Versus Arena

Version 1.1 (2011/09/17) Latest changes: overall revision

Contents

The Versus Arena is a complete character page offering top throw escapes, character descriptions, tactics, and media for all characters in Virtua Fighter 5 with exclusive Goh-specific tactical advices and content.

The Versus Arena is arranged in a specific way:

1. The Top Throw Escapes are ordered by priority meaning that the 1st throw is usually the most important one to escape. As well, throw escapes with the note [Ring-Out] warn you of potential ring-out threats. If you prefer a quick reference list of the top priority throw escapes, then have a look at these article: Guide: Throw Escapes the quick way, Guide: Evading Throw Escape.
2. The Tactics section contains a paragraph about the opponent with his strengths and weakness. What follows next are bullets of ideas for Goh on how to counter the one or other character-specific technique. For quicker reference catchy headlines, alphabetically ordered, are used here suggesting solutions to potential problems when facing the opponent.
3. The Media section can be found at the very bottom of each character listing character-specific Goh videos worth watching and studying.

The Versus Arena also makes excessive use of the Virtua Fighter 5 terminology. Please consult the VFwiki Glossary for further explanations.

Akira

Top Throw Escapes

1. 
2. 

Tactics

Akira is a strong, straight-forward strike force attacking pretty much like a locomotive. Evading his linear line of attacks while striking back and interrupting him is a good method for tricking Akira players. As well, avoid his wall combos that do hideously high damage. Akira has a strong Okizeme match-up, thus be careful when using rising attacks. In contrast to that, Akira’s own rising attacks are very linear, and one of the worst in the game and can be evaded easily.

• FUZZY: Fuzzy-guarding against Akira is useful as most of his hard-hitting starters come out slowly.
• RISING ATTACKS: Akira’s rising attacks are half-circular, and thus, can be easily evaded with Defensive Movements. Closely observe Akira’s lead leg position (the one that is bent most) and DM towards it.
• SABAKI: With good Yomi Goh’s best weapon may be his Sabaki being able to intercept Akira’s punch and elbow strings inflicting direct damage.
  • >
  • > DASH-IN > THROW [Open stance only]

Media

• Gatarou2 (GO)
• Gatarou2 (GO) No#2

Aoi

Top Throw Escapes

1. 
2. 
3. [Ring-Out]

Tactics

Aoi is usually a very offensive character who comes with a whole bunch of mind games. Her attacks don’t do much damage on their own. However, if combined with her Sundome cancels, she can trick you into hefty strike-follow-ups and throw games. As it is the case with most trick maneuvers, you have to know the moves’ animations in order to fall for it. On the other side, not knowing the right timing for punishing the potentially canceled moves might be even worse. It is no bad idea to stay patient and wait for her to cancel her strings in order to respond to it with Goh’s diverse arsenal of throws. Training to escape the follow-up parts of her multi-throws may be a good idea as well.

• SABAKIS: In disadvantageous situations Goh can make use of his Sabakis, for instance against Aoi’s popular long range tool, the mid-hitting combo-starter kick , or against any of her punch mix-ups.
  • CRUMPLE > >
  • > > TSUKAMI GRAB
  • >
  • > DASH-IN > THROW [Open stance only]
• TENCHI: Most of Goh’s linear strikes can be easy deflected by Aoi’s Tenchi stance. Break your strings more often, go for throws, and, above all, shoulder-ram the hell out of Aoi. Another option would be to throw out more circular attacks or to go for a low attack. Examples:
  • [DELAY or THROW] []
  • ()

Media

• Gauche5 (GO)

Brad

Top Throw Escapes

1. 
2. 
3. [Low break-priority when quick-recovering]

Tactics

Brad with his quick footwork is a powerful mid to long range force being able to slip in and out of the red zone whenever in need. Most of his more damaging combos, however, require counter-hits. Brad players usually try to keep their foe at a distance in fear of throws, or powerful mid-attacks mix-ups in order to bait them into misplays with his ducking and slipping tricks for counterhits. As Goh’s most dangerous range is the one of a phone booth, he may want to get in closer in order to threat Brad with powerful close range strikes and throws.

• COUNTER-HIT/STANCE: Brad depends on counter-hits, and his ducking/slipping stance a lot, thus punishing Brad carelessly is usually a grave mistake. By making use of guaranteed and quick punishment actions, however, Goh can teach Brad a lesson.
• DISTANCE: Goh can go for his forward roll () to close the gap between Brad and him. Upon roll wake-up useful attacks besides throws:
  • > THROW
  • > ()
• SABAKI: Rather than sabaking Brad’s many punch strings that he can delay/cancel by his slipping and ducking tricks, the more serious Goh player has the possibility to aim for Brad’s knee as well. Goh’s knee sabaki is especially good as it can be launched from a distance not risking too much opening if it gets blocked.
  • > > TSUKAMI GRAB
  • > >
  • > LOW-THROW

Media

• Gauche5 (GO)

Eileen

Top Throw Escapes

1. 
2. [Ring-Out]

Tactics

Eileen, as one of the new and easy-to-learn characters in VF5, is a powerful strike-oriented force. Learning her trick maneuvers and cancellation skills is a key to success so that Eileen cannot take one by surprise with her myriads of string options at any time. In contrast to her ability to evade and reverse, Eileen has the weakest throw game in Virtua Fighter 5.

• COMBOS: Eileen needs her opponent to block the starters of her combos, so that she can continue with the combo strings. Evading with OM and DM works great here, and is, in fact, Eileen’s major flaw.
  • DM
  • OM+
  • OM+
• FLIPPING: Whenever she does her aerial flip roll setups, catch her off the air with .
  • >

Media

• Gauche5 (GO)

El Blaze

Top Throw Escapes

1. 
2. [Ring-Out]
3. 

Tactics

El Blaze compensates his lack of good long-range movement with a powerful close-combat arsenal accompanied with his Rocket Discharge trick maneuvers, and a wide array of devastating throws (especially low throws). In order to get into close range he can make use of his Venus Roll and Demon Dance or simply by crouch-dashing or OMing. Not hesitating when he rushes in close-up is a vital rule against El Blaze as he provides a good counter and throw game. For Goh, whose optimal range is also close-up, this opponent can prove a worthy challenge.

• JUMPS: Similar to Eileen, whenever El Blaze launches in the air (Jumping Hammer Knuckle ) knock him out of the air. Alternatively, using Goh’s forward roll () also works well against El Blaze with the result that most of the time you will be able to roll behind an airborne El Blaze.
  • 
  • 
  • 
• ROLLS: With Goh’s powerful mid-mid pokes and throws, he should be able to interrupt El Blaze every time he tries to close the gap with his rolls. Simply keep the mid pokes as quick as possible, or low-throw him while he is rolling.
  • , [Intercepting his rolls with low-throws]
  • 
  • 
  • 

Media

• Gauche5 (GO)

Goh

Top Throw Escapes

1. 
2. 
3. 

Tactics

Goh is a powerful close-range character with highly damaging hit-throws, throws, and sabakis. His lack of good fully circular moves gets compensated by his anti-tech-roll/anti-evade technique; his lack of good long range moves, by his mobility option, the forward roll, or his many safe kicks.

• EVADE: If your Mirror-Goh tries to evade your linear attacks, stick out circular ones, delay your strings, or alternatively catch-throw or evade-throw your opponent.
  • ()
  • [FULLY CHARGED] > STAGGER > DASH+THROW
  • > > >
• LINEAR: Most of Goh’s moves are strongly linear making OM and DM a good tool against him.
• ROLL: Goh’s forward roll is particularly vulnerable to low-throws.
  • 
  • > TSUKAMI GRAB
• SABAKI: If your opponent oftentimes intercepts your close range pokes with sabakis, going for the shoulder ram more often will net you insane damage.
• SHOULDER: Goh’s Shoulder Ram is a particularly powerful move beating most punches and elbows. It’s downside is that it is vulnerable to throws.
• SHORT-RANGED: While his close-up attack are powerful their range is also very limited.
• STAGGER: Most Goh players go for a highly damaging throw after a stagger (Shoulderram stagger, etc.). Pulling off a huge launcher that floats for big combo damage can instantly turn the tide of the fight to your advantage.
  • >

Media

• Anarkira (GO) vs. Outfoxd (GO)
• Gauche5 (GO)
• Gauche5 (GO) No#2

Jacky

Top Throw Escapes

1. 
2. 
3. 

Tactics

Jacky, instead of being the combo and juggle force that he was, has more and more turned into a mid range threat with reliable pokes and safe combos. While many of Jacky’s kicks are circular, his throw game isn’t particularly strong. If blocked his best combos leave him at a punishable disadvantage.

• COMBOS: If his favorite combos (, and ) are blocked, Jacky is at a punishable disadvantage. As well, the finishing kick of these combos can be greatly sabakied by Goh.
  • 
  • 
• LOW-PUNCH: Jacky misses sabakis or useful special high attacks. Therefore, low-punching can be a real threat to Jacky’s style of playing.
• SHUFFLE: Interrupting Jacky’s Shuffle tricks with strikes can be dangerous. There is no threat when blocking his Shuffle mix-up strings. Another option would be to sabaki his highly foreseeable strings.
  • > > TSUKAMI GRAB

Media

• Gatarou2 (GO)
• Anarkira (GO) vs Manjimaru (JA)

Jeffry

Top Throw Escapes

1. [Ring-Out]
2. 
3. 

Tactics

Jeffry is the VF character with the hardest-hitting moves and with an unparalleled range making him a great threat to deal with. His damage output can be insanely high mostly due to his easy-to-do juggles that don’t even require a counterhit to connect. As well, he is a masterful thrower so that escaping throws and ETEG becomes an utmost necessity.

• LINEAR: Most of Jeffry’s moves tend to be very linear. Evading towards his stomach is a good technique with which you can also evade his excellent juggle starter move Kenka Hook .
• LOW-PUNCH: It is not advised to spam low-punches against Jeffry. His Kenka Hook (which is a Special High) causing hideously high damage in a combo will prevent you from doing so, apart from his low-throws.
• THREAT STANCE: Look out for Jeffry’s stance giving him multiple options and a good guessing game. There are only two moves from which he can shift directly into the No Minor Threat stance: and . Moves from Jeffry’s stance are slow and easy to look out for, so be aware.

Media

• Gauche5 (GO)

Kage

Top Throw Escapes

1. [Ring-Out]
2. 

Tactics

Kage is a swift character with hardly any weaknesses being able to surprise his opponent with fancy moves, evasive techniques, good mid-hitting launchers, and fabulous float combos. Unlike Wolf, a good Kage isn’t totally centering his gameplay around his Ring-Out throw only. Nonetheless, his Ten Foot Toss can be used in this way leading to massive damage and ring-outs, so watch out.

• HIT-AND-RUN: Close the gap between you and hit-and-run Kage players with Goh’s forward roll () or OM.
• STANCES: Interrupt the shifts into his stances with a fast low-hitting move. As well, usually it is advised to guard his stance follow-up options high.
  •  
• TFT: At all costs buffer a throw escape to avoid his Ten Foot Toss ().

Media

• Gauche5 (GO)
• Gatarou2 (GO)

Lau

Top Throw Escapes

1. [Ring-Out]
2. 

Tactics

Lau is a fundamental character in Virtua Fighter with a gameplay mostly centered around offensive pressure. While being particularly good at baiting his foes into errors Lau is a truly straight-forward mid to long-range punisher with a decent throw mix-up.

• CANNED COMBOS: Most of Lau’s strings begin mid, after shifting into high. Upon blocking the initial strike go for a sabaki, low attack, or Goh’s sweep hit-throw.
  • > > TSUKAMI GRAB
  • 
  • 
  • 
• LOW-PUNCH: Lau can easily punish low-punch spammers with taking 1/4th of their health bar.
• STANCE: Lau’s Kokei stance can be a powerful threat under the condition that you are very offensive. There is not much Lau can do in his stance when you play defensively.

Media

• Gauche5 (GO)
• Gauche5 (GO) No#2

Lei-Fei

Top Throw Escapes

1. 
2. 

Tactics

Lei-Fei is an extremely well-balanced character who primarily relies on his eight stances and the myriad of combo and cancellation options that they offer him. While, on the one hand, his very stationary stances grant him the ability to deflect a good portion of the moves, on the other one, he can set up huge mind games with them making the opponent guess between the cancellation of the stance and a throw follow-up, a hideous stance, or stagger combo.

• STRINGS: Do not counter his -strings with ,  or an elbow as Lei-Fei can shift into a stance to reverse it. However, you can intercept it with low-hitting kick attacks; go for sabakis, or simply evade it.
  • LOW KICK
  • 
  • DEFENSIVE MOVEMENT (/)
  • SABAKIS [; ; ; ]
• STANCE: As with every stance-dependent character there are two ways to handle them. Either interrupt Lei-Fei with a quick low-hitting kick (no low punch) or wait it out as his stances are stationary.
  •  
• THROWS: Lei-Fei’s inital throws may not do much damage but therefore he is granted a guaranteed combo afterwards draining your HP bar drastically.
• WALLS: Try to stay away from walls as Lei-Fei’s wall damage may even be the highest in the game.

Media

• RinpooChuan (LE) vs. Anarkira (GO)
• Hiiro (LE) vs. Ananiina (GO)
• Tk★IJ (GO) vs. Medley♪ (LE)

Lion

Top Throw Escapes

1. 
2. [Ring-Out]
3. 

Tactics

Lion is a quick offensive character with a big arsenal of low attacks providing good range. More so than other characters, Lion has to rely much more on counter-hits for good damage which makes him a risky character at times. As well, Lion is a special stance character; however his stances only last momentarily. On block many of his high damage options leave him at a punishable disadvantage offering an opening for punch strings and throws.

• ATTACKS: Lion is a high-risk character that has to risk a lot for good damage. Thus, a good portion of his better moves leave him punishable on block.
  • MIX-UP
  • THROWS
• STANCES: Lion’s Mantis style stances are only momentary. Either wait them out or intercept them with a low kick attack.
• THROWS: Many of Lion’s options from his stances and his knee can be linked with throws. Make sure to buffer a throw escape for and .

Media

• Ogikage (GO) vs. Darwin (LI)

Pai

Top Throw Escapes

1. 
2. [Ring-Out]
3. 

Tactics

Pai is an aggressive and quick character with no real weaknesses. Her good combos and strings that leave enough room for numerous attack options, her special stances, fabulous launchers, and her throw game (including low-throws) make her a challenging character in close and long range. Merely Pai’s overall net damage isn’t that great so that she has to rely on her one counter-hit launcher (see below) much more often.

• MOVES: On block certain moves, for instance her main-juggle combo starter , or even , can be punishment with throws. For Pai has no real weaknesses you have to closely observe her moves and get to know when punishing Pai is appropriate, and safe.
• STANCES: Pai’s Meishouho stance leaves her back-turned. If you don’t react immediately, then do not try to intercept her as her BT-actions are quite strong. In spite of that, her Bokutai stance is only a timed special stance, which means that you can wait it out.

Media

• Sanagi (PA) vs. Akape (GO)
• Gauche5 (GO)

Sarah

Top Throw Escapes

1. 
2. 
3. 

Tactics

Sarah is a swift and nifty character rather relying on the fundamentals of Virtua Fighter than on extremes. In particular, her Flamingo stance is Sarah’s greatest weapon, creating huge mind games, apart from her incredible range and round-off moves arsenal.

• FLAMINGO: Sarah’s Flamingo Stance is a powerful guess-what-comes-next tank. While ETEGing may help considerably, sabaking many of her kick options, or simply retreating and pulling off a huge launcher seem to be viable options. As well, simply low-punching might be the simplest counter to her Flamingo stances upon block.
  • 
  • ETEG
  • 
  • BACK CROUCH-DASH > or even
• LAUNCHERS: Watch out for these two of her best launchers which can be countered with any -string, elbow or even throw: and .

Media

• Gauche5 (GO)

Shun

Top Throw Escapes

1. 
2. 
3. [If greater than 10 DP]
4. [Ring-Out]

Tactics

Shun is a unique character with a gameplay centered around drinking: the more he drinks the stronger he gets and the more great combos and moves become available to him. Therefore, keeping him from drinking can be the key to success when facing Shun. Shun’s respectable arsenal of launchers, great mid-hitting moves, low attacks, and unpredictable stance shifts work hand in hand with his rewarding throws.

• DRINKING: Intercept his drinking sequences with hit-throws. As Shun is doing something (drinking) it will count as counter-hit as well.
  • CH >
  • >
  • CH >
• MULE KICK: Shun’s kick is a great low-punch punishment and combo starter. Blocking high and feeding him with a throw or punch combination is recommended here:
  • THROW
  • MIX-UP
• SOUKYOKUKYU: This stance, in particular in back-turned state, is a dangerous threat. Shun is able pull off a 3-hit combo beating high attacks and deflecting mids with a crumple as result. On block however the follow-up is vulnerable to throws whereas adds vulnerability to -strings and elbows.
• STEAL HIS DP: Buffer   anytime and try to avoid getting hit by as both actions will fill his DP meter by 4 drunken pts. Use a variety of moves that steal DP away from him:
  • -1 DP: , , , , , , HCB,
  • -2 DP: FULL BASARA,

Media

• Shu (SH) vs. Akape (GO)

Vanessa

Top Throw Escapes

Defensive Stance

1. 
2. 
3. 
4. 

Offensive Stance

1. 
2. 
3. 
4. 

Tactics

Vanessa is practically two characters in one coming with a round-off move set for both of her stances, Defensive Stance (DS) and Offensive Stance (OS). In DS (straight pose), her stance by default, she can even auto-reverse high and mid punches whereas in OS (slightly hunched) she can make use of her Takedown catch-throw, hit-throw, or fabulous combos. In general Vanessa’s moves are linear, making ETEG a reliable technique when being disadvantaged. Most Vanessa players rely much more on her Defensive Stance.

• AUTO-REVERSE (DS): In her Defensive Stanceshe can auto-reverse any high and mid punch as long as she does nothing (neutral input).
• LINEAR: Most of Vanessa’s attacks are linear. ETEGing and DMing against her in disadvantageous situations prove valuable counter-actions.
  • ETEG
  • DM
• LONG RANGE GAME: Vanessa possesses fabulous ranged kick attacks such as her Back Charge Kick (). Poking with Goh’s Sabaki kick represents an good counter option here.
  • 
• TAKEDOWN THROW (OS): Be aware of the break options when she catches you with this catch-throw that can have up to three follow-up sequences.
  • BREAK WITH: , and/or

Media

• Gauche5 (GO) vs. ??? (VA)

Wolf

Top Throw Escapes

1. [Ring-Out]
2. [Ring-Out]
3. 
4. 

Tactics

Wolf is the mammoth high-damage character relying on a gameplay centered around his Giant Swing throw. Due to this, close-up he represents a particular Ring-Out threat while far off he can rush towards you with his shoulder charges. His slow speed gets compensated by the ultimate damage his moves can cause.

• GIANT SWING: Stay away from the edges of the ring. Always buffer a throw escape.
• LINEAR: Wolf’s moves are linear so that he has to rely on a lot. Always evade or ETEG towards his stomach to avoid his Screw Hook (HCB) and Giant Swing.
• QUICK-RECOVER: Quick-recovering carelessly puts you at the dangerous risk to either eat a Giant Swing or a Toe Kick Stunner ( >on HIT).
• SHOULDER CHARGES: His shoulder attacks from a distance are easily punishable by evading, and then countering.
• SLOW SPEED: Wolf’s move set and his standing are the slowest in the game.

Media

• Gatarou2 (GO)
• Anakira (GO) vs. The Prince (WO)