Manon — Counter-Guide

Recommended Counter

• On block
  • All strengths are punishable — start a heavy-attack combo as punishment
• 236HK
  • On hit
  • Forward step → raw rush gives Manon OD invincible guarantee — don't let her bully you

Recommended Counter

All strengths except 214KK are punishable on block — punish with a heavy-attack combo.

Recommended Counter

• After a hit, forward step leaves Manon at -6F — punish immediately

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• Raw rush after hit confirms OD invincible for some characters
  • The following characters can fully counter a rush flash with OD invincible:
    • Juri
    • Rashid
    • Sagat

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• Raw rush after hit confirms SA with 12F or lower startup and wide horizontal reach for some characters
  • E.g. Blanka SA1 and Dee Jay SA2
  • Watch out for super counter (暗転返し)

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• Cancel rush oki (with 3+ medals)
  • At 3+ medals the hit distance increases, so holding back makes cancel rush 2MK combo impossible
  • When Manon has 3+ medals, holding back is recommended
  • SA2 combo is still possible from cancel rush, so check gauge before deciding

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• If you have no OD invincible
  • Very difficult, but fuzzy jump is strong if you can pull it off

The following video has these recorded (in training mode):

• Cancel Rush → 2MK
• Cancel Rush → 63214LP

Recommended Counter

Both are punishable on block. Punish with your 5F move.

Recommended Counter

Oki counter strategies after the hit:

• Forward step
  • Manon is at -2F
  • When the forward step flashes, press your 4F move at maximum speed

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• Cancel rush oki (with 2 or fewer medals)
  • Walking back makes cancel rush 2MK whiff — give up the low and walk back
    • Even if it reaches and gets extended, no combo follow-up
    • Even if it hits, no combo possible
  • 214LK first hit also whiffs so you can react and block
  • Walking back also makes command grab whiff

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• Cancel rush oki (with 3 or more medals)
  • Walking back makes cancel rush 2MK whiff — give up the low and walk back
  • 214LK first hit also whiffs so you can react and block
  • Walking back also makes command grab whiff
  • Distance is greater than at 2 or fewer medals, making all non-HP strikes very hard to make meaty
    • Recognize that the expected value of mashing on wakeup is higher than at 2 or fewer medals

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• Cancel rush oki → HP
  • Manon is at +1F after block
  • Distance increases so after blocking HP always press your 4F move
    • Your 4F move loses to Manon's 4F move, but reaction confirm is hard so Manon inputs cancel rush into combo
    • If she spends 3 Drive stocks that way, it's fine to lose
    • The video below has these recorded after 63214P hit → cancel rush HP block:
      • 63214P
      • LK
        • 5F from +1F; 4F trades

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• If you have an invincible move with 8F or lower startup and long horizontal reach
  • Confirm the cancel rush flash and the invincible move is guaranteed
    • E.g. Blanka SA1 and Manon's own SA2

Recommended Counter

Drive Reversal against cancel rush.

Difficult, but if you can do it you don't need to play the guessing game.

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If you blocked it:

• 4HP → 236P → cancel → 63214P
  • If 4HP is blocked, pressing a jab at the same timing that you'd block the jab functions as a two-way answer
• Command grab
  • Fastest mash or doing nothing gets grabbed
  • Use neutral jump or backdash for maximum reward
• 2LK → LP → L Dégagé (236LK follow-up)
  • Fastest mash and jumping both lose
  • After blocking LP, command grab is possible so "one guard then jump" is recommended

Manon often creates a block string with 2MP or goes directly into command grab, so don't forget to buffer a jump.

Recommended Counter

If you block it at close range, punish with a 6F medium or 5F light attack.

Recommended Counter

Many players back jump instinctively because they get pulled in suddenly. Blocking leaves Manon at -5F — don't be scared, take your 5F punish.

Recommended Counter

Many players back jump instinctively because they get pulled in suddenly. Blocking leaves Manon at -8F — don't be scared, take your 8F punish.

Recommended Counter

It's a tough guessing game, so optimize your own options. Depending on your gauge, OD invincible is not the best counter here.

• After blocking the 1st hit
  • Medium attack mash
  • After blocking the 1st hit, pressing 63214HP creates a 9F gap to mash through
  • You lose to the full string, but accept it as a coin flip
• After blocking the 2nd hit
  • The full extension leaves Manon at -19F, so cancel rush is very common
  • 4MK → 4MK → cancel rush is interruptible with invincible — interrupt it
  • When interrupting here, use SA if possible for a huge reward

Between those two options Manon will run every mix-up in the book. Crucially: the 2nd hit can be delayed, meaning fuzzy defense is not possible.

If fuzzy won't work, just commit to the coin flip. When you read 1st hit block → 63214P, mashing with a light attack gives poor reward and makes it hard to put risk on Manon. Use medium or higher for efficient mix-up like in the video below.

If your mash loses to a counter-hit, Manon's cancel-confirm is hard so she'll commit to cancel rush and spend 3 gauge.

Recommended Counter

• Attack on the ground
  • Putting the threat of 236KK in Manon's head weakens her ground game
  • If you feel Manon's anti-air is strong, stay on the ground and play the neutral
  • Manon has no projectile, so zoning characters can use ground projectiles for an advantageous neutral
• If you block any version
  • All strengths leave Manon at a huge disadvantage — punish with a heavy-attack starter combo

Recommended Counter

When you have Manon cornered, no situation is okay to take it — always be alert.

If you can parry on the flash that's fine, but it's a low attack so always crouching guard.

The startup is fairly slow, so use safe jump setups. Since it's a low attack, consider using Rashid's Tempest Moon or Chun-Li's Tensho Kicks — moves with low-attack invincibility — for oki.

Recommended Counter

Learn the situation after 63214P hits.