Ready To Trample
In the last part of our Tusslin’ Guide, we gave a brief introduction to the training mode and a few of the more advanced concepts within it. Basic strategies and tips for the rest of the cast gave insight on how to approach learning the game as a beginner. In our finale we will go over the online experience and some tips for going against the entire cast. With battle shrines, salt mines and more awaiting eager combatants online, you will want to have some tricks in your back pocket to stash all the salt.
Pixel Paradise
Those familiar with the story mode of the game will feel right at home in the signature online feature of the game, the Pixel Lobbies. Here you can pick a character to use as an avatar online then customize them with various fun and nostalgic curios. To obtain more of these you will need salt. Salt is found from random treasure chests found around the Pixel Lobbies, but claiming it takes time. In that time you are able to be challenged to a fight, where the winner will walk away with the precious salt. This can make item acquisition a competitive experience, especially in the more populated lobbies.
For those looking to simply throw down, there are many options available. Queuing from the menu allows a more traditional or old-school online fighting game feel and will link you up with someone relatively similar in skill as quickly as it can. There are also the Battle Shrines, an arcade-like experience where you can line your character up next to a shrine and take part in a king of the hill style exhibition. Winner stays on and the loser moves to the back of the line here, so it’s the perfect place to show your stuff! You are also welcome to walk up to anyone and ask for a fight, so don’t be shy!
Rollback Netcode and You
The smoothness of the online play is courtesy of the rollback netcode in place. You are reminded of it each time you enter an online match. While it is easy to simply dismiss this factor, one should keep a few things in mind when going online. Your best matches will be fought with the delay set to 1, which imposes a negligible input delay but mitigates significant lag situations that cause the “rewinding” effect of rollback netcode. While 0 would seem ideal to the hardcore fan, keeping the setting at 1 will significantly reducing the occurrence of the rewind effect used to resolve lag. Any form of delay above a 1 may require some adjustment of timing for combos or other moves, but will allow for smoother play against opponents with a higher ping.
Know Your Enemies
This section will go over some key weaknesses and other ways to beat each character in the game. Some characters can be quite tricky to follow, others can deal a ton of damage with a few openings, and others simply excel at having the superior position. With these tips, you will have a solid idea of how to approach each match-up and dominate the prairie.
Arizona – Arizona’s mix-up game is powerful and she does a lot of damage. Understanding the spacing of her lasso and low earthquake hits are key to fighting her, as these can give her the momentum she needs to begin deadly mix-up attempts. Always be ready for a quick anti-air at close range to stuff short hops and always try to pushblock at the end of her block strings. Arizona struggles against the likes of Pom, Velvet and Oleander due to their ranged superiority and large hit-boxes, but her ability to leverage her momentum with mix-ups in the corner is not to be underestimated.
Oleander – Oleander’s weaknesses lie in her frame data. While her normals have huge hitboxes and her combos hit hard, they often require a good amount of commitment and are easy to counter if blocked or anti-aired. Allowing Oleander to gain a life lead, however, could lead to a runaway victory for the Unicorn with her vast arsenal of tools to keep her safely distanced. Coupled with her double-jump and aerial hits, it can become difficult to find an approach with certain characters. Characters that Oleander has a hard time against are typically Paprika due to her teleports and Velvet due to her ability to beat her ranged game. Pom is another reliable choice against Oleander, as her large hitboxes and summons work well to navigate the difficult landscape her fireballs create.
Tianhuo – Tianhuo is always looking for a way in on you. She can use her Magic button to move unpredictably or attack to start or extend combos with ease. While her aerial superiority is a great strength, it also leaves her highly susceptible to anti-air attacks. She also has a hard time against characters who can knock her down easily, as her lack of wake-up attacks makes a wrong tech roll a bad mistake. Her lack of a true ranged option also leaves Tianhuo at a disadvantage against characters who can hit her from far away, such as Oleander or Velvet. Arizona can also cause problems for Tianhuo, as those ready with anti-air counters or quick earthquake stomps can punish the dragon-horse with big damage.
Velvet – Velvet is a strong character whose control over the flow of battle is unprecedented. With huge normal attacks, ranged attacks from nearly every angle, good wake-up options and a slowing mechanic to create combo opportunities, Velvet is a deadly opponent. She is another character whose weaknesses lie in her frame data, making a blocked Shatter or an Icicle at close range an easy combo opportunity for you. Tianhuo, Paprika and Pom all offer sneaky ways to close the distance and begin dishing out the damage to this upstart reindeer.
Paprika – Paprika is a character with unpredictable movements and a deadly corner game. Her edible treats will neutralize your jabs when cornered, instead giving the kissy-faced alpaca offensive opportunities. Using the aerial superiority of Tianhuo, or the speed of Pom or Arizona is the best way to subvert these options and stay on the move. Paprika is another character whose approach can be controlled with anti-airs to beat short hops, but her teleports can create openings that can become far more surprising and unpredictable. Staying on the move and being ready for her many tools is the only way to truly beat this fluffy menace.
Pom – If Velvet’s control over the flow of battle is impressive, then Pom’s is downright godlike. Using her puppy summons to create tricky openings and solid pressure when combined with her strong aerial normal attacks can quickly become oppressive and snowball out of your control. Always be watching out for her trying to slip past you with her Sheep Herding run, as you are able to grab her or follow it for a mixup opportunity. You will always want to be proactive against Pom, with characters such as Tianhuo or Paprika being able to navigate her battlefield tricks the most effectively. With a keen eye Arizona can give the beatdown to a careless Pom, but her ability to reliably retreat behind a wall of puppies can be tough for the cow to get around.
That’s it for the Them’s Fightin’ Herds Tusslin’ Guide. I’d like to thank developer Mane 6 for their continued work on this fantastic game and you, the reader, for checking it all out. Now get out there and tussle!
