Thread by @Koryuken

Your goal mid-match should not be to hit your opponent. It should be to "cultivate fear".

Please read below. This is important to your development as a player.

I historically suck at "reads". This helped me overcome a very large hurdle.

#GuiltyGear #GuiltyGearStrive #ggst_fa

If your goal is to "cultivate fear in the opponent", there's no reason to feel bad for wrong reads.

If you make the player say "Y A B E" and their life flashed before their eyes, that normally leads to a very particular adjustment.

However, you need to understand how your options pair up against your opponent's.

If my opponent is scared of Psychic Rising jH and Counterpoke j2K in neutral, what is their "twofer" that beats both, and what do I have that beats them hedging their bets against me?

For most characters, it's "dash FD > play reactively", or sometimes "airdash under jH, but go over j2K".

If I trust their judgement, and accommodate for fear, my counterplay is more clearly defined. Dash forward lights become very strong for me. Reactive play does as well.

Notice how I didn't say I actually landed jH or j2K. I only said they were mindful of them. Whiffs and failures count for something.

Is a player emboldened to repeat their actions when they succeed? Are they a "If it worked once, it'll work again?" kind of person?

Nothing feels better than hitting an opponent with this level of intent.

I made you too scared to jump or poke. I made you airdash in. I made you throw. I made you far.S.

I made you eat this tick throw. I made you play into 6P. I made you eat this cS. I made you get CH by j2K.

Even if some players can't explain this concept. Many high level players intrinsically understand it.

I remember the living room conversation in 2015 or so with @axefby, in front of our oversized CRT, that sparked this kind of understanding.

stream plug if you ever want to ask questions: twitch.tv/krackatoa

I should note, Chris Hu would sometimes talk about the inability to cultivate fear in an opponent.