マリーザ

Marisa — Counter-Guide

Key Info

Overhead into knockdown
- 214K → P → P (Scutum → Tonitrus)
Defense
- 1F strike invincible: 214KK
- 12F startup anti-air invincible: 214LP
- 236236P: 19F startup, no projectile invincibility
- 214214P: 9F startup, projectile invincibility
- 236236K: 13F startup
Moves advantageous on block
- HP
- HK
- 6HK
- HP → HP
- 623P

Neutral Play (Mindset)

Use neutral jumps
- Marisa's 623P and 236P are extremely weak to neutral jumps
Use cross-up jumps
- All of Marisa's anti-air options are very weak to cross-up jumps
- Against a Marisa with no answer to cross-ups, this alone can win the match
Choose safe jump routes more often
- Marisa's LP startup is 7F, so she cannot fuzzy to punish a safe-jump scam
  - Fuzzy standing LK is technically possible but the follow-up situation is poor and hard to use
- Mix in safe jump → throw scam and safe jump → low attack often to make her easy to open up
214K → LPLK is acceptable
- Marisa's command-grab hit situation is poor
- For characters with a strong SA, accepting the command grab can be correct

Gladius

Strength and reach change by strength. Has armor that absorbs one airborne hit.

236LP
- -5F on block for Marisa
236MP
- -5F on block for Marisa
236HP
- -5F on block for Marisa
236PP
- -2F on block for Marisa
- Armor absorbs up to two hits

Recommended Counter

In neutral
- Use neutral jumps
- Neutral jump is the answer to all of Marisa's specials
Punish on block
- 5F punish on block
- If you have a 5F move with good reach, punish it
- Pay special attention to 236P coming out of MP → MP

Anti-air usage
- When used as an anti-air, mix in jump throw scams
- If your jumping attack hits twice (multi-hit), you can break the armor for a reward
  - Ryu, Rashid, Elena

Dimachaerus

Marisa's special used to end combos.

214LP
- -16F on block for Marisa
214MP
- -16F on block for Marisa
214HP
- -16F on block for Marisa
214PP
- -12F on block for Marisa

Recommended Counter

On block
- All versions are 12F+ punishable — start with a heavy attack
After 214LP → P hit
- Taking in-place recovery makes shimmy impossible during cancel rush — play the mix-up

After 214MP → P hit
- Taking in-place recovery makes shimmy impossible during cancel rush — play the mix-up

Phalanx

Strength and reach change by strength.

623LP
- +2F on block for Marisa
623MP
- +2F on block for Marisa
623HP
- +2F on block for Marisa
623PP
- +4F on block for Marisa

Recommended Counter

The best option is to anti-air it on reaction, but when that's difficult, place a neutral jump in neutral. When the neutral jump connects it deals big damage. Know that Marisa is at frame advantage if it's blocked.

Scutum

Marisa's parry move. On successful parry: Marisa is at +3F close range.

214K
- Cannot parry throws or low attacks
214KK
- Cannot parry throws

Follow-up options:

214K → P (Tonitrus, overhead)
- 214K → P → P (Tonitrus 2nd hit)
  - Combo extendable on hit for knockdown
214K → LPLK
- Throw option after successful parry
214K → K (Procella)
- Used as a long-range surprise
- -24F punish on block

Recommended Counter

During oki
- 236236P buff made Scutum less effective than before, but throwing more often puts risk on 214K
In neutral
- If 214K is used in neutral, jump throw scam works
  - Forward jump when Marisa holds Scutum with no follow-up → throw scam
  - If she extends, you can still guard
  - Use cross-up jumps when possible
    - Landing into 214K → LPLK will grab you

214K → LPLK hit mix-up
- Marisa is at +18F on hit
- If you have a long-range OD invincible
  - Marisa may continue with cancel rush — a long-range OD invincible is guaranteed on the rush flash

214K → LPLK hit mix-up
- If you have an SA with 8F or lower startup and long reach
  - E.g. Blanka SA1, Luke SA1 — even if Marisa quick-stops with 2LP, they connect

Warning

After 214K → LPLK hit
- Depending on the character, cancel rush → throw can cause the throw to whiff

Medium Two Hitter → Gladius

Marisa's main offense block string.

Punching Drive Impact into a charged Gladius deals big damage. But not using Drive Impact drains Drive Gauge. Trying to be safe and parrying leads to Phalanx (623P) for big damage when cancel rush was done — confusing damage getting taken when you don't understand why.

Recommended Counter

Punish on block
- After 236P, Marisa is at -5F; characters with long light attacks like Ken and Manon can punish

Fuzzy jump
- Input neutral jump at the timing you'd block MP → MP → 236P

Fastest jump
- Fuzzy jump has some inconsistency
  - Startup differences between 236P strengths
  - Existence of slight-charge 236P
- In a best-of-3 ranked match it may not be stable — fastest jump is also fine
  - The situation after Gladius hit is not that great for Marisa

Warning

Fuzzy 2MK also easily beats this block string, but Falx Crusher (6HK) punishes it at high level — avoid doing it

Gaia Bash

Marisa's sweep. -11F on block, but holding the button removes the punish window.

2HK — Gaia Bash (Charged)

Warning

Shadow Catcher (影縫い) activates during the hold, so if you see it don't walk backward.

After Forward Throw

Marisa is at +23F. Taking in-place recovery results in a meaty throw, so default to back-roll recovery.

Common Marisa options after throw:

Cancel Rush → HP
- Strike is meaty
Cancel Rush → 6HK
- Strike is not meaty

Recommended Counter

Cancel Rush → HP is punishable with Drive Impact, so take back-roll recovery, create distance, bait the HP, and answer with Drive Impact.

After Back Throw

Marisa is at +33F. Situation is almost the same as forward throw — taking back-roll recovery prevents the meaty throw.

Common Marisa options after throw:

Cancel Rush → HP
- Strike is meaty
Cancel Rush → 6HK
- Strike is not meaty

Recommended Counter

HP is punishable by Drive Impact, so back-roll + Drive Impact is also a valid option.

When You Attack Marisa's Wakeup

Marisa's critical defensive LP starts at 6F. Fuzzy from standing guard is harder to execute.

Kimberly: standing Heavy Kick
Dhalsim: Float → Yoga Teleport

Use attacks that require a 4F standing-guard response as the starting point of your offense.

Among those attacks requiring a standing 4F response, the universal option available to all characters is safe jump — use it aggressively during oki.

Also, Marisa is extremely weak to cross-up air attacks (原人狩り / caveman hunting). Technically 236P and 2HP can knock it down, but both lose to jump-throw scam and early-hit beats — if you haven't shown it yet, try it at some point.

Recommended Counter

Use safe jumps aggressively whenever the situation allows
- OD Scutum (214KK) can guard safe jumps, but if you use a light jumping attack it doesn't confirm — use light attacks for safe jumps