From: bigdave@texas.tdd.sj.nec.com (David Sweeney  x2987)
Subject: Re: Helping Blanka fight Ryu
Organization: NEC-AM TDD, San Jose, California
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1992 21:58:48 GMT

>cyu@athena.mit.edu (S. Hussein) writes...
>>The other day, I saw a longtime Ryu master get beaten over and over by a 
>>mediocre Blanka player...
>> 
>>THIS Blanka waited close to Ryu, and kept hitting roundhouse sweep at a range
>>that just misses Ryu.  Here comes the awesome part:  if Ryu tries to fireball,
>>Blanka's sweep will reach under Ryu's fireball, and nail Ryu's foot as he
>>steps forward!  (Ryu automatically steps forward during a fireball!)  Ryu goes
>>down, taking much more damage than Blanka getting hit by the fireball.  

Not to be too snotty, but a "longtime Ryu master" wouldn't fall for this.  
I use the abovementioned strategy against fireball-happy Ryu/Kens,
but it does have one flaw: if you trade roundhouse/fireballs three times in
a row, Ryu/Ken will have lost a lot more health, but after the third fireball
Blanka will be dizzy.  It's a good way to beat a strong Ryu, because almost
any air attack will be met by the all-powerful DP.  I use similar strategies
against both Ryu/Ken and Guile:  stay close and mix up a lot of crouching
forwards and roundhouses.  Sometimes you can sucker a player into doing a
fireball after you miss with a crouching forward and hit them with a crouching
fierce or roundhouse.  

>>Plus Blanka can now press the attack on the fallen Ryu.

Pressing the attack on a fallen Ryu is the single most hazardous action in 
the game!  It's like jumping in on a waiting Guile.

>>And because Blanka's footsweep is so fast, Ryu has no chance to kick Blanka's
>>leg during Blanka's sweep.

All that means is the Ryu player needs to find a strategy other than 
fireball-fireball-DP.  Actually, you can DP his leg if you time it right (boy
do I hate it when that gets done to me!)  Admittedly, Blanka's ground
attacks have greater range and priority than Ryu's but Ryu has a missile attack
and the DP.  Blanka's ball becomes nearly useless against a player who can
pull off a DP on reflex.


s7280041@phobos.ucc.umass.edu (s7280041) writes:
>Look....  in my opinion this is one of the worst lop-sided matches in the game.
>If someone needs help beating Ryu with Blanka ...  They need serious help!
>If your Ryu is not supreme than Blanka can be the biggest bastard in the world.
>You can't jump in on him(EVER!) because you will get balled... and everytime
>you throw a fireball, Blanka jumps over it and hits you with a fierce claw
>which in my opinion has way to much range.

This matchup is hardly lopsided.  If your Blanka is not 'supreme', Ryu will 
eat you for lunch!  A quick DP will stop any jump-happy Blanka in his tracks.
If Blanka can hit you with a fierce claw when you fireball, you're doing it 
when he's too close.  And his fierce claw range is about equal to Ryu's
flying roundhouse.  

>    I have seen some of the best Ryu's lose to mediocre Blanka's....
>I lose 80 percent of the time to Blanka, while I win 60 or 70 percent
>of the time vs other characters.  
>    Basically Blanka BITES THE BIG ONE!!!!!!!!!

Sheesh!  You use a character with an invincible dragon punch and then complain
that _Blanka_ is too powerful?  I used to complain on the original SF2 when I
got beat by the fireball-DP routine.  The usual response I heard was "Ha!
Deal with it."  I guess it's my turn now... HAHAHAHA!  :-)

>Now does any1 have any advice on beating Blanka with Ryu?

Sure.  Don't depend on patterns--learn countermoves.  Get your reactions
fast enough to beat Blanka players through finesse instead of through
your character's supermoves.  With two equal players, it's a good
match.  As opposed to Blanka vs. Chun Li...

-- 
Dave Sweeney     bigdave@tdd.sj.nec.com
yeah, I'm  _full_ of advice...