Guilty Gear X2/#Reload: Kliff Undersn FAQ Author: kunou_sama Written on March 24, 2004 Last Revised on February 23, 2007

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Pros and Cons
3. A General Outline of Kliff's Game
4. Kliff Vocabulary
5. Kliff Strategy: Keep-away with Pokes
6. Kliff Strategy: Anti-air
7. Kliff Strategy: Overdrives
8. Kliff Strategy: Dizzying the opponent
9. Kliff Strategy: Floating Kliff Fairy
10. Kliff's small size
11. Kliff Strategy: High-Low game and Okizeme
12. Kliff Strategy: Wakeup Moves
13. Kliff Strategy: Moving Around
14. Kliff Strategy: Rushing Down and Advancing
15. Kliff Strategy: Going from Intermediate to Advanced Kliff Use
16. Notes on Kliff's Other Moves
17. Defensive Statistics
18. Lines of Defense: A Review
19. Tension Management
20. Theoretical Diagram: Kliff vs. (Character Specific Strategy)
21. General Combos
22. Guilty Gear X2 and #Reload Differences for Kliff
23. Kliff Triforce of Wisdom

Introduction
Kliff Undersn, a hidden character in Guilty Gear X2/#Reload, can be an extremely effective keep-away & power character if used properly. This guy dishes out huge amounts of damage if you know what you're doing. While this FAQ will not go over Kliff's background or how to unlock him (this stuff you can find at gamefaqs), this FAQ will tell you what are some of Kliff's effective strategies and combos. This FAQ is for an advanced player, so if you don't understand something try using the links on this page for some background. Since most people play #Reload anymore the bulk of the strategy will focus on Kliff's use in #Reload; a section at the bottom outlines how things change for Kliff in #Reload from X2.

Pros and Cons

• Pros
  • Powerful, fast, long-ranged pokes
  • Good anti-air options
  • Powerful and useful Overdrives
  • Stun Modifiers on attacks means that you will stun the opponent... a lot
  • Floats in the air like a fat fairy-gnome (can be good and bad)
  • Small size means Kliff is hard to hit, especially for opponents coming in from the air
• Cons
  • Weakest defense in the game
  • Low mobility; only Potemkin is slower
  • Kliff's low weight can mean trouble in some cases
  • Questionable High-Low game
  • Slow tension gain
  • No matter how good his attacks are, all of his best stuff is blockable (no combos off of throws)
  • No wakeup attack other than Overdrives means it can be hard to get pressure off (X2 Kliff)

Kliff Vocabulary
Shitkliffing
v. Shit?Kliffing

To beat the shit out of an opponent while using the character Kliff Undersn in Guilty Gear

Kliff Time
n. Kliff Time

An event in which you shitkliff

Kliff Strategy: Keep-away with Pokes
Kliff has very nice pokes, which means that he can keep the opponent one-sword's length away for most, if not all, of the match. This should be the main strategy in most situations. This ability, coupled with Kliff's small size and great anti-air will create an impregnable fortress. The basic moves are outlined below:
The chart is not too hard to figure out, even if you cannot read Japanese. The numbers represent the damage of the moves. The most important things to look at in this section are the far S (fS) and crouching S (2S). fS executes on the 13th frame while 2S, your farthest reaching poke, executes on the 7th. These moves, along with the Houkou Gaeshi (236P) special move, will be the basic pokes used. fS and 2S can be chained: fS -> 2S -> 236P. This poke chain should restrict ground movement against most characters. 236S should NEVER be used due to its laggy startup and horrible recovery time (32 frame disadvantage!!!); 236P will work fine. (Even if you can FRC the 236S move, it grounds on hit and doesn't allow for a followup combo unless you are very close) Restricting ground rushes from the opponent should force them to take other options.

Kliff Strategy: Anti-air
Kliff's anti-air comes in three forms: 6P, H and Urokohagashi (623H -> H*n). 6P is a powerful anti-air and should not be underestimated. Not only does it come with a x4 Stun Modifier (the opponent takes 4 times as much stun damage as usual), but it chains to cS into air-combo. After dizzing an opponent a few times, they will probably try to "hover" (use their double/triple jump) over your head and take advantage of 6P's recovery. 623H will serve to take out opponents who try this. 623H can be continued for awhile by mashing H to extend its active time. However, 623H doesn't chain to anything (without RC maybe) and its recovery is pretty bad too. H is good for dealing with opponents who try to come in at weird angles. Since it surrounds Kliff 360 degrees, it will cover Kliff's back as well. Sometimes however, just running away while they're over you and resetting the keepaway is safest.

Kliff Strategy: Overdrives
Unlike most characters, Kliff's overdrives are powerful and useful. Reflex Roar (236236S) has some invicibility frames (Frames 3 - 5 are invincible), comes out lightning quick (5th frame: 4 frames until red screen, and 1 frame after transition), covers almost the entire screen horizontally, does good damage (100 damage), has a short recovery time, and can be comboed!!! The FRC (Frames 6 - 7) for this move is required for some combo setups (against male characters in particular), but for 75% tension you can heavily cripple any character. Some other things to note: (1) Since the Overdrive comes out so quickly, almost any whiffed or blocked move can be punished with this. (2) All the pokes can combo to this move, including 2S. (3) The active time of this move is deceivingly long; many times characters that jump over it will start landing and get hit by the "hot air" trailing the Reflex Roar! (4) Even 2D can cancel to this move, meaning that you can start the combo from a low-hitting attack. Combos for this Overdrive will come up in the Combos Section.
Soul Surviver (4641236H) is primarily a wake-up attack, since it has invincibility frames from frame 1 to frame 22. It causes some good damage too, usually on the order of 140 to 160. There aren't any other great uses for this move, except you can also use it to counter due to its invincibility properties.

Kliff Strategy: Dizzying the opponent
While Kliff's moves all cause large damage, they all cause the normal amount of stun except for 6P. Guys like Potemkin and Slayer, have reduced stun on some of their more powerful moves like Potemkin Buster and Dead on Time. Kliff does not have this restriction and thus can pile on his most powerful moves to cause maximum dizzy damage.
Stun Formula: (Damage * Combo Modifier * Other Modifiers - 5) * 0.15 * (Random number between 1.00 and 1.03)
As an example, lets look at the stun from a counterhit 6P:
(32 * 1.00 * 2.00 (<- for counterhit) * 4.00 (<- 6P stun modifier) - 5) * 0.15 * (1.015 (Average number)) = 38 stun!!! Three of these within a reasonable amount of time will stun anyone, even Potemkin with 80 stun resistance! Let's say you use CH 6P, notice it connects and then do another 6P for the launcher since the opponent cannot recover from CH 6P. The 2nd 6P will do about:
(29 * 0.75 * 1.00 * 4.00 - 5) * 0.15225 = 12 stun. So, for a simple CH 6P into another 6P you inflict 50 stun. From here you can launch into an air combo and hopefully knock em out. Think of 6P as Guilty Gear's Gigas Breaker - most people will dread getting hit by it so much that it's mere presence will probably keep people from jumping in on Kliff. Kliff's other moves can stun a lot too: even a simple Reflex Roar out of the ass does 14 stun on a normal hit and 29 stun on CH! (Test you can try out: Three consecutive counterhit 6P's are enough to knock anyone out, including Potemkin.)

Kliff Strategy: Floating Kliff Fairy
If you end up in the air as Kliff, you will notice that Kliff floats alot and that it takes him awhile to land. If you want to move through the air at a reasonable speed, Kliff can airdash unlike Potemkin. To get down quickly if you're high in the air, you have two options: D and Shishi Otoshi (41236S) . D causes Kliff to jump on his blade and cruise down at a 45 degree angle. This is an overhead, regardless if the blade hits the opponent's feet or wherever; in fact, you should always aim the air D towards the feet or legs, since this makes the move much harder to punish as well as comboable into Reflex Roar. Air D protects you almost everything the opponent could throw out, like dedicated anti-air such as 6P (and Potemkin's 2H and Axl's 2S and Ky's Vapor Thrust and...) and it even protects you from ground-to-air throws like Heat Knuckle, Heavenly Potemkin Buster and On (I've confirmed this). Using Kliff's air D against anti-air will usually result in two things: the opponent getting hit or a clash. Pretty nice. Using D along with 41236S (which causes Kliff to fall straight down and cause an explosion) should allow Kliff to land and restart keep-away. (The size of the explosion depends on how far you drop, so if you TK this move then the explosion is very small.) Kliff is not too strong in the air, so it is recommended that Kliff's feet stay planted on the ground. You can, however, tactically abuse air D since it is hard to punish this move due to its speed and angle (difficult to defend with 6P).
Some other times Kliff can be in air: iad K into combo, iad backwards H, and iad cross-up H. The iad combo will be reviewed in the combo section, while iad backwards H is a defensive move that is relatively safe. If you're good at air-throwing, you can try Kliff's. It's nothing special, but I have read that you can combo after it if you know what you're doing.

Kliff's small size
Kliff's small size is the key for his keepaway. Unlike Axl, who has to worry about opponents running in under P, airdashing in low over Rensengeki and airdashing in high, Kliff only has to worry about opponents running in and airdashers with his moveset. Also, since Kliff is small most air-to-ground will miss or the opponent has to wait too long to attack and the extra time will allow Kliff the time he needs to start anti-air. Axl's keepaway requires very good reflexes to stop a good opponent, but Kliff's keepaway is much easier since his pokes are quick to recover and cover a lot of space.
Another aspect of Kliff's size is his reduced hitbox: Kliff's sword does not count towards his hitbox until about halfway up the sword. You can test this yourself by seeing how far 2S can go through Invite Hell. Use the sword tip invincibility whenever possible, like with 6H okizeme.

Kliff Strategy: High-Low game and Okizeme
Kliff doesn't have too much in the way of high-low and okizeme. His basic options are:
High-Low:

• High: 6H
• High: iad K, H
• High: 214K
• High: D (I don't use this too much, but it could be useful)
• High: air D
• Low: 2D (doesn't prorate)
• Low: 2K (also doesn't prorate)

• 6H
• 2D
• iad H (time it as you cross over their head)
• 214K
• 412369S (Tiger-Knee Shishi Otoshi, hits high)

Kliff Strategy: Wakeup Moves
Since none of Kliff's special moves have invincibility, only his Overdrives can effectively be used for wakeup. However, they are very good moves for wakeup. Reflex Roar can be FRC'd just in case the opponent blocked which means it is safe to use even if they are expecting the wakeup. And Soul Surviver will push the opponent back too far to retaliate if they block it (If they go over you though, you're in trouble). 2H can be used as a defensive move since it has some lower body invincibility (frames 4 - 26) and is pretty fast (executes 12th frame). Wakeup is one part of Kliff's game that improves tremendously in #Reload (Sen no Sen).

Kliff Strategy: Moving Around
Kliff is not too quick, so he is more of a defensive character. The quickest ways to move around are iad, an air D after a super jump or 214K. If you are running, remember to use FD brake since Kliff's braking animation is pretty long. Kliff's backdash is pretty good; it covers a large distance in 13 frames, and frames 1-9 are invincible.

Kliff Strategy: Rushing Down and Advancing
Kliff has two main setups that allow him to relatively safely advance: one involves fS->iad and the other involves 236P FRC. The first setup: fS is jump-cancelable, so you can iad cancel it and attack. In the second setup, one very much like Venom's Stinger Aim FRC, Axl's Rensengaki FRC, and Sol's Gunflame FRC, Kliff can FRC his 236P at the end of a gatling chain and iad in or run in for pressure. Once you FRC, here are some good mixup options; Try to use them all to make your attacks harder to read: iad K, 6H, 2K, and 2D. All of these can lead to a followup combo that can cause tons of damage if the enemy's guard meter is partly full.
Another way to advance (not necessarily rush) is to use iad and mix up between iad K and iad D. If the opponent sees the iad and sets up anti-air you can "stop" the air dash with air D and then hit their feet instead! A CH air D to the feet will launch high enough to follow up with Reflex Roar too.

Kliff Strategy: Going from Intermediate to Advanced Kliff Use
Let's face it - no one is very impressed when you play Kliff as keepaway; in fact, most people would call this "cheap". If you want to actually impress people while playing Kliff, you need to learn a few things. Not only will these things look cool and usually impress people, but they can also make your game much more deadly as well.

1. 236P FRC - This puny little handbeam may not seem like much at first glance, but in the hands of a master it is extremely good. If you want to master Kliff, you need to know how to use this properly. In fact, I would say that once you learn this you will not see Reflex Roar as often because this move can simply be that good. FRC'd Houkou Gaeshi has the advantages of Venom's FRC Stinger Aim or Axl's Rensengeki FRC without the charge, coupled with Kliff's amazing damage output. The key to using this move is spacing: knowing how to followup with a combo and how to followup with pressure. 2D->236P FRC is a great chain, as it starts very quick for its range and leads up to some very nasty combos if you know what you're doing.
2. Movement - People who play defensive Kliff usually sit there, and it just looks boring; either that, or they simply stick with standard ground pokes. While there really isn't anything wrong with that, utilizing Kliff's abilities to move can make Kliff seem almost like he's fast. Probably the most important key to understanding Kliff movement is to master Kliff's iad - the spacing and how long it lasts. Depending on how far you are from the opponent when you start the air dash, different combos and pressure strings are available.

Notes on Kliff's Other Moves
In this section, I'll review the last few special moves that I haven't gone over too much before and show why you may or may not use them:

1. Zugaisai (214S) is primarily a combo ender since it does good damage (14*6) and knocks down. Used by itself, on block this move could potentially be punishable (10 frame disadvantage). However, it does have some other uses: (1) it can be a useful deterant for Hammer Fall if you are playing against Potemkin and (2) it causes the Guard Meter to go up drastically. If you start the move further away, Kliff also ends the move further away making it a little safer.
2. Sen no Sen (214P) is one move that DRASTICALLY changes from X2 to #Reload. We'll focus on the X2 version here; see the #Reload section to see how the changes to this one move make Kliff even more dangerous. In X2 Sen no Sen makes Kliff dodge high attacks, but can still get attacked low and Kliff has a chance of hurting his back (1/4 in X2). However, it can dodge throws. This might be useful if you're daring enough to try it when about to be Potemkin Bustered. The dodge has no recovery time: it is invincible the whole time it is active, from frame 1 to 48. Pressing P during the dodge will cause Kliff to chop 3 times (This attack is called Jigoku no Tsukkomi). The punches leave Kliff at a +6 frame advantage so that you can continue a pressure string to push blocking opponents away. The punches take a total of 22 frames including recovery, of which 1-5 are invincible to everything except throws and frames 6-22 are invincible everywhere except the feet. On hit the punches give you 17% tension, which is a lot seeing that Kliff gains tension slowly; if blocked you get about 10% tension.
3. Kliff's taunt is the only usable one in the game other than Chipp's Shuriken. The letters cause 8 damage a piece, but sometimes you get a big letter that causes 32 damage. Unfortunately, the startup is pretty slow (which is why it is hard to recommend it for okizeme). You can cancel normals such as 2D into Taunt, but since you cannot cancel the taunt until after the letters come out it's hard to do anything (62th frame with anything other than movement or normal block - I recommend Faultless Defense to cancel). If your opponent starts to turtle you can use the letters to shield you as you charge in! Bakamon! This is actually a useful strategy in some cases since it gives Kliff some additional support (think turtling Testament with traps all around him). An additional nice thing is that if Kliff is hit during his taunt, it doesn't count as a counterhit.
4. Kliff's IK, Haryuubakusai, takes 68 frames to charge. This is not too bad, but it is pretty long if you want to try to IK someone you knocked out. Anyway, landing a clean combo on someone with Kliff will usually kill them by the time they get knocked out in the first place.

Defensive Statistics
Kliff has the weakest defense in the game, on all fronts:

• Damage Modifier: 1.31 (Highest modifier in the game: Chipp has 1.30)
• Stun Resistance: 50 (Lowest resistance in the game: Chipp and Dizzy also have 50)
• Guts: 0 (Lowest guts: Chipp has a 4 on guts, while Testament and Faust also have 0)

Lines of Defense: A Review
As a quick review, let's go over Kliff's Lines of Defense one last time:

1. 2S, fS, 236P
2. 6P, 2D, 2H
3. Reflex Roar, Soul Surviver, 214P->P (only viable in #Reload)

Tension Management
Kliff gains tension pretty slow, so don't waste it and DON'T get a Negative Penalty (shouldn't be too hard as Kliff, the game is pretty lenient with him). Other than Overdrives, FD and Dead Angles, the only other use for tension would be the 236P FRC. This can be used in combos (see Combos section) for pressure and should be an important part of your game. 214K can also be RC'd into a combo in the corner, but this is a very specialized circumstance.

Kliff vs. - Character Specific Strategies
Here are some character specific things to keep in mind, as well as my assessment of particular matchups. I have referenced this for #Reload, since this is the current version of Guilty Gear:

Two important points: All female characters, Bridget and Kliff will wall-bounce high after Reflex Roar, effectively eliminating the need for the FRC in most cases (See Combo 2 below). Because of this and the fact that females have lower defense, Kliff tends to have an easier time against female characters. On the other hand, heavy characters cannot be launched with 2D->236P FRC which makes these matchups more difficult.

Kliff	7:3	Anji	Anji's autoguard move, Kou, is pretty useless against Kliff's pokes. However, the autoguard Overdrive can hit Kliff so watch out. The only setup that is dangerous for Kliff is the post-On Perfect Butterfly Trap. Watch out for this; this is where a Dead Angle or Burst is strongly recommended.
Kliff	5.5:4.5	Axl	I think this match is pretty even. Axl outranges Kliff, but Kliff's pokes and recovery are faster. For Axl to cause big damage though, he will have to come in for FRC Rensengeki or something else into an Axl Bomber loop/combo; on the other hand, Kliff doesn't have to move in close: he only needs 2S->Reflex Roar. Axl's counterstances are another thing to watch out for, so use 2D if you think he will try to counterstance a 2S.
Kliff	7:3	Baiken	Baiken's counters cannot hit Kliff at maximum range, but her dust loop is still something to be wary off. Stay out of that corner and force Baiken to come to you. If she doesn't, try using the taunt and then draw out a counter.
Kliff	7:3	Bridget	Kliff has Bridget beat in poking, so rushdown is really Bridget's only viable option. Try using 214K to screw up yo-yo setups and land a Reflex Roar combo; Bridget floats for a very easy followup air combo.
Kliff	7:3	Chipp	Chipp may be fast, but he simply has to hit Kliff way too many times before Kliff lands a hit to win. If Kliff lands a good solid combo the round is probably over (especially if the combo started off a CH 6P) since either Chipp gets knocked out and dies or Kliff can play pure defense after that.
Kliff	6:4	Dizzy	Dizzy can peck away at Kliff and force him to come in close with her numerous projectiles, taking some power out of Kliff's optimal game. Her rushdown has too many holes so Sen no Sen gets you out pretty easily and I don't think it should be too much of a concern, but watch out for her combos because she can do alot of damage.
Kliff	6:4	Eddie	The infamous Eddie. Eddie's lockdowns and unblockables are a little less fearsome thanks to Sen no Sen; if Eddie leaves a small opening, use it to get outta trouble. Also, with its three punches you can stop a rushdown by destroying the shadow with one punch and using the other two to drive Eddie off. If Eddie summons the shadow before downing you, try to destroy it with a fS-2S (fS in case Eddie tries to have little Eddie take the hit and rush in, chain to 2S to hit him too). Watch out for Invite Hell, since the far drill can hit just outside of 2S range and the drills can hit Kliff's sword. To get past drills, mix it up with some iad pressure and 214K. All in all, I think Eddie lacks the tools to get a good Kliff into a good lockdown, with far Invite Hell being almost the only viable method.
Kliff	7:3	Faust	If you think about it, Kliff simply does what Faust does but better (except high-low game). Try to stay within Kliff's sweep range so you can take advantage of Kliff's superior execution time on his pokes.
Kliff	7:3	I-No	I-No's Chemical Love goes right over Kliff's head, and his 2S can hit her out off Taiboku o Sasuru Te. With those gone, I-No can only come in with note use and the air kicks. Still, Kliff's antiair is so powerful I don't think I-No really stands too much of a chance.
Kliff	6.5:3.5	Jam	Jam simply has no effective tools to come in: any iad stuff will get a prompt 6P, and her Burst Rush and ground rushes are stopped by 2S (her 2S seems to be able to beat out Kliff's 2S in some cases though - watch out). Without these, her speed and combos mean nothing when it is relatively easy to hold her off. Her 214K can potentially open up a combo opportunity, but it has high risk too. If Jam thinks she can get free kick charges from far away use Reflex Roar or 214K to change her mind. If she tries to parry stuff, start throwing in a 2D every once in awhile.
Kliff	6:4	Johnny	Johnny can dish out lots of damage, but only if he can get past Kliff's keepaway. Watch for Divine Transport since this goes over Kliff's 2S; however, it also goes right into 6P though if you time it right.
Kliff	6:4	Ky	This guy's projectiles can make this fight a pain in the ass. Use 214K and Reflex Roar to punish this when possible. The taunt also is pretty useful in this matchup, since Ky will probably just shoot crap until he can land a knockdown and start his okizeme. Luckily, Ky's high-low game is not very good. This is one matchup with your ability to use 236P Handbeam rushdown will be very important.
Kliff	6.5:3.5	May	May can cause lots of damage if she can land a combo, but her range and advancing options put her at a very high risk. Zone her correctly and watch for vertical Iruka's and this should not be too bad: Her light weight is a plus for you.
Kliff	7:3	Millia	Millia may have a great wakeup game, but her best advancing tools can be neutralized if you play correctly. Since her air D is of no concern since Kliff is so short, she can only attack with the hairpin from the air; if you draw this out try and make she she can't get it again. Her ground advances are worthless against 2S; just watch out for obvious things like Emerald Rain. If she does manage to knock you down go for Sen no Sen; it is by far your best option due to Tandem Top, her crossups and high-low game.
Kliff	5:5	Potemkin	Potemkin is probably Kliff's worst opponent; in fact, if I still played X2 I would almost be tempted to give Potemkin the advantage. All of Kliff's pokes are 1-hit, meaning Po can careen right through with Hammer Fall. Ending all strings with 236P will probably start Potemkin FDB'ing back the hand-beam. Potemkin can even FDB the mighty Reflex Roar! Getting too close to Potemkin and using any laggy move will usually result in Potemkin Buster (like don't use 214S too deep, likewise with 214K). Potemkin's H has as much range as Kliff's fS, but Kliff's 2S still outranges it. Slide Head will also force Kliff into the air, but it can be used to your advantage: if you predict a Slide Head, airdash in and use the standard combo - Po will lose about 1/3 of his life. One option with Kliff is to use iad mixups to advance, since Potemkin's antiair is relatively slow. Kliff can still inflict heavy damage against Potemkin with 50% tension, but Potemkin's defense protects him well (around 220 damage for a standard Reflex Roar combo). If you see a Hammer Fall coming and you have more than 50% tension, let him have it; note that you can also use a poke and cancel into Reflex Roar and still hit Potemkin, since Potemkin will either be too slow to hit you, or he will try to hit you in Reflex Roar's invincibility frames. You can also use 214S, fS-2S, 2S-H, or fS-H to break Hammer Fall if you are quick enough. (The nice thing about using the strings ending with H is that it will be a counterhit and Potemkin will be staggered) But if you are playing #Reload, just dodge the damn thing with Sen no Sen. Try using the taunt in this matchup, since Potemkin cannot flick back the letters.
Kliff	5.5:4.5	Slayer	Slayer is outranged by Kliff, so much so that it takes two teleports for Slayer to get through 2S range and reach Kliff. However, an expert Slayer can use Invincible Mach Punches to get past Kliff's sword so watch out for this. Mix in some Sen no Sen so if Slayer does Mach Punch, he whiffs and eats Jigoku no Tsukkomi combos. Use care when using the punches during Sen no Sen as wakeup, since Slayer can teleport behind you (if Slayer is really close though, the punches still hit even behind Kliff!). Slayer is a serious threat because he can kill Kliff with 2 to 3 RC combos, so be on guard. Stay out of the corner, but if you do end up in the corner be weary about jumping out: you might get hit by a 6H combo. The moves to watch out for are Slayer's 6H, air H and Pilebunker.
Kliff	7.5:2.5	Sol	Sol has problems with Kliff for the same reasons he has problems against Johnny; he can be zoned extremely well by their pokes. Sol's iad S/H is destroyed by 6P, his Volcanic Viper is useless since Kliff shouldn't be using wakeup on him anyway, and his FRC Gunflame can be escaped with Sen no Sen. In addition, Grand Viper can be hit with 2S. Keep the match in the center screen to try and avoid Dust Loop setups and you should be okay. Watch out for "Burning Finger", since this goes over 2S.
Kliff	6:4	Testament	Testament will probably try one of two ways to defeat his loving father: (1) Rush down with high-low-throw and EXE Beast FRC -or- (2) Set traps and look for openings. As Kliff, the blood nets can be disabled pretty easily with Kliff's pokes, but the trees pose more of a problem since Kliff is too slow to run over them. Keep your eye out for Testament laying these things, and remember that Testament is vulnerable while laying them (try to poke him). A turtling Testament in the corner with traps protecting him is best dealt with using Kliff's Taunt. At maximum range the worst thing Testament can do is hit you with EXE Beast, and while the letters cannot disarm the HITOMI trees they will give you some added cover. Also, if the Testament is turtling try to indirectly punish him by waiting for him to get a Negative Penalty before moving in.
Kliff	6:4	Venom	Venom's rushdown is pretty dangerous, but his ball formations can be nullified if you have 50 tension; it doesn't matter how many balls are on the screen, Reflex Roar will destroy them all and still hit Venom. 2S, 6P and Sen no Sen are, as usual, your best friends.
Kliff	7.5:2.5	Zappa	Zappa's options against Kliff aren't very good. To begin with, Zappa's range and ground-to-air aren't too great in most cases. Kliff can kill the Dog summon with a simple 2S, and the Sword summon just doesn't have the range to be a serious threat to Kliff. Watch out for Ghosts though, and don't let Zappa hit you with the summoning move; Raoh will quickly kill Kliff, so don't give Zappa a chance to use him. Be especially weary of the Dog summon if you get cornered; this shouldn't happen though, since Kliff should do his best at keeping the fight in the midscreen.
Kliff	6:4	Robo-Ky (#R)	Robo-Ky can gain tension by just laying a mat and sitting there, so try not to let him have free tension. Robo-Ky can hit with some very powerful combos if given the chance, but you should be able to zone him and wear him down. His heavy weight causes some problems with combos, so keep this in mind. Sen no Sen will stop the rushdown abilities that Robo-Ky has pretty well. I think the most dangerous thing to watch out for is CH air S, but if you use 6P properly I think that you can beat this out.
Kliff	6.5:3.5	Justice	Justice will have an uphill battle against Kliff, basically because Kliff's range can make it almost impossible for Justice to move in. Use 214K if Justice uses the N.B. firebomb, since the startup of that move is laggy unless FRC'ed. If Justice starts using the Valkyrie Arc counterstance, use 2D and Combo 9. Justice's high-low okizeme can be escaped with Sen no Sen in #Reload unless a well-placed firebomb prevents it. Kliff's Reflex Roar combos are easy against Justice since she wall-bounces high; unless Justice can land some clean hits, Kliff has the advantage.

• Beware of familiars such as Eddie's shadow and Dizzy's ice fish when using Reflex Roar: They WILL absorb the hit and leave the person unharmed. In these cases, try destroying the familiar with a 2S before shooting Reflex Roar. On wakeup against these characters, Soul Surviver is probably the safest way to go.
• While familiars are a problem with Reflex Roar, normal projectiles are not. This includes Ky's Charge Edge (but watch out as two hits of three will get through), Venom's Balls, and Zappa's Ghosts. Blast away.
• You can use 236P to destroy oncoming projectiles, but they will cancel out. 236S will destroy the oncoming projectile and keep going (same as Reflex Roar).
• Against most characters zoning correctly and controlling the screen in front of Kliff will lead to victory. Identify potential threats to Kliff according to where the opposing character can quickly hit (like Dizzy's Ice Spike and Eddie's Invite Hell) and stay on guard. But, on the flip side almost all of the moves that others can use to try and control or go over Kliff's 2S space can be severely punished if you predict it, whether from an iad combo or 6P to the face (to counter moves like Johnny's DBT or May's Iruka-vertical). Thus, force your opponents to use high-lag or high-risk moves and then try to slap on an 180+ damage combo when you read them correctly.
• The matchup should quickly change once you get 50% tension and you can use Reflex Roar well. Remember that you can punish virtually any whiffed move, and many blocked moves. Use it to punish anyone who uses a projectile since it will blow through the projectile and cause some damage, and hopefully you can tag on an air combo.
• Use H to catch anyone trying to come in from behind, like Venom with air S or Chipp.
• While Kliff is a defensive character, fighting from the corner is definitely not recommended. Many characters have potent combos and lockdowns for cornered opponents like Sol's Dust Loop, Testament's Grave-Digger Loops, and Millia's Tandem Top lockdowns. Try to keep the battle in the center of the screen, since Kliff really doesn't need the help of the corners for his combos. If you find yourself starting to get pushed into the corner a 214K will usually allow you to break out safely. Using an air D to fly over an opponent's head is another way you can get out.
• If someone turtles in the corner and tries to take advantage of the fact that it is hard to safely advance with Kliff, either chip away at them with 236P or back off and use Kliff's Taunt. If they continue to turtle when the letters are coming in you can basically do whatever you want since they will have to keep blocking (mix up high/low/throw), but most people will move once they see letters coming.
• Counterattack stance moves are annoying to deal with since Kliff has to be more wary with his pokes. In this case, if the counterattack is high/low specific (Axl's Tenhouseki and Housoubako, Justice's Valkyrie Arc) try to stay close enough that you can sweep if they try it. Counter-all stances (Testament's Warrant) have significant lag after the "counter" period has ended, on the order of ~20 frames. Just poke with caution, and keep your eye out so you can punish the counter's recovery.
• Moves that cause the user to have only-foot-vulnerability (Jam's Burst Rush, I-No's Taiboku o Sasuru Te, Millia's Zenten and to some extent Chipp's Alpha Blade) can be hit with Kliff's 2S, so you don't need to worry about these moves sliding in under Kliff's blade.

General Combos
Nothing too flashy here, just stuff that works pretty well. The damage values are against Sol, unless otherwise stated. Use these to make your own combo ideas:

1. fS-2S -> (2D or 236P or 214K)
   General purpose poke chain.

2. (2S or 2D or 6H or air D) -> Reflex Roar (FRC if needed) -> Combo 3 or 4
   Using Reflex Roar for efficient damage. Using the FRC should guarantee getting Combo 3, unless the positioning is very poor.

3. 6P-cS -> jump-cancel -> K-S -> jump-cancel -> K-S-H
   A standard and useful combo, as it causes 160+ damage and good amounts of stun. The jK's can be left out if they won't connect, and the first jK can be replaced with a jP if teching becomes a problem. Also, since Kliff floats after the combo cancelling H into 41236S will make sure the opponent doesn't tech and air-throw Kliff.

4. K-cS -> jump-cancel -> K-S -> jump-cancel -> K-S-H
   Use this modified version of Combo 3 when you think the 6P will not connect. An air-to-air counterhit H or D are other possible ways of starting this combo.

5. iad K-S-H -> land -> cS-H -> 214S
   The instant-air-dash combo, this one causes about 185 damage and will allow you to be aggressive. If the K-S are blocked, you can try landing and then going for the throw!

6. 236P (FRC) -> Combo 5
   The "Venom combo", this one resembles Venom's FRC Stinger Aim combo. This one takes practice to pull off and only does ~10 more damage than Combo 5 alone. But it can be used as part of other combos...

7. (2K or K)-cS-H -> 236P (FRC) -> iad K-S-H -> land -> cS-H -> 214S
   A 25% tension 230+ damage combo! You can also start with the cS or H, but after fS the 236P usually won't combo; with most characters, you will have to start with cS or H because with their hit box the 236P will never combo otherwise. This combo is easiest to do to against a cornered opponent; otherwise the end of Combo 5 might have to be truncated because you will start to be pushed too far back.

8. (Opponent in corner) 214K RC -> air S-H -> land -> jump S -> jump-cancel -> S-H
   Decent overhead combo when the opponent is in the corner.

9. (Near opponent) 2D -> 236P (FRC) -> run in -> Combo 4
   A ~180 damage combo that starts with a sweep. It does a lot of damage for 25% tension but requires Kliff to be close to the opponent: The 236P must hit before they fall on the floor (because of this, the combo doesn't work against #R Robo-Ky or Potemkin unless the 2D is a counterhit). In #Reload female characters can tech out after the 236P now, so instead use the following combo...

10. (Near opponent) 2D -> 236P (FRC) -> jump K-S -> jump-cancel -> K-S-H -> 41236S
    This modified version of Combo 9 is preferred in #Reload for two reasons: (1) Female characters won't be able to tech out -and- (2) Against male characters the 41236S will connect for a very cool looking combo!

11. (Mid-range) 2D -> 236P (FRC) -> iad S-H -> land -> jump K-S -> jump-cancel -> K-S-H
    An extremely flashy and cool-looking combo, it's also very useful. Starts at mid-range off of one of Kliff's best pokes, and does huge amounts of damage for 25% tension. When 2D is blocked this turns into a pressure string with the iad S-H, but watch out when you land so you don't get thrown.

12. 214P -> P -> cS-H -> 214S -> 214S (otg)
    A good followup to use in #Reload with the Sen no Sen dodge. This combo will create a lot of tension and causes about 100 damage; pretty good for a combo off of such a safe move. The second 214S is an off-the-ground to add some more damage (6 to ~13 extra damage) to the combo, but primarily I use it near the end of the round to chip off some extra energy. I've killed some people with this before, so remember this trick.

13. 6P-cS -> Reflex Roar -> 2S or 6P-cS after wall-bounce -> Reflex Roar -> Combo 3 or 4
    An example full-tension combo, this one will cause huge amounts of damage and stun. It can kill Chipp if he has ~25 Guard Meter, and can cause 295+ damage on Sol with 0 Guard Meter. Starting with 6H instead of 6P-cS will cause the damage to reach 350+ on Sol. Also, starting with 6H and against a full Guard Meter this simple combo will kill everyone except Potemkin.

14. 2K-cS-fS -> jump-cancel air D -> land 2D -> 236P
    Effective and flashy looking pressure string - has some high and low moves, and the air D is pretty much impossible for the opponent to bust through except with a Volcanic Viper like move (i.e. if you anticipate the attempted reversal and block it, you can get a free combo).

15. 6H (RC) -> 6H -> Reflex Roar -> Combo 3 or 4
    Another full-tension combo that utilizes the 6H stagger. Not too hard to mash out of, so usefulness is limited.

Guilty Gear X2 and #Reload Differences for Kliff
Kliff doesn't really change that much from X2 to #Reload, so the strategy from X2 still applies to #Reload. However, one move of Kliff's becomes very useful! Read on! (These differences were confirmed with the Japanese Guilty Gear XX #Reload Complete Guide):

1. When downed face-down, Kliff gets up in 32 frames instead of 38
2. Dust takes away 30 in #Reload, while in X2 it did 50
3. 2S has been weakened: Startup 7->9F, Active 7->4F, Recovery 11->16F as well as the reach being shortened. This sucks, but doesn't affect anything too much.
4. The properties of Sen no Sen (214P) are very different in #Reload. The most imporant thing: IT NOW DODGES EVERYTHING! That means you can dodge high, low and throws with this one move!!! Also, you gain a lot of tension for hitting with the punches in #Reload (almost 22%! In X2, you get 17%), and the dodge failure rate is much lower. The failure rate depends on how close Kliff is to being dizzied: the closer he is, the higher the chance of failure. Keep in mind that using the move raises Kliff's stun as well. However, if Kliff is played correctly this means that the move should basically never fail. (Failure rate: 0% below 25% stun, 12.5% between 25% and 50% stun, 25% between 50% and 75% stun and 50% between 75% and 100% stun) This makes rushing in #Reload against Kliff even more dangerous now! This move has gone from an almost useless high-risk move to an extremely sneaky and useful maneuver! Here are some new uses for it:
   • Escape okizeme (Use it as a wakeup move: it is invincible from frame 1)
   • Use as okizeme (Stand right next to the opponent and force them to block the punches to generate tension)
   • Dodge laggy startup moves (ex: Hammerfall)
   • Interrupt a rushdown (Use it like Potemkin's Backdash)
   Remember that it still can fail, but the rate of failure is extremely low. I think that it is definitely a risk worth taking because with this move you can generate huge amounts of tension to fuel Reflex Roars and 236P FRCs, as well as frustrate people who like to rushdown.
5. Jigoku no Tsukkomi lost some of its invincibility: The only invincibility now is frames 1 to 5 are invincible to everything except throws.
6. Urokohagashi has some small changes: Reduced damage 14*n->13*n, Startup 1->5F, Knockback reduced, Attack Level reduced 5->4, increased priority.
7. Zugaisai has increased priority, and the height was lowered.

Kliff Triforce of Wisdom
In the spirit of the Baiken Triforce of Bullshit, I have created a triforce for Kliff:

Remember that none of this stuff is absolute; change your own strategies as you see fit. E-mail me if you have any other good ideas or comments. Check back on this FAQ too, since I update it often.
Now go out there and make Kliff proud. "Korezo, Ikkitousen!"

Go back to the home page.
You can download Kliff's background music, Pride and Glory, on the Video Games Page.

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws