Can anyone with the frame data app tell me if any of Mika's ex command grabs are strike or throw invincible?
Thanks for the tips! I know I'm terrible at hit-confirming. My execution is still bad enough that I'm so focused on landing the combo that I'll forget to actually confirm it before committing all the way, and I need to work on that. I also need to work on my cornered animal syndrome (in general my wakeup game on Mika is basically block and hope for the best, or tech and get blown up 99% of the time). I also rarely use f.HP outside of in a combo because the range is bad, and I honestly just forget. I rarely use HP at all, come to think of it.
Also, when are good times to use Mika's command grabs? I do it sometimes but honestly me using it twice in a match like I did in that first one is very rare. I feel like it's too punishable and if the opponent is doing anything other than blocking on wakeup, it's gonna get me blown up.
I recommend going into training mode and setting the dummy to "random block". Everytime you're about to play do a little drill for yourself before you hop online; go into training mode, set the dummy to random block, and try to get 5 hit confirms in a row without messing up. Little by little you'll see yourself improve, I gurantee it. Just spend 3 or 5 minutes doing that every time you play and you'll get better at it.
Blocking and being ready to tech grabs are usually the best thing you could be doing after a knockdown honestly. Although, I've had a surprising amount of success with wakeup stand jab lol. It's okay to wake up with buttons occasionally, after all you have to make your opponent respect your wakeup options, just don't be too predictable about it and experiment with different options. If you see the character jumping, then try ex air grab or her cr.mp and if they don't work now you know not use them in that specific situation against that specific charcter. If you see the character hanging around too close to you, be a little daring every now and then with a wakeup command grab. They all have the same startup, just different ranges (& damage+stun). It's on you to decide which would be best!
F+hp is one of the best buttons you can use when you have the opponent in the corner. It can crush counter, lead into big a damage or reset, and it leaves you on advantage if they block letting you keep your pressure up. Try experimenting using it after you've knocked them down as well, by which I mean timing it to have Mika already in the attack animation as they're getting up.
Good times are anytime you're in command throw range honestly! Well, I'm simplifying things there. You basically want to do it in moments you're sure your opponent will likely be blocking on the ground, a blockstring you cut short or after a reset for example, or as your punish for a whiffed or unsafe special or normal.
For example, you can condition your opponent to expect lk xx mp since that's her TC (or you can assume they'll be expecting it already) so once they see the stand lk they'll always keep blocking expecting the stand mp. Now you have to option to do stand lk, wait the absolute briefest of moments, and then do one of her command grabs and catch them off guard. This is called a tick throw. Now you're in their head. This is where the fun begins! They're no longer sure what's coming after that stand lk. They might try to just jump next time. Here's where you can also try throwing a f+hp in the mix to catch any jump attempts after st.lk. Keep in mind they can jab you out of the f+hp though. But if you decide to do lk xx mp again then they're going to eat a combo for trying to jab you. So now you're playing a sort of rock, paper, scissors with him! This is what a command grab can open up for you. Keep in mind the light command grabs have the most range but do the least amount of damage and stun, so you're trading damage and stun for more reliability in tick throw setups and the like.
Know that you can also do this with jump-ins. Instead of following up with a LP or LK after a jump LK you can instead trying going almost immediately for a command throw. So let's use that first FANG game as a quick example. After going for the crossup jump LK you did after putting FANG into the corner, you could have immediately attempted to do her lp command grab which does decent damage and always throws opponents behind Mika which would have put FANG right back into the corner.
Doing it on their wakeup like you did to that FANG was not a bad idea at all. You smelled blood and went for it twice. I reckon you could have even gotten away with a third one. You had him scared and he was just crouch blocking.
You start devoloping an instinct for these things. When you feel your opponent is scared and will just sit there, especially if the character has no really good reversal options like FANG, sometimes you just have to go for it. See if it works out. Have fun with it really, trying to mess with the other person's head.
Sometimes dashing up > command throw, hell even walk up > command throw, can be a good option and something that can really catch people off guard. When you should or shouldn't go for it is something you learn as you go along. I will say that it doesn't hurt to be a little brave sometimes. Take advantage of the quick dashes in this game.
Always try to be aware how far away you are from the corner and which corner is closest, this should dictate whether you go for her Punch command grab or Kick command grab. Keep in mind the punch command grabs do a lot more damage and stun than the kick ones, so are the better ones to close out a round with.
Things to keep in mind are also all the attacks that move you forward. Forward mk, cr mp, cr hp, etc. You can use these to quickly get in command grab range and suddenly scoop the opponent up. F+mk and cr.mp can be especially decieving.
You're right about command grabs leaving you very vulnerable, this is part of their risk/reward. But you can't let that scare you away from them. They're still one of your most powerful tools. You just have force your opponent into situations where he believes the best option is to just block. Remember that Nadeshiko helps immensely with this. Once people see that activation, what're they most likely going to do? Block. Not a bad setup is going for cr.hp and then immediately canceling it into her vtrigger, on block or hit. If they block, you can command grab. If it hits, then you can do a few different combos of st.mp or f+hp.
Also, learn to love regular st.mp. Regular st.mp lets you combo into things you cant normally combo into from lk xx mp, like her irish whip (forward or back mp+mp ) which is one of her best tools for getting people to the corner, tacking on damage, or setting up tricky resets with. Regular st.mp is also safer to use on block than the TC mp is.
Don't get too impaitient if you're getting clipped a lot, especially against Dhalsim or FANG. Just make your way in slowly and paitiently, cornering them as you go, and remember Mika has some explosive comeback potential once she's inside thanks to just the threat of her command throws.
