Thread by @jchensor

My day 1 thoughts on Kimberly’s changes.

I may try to make videos tomorrow, but I am not sure I’ll need to. In any case, let’s get started: 🧵

#SF6 #SF6_KIM #SF6_Kimberly

Crouching LP is now -1 from -2. This is a small change but will certainly make her safer when pushing opponents away with crLP X 3 into sLK.

See IAmHermit’s videos about Light Attacks for a clear description of why -1 for Lights is very useful (1:59):

Crouching LK is now +4 instead of +2 on hit. This is really nice. Because that means Drive Rush crLK is now +8 on hit. Before, surprise DR crLK had ranges where none of his 6f buttons reached before at +6. Now, there seems to be NO RANGE where DR crLK can’t combo into sMK (8f).

More range on Standing HP is niiiice. Combined with the Arc Step change below, this gives her a really nice weapon in Neutral. Still shorter than sMK, but not by much anymore.

Also, DR crMK doesn’t seem to EVER be too far for a sHP follow-up now. sHP use to whiff at tip DR crMK.

Most moves trigger Proximity Guard at same ranges that the move hits. I guess sHK actually had its Proximity Trigger SHORTER than its actual range before. So they fixed that. Never noticed it as being shorter before, though.

This might be her biggest buff, to be honest. The improvements to her Slide are pretty significant.

Before, on hit, at worst it was -3. So even though you landed it, YOU were in a mixup afterwards. And oftentimes, the bad outweighed the good. You could get it Meaty or hit late…

…so that it could be 0 or even better.

But now, no matter what, at worst it will be +1!! The first 4 Active Frames will always result in +1 for you, so no matter what, when it hits, it’s YOUR TURN. This is great. It gives her a valid low threat from farther ranges than before.

Walking away from her was so powerful because her lows were SO BAD and had no range. Slide had range, but as I said, you would be minus very often and have to succumb to THEIR mixup. But now, you can catch standing opponents and be guaranteed pressure afterwards! SO good!

But honestly, the Punish Counter change might be the difference maker here. I read it and was very confused as to how it would be useful. But now that I’ve tested it? Wow.

So the change is that the first 4 frames now knock down as a Punish Counter. As I said, sounds… okay.

But I didn’t realize HOW FAR you could be and still connect with the first 4 frames! This has become one of her best Whiff Punish tools now. Before, on the first 4 frames, you’d be between +1 to +4 at those ranges. But now you get a Knock Down instead!

And interestingly, every frame that knocks down gives you +37. Now, I think they picked that number because it’s VERY awkward for Kim. You can double dash or whiff another slide to be +1, but I haven’t found any really strong auto-timed Oki from +37. But it’s still very valuable.

Kim’s Hisen Kick, her ➡️+Kick leaping attack, has waaaaaaay better range. I’m not sure if I just don’t remember her old range, but it feels REALLY far now. It still doesn’t leap quickly, so no improvements jumping over Juri’s Fireball, for example. But the new range feels BIG.

From a full screen away, Drive Rush into Hisen kick will reach the opponent. It’s crazy.

The input buffer change is for Punish Counter. If you just land, she can link an LP or LK, but the Hit Stun was LONG so I’d often mistime it. The extra 13f window makes it almost unmissable.

Quality of life change. Before if you tried doing her jumping elbow immediately after Jumping, it would result in a Jump MP due to height restriction. Now, if you do it too early, it just waits until she reaches the minimum height and it comes out then. Really nice.

Didn’t mess with this one much. But now in a Combo, her OD Running Up Kicks will hit higher. This might? open up new combos, but not sure. Another nice to have change, not a big deal.

WE BACK, BABY! Her attack where you run into and onto the opponent is back to BETA STATUS. This was a HUGE nerf from beta to release. But Arc Step now starts faster, so Arc Step off cancels is back to being a Frame Trap.

Before, sMP or sHP into Run could be interrupted by a 4f.

Now it’s a real Frame Trap again. sMP -> sHP Target Combo into run still has a 4f gap (previously 6), so you can still interrupt it, but that Chain into OD Run into Arc Step is a Frame Trap again. Before, even that was interruptible by a 4f.

This lets her play a LOT more.

She has a nice meterless Frame Trap off of good buttons that aren’t -12 on block. LOL! She has an option to catch mashers and, while not completely safe after a blocked Arc Step, at least it’s a mixup.

Combined with the new range on sHP, this change is SO welcome.

They adjusted the Kick followup to Arc Step so that on hit, the Frame Data would still be the same despite her juggling the opponent earlier thanks to the faster startup. So she’s still +30 when Arc Step into Kick lands as a Juggle.

However, there is an unintended side effect!

In the corner, previously, if you juggled with Arc Step into Kick, you would be +29 instead. +30 is much better with better Oki. There was some new stuff you could do at +29 but +30 is better.

With this change, you are now +30 even in the corner! So it’s an extra added buff!

For the OD version, it sounds like they tweaked it so that it launches opponents the same distance as before despite the faster Arc Step startup. It would have been super cool if it launched them farther to get the wall splat from father out, but I don’t think it does.

Light Vagabond Edge, the elbow attack, now is -4 instead of -5. Which is… nice. But not significant.

If it hits on the last active frame, a previous patch made it so that you it has better hit and block stun, so it was safe (-3) before. Now it’s -2.

On hit off that last Active Frame, you could link into a 5f button (sLK is your best choice), but it was REALLY hard to tell if you got the +5 or the +3 on the other Active Frame. It’s subtle, but they changed the reel animations for everyone now when the last Active Frame hits.

It is nice that this pushes back less. This seems to be most useful for longer range hits. Before, Light Vagabond would hit at ranges where you can’t throw without a microstep. Now, those distances leave her in Throw range more often. You can still whiff at MAX range, but rarer.

Not sure what this is for. Did it miss in some rare cases before? There is one super crazy case that this might improve. You can avoid DP with aerial OD Spin Kick but when canceled into L2, it often whiffed. Maybe it hits more now. *shrug* Such. Rare situation, not sure it helps.

So there you have it. The things I noticed on Day 1 regarding this patch. As I said elsewhere, is it going to make her top tier? Probably not. She’ll probably still bee very squarely mid-tier, but it’s still better buffs than anything else she’s gotten before.

And for SURE character specialists can win tournaments now, like iDom with a previous Manon or El Chakotay with a previous Lily. People who hated her bwfore will hate her a lot more now. Haha.

I can’t wait to try her out. I’ll still be bad, but I have no excuses now. Hahaha!

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