Is it really a good idea to do those in this MU? Or in any case at all (kinda off-topic, but w/e)?
So Iām coming to the conclusion right now that every Tusk player agrees with Omen, Shago and Hisako (Iām on the fence with Hisako) generally.
Otherwise it seems to be my lack of match up specific knowledge. Thanks everyone for contributing! This has been super educational for me.
@DraconianMith and @GalacticGeek - settle it with a set. Not to prove MU numbers or anything of course, but simply because itād be fun 
Iām also curious how that match works at reasonable skill levels; Iāve only ever seen it from a pro (on either side) wrecking someone who seemed new.
Sidenote: who the hell tosses out ruin in neutral? 
But yeah, I think Shago and Omen are probably Tuskās worst fights. Hisako should be a tough one (I personally think itās 6-4 in her favor), but the Sako has to actually be good (i.e. donāt rely on counter all the time) for it to become apparent. Omen and Shago just get to kind of do whatever it is they do without really making much adjustment to their normal gameplan - Hisako has to approach the fight a little bit differently than she does most others to really capitalize on her advantages.
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Yeah, I REALLY need to play a long set with every character. But Shagoās a EVERYWHERE in ranked. So Iāve run into quite a few. And he really just kills me. I have such tough time with that character. I feel like Iām playing super solid and I just get bodied, taunted and tea-bagged. Iām just at my wits end with Shago specifically. Omenā¦ Gah. Only played a few but havenāt won any against him yet.
Yeah, the Shago army is real online, and a large proportion of them, as a rule, tend to think they are much better than they actually are. :-p
I canāt help you with the Omen or Shago MUās, but Iād be happy to run a long set with you with my Hisako.
Sure dude. I can do that. My schedules a little tight just cause I work, have a family and other responsibilities. But if you have time around 8ish central time, I can run a set with you. Or any time during the weekend.
Sure! Iām game!
I love this thread. Thanks for posting it!
Obviously unless you are playing terrific opponents you are going to see a lot of variation in the quality of play from one match to the next, so I find really getting matchup knowledge can be a bit tough. But Iām happy to share my own experiences.
I think @ThisIsSPADAAA is spot on about Glacius. I am a Glacius main from S1 and S2 and the problem is that Glacius is actually super comfortable in the spacing setup that Tusk really needs. So, Tusk really wants to be at midrange and rumor to the contrary, Glacius actually really wants you at midrange too. Glaciusās zoning is just ho hum at far range, but once you walk within reach of his forward MP ice lance, Cold shoulder range and his medium shatter he can really control that space. So, most characters want to be super far from Glacius (jump back Jago) or right up close (everyone). But Tusk has a hard time getting really close to Glacius and once heās there he doesnāt have the tools that really crush Glacius at close range (ambiguous crossups with high priority). The other thing that is challenging for me is that not that many people play Glacius, so I donāt see this fight very often.
I have very little experience with Omen. Shago CAN be a problem, but the guy actually has to know what he is doing. Blocking low to avoid random slides and then throwing out cHP or sHP to hit teleports can be very effective - unless the Shago really knows what heās doing. One of the things to always remember here is that the damage differential between SHago and Tusk is really large. So you have to stay calm. Heās going to hit you with a mixup now and then. Donāt panic and get locked out or abandon your Tusk gameplan just because youāve been hit a few times.
Aganos is an interesting matchup. I sometimes have trouble with this and sometimes I donāt. I think the ability of grounded Hard moves to ignore armor is underutilized in this matchup. But, just like with a lot of characters, it is not at all unusual for me to lose the first lifebar by a large margin but comeback and beat Aganos with most of my 2nd lifebar left. This is because a chunkless Aganos looks very different to Tusk. Definitely aganos changes Tuskās tactic, but I think this may not be a terrible matchup overall.
I donāt have a terrible time with Spinal or Fulgore. I think itās not so much zoning that is Tuskās problem as the fact that most KI characters that can zone also have teleports and unpredictable movement. But patience and countering teleports with throws can go a long way against both of those guys. Just to finish this point, as an example, Maya and Jago are not bad matchups at all for Tusk - and both have projectiles and can be played competently with zoning setups at least part of the time. Its the idea that Tusk is a really spacing dependent character and so characters who get around well can give him problems.
Hisako is for sure a bad matchup, even though sheās not a zoner. But I donāt think itās worse than 6-4. Lots of people play Hisako and unless they really know what they are doing you can get around most of her bread and butter. Lots of neutral jump in into throw - immortal slide into throw. Jumpink MP works well here, until you condition Hisako to try to counter every jump and then just do something else. Itās just especially important to be unpredictable in this matchup.
Once again, great thread.
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Thanks man. I appreciate your insight .
I actually have NO problem with Spinal at all. Iāve never lost to one with Tusk, which as a former Glacius player isā¦ GLORIOUS! lol.
Iāve only played one Aganos, so I could be wrong but the match I played had me feeling completely lost.
I probably just need to practice blocking against Shagoās teleport crap.
Jago and Maya arenāt bad. I think theyāre both even matchups, tbh.
But yes, the Glacius matchup is tough for that reason as well. Particularly his need to be in the same range as Tusk. Youāre right, Glacius plays strongest at mid screen where he throw out his lance, shatter and use hail safely.
I canāt think of any matchups that Tusk wins, though. Other than possibly Kim Wu and Rash. ( Rashes that spam his DP and his wrecking ball are SUPER free )
Is it possible that people is overusing Tuskās sword normals? For confirming from half screen a well timed st.mk is godlike to chain into mp skullsplitter. The range and speed is seriously good.
Amusingly, Tusk plays great when he is actually not using his sword or his deflects. st.mk, cr.mk, sweep, grab, immortal spirit, shadow immortal spirit, st.fk into st.mk target comboā¦
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s.HP is an addiction Iām trying to break myself. Far too easy to fall in love when lower skilled players love to take to the skies.
ATM Iām trying to master his command dash. It has a lot of elements to itthat are useful in soem match ups. Except Omen, ā ā ā ā ā ā ā Omen.
far st.hk into close st.mk is no target combo it is a link or two manuals.
Just for the record you can do a lot of far st.hk since it is+10 on hit.
You can do the following
St.hk far into close or far st.mk
St.hk far into st.hk close into st.mk close
St.hk far into st.hk close into a st.light or cr.light normal
You can do this midcombo too.
Far st.hk is hitconfirmable and right spaced you can do
Far st.hk instinct cancel far st.hp into throw + skewer for 31% only techable
These are all great options. But I think there needs to be a balance. I rush and play footsies to keep my opponent on their toes. From the right distance his sword normals are amazing footsie tools.
But yeah the kicks are the best option out of instinct when your staying inside of midrange.
Awesome. I actually found most of this as well.
But I didnāt know about far sthp, cl sthp, cl stmp. Really good to know.
Yup. Tusk has good options if you space them out correctly. Most of those good normals are useful coming out of his immortal slide too. They hit mid so are easily blocked but they just keep the opponent guessing about what you are going to do.
Not to get all fanboy, but Iām pretty impressed with Tuskās design as far as his fighting mechanics. He is big and slow, and punishable, but you never feel like he has no options, unlike some games where the big fighter is either hitting hard or doing three hundred crouching jabs in a row because itās his only safe moveā¦
works corner only normal/small characters as opening - midcombo midscreen too
Against big characters it just works always as far as i know.
Lol Iām not going to lieā¦ if the match gets laggy and I canāt tell if immortal spirit into shoulder is going to hit or be blocked, Iāll just tap jab just in case lol.
I agree though. Tuskās design is awesome and really well thought out.
And empty Immortal Spirit into ANY normal (generally) is AWESOME. Also canceling st.MK/st.HK into Immortal Spirit/Spine(or is it skull? I get them confused) Splitter is also my general mixup game plan.
empty Immortal Spirit into empty Immortal Spirit makes low level players panic, they are like omgomgomg 
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Iām still surprised at how many Jago and Shago players try to zone Tusk. Itās just not very effective. They are looking for a specifically timed immortal spirit that they can wind kick, but unless you are an idiot you just vary your timing and block a few fireballs and thatās that.
I donāt consider myself a pro or experienced players by any means, even if Iām a Killer at the moment, but I think I found a way to consistently beat certain Omen and Glacius players, probably the worst match-ups that Tusk has at the moment;
We all know how annoying their zoning is, but we have to remember that their fireballs do very little damage, they are meant to be used for keeping distance and to be followed up into a combo. Therefore, what I usually do is to not let them cast them in the first place, or if they do, I just make sure they donāt get any combos out of them by hitting them with st MP, st HP or inmortal spirit followed by a conqueror while they are in recovery or startup. Yes you will get hit, but so will they, and Tuskās sword normals hit WAY harder than their fireballs, and they get staggered as well, so they wonāt be able to combo you if you time your attacks correctly. In fact, sometimes you might get some free combos when facing Omen, since their fireballs might not even hit you in the first place.
Eventually they will realise that trading hits is not gonna help them, so they will change their mind and try to get into mixup range, where your footsies and deflection windows are most effective.
Using this rather simple, but effective tactic Iāve managed to make some serious comebacks, hopefully this is gonna help you guys as well.
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