Merkava/Gameplay

Gameplay

Relationships

Introduction[]

Health: 9200 (Originally 12100)
Play-style: Versatile, Mix-up
Dash Type: Run
Specialty: Flight
By pressing or or during his jump, Merkava starts to flap his wings and can fly above the stage for a moment. A certain flight-based move is also usable only during the time he flies. More details on Command Normals/Unique Arts section. Vorpal state also makes his Force Function special cancel-able with more un-tech time and makes his worms last through Merkava blocking attacks.

Merkava is a little tricky character with long ranged normals and the possibility to raid the opponent from air. He specializes in long-range poking for leading into a hit confirm into long amazing combos, which gives him the ability to control the match through powerful punishes.

On long range, use 5C with long reach or "I, capture and devour". Restrain your opponent with the aerial projectile "I, breathe". Dash C is middle attack from air. You can also use it to evade sweeps. On close range, use 4B which is also a good anti-air. 2B is very effective and fast sweep. He relies often on punish and random hit confirms into long effective combos with good hitboxes.

Much of Merkava's game-plan is about using his long range moves to approach his opponent for a long combo and can also use his unique projectile move to play okizeme if needed. Additionally, he possesses mindgames and match control with his flight, and has a dive kick for cross-ups.

Overall, Merkava is a very versatile character that can work from any distance, though he has his weaknesses with a lack of fast and safe conventional projectiles (his main okizeme tool is slow on start-up, his only projectile is done from midair) as well as his stretching limb moves still being physical, so characters in the hands of players with good hitboxes can beat Merkava in a footsies war due to a number of his normals being somewhat impractical for standard pressure (as most of them also do not come out in less than 5 frames). As a result, Merkava focuses much more on whiff-punishing with his execution barriers being one of the toughest ones.

Not to mention his running speed is only average while adding in with his hurtbox being quite big, which often forces him to master his unique movement options to gain an edge on the opponent.

Move List[]

Normal Moves[]

Input	Damage	Guard	Cancel
		Crouch/Stand	SP/JC/EX/CS
	Scratches right before him at a low angle. Repeatable like any rapid-fireable light normal.

Input	Damage	Guard	Cancel
		Crouch	SP/JC/EX/CS
	Crawls on all fours and mashes his leading palm to the ground. Very good hit confirm that can be rapid-fired. Low hitting crouching light normal.

Input	Damage	Guard	Cancel
		Crouch/Stand	SP/JC/EX/CS
	Swings his hand forward at a downward angle. Reaches about half the screen.

Input	Damage	Guard	Cancel
		Crouch	SP/JC/EX/CS
	Bites the opponents feet. Small reach.

Input	Damage	Guard	Cancel
Dash		Crouch	SP/EX/CS
	High damage, but horrible hitbox. Pretty much the same move as 2B, but less cancelling possibilities. No real need to use this one unless the next available cancel option is worth it.

Input	Damage	Guard	Cancel
(Hold to charge)		Crouch/Stand	SP/JC/EX/CS
	Sticks out both of his hands for a darkness-charged twin stretch punch. Reaches about 3/4 of the screen. Hits crouching opponents. Causes wall bounce when charged.

Input	Damage	Guard	Cancel
		Crouch	SP/JC/EX/CS
	Pounces forward a bit to bite while on all fours. Standard sweep that can be used for combos. Shorter reach than 5B. Used to pick up downed opponents.

Input	Damage	Guard	Cancel
Dash		Stand	SP/EX/CS
	High-speed version of 3C.

Input	Damage	Guard	Cancel
j.		Stand	SP/JC/EX/CS
	Small scratch obliquely downwards.

Input	Damage	Guard	Cancel
j.		Stand	SP/JC/EX/CS
	Horizontally slashes forward with his arm. Reaches half the screen. Doesn't hit crouching opponents that well, so it's more of his main air-to-air.

Input	Damage	Guard	Cancel
j.		Stand	SP/JC/EX/CS
	Spins in the air to swipe downward with his leading arm. Standard air combo finisher and main jump-in.

Throw[]

Input	Damage	Guard	Cancel
+
File:Mer-throw.png	Slams the opponent from left to rise few times and then tosses them away.

Force Function[]

Input	English Name			Japanese Name			Damage	Guard	Cancel
+	Execute Agitation (I, Agitate and stir)			我、攪拌する				Crouch/Stand
	Blockable command grab. Merkava grabs with foe and with both arms spins the opponent in the air from a stationary position and then tosses them away. Opponent is tossed pretty high so continuing the combo is not possible. The move can be strengthened by rotating the stick/analog stick while the grab is happening. In Vorpal state, this move becomes special cancel-able while also inflicting more un-tech time.

Command Normals/Unique Arts[]

Input	Damage	Guard	Cancel
>		Crouch/Stand	SP/JC/EX/CS
	Additional hit.

Input	Damage	Guard	Cancel
		Crouch/Stand	SP/JC/EX/CS
	A small standing elbow drop. Anti-air move that can be used to pressure crouching opponents as well (since it looks like an overhead but it isn't). Downs an aerial opponent.

Input	Damage	Guard	Cancel
>		Crouch/Stand	SP/JC/EX/CS
	Bites the opponent and swing them upwards. Raises the opponent airborne.

Input	Damage	Guard	Cancel
(Hold to feint)		Stand	SP/EX/CS
	Uses his hand to jump to the air and them slams with his hands. Hits overhead and goes over ground attacks. If the button is held down, move becomes a feint; thus this version starts with the same jump using his hands, but then Merkava quickly lands back to the ground. Often used as a tick-throw setup when his offense is respectable, but can be easily punished otherwise.

Input	Damage	Guard	Cancel
(Hold to charge)		Crouch/Stand	SP/JC/EX/CS
	Same as the 5C version, only aimed obliquely upward, making it a slight anti-air and juggle combo tool. Charged version causes a wall bounce.

Input	Damage	Guard	Cancel
(Hold to delay)		Stand	SP/EX/CS
	Slow forward slam with both of his hands charged with darkness. Button can be hold down to delay the attack to mess with the timing.

Input	Damage	Guard	Cancel
j.		Crouch/Stand/Air	CS
	Obliquely downward dive kick charged with darkness. Long recovery if misses. Used as a air-to-ground combo tool as it downs aerial opponents, and works as a cross-up.

Input	English Name			Japanese Name			Damage	Guard	Cancel
j. //	Aviation			飛行
	Flies in the air by flapping his winged-arms. Stick/pad can be used to move Merkava to 8 direction in the air. Used as aerial match control to put the opponent in a state of wariness.

Input	Damage	Guard	Cancel
(during Aviation)
	Damaging air dash. Glides towards the opponent and tackles them. Cancellable on hit.

Special Moves/Sure-Killing Arts[]

Input	English Name			Japanese Name			Damage	Guard	Cancel
//	I, drill through			我、穿つ				Crouch/Stand	(JC)/EX*/CS
	Swings around his arms like whips. Good hitbox. EX version has invincibility. * EX version is not EX cancelable. B version only is jump cancelable.

Input	English Name			Japanese Name			Damage	Guard	Cancel
//	I, penetrate the clear skies			我、穹窿を貫く				Crouch/Stand	EX*/CS
	Whips around with his hands while rising to the air. B version is specialized as an anti-aerial move. EX version has no invincibility and just clashes with aerial moves. EX version not EX cancelable.

Input	English Name			Japanese Name			Damage	Guard	Cancel
//	I, capture and devour			我、捕獲して喰らう				Crouch/Stand	EX/CS
	Stretches his hand out and drags himself towards the opponent to bite them on hit, and then leaps off of them where aerial actions are available. Holding the button down extends the reach of the move. Pressing the button while the arm is extended cancels the move. A version reaches horizontally and B version obliquely upwards. EX version instantly reaches the maximum range the either basic versions. Press the button for A version and hold down for B version. * Only on hit.

Input	English Name			Japanese Name			Damage	Guard	Cancel
j. //	I, breathe out			我、息吹く				Crouch/Stand	EX/CS
	Blows a slowly moving fireball of darkness towards the ground. Projectile moves. A version shoots 20 degrees downwards. B version shoots 45 degrees downwards. EX version shoots three balls, 20 degrees, 45 degrees and 60 degrees downwards. Use this after the "I, capture and devour" B version to follow-up. * EX version not EX cancelable. EX version can be cancelled with a Chain Shift only on hit.

Input	English Name			Japanese Name			Damage	Guard	Cancel
//	I, persistently coil about			我、執拗に纏わり付く				Crouch/Stand/Air	(CS)
	Releases mysterious snake-creatures which crawl towards the opponent and attack them for a moment. Merkava's ranged-pressure tool that can apply blockstring pressure or for okizeme/wakeup offense. * Only EX version can be cancelled with Chain Shift and only possible during a combo where the opponent is airborne. Vorpal state allows these worms to persist even if Merkava blocks an attack.

Input	English Name			Japanese Name			Damage	Guard	Cancel
	I, make a rampancy			我、跳梁する				Crouch/Stand/Air	CS
	EX-only command throw. Jumps to the air and flies towards the opponent, grabs them with his legs, takes them sky-high and slams them back to the ground. Start-up has invincibility.

Infinite Worth[]

Input	English Name			Japanese Name			Damage	Guard	Cancel
	I, resentfully rage			我、憤る				Crouch/Stand/Air
	Flails around his stretchy arms from a stationary position and smashes the ground on both sides of himself. Hits opponent on the ground and launches them with each hit.

Infinite Worth EXS[]

Input	English Name			Japanese Name			Damage	Guard	Cancel
+++	I, overrun			我、蹂躙せん			3665
	Usable only when your own health is under 30 % Starts with a purple pillar of light. If it hits, a special animation will be shown and around 3500 damage is dealt. Use of the move will cause GRD Break, except if the user is in a Vorpal state before using it. If used within a combo, damage of the move is greatly reduced. Animation - Merkava grabs onto the opponent, then from the opponent's viewpoint, repeatedly bites them, covering the whole screen in blood.

Combos[]

BASIC COMBOS

5A>5B>5C>214B>j.214C
2B>5B>4B>2C>5C>6C>214B
2CC>j.A>j.B>j.C>j.2C>2C>B+C

MIDSCREEN:

2A Starter

2A>2C>623A>Dash C>(Dash)>2CC>j.2C>2C>5C>4B

5B Starter

5B>5C>6C>214B>CS>j.6D>j.B (1 hit)>j.C>j.2C>2CC>j.C>j.A>j.B>j.2C>2C>5C>4B
5B>Delay 2C>4B>2B (1 hit)>2CC>4B
5B>Delay 2C>5AA>2B (1 hit)>2C>5AA

4B Starter

4B>3C>2CC>j.6D>j.B>j.A>Dash C>(Dash)>2C>5C>4B

2B Starter

2B>2C>3C>2CC>j.C>j.A>j.B>Dash C>(Dash)>2C>5B>4B
2B>5C>2C>623A>Dash C>(Dash)>2CC>2C>5C>4B
2B>5C>2CC>j.C>j.A>j.B>Dash C>(Dash)>2C>5C>4B
2B>5C>2CC>j.C>j.A>j.B>j.2C>2C>5C>4B
2B>5C>2CC>Charged 6C>j.6D>j.B>j.A>Dash C>(Dash)>2C>5C>4B

5C Starter

5C>2C>3C>2CC>j.C>j.A>j.B>Dash C>(Dash)>2C>5B>4B

2C Starter

2C>4B>2B(1 hit)>2CC>j.C>j.A>j.B>j.2C>2C>5C>4B
2C>4B>2B(1 hit)>4B>2C>5C>5B>6C>214B
2C>4B>2B(1 hit)>4B>2CC>j.C>j.A>j.B>Dash C
2C>4B>2B(1 hit)>5B>6C>Charged 5C>j.6D>j.A>j.B>5B>6C>214B

Dash C Starter

Dash C>j.214A>5B>5C>6C>214B
Dash C>j.214A>5B>6C>Charged 5C>j.6D>j.A>j.B>5B>6C>214B

j.A Starter

j.A>2A>2C>623A>Dash C>(Dash)>2CC>j.2C>2C>5C>4B

j.B Starter

j.B>5B>6C>Charged 5C>j.6D>j.A>j.B>(Dash)>Dash C>2C>5C>4B

j.2C Starter

j.2C>2CC>Charged 6C>j.6D>j.B>j.A>Dash C>2C>5C>4B
j.2C>9J>j.2C>7J>j.2C

Flight Tackle Starter

Flight Tackle>j.B>2C>623A>DashC>(Dash)>2CC>j.2C>2C>5C>4B
Flight Tackle>j.B>Dash C>(Dash)>2CC>j.2C>2C>5C>4B

"I pierce" Starter

236C>6C>CS>j.6D>j.B(1 hit)>j.C>j.2C>2C>5C>4B
236C>6C>214B

"I penetrate the clear skies" Starter

623A>2B(1 hit)>4B>2CC>j.6D>j.B>j.A>Dash C>(Dash)>2C>5C>4B

"I capture and devour" Starter

214A>CS>j.6D>j.C>2C>623A>Dash C>(Dash)>2CC>j.2C>2C>Delay 5B>5C>4B
214A>CS>j.6D>j.C>Dash C>(Dash)>2CC>j.2C>2C>5C>4B

CORNER:

5A Starter

5A>2C>623A>3C>j.214A>Dash C>2C>Delay 5B>5C>4B