INTRODUCTION Who doesn't love Krillin? (Aside from Toei and Akira Toriyama of course) EarthS strongest (human) fighter is definitely a favorite among DBZ fans. Constantly overpowered in the show by virtually everybody he fought Krillin survived (or not...sometimes) due to his resourceful ness and quick thinking alone, and that's what people love about him. And obviously Dimps saw that in him and loves him too....because he's been among the best fighters in the Shin Budokai series for 2 games running. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ KRILLIN'S ADVANTAGES - His "SSSSS-" starter is the second best close range combo starting chain in this game. (next to Kid Buu's starter) It has great priority on every hit and very little charge time on all of them too. Very few chains can go toe to toe with this starting chain, thus making Krillin one of the most badass close range fighters in the game, despite not having a comboable throw. - His ki building is great. Like Pikkon, he has a lot of cancel chains (except it's the "Krillin slide" instead of the traditional "axe kick") and his best combos build up nearly all 7 ki bars for him. - Sun Fist (From this point on this move will simply be referred to as "Solar Flare") is awesome. It has the biggest stun time out of any move in the game, allowing Krillin to chain in attacks he wouldn't have even been able to land without it. It's easy to combo into and comes out really fast, making it useful even outside of combos. - His "/\S-" is really great. It has great reach, reaching farther then even Trunks sword starter. And if someone wins priority and hit's you with their starter, Krillin will automatically fall into a low juggle, ruining combo opportunities for them. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ KRILLIN'S DISADVANTAGES - His max damage is on the low side, with his best combo pumping out a mere 2200 damage. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ KRILLIN'S MAIN STRATEGY *Krillin's best form is his Unlock Potential form. Don't even bother with his normal form unless you want to showboat* Krillin is a very unique character in this game, and really doesn't fall into any category of play like other characters do. His main starters are his "SSSSS-" chain and his "/\S-" starter. Both are very effective at what they do. I'll first start off by talking about his "SSSSS-" chain starter. His "SSSSS-" starter is a close range, high priority slam starter with multiple hit's that will keep going after clashing with opponents after they finish theirs. Like with all slam chains, each hit can be charged to break through someone�s guard. But unlike most slam chains, the charge time on each hit is so quick it's hard for your opponent to react to them and sidestep. And while none of them track while charging, Krillin will re-align himself with his opponent on his nest strike if they manage to sidestep a charge attack. There is really no time in particular that this starter is limited for use. Whether you have the ki advantage, or whether you and your opponent are at even ki and mixing it up, this starter retains its effectiveness. *Rushdown* While you have the ki advantage on your opponent, this starter becomes your primary way to break through your opponents defenses. The first 4 hits of "SSSSS" will do the trick if charged fully. (Since the last hit only charges after you should be canceling it) All 4 of them have very little charge time. It's really up to you which ones you'll charge or not, but make sure you mix it up. Always charging them all is too predictable, your opponent will simply time their sidesteps to avoid it or even grab you. Remember, 90% of getting through a guarding opponent is making them guess wrong. Charge 1 or 2 of them (doesn't matter which ones) and let the other 2 or 3 fly as they are. Usually though, you'll want to charge the beginning ones, to stop your opponent getting too much ki off of you while guarding. But don't ALWAYS charge the beginning ones. Mix it up. Also, remember to cancel grab once in a while to make sure your opponent knows it's a viable offensive option as well. The only thing "SSSSS-" it's lacking is reach. Normally, it would be a simple matter of spacing for your opponent. However Krillin CAN strike from long range as well... His "/\S-" starter should be used when both you and your opponent are at even ki or (believe it or not) when you yourself are at a ki disadvantage. "/\S-" has nice priority, even more then the starting "S" in his "SSSSS-" chain, but its best attribute is its reach. With it, Krillin outreaches every other character in the game except Piccolo. It's only 1 hit though, and it only starts charging after the stun, meaning it's useless in breaking through an opponents defenses. *Using "/\S" while at even ki* If your opponent insists on getting in your face and attacking at close range use "/\S" before they get into striking range. Even if it doesn't land, at least you got the first shot at a combo opportunity. If your opponent blocks or dodges it, quickly cancel it and guard. If they hit at the same time and win priority, you'll fall into a low juggle and hit the floor. Breakfall into either a "backflip" (press < + X when you hit the ground) and try your "/\S-" again or a "wrap around" (press /\ or \/ + X when you hit the ground) and try your "SSSSS-" if you are still at even ki with your opponent. *Using "/\S" while stuck with a ki disadvantage* While "/\S" doesn't have the speed most attacks associated with poking have, it does push Krillin pretty far, and in most cases, out of starting range if your opponent uses a discernment on it. And since the game doesn't pause slightly when you before you shoot a death move, there is a wind up time for them to come out, something Krillin can easily dodge after canceling the "/\S". Use this occasionally between blocks while building your ki up. If it actually lands, do it again for a quick 2 hit combo and cancel it. Your opponent will be more ready to use discernment after you stun them, so make them waste 3 bars. *When do I use Krillin Burst Charge?* Krillin's Aura Burst Charge power up, Ki Control, makes it so that whenever Krillin successfully blocks a hit he gets a full ki bar back. It lasts for 15 seconds. It�s pretty much a no-brainer that this should be used when you are at a ki disadvantage. With it, you could get on equal ground with your opponent by simply blocking a chain or 2. However knowing what this does, your opponent will try to charge their attacks and grab more often, so your best bet it to be unpredictable with this on. Expect the grabs and charge attacks and sidestep or even counter attack. You opponent won't use any move that you can block, and this STILL puts them at a disadvantage. For 15 seconds, they will be very predictable. In his normal form, Krillin's Aura Burst Charge power up is Ki Release. This is a horrible...HORRIBLE power up. It consumes ki to raise defense. It raises his defense to 150%, which is nice. However it consumes his ki so rapidly it'll be all gone in 10 seconds. And you can't charge it back up while it's happening. And once your ki is out, the power runs out, so activating it while low on ki isn't an option either. Stick to his Unlock Potential form. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ KRILLIN'S BAD MATCHUPS *Kid Buu* Kid Buu's "<SS*" is starter delivers multiple hit's in a very short period of time. This beats Krillin's "SSSSS*" starter almost every time and takes away Krillin's close range fighting pretty effectively. Krillin will have to rely on his "/\S-", which is decent but not as good as his close range. *Vegetto* Vegettos "Savage Counter" is a nice way to deal with Krillins /\S. Since it's not as fast as his close range chains and it's really only used at specific distances, it's easier to anticipate and see coming. Also, the first "S" in Vegetto's "SRS*" starter has absolutely rediculous priority. Even more then then tradtitional defensive starter. Krillin will have a hard time fighting against Vegetto at any range. *Pikkon* There is just something about their two starting chains clashing that almost always ends up in Krillin eating it. I'm not sure what it is yet, but I'll look into it a bit more. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ KRILLIN'S GOOD MATCHUPS Vegeta Vegeta really can't put up much of a fight when fighting at even ki without his defensive "S" starter. Since Krillins "SSSSS*" delivers quick multiple hit's at close range, it's very effective at taking that starter away. It also won't work against Krillin's "/\S-", since even if it does hit Krillin wil be put into a low juggle and will breakfall before any follow up attacks are possible. Bardock Much of the same as Vegeta. He can't rely on his rushdown either while at even ki since the first 2 hit's of his rushdown chains are rush attacks, which will lose against Krillin's "SSSSS*" chain. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ COMBO SECTION (Canceling? Stunning? Juggling? Burst Canceling? If any of these words are new to you or you simply do not know what they mean or how to perform them then read Goryu's Cancel Combo Guide found at this link: http://www.gamefaqs.com/portable/psp/file/924588/42016 then proceed to the beginners section) Legend: R = Rush attack S = Slam attack > = Towards opponent < = Away from opponent /\ = Up on the D-pad E = Energy Button - = Cancel ~ = Cancel Sidestep * = Stun ' = Fully charge upcoming move [AB] = Aura Burst -[AB] = Aura Burst Cancel Beginners Section (Cancel knowledge not needed) #1. SSS<E [Solar Flare]*, >RR*, RS<E [Solar Flare] '>E [Destructo Disk] 8 hit's, 1101 damage. Opponent gains 0.6 ki bars. #2. SSS<E [Solar Flare]*, >RR*, RS<E [Solar Flare] ***charge up a tiny bit*** '[AB]S*, /\E [Fierce Destructo Disk] 15 hit's, 1651 damage. Opponent gains 1.1 ki bars. Intermediate Section (Burst cancel knowledge not needed) #1. SSSSS- /\S-. <RRRS-, RR<RS-, >RRR<S<E [Solar Flare], '>E [Destructo Disk] 19 hit's, 1567 damage. Opponent gains 1.2 ki bars. #2. SSSSS-, /\S-, <RRRS-, RR<RS-, >RRR<S<E [Solar Flare] ***side dash to opponents back and charge up a tiny bit) '[AB]S*, /\E [Fierce Destructo Disk] 26 hit's, 2057 damage. Opponent gains 1.7 ki bars. Advanced Section #1. /\S~, <RRRS-, RR<RS-, SSSSS-, >>R*, >RRR<S-[AB]S*, ***walk forward*** \/S>E [Destructo Disk] 21 hit's, 1720 damage. #2. /\S~, <RRRS-, RR<RS-, SSSSS-, >>R*, >RRR<S-[AB]S*, /\E [Fierce Destructo Disk] 27 hit's, 2220 damage. Opponent gains 1.8 ki bars. As usual, more strats and combos to come.