An Armor King Faq by Matt Kendall LBSV63A@Prodigy.com Contents: I. Introduction II. Techniques III. Technique Summary IV. Play Vs. Computer V. Play Vs. Human Opponents VI. Some Armor King Cheeze VII. Credits Note: This is thorough! Introduction This is the first time I've written something like this; hope it's what you want. . . Armor King is King's sub-boss in Tekken 2. Although Armor King doesn't have nearly as many holds as his counterpart, he is still a powerful character. His two key moves, the Steiner Screwdriver and his Jump-In Super Knuckle Bomb, both do a good deal of damage, and usually catch opponents off guard. Also, his Ali-Kicks are quick and effective against human opponents. If your machine doesn't have Armor King as a selectable character already,simply move to King, move left, press and hold start, move left again, back right, release start, and finally move right one more time back to King. You should now have Armor King as your character. Techniques You should know by now what the abbreviations stand for, but for those of you who don't: Left Punch 1 2 Right Punch Left Kick 3 4 Right Kick b, d\b, d, d\f, f, u\f, u, and u\b: Stand for back, down and back, down, etc. The lower case letters should indicate to tap the joystick in that direction. B, D\B, D, D\F, R, U\F, U, U\B, and N: Again, back; down and back; down; etc. Capital letters, however, signal to hold the joystick in that direction. "N" signals to have the joystick in the neutral position. (HCT) and (WC): (HCT) represents "half-circle toward," which means to start the joystick in the back position, and circle around to the forward position. In other words: b, d\b, d, d\f, f. (WC) stands for "while crouching". A (+) means to press buttons, or move the joystick and press buttons at the same time. Example -- 1+3: Press left punch and left kick simultaneously. Finally, a (,) means to do the next move right after the previous one. Example -- 1,2,1: Press left punch, then right punch, then left punch. *Grappling Techniques* 1+3 Coconut Crush 2+4 Suplex (During the Suplex) d, d, D+1+2 Steiner Screwdriver (From behind opponent) 1+3 or 2+4 Reverse DDT d\f+3+4 Frankensteiner d\b, d\b+1+2 DDT d\b, f+1+2 Tombstone Piledriver d, d\f, F+1 Jaguar Driver f, HCT+1 Giant Swing *Special Techniques* 1,2,1 1-2 Uppercut (WC)+3+4+(4 1-5 times) Ali-Kicks d+3+4,2 Ali-Kick, Smash Uppercut f,f+2 Middle Smash f,f+1+2 Flying Cross Chop f,f+4 Jail Kick f,F+3+4 Drop Kick 3+4 Delayed Drop Kick f,f,F+3+4 Satellite Drop Kick d,D\F+2 Dynamite Uppercut u\f+1+2 Knuckle Bomb (WC)+1+2 Short Elbow Drop D+1,N+2 Low Jab, Uppercut f,f,N+2 Stomach Smash u\f or u,N+3+4,4,4 Jumping Ali-Kicks U or U\F+1+2 Elbow Drop U\F+3+4 Double Knee Drop b+1+4 Straight Arrow f+1+4 Black Shoulder f,N,d,D\F+1 Dark Uppercut u\f,N+1+2 Jump-In Super Knuckle Bomb (Unblockable) 1,2,1,1,2,4,4,4,1,(1 or 3 or 2) Ninestring Please note that these moves were taken from: Eric & Luke's Tekken 2 Frequently Asked Questions (The Luke Mook) Abstract Version 1.0 lukejedi@ix.netcom.com Summary of a Few Techniques This section will focus in on some of the more effective moves. Steiner Screwdriver: One of the main reasons I like Armor King. This move is very easy to execute as it starts off of one of the basic grabs, the suplex. Also, the timing on the Screwdriver isn't so restricting like King's and Nina's multi-throws. It can be set up from when Armor King is lifting the opponent into the air to when he is just about to fall back. And, unlike King's suplex, Armor King will hold the opponent in the air for a second of two giving you time enough to administer the Screwdriver. Also, when you plant your opponent's head into the ground, they will take about 45% damage on most machines. Ali-Kicks: Although these low kicks are fairly weak, they are so quick that your opponent will usually not block the first two. If you start a set of Ali-Kicks, you can usually only get in three, in which the last one can be blocked. Armor King recovers slowly from the Ali-Kicks, so unless you're playing against someone who doesn't know how to defend against them, it's best to only deliver two Ali-Kicks. This way, your opponent will be stunned briefly while you recover. If you happen to catch your opponent with a set of Ali-Kicks while he\she is in the middle of a combo, you should see a yellow swirl when the first kick connects, and should be able to give five unblockable kicks. Giant Swing: This move, although it takes a second to set up and is somewhat tricky to do, will cause almost 70% damage to your opponent! Armor King will knock the other fighter down, grab their legs, and swing them around several times, and finally fling them across the screen. This move will usually catch the computer off guard at the beginning of matches giving you a quick advantage. Tombstone Piledriver: Another tricky move to set up, but well worth the effort. Armor King will set up the opponent in much the same way as the Jaguar Driver, but will drop to his knees, slamming the opponent's head onto the ground. This move will take off about as much energy as the Giant Swing. Frankensteiner: Flipping over, Armor King will wrap his legs around the opponent's neck, then reverse his momentum, pulling his opponent over and into the ground. This move is very useful against the computer, but doesn't work too well against human opponents. If the Frankensteiner is done too far away, you might just knick the opponent with your heels, damaging the opponent slightly and leaving yourself open for a cheap ground kick. Straight Arrow: This is another useful move against the computer. Armor King will side step, changing his axis, reel back with his fist, and give a straight punch. Black Shoulder: This move causes Armor King to charge, burying his shoulder into the opponent. This is a useful move to do when an opponent is finishing up a combo from too far away. Start the move right before the opposition finishes up the last hit. You should bulldoze your opponent before they have a chance to block. Dark Uppercut: This move is the same as Kazuya's Dragon Punch. You take a quick crouched step, and then spring up fist first. This move either takes off about 25%-75% of your opponent's energy. It depends on what the opponent is doing when you connect. This move is useful right at the beginning of the round, as the computer usually does not block it. Jump-In Super Knuckle Bomb: This is Armor King's unblockable move. Armor King will launch himself skyward, pulling his entire upper body back and charging the hit. Finally, he comes down with both fists on the opponent's head. This move can also hit someone on the ground, crouching or laying down, either way. It's a fairly strong move. Most human opponent's don't quite know what to do when they see you do it. Usually they just keep walking back into your path, setting themselves up for the attack. It's tricky to execute. I usually just do the same motion as a Knuckle Bomb, except I do it much faster. Just try tapping the buttons and the joystick. The faster the better. Most of the time when I do this, I either end up jumping straight up and punching, taking a short hop and punching the ground, an Elbow Drop, or a Knuckle Bomb. It's probably one of the most difficult unblockables to do, so keep at it. Armor King Vs. the Computer The computer is really not that hard to deal with once you've played around with Armor King for awhile. Here are some strategies you might want to try: Jun: Wait for her to finish up her Cartwheel Kick; this leaves her open for a second. If she starts her Three-Ring Circus from too far away, you can knock her out of it with five Ali-Kicks. If you don't see the yellow swirl on the first kick, then only kick twice. DO NOT kick three time if there's no swirl; otherwise, she'll block the last one and Cartwheel Kick you before you can recover. She'll also do a little Dashing Uppercut sometimes. Block it and move in on her. Yoshimitsu: This guy is pretty easy. If he sits down, you can give three Ali-Kicks and juggle him. Wait for him to do his two spinning kicks then move in with a few punches. You can also Black Shoulder him right as he's finishing up the second kick to send him across the screen. Nina: Wait for her to finish up her little kick combos before moving in. She has two: one in which she gives a few straight, right kicks, and then the a spin kick; and one where she gives a right then a left kick. Law: Since most of his attacks are up high, you should hit down low. Wait for him to start his corny punch combo, and then go in with some Ali-Kicks. You can also do this on his kick combo. Heihachi: This is probably the most difficult character to beat. He's not shy about doing his Powerbomb or Neckbreaker. The only thing I can tell you is to wait until he misses a kick before moving in. You might want to refer to section VI for a way to cheat him. Paul: Wait for him to do his Falling Leaf Combo. He leaves himself wide open at the end for a thorough pounding. Jack-2: Jack-2 is one of the only characters who will not run into your Frankensteiner (refer to section VI). He'll block most everything you do. The key is to wait until he starts his Uppercut Rush. Boot him in the head while he's doing that. You can also use Ali-Kicks during his Rush. King: King relies heavily on three basic moves: the Frankensteiner, Ali-Kicks, and the Drop Kick. Just stay back from him and he'll end up putting himself on the ground for you. Now just run up and kick him. If he does his Ali-Kicks, block the last one, run up a bit, and use left kick. Listen to King as he gets up also. If he growls, he's going to kick upon standing. Position yourself just outside of his kick range. When he misses, move in and knock him down again. Michelle: She's not very hard. You can either wait for her to start her Spinning Sweep and then let her have it with 5 Ali-Kicks, or you can wait for her to finish her Sweep Combo and kick her in the face. Your choice. Lei: Simple, wait for him to do his Turning Punches, then grab him from behind on his second revolution. Or, while he's turning, kick him in the back of the head. Kazuya: Kazuya is another tough character. He'll just shrug off most anything you do, and kick you in the face. One way to deal with him is to wait for him to miss a kick. As soon as he kicks, you can get in two quick Ali-Kicks. Another strategy is to keep backing off until he does his Ultimate Tackle. If your fast enough, you can hit him with your 1-2, Uppercut. Or, keep backing off until he does his Dragon Punch. Usually he will miss, leaving you time to move in and hit. Devil: Actually, Devil is not quite as tough as Kazuya. His downfall is that he's so aggressive. Try the same tactics for Devil as with Kazuya. I've also noticed that Devil doesn't really keep his guard up when running. If he knocks you down, and your a pretty far from him, get up by rolling backwards. As soon as you rise, start punching. He should run right into your fists. Also, don't worry about fighting fair. Just keep running up and kicking him while he's down; he'd do it to you. --For any of the first few characters, don't be afraid to run up to them and use the Steiner Screwdriver. People in my arcade always forget about just grabbing the opponent, which is usually why they only get to the third character. After stage 5, though, wait for your opponent to move before trying anything. Unless it's a grab, they will usually just duck you and counter- attack. Don't be in a rush, otherwise, you'll end up getting your ass kicked.-- Play Vs. Human Opponents There is no way of ever knowing how someone else will play. Most people have patterns however that are easily exploitable. These people usually play as Law, Lei, Lee, of Baek. Law Players: I absolutely abhor people who play as Law. Usually they abuse these four moves: the straight punching; three or four kicks in a row followed by two Rainbow Kicks; Rainbow Kicking from across the screen; or continuous jump-kicking. For the punching, use Ali-Kicks to knock them out of the combo, or wait for Law to finish his last punch, then start your own Ninestring. If the loser you're playing likes to do Rainbow Kicks, wait for the second one, then move in for the kill. Usually Law players will stand after the second Rainbow Kick, leaving themselves open. This is a perfect time to administer the Steiner Screwdriver. If, however, your opponent always stays crouched after the kicks thinking he will get you when you miss your grab or punches, boot him in the head with Left Kick. Lei Players: I think that Lei players are probably the easiest to deal with. If they lay down, which most Lei players do constantly, run up and give three Ali-Kicks. If they're far enough away, you could also come down with the Double-Knee Drop. Most of the time, when a Lei player moves from the down position, they'll try the Sweep\Hook Kick deal. Simply block the sweep, stay down while the Hook Kick passes harmlessly over your head, then stand and grab. Another thing Lei players like to do is a high kick, then a low kick. The low kick will always trip you if you don't block it. It's not that difficult to block, though. However, Lei players tend to do this high kick\low kick too far away from you. The low kick will always turn Lei away, leaving him open to anything you've got. I find it best to just run up and grab Lei. This way, you'll do the Reverse DDT, powerful and fun to watch. Lee Players: Use the same type of strategies for Law players. Look for the string of high kicks or punches and go in with the Ali-Kicks. Lee players also like to do his unblockable, which can easily be ducked. Counter-attack after the miss. Baek Players: Out of these four opponent's, Baek players are the most annoying to play against. I can almost say with 99.9% certainty that all they're going to do is go straight out kicking. Keep your distance and wait to see which kinds of kicks they're going to do. If they're high kicks, you know what to do. Watch for his one kick that will send you sky-high. If you block it, you can usually get in and throw a few punches. Low kicks are a pain, though. You can't usually get in any Ali-Kicks, as you'll be kicked out of sequence. If you've got enough room and time, try the Satellite Drop Kick while Baek is kicking low. As for everyone else, they actually play differently. Here are some suggestions, though: Run Around -- Dart back and forth quickly. You might be able to fool your opponent into believing you are about to close in. They will usually try a few punches or kicks, which should completely miss you. When you see them finish up, or leave an opening in between kicks\punches, move in. Run and Gun -- Sometimes opponents like to let you move in before they try anything. I've found that a useful strategy is to run at them, and as soon as you're within range, use a left kick or start your Ninestring. The opponent should let their guard down the second you punch\kick in order to try to punch\kick you. This usually works pretty well where I go to play Tekken 2 at. Use your Unblockable -- Armor King's Unblockable is tricky to do at first, but with some practice, you should get it down. Unlike other character's Unblockables which leave them open on the ground, Armor King's Unblockable only leaves him open in the air. When most people see little yellow swirls coming out of your fists, though, they're usually just going to stand and watch what you're going to do. Another thing about this Unblockable is that Armor King will turn around in the air if the opponent moves a little too far behind you. This will surprise opponent's who think that they'll get the drop on you from behind. Make sure, however, you don't do this Unblockable up close. Your opponent needs to be 2 to 3 body lengths away for the move to hit. Be Patient -- Use this strategy in combination with your Run and Gun. Wait for your opponent to run at you. Simply kick them when they're within range. Try to Charge over them -- Some people like to back off as far as they can for some reason. If they do, back off yourself. When your pretty far, take off running. If you're far enough away, you will charge right into your opponent sending them rolling across the screen. Even if your opponent kicks or punches, you'll just go right through it and bash into them. Refer to the next section for a good tactic at the beginning of the match. Some accessory notes: For people who like to jump kick, keep your joystick neutral to avoid taking damage. If they like to jump high and try to kick on the end of the jump, a straight kick will usually take care of that. Finally, don't use Armor King's normal jump kick! Unlike others' jump kicks, it won't stun. They will merely push you to the side. Armor King will land face down and take some time to get up, leaving you completely vulnerable. If you're going to try to jump kick, use the Satellite Drop Kick. This will stun the opponent on contact, giving you time to recover if you didn't knock them down. Some Armor King Cheeze Some lame fighting techniques that will cheat the computer. Armor King's evil, anyway; why should he play by the rules? Use Your Frankensteiner: The computer loves to run into this one. Stand away from the computer so that it charges at you. Make sure you're close enough, though, so that the computer won't run you over with the unblockable Shoulder Charge. When it comes close, execute your Frankensteiner. You will usually catch the computer and slam them. Do it again and again for an easy win! Shift Your Axis: Again, wait for the computer to run at you. Right when the computer is on you, use the Straight Arrow to side-step any attack the computer will do (usually a kick). You should slam your fist into the side of the opponent's head. Be careful, though. If you do it too early, the computer will just grab you or kick you down. Watch the Joystick: If you're fighting against a human-controlled opponent, watch their joystick right before the match starts. If they're pushing forward and hitting buttons, start off with your Dark Uppercut. If they're moving back, run up and grab them. Start with an advantage! Credits Thanks to: Anyone cool enough to read this far; Bucky and Brendon for getting me addicted to the first Tekken; Whosoever puts this on their web page; Pete for buying me alcohol; The Starcade for having Tekken 2 so I could research; And the fools who play as Law, Lei, Lee, and Baek for making it too easy. . .; Got a question or comment? So write to me already! Tell me what you thought. You're feedback is appreciated! Write me at: LBSV63A@Prodigy.com Thanks!