So I would like to say hi, Im a new killer instinct player and i’ve never played killer instinct before but im gonna try to get into it because it looks pretty fun. Anywho, Im doing the dojo lessons and this lesson on manuals is making me go insane! I have to do an opener>Manual>Linker>Manual>Ender. The manuals are very hit or miss, and when i go to use a linker the objective resets. I feel like this is very impractical (I could be wrong). I am actually not going to be able to learn more without getting this stupid lesson out of the way. I need help…
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Manuals are actually quite practical to help add a layer of difficulty for the opponent whose objective is to break your combo and avoid as much damage as possible. Vise versa, your objective is to cause as much damage so manuals make your combos ambiguous and could lead to a potential lockout.
Really manuals are done by slightly delaying the timing of your input during the auto double phase. Lights are easiest, mediums are moderate, and heavies are strict. The difficulty really just refers to the window of time you have to input the button. Specifically, the longer or shorter you delay your button is dependant on the strength of your manual.
Here’s an amazing guide to help explain it better.
I can’t remember - are you allowed to skip the manual lesson or no? If it’s one of the ones that is skippable (as in you can move in to the next lesson without completing it) then I say do that. Manuals are important but not foundational - you don’t really need them at the very beginnings of learning the game. Focus on learning the basic combo flow and structure as well as how matches actually go, and once you come back to them manuals will make a lot more sense.
If you do have to complete the lesson now though (or if you’re just stubborn 
), then Tiger’s advice is solid. For completing the task stick with trying to do a light punch manual. Try heavy windkick->LP manual->heavy windkick linker->LP manual-> ender. I’m recommending windkick as the special of choice because it’s very easy to “feel” the delayed window for manual timings there. Basically you want to “pause” your LP input until after the windkick is fully done and there’s been a notable gap in the combo. When you fail your manual attempt you want the dummy to block the jab - if you’re failing it by going into autodoubles then you’re still pressing too early. Somewhere between that sweet spot of going into AD’s and dropping the combo (which is why the dummy blocks) lies your manual window.
Just remember to NOT mash the buttons, just press one at a time patiently. Once you hit the manual and you get that timing down, make sure to quickly "plink"you next button combination for your linker. You cant delay the linker.
Also remember the manual rule pattern…
Heavy manuals work after heavy, med, light linkers,
Medium manuals work after medium light linkers,
Light manuals work after light linkers.
So to visualize the timing, it would look like this… (Opener…manual,linker)
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That’s a good point. If you’re able to get the LP manual @PrudentRecord53 but find yourself having trouble with getting the linker or ender afterwards, then try doing MP manuals instead. The light punch will give you a larger window to connect the actual manual, but heavier buttons will make the follow-up linker or ender a bit easier.
I closed the game to take a break, BIG MISTAKE. The Heavy Manuals were just as hard to do, now I have to do it all over again 
.
Haha. Taking a break can be a good thing, even if it causes some short-term loss. It’s generally not too good to bang one’s head against the wall for extended periods of time. :-p
Yeah, heavy manuals will always be the hardest manuals to do in any situation, because the valid “window” to get them is shorter than for your lighter options (which is why I suggested manual-ing with LP first).
Again, if that particular lesson is skippable, I encourage doing so if you can bear to. Manuals make a lot more sense and become easier to do once you’ve gotten a feel for other parts of the game. I think I did both that lesson and the final dojo challenge several months after I’d been playing KI - they were both much, much easier to finish once I’d gotten acclimated to the game in other areas.
If you do decide to stick it out though, best of luck! 
EDIT: so went back and went through it, and guess you can’t skip that one, and it’s a lot longer than I remember to be honest. Just keep at it @PrudentRecord53 and you’ll get it eventually, and definitely don’t be afraid to take some breaks to get some real games in to get further acclimated to the game.
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I had a LOT of trouble with manuals. And actually, philosophically, I honestly think the game is better without them. But after some practice I was able to add a few into my gameplay.
For the tutorial, just keep trying. I am a person who tips out around the 75% mark in most fighting game tutorials. I struggle with longer SF or Marvel combos. It I made it through KI with just a little practice. I would recommend making absolutely certain you have combo assist off because this can mess up your manual timing.
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Something else I might add is getting some sleep will help as well. Sleep is when short term memory becomes implicit (muscle) memory. I can specifically remember back when I first rented Street Fighter 2 I could not do a Shoryuken to save my life even though I tried over and over, kinda like with your manuals @PrudentRecord53 . About a month or so later my brother borrowed it from a friend, and much to my surprise I could pull them off flawlessly as if I had always known how. So yeah…practice a few times, go have fun on other modes, get some sleep, and come back to it again later if you need to. You’ll eventually get the hang of it.
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I do not know if you still need help but doing a Wall Bounce Ender allows you to get a free Manual in.
That’s how I did it.
Opener, Wind Kick Ender, Restart Combo with a manual Shadow Wind Kick, attempt to do a regular manual and ender.
I was able to do the Manual one last night, though it took a while. The one I can not do, and am stuck at, is the Anti-Air one where you need to do a DHP, Fireball, Shadow Fireball.
I can do the DHP into Fireball, but I can never get the Shadow Fireball out before my opponent is already on the ground. I tried for a good twenty minutes and then decided to move on.
I activated Instinct after the first Fireball to give me time to react and throw out a Shadow Fireball as soon as the activation ends.
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That’s an excellent idea; I’ll try that when I attempt it next.