[OUTDATED] In-depth subjective Queen Nai guide

Introduction

This is by no mean the absolute how-to about Queen Nai. These are just the tricks that got me through EU top 50 which somehow proved effective.

Hoi, since I'm trying to make a serious guide, I might aswell try looking serious.

I'm Vieudebris, currently Diamond ~2250. I've been maining Queen Nai since I started playing Brawlhalla (the very beginning of season 0), and I felt there was a lack of serious community-made guides about gameplay mechanics, and I don't intend to keep everything I've gathered so far buried.

In this guide I'll try to cover everything I learnt about Nai, ranging from bottom-ladder basics to situational combos you may have the opportunity to pull out only once in your entire life.

lets go bois

I. Base Stats And Toolset

Let's take a quick look at her whole kit :

Stats and stances :

Stat Value 7 4 8 3

Strength

In terms of raw numbers, spears and katars are among the less damaging weapons in the game. This flaw is however compensated by Nai's high strength which brings high force and decent damage, making her aerial side lights a real threat to anyone squishy (characters with 3 or 4 Def) past [color=red]170[/color] damage.

Keep in mind that strength [color=red]DOESN'T[/color] affect any of your signatures properties.

Dexterity

Even though 4 is still enough to pull out BnBs on both weapon and apply moderate strings, Nai struggles at making scary pressure and extended strings, where an Asuri can easily pull out true combos starting of katar's aerial down light or swing her sword in front of her without having to fear heavy frame gaps. Therefore, you should really avoid missing your attacks (typically katars' sl), because it leaves you wide open for counter hits.

Keep in mind that dexterity [color=lime]DO[/color] affect your signatures properties (minimum startup frames AND recovery frames).

Defense

Among the sturdiest characters in the game, Queen Nai highly benefit from being a fat tank. Not only does it heavily reduces applied force on you, you also take a bit less damage from everything.

Speed

You knew what you were about to play once you saw this. Slowest char in the game, fat dodges, painful ledge recoveries, arguably weak unarmed combat... There really isn't anything good about those 3 speed on our queen (except maybe hitting some xpivots). However, you'll get used to it soon enough.

For actual stat-related calculations, check out Tyveris' table at http://wiki.brawlhalla.com/w/Stats

Signatures

Katars Neutral

+ High force for opponent hit by the 2nd phase, even higher force for opponents hit by the 1st phase due to damage applied during this phase

+ Draws opponents in on 1st phase

+ Decent ledge-guard/ledge-reversal tool when GC'd

- Moderate startup time, slow if you only want the 2nd phase to hit

- Long recovery time

Katars Down

+ Short recovery time

+ Meaty punish tool, with somewhat long-lasting active frames

+ Decent ledgeguard tool when enemy tends to be too reckless on comeback

+ Tricky hurtboxes going a bit higher than they look

- Moderate force

- Moderate startup time

Katars Side

+ High force

+ A fine move to be gravity-cancelled, due to dash and wide hurtbox going a bit higher than it looks

- Slow startup time for the first damaging frames

- Long, unsafe recovery time

- Among the easiest signatures to punish

Spear Neutral

+ Moderate force

+ Fast startup time

+ A very versatile move, which can even be incorporated into true combos

+ Fast recovery time

- Hurtbox doesn't exactly match the visuals, especially at the tip of the signature

Spear Down

+ Moderate startup time

+ An okay tool for spacing and punishing bad dodges without compromising too much of your safety

+ For sure you'll be the king of the tournament/event/arcade/gathering/lobby if you kill with this sig GC'd

- Only use it to ledgeguard or at extreme range

- A bit lacking in force when there's ground below the opponent, due to force being directed diag-downward

- Long midair recovery time

- Among the easiest signatures to punish

Spear Side

+ High force

+ Long range

+ Hurtboxes lasting long enough

+ Covers a wide vertical arc in front of you at great range, making it fine for gravity cancelling

- Long startup time

- Long recovery time

- Among the easiest signatures to punish (yeah, Nai has a lot of those)

II. BnBs And Reliable Strings

<The following part does not necessarily only apply to Queen Nai, but to any (or many at least) katar or spear-wielders>

Nai's weapon kit is imo one of the best when it comes to deal with almost every situation. She has tools for both neutral and offensive game, and, even though katars tend to lack of real defensive options, spear makes up for it in a fine way. Here's what I've come up to so far :

Also, those strings requires you to turn off pick-up on light attack in the settings !

Strings are written following this pattern : Move => Move => ... (Damage inflicted to 5 def / Advised damage range at 5def) => : true string > : string NL : neutral light DL : down light SL : side light Nsig : neutral heavy Dsig : down heavy Ssig : side heavy NA : aerial neutral light DA : aerial down light SA : aerial side light R : recovery (any aerial heavy that isn't down) j : jump GC : gravity cancel CD : chase dodge <number>t : throw <direction>, the directions depicted by the numbers are the same as the ones on the numpad. ie: 8t is upward throw j.<number>t : aerial throw 5t : pick-up If there are more than 1 direction possible, or if it doesn't matter, throw will only be written t. [move] : optional move

Be sure to practice those moves in training mode, it'll give you the whole feeling about timing, stun gaps, etc...

Katars

Easy :

SL => NL (~35 / 0|50) [gif][postimg.org]

+ Basic, easy katar BnB

+ Can be followed-up in various ways

- Hitting NL as a true string will sometime require precise timing, or fast button mashing

NL => j >> R (~41 / 0|999) [gif][postimg.org]

+ Fine anti-air/LG properties

+ May lead to a kill if opponent is 170+

- R is punishable on dodge, ESPECIALLY by katars

NL => j > NA (~33 / [color=white]0[/color]|[color=red]999[/color]) [gif][postimg.org]

+ Fine anti-air/LG properties

+ Effective against opponents dodging through you after NL

- NA needs to be delayedMedium :

SL => NL => j >> R (~57 / 0|50) [gif][postimg.org]

+ Literally hurts

+ R is your go-to follow-up when you catch your opponent dodgeless with SL

- Jump requires precise timing due to NL average recovery time on hit

SL => NL => j > NA (~48 / 0|50) [gif][postimg.org]

+ Effective against opponents dodging through you after NL

- NA needs to be delayed a bit

NL => j => GC > Nsig (~49 / 0|999) [gif][postimg.org]

+ Heavily punishes doging-in retaliations

+ High kill potential

- Easily punishable on miss, so you might want to delay Nsig[/color]

SL => CD > Dsig (~44 [color=teal][gif][/color][postimg.org]

+ Heavily punishes dodging-in retaliations

+ A fine mix-up option to kill squishier opponents

+ Dsig can be delayed

- Nowadays punishable on miss[/list]

Advanced :

6t => NL => 5t => [CD] >> SL => NL > Follow-up (~65+ / 0|20) [gif][postimg.org]

+ If executed properly, 5t >> SL can be a true string, it then wouldn't require your opponent's dodge to be burnt

+ Perfect for widening the health gap when you're 1 stock ahead

8t => j => NA => 5t > DL > Follow-up (~38+ / 0|20) [gif][postimg.org]

+ Vertical defensive move

- DL is meant to keep you safe from a dodge-in retaliation, rather than really inflicting damageOf course, due to katars' skill ceiling being relatively high, this combo list is non-exhaustive. Indeed, the point of strings is mainly mixing-up, something that everyone has his own way to put into practice.

Spear

This combo list also works for Orion

[color=white][color=lime]Easy :[/color]

DL => j => SA (~31 / [color=white]0[/color]|[color=red]180[/color]) [color=teal][gif][/color][postimg.org]

[color=#BBFFB5]+ Your cheap ground-to-air BnB

+ Good for setting up LG

+ Moderate kill potential past 160[/color]

[color=#FFB5B5]- DL moderate recovery time on miss makes it punishable to an extent

- SA makes an annoying sound on hit[/color]

DL => j => SA => CD > 6t (~39 / [color=orange]140[/color]|[color=red]180[/color]) [color=teal][gif][/color][postimg.org]

[color=#BBFFB5]+ CD will give instant power to the throw, surprising your opponent

+ Confirms kills on unaware opponents

+ Can force the opponent to burn a dodge, thus making LG easier[/color]

[color=#FFB5B5]- To be done with another weapon around, or you'll have to LG unarmed[/color]

SL => DL => j => SA (~50 / [color=white]0[/color]|[color=yellow]60[/color]) [color=teal][gif][/color][postimg.org]

[color=#BBFFB5]+ High damage

+ Perfect for widening the health gap when you're 1 stock ahead[/color]

[color=#FFB5B5]- Might not be stringable after SL if you hit mid-air or at max range

- SA still makes an annoying sound on hit[/color][color=yellow]Medium :[/color]

DL => GC => Nsig (~39 / [color=white]0[/color]|[color=red]150[/color]) [color=teal][gif][/color][postimg.org]

[color=#BBFFB5]+++ Your [color=magenta]REAL[/color] ground-to-air BnB

+ Kills squishier opponents

+ Decent damage

+ No SA annoying sound on hit

+ True string ending on a signature move[/color]

[color=#FFB5B5]- Needs a decent timing on GC due to tricky DL's recovery time on hit[/color]

SL => DL => GC => Nsig (~58 / [color=white]0[/color]|[color=yellow]60[/color]) [color=teal][gif][/color][postimg.org]

[color=#BBFFB5]+ High damage

+ Perfect for widening the health gap when you're 1 stock ahead

+ True string ending on a signature move[/color]

[color=#FFB5B5]- Might not be stringable after SL if you hit mid-air or at max range

- Needs a decent timing on GC due to tricky DL's recovery time on hit[/color]

NL => CD >> SL => DL => GC => Nsig (~78 / [color=white]0[/color]|[color=yellow]60[/color]) [color=teal][gif][/color][postimg.org]

[color=#BBFFB5]+ Very high damage[/color]

[color=#FFB5B5]- Requires fast exe to leave as little frame gaps as possible between CD and SL

- Your only viable follow-up option when hitting NL[/color]

9t => j => NA => 5t > DL => j => SA (~53 / [color=#FFFFB5]20[/color]|[color=orange]100[/color]) [color=teal][gif][/color][postimg.org]

[color=#BBFFB5]+ Overhead defensive throw that can lead to a decent pack of damage

+ DL follow-up is usually unexpected

+ Punishes unaware opponents aswell as agressive retaliations[/color]

[color=#FFB5B5]- Need a diagonal throw/approach for an easier DL follow-up[/color]

9t => j => NA => 5t > DL => j => GC => Nsig (~61 / [color=#FFFFB5]20[/color]|[color=yellow]60[/color]) [color=teal][gif][/color][postimg.org]

[color=#BBFFB5]+ Overhead defensive throw that can lead to a decent pack of damage

+ DL follow-up is usually unexpected

+ [color=magenta]HEAVILY[/color] punishes unaware opponents aswell as agressive retaliations[/color]

[color=#FFB5B5]- Need a diagonal throw for an easier DL follow-up[/color]

j.2t => NA => 5t > DL => j => SL (~53 / [color=#FFFFB5]20[/color]|[color=orange]100[/color]) [color=teal][gif][/color][postimg.org]

[color=#BBFFB5]+ Air-to-ground defensive throw that can lead to a decent pack of damage

+ DL follow-up is usually unexpected

+ Punishes unaware opponents aswell as agressive retaliations[/color]

j.2t => NA => 5t > DL => j => GC => Nsig (~61 / [color=#FFFFB5]20[/color]|[color=yellow]60[/color]) [color=teal][gif][/color][postimg.org]

[color=#BBFFB5]+ Air-to-ground defensive throw that can lead to a decent pack of damage

+ DL follow-up is usually unexpected

+ [color=magenta]HEAVILY[/color] punishes unaware opponents aswell as agressive retaliations[/color][color=red]Advanced :[/color]

t => NL => 5t >> [NL] => CD > SL => DL => j => GC => Nsig (~76/96 / 0|0) [color=teal][gif][/color][postimg.org]

[color=#BBFFB5]+ Ultimate tool for widening the health gap when you're 1 stock ahead

+ Spear NL => CD can be removed for a wider damage range (0|20)[/color]

[color=#FFB5B5]- Requires beefy timing to get unarmed NL into catch into spear NL stringing together

- Requires fast exe to leave as little frame gaps as possible between CD and SL

- On dodge, SL can be heavily punishable

- Did I mention SA annoying sound on hit ?[/color][/color]

Same as katars, this list in non-exhaustive. There aren't as much light mix-ups on spear as there are on katars, but you can vary your playstyle with spacing and pressure reset with Dsig, or use Ssig in obscure places you believe it'll hit as a shock tactic.

[color=#55DAAA]III. Matchups (don't Read It Sucks)[/color]

This is the most subjective and unknowledgeable part of this guide, so feel free to give your opinions on that one.

Ada => Ember

[color=white]Ada:[/color]

► Blasters/Spear

Ada is a beast when it comes to mid/long range pressure, with both blasters and spear awesome neutral gameplays. Her blaster signature kit revolves around low startup frame, wide hitboxes and long-lasting active frames, making them fine for gravity-cancelling and counterplay. Whatever happens, do NOT dodge through when she has blasters, or you might end up getting hit by Ssig or Dsig late frames. Keep in mind that your spear's Ssig outranges her blasters' Ssig. Spear on the other hand offers dodge-in prevention with Dsig, aswell as surprise knock-out potential with Ssig, not to mention scary strings with SL => Nsig being a true string at lower damage %age. However, a missed Nsig can be punished with both spear's and katars' Nsigs. Ada is a 3-def matchup, so if you get the opportunity to do so, don't be afraid to land a kill with DL => j => SA.

[color=white]Asuri:[/color]

► Katars/Sword

Her katars play is what you would like yours to be, and what you will always tend to but never reach since her high dext makes stringing moves together a piece of cake (NL => R is a true combo with 7 dext). However, her sig kit is pretty straightforward, with only Nsig being a real, unexpected threat due to its tricky recovery time on miss. Ssig can also prove to be dangerous to unaware Nais, but it can be easily punished on miss (or with both weapons' Dsig). Add to this a decent sword light gameplay (due to high dext once again) and a "meh" sword sig kit (Nsig has too much recovery frames on miss for its short-timed active frames, Ssig can be kept away with a proper Spear neutral game, and Dsig really requires you to dodge through). Go ham when she has sword, steer clear when she has katars. Be careful not to be taken in a string though, or you'll get 100-0'd without even noticing.

[color=white]Azoth:[/color]

► Axe/Bow

One of your easiest matchups around. Axe and Bow are both doing pretty fine atm, but Azoth, with his weird stat kit and his sluggish sig kit, somehow manages to be miles behind everyone else. His sigs may be hard hitting, but they are slow, easily predictable, and punishable like hell. However, bow Nsig, although it doesn't have that much force, can easily surprise you with the second hit. His air gameplay, which should be more than decent considering bow's aerial strength, falls behind due to his relatively low dext. On the other hand, axe is still a reliable weapon with light moves stringing together quite easily for a meant-to-be slow weapon, though Nsig is his only relevant signature, with its decent to high force and poor startup frames. Both of your weapons are fine for racking up damage and pressure, although katars can get dangerous against axe's wide hurtboxes.

EDIT: Alright, I underestimated that one. Axe and Bow are far for being garbage atm, and Azoth sigs tend to have more and more assets for themselves. Watch out for bow's Ssig and its wide hitbox.

[color=white]Barazza:[/color]

► Axe/Blasters

Kinda like Azoth, his stat kit doesn't fit well with his weapons. With blasters nerfs dragging him behind, he's not standing up as a real threat anymore. Be careful with axe's Nsig though, it has little recovery frames on miss, and can be and extremely dangerous tool to LG against. A decent spear neutral gameplay is all you need to go through most of his blaster's signatures though.

[color=white]Bodvar:[/color]

► Hammer/Sword

Bodvar is one of the game's most straightforward characters. He is decent in everything he does, ranging from long-range pressure, defensive gameplay to an overly aggressive gameplay and rushdown, with two weapons doing great atm. His sig kit however, far away from being trash, trades recovery time for utility. Sword's Ssig is expectable and suffers from a relatively long recovery time on miss, Nsig is punishable with proper offense, and Dsig's hurtbox and downward-directed force won't make it pose a real threat unless you're ledge-recovering. His hammer however, can get you fooled in many ways. Indeed, hammer's Dsig comes as a fine reversal tool with high force, Nsig has a long-lasting and wide hurtbox (those long active frames comes up at the cost of safety though, don't be afraid to punish with Ssigs !) with an average force and Ssig hits in an arc in front of him with high force. Keep that in mind when engaging Bodvar, he's not as dumb as he looks.

[color=white]Brynn:[/color]

► Axe/Spear

Although she traded range for power in her sigs, Brynn is quite Bodvar-ish with her own weapons. Indeed, she shows a great difference with both weapons' kits. Her axe signatures all have poor range, (spear neutral gameplay ftw) but great force and wide hitboxes. Her spear's sig kit however includes some dashing-in (proper katar counterplay is to be applied on Nsig and Ssig, watch out for Dsig insane damage though!), great range and great force, but thin hitboxes and relatively high recovery time.

[color=white]Cassidy:[/color]

► Blasters/Hammer

If there's something more tilting than 8 dext hammer, it is probably 8 dext blasters. Cassidy is able to build up an insane pressure with blasters light attacks, in order to end up landing a sig with quick startup, long active frames and incredibly high force for the risk taken. Mix in some unclear visuals and you've got Cassidy in a nutshell. She isn't technically strong (she's both slow and fragile), but her blasters sigs are the most insane frame traps this game can offer. Thank god they're decently punishable and have low range. Her hammer sig kit is quite decent too. While Dsig is very weak and situational, it's isn't to be feared as much as Ssig or lightning-fast Nsig. At this point, someone with 4 def and 4 speed doesn't like pressure, and that's where your efforts will prevail.

[color=white]Diana:[/color]

► Blasters/Bow

Scary at any range, grounded, mid-air, she's what I hate the most. Her sigs have high force, quick startup and recovery frames. Only true will can save you from a good Diana. Actually, katar counterplay on sig miss or spear pressure can save you too, but you must be really careful.

[color=white]Ember:[/color]

► Bow/Katars

She's fast and versatile with her bow. On one hand, her bow's sig kit does many things : Ssig has a wide (but punishable) hurtbox, Dsig is fine for ledgeguarding and Nsig poses an overhead threat, and it can even be included in a string or GC'd. On the other hand, her katar sigs are mainly for pressure, strings and counterplay. Tough Embers usually mean tough time, but there's nothing that truly shines out in her weaknesses, if it wasn't for her low def.

Gnash => Queen Nai

[color=white]Gnash:[/color]

► Hammer/Spear

Gnash is great at keeping the pressure flowing without overcommitting. His hammer is hard-hitting but suffers from his very low dext. As for his hammer's sigs, they all pack a high force and covers a lot of angles with Nsig and Ssig, and even offers mobility with Dsig having different properties whether it hits ground or air (watch out for Dsig 2 recovery frames on air miss !). In any case, all of his hammer sigs has an average startup time, when both of your weapons' light attacks only have few startup frames, use this to your advantage. His spear gameplay however, shines a bit brighter atm (due to spear not relying too much on dext), with his sigs allowing him to screw you up at long range, overhead, and when you're dodging in. Fight Nsig with extreme caution, as it has a wide hitbox with long-lasting active frames. The downside comes with its rather long recovery time. Dsig is only to be feared if you're dodging in too much, and Ssig can catch you unaware. Other than that, you're in for a nervous fight.

[color=white]Hattori:[/color]

► Spear/Sword

Hattori is hard to define as a matchup, basically because the skill gap between good and bad Hattoris is tremendous. She's fast, and her sword gameplay relies on both evasive maneuvers and constant pressure. If you're up against a bad hattori, her sigs will come way too often into play, and they're all easy to get rid of with a poorly well-timed throw mainly because her hitbox moves in before active frames. You can even pwn sword's Dsig and Ssig with spear's NL with proper timing. But let's assume you're playing against a good hattori, that's where it gets really tough. Those know how to keep you guessing, those know that sword's DL => GC => Nsig is a true string, those know how to ledgeguard with GC'd sword's Ssig. Spear play however, doesn't vary that much from one player to another. Indeed, Nsig is easily breakable by throwing where she teleports at and it doesn't benefit from extra-long active frames (they're long enough to not be disrespectable though). Ssig puts her hurtbox farther away behind hitboxes than sword's does but fortunately, it's still not far enough for some spear's nl massive disrespect. Did I mention it had poor variable force ? Same for Dsig, except it comes with a load of startup frames, making counterplay a piece of cake. Hattori's main strength is her speed imo, her whole sig kit comes as an extra feature to light gameplay against Nai, rather than being core mechanics.

[color=white]Jhala:[/color]

► Axe/Sword

High dext, high strength. Oh, and squishy too. Her sig kit is pretty straightforward. You should be fearing light gameplay, more than actual sig spamming. Sword sigs have decent force, fine overhead capabilities with Nsig, decent hitboxes... Axe follows this pattern, with more active frames at the cost of speed though. Jhala isn't such a complex matchup, as win or loss will depend of each player's light attack plays which is, on your side, more than enough to setup kills considering how fragile she is for her speed. SAs and Rs will do the trick against her.

[color=white]Koji:[/color]

► Bow/Sword

High dext will keep those SAs flowing, both with bow and with sword. His sword sig kit traded force for speed ; it isn't to be feared unless you're really pepper red. Good Kojis tend to use Dsig as a mobility tool for recovery and such, whenever your opponent shows he knows this trick, use it to your advantage. On the other hand, his bow gameplay allows some pretty scary strings (high dext y'know), but what you'll mainly be scared of is his sig kit. They're fast, hard-hitting, but their hitboxes are thin. Also Dsig prevents dodging in quite easily, and all his sigs are fine for GCs.

[color=white]Kor:[/color]

► Gauntlets/Hammer

Aside Ssig, his hammer sigs are meh. You can't really hate Kor when you see him rolling, since you crush this sig with almost anything available, and Nsig is predictable like hell. On the other hand, he doesn't have enough dext to make gauntlets look scary (string are expectable af, mash that dodge button) but his sigs aren't trash either, comming from the fact that they offer a decent speed/force tradeoff. Now again, one would argue that sigs alone doesn't make a win, and they'd likely be right.

[color=white]Lord Vraxx:[/color]

► Blasters/Lance

Ruler of the galaxy, emperor of maximum blaster annoyance, those 8 dext are a pain be pitted against. His whole blaster sig kit is as dominant as its light gameplay, and Nsig generates high amount of sodium chloride with its high force and hurtbox lasting longer than a poorly-timed neutral dodge. Ssig is lightning fast, and Dsig allows him to put some long-range pressure (putting him at your katar dodge-ins mercy in the process). Lance gameplay is, on the other hand, a force to be reckoned with although it greatly suffers from those 4 strength. Indeed, lance sigs are decent, but have too much recovery frames to be spammed safely. That's where you'll be hitting.

[color=white]Lucien:[/color]

► Blasters/Katars

With his 3 strength, and 5 dext, Lucien doesn't look like he hurts that much. That's what his sigs are for. Currently the only character that equals Hattori in terms of speed, Lucien is also one of the few that can use his sigs as a damage source. Indeed, his blaster signatures all have quick startup and recovery frames on miss, relatively long active frames, decently wide hurtboxes, and doesn't trade force for all those pros at all, with Nsig generating as much sodium chloride as Vraxx's could. Katars' sigs, unlike blaster, aren't made for spamming and, aside from Nsig which is a powerful tool for dodge counterplay on LGing, requires the player to be precise and accurate. Ssig is the reason you must NEVER miss a sig when you're 150+, and Dsig with its surprisingly high force can surprise you when trying to recover from the ledge. Other than that, Lucien's light gameplay isn't that tough against yours (due to low fighting stats), and you hit waaaay harder than he does.

[color=white]Orion:[/color]

► Lance/Spear

Another Nsig lasting longer than a neutral dodge with Lance's. Since directional dodges are meh on Queen Nai, this sig will be a plague to you. Now, Ssig is only a casual side dashing signature (not too sure about spear's NL going through tho) and Dsig is mainly for the backdash and building up damage, not for setting kills up. Spear also comes with a fine sig kit, with Dsig's low force (thx nerf) making it dangerous when you dodge through with high damage taken. Nsig is a ledgeguard tool, and a strong one when GC'd. Finally, Ssig active frames will only appear when (completely unkownledgeable, correct me if I'm wrong) his hurtbox is at a set range from yours, so Nai's spear Dsig is a good response. By the way, DL => GC => Nsig is a true combo for Orion too.

[color=white]Queen Nai:[/color]

► Katars/Spear

XDDDDDDDDDD

Scarlet => Ulgrim

[color=white]Scarlet:[/color]

► Hammer/Lance

One of the two most hard-hitting legends in the game, but the matchup is quite binary. You want her to miss a sig/long recovery time move and then punish with a throw => follow-up, or any string is she's in range. Lance Nsig has a tricky hurtbox, and can even be stringed into via SL >> Nsig. Be careful not to be caught dodgeless ! Dsig is a powerful ledgeguarding tool due to its wide hitbox, quick startup frames and backstep. But Ssig is the thing you really have to fear, since it can land a kill from a huge range if you ever miss a move with long recovery frames. It's punishable to an extent though. As for hammer, just don't get hit, since it can build up damage at an insane rate with those 8 strength and packs the greatest punch light attacks can offer. Sigs on the other hand are quite Bodvar-ish but keep in mind that Ssig hits downward on air miss.

[color=white]Sentinel:[/color]

► Hammer/Katars

'Murica has its own legend with Sentinel (can't wait to see a masked Trump legend as Sentinel's nemesis though). Katar sigs are simplistic if low on startup frames, relying on expectable hitting patterns. Ssig is your most common jab, Nsig is your most common uppercut, and Dsig is why you shouldn't dodge through Sentinel like a dumbass. When CDing, his Dsig holds close to no momentum, unlike yours. Actually, his katar play is much like yours, though his light attacks deals a bit less damage. Proceed with caution when recovering against Sentinel, as his katar sigs are quite cool when it comes to gravity cancelling. When it comes to Hammer sig kit, Ssig wide and durable hitbox is a force to be reckoned with, and Dsig backdash can catch you unaware (ie: missing katars' SL or dodging through too early). Nsig benefits from relatively quick startup frames, but it isn't Sentinel's main kill setup tool. Sentinel is both fast and sturdy, which means you'll have a hard time taking him down.

[color=white]Sir Roland:[/color]

► Lance/Sword

Let's be honest, you can't touch Roland's sigs sweg. Not roland himself though, since Ssig is among the easiet sig to punish on miss, is easy to dodge, and has too much startup frames to be a reliable tool. Nsig and Dsig are actually his only reliable options but they lack any force or lasting active frames. However, the rehitboxing of lance's Dsig makes it a strong tool to setup kills, even on you, fat Nai. Ssig does better than it used to be too, and Nsig is as punishing (and safe) as always. However, his stat kit synergizes well with his weapons' light gameplays, thus making Roland okay at racking up damages, but weak at finishing you off.

[color=white]Teros:[/color]

► Axe/Hammer

The most hard-hitting legend with Scarlet, his sig kit isn't that dangerous though. His strength mainly revolves around his braindead light attacks (with SA on both weapon having more fixed force and almost as much variable force as your spear's Ssig) and some sigs, like axe's Dsig which hits both overhead and dodging-in, and hammer's Nsig, which has close to no startup frames.

[color=white]Thatch:[/color]

► Blasters/Sword

An awkward character. His blasters sigs have no overhead capabilities whatsoever, aside from Dsig. That Dsig is, however, a weird attack to play against since it's actually considered as projectiles. It's a pain to ledgeguard against, and there are no real counterplay measures except dodging-in. Nsig in the meantime is just Ssig with less force, two hits and a backdash. Sword however has long-lasting hitboxes on its sigs aswell as unclear visuals, making it unsafe to dodge through. His light gameplay is also quite decent, but he lacks armor, as he's tied with the lowest armor possible in the game. Don't be afraid to go spear's DL => j => SA => CD => 6t.

[color=white]Ulgrim:[/color]

► Axe/Lance

Ulgrim is surpringly strong, with axe's Nsig being a powerful and unexpected tool to play against. Dsig has quick startup frames and high force, and Ssig has quite wide hitboxes, but puts Ulgrim in an unsafe position if the first strike doesn't hit. On the other hand, his lance gameplay isn't that strong, due both to low combat stats and slow startup signatures ... unless he hits SL. SL => Nsig is a true combo at any damage rate.

Weapons

[color=white]Axe :[/color]

Easily among the best weapons atm, considering how easily it can string moves together, trading frame gap closing for wide hitboxes, durable active frames and tremendous damage. Axe can cover many angles, though at extremely close range, katars will usually prevail. If you have a spear, an aerial approach with throw => followup can be considered, but you have to be extremely cautious about that DL having only 8 startup frames. Dodging-in can also be considered as a viable option, but be careful of various Dsigs that could get in your way, or getting hit by NL since its hitbox overlaps the legend's hurtbox, leaving you open for additionnal follow-ups. Finally, axe's aerials packs an insane punch and should be dodged at all costs at higher damage rates.

[color=white]Blasters :[/color]

This weapon is pure annoyance. It covers every range, every angle, benefits from string on grounded play and safety on aerial play. Aside from committing your opponent from making a bad move, there's no real strategy against a decent blaster player. Just analyze his playstyle, and look for common mistakes he makes. If you plan to stick your opponents with katars' NA, be careful about DL when grounded, and R when mid-air.

[color=white]Bow :[/color]

This weapon has a weak ground-to-ground gameplay compared to its versatile aerial play. Spear however outranges Bow when it comes to SAs, and grounded bow players will have issues at escaping pressure, with its long startup frames.

[color=white]Gauntlets :[/color]

A proper agressive spear play can entirely nullify gauntlets' threat, considering how weak they are at unexpectedly closing up distance. The only strings they're able to pull out are obvious strings which can be broken solely by mashing your dodge button.

[color=white]Hammer :[/color]

Tremendous range, force and damage when midair, but comes with a load of startup frames on every move. Grounded, katar approaches are dangerous due to DL scary follow-ups, and NL quick startup frames and high damage. Proper katar pressure can be rewarding, because hitting your NL will most likely get your opponent mid-air, where you have a significant advantage provided you're not right beneath or right over your opponent. Also, mid-air katars' NA low startup time will allow you to keep hammers at bay, provided you're close enough...

Spear on the other hand, allows to outrange ground hammer plays quite easily, with throw => follow-up that keeps you safe from any agressive approach. However, hammer throwers will be a pain to you, considering how easily this weapon hits when thrown, and the follow-ups it offers.

[color=white]Katars :[/color]

Spear's range makes it an natural weapon to go against katars, but use proper spacing or you might get caught in a string you won't be able to break that easily. Katar mirror, on the other hand, is likely to give the advantage to matchups whose dext is significantly higher than yours (Asuri <.<)

[color=white]Lance :[/color]

Decent damage, decent force, long startup frames, struggles at breaking strings. Lance is typically a weapon you don't want to missplay against, because it can react to any situation given, provided you give it the time to do so. Spear's range advantage on NL is unnoticeable so don't count on it to save your life. However, it is on SA. DL can easily deny various katars approaches, so beware.

[color=white]Spear :[/color]

The edge is given against a spear to whoever holds the strongest pressure. Be sure to mix throws, unarmed and armed combat (armed alone is fine for katars if you're not familiar with throw follow-ups) to get the advantage. Keep in mind that Spear light game has no built in tools to respond to close range pressure (aside DL, which is punishable on whiff).

[color=white]Sword :[/color]

This weapon hurts, can setup ledge-guard and even kills out of a 8 startup frames move (typically DL => j => SA), provides more range and as few startup frames as katars, NL being the typical example of this (5 startup frames, 24 damage for a 7 strength sword, 18 for Nai's katars). It has a smaller stringing potential though, and missed sword attacks are as punishable as low dext katars', especially by a fine neutral spear play. Yet still it is easily one of the worst weapons to play against as Nai, with axe and blasters.

IV. Glossary And Terminology

BnB : Bread and Butter, usually this is one combo or technique whose use is ubiquitous and highly recommended due to its efficacy, ease of execution, and versatility.

Defensive : Type of gameplay that relies on reacting properly to or anticipating your opponents moves to pull out your owns.

Frame : Smallest possible method to divide time in a fighting game. A frame is equal to 1/60th second.

GC : Gravity Cancel, a technique which allows the use of grounded moves when mid-air, by inputing a neutral dodge before the move.

LG : Ledge-guarding, technique that revolves around prevent your opponent from recovering.

Neutral : Type of gameplay revolving solely around true combos and safe pressure in order to control the overall pace of the game.

Offensive : Type of gameplay that relies on constant pressure, focusing on your opponent's inability to act and/or react the right way at the right time.

Shock (tactic) : Using moves which have weaker properties than the dominant ones, making them unexpected.

Sig : Signature, heavy attacks that are exclusive to each character. They are pulled out by inputing a direction (or not) and pressing the heavy attack button when grounded.

String : Refers to a string of inputs.

True : Said of a string during which the opponent is close to permanently stunned. A string isn't considered true anymore when there is a frame gap between two stuns that is more than 3-4 frames.

Whiff : Miss.

Closing Notes

If there's anyone that could come up with a decent thumbnail and would like to share his work, I'd be glad to give him credits for it.

Now that you know everything about Queen Nair, show them who's boss !

I did my best and allocated a lot of time to this guide, thanks for taking a look at it. If this guide helped you, give it a fat 5 and add it to your favs. If you feel like you have that bit of knowledge I don't have, don't be shy about sharing it, I don't bite ;)

Once again, you can drop a commentary or add me if you feel like needing a bit of advice or simply to react, I'm glad to know how my work impacts people to improve it.

Changelog

19/07/16 (2.20.1)

- Release !

21/07/16 (2.20.1)

- Added gifs for both weapons combo-list

If anyone knows how to put embed gifs, feel free to tell it

24/07/16 (2.20.2)

- Removed some j.NL (my first notation for NA when I started writing this guide)

- Added some missing 5t in string notations (credits to dontgetmekorshang)

Source: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=710314707					

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