Tekken 9 Punishment Techniques Guide

Tekken 9 Punishment Techniques Guide

Hey Tekken warriors! Ready to take your game to the next level? We all know how frustrating it is to get hit by those tricky moves in Tekken. But guess what? Every mistake your opponent makes is an opportunity for you to land some serious damage. This guide is all about punishment techniques in Tekken 9 – how to identify them, how to execute them, and how to turn your opponent’s errors into your victory. Let’s get started!

Understanding Punishable Moves

Before we dive into specific techniques, let’s talk about what makes a move “punishable.” In Tekken, not every move is safe. Some moves leave your opponent vulnerable for a short time after they finish. This period of vulnerability is the perfect window for you to strike back with your own attacks. We call these unsafe moves “punishable.” It’s like a tiny window of opportunity, and you need to be ready to jump through it!

Key Characteristics of Punishable Moves

There are a few clues to help you spot moves that you can punish:

• Recovery Frames: Every move has a number of frames before the character can act again. Punishable moves have many recovery frames, leaving them open.
• Block Stun: Some moves push you back when you block them, but others don’t. If you block a move that doesn’t push you back a lot, that might be a chance for a counter attack.
• High, Mid, and Low Attacks: Some attacks must be blocked standing, some crouching, and some from the air. Getting the block wrong can also give you a free attack chance.

Types of Punishments

Now that you know what to look for, let’s talk about the different ways you can punish your opponents:

Quick Punishes

These are the fastest way to punish an unsafe move. They are usually simple and easy to execute.

• Jab Punishes: Jabs (usually the 1 button) are very fast. They are perfect to use against moves with a short recovery time. Think of them as the “quick slap” of Tekken.
• Generic Standing Punishes: Many characters have standard moves that are fast and reliable. These could be a quick punch or a kick that gets the job done.

Launch Punishes

These punishments are a bit more powerful. They launch your opponent into the air, allowing you to start a combo for bigger damage.

• 10-frame Punishers: Every character has at least one move that comes out in about 10 frames, and these are usually the quickest launchers.
• 12/13-frame Punishers: These are a little slower, but they usually have more range and deal more damage.

Block Punishes

When you block a move, you gain a few frames to attack first. This is a great way to punish unsafe moves, as long as you know what to expect.

• Guard Break Punishes: Certain blockable attacks can be punished even if you block them. These might include a guard break move, which can be punishable if they miss it or they are not properly spaced.
• Low Parry Punishes: Some characters have the option to parry low attacks. Parrying can give you a good chance to counterattack.

Movement Punishes

Sometimes the best punishment isn’t an attack, but using movement to your advantage.

• Side Step Punishes: If you see a linear attack coming (an attack that moves only forward), side stepping can make it miss completely and you can then punish your opponent.
• Backdash Punishes: Backdashing can create space and give you time to figure out your opponent’s next move.

Character-Specific Punishments

It’s important to remember that each character in Tekken 9 has their own unique moves and, therefore, their own unique punishers. You need to spend some time in practice mode to learn your character’s best moves for punishing different situations. The more you know your character, the more efficiently you can punish the enemy’s errors.

Finding Your Character’s Punishers

To find the best punishers for your character, you’ll want to check out the frame data. This information tells you how many frames each move takes to start, how long it takes to finish, and whether it has any special properties. Frame data may seem complicated, but it’s an important tool for any Tekken player, which will help you understand how much advantage you have after blocking or when you are open to attacks.

• In-Game Frame Data: Tekken 9 may include a frame data view within the game’s practice mode. Check the training options in the menu.
• Online Resources: Many websites and online communities collect frame data for each character. Websites and wikis are your friend here, look for guides and information for your character in the Tekken 9 community.

Practice, Practice, Practice!

Once you have your character’s best punishment tools you will want to take time to practice these moves in training mode. A good approach to learning punishers is to start by identifying what moves your opponents will be using often, then find the best ways to punish them. Focus on consistency so that when the chance appears in a real match, it will come out naturally.

• Set the Training Dummy: You can use the training dummy to record your opponent’s unsafe attacks and then practice your responses.
• Start Simple: Focus on the most common punishes first and then move to more complex combos when you feel comfortable.

Common Punish Scenarios

Let’s go through some common situations you’ll encounter in Tekken 9 and how to punish them:

Whiff Punishes

When your opponent misses their attack completely (whiffs), this is a huge opening for you to strike. This is why spacing is important in Tekken. The idea here is to wait until they commit to their attack, move out of the way and then punish the empty space.

• Long-Range Whiffs: If your opponent is using a long-range move, you can often step in and punish it.
• Quick Recovery: Sometimes the recovery frames are so fast that you need to react super quickly with a fast attack of your own.

Blocked Low Attacks

Many low attacks are unsafe on block. This means that if you block them correctly by crouching, you have an advantage and you can land a hit, sometimes even a launcher. Make sure you know your characters fastest low launchers for when this happens.

• Block Punishment: Punish with your characters low hitting launchers.
• React Quickly: Low attacks can be hard to react to, so practice your low blocking to improve your success rate.

Blocked String Attacks

String attacks are combinations of multiple hits. Some string attacks are unsafe to block at the end of their sequence, but others can be punished mid-string, this means that you don’t need to block every attack but only the first one, and punish the enemy when they continue with their attack pattern. If you see your opponent repeating the same unsafe string, remember your counter.

• Learning Patterns: Identify which strings are punishable and where the vulnerabilities are, this may require some time studying the match or in training mode.
• Punish With Care: Choose your punishment wisely based on the block advantage you get from that specific string.

Power Crushing Moves

Power crush moves can absorb hits in the mid and high ranges. However, some are very punishable at the end of their animation if they dont land, or if blocked, or if they are used against low attacks.

• Low Punishes: Punish with your characters fastest low launchers.
• Spacing: Punishing them properly may require good spacing knowledge.

Advanced Punishment Techniques

Once you have mastered the basic punishments, you can move on to more advanced techniques:

Frame Traps

Frame traps are setups that trick your opponent into pressing buttons when they should not. This can happen with strings that are almost always unsafe on block, but because the player believes they may be able to interrupt, they might try to press a button, which leaves them open to be counter attacked.

• Creating Opportunities: Use moves that have a small amount of block stun to lure your opponent into attacking.
• Exploiting Frame Advantage: When your opponent tries to attack on your +frames, they will get punished.

Punishing Delayed Wake Ups

When your opponent is knocked to the ground, they can delay their recovery to try and catch you off guard. This can make it hard to time your attacks, but these wake up attacks can be punished.

• Timing: Learn the timing of common delayed wake up attacks.
• Punishing With Care: Some delayed wake up attacks can’t be punished as long as you are not close to them, so always keep some distance when the opponent is waking up.

Conditioning Your Opponent

This is a more psychological approach where you teach your opponent to fear a particular move, and then punish their reactions. By establishing fear you can trick them into doing things that they would not normally do and punish their panic.

• Creating Habits: If the opponent is always using one move, use the same punish over and over so they will stop using it.
• Psychological Game: Sometimes, punishing moves only sometimes can be a good way to keep your opponent uncertain of your next move, and force them to not know what to expect.

Using Movement to Create Punish Opportunities

Movement is key to Tekken. Knowing how to move around and create opportunities to punish is very important.

Dash and Block

Dash in, block a low or unsafe move, and quickly punish.

Backdash and Space Control

Backdashing is not only for creating space, but also to make some linear attacks miss, and then you can punish.

Sidestep and Attack

Sidestep and whiff punish is very important to punish a lot of linear attacks in Tekken.

Tips for Improving Your Punishment Game

Here are some tips to help you level up your punishment game in Tekken 9:

• Play Regularly: Practice each day, even if just for a little while.
• Learn from Your Losses: Replay your matches and see when you were punished and why.
• Watch Pros Play: Pay attention to how the top players react and punish their opponent’s moves.
• Be Patient: Don’t try to force the punish, wait for the opportunity.
• Adapt Quickly: Every player has different playstyles, so adjust your strategy to what works best against each opponent.

Punishment is key to becoming a stronger player in Tekken 9. By understanding the concepts in this guide, and putting in the practice you can turn your opponents’ mistakes into your own victories. Keep practicing and keep learning! Good luck out there, fighters!