Help me never die

I struggle with this guy rush down murders me im not sure all my options are after mp hp crouching what not

Consult the tech thread; the stuff you’re looking for is there in the section covering what to do after staggering someone. But to give you a quick idea, after landing any of his staggers with the sword buttons you can follow up with any shadow move you like, a LP Skull Splitter, or LK/MK Immortal Spirit followups.

If you’re up close after staggering you can also get some pretty easy manuals with any kick button you like (I say kick because the punch buttons either give you a sword normal or an up close punch depending on proximity which can mess up your combo if you were expecting one and got the other instead. This doesn’t happen when using kicks)


Just keep in mind that any information detailing one-chance break combos are out of date due to the deflect/stagger change Tusk received.

  • If you’re getting pressured by rush down learn which moves you can punish on block. Light Punch is your friend when trying to sniff out punish opportunities; if you can jab them after blocking something that’s a combo opportunity.
  • If they’re approaching you from the air a lot, crouching HP or LP Conqueror are your tools for swatting them down.
  • Learn the timing of your deflect attacks. This is exactly the tool Tusk uses for turning rushdown pressure against the opponent. Crouching MP is generally the fastest and most reliable deflect attack that can turn into a ground combo, while HP Skull Splitter has the largest deflect window out of all of his attacks. Crouching MP is especially good because it works the same at any distance (such as in your face), whereas trying to use Standing MP or HP if the opponent is too close will trigger the corresponding close-normals which are not deflect moves.
  • Standing HP is a pretty good button for predicting the opponent will use a sudden forward reaching attack, such as Jago’s Wind Kick, Fulgore’s Blade Dash, Rash’s Wrecking Ball, etc.
  • Immortal Spirit > LK followup (Moosejaw) is very fast and safe on block.

Finally, get to know your kick buttons. They’re faster than his sword buttons and are good at a variety of distances without risking the windup of a sword attack. HK in particular makes Tusk step forwards after kicking which is handy for spacing and tick throws. If you need a quick poke, use a kick. If you need a fat poke and are confident you have the time, use your sword.

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