Tekken Tag Tournament 2/System/Throws Part-1

This series of lessons are aimed to introduce the offensive systems Tekken has, which include hit ranges, throws, crush system, frames and the combo system, in a way that the readers can take advantage of this system in a fight.

• Strikes and Hit Ranges
• Frames #1: Explanation
• Frames #2: CH-Hunting
• Frames #3: Block Punishing
• Crush System
• Hitboxes and Range
• Parries and Reversals
• Throws #1: Front, Side, Back
• Throws #2: Crouch, Ground, Air
• Throws #3: Shifts, Chains, Tackles
• Combos #1: Launchers and Bounds
• Combos #2: Stage Gimmicks
• The Art of Buffering

Throws #1

Objectives

• To introduce standing throws. It includes generic, command, side and backthrows.
• To show how to break such throws

We've been talking about strikes for a while, so let's change the pace! Strikes are not the only weapons in a fight, 'cause there are also your grapples! In the next chapters we'll talk about these throws and its overall system.

Grapples?

Sometimes when you play the game, you're gonna encounter opponents whose defense is as solid as a rock. Those players don't bite to your CH setups, don't do risky stuff, and basically made a rhythm blocking every strike you do. Yes those players are annoying, but there's a way to break their rhythm defensively and that's the use of throws and grabs.

Throws, unlike strikes, requires a different way to defend. To defend against throws, the one being thrown needs to press the appropriate button or buttons to break the hold, but since throws are pretty quick, breaking them will always be a challenge. You could only input the break once so mashing buttons to break grapples rarely work. Throws do a larger amount of damage compared to strikes with the same speed, and remember, throws cannot be blocked, making them a viable threat offensively.

Breaking throws require training your reflexes accordingly, and sometimes, anticipation, because there are stronger throws that require setups too (and once you are familiar with the setup, you can break the grab accordingly). But even then, in the heat of battle, where you worry about strikes, crushes and other things, adding throws to the mix will be a pain to defend. That's why throws are pretty essential even to striking-based characters. Just having the threat of throws can break a turtle's defense when done in unpredictable fashion.

Standing Throws

The most common grabs in the game, standing grabs are the throws you will mostly use and defend against. Standing throws are like a strike that hits high, it will miss when you crouch. But because crouching can be risky because of mids, most of the time the opponent needs to learn how to break them. There are two kinds of standing throws, which are generic throws and command throws.

Among all throws, generic throws are most used because they're pretty simple to do and every character has them (though they have different animation among characters). Generic throws have 12 impact frames and does 35 damage to all characters. You could perform generic grabs by pressing 1+3 (your character lunges his/her left hand first) or 2+4 (character lunges his/her right hand instead), and they are breakable by pressing 1 and 2 respectively. Though reactable, these throws can still get people off guard, and for 12 frames, 35 damage is pretty good. Also, you could perform generic throws when you're backturned (back turned means your back's facing your opponent. Abbreviated as BT). Throws in BT will give a different looking arm animation (similar to each other), so breaking them is a full guessing game, which is an advantage for you if your character has a legit BT game.

Also, with generic throws, there are also character-specific command throws, which as the name says, have specific commands to input. All characters have at least 1 command throw, and usually have a different animation (character lunges both arms forward) and requiring to press 1+2 to break (e.g. Jin's uf+1+2, Lili's df+1+2 etc.). It can be deceiving though, because some command throws, like King's Giant Swing (f, hcf 1 , 1 break) and Shining Wizard (fff+2+4 , 2 break), will look like a throw with a 1+2 break but actually have a different break, so it's important to know those kind of throws and anticipate them.

Side and Back Throws

There are some instances when you dodge a character's attack (by sidestepping) and want to take advantage of the vulnerable position of your opponent. Aside from strikes (which are a bit slower or having weak damage), you can utilize a throw instead. Any standing throws (both generic and command) also hit when you're on the side or behind your opponent, but instead it'll give you a different throw with greater damage and different methods of breaking.

Side throws are available from the side and deals greater damage than a generic throw in the front. If someone performs the throw at the left side of you, the throw's break with be 1 (left punch). In the same way, when someone performs the side throw on your character's right side, you press 2 (right punch). Though breakable, side throws are a very good option to do when you're on the side to the opponent, since they're fast, damaging, the breaks are different and it's very unlikely people would practice defending them (side throws are hard to acquire); chances that someone would break them will be slim. Back throws on the other hand, throws performed on the back of the opponent, are the most damaging of all generic throws and also guaranteed (no breaks). This throw is a rarity, 'cause usually, dodging someone and getting around to an opponent's back is rare, and any damage you inflict is deserved.