distance from him. The idea is to pushblock the assist that Cable calls. If you pushblock Cable, he'll be pushed too far away for you to pursue. After pushblocking, Cable's initial AHVB will overlap with the recovery frames of the pushblock, these frames will end parallel to the AHVB allowing you dash before he does another one.

Also, Blackheart's S.HK' and snapback will make contact from behind so it's possible to use it as a cross-up in some cases.

Loopable THC: for those who don't already know, THC's don't cause FS, thusly, you can loop them and in Blackheart's case, his will combo continously until the character dies.

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11). Bonus Section

This section covered how to get out of Sentinel's unblockable by blocking it at the last minute. We stress that programmable controllers were used to ensure that Sentinel would make no error whatsoever. The "blocking" of the unblockable was done by hand.

Further elaboration of this technique

The harder it is for Sentinel to time the unblockable, the easier that character can get out of it. This is because of hit boxes the characters have coming in. As shown in the video, Psylocke has big hit box so it's impossible for her to get out. Characters like Cyclops and Capcom have smaller hit boxes so Sentinel's CR.HP must be timed exactly right, and you have a better chance to get out because the hit boxes are more accurate.

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Addendum

This will cover anything that we couldn't include in the video. The majority of this section will be from BHK's Blackheart thread on SRK.

Match Ups | Team Strategy & Mechanics | Infinite Guideline

1). Match Ups

Versus Sentinel:

Playing against Sentinel is similar to playing against Cable, Strider/Doom, or Spiral in the sense that no matter how hard you try to avoid it, you’re going to get chipped. However once you come to terms with this, you can handle the match up fairly easily, actually getting the best of it in the end. As has been said many times, sj.FP demons are your best friend in this fight, so they are what you’ll be using for the most part. Just be smart with them so as not to get caught with quick sj.FPs or “random” RPs. In between these you’re going to want to throw out a combination of sj.jps and sj.RHs depending on how the Sentinel user tries to pursue you. If Sent is trying to fly under everything you’re throwing you’ll want to toss some delayed sj.RH to pick him off. If he’s trying to fly over everything you’ll want to meet him with your sj.jps. If you’re playing right you shouldn’t really have to use your assist to keep him off of you. Actually it will be the Sent user that’s calling his assist. This is when you’ll want to use yours to punish his.

That brings me to what I think is the best strategy for playing against Sent. Go for his assist! You can use the meter you’re building up to try and equalize the chip damage that Sent is doing to you or get space/relief, but why not kill two birds with one stone. Wait for his assist and hit it with an AAA to inferno to HOD/JD. Hurt their assist enough and they’ll stop calling it, which is when you can move on the offensive. Sentinel with no AA is at the mercy of BH and his AA. Use your j.lks and sj.jp to [ad.F + attacks] strings to leave him immobile while you continue to get meter (just watch out for random HSFs or launchers that might hit). A smart Sentinel users will probably not use this since a miss means they’ll get punished though. Counter call if he’s still trying to call a bleeding assist, and if ever you catch Sent in the air with a sj.RH demon, snap that assist in to really throw their team off with some serious damage and a disrupted order.

Versus Magneto:

In this match up you’re going to want to keep as much distance as possible between the two of you for the most part. Your main weapon will be the (super) jumping FP demons. Know the angles that Mag can get to you from depending on where he is and use those demons along with your assist to block that path. You’ll also want to throw in the occasional (super) jumping RH demons to try and catch Mag making a mistake since you can go from defense to offense quite easily from there. This is the general idea but you might want to change this up depending on the assists that you both have. If ever Mag has an assist that you can beat out, it might be a good idea to pressure him with j.lks and s.lks/c.lks since this can throw the Mag user off due to his lack of any real defensive abilities.

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Versus Storm:

This match up is to be followed the same way you’d follow Mag’s if Storm is trying to rush you down. That’s actually what you’d hope for. Just be careful of her s.RH as it’ll beat out pretty much anything you can do if she gets in on you. If she’s running away you’ll want to pay close attention to how she’s doing it and why. If they’re just throwing FPs and staying at the top or off the screen in order to build meter and HS you, you should use your AA if you have it and/or stop that nonsense with well-placed infernos. If they’re hovering around normal jump or low super jump height you’ll want to watch what you do very cautiously since they can easily switch from running away from you to pressuring you in a second. Also the threat of HSs will always be present.

In the case that they are backed by Sent and trying to build meter using the second method explained above you’ll want to be more aggressive. Try to pin her down and not let her get meter. If she manages to get 3 meters you’ll be stuck on the cautious side since she can present a constant threat with HSs all the while toting the threat of a one hit kill via the DHC of death. I actually prefer to bring another character in so that I can stop this form of meter building with the BH-B assist rather than try to out maneuver and pressure a Storm that only needs one hit to kill you.

Versus Cable:

BH can handle Cable very well as long as you aren't just SJing and throwing demons. The idea is to never line your self up with him. Doesn't sound like helpful advice on it's own, but that's the basis for putting together a strategy against him. With this in mind, you're to follow your opponent’s habits so that you pretty much know where they're going to be on the screen. Once you get to this point, there is really only three scenarios that you have to consider along with where you are on the screen opposed to Cable.

If they're at SJ height they're probably calling their assist to control the ground while they take to the air. Depending on the assist they're calling you'll either want to j.F over it or ground dash under it. If you're already on them, you can just sj.jp after them to keep the pressure on or wait for them to come down.
If they're at NJ height, they're probably doing a j.FP to unibeam or throwing grenades while calling their assist. Again depending on the assist they're using, you'll want to handle this differently. You can either sj.RH and ad cancel to pressure them with attacks from the demons, or ground dash under everything and potential punish them and their assist.
If they're at ground height, they're probably repeating FPs and calling assist to keep you pinned while they chip. In this case, you can try to pin them with a sj.RH and follow the demons after an ad, nj and ad to get closer and try to counter with an assist, or ground dash under the shots and beware of psimitars and aa assists. The ground dash is risky in this case, but the payoff is huge if you get in with it.

Basically instead of trying to jump your way in, which is what Cable wants and is prepared for you to do, let them do their zoning crap and dash under everything since BH has a 4th plane to work with that Cable virtually can't cover. I've been preaching the use of his ground dash for years and no one seemed to consider it, but it's so good when used right. Once they're hesitant to take to the air due to his GD you control the air and the match. Keep in mind that you can also use InfernoxxJD to keep them honest as well when they're overly aggressive in the air. Pressure them into the corner, and keep them there, and you'll gain a huge advantage.

Also, another idea I advise you explore is one in which you focus on their assists. He's going to have to call his assists a lot to get you off of him. You should be punishing them until they either die or stop getting called. With this tactic you'll find a Cable that has life but also has severely bleeding assists. All you'll have to do is kill the cable (easier said than done, I know) or snap in one of the assists to cripple them. As is the case with any tactic against him, these tactics are most effective when Cable doesn't have tons of meter. When he does you just have to be more careful with your choices/assists.

One last thing. Keep in mind that you ARE going to get chipped by Cable. However, as long as you accept this fact, you'll find that you can more than make up for the chip your taking with the damage you'll deal when you get through a pattern that they think is safe. This idea is the same as when playing Sentinel, Strider/Doom, or Sprial.

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Versus Strider/Doom:

Throw a lot of demons and don't be afraid to take a few hits if it means you can get out of the trap. If you have good assists, you can make your hits mean something. Just don't try to come down on him from above too much. (Dasrik)
This is one of those match ups that I’ve mentioned as being fairly easy as long as you can deal with taking some chip. The general rule is this… Pressure with j.FPs followed by j.lks and your assist to stop the Doom-B assist and pressure Strider in a safe manner when he doesn’t have his ouroboros activated. Run like hell when he does activate if you can. Too be honest, I don't see a problem with wasting a bar to save strider staying in control of the match if I can get away. What I do first though is sj.RH, air dash to an immeadiate RH so that you get the float animation that keeps you in the air longer. Then, if the angle is right and you have them pinned, air JD. Not only does this avoid the chip fest but it puts you on the offensive in the form of chip damage. Another tactic that works well b/c of BH’s tail is to learn when to push block so that you can just hold up and j.lk plus a decent AAA to get out of the trap and possibly punish Doom-B.

Versus Spiral:

Pressure her while she’s on the ground with sj and nj demons accompanied by j.lks. They’ll usually try to get the space to activate by calling an AAA so watch out for that. I like to bait the assist and punish it. If it’s Cable, doing this will kinda defeat the purpose of their team since you can hurt him so much that they won’t want to bring him in. If that happens you win. Look for that sword activation if she takes to the air to punish with infernos. Should she get the swords out you’ll want to spam those demons to cancel out her swords and try to get in to stop her madness. Another tactic if you get caught in her trap, is to pushblock so that you can just hold up and ad + your AAA as you go over the swords, so that you can get on the offensive again.

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Versus Iron Man:

I don’t think this match up has been explained in any of the BH threads but I think it should be addressed since you’re sure to come across it. For the most part you’ll want to play a game of keep away as if you were playing against Magneto. However, the way you do this depends upon the assists that IM has backing him up. If it’s anything but Doom-B you’ll stick to using mostly the FP demons. However, if it is a Doom-B assist you’ll want to add in an adequate amount of sj.RH demons to stop that assist from pinning you as you land. Failing to do that will make it easier for IM to get to you and harder for you to get him off of you. Other than that this match up is pretty straightforward. With proper demon placement you should be able to cut off his path to you and even stop him from DHCing out safely.

Versus Doom:

This match up can be extremely easy or very difficult depending on how the Doom user plays and what assists they’re using. If they’re just taking to the air to spam rays while calling an assist to cover the ground it’ll be smooth sailing for you. You can just dash under everything as long as the assist they’re calling isn’t the kind that covers the ground like a Storm assist. If they’re running away or pressuring you with his j.FPs you’ll have to be a bit more patient and maneuverable. Take advantage of how short BH is when he ducks and use his air dash and demons whenever you’re clear. Just make sure you don’t let up the pressure once you get in on him.

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2). Team Strategy & Mechanics

BH/Sentinel/Capcom

This is the #1 zoning team with BH. Mix between Offensive and Defensive game play to keep the opponent guessing. Build meter and focus on assist punishing while you zone your opponent with your assists. Use Sent-y to cover the ground when you take to the air and use CC-B whenever your opponent is overhead to keep/get some comfortable breathing room. If you can combo your opponent and have two bars, use the “Stiltman DHC” (whiffed HOD into HSF from an inferno), and it will cripple them if not kill them.

BH/Sentinel/Cyclops

This version of team Watts allows for a more aggressive BH and Sent. Use the priority and block stun from the Cyc-B assist to keep the pressure on the opponent and combo whenever possible. You’ll want to be more offensive with this team since the Cyc-B assist doesn’t give as much protection to BH as the CC-B. The same principles apply for using your assists to control the horizontal and vertical (not as good as with CC) planes whenever you’re trying to control the match. And as with team Watts, whenever you land a hit and you have at least two bars, you can go for the Stiltman DHC.

BH/Cab/CapCom

This team has the best defense of the BH/Cab combinations. Zone (keep away) and build meter with BH for Cable. Use your two assists to cover the different angles that your opponent can come in on you with. Use CC-B whenever they’re overhead or next to you. You can also use Cab-B whenever they’re in the air but far away or right next to you but you’ll want to use him sparingly so as not to get him hurt. The most damaging DHC BH has with this team is to cancel a JD into a HVB (don’t do this against a Cable). Use the “safe DHC” (HOD to mashed low HVB from inferno) when playing against Cables.

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BH/Cab/Cyclops

This BH/Cab team allows for a more aggressive BH play. Unfortunately it sacrifices vertical protection for offense though. You’ll want to be more cautious with how much you let your opponent get in with this team. The Cyc-B assist won’t give you much breathing room once they get in on you so you might have to call Cab-B more often for space than you would if you had a CC-B assist. This is actually a better team for Cable since he can punish opponents with an AHVB off of Cyc-B hits. The most damaging DHC is still the JD into HVB. And don’t forget to use the safe DHC against Cables.

BH/Cab/Doom

This BH/Cab team allows for the most aggressive BH play. Pressure them into the corner and leave them wondering where there life went as you chip them to death with uncanny speed. However, if you’re not pressuring your opponent you’ll want to keep as much distance between you and them as possible, since your overhead is completely vulnerable. If they get in you’ll be forced to risk getting Cable hurt just to get them off of you. Once you have space it’s pretty easy to keep the distance by using super jump demons along with the Doom assist (just watch out for the assists that can stop him). This is also a good team for Cable as well since you can AHVB off of hits from Doom-B. The most damaging DHC remains to be JD into HVB and never forget to use the safe DHC against Cables.

BH/Storm/CapCom

This BH/Storm team focuses on zoning and building meter. Not the most damaging team but definitely versatile. Since Storm isn’t really meter dependant, you can use the meter you build up to punish assists, and also to have the constant threat of a frame cancel into HS. I’d use Storm-B to have quicker control of the horizontal plane while also allowing for more combo opportunities with Blackheart on point. You’ll obviously use CC-B to control the vertical. The most damaging DHC for BH with this team is the ARM into HS. However, since that’s limited to the corner for the most part, you’ll probably end up using JD into HS more often.

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BH/Storm/Cyclops

This team is the more offensive version of the BH/Storm teams. Due to the lack of damage this team can cause from combos alone you’ll probably want to use the infinite whenever possible. Be more aggressive with BH on point and go for combos and cross ups as much as you can while still being safe. You can play keep away with this team but it’s going to be almost completely dependant upon your ability to use demons since Cyc-B won’t be able to get you very much breathing room once they’re on you. I’d use Storm-a with this team to control the ground while you control the normal and super jump planes with FP demons. As stated above, your most damaging DHC for BH is the ARM into HS, but you’re more likely to be doing the infinite to JD to HS with this team.

BH/Sentinel/Cable

Here is a team where you’re going to play a game of keep away for the most part. Use the drones along with normal and super jump demons to maintain good spacing while building up plenty of meter. Another strategy is to use Sentinel’s rocket punch assist. This will limit your zoning ability but will allow you to land combos easier. You can also play a runaway game in which you can focus on punishing assists. Once you have meter you’ll have the constant threat of countering in Cable to AHVB as well as assist punishing capabilities through canceling inferno into JD into HSF. Try to use the Cab-B assist as little as possible, since he’s sure to be on point at some time during the match, and you want him to come in with as much health as possible. No matter who’s following BH you’re sure to have a damaging DHC whether it’s the Stiltman DHC or a JD into HVB (Safe DHC against Cables of course).

BH/Ironman/Sentinel

This team’s focus should be assist punishment and meter building until you have two or three bars. The best way to zone with this team is to use your jumping FP/RH demons exclusively, reserving the IM-B assist for when you want to cut off an opening from above, and the Sent-a assist for when you can safely punish your opponents assists. For the most part, you’ll be using your assists to help you keep your opponent off of you, but the Sent-a assist also helps with BH’s “rush down” game play should you decide to use it. This team is dangerous because of its ability to kill with just one decent hit. RH demons connecting in the air should equal death via a switch to IM into infinite or the infinite into JD into PC (into HSF if necessary). This team’s most damaging DHC is JD into PC into HSF although the Stiltman DHC is also possible at times.

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BH/Storm/Sentinel

This is by far the most versatile team you can put together with Sentinel on it. Depending on who you have in, you can easily go from run away to rush down. I’ll only address the BH aspects of this team though. With BH on point you’ll definitely want to play a game of keep away. IMO there’s two assist set-ups that work best for this team. One is to have Storm’s beta (expansion) assist along with Sentinel’s gamma (ground) assist. This will give you a solid way to control the ground via the drones while you take to the air to build meter as well as quick horizontal cover that somewhat works like an anti air via the Storm assist. The main issue with this set-up is its inability to land a simple combo, making chasing down someone like cable practically impossible with BH on point. The second assist set up is to have Storm’s alpha (projectile assist) along with Sentinel’s alpha (projectile) assist. This will give you a solid way to control the ground via the typhoon and a way to punish assist and combo your opponent via the Sentinel assist. The general idea with either team is to build meter while running away. Once you have a few supers you can go for the painful DHCs that this team has while presenting a constant threat of frame canceling into HS. All this sounds good but keep in mind that you have no real way of getting your opponent off of you due to your assists. The most damaging combo this team has for BH is the infinite into JD into HS or the Stiltman DHC.

BH/Strider/Doom

This team is all about building meter while pestering the opponent with the doom assist. Depending on the team your opponent has you can either pressure them with with a combination of BH’s pokes and the Doom assist or you can run away with normal and super jump FP demons while calling your assist to cover the ground. Either way you’ll want to build as much meter as possible for Strider before DHCing him in. Once Strider is on point, trap as usual, using BH-B to keep your opponent from running away. The most useful DHC for BH will be the JD into Ouroboros. If you can time it with the Doom assist you can DHC HOD into Ouroboros right b4 the rocks hit.

BH/Magneto/Cyclops

This team is similar to the BH/Storm teams in the sense that it’s versatile. It can go from run away to rush down with a simple switch. When BH is on point you’ll want to play keep away for the most part while you build meter. You can also play aggressively with the Cyclops assists as explained with the other teams. Another good tactic is to switch in Mag from the RH demons and go from there. The most damaging DHC for BH is the inferno into ARM into SW. The more likely DHC however will be to JD into SW.

BH/Dan/Cyclops

This team has the power to embarrass your opponents with its…nothing… Actually, this team is a true test to how well you play BH since he’s about all you have. Play aggressively or run away. Either way you’re going to have to play really well with BH if you want to win. The most damaging DHC BH can do would probably be ARM to KR. It’s highly unlikely that you will ever catch them with it though so we’ll say it’s JD to KR. If you’re in the corner you can inferno into HOD into SGK into repeated KRs if you have the meter. Good luck!

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3). Infinite Guideline

Since there are people that won’t get the general concept of when to use and not use the infinite, I’ve made this long ass write-up. Keep in mind that I'm assuming that BH has at least a decent AA in all cases as well as some kind of middle (support) character unless stated otherwise. I'm only speaking of using the infinite in the cases in which you can't just kill the opponent with a normal combo but can in fact finish them off through using the infinite. I might reiterate the importance of this in individual sections again.

MSP [Mag/Storm/Psy]

If you catch Magneto you will most likely want to do the infinite to assure that he doesn’t make it out alive. Mag with Psylocke is the biggest treat on this team regardless of who you’re using so it’s crucial not to let him DHC out safely. Be aware using the infinite to kill Mag will give Storm plenty of meter to spam HSs though. This shouldn’t be too much of a treat if you have BH backed by Sent. However, anyone else will be forced to play more cautiously which will result in more opportunities for her to get to you. Also, Psylocke will mostly have the meter to DHC or frame cancel into HSs once she enters the match due to your use of the infinite on Mag.

If you catch Storm you will definitely want to use the infinite on her. Killing Storm will take away the most painful DHC this team has as well as the threat of frame canceling into HS. Giving Mag meter won’t really make him anymore dangerous than he is w/o meter since he can just catch you in the infinite to build whatever meter he needs to kill you. Also, Psylocke having extra meter will have little affect on the match other than allowing her to DHC into Mag should she catch you in a combo.

If you catch Psylocke you’ll definitely want to use the infinite to ensure the kill. If Psylocke is in, it’s most likely due to the fact that the other two characters are dead or hurting, so get rid of her and really cripple them. This will also allow you to pressure them more if you’re using a team that can rush down. Mag and Storm are still dangerous w/o a Psylocke but it’ll definitely lighten the pressure you’re receiving from them. Plus, with the exception of a frame cancel into HS, Mag and Storm aren’t anymore more dangerous with meter than they are without it.

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Santhrax Variations [Storm/Sent/AntiAir]

If ever you catch Storm you should perform the infinite but make sure that she doesn't make it out alive. If she dies, the 90+% DHC that this team has disappears, and it doesn't matter who else you have since a Sent with meter shouldn't be any more a threat than one w/o meter assuming he doesn't hit you. In which case you're going to be taking loads of damage anyway. On another note, it’s not likely that giving them meter will make their AA anymore dangerous. Worse case scenario is you’ll give an assist like Cyclops or Doom (less likely) plenty of meter to chip you.

If you catch their Sent you'll want to be mindful of how much life he has since you're not likely to flat out kill him unless you have loads of meter. If not, don't do it since Sent will still live and you'll give them plenty of meter to perform a one touch kill should their Storm get in and hit you. If you can kill him go for it since it takes away the DHC of death. This will of course allot them the meter to frame cancel into HSs but it’s worth it IMO. Also, Storm will have meter, but that's manageable as long as you're cautious of the HSs.

If you catch their AA, it's best to just go for quick damage. Killing it with the infinite will not only give them tons of meter to retaliate with the DHC of death, but limit your actions when their Sent is in, due to the threat of a frame cancel into HS at any point in the match to punish you. It's just not worth it even if you have a rush down character paired with BH.

Sin Variations [Sent/Cab/AA]

If you do get the chance to perform the infinite on Cable by all means do so. Just make sure that he absolutely will not make it out alive! As stated in the section above, a Sent with meter shouldn't be any more a threat than one w/o meter unless you get hit. The same can be said for the AA with the exception of the assist stated above.

If you catch their Sent do not to do the infinite at all. Even if you kill him you're just giving Cable all the meter in the world to destroy you (and your assists). It's best to just go for quick damage rather than give their Cable any meter whatsoever. The better tactic would be to snap in their Cable if he won't have much meter and you're confident in how well you can play against him. Either that or snap in their AA and look to inflict as much damage as possible while waiting for them to do a reckless switch or waste meters DHCing it out.

If you catch their AA it's still best not to do the infinite. A Cable w/o an AA but plenty of meter is STILL a major threat. Following the steps stated above is your best bet. If you're playing solo BH it really doesn't matter who you do the infinite to. The main threat to giving Cable meter is his ability to flat out kill your assists, which won't matter much if they're already gone. Furthermore, if you're down to a solo BH and you're getting hit by Cable the match is probably about to end anyway. Just remember to watch out for the opponent countering in Cable to AHVB.

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Team Clockwork [Sent/Strider/Doom]

If you catch Sentinel you should treat the scenario like a match against team Sin. Don't do the infinite to him even if you can kill him since you're just giving Strider plenty of meter to chip and control the rest of the match once he's in. You're better off doing a simple combo/super to get what damage you can. The best approach would be to snap in Strider if he doesn't have much meter and you're confident as to how well you can play against him. If not that, you can snap in Doom in an attempt to kill him, or at least get what damage you can. Just keep in mind that Doom is a flexible character. Your opponent might do a reckless switch to get him out but they’re more likely to zone while building meter to DHC him out safely while still getting in some good chip damage.

If you catch Strider you can do the infinite (assuming you can't just kill him with a normal combo). Just make sure that you actually kill him! This will definitely give you the advantage as you can easily pressure a Sentinel that only has a Doom assist due to BH's j.lks, AA, and whatever else you might have at your disposal. Just beware of the crazy chip damage a Sent/Doom can do with the meters you'll give them as well as the painful DHC Doom has to Sentinel.

If you catch Doom you should definitely do the infinite. It's a golden opportunity just like catching Cable on team Sin only Sentinel will be even less of a threat then if he had an AA despite the added meter. Keep in mind that you're still giving Strider plenty of meter though. This however shouldn't be too much of a problem if your defense is anywhere near decent since pushblocking with prevent any real danger of cross ups during ouroboro activation for the most part.

Team Duc [Spiral/Cab/Sent]

If you catch Spiral there is only one thing to consider. That is how much meter they’ve already managed to build with her. If it’s 3 or more bars you’re better off just doing the infinite to get rid of her. Cable is already going to be loaded anyway so it’s best to get rid of at least one assist that can give you trouble in so many ways through added zoning or horrible chip when paired with AHVBs. If they only have 1 or 2 bars it is probably better to snap in Cable and attempt to kill him b4 he’s too much more of a threat.

If you catch Cable you should definitely do the infinite since he is the most clear and present danger on this team. This will also take away Spiral’s AA making it far easier to pressure her. There is some danger to be had from doing this though. A Sentinel backed by a Spiral assist can and will do insane chip damage with repeated HSF accompanied by swords. If you’re giving them meter by using the infinite you’ll have to be very careful not to be pinned down in this.

If you catch Sentinel it’s best not to do the infinite. Doing so would only give Cable the meter to control the rest of the match. Plus Spiral could still be an issue with an AA. It’s better to treat this scenario like those addressed in the team Sin and team Clockwork sections. Just snap in Cable and go for the kill.

MSS [Mag/Storm/Sent]

If you catch Mag it’s best to just do a big damaging combo. IMO it’s better to leave a Mag alive and crippled than it is to give Storm all the meter she needs to kill you over and more with just one hit. The most likely result from this will be Mag DHCing out which will only works in your favor to decrease the bars that Storm needs to be a threat.

If you catch Storm you’ll definitely want to use the infinite to assure that she does not live. Killing storm will affectively take away any advantages this team would have in the form of frame cancels as well as cutting the dangerous DHCs from this team to none. As stated in the MSP section a Mag will be just as dangerous w/o meter as he’ll be with meter since he can just build up the meter to do whatever he wants should he get you in the infinite. Also, a Sentinel with meter isn’t any more dangerous than one w/o meter assuming you’re not getting caught in combos.

If you catch Sentinel you’d best be sure that using the infinite will result in killing him. If not it’s best to just do the most damaging combo you have rather than give this team plenty of meter to kill you with one touch in the end. If you can affectively kill Sentinel you’ll at least take away the Storm/Sent DHC of death. You will however have to be careful of getting caught in frame cancels to HS when playing against Mag. Other than that, the same facts remain concerning the treat of Mag regarding the meter he has.

Team Guard [Mag/Cab/Sent]

If you catch Mag it’s best not to do the infinite. You’ll want to just do the biggest damaging combo you can instead. Killing Mag through the use of the infinite will only make winning the match harder since Cable will come in with plenty of meter to take over. However, if you cripple Mag, your opponent will have to play more cautiously or attempt to get Mag out through the use of a risky switch or DHC.

If you catch Cable you should definitely use the infinite to finish him off. This will leave you with a match-up like that mentioned in MSS section. As stated there, a Mag/Sent with meter shouldn’t be any more a threat than one w/o meter. You’ll also have the added advantage of being able to apply pressure to their Sent since they’re w/o an AA.

If you catch Sentinel you should not use the infinite. IMO it’s better to just snap in Cable and go for the kill from there rather than to give him all the meter he needs to make a comeback. It shouldn’t be too difficult to pressure him with BH anyway since he’ll be lacking a proper AA.

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SSC [Storm/Sent/Cab]

If you catch Storm you are better off not doing the infinite unless they already have like 3 or more bars. Though it’s true that Storm will be a constant treat of a one hit kill once she gets a second bar, it’s just better not to give Cable anymore meter than he needs. The best solution would be do as much damage as you can at that point. Either that or snap Cable in and abuse the fact that he doesn’t have a proper AA if he won’t have much meter. The only exception I can think of where you might want to just do the infinite on storm is if you’re team has Mag or Storm on it and you’re sure of your rush down skills.

If you catch Sentinel you’re better off treating this scenario like playing against team Sin. As always you want to avoid giving Cable any unearned meter above all else. Just do the most damaging combo you can or snap in Cable if he won’t have much meter. It shouldn’t be much trouble to pressure Cable since the assist he’ll have won’t do a very good job of stopping/blocking demons.

If you catch Cable you’ll have to be very mindful of how much meter they already have. Although you always want to kill Cable whenever you get the chance, giving the remaining Storm/Sent combination a lot of meter is just asking to be punished. This fact is the reason why this match-up requires the most thought concerning the use of the infinite. The only case in which I would advise using the infinite on Cable in this match up is if you have Sentinel to back you up. Sent against a Storm is better than anyone else to go against a Storm/Sent combination IMHO.

Team Combofiend [Mag/IM/Sent]

If you catch Mag you should definitely use the infinite on him. Killing off Mag is worth giving IM and Sent meter since he’s the biggest threat to any team you might have. IM will have absolutely no advantages due to the extra meters when he’s on point. Sentinel will also be little more the threat despite the possibility of frame canceling into PC that he’ll have.

If you catch IM feel free to do the infinite to him. I’d actually advise doing anything you can to kill him since he’s the center piece to this teams one hit kill possibilities. Taking out IM would actually help decrease the danger in getting hit by Mag to a certain degree. Also, as stated many times already, Sent and Mag don’t pose any more of a threat with meter than they do w/o.

If you catch Sentinel you should do the infinite to finish him off if you can. You’ll be giving Mag the meter to frame cancel into PC at any point by doing so but it’s nothing that he can’t already build up throughout the match. This fact makes using the infinite a small price to pay since you will have taken away the most dangerous portion of the DHCs on this team. As stated above IM will have no added advantages from the extra meter.

NOTE: The use of the infinite is perfectly acceptable regardless of the situations mentioned above if you’re ever down to a solo BH since you’ll need all the help you can get.

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