Just as I announced the other day on Twitter, here is the Minato Tomoka-chan course. Today's work isn't finished. I'm escaping from reality. I'll put this out here first but playstyle varies from person to person. This is ultimately just "this is what I'd do in this scenario". Also advanced players probably already know most of this so you don't need to read this. After having played Tomoka through DFC and DFCI I'll be writing down everything I've learned to the best of my ability so I hope you'll keep me company. This will be quite long so please read this while picking your nose or something. It would've been nice to post some video examples along with this but I'm unable to do so in my current situation so please forgive me. I'll be writing this under the premise that the assist used is Dokuro-chan and the Blast Ignition of choice is Escape Blast so please keep that in mind.
※ This document will be omitting move names etc.
236X・・・A Shot etc.
214X・・・A Pass, Icicle, Fireworks~B follow up etc.
The table of contents is as follows
First off let's learn what kind of character Minato Tomoka is. Elementary school student. Cute. The end.
That's a lie.
She's a character that uses her diverse set of lockdown moves to keep the opponent within arms reach. She has moves that you can setup from short, medium, and long range.
Close range: 236A
Mid range: 214B, 236B, 214A, 214C~A or B
Long range: 236C, 214B~6B, 214B~6C
However, lockdown moves have very long recovery (the interval after the attack ends). If you mess up and use a wrong move you'll get punished. Depending on the opponent's character your safe zone will change so let's watch out for this. If you approach the opponent you can open them up with a low, overhead, or throw. This is universal throughout all characters though. While she excels at the ground to ground game, she's also a character who struggles at gaining the advantage against ground to air situations. Well then how should Tomoka approach neutral and what tools should I be using? From here on that's what I'll be introducing.
Here are the moves that I personally think are strong
jC
jB
2B
5C
2C
5A and 2A are ordinary. Depending on the situation you can get okizeme from 2AB but it's high risk without much payoff so I'll be omitting it. 5AB is a lock tool, you can use it against Escape Blast but as an attack by itself it shouldn't be used so I'll also be leaving it out. 4AB is a universal tool so this will also be excluded.
Starting off with jC, this is the first of Tomoka's main weapons. It's an air attack where she opens an umbrella. First off the hitbox is strong, even some of the water droplets have one. It's strong enough where you can just throw it out whenever in the air. As an air-to-air or air-to-ground combining it with Dokuro 5S makes it even stronger. It's a tool of an honor student.
Next up is jB. She flings her bag, it's cute. The horizontal range is surprisingly good. This move is used when trying to reach an airborne opponent who's far away or used to restrict their aerial movement. It's also possible to do jB > jc > jB > jC > non-cancelled 5S.
After that we have 2B, this is Tomoka's second main weapon. She plays with fireworks on the ground, how cute. On top of the reach being exceptionally long it also has quite a few active frames. When playing the grounded neutral game let's use this first. Whether or not you can remember this move's range will greatly effect your win rate. One thing to keep note of is the input method. Fundamentally we want to connect with 2B > 5C, but one thing I often see among novices and beginners is 2B > 2C. Let's make sure to revert the joystick back to neutral once we confirm 2B has connected.
Next is 5C, this move got buffed in DFCI. She mops the floor in an appeal to Subaru. Cute. The thing to take notice of is that she moves forward during this move. Many things can result from this, I'll give an example. We've been pressured with our backs to the corner, then we get throw baited and 5C comes out. When this happens Tomoka will move forward and we'll end up swapping positions with the opponent. While it wasn't intentional, as a result we get the same outcome as if we've had walked out of the corner. However if the opponent does backwards jump jC we'll eat it and die. Another point of notice is that the forward movement extends her hurtbox further than what the opponent expects, and as a result it's common to eat counter hits when using 5C as a poke. It may be hard at first but let's try to confirm 5C into 5AB or Ranbu.
Lastly is 2C, she whirls her arm. So cute. You can get meterless knockdown with this. This is also used quite often when following up after an okizeme loop. At a glance it doesn't look like a low but in fact is. When used as a last resort it can hit surprisingly often. However if it's blocked you can be punished so let's make sure to follow through with Dokuro or 214AB. Hit confirming 2C can be difficult at first so instead of forcefully trying to connect into 5AB let's just take the hard knockdown and go into okizeme.
That's all regarding Tomoka's strong neutral tools. How about trying to use mainly these tools during neutral? This has already become drawn out, even I've become tired.
From here on is what you could consider calling a pronoun, Tomoka okizeme. Starting off with the fundamental knowledge, I'll be introducing when you can use okizeme. You can use it once you get a hard knockdown. That's all, but now then from what situations can we get a knockdown? Here are the primary methods. There are other ways too but I'll be omitting them
5AB > 5S
2C (If proration is too high it's air techable)
5AB (3rd follow up. Becomes air techable after the 8th hit of a combo)
Throw
236AB (Air version is techable. If proration is too high the ground version is too)
Trump
Combo Blast
Climax Arts, Ranbu
j236AB > 6S [Corner specific]
☆ Aerial combo > non-cancelled 5S > 214C~B (hits low to the ground)
Aerial combo > non-cancelled 5S > 214[B] > 5AB > jC (at the last hit of 214[B]) > fast as possible 214AB [Freedom Type-0]
☆ 4AB~X > jc > jB > jC > non-cancelled 5S > micro dash 214C~B (hits low to the ground)
☆ 5AB (2nd follow up) > non-cancelled 5S > 214C~B (hits low to the ground) [Corner specific]
By looking at this it seems like we have a lot of opportunities to use okizeme doesn’t it? The combos listed with a ☆ are difficult to perform, if you can’t do them don’t worry about it.
Here I’ll be introducing other situations you can get knockdown
2C, after throw (meterless)
These are the same
(OTG 5A > 2A > 5A > 2B > 2C) > slight delay 236A > (Throw) or (2A > 214A)
As for why we want to slightly delay 236A, it’s because there’s no attack beforehand and is necessary to connect the throw afterward. If 236A ends up hitting the throw won’t connect, 2A > 214A won’t work either. If we go in order of damage, it would be OTG 2A > 236A > 214A. In the case of throw, 236A won’t hit but you can go for the same setup again. There’s also a 214B setup. In that case it looks like the following
214B (214B~C is possible too) > fast as possible 5A or meaty 5B (214B hits) > 5S
In the case you use 214B~C, if it hits the opponent will go flying so make sure to look out for that and drop Dokuro 5S. After 5S hits the opponent will be able to air tech so make sure to follow up with 5AB.
When Near The Corner
214B~C hits > aerial follow up combo > j236AB > 6S or Trump or CA, Ranbu is OK
5AB (3rd followup), 236AB [meterless and 1 meter respectively]
Both of these are the same. As for the follow up options it’s as follows
Knockdown > (OTG dash 2B > 5C) > 214B~C > 2B > 5C
Knockdown > super jump > (land 5A > 2B > 5C > 5AB) or (land throw)
The second option can land on either side of the opponent. Which side you land on will depend on your jump timing. However against Shizuo and Selvaria, basically against tall characters it isn’t possible to land behind them.
Trump (1 meter when midscreen , meterless when in the corner)
After Trump depending on Tomoka’s position your options will vary. This might be my personal preference coming out.
When Tomoka Is Midscreen
214[B] > simultaneously super jump and 6S
214B~C > super jump
214[B]~C > super jump
These are the 3 options I often use.
When Tomoka Is In The Corner
214C~C > Throw bait or throw or land 2A (non meaty) or backwards jump 5S etc.
There’s a good amount of freedom here, but you’ll want to be wary of the opponent using reversal Ranbu or Trump so try not to meaty. Find your own preference (flips table)（ブン投げ）
Climax Arts (2 meter, when in the air 3 meter [aerial combo > j236AB > CA is the basic corner specific route]
After CA the opponent’s back will be to the corner. However we don’t have time to setup 214[B] or 214C.
214B~C > Throw bait or throw
236A > Throw bait or throw
These are the 2 options I often use. In the first place I only use CA when I have leftover meter or when finishing a round, so I don’t really think there’s much opportunity to setup okizeme after CA. Unless you’re unskilled at damage calculation like me and the opponent has a sliver of health left then we have no choice but to use this okizeme. Fundamentally I center around baits more so than actually attacking. Just as I mentioned earlier ending a combo with CA towards the end of a round is common, and when the opponent has low health the chance of them using the aforementioned options is pretty high.
Ranbu (2 meter, 3 meter when in the air)
The situation after Ranbu is better compared to CA. After following up from an aerial combo, if you don’t have Dokuro available and you want to go into okizeme no matter what, or you don’t have confidence in the assist cancel routes, or you want to use Blast on the ground, I think you’ll end up using this route often.
214[B] > high/low or throw or backdash read 5C
214C~A > high/low
214B~C > super jump > backwards jump
I use these 3 options fairly often, 214[B] is the basic route. Feel free to go for overhead or lows. Since the timing for 214C~A and B are different, the first part is more likely to hit. If going for the B followup, if you’re slow and mistime it you can eat a reversal Ranbu so it’s kind of risky. The third option is the safest way to return to neutral and if it hits and you have Dokuro available you can drop 5S. It’s a low risk low return option. Since the opponent will focus on Tomoka jumping in the air it’s a common case for them to not be aware of the followup and eat it.
5AB > 5S
This is thought to be the main okizeme option. Because it’s your main option the choices are plentiful. Do as you please. Here are the midscreen recipes, I’ll go over the corner options in the next section.
5AB > 5S > 214[B] > 2A > high/low or throw
5AB > 5S > 214B > cross up > re-cross up or same side mixup
5AB > 5S > 214C~B > cross up > high/low or throw
5AB > 5S > 214[B] > micro dash 2B > cross up or same side mixup
I use these 3 options fairly often. The first route is orthodox but I don’t use it too much. Whichever route you choose let’s followup into 2C > 5AB, loop the okizeme, or end with Trump, CA, or Ranbu. This is the most orthodox option and is strong. You can adjust the timing with OTG 2A. The first time is usually a high or low. I don’t know what to do from the second time onwards lol. If you use this, delay 2A once > 4AB is a pretty common option. By doing this you can clash against reversal 4AB and it’ll bait reversal Powerup Blast.
The second route is what you could call the main weapon for left/right mixup. Your 2 options are 214B > cross up > jump and re-cross up or stay on the same side and do meaty jC. If you time it well it’ll turn into a safe jump and you’ll be able to block in time against the opponent’s reversal Powerup Blast or red Trump. Looping this left/right route is challenging. Even if you loop it the next setup won’t become a left/right setup. 214B hit > 5B > jB > jC > land > jB > jC > jc > jB > jC > 5S > 214C~B (hits low to the ground). This recipe is for when Dokuro recovers, allowing you to loop into okizeme.
The third option is the 214C route. The mixup you aim for is no different than the first route. However from personal experience I find it easier to loop into throw from 214C so I end up using it more.
I’ve rarely seen anybody but myself use the fourth route. Micro dash 2B will remove some frames. 2B > jump into cross up high/low or jump back to the same side for left/right mixup. For some reason it turns out like this. The only problem is it’s really easy to see. But at the same time you can do a left/right, strike, or throw mixup. You can throw after landing from the cross up. At first it can be hard to do but for those interested feel free to test it out.
That’s all for the basics of the basics volume, that was long. Next up I’ll be introducing the first step toward becoming an intermediate player. Make sure to read this while picking your nose or farting.
From hereon is the main topic. The preface was long wasn't it? First off I'll introduce the reason why Tomoka's corner okizeme loop is called "cheap".
5AB > 5S > 214C~B (hits low to the ground) > dash jump > high/low or throw
5AB > 5S > dash 214C~B > super jump > neutral double jump > safe jump jB > 2C or 4AB or throw
These are the 2 options I use, either of them can loop. The first one is the basic corner okizeme. Depending on how long you dash for will decide whether you end up in the front or behind the opponent. Something to be cautious of is 214C~B. If you don't hit the opponent at the lowest point they'll be able to air tech. With that said if it doesn't connect you won't be able to land behind them either. If you practice this I think you'll get it down in no time so do your best.
The second okizeme route is called "Shika Senbei" I'll only use this in specific situations. Since it loops there's no issue starting it from a normal starter. I'll use this from either after a throw or Combo Blast. jB hitting from the front or behind will depend on how far you super jump and cancel into a neutral double jump. If it hits go into 2C and if blocked go for either 4AB or throw into another guessing game. If you time the jB just right it'll clash with red Trumps. It's hard to understand so check out this video, in this clip I use shika senbei.
That's all regarding okizeme. I know I'm repeating myself but this is just how I do things. There's okizeme that fits people's individual playstyle so try out different things.
The other day in Sendai I had a talk with someone who told me “I don’t understand how to play neutral with Tomoka”. It seems like they didn't understand how to open up their opponents. Therefore I’d like to introduce Tomoka’s solo blockstrings and mixup. First off is the ground game.
△ (Buttons) > 2B > 5C > 214A
〇 (Buttons) > 2B> 214A
〇 (Buttons) > 2B> 214B~C > 2B
〇 2B > jc＞jA or jC or empty jump 2A
〇 Throw or throw bait
△ isn’t very useful and 〇 is what I often use. The first option with 5C > 214A can be used as a frame trap however if the opponent times it correctly they can 5AB to contest it. If 214A hits you can get a high damage combo from it and if you have Dokuro available you can drop 5S and get high return okizeme from it, but it's also a high risk option so let’s think carefully before using it. For the remaining 3 options did you notice how 2B is the starter for all of them? 2B has long reach on the ground and is your main weapon. It’s also jump cancellable and if the opponent tries to mash its common for them to react too late to contest it. This is an easy option to continue pressure. Basically when on the ground no matter how you go about it being able to confirm 2B is essential. If it hits go into 5C > 5AB and if it’s blocked either jump cancel or make do with 214A.
Next up is throw baits. Tomoka’s throw bait game is really strong. If the opponent leaks out 5C, jC > 5C > 5AB will connect and from there you can go into okizeme. When approaching the opponent let’s make use of normal attacks, throw, or throw bait and open them up.
Let's think about how to end a combo when hitting an air-to-air.
△ j236AB > Ranbu
〇 Freedom Type-0 (Refer to Basics of the Basics volume)
〇 5S > 214C~B (hits low to the ground)
◎ Combo Blast > 214[B]
◎ Combo Blast > 214A > 5S > 214[B]
◎ Forego the hard knockdown, land and setup the lockdown tools
Tomoka's options for converting aerial combos into hard knockdown are poor so her air options are actually quite limited. The first option will definitely let you set up okizeme from an aerial confirm. However the tradeoff is that you need to pay 3 meter and the okizeme you get from Ranbu isn't even that great. As such, to a large extent it'd be wise not to end an aerial combo with Ranbu.
The 2 options marked with a 〇 allow you okizeme for 1 meter but the situations are limited and the execution difficult, so until you can raise your success rate it'd be wise not to perform this in an actual match. Personally I'd recommend just ending with an air combo, landing then setting up 214B or 214B~C and returning to neutral. There's no need to spend meter on it and the risk of failure is low. If you have Blast available I'd also recommend using it and going into okizeme. However, let's make that decision after confirming you and your opponent's health and meter situation.
For Tomoka the second most important thing aside okizeme is managing our blast gauge. In particular in the first round deciding on whether to use Powerup Blast after the first hit or Combo Blast will change based on the situation and preference. In my case if it's within the first 15 seconds I'll use Powerup Blast and anything afterward, depending on my health, I'll switch to using Combo Blast. Generally by that point the blast gauge would've already have started to recover. If I'm below 40% health and am still holding onto Blast I'll start to prioritize Trump combo routes then decide if I'll save it for Escape Blast or go for a round ending combo with Combo Blast.
For the second round after winning the first you can go for an early Powerup Blast, or if you have leeway to spend meter then either Combo Blast or go into regular okizeme.
During the third round I won't Powerup Blast. Either Escape Blast or Combo Blast. If I have no Trumps and 0 meter then I might consider using it but in that case I'd use it ASAP.
This is a never-ending topic for players, there is no correct answer. Don't get me wrong but this is simply just my opinion.
For a normal character getting a hit into an EX move for hard knockdown then call assist into okizeme is mainstream. However for in Tomoka's case she uses the assist to get hard knockdown then sets up her own okizeme. Compared to other characters she has less opportunities to use EX moves so meter and blast management becomes somewhat difficult. Once you're in Trump you can assist cancel for no meter allowing you to save it for a round ending combo, in that regard I think it's good. Once you see that you can finish the round let's be aware to stock 2 meter to use Climax Arts.
From here I'll be introducing Powerup Blasts combos, high damage combos, and Trump combos. Raising your damage even if just by a small amount will naturally give you an advantage so you should have at least one combo route per category.
Powerup Blast Combos
(Buttons) > 5AB > 5S > 214[B] > 5AB (214B hits) > Powerup Blast
(Buttons) > 5AB > 5S > 214[B] > dash 5C or 2C > 2AB > Powerup Blast
(Buttons) > 5AB > 5S > 214[B] > dash 5B > jB > jC > 4AB~X > jc > Powerup Blast
(Buttons) > 5AB > 5S > 214[B] > dash 2AB > 4AB~X > jc > Powerup Blast
4AB~X > jc > jB > jC > non-cancelled 5S > fast as possible 214A > Powerup Blast
There's a good amount of combos just for Powerup Blast. From top to bottom the damage and difficulty increase. The bottom most combo is a meterless Powerup Blast combo when hitting with 4AB. Let's be able to do at least one of these.
High Damage Combos
(Buttons) > 5AB > 236AB > Combo Blast > 214A > jB > jC > non-cancelled 5S > 214[B] > 5AB (214B hits) > 5AB > 236AB > CA
This is a long combo but if you can perform it you can deal about 50% damage. Let's watch our opponent's blast gauge and depending on the situation we can omit 236AB or make use of other practical applications
(Buttons) > 5AB > 214AB > Combo Blast > dash 236AB > CA
This combo is for taking the round. If it seems like the opponent will recover their blast if we use too long of a combo this is the situation to use this combo. Everything after 214AB is Escape Blast safe.
Trump Combos
(Buttons) > 5AB > 236AB > Trump
This is the basic Trump combo. If you delay the Trump too long it'll turn into an OTG and you won't be able to setup okizeme so watch out for this. As for the timing you'll want to press AC right before the ball enters the hoop. If you don't have confidence it's ok to continually press it.
(Buttons) > 5S > 214[B] > micro dash 2B > jA > jB > dash to cross under > Trump
This is the combo to use when your back is to the corner. Unlike the last combo if you're slow to use Trump it'll end up whiffing. Let's make sure to firmly press the button.
Within DFCI Dokuro-chan has more of an appearance than the Keishin Academy basketball members. For Tomoka who has very few tools that hit upwards 5S is without a doubt a godsend, and when setting up lockdown tools 6S is the spear that will become your lethal weapon. Now then once Dokuro gets a hit during neutral what should we do? From here on that’s what I’ll be explaining.
5S Hit
2C > 5AB > Perfect Shot or Trump or depending on the situation CA, Ranbu
jC > fast as possible 214AB (limited to high position hits) [Freedom Type-0]
Just like this let’s use one of these recipes to get a hard knockdown when 5S hits at neutral. Generally 2C > 5AB is the basic pattern for following up. Depending on the hit count you can get a hard knockdown without using meter and from there setup 214[B] and go into normal okizeme.
6S Hit
Setup 214B and proceed back to neutral
If you’re in Trump confirm 6S into Ranbu (if you’re too far Ranbu won’t reach so be careful)
6S will always guarantee hard knockdown. However you’re generally too far away so let’s be unassertive and just setup 214B or 214B~C, take our slight advantage and return to neutral. If you’re in Trump you can also confirm into Ranbu.
In order to become an intermediate player it's important to start thinking about countermeasures against character specific match ups. At the very least it's vital to understand what the opponent's character is capable of.
vs Shana
I'm sure there'll be a lot of Shana/Tatsuyas. First off for those who normally don't pick Escape Blast type, specifically for this matchup make sure to do so. As for using blast, just to get the slightest edge on blast recovery instead of using Powerup Blast let's use Combo Blast. One thing for certain is to pick Blast Ignition at least once. Try not to actively contest air to airs, doing so from air teching is just the right amount. It's not something I'd intentionally try to aim for. When jumping in let's watch out for 5B and 2C anti airs. Once you get a hit in let's mercilessly try to beat her as quickly as possible.
vs Asuna
Just getting prickled at with 5A is rough. She has a 2B anti air too so thoughtless jump ins are risky. I'm sure most opponents will choose Celty and she'll shut down our lockdown tools. Being able to use 2B at the mid range and going for anti air baits is the key to this matchup. Since her damage output isn't that high let's calm down when approaching neutral and not be drawn astray from the opponent's quickness.
vs Mikoto
The matchup you'll probably face the most is Mikoto and Rusian. Personally, I don't think Tomoka and Dokuro really struggle against Rusian by himself. There's a lot of ways to crush him. However the opponent will be expecting this and come at us with 236AB or 5[C]. That will be a guessing game. Even if Rusian passes by let's not freak out and focus our attention on blocking. It's possible for our lockdown tools to get shut down by 2AB and 236AB so let's think before using them. Let's try to approach by repeating micro dashing and blocking. If you devote too much effort into offense Mikoto can run away with 214AB and counter us from there so don't forget to always be thinking about defense.
vs Shizuo
The most important thing against Shizuo is how to deal with throw baits. Normally neutral jump is fine, however Shizuo's 5C has a good upper hitbox so you'll end up blocking it. To avoid this let's use forward jump jA. He also has a counter 2AB so during okizeme you'll have to make a read on whether he'll use it. Another thing that's easily forgotten is his Escape Blast bait j236AB, let's make sure to be careful of this.
vs KYH
The matchup I personally feel is the hardest is against KYH. It's hard to win at the mid-range against 236X and 214X. Her Trump has 0F startup so she can challenge our okizeme. She also has a fast startup counter 2AB. If you add on Iriya her pressure becomes even stronger, and we have the scooter to worry about too. Damage calculation also becomes out of whack. Even when it's our turn you'll always want to keep 2AB and Trump in mind, and occasionally you'll want to read the opponents throw bait and go for your own. Lastly, an unyielding spirit is crucial.
vs Kirino
Kirino is a character whose playstyle will greatly depend on the opponent. Against someone who uses 236A a lot you can't be careless at the mid range. Against more reserved opponents we'll need to take the initiative so our playstyle will also change. Regardless of playstyle 236A is an unrivaled move so if you approach with a brain dead jC you'll be in for a world of hurt. Also if you carelessly double jump it'll become bait for 2C anti airs so make sure to be aware of that.
vs Kirito
Kirito is another character whose 5B anti air you'll want to be careful of. Also while he's in Trump his attacks get a buffed attack range so we shouldn't try to fight him head-on. He's a character who has leeway to what assist he choses like Celty, Dokuro, Iriya, etc. so you'll want to make sure you have countermeasures against assists as well. In regards to okizeme even if he does reversal Trump you can punish him with throw so if it seems like he'll use it let's proactively try to go for throw.
vs Tomoka
During the mirror match let's watch two cute Tomokas moving around. That's a lie. Whoever goes ham first wins. Since it's the same character you'll have to read what kind of movement they'll take. Including their movement, reading what the opponent wants to do in general is important. Be careful not to get caught by throw baits. Up until you have a certain amount of health it's ok to take those throws.
vs Miyuki
From long range she completely has the advantage. Towards the latter half of the round you'll want to watch out for her Trump when jumping in. Her 2B is a strong anti air so brain dead jump ins are no good. If you clash her 5AB with our own 5AB we just end up switching positions and resetting to neutral. If you have blast available let's be conscious of using Combo Blast.
vs Taiga
During the gaps of our attacks a wooden sword will come flying at us. Because of this you don't want to frame trap with 214X but rather follow up with a jump cancel or Dokuro 5S. If you carelessly double jump at certain ranges you'll become bait for her Trump so be careful of that. While her attacks may be fast, outside of 236X her attack ranges are quite short so let's approach outside of those ranges.
vs Yukina
Sekkarou (236X) reach is wide and you can't win in that range. She has a triple jump so even when you see her double jump and think it's a good time to anti air it's still no good. Once she's in potential and has Trump active, try to somehow persevere. You basically have no options to turn around that situation. Once it's our turn she's a character who we can go full offensive on so let's take our time and be patient during neutral.
vs Rentaro
His 5B anti air is really strong. You'll get hit out of careless jump ins. And against Homurakasen (214A) even if you block it you can't punish it. When he's in the air it's common to forget about his gun and get hit by j236X. As a stereotypical fighting game rushdown character try not to get mislead by his flow. While putting our lockdown moves out let's primarily try to approach from the ground.
vs Emi
Just like against Kirito, Emi's reversal Trump can be punished with throw so you'll want to aim for that. However once she's in Trump at further distance she has an extremely fast projectile and a lightning move that is good at controlling space. 5A is a strong anti air but it's air blockable so if you find yourself above her let's make sure to block it. She is an underplayed character so it's easy to be unprepared and lack countermeasures.
vs Quenser
Quenser is a character who excels at pressure. If you don't know how to deal with him you could end up blocking forever. If he has meter stocked up you'll want to be extremely careful of his j236AB, but if he whiffs you'll want to drop Dokuro 5S on him and start your okizeme. Because it's possible for Quenser to easily punish our pressure with 236X, it might be a good idea to refrain from using too many frame traps.
vs Tatsuya
Let's watch out for Trump. That's all I can say. Restraining moves, high damage combos, Trump pressure, setplay, fast movement speed, he has everything going for him. If he's aggressively trying to anti air with 2AB let's try to bait and punish it. Let's try our best to avoid using risky moves or risk with high return moves. Try not to focus on beating him by just going ham, but rather fight by taking good command of safe oki.
vs Kuroko
She is a dreadful character who has high damage blast safe combos from setplay. During potential her high speed movement is hard to see. At mid range it's good a idea to dash block while trying to be annoying with 2B. If they try to use darts from far away there will be an opening so Dokuro 6S or in some cases Ranbu will warn them and make them think twice before using it again.
vs Ako
Let's be careful of the spinning air attack. Sorry, I don't have much experience against her so I can't think of any countermeasures. Once she's in Trump she has high damage setplay. Watch out for this. Mess her up (punches her)
vs Yuuki
Excelling in both defense and offense, she certainly has a bothersome Trump. She has so many pressure options that getting opened up isn't out of the ordinary. In particular, when you're unfamiliar with fighting this character I'm sure there will be plenty of situations where you have no idea what's going on. Consequently, combo drops will likely occur. If they whiff 236X let's make sure to chase it down. 2AB and Trump are strong so you'll need to watch out for turnarounds. Let's watch out for small missteps and punish during neutral.
vs Akira
On the ground it's a common occurrence for Akira to backstep to match our 2B and counter poke. You don't want to just go with the flow and press buttons but carefully confirm each and every hit. Grounded anti airs aren't Tomoka's strong suit so if the opponent jumps let's proactively try to air to air, or if they double jump try to cross under and get a return off 5B.
vs Selvaria
She can be a hindrance and tough to deal with at mid range. She can use Trump in retaliation to 236X and jumping so be careful of that. If she tries to use Trump when you jump use j236X or j236AB to throw off the landing timing and prevent as much damage as you can. If you're able to block Trump when at close range you can punish it.
I've written a lot but this is the last part. In order to become an advanced player, I'd like you to tell me how to become one too. I don't know if this article will be of reference, but if you're able to understand the contents of it at the least I'd say you're an intermediate player. Did you make sure to pick your nose while reading this? Did you fart while reading this? The rest is up to the player to keep at it. Let's do our best. You can do it.
Finish.
The original document can be found here