Hit Confirmable Strings (pt. 2)

Introduction:

What good is a counter hit confirmable string if you can't hit confirm it? Now there are two distinct categories where a CH confirmable string can fall into, namely a special animation or an abrupt stop to the animation of your opponent. Now in theory it's more difficult to CH confirm an abrupt animation as there's no distinct animation to look for, but in practice (I find) it's easier to use your opponent's animation to confirm your own attacks.

Special Animation:

Apart from obvious animations such as CH d+1 and b+1+2 where the opponent is grounded, there's a few unique animations that indicate that a string was on counter hit.

CH d+4,1,3 - The first thing to notice is that Dragunov has two low starting, high ending NCc and in both cases the last hit is launch punishable, even if the first low hits. d+4,1,3 also has the major downside of the 2nd hit also being high, making d+4,1 also launch punishable if the first attack is blocked. The major advantage of d+4,1,3 versus d+4,4 though is that d+4,1,3 can be CH confirmed while d+4,4 has to be used on anticipation alone. The animation you'll be looking for is the lifting of the leg closest to you. It's hard to describe but on normal hit their foot is slightly pushed away but on CH their entire leg will be pushed out of the way, allowing you to complete the string.

CH f+2,4 - Even though the string can be delayed, delaying f+2,4 does nothing to change its CH properties, this makes f+2,4 probably the easiest string to CH confirm. What you'll be looking for is the opponent's head snap backwards, after that the string (whether delayed or not) can be finished for KND/W!. Unfortunately f+2 is high and slower than Dragunov's other options, reducing its usefulness as a CH confirmable string.

Abrupt Animation:

CH 1,2,1 and CH b+4,2,1 and CH (3),1,2 are all examples of strings that can be counter hit confirmed using the abrupt stop of an opponent's animation. While there is a slight difference in the animation as you hit your opponent, it's not nearly as noticeable as there are with CH d+4,1,3 and CH f+2,4. Of the three, CH (3),1,2 is definitely the hardest to confirm as the final hit can be delayed just enough to make the string non-NCc, also unlike CH f+2,4. CH b+4,2,1 is the easiest to confirm with a i15 start up and being able to use the second hit as a "confirmation buffer." Even though CH b+4,2,1 is the easiest to confirm, it's also the most risky as the final hit is high and can be ducked on non-CH. Last but not least, CH 1,2,1 is a mixture between safety and ease of execution as its second hit also allows for additional time to CH confirm and worst case scenario is only -12 on block.

Notable Attacks:

d+2 - While d+2 itself has no KND/W! properties, its CH properties are worth mentioning. On hit d+2 is even, leaving both you and your opponent recovering WS but on CH d+2 is +4, leading to some options post hit. You'll be looking for a very distinct animation, namely the opponent will lose their "footing" and slightly stumble. The animation is very subtle and will not warn your opponent that they're at negative frames, making CH d+2 a very dangerous single strike attack.