Immortality has a Price - Tusk Tech Thread

[TrustfulWhale]

Welcome to the Tusk Tech thread. Here we can compile all of our dirty tricks. I’ll be linking to the info from the other threads in here as well.

I’d like to start things off by congratulating all you Tusk players for becoming immune to Shadow Counters while in Instinct mode!
(special moves only)

Gaining Tuskness - Shadow Counter Counter

You can use any special or shadow move while on the ground this way, so bait out those Shadow Counters!
(In fact, I could see this getting nerfed to the ground, so I recommend enjoying it while you can)

Stagger setups!

@Dayv0

If I recall correctly:
C. MP →
1-shadow inmortal spirit
2-shadow skull splitter(doesn’t work from max range, if you are in range, one chance break combo into conqueror for more than 50% damage)
3-inmortal spirit-light follow up
4-inmortal spirit-medium follow up
5-light skull splitter (only close range, not sure of this)

If you have meter, use always option 2 if you are in range. One manual, conqueror ender, 50% health damage
[/quote][quote=“TrustfulWhale, post:10, topic:7292, full:true”]
Here’s some fun devastation I found with linking staggers:

Backstab (far), s.HP (far), Heavy Manual xx Light Skull Splitter/Light Shoulder/Medium Slide xx stuff
s.HP (far), Heavy Manual xx Light Skull Splitter/Shoulder/Slide xx stuff
s.MP (far), Medium or Light Manualxx Light Skull Splitter/Shoulder/Slide xx stff
cr.MP, Medium or Light Manual, etc

Landing staggers on Counter Hit allows for a stronger Skull Splitter follow-up than normal.

For fun:
Backstab (max range), s.HP (far) xx Instinct Cancel, s.HP (far) xx Shadow Skull Splitter xx Shadow Skull Splitter xx Nothing but Heavies xx Conqueror - 100% damage

@Filemoncio

More

Spine splitter, crouching mp xx shadow skull splitter
Spine splitter, crouching mp xx light skull splitter
Heavy skull spliiter, standing mp, light skull splitter (you have to time standing mp so you don’t trigger the autodouble)

@Filemoncio

updated chart (I have not included immortal spirit because it does not stagger, the chart is only for staggers into staggers)

@Filemoncio

@Filemoncio

Something I just found: Tusk can perform a 43% damage unbreakable.

Backstab, st fierce punch, grab, skewer.

Skewer is breakable but the damage is already done

follow up

I tested against cpu and while not breakable, the grab can be teched.

Anyways, if the grab is not teched and you counterbreak successfully after skewer, the damage is 98%:

backstab (first hit, not breakable), st.fp (second hit, not breakable), grab (techable but not breakable), skewer (breakable, let’s assume we counterbreak succesfully), fp auto, shadow skull splitter, (both inside lockout, so not breakable), shadow conqueror ender:

98% damage in a one chance to break

43% unbreakable in case they don’t take the cb bait

Also, I forgot: shadow conqueror ender only adds 5% of damage over normal conqueror ender, so this combo is actually 93% damage with only one shadow bar.
And 85% damage without shadow bars at all (replace shadow skull splitter with heavy linker skull splitter

In fact, 2 shadow bars only add 13% of damage

Deflect setups!

@TrustfulWhale

Posted this in the other thread, but since this is the stagger thread:

When Tusk deflects an opponent, the resulting combo is stronger than the same move on counter hit:
EDIT: When deflecting an opponent, the deflect attack itself counts as an opener, so I’m afraid I’ve lied to you all.
I’ve revised the below list accordingly.
DOUBLE EDIT: So now I’ve learned that deflecting an airborne opponent does not count as an opener, only grounded opponents.

• cr.MP, Shadow Splitter, Heavy Manual xx Conqueror - 37%
• cr.MP (CH), Shadow Splitter, Heavy Manual xx Conqueror - 39%
• cr.MP (DF), Shadow Splitter (breakable), Heavy Manual xx Conqueror - 47% - 2 chance break
• s.MP, Shadow Splitter, Heavy Manual xx Conqueror - 38%
• s.MP (CH), Shadow Splitter, Heavy Manual xx Conqueror - 41%
• s.MP (DF), Shadow Splitter (breakable), Heavy Manual xx Conqueror - 47% - 2 chance break
• s.HP, Shadow Splitter, Heavy Manual xx Conqueror - 47%
• s.HP (CH), Shadow Splitter, Heavy Manual xx Conqueror - 49%
• s.HP (DF), Shadow Splitter (breakable), Heavy Manual xx Conqueror - 66% - 2 chance break
• M Splitter xx Shadow Splitter xx Conqueror - 31%
• M Splitter (CH) xx Shadow Splitter xx Conqueror - 35%
• M Splitter (DF) xx Shadow Splitter xx Conqueror - 39%
• H Splitter xx Shadow Splitter xx Conqueror - 34%
• H Splitter (CH) xx Shadow Splitter xx Conqueror - 37%
• H Splitter (DF) xx Shadow Splitter xx Conqueror - 47%

[Instinct]
cr.HP xx HP Conqueror xx HP Air Splitter (Manual) xx Shadow Conqueror - 33%

• cr.HP (CH) xx HP Conqueror xx HP Air Splitter (Manual) xx Shadow Conqueror - 36%
• cr.HP (DF) xx HP Conqueror xx HP Air Splitter (Manual) xx Shadow Conqueror - 53%

All of these are one chance breaks except for the deflect combos labeled as 2 chance, can be done anywhere, and deflect recaptures so it’s anti-air OK.
** IF you end up recapturing an airborne opponent with a deflect, the 2-chance break combos become 1-chance break combos. Because reasons.

@TrustfulWhale

All of this makes sense considering s.HP is pretty much “The Money Shot” so it would have to be real punishable on misuse.
Inversely I’ve been able to react deflect a number of attacks using it, like Rash’s wrecking ball, pretty consistently.

Also, Tusk can block low for any of Hisako’s rekkas:

• Hisako’s MP and LP rekkas can be deflected on reaction using cr.MP, cr.HP, MP Skull Splitter (for MP rekka), MP and HP Conqueror.

• Orchid’s overhead rekka can only be deflected with HP Conqueror.

• Riptor’s tail flips after a blocked talon go:

• LK can be deflected with basically anything on you want

• MK can’t be deflected but it can be dashed out

• HK can be deflected by a last second turn around cr.HP

• Riptor’s Predator followups can be deflected as follows:

• LP → cr.MP/cr.HP/MP Splitter/MP/HP Conqueror

• MP → MP/HP Conqueror

• HP → Nothing, block high.

• LK → MP/HP Conqueror

• MK → cr.MP/cr.HP/MP Splitter/MP/HP Conqueror

• HK → MP/HP Conqueror

• Arbiter’s overhead special done after his target combos can be deflected pretty easily with all the good buttons.

I’m really liking that there’s so far a lot of cool ways to set up a deflect by using the opponent’s momentum against themselves. There’s too much to test.

Based on 200 or so matches with Tusk so far, you pretty much shouldn’t be using s.HP unless to chase bad positioning or if you’re going for a deflect. Deflecting with s.HP instantly makes your combo lvl 3.

@LycanNaryko

I personally would be totally fine if they remove the deflect window on his medium sword normals

I just noticed this comment and I can’t disagree more.
Cr.MP is Tusk’s most reliable deflect while under pressure that can lead to a grounded combo since it doesn’t change to a proximity normal when someone is in your face or above you, and recaptures if they were. Cr.HP can deflect anything that cr.MP can, but it can only lead to juggles and those require Instinct.

Linker strats!

@Fwufikins

I’ll be honest, I use crouching HP more often than I DP for anti-airs. Easier input for similar results? Sign me right up!
And I’m not sure if these match Infil’s guide, but I’ve figured out some gold counter breaker combos
(note; use heavy kick doubles, they’re faster)

Meterless:
Heavy auto>light Immortal spirit > h auto > l IS> h auto> Ender

1 bar:
Heavy auto > light immortal spirit > heavy auto> Shadow Skull Splitter> ender

2 bars:
Heavy auto>Light Immortal spirit>Heavy auto>Shadow Skull Splitter > Shadow Conquerer

Of course, you can take it even further if your opponent tries a last minute break on the last 2 breakable hits of Web of Death for whatever reason and get a timing lockout (happens more often than you’d think). That’s how I go through the roof with damage and start eating entire life bars.

@LEboueur

The best I’ve done with Tusk (in training mode) is 95% without counter breaker, but a counter-breaker on that last skewer should easily do the trick past 100% damage ^^

The thing is, during that combo, there are plenty of breakable opportunity.

Backstab > s.HP > cr.MP > s.HK > shadow Skul Splitter > HK (manual) > shadow Skull Splitter > auto HK > light shoulder > auto HK > Conqueror Ender > Skewer

And you’re at 95% damage combo. But like I said, it’s easily breakable, espacialy on those auto HK, so you can mix them with manuals (HK or MK). Also if your opponent have the right timing to break those shadow Skull splitter, you also can counter-break them…
I’ve never done it in a real fight, but it’s more because of that first Backstab.

Misc!

@TrustfulWhale

vs Arbiter
Sticky Bomb: You didn’t ask, but I think all Tusk players should know this.
When stuck, Arbiter will usually start moving in on you with an attempt to launch you in some way, meaning he’s likely to be pressing buttons since he thinks you’re scared of the bomb (and he’s not exactly wrong).

A choice Conqueror into the ground bounce followup will give you enough time to block the explosion while simultaneously recapturing Arbiter with his own bomb, which I’ll admit gives me a half-chub every time I manage to convert off this. Sometimes they break the follow up, but that’s fine since the bomb threat will be over either way.