A.K.I. — Counter-Guide

Recommended Counter

• While poisoned
  • Jumping: 236HP anti-air reward increases — dangerous
  • Projectile: 2PP reward increases — dangerous
• Clear the poison
  • Poison disappears over time, so playing ground-based neutral patiently is fine until it wears off

Recommended Counter

• 236LP
  • Forward jump or Drive Impact (DI) tends to land, so don't exclude them as options.
  • Close-range guard: fast-startup long-range normals like standing light kick may be a punish combo — check character-by-character

• Very difficult, but against far-range pokes: aim for perfect parry and buffer dash input (→→)
• This lets you put risk on the whiff

• 236MP
  • Medium version is used against neutral jump
  • It does give reward on neutral jump but is actually very hard to do, so the existence of this move shouldn't stop you from neutral jumping
• 236HP
  • Heavy version is used as anti-air invincible with upward-only priority
  • Since it only has an upward hitbox, whiff-under jumps are very effective if this is her only anti-air

• 236PP
  • -14F on block
  • Punish combo at close range on block

Recommended Counter

Fuzzy is possible but if the opponent holds delayed timing as an option it still becomes a 50/50. Rather than making the mix-up complex, the following approach is better:

• Read 2PP → LPLK: hit fastest heavy attack for high reward
  • On the strike follow-up, it becomes counter hit into combo, but accept that as a 50/50
• Read 2PP → K (Heel Strike): use Drive Impact (DI) for reward
  • 2PP → LPLK loses to DI, but the damage is low
  • Aggressively push Drive Impact to balance risk-reward

Fuzzy is not very reliable, but it is possible — for A.K.I. players who only press at fastest timing it's very effective. When doing the fuzzy strike, always use a crouching move. Standing move will whiff.

The following are recorded in the video:

• HK → 2PP → K (Heel Strike)
• HK → 2PP → LPLK

Recommended Counter

OD Cruel Fate (214KK) is +2F at close range. Depending on distance, shimmy may also be possible — use Drive Reversal to push her out.

Recommended Counter

• 214LP
  • Close to mid-range: if you see rush, use reversal or draw her in and neutral jump
  • Long range: risks being anti-aired or reversal being blocked, but "doing nothing" is worse — at least limit the damage
  • Also, a neutral jump hitting is a potential reward
  • If jump and reversal are both difficult: press parry before guarding 214LP — this brings your own hurtbox forward and denies the second hit block string
    • This creates a gap where you can use a reversal, so making that reversal mix-up is also valid

Close-range guard and prepare for her rush. When guarding, use parry — it expands your guard hitbox and reduces block disadvantage compared to normal guard. Bonus if you land a perfect parry.

Recommended Counter

When you're cornering her and she escapes with 236KK, you end up chasing again — very annoying. Since 236KK can be throw punish countered, use throws more frequently. If you also want to cover reversals, delayed throw is also an option.

Recommended Counter

On close A.K.I. forward jump: don't parry — walk forward to whiff it, then fuzzy-press a heavy button. Losing from the opponent's mistake is very demoralizing.

Recommended Counter

• Parry → Drive Reversal → rush

Recommended Counter

• In-place recovery as default unless there's a specific reason not to
  • If rush was used, A.K.I. cannot walk shimmy
  • If 214LP was used, Drive Impact confirms
    • Even 1F late and Drive Impact won't confirm
    • Buffer input DI on wakeup is possible. If the opponent uses 214LP, DI lands; if she rushes, the super flash cancels the input — no need to confirm

Even if you can confirm 214LP visually and then DI, 1F late means it gets beaten. In ranked matches, A.K.I. players basically use rush and 214LP after forward throw, so it's relatively easy to counter — DI buffer on wakeup is recommended.

The following are recorded in the video:

• Throw → raw rush → 2MK
• Throw → 214LP

Recommended Counter

• Against rush
  • Becomes a mix-up. Taking in-place recovery prevents shimmy — don't carelessly take back-roll recovery
• Against 214LP → rush
  • In-place recovery → walk forward → parry 214LP is recommended
    • On perfect parry success
      • If you perfect parry 214LP, your attack hits the raw rush attempt. Buffer an attack into the parry
    • On perfect parry failure
      • On seeing rush, use OD reversal to cut in
      • Walking forward shortens 214LP block disadvantage and prevents block string — creating a gap. The goal is to walk forward and create that frame "space"

Recommended Counter

You might not know what's happening, but the 214LK used in the second blockstring re-setup is a forward-moving low attack and can be whiffed by walking forward.

Every character can do this, so earn your reward with your character's forward-moving low attack.

Recommended Counter

• Projectile meaty
  • If your character has a projectile, meaty with it
• Normal throw
  • 236KK gets punish countered by throw — highly recommended
  • When you want to cover reversals, delayed throw is also an option
• Safe jump
  • Buffer input a throw just before the jump attack lands
  • This lets you grab her out of 236KK
    • A.K.I. has no OD reversal, so no need to input backward
    • To avoid accidentally getting a back throw, input neutral or forward rather than backward
      • A.K.I. only has SA invincibility, so forward input is fine

• Light attack cancel-chain buffer
  • By inputting throw in the cancel window of a light attack chain, you only grab her if she uses 236KK
  • When throwing, input neutral or forward — not backward