Back to the Barnyard
In the first part of the Tusslin’ guide, we went over when to apply the many forms of blocking available and a few tips for half of the cast. In this part of the guide, we’ll be touching on the basics of utilizing Training Mode starting with effectively using its wide variety of tools. The tutorials of Them’s Fightin’ Herds give you an idea of frame data and hitboxes that go beyond the surface of the normal visuals on screen during a fight. This layer of depth is key to understanding how to beat your opponents when they throw things at you that you can’t defend against, as these tools will allow you to break these elements down. We’ll also be covering the rest of the cast with a few tips to get you going with them!
Break It Down
Frame Data and hitboxes are arguably the most important parts of a fighting game to understand. Fortunately for us, TFH gives us the option to see it all first hand. Options to view these cornerstones are available in the training menu and should remain on while experimenting with your characters. The advantages are clear as being able to see damage, frame windows and the collision of all the attacks beyond the cute aesthetic will give an immediate breadth of knowledge. Range, size, and speed of the attack all become apparent with these tools on making it the perfect resource to understanding the enemy.
The best way to get better at a fighting game is to play more experienced players, that much is certain. Though this can be daunting at times, especially to the new player who may not understand what is even going on when they are being assaulted by an enemy onslaught. The key to understanding it all is trying it yourself, then defending against the simulated offense. This requires you to expose yourself to nearly every character in the game, which can be easily accomplished by completing the tutorial mode.
It is important to understand the buttons you have mapped in TFH and which ones are used to record moves. If you get schooled online by Paprika but remember her Tutorial mode, pay attention to the methods she is using to mix you up. If you understand what she is doing but not how to defend against it, you can attempt to set the same offense up in training mode by picking her then your character as the dummy. Using the record feature you can repeat the same options while controlling the dummy, allowing you to learn how it all works by seeing the frames and hitboxes all in action. Using this training method combined with the innovative tutorials, you will quickly find yourself crushing your foes.
More Tips For Tusslin’
Paprika
Paprika is a silly alpaca with deadly combos and head-spinning mix-up potential. She seals the deal with access to a short hop and huge buttons that easily combo into themselves, making it easy to use her charge-based toolkit. Make sure you are always holding a direction while performing combos to keep your opponent guessing with her powerful charge moves. Another deadly strategy with Paprika is a nasty corner lock-down trick using her Magic meter.
Using Paprika’s huge buttons, high-low and left-right mix-up tools to bully an enemy into the corner is a simple and effective strategy. Once there, begin deploying different foods with your Magic button that restore HP upon pressing the A button (light attack). This will force a standing enemy to eat the food instead of attacking, limiting the opposition greatly as it forces a jump, careful push-block, precise attack timing or an Alpha Counter to break the pressure. To subvert these tempo-breaking tools, Paprika can delay her offense with her short hop and even bully enemies back into the corner with Alpha Counters. These easily-flowing tools make Paprika incredibly dangerous to fight against, as her teleports can be buffered during her offense to maximize unpredictability to the unaware player.
Pom
Pom is a timid sheep with a ton of tools. Pom’s gameplan revolves around her summoning sheepdogs to aid her in battle, making her offense difficult to get around for the untrained player. From aerial double cross-ups, to starting combos off of grabs using puppies, Poms overwhelming arsenal of defense-breaking puppets can easily create combos opportunities against the defensive player. She can also move quickly around the screen with airdashes and a float by holding up while in the air. Pom and her puppy puppetry can cause a lot of damage fast, making her offense her best defense.
Pom will always want to push the advantage. Using her Quarter-circle back+A will summon a small puppy that follows Pom and kicks up a dust cloud when ordered to attack. You can use this command during a grab for an easy combo starter, punishing an opponent who blocks too much. If you have her Aerial Puppy summoned (Quarter-circle back+B) you can catch an opponent who learns to tech your grabs with a dive bomb aimed at the enemy position, forcing them to block and lose their advantage. Mixing up all of these tools make fighting Pom a deadly guessing game.
Velvet
Velvet is a character focused on ranged superiority. Even so, her combo ability and offensive pressure is not to be ignored. Using her deadly ranged tools, Velvet can mount an offense that can slowly close in on an opponent and create a claustrophobic atmosphere to fight in. This can effectively snowball into an uncontrollable situation as Velvet controls the flow of battle seamlessly using unprecedented space control.
Velvet can effectively fight at all angles and ranges. Controlling the flow of the match early is important as having Magic meter in your back pocket will help you fill holes in your offense that may not seem apparent at first glance. Using her Jumping C and Anti-Air, Velvet is able to create a slowdown state on the opponent that creates unprecedented offensive options. The wall-bounce off of Jumping C hit is also incredible for setting up even more offensive prowess. This all comes together with her Quarter-circle Forward Icicle attacks. Using these to create an advancing wall of projectiles is a great offensive choice, as is setting up nasty cross-ups with this move in the air using the A button. This will create deadly mixup situations at close ranges, especially if you are on the other side of the icicle. Mixing these up with her Quarter Circle Back+A move creates incredible ground control and a potentially unavoidable high-low hit when combined with her Icicles.
In the final part of the Tusslin’ Guide, we will explore the online environment and laying out a few weaknesses in each fighter. ‘Till next time, keep tusslin’!
