Tifa Players?

**SpryStrikerTidus** · 06-16-2011 02:40 PM

There should be more. And I was also wondering how Tifa was supposed to be played. I play her offensively and manage to get by.

Here's an example of how i play:

Let me know if there's anything I should change. I could also use a good build. I don't even know what kinda build she would have.

**Kotoso** · 06-16-2011 04:12 PM

If you want a realistic build, you probably shouldn't be playing with that ruleset. For that ruleset, go some kinda of ex build with ex depletion.

In a normal match, I prefer a side by side assist build.

**SpryStrikerTidus** · 06-16-2011 08:11 PM

Everyone says that SBS is a good build for her. Can u go into detail please?

**Quor** · 06-16-2011 11:44 PM

I think it's more that her EX mode is kinda poopy in the sense that it gets weaker pretty quickly. At around 20% or so left in your EX gauge, you're hardly seeing any kind of damage boost on her attacks, and a few of her attacks (mostly HP attacks) don't see any boost even at full EX gauge.

Will watch your video later, after I finish class!

**SpryStrikerTidus** · 06-17-2011 03:35 AM

Lol, take your time. And yeah, the EX damage boost thing is kinda unnecessary as EX mode has been horribly nerfed, so that's a 20 second boost? However long EX mode generally lasts.

**Quor** · 06-17-2011 01:35 PM

Not bad, not bad. I like playing her very aggressively too. She fits very naturally into that role. I would recommend swapping out another assist for Garland. Yeah, he hits pretty hard and wall rushes pretty far downward with his aerial, but his attacks are too darn short to really set anything up for. Thankfully Tifa works well with a lot of assists. Aerith, Cecil, Jecht, Sephy, Kuja, and I've even seen some Terra and WoL combos that work pretty well.

As for your playstyle itself, my opinion is that you need to change your game up a bit in the air but otherwise you've got a pretty solid foundation. All I can really say in the air is to bring a bit more variety to things to keep your opponent guessing. You started to become a bit predictable with MK by the end of the match. I'd also suggest looking into Elbow Smash as a replacement for Dolphin Blow, but that's really more a matter of personal preference. DB hits hard, but sends enemies up, and Tifa generally wants to try and keep things at a low altitude. ES is fast, and has a late feint, but doesn't hit as hard, and for some people the late feint screws their Tifa game up just as much as it screws with their opponent. I'd suggest reposting this vid in the general discussion thread or the video thread if you want to get some more feedback.

Now, as for your initial question? I have no idea. I think it's because there so many other characters that don't have nearly as steep a learning curve in order to be successful with. Any monkey with half a brain can do well as an SF-spam Sephiroth, but to do well as Tifa requires a lot more practice, plus a pretty intimate understanding of the other fighters and how they move and attack. She's basically Exdeath as far as I can tell; both need really precise timing to use to their fullest, and both need an extensive knowledge of the attack animation and timing of the other fighters. Exdeath just focuses on blocking while Tifa focuses on dodging.

**Kit** · 06-17-2011 04:03 PM

Tifa players died cause they couldn't learn how to feint correctly. I was just trying to learn Tifa not to long ago but quit for the very same reason.

**gido0471** · 06-17-2011 04:24 PM

I love tifa, her feints are what make me play her. And nice feint at the end! See that's why I love her! XD. I play aggressively, not caring too much about my assist locks as they'll regain as long as you keep attacking that's what i think. So idc about assist locks cause she can really handle her own. I'd go with an assist build with SBS, reasons already stated. But recently I'm trying a build where I focus on her EX mode gimmick, she becomes a real powerhouse with her quick feints and quick hp attacks if you use them right. so you got many options for her..

**SpryStrikerTidus** · 06-17-2011 06:39 PM

Originally Posted by Celestial

Tifa players died cause they couldn't learn how to feint correctly. I was just trying to learn Tifa not to long ago but quit for the very same reason.

Yeah, i see what you mean Celestial. Took me a few days to get used to Tifa, and this is before i even finished practicing with her. I'm much better now, so if you need any help, I'm right here. :P

---------- Post added at 11:39 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:36 AM ----------

Thanks for the assist ideas. I actually used Kuja for awhile and I was using Garland to test which assists work well with her. Unfortunately i dont have Aerith

and i used Cecil and Jecht. Haven't tried Sephy though. can u send me a link to the video thread please?

**Amethyst Night** · 06-17-2011 09:28 PM

Originally Posted by Celestial

Tifa players died cause they couldn't learn how to feint correctly. I was just trying to learn Tifa not to long ago but quit for the very same reason.

Yeah. Feinting is very, very, very much a learned thing. I mean, I'm sure people could pick up on it easily, and the idea isn't an issue, its just the timing, both of inputting the feint and when to use one. The AI is especially harsh on this front, as the majority of feints will be dodged or blocked and then punished. I have been able to get some feints off that haven't been punished or have actually connected fully against max level AIs, usually with Rolling Blaze, but I just feel like right now that I have better chances of connecting with a Blizzaga > Meteor Strike link than most feints.

Not that it'll stop me from playing Tifa. Anyone that can wear that kind of outfit into Arctic conditions and NOT get frostbite and/or die has some kind of awesomeness going on for them.

As for actual assistance on playing... I can't actually help much there. I've been stuck with just AIs mostly, and experimenting with Zidane as an assist lately. Mostly seeing if there isn't anything I could pull out from his Aerial Assist as Ground leads into an A-Chase, which helps with the obvious connecting of HP attacks or just more combos.

I also wish I kinda saved the video of this to confirm it fully, but I can't shake the feeling that I had managed to pull off a Rolling Blaze > Stellar Circle 5 > Meteodrive combo once with him... could have been Meteor Crusher instead at the end. I don't know why I did that honestly, other than just a quick batch of HP damage in full.

Edit: Yeah, it was Meteor Crusher. Both of Zidane's A-HP attacks cause A-Chase. Managed to pull off similar here and get it recorded. Similar being Blizzaga > Meteor Strike > Stellar Circle 5 > Meteor Crusher. Total pointlessness in doing real damage, but I like it on the looks.