Notes and Critique on Mac's Friend

Notes and Critique on Mac's Friend - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efAALUmM7aA - 8/22/2016

I am by no means a professional, so take this with a grain of salt. I just know a lot about Kagura and I love the character to death. He's going to be pretty shit in Central Fiction so bear that in mind while learning him. If you don't love Kagura, you probably don't want to play him lol.

Seriously though, play who you like.

ACTIONABLE ITEMS
- Work on your combos. I guarantee you will be much happier when you see the heights Kagura can reach, even with his basic combos. You can do this through looking up combo videos on youtube and checking out this thread: http://www.dustloop.com/forums/index.php?/forums/topic/10650-cpex-kagura-mutsuki-combo-thread/

- Try to add B Fafnir to your gameplan. BFaf is arguably one of the best anti-airs in the game, and can lead to some serious damage on CH in the corner. Just keep in mind that it only has head invulnerability, and thus will lose if you use it as a DP.

- Watch match videos of JP and US players alike. I realize this might be too little too late with Central Fiction on the Horizon, but by doing this you can see how other players use Kagura, and you might learn a thing or two!

- Keep playing! There's nothing better you can do than continuing to play, whether it be in training mode or against other people.

TIME STAMPS
1:25 - This blocked DP could have resulted in a kill combo if you played your cards right! Work on your punishes, and know which starters you should go for in what situations. Usually 5C is his best starter, but it isn't the most reliable midscreen.

1:32 - After you rapid CFafnir in the air, you have full control of where you want to land. A good option is usually airdashing away and going on the defensive. You can also go into air stances to move yourself further or closer. You don't just have to fall back down!

1:35 - Ending a combo in CFaf is a really poor choice, since it leaves you vulnerable and with no oki whatsoever. There are much better combos that Kagura can use both midscreen and in the corner. If you don't use Kagura's optimal combos, you're missing out on perhaps his biggest strength - damage! This is a standard midscreen BnB off 5B:

5BB > 3C > 2DC > 5DA > [4]6A > 5B > 3C > 6DC > 2DB
           ^start charging orb here

Pretty much every combo Kagura does can end in Orb okizeme as well, so don't forget to apply that as well.

3:41 - Don't do air Zanga. There are practically 0 situations where this is a good idea.

5:00 - After a successful burst, you have every opportunity to throw out B Orb for some space control. There are a few situations where it's dangerous to do this (Tao with 50 meter, for example), but otherwise you can do it without worry.

7:51 - This looked like a combo drop that's pretty common for new Kagura players. To get the charge you need for CFaf, you can hold down 3 during 2DC and 6DC. 3 Will always go to 2D stance first, and then 6D stance in a chain. The notation for what your hands are doing would look something like this:

5BB > 3C > 3DC > 3DC > [3]6C

7:58 - Don't go for no-tech combos off of bursts, they don't do any damage and can leave you open for attack when the opponent inevitably techs in a spot you don't suspect them to.

9:20 - While Rindo can be a great reversal super in the right situation, usually you want to save your meter for a conversion off of a midscreen hit, or as a killing super. Generally speaking, it isn't worth going for reversal supers unless you can combo from it or it will kill.

10:18 - Again, there's a ton more you can get out of your combos than what you are currently doing. I suggest looking up combo videos on youtube or checking out Kagura's combo thread on dustloop.com, and get to grinding!

10:40 - I'm starting to notice you really like to use j.C, which is dangerous. j.C has a good hitbox, but is a really bad air-to-air and only a mediocre air-to-ground. This is actually one of the few aerial moves in the game that has landing lag, which means if you space it improperly and it is blocked, you have to go on the defensive. It's also difficult to get combos from it on non-counter hit, in which case going into 5B or 2B are your most reliable options.

11:09 - 5DC can be a very good anti-air if used properly, but it has a metric shitton of recovery, so if you whiff it it is essentially a guaranteed punish. The best situation to use 5DC in neutral is after a blocked 5C into A Orb, if you think they will try to airdash over the orb for a jump-in.

11:17 - I like the restraint you show in your stance pressure! I don't know how purposefully it is, but it is not always beneficial to go through all 3 stances moves in a blockstring. Good job!

11:40 - Pretty much all of Kagura's air stances are useless in neutral, since you have to go all the way back to the ground before they even start. There are a few situations where it's ok to use them, but I don't think any of those are at neutral.

12:24 - Just as it's good to not always use all stance moves, it's good to know the tools available to you. After a blocked 5C > 2DB, you still have two stances left at your disposal. From here you could do 6DA or B for a mixup, 6DC and 5DC for a frame trap, and 5DA if you think they'll mash mid.

15:47 - It isn't a good idea to roll in the corner. I know it's tempting to keep your charge for Fafnir and it worked out in this situation, but trust me, this is a very big no-no in BlazBlue.

26:10 - I'm only bringing this up because I saw you drop it twice - you don't have to delay 5DC after 2DC, you can do it one right after the other.

27:44 - I realize it worked here but please, please stop doing raw Zanga lol.

28:19 - If this didn't convince you to cut it out, I don't think anything will

I dunno what else to talk about lol