copyright 2003 Adam LaRusso This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright email me at yatsui_geist@hotmail.com diclaimer: This guide probably won't be very good at first, but hopefully as I improve, I'll make a better FAQ and include some better strategies as I go along. For now, I'll only put a few strategy, because I haven't played many human players, and none were any good. That said, I'll start the FAQ *I NOW HAVE A PS2 TO WORK WITH. YAY! Feed back WANTED AND WELCOME. This is my first FAQ, and possibly the only FAQ that I'll produce. If you have any suggestions as to additions to the FAQ, combos etc... please email me at yatsui_geist@hotmail.com 3/14/03 version 0.8 First version on the FAQ 3/31/03 version 0.9 Added and changed information in the "move list" section Added Overdrive information Added more combos 6/17/03 version 1.1 Did a little tweaking to multiple sections I think I can finally call this a full FAQ (this doesn't mean in any way that I'm finished with it) 6/18/03 version 1.11 minor update, added tick throws to "advanced strategies" section 7/03/03 version 2.2 replaced old notation system with numerical system added/replaced stuff in the moves section added some combos to the combo section as well as a new counter-hit combo section Added knock-down strat summery section 7/15/03 version 2.3 Added Testament's profile info 10/6/03 version 2.31 Corrections and additions to the combos section Also, I now have a PS2, so this is no longer a blind FAQ 11/7/03 version 2.4 corrections and additions to the normal moves section I.The basics i.key ii.Advanced strategies II.Why Testament? i.pros ii.cons III.Profile Info IV.Move list i.normal moves ii.special moves iii.Overdrives V.Testament Traps/pressure and other strategies i.Hitomi and Zeinest ii.wake-up strategy iii.EXE Beast iv.other pressure v.Wake-up summery VI.Combos i.other combos ii.counter-hit combos iii.the super flash combo ------------------------------------------------------------ I. THE BASICS i.Key This FAQ will use a number system to tell you what direction to press. Looking at the number pad on the very right of your keyboard should give you an idea to where you will press when a certain # is given, for all that are still confused here's what the buttons correspond to 1=crouching block/diagonal back 2=crouch 3=diagonal forward 4=back 5=neutral 6=forward 7=jump backward/diagonal up-back 8=jump/up 9=jump forward under this notation a standard fireball (qcf+P) will become 236+P p=punch k=kick s=slash Hs=Hard slash D=Dust JC=jump cancel ->=gatling combo the next move, also known as two-in-one ,=next move and will require certain timing to continue the combo /=or RC=Roman Cancel FRC=False roman cancel OD=Over Drive (super move) IK=Instant Kill Wake up= while character is getting up "Tiger Knee" a move- doing the motion of a move that can be done in the air on the ground, then jumping and pressing the needed button for it. For example, if you wanted to "tiger knee" Zeinest, you would in-put 2147+HS. After the "7" you'll want to wait a short period of time or you won't jump in the air to do the move otg-off the ground. These attacks will be scaled a LOT and the opponent can recover much more easily ------------------ ii. Advanced Strategies- here are some of the more complicated maneuvers from the game that aren't included in the manual. -Jump cancelling- jump cancelling is mostly used to continue a gatling combo, but it has other uses. You can jump cancel out of a dash/retreat. By jc.ing out of dash, you will be propelled forward more and faster than normal. This also allows you to dash or jump again while in the air, giving more mobility. You can also try to confuse the opponent by dashing jc. into a retreat, to try and provoke the opponent or avoid something that they used. It is the same with jc.ing out of a retreat, you can do an air retreat again if you need space from your opponent, or try to confuse the opponent by retreating then JC into an air dash, possibly luring them to where you want them. A JC can also be done in the air giving more ability to punish the opponent with longer air combos -Jump install-This technique is a glitch that was purposely left in the game. This technique allows you to dash or jump after a roman canceled move that puts you in the air, something that's normally not possible. You can do this one of two ways. I'm only going to talk about the "tiger knee" way of doing things. In a combo, if you "tiger knee" Grave Digger (in this case, you wouldn't wait to jump to do the move) you can roman cancel it, then dash forward afterwards. This is because the computer will store the jump in-put and when you roman cancel, it was if you had jumped instead of doing a Grave Digger. If you don't like this method, you can go to Gamecombos.com to find out more about jump installing -Faultless Dash/faultless jump- by using faultless defense during a dash or jump, you limit the vunerability you normally had. You can stop a dash right away with this technique, priming the opponent for a throw, or allowing you to block something they've thrown out. You can also block earlier when jumping -Instant Air Dash-performed by quickly pressing forward after jumping forward or back while jumping backwards. The forward/backward pressed as a part of the jump also counts as the first forward needed for a dash. This allows you to dash while closer to the ground. -Tick Throw-A "tick throw" is a technique that utilizes poke hits to put the opponent into a block stun, then quickly moving in and throwing them as soon as they exit block stun. An example would be throwing a few standing punches, and then running in for a throw. (courtesy of Wyrm916 on GameFAQs) --------------------------------------------------------------------- II. Why Testament? Testament probably will never be a top teir character, but he's definitely fun to play as. In terms of playability, he's one of the hardest characters to use well, as he requires some good timing, set-up, and lot's of strategy. Testament has the some of the greatest trap potential in the game and can litter the screen with things that will make the opponent think twice before approaching. Also, he has some great pressure thanks to his EXE beast and it's FRC. So here are some pros and cons to consider if you want to use Testament i.PROS -good range -high damage -almost 100% safe wake-up with zeinest -nice set-ups and pressure ability -ability to poison and therefor incur extra damage -Air gravedigger for air combos -unpredictability of crow when character is cursed (double edged sword) -awesome pressure with EXE beast and FRC EXE beast -good high low switch up guessing games/pressure -one of the fastest overheads in the game (6p) -one of the best wake-up "games" in the game -high amount of untechable (or moves that have a lot of time before you can tech) moves -KICK-ASS character design :P -something I've recently found out (sort of). Testament has a REALLY fast dash speed. I never really noticed it till I played the survival once. I was facing a random Testament and saw how fast he moved. I thought it was just EX speed but then I went to arcade mode and saw much of the same -can be VERY tricky with zeinest and hitomi -GRAVE DIGGER LOOP ----------------- ii.CONS -Slow recovery on some moves. Easily countered when lagging after a move -doesn't have great combo-ability. You'll find yourself doing one of like 3 combos at any given time -zeinest and hitomi easily countered -gravedigger lag if blocked or missed -phantom soul's lag -EXE beast can only come from behind (in normal mode) -timing required for warrant -he doesn't gain tension all that fast sometimes -unpredictability of crow. While it CAN make uber combos, it will often do a techable technique (especially during grave digger loop) to screw the combo up --------------------------------------------------------------- III. PROFILE INFO -From the game:- -------- Profile: -------- Name: Testament ----- Height: 6'1" ----- Weight: 161 lbs ----- Birthday: May 9 ----- Blood Type: Unanalyzable ----- Race: Gear/Swiss ----- Risk Rating: S ----- ----------- Background: ----------- One of the few humanoid Gears, and one of the few Gears to retain a sense of self after Gear cell-grafting process. He became an enemy of the human race after aligning with Justice. Subject organized the first Sacred Knights tournament in an attempt to revive Justice. Currently, he is still evading capture. One account mentions a link with Commander Gear Dizzy, but this has yet to be confirmed. His pure hatred of man and incalculable power make him one of the most dangours living beings on Earth at the present time. He should be viewed as a major threat. Risk Rating: S Can be found in GameFAQs.com: http://db.gamefaqs.com/coinop/arcade/file/guilty_gear_xx_char.txt ===================================================== -From Sammy site:- -------- Profile: -------- Name: Testament ----- Height: 5' 1" ----- Weight: 161 lbs. ----- Blood type: Analysis Failed ----- Origin: Switzerland ----- Birthday: May 9 ----- Eye color: Red ----- Hobbies: Thinking ----- ----------- Background: ----------- Involved in a conspiracy, Testament was converted to a Gear. He managed to maintain his consciousness and memory but was forced to conform to the command of "mankind erasure," which was implanted compulsorily. When Testament met Dizzy and heard the story of her life, her existence became his reason to live. The only thing he could do is "to protect his precious one." Can be found in: http://sammystudios.com/games/ggx2/bio_testament.htm --------------------------------------------------------------- IV. MOVE LIST- In this section, I'll list all of Testaments moves along with whether they can be jump cancelled, false roman cancelled etc... this is the formula-Damage and maybe damage scaling will be added in later -move name- properties-jump cancel, FRC, overhead, stagger and other special properties gatling-Which moves it can be gatling comboed in to Use (0-5 *'s 5 being the best) description of move the actual use of the move note: some of the information will probably be false or incomplete, since I'm working from memory note: to avoid confusion, I will not use 8p/k/s/Hs when saying which moves can be gatling comboed into after an air attack. Rather, I will only use p/k/s/Hs i.normal moves- note: for now, I'm assuming that every ground move can be gatling comboed into the Nightmare Circular OD and Grave Digger with exception maybe being his f+K note: every normal move can be roman canceled -standing punch- properties-jump cancel gatling-K, S, 2S ( ) Testament reaches his hand out and "grabs" the opponent for a short ranged attack haven't found any use for this -crouching punch- properties- gatling-K, 2s, Hs (**1/2) same as P, but crouching Very fast, like every other crouching punch. It can be used to poke some one out of their pressure tactics. It CAN be used as a part of the grave-digger loop (bounce, 2P->Hs->grave digger, bounce), but you'll have to find out when it's better to use this over S-Hs or just Hs->Grave Digger -jumping punch- properties- gatling- ( ) same as s.P and c.P but in the air haven't found any use for this -forward+punch- properties-overhead gatling-S, HS (**** ) Testament crouches and turns around, bringing his scythe behind him to hit the opponent one of testament's slowest attacks, which is funny, since it's one of the fastest (if not the fastest) overheads in the game. Good to use in the EXE beast loop pressure. Some human players will tend to block low, some high. You'll have to figure this out when playing to find out whether to use this, or c.K. More about this move talked about in the pressure section -standing kick- properties-jump cancel gatling-S, HS (*** ) medium ranged "back-kick" important for some combos. This Move can be used in an EXE Beast FRC combo, and if you want to end a Grave Digger loop with an air combo, if the opponent is too low, you can do K->S to get them into the air for the air combo -crouching kick- properties-low hit gatling-2S, S, HS (**** ) standard crouching kick bah, I don't know what I was thinking when I said that I never used this. As Testament's only other low hitting move (other than crouching Dust) this move is essential for mix-ups. This move will gatling into 6P, but the two hits won't combo. This is sometimes good to keep in mind if the person can usually guess where you're going to hit. In my experience, even if they're blocking high, they'll go to block low once you hit them with the 2K getting you some extra free damage. Of course, this is a little risky since they could continue to block high, and that would result in the halt of the combo. -jumping kick- properties- gatling-8S (***1/2) standard jumping kick Important for air combos. It has good speed and range so it can be used as an anti-air. You can sometimes start the match with this if you think they will jump. If they stay on the ground, then you have plenty of time to jump again, air dash back or air dash forward. more in strategy section -forward+kick- properties- anti-air gatling-Zeinest (**1/2 ) a quick downward strike that covers the front of Testament This move does some decent damage and comes out decently fast, but it's got a lot of lag after if it hits or is blocked, and little priority. It does however cover almost all of Testament's front, so it works decently as an anti-air, though the timing is VERY tricky and it's not garunteed. The main use for this will be to combo into zeinest (even after anti-air), in which you can do whatever you want from there. You should try to never use this move without Zeinest following it. Use with much Disgression I have changed the rating on this from ***1/2 to **1/2 because the range of the move is very limited and the knockback (when hitting) is high, so the zeinest probably won't hit, unless you're right in the face of the emeny (in which case, this is a very high risk move) -standing slash- properties-jump cancel gatling-6P, S(from close S), 2S(from close S), HS (**** ) close-Testament raises his hands, bringing his scythe down, then back up far- Testament reaches his hands out, making his scythe spin a horizontally The far version only does one hit in this installment of guilty gear, so they've toned it down a little since GGX, but it still does good damage and has great range and speed. If you're in close enough, you can link this with HS then Grave Digger for a little combo that does great damage. It's a good long range poke that will make the opponent think twice before dashing in. -crouching slash- properties- gatling-HS, 2D, 2HS(on counter-hit) (**** ) Testament swings his blade across the ground This move has the fourth best horizontal range out of all of Testament's normal moves (next to 6Hs 2D and 2HS...2S does have longer range than S), and is less risky than the afformentioned moves. I wish I knew how to use this move more effectively. I believe that this move's use might be more of a threat move because of it's range and the fact that it can link into 2D. (getting the opponent where you want them, on the ground) -jumping slash- properties-jump cancel gatling-HS, D (****1/2) Testament slashes his scythe this move has the pleasure of being the only air move of Testament's that can be JCed. It does good damage and allows you to continue an air combo, which is ALWAYS a good thing. Other-wise, this move is sometimes interchangeble with 8D. This move will be used as more of an anti-air, unlike dust, which will mostly be for offense -standing hard slash- properties-staggers on counter-hit gatling-almost anything on counter-hit (**** ) Testament slashes his scythe horizontally in front of him It's biggest use is in a combo after a S. You can use this on it's own linking into Grave Digger for a short combo. It has good speed and range. Nescessary for optimal damage in Testament's Grave Digger corner juggles. You can try to be tricky with this move, using it twice in a row in pressure in hopes that your opponent will try to hit you. If you DO counter-hit, you can do ANOTHER Hs (or 2Hs) and then Grave Digger, possibly following up with the corner loop -crouching hard slash- properties-invincibility frames at the beginning of the move gatling- 2D (****1/2) Testament disappears, moves forward, then reappears with his arms forward and blood shaped as a drill wrapped around them Great move, it's fast, also has VERY long range. But the frames of invincibility at the beggining of this move make it what it is. It can go through many attacks. It's great to use at the beggining of a round since it's faster than almost every other move that has enough range to hit a person at the start of a round (with exception to one of Sol's moves and I think Johnny's S). It can go straight through Ky's uncharged stun edge and Axl's Rasho Sen and Johnny's coin among other moves that have fast start-up. I also think you might get a slightly longer range with this move if you do it from a dash. This move is GREAT to gatling in to 2D for an easy knock-down/set-up in to Phantom Soul. -jumping hard slash- properties- gatling- D (*** ) Testament spins around, spinning his blade vertically with him The only real use for this is to use in an air combo after j.S or JCed into after 8S, then linked into a j.D or Grave Digger. This is sometimes interchangeble with j.D, it comes out a little faster, but has less range and duration. Use with disgression -forward+hard slash- properties- anti-air gatling-nothing, but can combo into another 6HS (otg) (*** ) Testament holds out his scythe and slashes vertically AWESOME range, but it's slow and has HORRIBLE lag if blocked. Good move to use on it's own, however. One drawback to it's range though is that if the opponents outside of throw distance, but close enough, you'll totally whiff and be open for punishment. You can use this when the opponent is at the other side of the screen (if you have 2 zeinests and an hitomi out and the opponent's still turtling, you might want to throw this move out. Good as an anti-air move, but by the time you know to use this move, they'll probably be too close so don't use this move too often.) This can combo off of a throw, but only use it if you know it'll kill the opponent as there are better alternatives to this due to the damage scaling note: this move CAN combo from an air throw with-out the huge damage scaling you get from the OTG for some good damage. I will say right now that Johnny is probably the hardest character to get this against. Potemkin and the females in the cast are much easier to do this on. You can RC the 6Hs for a grave digger and possible loop. Of course, this is risky, since the 6Hs might be an OTG, making the RC useless -Dust(D)- properties- gatling-dust combo, corner combo (***1/2) Testament leans back and summons hands made out of blood in front of him Starter of a dust combo. Great range, but it comes out really slow, leaving him open. If the opponent's too close, it will miss. There are better dust moves in the game. However, unlike most dusts, you can actually combo into Testament's dust!(this, of course, is a hard to pull off maneuver). Also a sucessfull dust can also lead into one of two highly deadly dust combos (these two things are the only reasons why it got a rating as high as it did). More on these two things in the combos section. -sweep(c.D)- properties-low hit gatling-Grave Digger (otg for most characters. it will combo on females) (**** ) Testament falls forward, sweeping his scythe along the ground Great range and speed, one of the better sweeps in the game. It can be linked into and FROM Grave Digger (as an otg). Best if used after a 2S or 2Hs. If this move connects, it is safe to use Phantom Soul. If this move DOESN'T connect Hitomi or EXE Beast are your best options, though against most people you can still use a Phantom Soul. -knockdown(j.D)- properties-launches opponent high and is un-techable after a counter-hit gatling-Grave Digger, S (after landing) (*****) Testament puts his hand out making his scythe go out in front of him, leaving a trail of blood behind it. ABUSE THIS MOVE! People will fall for it all of the time. And if they were attacking, you'll get the counterhit as well, knocking them high into the air, setting up for a Grave Digger loop. If it doesn't counter-hit hey, they're still on the ground and have just been set-up for more punishment ------------------------ ii.Special moves-for these moves I will replace "gatling" with "link" because special moves can't be two-in-one'd like normal attacks without the use of a roman cancel or false roman cancel Note: every one of Testament's moves are usefull and you will most likely use all of them in any given match (with exception maybe being Warrant) -Phantom Soul (236+P/K)- properties-marks opponent with "curse" combos into-almost anything (*** ) Testament sends out a skull that travels forward (p) or up and forward (k) and curses opponent upon sucessful hit. You should almost NEVER use this on it's own. It comes out slow and travels slow. This move will be discussed more in depth in "Testament traps/pressure and other strategies" section. -Crow attack/curse- if sucessfully hit by phantom soul, the opponent will be cursed for a little while, or untill they hit you. The crow will do one of three attacks, a VERY quick charge, throw some feathers out at the opponent, or will change into "Zio" and do an over head scythe attack. The crow will sometimes help and sometime hinder combos, but since it's very random, it's hard to base a combo around. I've yet to do any real testing around the Crow attack. The crow can do some very good damage, and since it attacks on it's own, you can just sit back while it attacks, though it's usually a better idea to just continue your attack, even if it means being hit and removing the mark. -Grave Digger (214+p)- properties-ok during jump, jump install, very late recover point, wall bounces combos into-c.D(otg), EXE beast (otg) (*****) Testament comes off of the ground and flies forward through the air as he swings his scythe around him One of Testaments best attacks, and definitely his best combo ender. Try not to use it on it's own unless you're farther away or going for a counter or anti-air. If you're close, it will hit earlier, giving the opponent plenty of time to retaliate if they block. If far away, you'll hit later in the motion, and if they block, they might not be able to counter before you can block. Best when used as a combo ender (or extender when in the corner). When RCed, it can link into a corner combo better -EXE Beast (41236+Hs)- properties-FRC, stagger on counter-hit, can be comboed into on a ducking opponent combos into-almost anything when FRCed or used as the start of a combo (****1/2) Testament takes a bow, which summons a purple beast that comes up behind the opponent Limited use by itself as it can be jumped over. The real magic of the EXE beast is that it's FRCable. Although the timing is hard, once mastered, this transforms Testament from a slightly defensive character into an offense master. The FRC cuts the lag to almost nothing. This will probably be the wake up attack you use the most. EXE beast also staggers on counter and pushes the opponent towards you, allowing you to combo after it, even if not FRCed note:the reason why I said that this move can be linked to almost anything is because the EXE beast knocks the opponent towards you, and if EXE beast is the start of a combo (not the end) you can hit the person with almost anything (like a Grave Digger, f+P or a kick) after it. More uses of this move will be discussed in Testament Traps and pressure -Warrant (214+k)- properties-adds poison, RC (only after it hits or is blocked) combos into- (*** ) Testament does a taunt. If hit, he melts into a pool of blood and resurfaces on the other side of the enemy. If it hits, it poisons Great move, but shouldn't be used all that often. It should only really be used as a counter to a projectile or something with decently big start-up time (sol's riot stamp). Other-wise, it's really hard to actually hit some one with. There's a few frames in the beginning, and a decent amount of frames at the end when testament is vunerable. Then even if it DOES counter something, there's still a chance that it won't hit the opponent or they'll block it. You can use this if you're blocking a rushdown, and there's a decent gap in the other person's rushdown. Though beware, too little a gap, and they might just hit you before you can counter, too big of a gap, and they'll be able to spot it, wait it out, and punish you for it. **SPECIAL NOTE** The Best time to use this might be at the start of a match. If you're playing against Johnny or Sol (two characters who can hit you right from the start, and who's attacks are faster than 2HS), this might be a good option to consider. -Hitomi (214+s)- properties-untechable combos into-almost anything (***1/2) Testament's skirt flies up. This sets a type of land mine that activates when the opponent gets close enough to be hit by it, when you're hit, or if you lay another after putting out 2. The biggest downfall to this move is that the opponent can trip the mine ANYWHERE above the hitomi, so if they jump over it, it'll activate. Next, if the opponent runs, they can also by-pass it. None-the-less, they it's still a good trap if the person isn't paying enough attention. Also, this is a good way to start or continue an air combo if they're hit by a hitomi. Can also extend combos if it happens to be in place that the opponent lands after a combo. You'll probably want to lay a few every match. Use disgression. More uses of this move will be discussed in "Testament Traps/pressure and other strategies" -Zeinest (214+Hs)- properties-ok during Jump, tiger kneeable combos into-almost anything (**** ) Testament rips his own arm off and leaves a blood web behind. It disappears after and sets a trap that activates when something hits it, or upon the third usage of the move This can be used to set up different traps. Once caught in the web, you can also start a combo for some good damage. Zeinest has some interesting properties. When used by itself, the opponent can be caught for a period of time, but if used in an air combo, the opponent can almost immediately recover out of it. Great as a wake up attack. More uses of this move will be discussed in "Testament Traps/pressure and other strategies" **SPECIAL NOTE** If you tiger knee this move fast enough, it will super jump intead of just jump. A super jump will allow faster movement after the Zeinest is planted -------------------------- iii. Overdrives- -Nightmare Circular- properties-adds poison combos into-corner combo (*** ) Testament brings his hand down and bends over. A Gate opens up and spews poisonous blood Pretty decent OD, but Testament has better things to use tension for, his Grave Digger RC and EXE beast FRC take priority to this. This can be used after just about everything with some timing. Only time you'll really use this is against a person that blocks more than anything, and even then, only after a combo. This will poison them and force them to attack. -Master of Puppets- properties-charges up hitomi (charges EXE beast in EX mode) combos into- (* ) Testament turns his scythe into a Key and hits the opponent with it Not a very practical OD, it does very little damage for an OD. It will "charge up" your Hitomi(normal Testament) or EXE beast(EX Testament). The Hitomis will poison and be bigger. The EXE beasts will be bigger and bounce the opponent straight way up into the air. You will get 3 Hitomis (regular) or 2 EXE beasts (EX mode) per master of puppets. Only reason this got two stars is because the Hitomi's will poison if connected, since poison does a good deal of damage, this OD can THEORETICALLY deal more than any other human controlled OD, but since the Hitomi's are still blockable, it's highly unlikely to get this to happen. Probably one of the worst ODs in the game --------------------------------------------------------------- V.Testy Traps and pressure- this section is mainly for 3 of Testament's special moves: Zeinest, EXE beast, and Hitomi. However, there will also be some tactics involving moves other than these i.Hitomi and Zeinest- -Zeinest- The first use of this move is just on it's own. You can put these out across the screen in hopes of capturing the opponent in it. If the opponent's smart, they'll attack these and destroy them as soon as possible, if they're smarter, they'll run right into them and block them, thus reducing risk. It is usually better to use Zeinest in the air rather than on the ground, since it is a little harder to track them in the air, if an opponent uses an air attack to dispose of them, they will be left open slightly longer than if they used a ground attack (a punch on the ground will last the same amount of time as one in the air, but if the opponent doesn't hit YOU, they still have to descend before being able to attack again). Air attacks also have generally less range and come in at an angle, thus making the Zeinest harder to hit while in the air. Zeinests shouldn't be kept too far apart from each other, but be sure to try not to put them one on top of the other (two of them in the same space). You can make a decent wall using two Zeinests, one above the other like this: # # # # or # or # if you want to use Zeinest on it's own, a good way to go is to jump forward, plant one, then dash back, or even dash forward. If you choose to dash forward an air dust is a good way to keep safe while remaining on the offensive, it's range and duration should keep the opponent from trying to attack Zeinest can, like Hitomi, be used as the end of a combo. This is probably something you won't be doing that often, but you might be able to use this every once in a while. The objective isn't really to hit though, just to get the web out The last use for this move is to stall yourself in mid-air. This will throw off the opponent's timing and you might be able to dodge a move and counter attack with a rush-down ----------------- -Hitomi- I LOVE this move. Against human players, it works like a charm. They seldom see it coming out, so they get hit by it often. Use this whever you have the chance. You might want to use it after a knockdown intead of EXE beast or Zeinest. Make sure you use this when you're a decent distance away from the opponent though, although the move doesn't last that long, it's still long enough to get hit out of it. Once you've laid an Hitomi or 2 (which is the max) you might want to instant Zeinest Superjump (maybe laying 2...or even three if you want to pause in midair). It might look something like this #=Zeinest _=Hitomi 1)# # _ _ if you layed hitomi, dashed back, laid another, then did zeinests 2) # # _ _ if you dashed forward for the second hitomi 3)# # _ you can dash back in the air after the first zeinest...or forward 4)# # _ one of the better formations, since it doesn't take much time note: you can air dash after each of these formations exctept #3 The good thing about jumping above a hitomi and laying a Zeinest is that if the person doesn't know about the hitomi (even if they do) there's a high chance that they'll be hit by it. If they try doing a jumping attack on the Zeinest, they'll probably be hit by Hitomi. Or if they DON'T attack it (use a block to destroy it) and they don't know it's there, they'll be hit by the Hitomi. Of course, if they know it's there AND they use the block method, THEN they can dodge it. Of course, there's always the chance that they'll hit the Zeinest (sometimes not even trigger the Hitomi). SO hey out of 3 instances out of 4 isn't bad --------------- ii.Wake-up Strategy The third and most used way to plant Zeinest is upon wake-up. This is an almost 100% safe way to start or continue constant pressure after the opponent is knocked down. This should be used mainly on two occasions. 1) When the opponent is thrown (though not when they're thrown into the corner.) and 2) when the opponent is knocked down with a Grave Digger while in the corner (if don't have to dash in). In other cases (which is pretty much only when they're knocked down by Grave Digger while not in the corner) you'll want to use EXE beast. If they're knocked down by a sweep, more specifically a c.HS, c.D or c.S, c.HS, c.D combo you'll probably use Phantom Soul. After performing your wake-up attack, back on to the constant pressure. In other words Zeinest should be used whenever it can be (on wake-up), since it's reliable and costs no tension (when you use EXE Beast, you'll probably FRC it, which is 25% tension). Although Phantom Soul is reliable in one situation, it can't really be used in any other situation other than that. You're too far away if you try to do it after a throw, the person will get up too soon after a Grave Digger (not in the corner), and they'll be too close if you hit them with a Grave Digger IN the corner. All three situations, the person can probably dodge, so it's left with only one real use. Zeinest should be used only as the wake-up though, and EXE beast used to help pressure once the person's back on their feet --------------- iii.EXE Beast- The only other times to use EXE beast is 1)to provoke an attack by them, and 2)when they're close enough to the corner and they perform a move that misses you completely. So now that you know when to do it, what now? The main thing to learn is how to FRC Testament's EXE beast. If you can use this, then you expand your "game" a little bit more. You can now provide a source of constant pressure. This is when you'll start to loop a combo untill it hits. It might go something like this: EXE Beast, K->S->HS->EXE Beast->FRC, dash, 6p->S->HS etc... note: you can interchange the f+P with a c.K to switch things up and keep them guessing. Depending on the situation, you might not need or want the FRC on the EXE Beast on the first time. You might want to skip the FRC once if you want to gain a little more tension. Once you actually hit the opponent with the first hits of the combo, you'll want to use a Grave Digger instead of the EXE Beast. Then you'll start things over The goal of this combo is to 1)push the person into the corner, 2)add to their guard meter and 3) to hit them with a combo and knock them down. --------------- iv.Other Strategies Now that you know when to use which special move, what else? Testament has great high/low games. His f+P hits high and c.K and c.S hit low. Here's a simple strategy you might see in a normal match against a Testament player. Assume that the opponent has already been knocked down and is in the middle of the screen and you have at least 40% tension at the beginning of the combo: EXE Beast->FRC, Dash, 6p->S->Hs->EXE Beast (All blocked)->FRC 2K->S->6P (hit)->Hs->Grave Digger (you'll both be in the corner by now) Zeinest, c.K (hit)->S->Hs->Grave Digger Zeinest, 6P->S->Hs->EXE Beast (all blocked) FRC 6P (hit)->S->Hs->Grave Digger note: Switching up between the high f+P and the low c.K is a good way to catch the opponent off guard And the opponent will be more than likely dead. Of course, it's not always going to happen this way, so you'll have to improvise some, but this is a general idea of how you can use Testament to his fullest and get that constant pressure where the opponent can't retaliate and can't even get away. **IMPORTANT** One thing to remember is that he has a good low attack(c.K) and a good overhead attack(f+P). Many human players tend to block low, so it might be a good idea to use the f+P more than the c.K. Of course, if the opponent is more susceptable to the low attacks, go for those. Switch it up every once in a while to hit the opponent whenever you can. --------------- v.Wake-up/knock down strats summerized-Testament is probably the character who is the best at interrupting an opponent's wake-up. This is The section where I will breifly review the three moves that you will use when the opponent's waking up most often. After a Grave Digger, your safest bet is to use an EXE Beast. Remember that you don't always have to False Roman Cancel this first EXE Beast. But if you intend to follow it up with 6p then it's suggested to FRC it After a 2D knockdown, you can do one of four things. The first and possibly best option will probably be to throw out a Phantom Soul. If you're close enough, you can do some normal mix-up games. Otherwise, you might want to dash in and do a slash. Some people will think they can jump around the Soul and might get hit by the Slash. The next option is to do a Hitomi. The move is fast enough that you can get it out and still have time to dash in for a 2k or 6p Or you can use an EXE Beast. You might even have enough time to do both Hitomi AND EXE Beast The last thing that you can do is combo a Grave Digger after the 2D. If you're in the corner, this will set you up for the Grave Digger loop Throw- After a throw, you have time to dash in and place a Zeinest over the opponent Remember, when you're in the corner, Zeinest is probably the best option since it's very safe to use on most opponents (except Sol and sometimes Zappa) Hitomi- After you hit with an Hitomi, you can either go straight into the air combo, or wait for them to fall and do Hs->Grave Digger Air dust knockdown- Zeinest or EXE Beast are your best options here. If you nail the counter-hit on the air dust, you can follow it up with another air dust->Grave Digger or you can air combo, or you can do the same thing you did with Hitomi, wait for them to fall and Hs->Grave Digger ---------------------------------------------------------------- VI. Combos basic air combo- once the opponent is knocked up, follow with: K->S->Hs->D->Grave Digger I used to think that this combo wouldn't work unless you did 8Hs instead of 9Hs You can also SOMETIMES replace with this: Extended basic air combo:(Not tested) K->S->9S->Hs>D->Grave Digger but this can only be done if you start off the combo higher than your opponent, and even then I don't know. ****SPECIAL NOTE**** Testament's best strategies are when the opponent has been knocked to the ground and is waking up, so it might not be best to use this combo. An exception might be if you catch the opponent with a 8K -- "bread and butter"- K->S->Hs->Grave Digger self explanitory. "Bread and butter" but still decent damage K can be substituted for 2k or 6p -- "RC combo"-The General combo you'll use an RC for Grave Digger->RC, j.D->Grave Digger This can be tacked onto any combo ending in Grave Digger -- "Grave Digger loop"-Testament's main combo for high damage, this combo will deal anywhere from 180-280 damage, depending on placing and tension gauge. Grave Digger, bounce, S->Hs->Grave Digger, bounce, Hs->Grave Digger You can start the combo with anything ending in Grave Digger it you're not close enough to the corner, you can do the RC combo to get closer. The second bounce will be the opponent bouncing over you head Note: you can't be too close to the corner or else the combo won't work. Rather, you should be maybe a fourth a screen away from it Note: this combo does a lot of damage, use it as often as possible Note: you can get in one more bounce if you're the perfect distance away Note:this is just the basic combo, you can change things in the combo depending on the situation, you'll just have to train yourself how to tell when you can do what ***special note***: when doing this to Faust, be aware that when you do S->Hs, the Hs will not hit him do to his "unique floating" and hit box. -- "Back and forth"- The EXE Beast loop. This combo is an expert level combo. 6P->S->Hs->EXE Beast, FRC, dash, K->S->Hs->EXE Beast,FRC, dash, K->S->Hs-> EXE Beast,FRC, dash, K->S->Hs->EXE Beast,FRC, K->S->Hs->Grave Digger 20 hits and 193 damage. You can stop after the 2nd FRC if you want, since it'll already be about 170 or so damage, you'll only want to continue if the opponent's REALLY low on life and you're going to finish him off. one more thing to add about this, since you normally won't just be doing the 6P out of nowhere, this combo will usually stat with a blocked (FRCed) EXE Beast. With the blocked EXE Beast, you'll get 16 hits and like 214 damage. This just goes to show you the power of gaurd meter *note*:if you're in the corner, instead of K->S->Hs you can eliminate the K, and get more damage out of it. If you try this outside of the corner, the opponent won't be knocked back far enough to be pushed into the EXE Beast. Also, you can do 6P->Hs, instead of 6P->S->Hs Special note: if you want to get flashy, after any FRC you can dash in and do 6K->"Zeinest combo" -- "Zeinest Combo"- good way to get into the air combo Zeinest, K->S->9K->S->Hs->D->Grave Digger -- "Distance combo"-a combo that uses Testament's far reaching moves. 2Hs->2D variation- 2S->2D variation 2- 2S->2Hs->2D 2HS is one of the best things to start a match off with. It's got the speed, distance, and invincibility. you have many options on how to follow this combo up. If it hits you can do a Grave Digger (not really advised) or a phantom soul. Since most players fear getting hit by phantom soul, most people will block on wake-up. If you are close/far enough from the person when they're knocked down, you can see if you can hit them before they block the soul, knocking them into it. If it's BLOCKED however, you can do a few other things. If you think they're close enough to the corner, do an EXE beast. If they block all of this move when you do it at the start of the match, you might want to do phantom soul anyways, or use an Hitomi (it is not advised to phantom soul if you're playing against Ky or Sol and they block, both of them can go under it and do some good damage) "Distance combo" and "Variation 2" are more adviseble routes to take. If the c.S is blocked, you can maintain pressure with the c.HS. If it hits, the c.Hs can be blocked unless the c.S was a counter. I generally use "distance combo" the most out of the three of them, since the range is so much, I can run in and do a c.HS further than I would have been able to do the c.S. If you can get the c.S though, by all means, use it. -- "Throw combo"-Throw combo based on Testament's Grave Digger loop you have to be in the corner (or relatively close to it) and throw the opponent into the corner to do this combo Throw, Hs->Grave Digger, bounce, S->Hs->Grave Digger of course, you can modify this combo as well. Also, you can replace the final Hs with an Air combo Special note: -- "Dust combo" D->chaser 8D->S->Hs->D->Grave Digger->RC, D->Grave Digger or if you don't want to waste the tension and think you can pull it off (and are in the corner) D->FD, D, Grave Digger, bounce, S->air combo the FD in this combo is faultless defense for a sure fire way to get into the dust (this requires some good timing) EXE Beast->FRC, D -------------------------- ii.counter-hit combos- combos that start with a counter-hit Hs, counter-hit, Hs->Grave Digger it'll be hard to get the second Hs unless you're close, so you might want to just do a gravedigger after the first Hs sometimes. -- 8D, counter-hit, Hs->Grave Digger -- 8D, counter-hit, Air combo as an alternative to this you can do this 8D, counter-hit, 9D->Grave Digger this is the one that I usually do when I get a counter-hit with dust (and haven't already followed it up, of course). It may not do as much damage as the air combo, but it puts you closer to the ground, which like I've said before is sometimes a better alternative -- S/2S, counter-hit, 2Hs->Grave Digger -- EXE Beast, counter-hit, Grave Digger if you're close enough, you can instead do this EXE Beast, counter-hit, Hs->Grave Digger Note: with these combos, feel free to ad-lib. **SPECIAL NOTE** Remember that Grave Digger's wall bounce can double and triple the damage that some combos can do, so when you do any of the above combos if you can knock them closer to the wall with some variation, thus getting in range for a wall bounce -------------------------- iii.The super flash combo- Combos that are flashy and require precise timing "My friend....the wall" I have yet to find a precise way to do this combo, sometimes it happens with a countered dust, sometimes with a CH gravedigger with opponent in the air. I've also been able to do this once or twice from a regular GD loop. But whatever the case, it happens. Either way, if you EVER catch some one with a grave digger when they're not on the ground, dash up to them as quick as possible, because chances are this could happen. this combo involves wall bouncing someone in the MIDDLE OF THE SCREEN. Whenever you see this happen, you might be able to get a S->Hs-> Grave Digger. if you get this one, a grave digger loop is pretty much garunteed. So, it'll be the Gravedigger loop PLUS TWO TO THREE EXTRA LOOPS. You can get as much as maybe 10 Grave Diggers in ONE COMBO...GOD I love Testament "Let it be done"- (tested by thepeoplespebble) S/2S->Hs->RC, 2Hs->Grave Digger->RC, Hs, land, Zeinest, air combo This is a combo that I came up with when I first started using RC. It's near impossible to do the whole thing, but I've managed it once or twice in like 4 hours. You can use the c.S for more damage, but that makes the combo a little harder (for me at least...I find it hard to go from the crouching to the standing, RCing, then crouching again). With the whole thing, it should be 8-15 hits depending on how you do it. You can also take out the beginning (the s.S, s.Hs, RC). If you do that, you can also replace the c.Hs with the s.S, s.Hs. ALSO if you do this, you can put a RC, j.Hs, Grave Digger at the end (maybe extending it to j.Hs, j.D, Grave Digger...though I don't know if that would work). You might also be able to get in a close s.S after the Zeinest before the air combo Now for the explination. The beginning's self explanitory, just s.S, s.Hs. The RC requires a little tricky timing, and I don't know if when you do the RC (within the time frame that you CAN) matters, but it might. I try to do it as soon as possible. Do the c.Hs cancelled into Grave Digger. RC AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, these next parts are the hardest parts. Do the j.Hs, and land and do the Zeinest. This is the part with the trickiest timing, you must do the Zeinest the INSTANT you land, if you're too early, they'll be able to recover out of the Zeinest, too late, and they'll be knocked too far away to be caught by it. The rest is self explanitory, just continue with the basic air combo or any air combo of your liking The highest damage I've gotten with this was 187 and 10 hits, but this is before I knew the more damaging "basic air combo" so you might even be able to get up to like 250 damage from this. You can get maybe 150 if you omit the beginning and only do one RC. alternative to "Let it be done"- This is with all of the suggested changes above (not tested yet) s.S/c.S, s.Hs, Grave Digger, RC, j.Hs, land, Zeinest, s.S(close), j.K, j.S, JC, j.S, j.Hs, j.D, Grave Digger, RC, j.Hs, j.D, Grave Digger This combo has been tested by thepeoplespebble. Though it didn't do as much damage as I would have hoped, it did a respectable 228. ----------------------------------------------------------------- -Thanks- -Thanks to gamecombos.com and #gamecombos on mIRC for posting usefull combo info -Thanks to anyone who reads and enjoys this FAQ -Ferrio from gameFAQs message boards for reading my FAQ and suggesting some changes -thepeoplespebble from GameFAQs for testing the uber hard "Let it be done" -wyrm916 for reminding me to put "tick throws" in the guide (and teaching me the technical term "tick throw") -Thanks to all of the people in Miami for being some great competition and helping me get so much better -Thank you to basel and his character FAQ for providing the back-ground and profile information for Testament