Mike Muscles @Fanime · @MusclesMurphy
12th Nov 2015 from TwitLonger
Blockstring 101
Welcome to blockstrings 101! Today we're going to talk about the dreaded blockstring. Why do yours feel so escapable when your opponents feel so airtight? How come you keep getting hit out of yours when everyone else gets those juicy counter hits? I see a lot of newer players struggling to answer these questions, and hopefully I'll be able to answer some of them and more with this write-up.
First off, we have to ask, what is a blockstring? A blockstring is a series of moves your character does when the opponent is blocking. Simple right? We also say that when you are forcing your opponent to block (either with moves or mental advantage, more on this later), you have "pressure". Let's take it a step further and break down different types of blockstrings and facets that matter to them which different type of characters will utilize during gameplay.
The first off is what we call a "true" blockstring. Just because we call it true doesn't mean it's better or worse than any other type, it just has a different purpose. A true blockstring is such that your moves are coming out and connecting with the opponent before they have time to get out of blockstun. This means that even if they push a button or use a reversal, neither will come out and they'll be stuck right where they were. These are useful if your opponent is jumping out of your pressure. Since there are no gaps in your moves, this mean that jumping (depending on the game) will either net you a raw hit, or leave them open to lows mixed into the middle of your blockstring. Some games have answers to this type of blockstring in the form of guard bonuses from blocking too long, being able to push the opponent back with a push block mechanic, or being able to spend meter to use a move during blockstun (Guard cancel, V-reversal, there are many names from game to game of this type of move). The upside to this type of blockstring is that you don't have to fear about opponent retaliation. You'll never get hit out of them, and for characters that can go straight into mix-up from these types of blockstrings (usually by you blocking a projectile then guessing high or low) gives them a very safe option to open up their opponents. The downside is that your opponent won't have to worry about grabs (barring in blockstun grab mechanics *cough BlazBlue cough*) or getting counter hit. They are free to push a button where they think there might be a gap, and since it never comes out, it's a very safe defensive option for them.
The second type of blockstring is a "loose" blockstring. These blockstrings are where you use moves that allow for gaps in between moves. This type of blockstring can also be split a bit further depending on your character's goals, you either want the defending player to try to mash out with a button, reversal, jump, or backdash. Or you want them to wait for your incoming mix-up. "But why would I want my opponent to have a chance to do something?" it's elementary my dears, for in this blockstring you've laid a trap for them. In pressure like this, you want to make the opponent think that your string is ending at any given moment so that they will try to do something. At this moment you punish them greatly for it: counter hit their mash, bait their dragon punch, chase down their backdash, etc. On the other hand, usually overheads in strings have a natural gap anyway, so if they keep sitting there blocking, this allows you to bring in your characters high/low game (if they have one).
You might be able to break down blockstrings even more than this, but for our purposes this will do for now. So now we know about two different types of blockstrings, but at the most fundamental level, lets try to think about what our blockstrings are trying to do. Blockstrings are multipurpose tools (which is why they can be so complicated to talk about sometimes). They are used to hitconfirm - where you press a couple of buttons to identify if you caught your opponent blocking or not. If they just got hit, then you can go straight into your combo from there. They are used to create pressure - usually in most games blocking comes with some sort of penalty, whether it's giving your opponent meter, raising some sort of guard bar, being pushed to the corner, or simply frustrating your opponent. They are used to leave you at advantage - now this is where it gets a bit tricky. If you know a little bit about fighting games, you've most likely heard about moves being plus on block. This means that your character recovers from their move before your opponent has left blockstun, meaning that you can act before they can, literally putting you at an advantage. However, a huge part of blockstrings and advantage that people miss is something called "mental advantage". Have you ever seen a high level match where one player blocks a move that you know is unsafe, but not punish it? This usually means that their opponent has conditioned them to believe another move was coming after. This is one of the biggest aspects of blockstrings, allowing players to stop their blockstrings and "reset" back to the beginning, punishing the opponent for not escaping in some way. We call these simply blockstring resets (keep in mind this is very different from a combo reset).
This is where mixing in different types of blockstrings gets incredibly stressful for your opponent. Lets make up a character with a blockstring that simply goes 2A 5A 5B 5C (if you don't know this notation please go here: http://dustloop.com/guides/bbcs2/systemGuide/notation.html). Lets assume this is a true blockstring. Lets also assume 5B is -6 on block, and you have a 5 frame normal, so you can punish it if they end with that move. He runs that blockstring 2 or 3 times. You've seen the moves and you've tried pushing a button during the string and see that it's a true blockstring, so you stop pushing buttons during this string, and start using the time to decide what to do after his 5C. The next time he comes up however he does 2A 5A 5B, lets his 5B recover and then dashes up and grabs you. He changed to a loose blockstring, and you got hit! That wasn't what he did before, you weren't ready for a grab to be there! This next time you'll be ready for it. He dashes up again and does 2A 5A 5B, and it starts to recover, you press your 5A to hit him! All of a sudden his 5C comes out and counter hits you. What's going on?! You decide that there is enough time if he either grabs or delays his 5C that you can jump out of his next blockstring, so once he does 2A 5A 5B, you start holding up, then he does a true blockstring into 2B, which hits you low.
I think you can kind of see where I'm getting at with this, so we'll end it there, but you can start to see how each different type of blockstring with each different goal combine to make defense stressful for your opponent. A blockstring is a puzzle where the solution allows you to hit your opponent. There are many common types of blockstrings with their respective mix-ups such as tick grabs (2A > 2A or 2A > grab) or rekka blockstrings where the 2nd rekka is "safe" on block (usually -2 or -3, giving the advantage to your opponent) or trying to counter hit the inevitable opponent button press with your third rekka.
The biggest problem with blockstrings is that unlike combos, you don't want to generally perform them the same way every time. Have you ever felt like you've encountered an opponent you could not open up when they were defending? They most likely discovered a pattern or habit in your blockstring and mix-up. This is where loose blockstrings get incredibly difficult, because you want them to be organic. Structured true blockstrings which lead to mix-up are more akin to combos, but loose blockstrings have to be based off what you believe your opponent wants to do. If you believe they are scared of getting counter hit, then you should mix in more devastating high/lows or grabs, if they are very active on defense, then try making it so your blockstrings are loose enough to have a couple gaps of very few frames, letting them hang themselves by getting counter hit.
The most common pitfall I see with players is that their blockstrings are basically their combos, just ending early (usually before the unsafe special move or normal that would end the combo). This results in a very predictable offense, meaning that the defending player will never feel any fear in blocking. Most players are caught in their fear that ending on an unsafe move will always cause them to be punished, or that they have to get to the "mix-up" step of their blockstring. If you have any habits, my best suggestion is to take a break to let your hands unlearn it, or force yourself in matches to use other options that may feel way more loose. Trying to grasp how to truly take advantage of both mental advantage and loose blockstrings will take a while, but as long as you're aware of their concepts and start trying to work them into your gameplay, you'll hopefully start to see more and more success!
It is also important to note that depending on your character your goal in your blockstrings will be very different. You'll want to familiarize yourself with your possible "gatling" choices (which moves can lead to what other moves) in order to help understand what type of blockstring and pressure your character specializes in. Some characters want to be "bullies" by using many moves which are safe or even advantage at block, utilizing many pressure resets to frustrate your opponent yet scare them into pushing a button. Some want to emphasize their mix-up while not letting their opponent do anything, and will utilize true blockstrings far more often than not. Some characters are left with a very weak "traditional high/low" game, but usually have excellent ways to keep things very loose and threaten with grabs (you often see this in the grappler archetypes). Other character create a lot of fake gaps to give the opponent a window where they believe they can escape, but you actually have that covered. Others may not even have good blockstrings which lead to anything, but perhaps their character excels at the neutral game or dish out incredible damage when you do open up an opponent. Make sure you are playing to your characters strengths however - only going for slow high/lows with a grappler character is far less effective than utilizing your command grab, for instance.
Hopefully this guide helps some people out, and keep in mind there's plenty more to understand about blockstrings beyond this, so go out, play some more and happy frame trapping!