Third Strike Defensive and Offensive Mechanics

This page is a summary of the 3s After School Episode 2 and contains strategies to manage defense in Third Strike.

The 80/20 rule

Spend 80% of your time playing reactively and 20% playing proactively. Playing reactively means watching the opponent and reacting to its actions, while proactive play is forcing your agenda on your opponent.

Reactive play should happen on the ground or by jumping vertically, as jumping forward/backward removes control and options, while giving away the landing position to the opponent, as most characters cannot change it.

In order to be able to play reactively in a proper way, it's important to study matchups and find good answers and punishes for each characters strong buttons.

Wake up mechanics

The charts below explain how offense and defense works in Third Strike, based on frame data and character options.

How it works

• Throws come out in 3 frames. The character doing the throw is vulnerable during this period. It's possible to tech a throw before it comes out during frame 4 and 5, and then after it came out, from frame 7 to frame 11 (5 frames total).
• From frame 1 to frame 6 after waking up, characters are invincible to throws. It means the attacker has to delay its throw and that a meaty throw is active on frame 7.
• When the parry window is open (by taping forward or down) it's impossible to tech throws until the window closes (10 frames on the ground, 7 frames in the air). Therefore when an opponent can die from chip damage and they have no choice but to parry, throw is very strong.

Summary of options

1. Delayed tech while blocking is the strongest option as it only loses to delayed meaty. It can be enhanced by inputing an 1 frame airborne move or an invincible dragon punch.
2. Reversal jump (if cornered) is the second better option as it only loses to meaty attack
3. 1 frame airborne move (if the character has one) it third as it creates a reset.
4. Reversal throws and reversal attacks are less effective than delayed tech.
5. Reversal parry is the worst of all, and should only used against chip damage (but against it loses to throws) and in situation where it's guaranted.

Option selects

An option select is inputing several commands and letting the game choose the best one.

Buffering OS

DED is an offensive option select that automatically cancels a normal move with a special if the normal lands.

1. Input a cancellable normal, then a special
2. If the normal lands on hit or block, the special comes out.
3. If the normal doesn't land, the special does not come out.

DED

DED is an offensive option select that automatically choses between doing a super or not doing a super after a move, based on the available meter.

1. Input amove, then a super while the super bar is near completion.
2. If the move hits, the super bar is filled and the super comes out.
3. If the move does not hit, the super bar is not filled and th esuper does not come out.

Crouch Tech OS

Crouch Tech OS is a defensive option select that automatically choses between a crouching ligth punch and a throw tech.

1. Input down + LP + LK.
2. If no opponent throw, LP comes out due to the input priority system.
3. If the opponent throws, a throw tech happens.

Normal + Tech OS

Crouch Tech OS is a defensive option select that automatically choses between any normal and a throw tech.

1. Input a normal move, then a throw.
2. If the opponent throws, a tech throw happens.
3. If the opponent doesn't throw, the normal comes out.

Parry buffering OS

Crouch Tech OS is a defensive option select that automatically choses between a parry and an attack.

1. Input parry, then a normal move.
2. If the opponent attacks, the move is parried, then the attack comes out.
3. If the opponent does not attack, the attack comes out normally.

SGGK

SGGK is a defensive option select that automatically choses between a trow, a tech throw or a hit after inputing a parry.

Here's how it works:

1. Input a parry (tap forward or low)
2. Do a kara-throw (character specific, cancelling the first frame of a move by a throw)

Situations:

1. Opponent does nothing -> the game kara-throws.
2. Opponent throws -> the game techs the opponent throw.
3. Opponent attacks -> the game parries, then the attack used in the kara-throw comes out.

Jump tech OS

SGGK is a defensive option select that automatically choses between a jump and a throw tech.

1. Press jump and throw at the same time.
2. If the opponent throws, a tech throw happens.
3. If the opponent doesn't throw, jump happens.