Wolverine FAQ v. 3.5 By James "This is my first FAQ, so go easy on me" Gowdey (serpent231@yahoo.com) Table of Contents I. Stuff That You Probably Don't Care About A. Revisions B. About This FAQ C. About Wolverine and I D. Frequently Asked Questions II. The Reason You Probably Chose to Read This FAQ A. Basic Skills B. The Moves 1. Regular Moves 2. Special Moves 3. Infinity Specials 4. Miscellaneous Info about Wolvie C. Combos III. Strategies A. Overall Strategy B. Using Gems C. Vs. IV. The Rest A. Special Thanks **************************************************************************** **************************************************************************** THE BEGINNING ____________________________________________________________________________ REVISIONS: 8/7/98 v. 1.0--Started this FAQ. Added the Table of Contents and first roman numeral section. Began to write about Wolvie's Regular Moves... 8/8/98 v. 1.5--Added The Basics section, finished Wolvie's Regular Moves, Special Moves, and Infinity Specials. Started the Combo section... 8/9/98 v. 2.0--Finished the combo section and revised the Basics. Added Misc. Info, Overall Strategy, started Vs... 8/10/98 v. 2.5--Continued Vs (still haven't finished it..), added Wolvie's Best Gem, revised The Basics and Misc. Info About Wolvie... 8/20/98 v. 3.0--Added Wolvie's story, continued Vs (Ouch, bad update)... 11/26/98 v. 3.5--3 MONTHS WITHOUT UPDATING?! JAMES, HOW COULD YOU?? Seriously, though, I started working on this a long time ago, then abandoned it due to some big projects. Then, homework kicked in. Finally, I started this FAQ again, but I was in the middle of ANOTHER big project. Sorry if the update's been so long. Anyway, about the actual update: Instead of Wolvie's Best Gem, I changed that section into "Using Gems", a section covering all the gems. Additionally, I *FINALLY* finished Vs! Happy Thanksgiving! ___________________________________________________________________________ ABOUT THIS FAQ This FAQ is made for scrubs (beginners) to become intermediates, and intermediates to become experts--actually, I consider myself an intermediate, so I don't know how well this will help the intermediates become experts. Sometimes, though, I tend to write things better than I'm capable of doing, and I'm pretty sure that this FAQ could help non-scrubs brush up, so that might counter my last statement about the intermediates turning into experts and I'm just running on and on and on and well you get my meaning James stop it you're making yourself look like a fool okay I'll stop. Whew, sorry. Anyway, all I'm trying to say is that this could help intermediates, but mostly it's to help beginners learn the basic skills, info and moves to become intermediates. Onward to the info on Wolvie and me (purposeful bad grammer usage).... //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// WOLVERINE'S STORY It all started in Canada with a Canadian offical and his daughter. Well, I think it was his daughter, but I'm not sure. Anyway, the two were walking through the woods when suddenly they were attacked by some sort of a wild animal. It was Wolverine, but he was a hairy man/animal rather than the member of the X-Men you see today, and he had gone berserk. The official's daughter shot Wolvie (Nooo!), but then she felt sorry for him and tended his wounds back at the cabin. Wolvie then saw his claws for the first time and kinda went crazy. When he calmed down, he told them about how he had been a project of the Canadian government, called Weapon X, where the subject's bones would be sort of glazed and coated (mmm...glazed) in Adamantium, the metal that can't be broken. In other words, Wolvie can't break any bones. Now he wants revenge against the government (don't we all). About his claws, they are kind of a mystery. Marvel used to tell us that they appeared when he had the Adamantium fused to him. Later, though, his claws were ripped off, revealing claws made of bone instead that still worked just as well. That makes no sense at all. They'd break the instant he tried to attack something! He wouldn't stand a chance against Juggernaut or anybody! Oh, well... ____________________________________________________________________________ ABOUT WOLVERINE AND I Wolverine, in my opinion, is by far one of the coolest characters to be ever created in a fighting game (right up there with Akuma and Forest Law). People think of him as a really cheap character, but if you play as him a whole lot, you begin to realize some strategies, tactics, and great qualities that he has in him. I know I sound like a baseball coach, but this is true. At first when I saw X-Men: Children of the Atom, I had no idea on who to be. I tried Silver Samurai, but he just didn't cut it (Get it? CUT it, ha, ha). Then, I started to hear talk about Wolverine, and when I played against the computer Wolverine, I'd think, "Hey, Wolvie's pretty cool!". Finally, I just decided to try him, and about in the second round I had already done an eight hit combo. It blew me away, and then I realized after a few times that Wolvie had some really good potential (I'm sounding like a baseball coach again). On came X-Men Vs. Street Fighter and Wolverine had become my favorite character. Of course, I needed some practice, but when Marvel Super Heroes was out for the Playstation, I rented it right away (well, almost) and got to tune ol' Wolverine up. Now, he and I have become lethal on the Playstation version of MSH. Okay, I'm not all that great at the arcade, but hey, I don't go there enough, (and there's too much pressure). Fortunately, you have different qualities than me (hopefully) and don't get so nervous at the arcade. Enough with the yak, it's time for some smack (pain wise)! //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Q: How do you do the Weapon X more effectively? A: Read more of this FAQ. Q: Can Wolverine really make mirror images of himself? A: Read more of this FAQ. Q: Should I read more of this FAQ? A: No, you shouldn't. Click the Back button on your browser immediately. Q: Okay. A: Aaa! No! Wait! Hey, that wasn't a question... Q: Why is Wolverine so cheap? A: He isn't cheap. He's misunderstood. The guy playing him must have been playing him cheap. Q: Why is the guy playing him so cheap? A: I dunno. He was probably a button masher. The world is filled with them. DON'T be a button masher. It's worse than trash talking and it just makes you look like a scrub. Q: But, I AM a scrub. A: That's not a question either. Q: Is Wolverine the best character? A: Technically, there IS no best character. It just depends who the player thinks is a good character and how much he/she wants to become better at playing him. Q: I said, is Wolverine the best character? A: Yes. Q: Do hedgehogs eat lard?* A: Wha' the dilly yo'? *It's a long story. Er, you don't want to hear about it ^_^ **************************************************************************** **************************************************************************** THE REASON YOU PROBABLY CHOSE TO READ THIS FAQ //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// THE BASICS Marvel Super Heroes: War of the Gems is a very fast paced fighting game. It's so fast paced and different than the original Street Fighters (except for the fact that it's 2-D), that if you tried to use old Street Fighter tactics, you'd get whupped. This section is to help you learn the basics. Key of motions and abbreviations: B: Stands for Back. D: Stands for Down. F; Stands for Forward. DB: Stands for Down-Back. DF: Stands for Down-Forward. LP: Stands for Light Punch. Default is the Square button. MP: Stands for Medium Punch. Default is the Triangle Button. HP: Stands for Hard Punch. Default is the L1 button LK: Stands for Light Kick. Default is the X button. MK: Stands for Medium Kick. Default is the Circle button. HK: Stands for Hard Kick. Default is the R1 button. SJ: Short for Super Jump. BB: Short for Berserker Barrage. BBX: Short for the Berserker Barrage X. OTG: When you hit an opponent that is lying down. Stands for Off The Ground. IS: Short for Infinity Special AP: Any Punch AK: Any Kick 3P: 3 Punches (at the same time). Default is L2. 3K: 3 Kicks (at the same time). Default is R2. Combo: A combination of moves "strung" together that is unblockable after the first hit. Air Combo: A combo done in the air. +: Means, "At the same time, press.." Motion: A smooth motion towards the indicated directions. Tap: A quick tap of the directional pad or button. Infinity Special Gauge: Like in X-Men Vs. Street Fighter, and X-Men: COTA, there's a bar under your life which fills up gradually as you do special moves, hit the opponent, and get hit yourself. When it fills up once, it is at Level 1 and you may use an Infinity Special. No, this combo doesn't go on forever, but it usually does big damage and is very impressive. You may fill the Infinity Combo Gauge up three times (it goes to level 2 and 3, then it's full). Some characters are only able to fill the ISG up once or twice (Wolverine doesn't, though) You cannot fill up the Infinity Combo Gauge by blocking attacks. Super Jump--Tap D, U, or 3K: This is also a pretty important part of the game. Succesfully doing a Super Jump jumps you twice as high as a normal jump. For the most part, you are safe during a Super Jump as long as the opponent doesn't do one as well and hit you out of it. During a Super Jump, you may do more than one attack in the air, and build up your Infinity Combo Gauge faster. After using a Launcher (which will be explained next), you may Super Jump by just tapping /\. Launchers: There are three kinds of launchers in Marvel Super Heroes: The Regular Launcher, The Air Launcher, and The Mini-Launcher. The Regualar Launcher is an attack which hits the opponent high into the air as if the opponent's hit body were doing a Super Jump. This should be followed by tapping /\ to follow the opponent up and do an air combo. The Air Launcher I actually haven't had much experience with, but it knocks an opponent up as high as a regular launcher, only the victim must be hit out of the air. Wolverine doesn't have one. The Mini-Launcher is an attack which hits the opponent a very small ways off the ground. This attack should be followed by a Regular Launcher to get the full effect out of it. During all Launchers, the victim may not block while he/she is in the air, but they may as they come down from being launched. Launchers and Air Combos (to me) are an essential part of Marvel Super Heroes: War of the Gems. Dashing-- >> or 3P to dash forwards or << to hop backwards: A dash is a move where you begin to run towards the opponenent for a short while. Dashing is pretty important to Wolverine because that's how he starts most of his combos After a dash, you can follow it with a combo. Most of Wolverine's combos are used by dashing first. When you do the reverse motion for the dash, Wolvie will take a hop back. This is useful if you want to dodge an attack or get away from an opponent. Rolling--Motion B, DB, D + AP: After being hit with a move where your character will normally be knocked down, use this move before they hit the ground and your character will quickly roll about a half-screen distance and get up extremely fast. Use this move to your advantage by using a special move or combo right as you get up, not only doing some pretty good damage, but surprising the opponent as well. Throws: A throw, by definition, is an attack in which you grab the opponent and either toss him/her in one quick motion or start beating him/her repeatedly. This is another reason I like Wolvie--he's about the only character in the game who does a grabbing throw. Here are the three different kinds of throws that he has: Ground Pound--Press F + HP when up close: Wolverine trips the opponent, leaps onto them, and starts mercilessly hacking away at their upper torso and neck! Ram on the buttons to pound away more. Back Hack--Press F + MP when up close: Wolvie hops on the opponent's back and starts mercilessly hacking away at the back of the opponent's neck! Again, ram on the buttons to get more damage! Air Tear--Press F + HP while up close in the air: Wolverine defies gravity, attaches himself to the opponent, and begins--you guessed it--mercilessly hacking away at the opponent's face. Ram on the buttons yada yada. Infinity Counter--B, DB, D+any punch while blocking: Doing this motion while blocking will cause your character to use an Infinity Counter. This move is a quick counterattack which hits the opponent as they attack you, thus turning the tables and stopping an attack. It's an okay move, but I don't use these too much, since they eat up 1 level of your Infinity Combo Gauge. Gems: Gems are a new part introduced in Marvel Super Heroes. During a fight, you'll see a "gem" or two at the bottom of the screen. One will be larger than the other. This Gem is the selected Gem. To select a different Gem, press the Select Button (WOW!). To use the Gem that is selected (er, this part is pretty important), motion D, DB, B + 3P. Fighters can steal gems from each other by using special moves, Infinity Specials, Infinity Counters, or combos. Different Gems give you different abilities: Power Gem (Pink)--Increases your power. Time Gem (Red)--Increases your speed. Space Gem (Purple)--Gives you Super Armor, which makes it so you can walk into an attack and keep on walking without reeling back or falling down. Juggernaut has this built into him. Soul Gem (Green)--Lets you gradually recover life. Mind Gem (Blue)--Lets you quickly fill up your Infinity Combo Gauge. Reality Gem (Orange)--Gives character the ability to shoot projectiles with regular attacks. BTW, There will be a Using Gems section later on in this FAQ for in-depth details and/or strategies for each gem. Taunt--Tap D, D, Select: This move, by far, is the BEST MOVE EVER CREATED. It does INSANE DAMAGE AND--just kidding. The taunt isn't really useful for anything except to rub in the fact that you just did a big combo or damaging move. It's also kinda funny to repeatedly taunt and see if the opponent will play along and start taunting, too. Then you can nail them with a Weapon X while they're in the middle of a taunt. Hee hee, that probably wouldn't work, though. Oh, it's also pretty useless against the computer, too. //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// THE MOVES ____________________________________________________________________________ REGULAR MOVES This section gives you the analysis of each regular attack that Wolvie has. Punches-- Standing LP: Wolverine gives a quick poke forward with his left claw. Can be chained together for a quick two hits. Like most Light Punches in the Street Fighter games, it does little damage, but you can get many of them in and pressure your opponent. Standing MP: Wolverine gives a fast slash with his claw in a side motion. Can also be chained together for two hits. Very useful when you dash for a combo. This OTGs. Standing HP: Wolverine throws his arms past each other and uppercuts, literally (Upper. Cut. GET IT? Ha, ha, no..). It's very powerful, it's good at countering attacks and will also knock the person back. This can't be chained with anything, but it can when followed by a Hard Kick while dashing, thus setting the victim up for an air combo. This OTGs. Crouching LP: Wolvie pokes his claw forward. This is sort of your standard crouching Light Punch. I think it can chain into itself, but also it can be chained into the Berserker Barrage X, which makes for a simple but effective combo. This OTGs. Crouching MP: Wolvie makes a sort of spinning uppercut with his claw. This is his mini-launcher, and should be followed up by a standing Hard Kick to launch the opponent into the air for an air combo. This OTGs. Crouching HP: Wolverine lunges forward with both claws going outward. This attack is okay, but it doesn't hit twice like it did in X-Men: COTA. It has a small delay that can be seen coming before it hits, but it's also somewhat quick at the same time, confusing opponents' block. This OTGs. Jumping LP: Wolvie sticks his claw out quickly while turning his body to the side a little. It has an okay range, but, being a Light Punch, does little damage. Fortunately, it's good for starting combos. Jumping MP: Wolverine basically does what he does on the ground in the air. This is one of my favorite combo moves because not only can it combo as a jump-in combo, but it makes one heck of an air combo move. In fact, it can be chained into itself infinitely! You can get about 4 (in Juggernaut's case, 4-5) hits off it if you press it fast enough and set the opponent up right! I've gotted a couple pretty good combos using the Jumping MP, which will be explained later. Jumping HP: Wolvie slashes with both his claws and does a front flip. This move is great to do when you want to hit somebody out of their attack, and it also makes an easy (and powerful) AC Finisher. It also makes a great jump-in attack. Kicks-- Standing LK: Wolverine gives a small kick that looks like a low standing Left Kick from Tekken 3. It's pretty quick, but doesn't do too much damage. When used dashing, though, it can start a lot of "homemade combos". This OTGs. Standing MK: Wolvie gives the opponent a quick knee to the gut. This can be chained into itself for 2 hits, and is pretty quick for a Medium Kick. It's best followed up by a Standing Hard Kick to launch the opponent. This OTGs. Standing HK: Wolvie does a handstand and kicks with both his feet. This is Wolverine's launcher, and probably his most effective move. You can be pretty creative and start some combos that include this. It hits most opponents out of their jump, too. For more info on launchers (if you haven't read about it already), go to the Basics section of this FAQ. Crouching LK: This, like the crouching Light Punch, is very quick, but like most of the LKs, does minimal damage. I wouldn't suggest using it that much unless you want to start a small ground combo. This OTGs. Crouching MK: Wolvie sticks one hand behind him and kicks with both feet together. This is one of the few Crouching MKs that I've seen in a Street Fighter game that knocks the opponent down (the other being in Street Fighter Alpha 2). Use this move if you want to trip the opponent without the delay time of the Crouching HK. This OTGs. Crouching HK: Wolverine lunges forward with both feet and knocks the opponent down. This move has great range, and can hit somebody from about 1/4 of the screen's distance away. While it's pretty fast and does more damage than the Crouching MK, human opponents can see it from a mile away. Use it up close against human opponents and anywhere against the computer opponent. This OTGs. Jumping LK: Wolvie does a quick kick in the air. Not too useful unless you want to start a small air combo or set up for a combo on the ground. Jumping MK: Boy, I wish I could do this...Wolverine brings one foot straight up and does the splits. This move looks cool, but it's not really effective except for the speed, which is okay. Use this if you want to mix up your strategy. Jumping HK: Wolverine kicks one foot out and starts doing sort of a Hurricane Kick. This move is pretty powerful, and can be used as a strong AC Finisher or just to knock an opponent out of the air. ____________________________________________________________________________ SPECIAL MOVES Here are Wolverine's Special Moves! Berserker Barrage--Motion D, DF, F + Any Punch In X-Men-COTA, this was his Hyper X move. Now, Wolvie can do the BB any time he wants! This move causes Wolvie to slash wildly at the opponent with his claws while he dashes forward! If you ram on the punch buttons, not only can it have as many as 8 hits, but Wolvie will do a final slash that sends the opponent flying, letting you add a small OTG combo at the end! This move also goes almost all the way across the screen! Of you use the Light Punch to excecute the move, the recovery time is very small, the Medium Punch makes a little recovery time, and the Hard Punch makes a lot of recovery, but it also does a great amount of damage if it connects. Use the BB if you are up close when the opponent is very low on life, and even if they do block it, it will still chip, chip, chip away at them until they are dead! This OTGs. Tornado Claw--Motion F, D, Df + AP This move has been toned down since X-Men: COTA because it can't catch the opponent from half a screen away. Fortunately, it does great damage and can do up to 7 hits if you keep tapping punch (like the BB). Use this move for great damage when your opponent misses an Infinity Combo or another move that has recovery time. This move also makes an effective keep-away move for opponents that like to jump in. This move OTGs. Drill Claw--Tap any direction (yes, this move goes ANY direction you want), then tap a punch and a kick of the same power (LP+LK, MP+MK, HP+HK) Wolverine exclaims "Drill Claw" and flies spinning towards his opponent with his claw outstretched. This move has to be one of the most versatile moves ever created in a fighting game! It does great damage (especially when used in combos), is quick, and best of all, is multi-purposeful! You may use it as a keep away move by aiming it diagonally upwards, you can use it as a powerful AC Finisher, or you can just use it on the ground straight towards the opponent for a Dragon Punch-ish move! Not only that, but if the opponent blocks it, Wolvie bounces a little ways back, in the air, saving him from any deadly close range moves! If I haven't said this before (which I have), this is one of the most versatile moves ever created in a fighting game. ____________________________________________________________________________ INFINITY SPECIALS Here're Wolvie's Infinity Specials! Berserker Barrage X--Motion D, DF, F + 3P As if Wolverine's Hyper X move in X-Men: COTA wasn't bad enough, they had to increase the speed and number of hits it does in MSH! Wolverine does a really pumped up version of the BB, hitting the opponent 12 times and sending them flying! Just like the BB, you can follow up the BBX with a small OTG combo! Unfortunatly, this doesn't do terrific damage, but it's quick to pull off and will finish an opponent that's almost dead if they block it. This move has really great range, too (almost a full screen, but it only hits about twice if the opponent is far away). Use this move if you jump behind an opponent as they are recovering from an Infinity Special, or if they are just landing from a jump (it can juggle them). It's pretty fun to watch if you finish the opponent off on the first hit of the BBX (talk about overkill)! Weapon X--Motion F, D, DF + 3P This is THE Infinity Special. Period. Wolverine crosses his claws, then rushes forwards at an insane speed. If he hits them with that rush, oh, boy, are you in for some fireworks! He does a NASTY auto-combo that ends with him leaping forward and slashing in the shape of an X. This move can go through many projectiles (except for Thanos's Bubble), just about every regular attack, and not only does it go a full screen's distance, but it can even hit a jumping opponent that just left the ground or who is returning to the ground! The only downpoint of this awesome Infinity Special is that the opponent can block the rush, leaving you open for who-knows what. Also, don't excecute it when you are up close (unless the opponent is dizzy), or you'll get hit while Wolverine crosses his claws. This move is very effective when an opponent misses a good move or super, one that is throwing a slow projectile, or one of those weird computer opponents who do a regular move from far away. Oh, did I mention that this takes off just about half the opponent's life? That's right, two of these, and it's BYE, PIGGY! Ahem, sorry. ____________________________________________________________________________ MISCELLANEOUS MOVES FOR WOLVERINE. Wall Bounce--While in the air and near a wall, press U + the opposite direction you're going at the moment Wolverine can bounce off the wall like Chun-Li! This move is useful for staying in the air a little longer to avoid something going on down below, like an Infinity Special. This move is pretty good for deking out your opponent or dodging an attack. Air Blade Kick--While in the air, Hold D and Tap MK. Wolvie has Akuma's Divine Demon Air Blade Kick! He does a very fast diagonal kick that zooms down to the ground. This move makes a great hit and run move because it's quick and Wolvie bounces off the opponent a fair distance. Also, if you do it from the right distance, you can do a Wall Bounce and execute the Air Blade Kick _again_! Unfortunately, it isn't that powerful. Claw Slide--Hold DF, then tap HP Wolverine can slide forward and trip the opponent with both his claws! This move has pretty good range and is quick, too. When quickly followed up with a BB or BBX, this simple attack can turn into a good OTG combo! Speaking of OTGing, this move OTGs. ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// WOLVIE'S COMBOS Let me start off by saying that Wolvie, as you may have heard, is a total combo machine. He is. On the ground, if you just mash buttons and move the directional pad, you will have done a combo ending in a special move totaling about 5+ hits. This guy is my favorite character because of that. You will have noticed in this section that it is divided into two parts: Regular Combos and Launcher combos, Regular Combos are, well, some small improv combos that I made up with Wolvie while in VS. Mode against a dummy. Some are a bit harder than the others, but they're all really fun to do if you get them down! Launcher Combos are just a few combos I made up that provide some variation on what to do before you launch an opponent to get more hits out of the whole combo. If you ever want to invent some combos on your own (mine are just some easy ones to get you started), go to VS. Mode, select Wolverine Vs. Wolverine and put their handicap down to 1 star. Not only do you get twice the practice time (2 Wolvies), but they do little damage, too! Oh, be sure to set the clock to infinite. I'm sure that Wolverine has a LOT more combos than the ones that I've made up, but just remember, these are just some to start you off. Okay, enough with the talking already, lets get ready to rumble! KEY: *=EASY COMBO, **=INTERMEDIATE COMBO, ***=ADVANCED COMBO. /\: Signals you to tap up after you launch to do a Super Jump. \/: Land (during a combo). ,: Signals the end of one part of a combo. -->: Signals a move into a special move during a combo. XX: Signals a move into an Infinity Special during a combo. S.: Standing. C.: Crouching. J.: Jumping. D.S.: Dashing and Standing. Example, D.S. LP. S.J.: Super Jumping. Example, S.J. LP. AC Finisher: A move used at the end of an air combo that knocks the opponent back to the ground. Ground Magic: How the combos on the ground can be excecuted. Air Magic: How the combos in the air can be excecuted. Super Jump Magic: How the combos in the air after you Super Jump can be excecuted. Zigzag: A kind of magic series that goes through each strength of attack button during a combo. Example: LP, LK, MP, MK, HP, HK. Stronger: A kind of magic where the punch or kick gets stronger as the combo goes along. Example: LP, MP, HP. Combo info about Wolvie: Ground Magic: Zigzag, Stronger. Air Magic: Zigzag, Stronger. Super Jump Magic: Zigzag. AC Finishers: Hard Punch, Hard Kick, Drill Claw, Air throw (?). Regular Combos S. HP, S. HK. 2 HITS. * C. HP, C. HK. 2 HITS. * C. MK, C. MK (OTG)-->Tornado Claw 6 hits * Note: Easy to do, and pretty strong! J. MP, J. MP \/ S. MP, S. MP. 4 HITS * D.S. LP, LK, MP, HP. 4 HITS. *1/2 J. HP, C. HP --> TORNADO CLAW. 6 HITS. *1/2 J. HP, DRILL CLAW. 2 HITS. **. Note: This combo doesn't seem like much, but trust me, it does insane damage. D.S. LP, MP, HP --> DRILL CLAW. 4 HITS. ** D.S. LK, MK, MK, HK, /\, S.J. LP, S.J. LK, S.J. MP, S.J. MK, AC FINISHER. 8 HITS. ** Note: This is your standard air combo. (in the corner) C. LP, XX BERSERKER BARRAGE X, OTG with S. LK, S. MK, S. MK, S. HK. 16 HITS! ** Note: While the first hit is being done, quickly do the motion for the BBX. And no, you can't do an air combo after you launch them with the S. HK, due to the rules of OTGing. (in the corner) D.S. LP, S. LK, C. HP --> BERSERKER BARRAGE, OTG with S. LK, S. MK, S. MK, S. HK. ~15 HITS ** Note: I've tried and tried again, but the BBX won't work in place of the BB. It still does good damage, though. Again, you can't do an air combo after this one. D.S. LK, MK, MK, HK, /\ S.J. MP, S.J. MP, S.J. MP, S.J. MP --> DRILL CLAW, SJ. HP. 10 HITS *** Note: Aim the Drill Claw Up-Forward to lift the opponent up a little, thus letting you hit them with the S.J. Hard Punch. This is a good example of the usefulness of the Jumping Medium Punch! Whenever you launch somebody, try just tapping /\ and start to ram on that Medium Punch button! Launcher Combos D.S. HP, S. HK. 2 HITS. * Note: This combo only works in the corner or on medium and big characters. D.S. LP, C. LK, C. MP, S. HK. 4 HITS. ** Note: This combo is also a good combo to OTG opponents! D.S. LK, S. MP, S. MK, S. MK, S. HK. 5 HITS. * 1/2. Note: Fun to watch, and (semi) easy to do! ***************************************************************************** ***************************************************************************** STRATEGIES Well, now you have a few pretty cool combos and moves to use against your opponents, but, what ELSE are you going to do against them? This next section should tell you the rights and wrongs. ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// OVERALL STRATEGY I can describe Wolverine in two words: Speedy Offense. You want to always keep the pressure on and barrage your opponent with Specials, big combos, Infinity Specials, and just go all out. Since he has a healing factor, Wolvie will take less damage if you just keep dashing into your enemy with some of the combos mentioned. Your enemy, in turn will be trying to hurt you but in the long run, will start to be hurt over time. If you have the upper hand, you'll win. I know of some matches where I would get a Perfect win just because I never stayed back or let up my attack. Since Wolvie is so insanely fast, your opponent, unless they are fast, will hardly have any time to react if you just keep attacking. Just keep the pressure on, and sooner or later, Wolvie's speed and power will start to win the battle for you. The Hard Punch, in any position, is a fantastic move to use if you want to pressure the opponent. Jumping, crouching, standing, wherever, it's an extrememly fast move, unlike SOME character I know (cough hack *JUGGERNAUT* cough cough). If you get low on life, use a Soul Gem if you have one or just play hit and run; Wolvie's good at that, too. ONLY do that if you're low on life, though. Just remember to always be on the offense and never let up. Pressure, pressure, pressure, is all you need! 00///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// USING GEMS The Power Gem (pink) This is Wolverine's best Gem, by far. When he uses this, Wolvie will begin to be trailed by 2 or 3 mirror images that hit the opponent additionally every time Wolvie scores a hit. In other words, Wolvie does about 3 times the damage as he normally would! When you pull off a combo, hoo boy, it does _insane_ damage. Not only that, but the launcher into the S.J. Medium Punch combo is NASTY. Since Wolvie's trailed by those mirror images, when he usually would be done with the air combo, nope, the mirror images CONTINUE to juggle the opponent in the air, even though Wolverine has already finished! Ouch, ouch, ouch! You just have to see it to believe it. The only problem with this Gem is that there's some slowdown when Wolvie starts to move around, but other than that, just scoring a hit or two will really hurt the opponent, especially a Standing Hard Punch! Your main focus should be to launch the opponent and whup them in the air. By the way, you will have plenty of chances to since the Power Gem lasts a long time! _____________________________________________________________________________ The Reality Gem (orange) While this gem may not be the best, it sure is fun to use! Whenever you attack with a regular attack (ex. Hard Punch), the Reality Gem will kick in and cause a projectile to fly out! Here's a list of what will happen: Light Punch: Shoots a fast-traveling orange fireball out. Medium Punch: Drops six icicles down onto your opponent in a cascading line from about a full screen's distance away \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ Hard Punch: Sends three blue fireballs out that act like homing missles. Light Kick: Shoots a fast-traveling orange fireball out that hits low. Medium Kick (my fav): Causes six icicles to rise UPWARD from about a full screen's distance away /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ Hard Kick: Sends six blue fireballs to fly outward in every direction (these don't home in, unfortunately) As you can see, the Reality Gem can cause some pretty cool things to happen! Unfortunately, it lasts for a very short time, so just go berserk with these attacks, even if they don't do that much damage. Personally, I use the Hard Punch and the Medium Kick. I use the Hard Punch because of it's usefulness as a homing device and the fact that it's the best one to use just before the Reality gem runs out (since the fireballs keep going even after the gem is finished). The Medium Kick is incredibly fun to use because of the fact that it can juggle opponents! Yep, if it's pulled off correctly, and the opponent is standing in the right spot (i.e. anywhere in the icicles' range), the icicles will juggle the opponent, causing...er, actually, it doesn't really do that much damage, but hey, it's fun to watch! That's what the Reality Gem is all about! _____________________________________________________________________________ The Space Gem (purple) This gem can be useful in several ways. Since it gives you Super Armor, which lets you take hits without falling (except for multi-hit special moves, like the Uni-Beam from Iron Man), Wolverine will be able to blindly charge into an opponent for a combo at any time! If the opponent does anything, yes it will hurt you, but Wolvie will keep running. This gives you a great chance to run in for a combo, since the opponent can't prevent it! Wolverine can even run through projectiles with the Space Gem! ____________________________________________________________________________ The Soul Gem (green) A very useful Gem. It refills your life, so if you are behind in a battle, and your opponent has about the same amount of life as you do, just use this and you'll be healthy again! Unfortunately, it only refills a little bit, so don't get too cocky just because you're ahead in terms of life. It's one of the more useful gems, though, so use it when necessary. ____________________________________________________________________________ The Mind Gem (blue) One word for this one: Wow. This acts like the Soul Gem, only with one *major* difference--it fills up your INFINITY GAUGE! Not only does it give you IG energy, but it also fills up about 2 full bars! It's extremely useful any time, any place in a fight (I use it the instant I get it, so the opponent can't steal it from me), and can change the tides if you want to cause some heavy, quick damage. Just be sure the Infinity Combos connect ^_^ ____________________________________________________________________________ The Time Gem (red) Well, since Wolverine is already a very fast character, I'm not too sure that you can use this one too effectively. Most of the time when I use this and try to fight as I normally would, the speed would mess me up and I'd be hit. I've found that the most effective way to use this is to storm your opponent with quick 2 or 3 hit improv combos, never letting up until the gem runs out. In other words, it's a good gem for pressuring your opponent. //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// VS. I'm glad you know which way to go, but that ain't gonna stop me, here we go (Parappa point)! Okay, so you've learned a few things about Wolvie, but you've still got a ways to go. Now it's time to go against the actual "opponents" that I keep refering to. Don't worry, this next section should tell you what to do right. Under each character's name, you'll see some traits about them (Speed, size, How to use combos effectively, when to use Weapon X, etc.), along with a list of their special moves and in-depth strategies about his/her/it's strengths and weaknesses. This section will (hopefully) show you the good things to do, and the bad things. Keep in mind that these are just strategies against computer opponents. ONWARD! Here are some of the multiple choice categories and what possible ratings are for them. Difficulty: Out of **** Speed: Very Slow, Slow, Average, Fast Size: Huge, Big, Medium, Small Power: Powerful, Strong, Moderate, Weak Good Character to jump attack?: No, Sometimes, Yes Different styles?: Aggressive Turtling--A style in which you block nearly all the attacks an opponent throws at you, but counter most of them and hit them whenever they make a mistake. Hit and Run--A run-away style of play where you hit the opponent with a quick attack, then you get the heck out of there before you get creamed. Jump Attack--A style where you mostly want to stay in the air instead of walking on the ground. This is mostly used because the opponent can either whup you on the ground, or because they have almost no defense to jump-in attacks. Up Close--Wolverine's main style. Using this, you charge at the opponent with everything you have and never let up for a moment. Always try to keep the pressure on with this style. BLACKHEART Hmm, must be a tobacco addict. DIFFICULTY: *** SPEED: Slow SIZE: Big POWER: Strong EASY TO SET UP FOR LAUNCH?: Yes SHOULD YOU USE COMBOS OFTEN?: Yes WHICH STYLES OF ATTACK SHOULD YOU USE?: Up Close, Jump Attack. GOOD TIME TO USE WEAPON X: If you are in-between an him and a missed Inferno that is still in effect. EX: |%| W B OR W |%| B SPECIAL MOVES: Inferno: *** Dark Thunder: ** INFINITY SPECIALS: ARMAGGEDON: * HEART OF DARKNESS: *** Blackheart can be a tough opponent if he starts to get the upper hand before you do. You'll have to have a mad offense to get through his line of projectiles, which he'll try to shut you out with. Speaking of his projectiles, they are are strong and effective, and they'll just keep on coming if you sit in one spot. He just keeps excecuting them if you stay back, so try to stay on the offense whenever possible. If he uses a Reality Gem, watch out, he'll turn invisible and can use his power to his advantage. Additionally, his Heart of Darkness Infinity Special is one of the cheapest, longest lasting moves that I've seen for a long time, and can does really good damage. It's annoying, too. You just kind of sit there and watch while poor Wolvie gets juggled and juggled some more by those infernal demons until it's been about 22 hits, then when you think it's over, BOOM! He hits him with an Inferno. He'll use this mostly if you are far away, just like an Inferno, so it's better to stay in his face. On the plus side, however, Blackie can be easy, too. Jump attacks work great against him, because he doesn't really have any really good keep away moves to knock you out of the air. All he has is a couple specials that keep you away from a distance. Dashes are very effective because he's too slow to do anything to counter it. Combos are really effective, especially ones that include Launchers. Blackheart can be launched one time after the other; again, he's too slow to do anything. If he misses an Inferno and you're in-between him and it, pull off a Weapon X to kick some demon tail! The Berserker Barrage is okay, but he can counter with Dark Thunder or Inferno, depending on where you are. Also, you have to be close to him to do it, for some reason, the BB will just seem to go right through him and it won't do the full 8 hits, doing a measly 3 or 4. Don't worry, though, you have plenty of chances for combos since his specials have horrible lag time. Don't worry about the little demons he throws out, either, you can just jump over those and nail him with a Diving Kick while he just sits there and waits for them to disappear so he can attack again. One more thing: ARMAGGEDON SUCKS! This is probably one of the worst supers I've seen (although the Gamma Crush is pretty awful, too): It can be seen from a mile away and be blocked easily, can be dodged if you just stay in the air, does hardly ANY block damage, has horrible lag time, and doesn't even do too much damage even if it actually connects! Just keep jumping in and keep the pressure on, and you'll be able to defeat Blackheart without too many scratches. Captain America For a defender of the country, he sure is a pretty average fighter. DIFFICULTY: ** 1/2 SPEED: Average SIZE: Medium POWER: Moderate EASY TO SET UP FOR LAUNCH?: Yes SHOULD YOU USE COMBOS OFTEN?: Yes WHICH STYLE(S) OF ATTACK SHOULD YOU USE?: Up Close. GOOD TIME TO USE WEAPON X: When he misses a Charging Star. SPECIAL MOVES: Shield Slash: ** Stars 'N Stripes: ** 1/2 Charging Star: * INFINITY SPECIAL: FINAL JUSTICE: * 1/2 Captain America can be a real pain if you underestimate him. He's moderately fast, but has some short, fast combos that do pretty good damage. His Shield Slash is fast and deadly at close range, plus his Stars 'n Stripes does insane damage. The Shield Slash can take you out of a Drill Claw, too, so only use the Drill Claw on the ground sparingly. Some of his regular moves have really good range, and this can be annoying if you try to dash in for a combo. Watch out if he uses a Power Gem--he'll start to be trailed by a couple shadows when he attacks and his moves will hit you three times instead of one, thus causing triple damage to you. Play Hit and Run at that time. Oh, and don't let your guard down, either, or he might pull off Final Justice. Don't worry, though. Final Justice is kinda sad. It doesn't hurt as much as Wolvie's Weapon X (although it looks nasty), plus it can be blocked easily, leaving the Captain wide open for a combo or Berserker Barrage X--no, if you try the WX, Captain will have just enough time to block it. Speaking of Weapon X, you have a good chance of connecting with it if you execute it quickly immediatly when Mr. America tries to hit you from a full screen away with a Shield Slash. Though he does have some okay moves that can counter a dash, I advise to keep dashing and launching him--Wolvie's speed and priority can beat out his moves most of the time. The Air Blade Kick is always a good move, and you should be able to hit him with it on more than one occasion. Also, if Captain tries to hit you with a Charging Star (which he rarely ever does for some reason), block and counter with a BBX for punishment. Combos are very effective, especially the air combos and BB into OTG combos. The BB, by the way, is a great move to use against Captain. I'm not really sure why, though. Maybe it's because he just doesn't have very many counterattacks, or that the BB's speed beats him out, or maybe it's just that the BB is a great move. As always, you should pressure CA and never let up until he's beaten to a pulp. Overall, the battle against the Cap'n shouldn't be too hard if you do the above. Remember, PRESSURE! Psylocke Hey! Did she just give me The Finger before the fight started?? DIFFICULTY: ** SPEED: Fast SIZE: Small POWER: Weak EASY TO SET UP FOR LAUNCH?: Yes SHOULD YOU USE COMBOS OFTEN?: Sometimes WHICH STYLE OF ATTACK SHOULD YOU USE?: Up Close. BEST TIME TO USE WEAPON X: Just as she uses a Psi-Blast. SPECIAL MOVES: Psi-Blast: ** 1/2 Psi-Blade: ** Ninjitsu: ** INFINITY SPECIALS PSI-THRUST: * 1/2 SUMANATRA KOUMO: * 3/4 PSI-MAELSTROM: * 3/4 Psylocke's quick and though she may not look like it, can surprise you with some pretty good combos if you aren't careful in defending yourself. She's small, too, so it might be tougher to pull off some of your combos. Her Psi-Blast is okay on the ground and pretty effective in the air. The Psi-Blade is pretty fast, does good damage, is a good keep away move, and can even OTG your fallen body after a good combo! Ninjitsu is a really annoying hit-and-run move because she disappears, then she charges at you with a mini- version of her Infinity Special. Not only can she do it in the air, she can't be hit out of it while she does as well! This move is really frustrating when you're trying to dash in for a combo. Her Psi-Maelstrom move does decent damage if it connnects correctly. Fortunately, the P-M can be avoided easily since it has hardly any range and Psylocke uses it rarely for some reason (just like Cap uses Charging Star rarely). Her Psi-Blast is somewhat slow and can be blocked easily from a full screen away. If timed correctly, you can even pull off a Weapon X and catch her while she's stuck in the animation. For some reason, she hardly ever uses the Psi-Blade except to OTG you. If she ever tries Ninjitsu, block it and use a Tornado Claw to keep her out. Also, if she does the Psi-Thrust, block it and counter quickly with either a Berserker Barrage or if you have enough Infinity Special energy, the BBX. The Drill Claw is an effective air attack, but try to mix your moves up, don't rely on it. Wolvie should continue to keep the pressure on, never letting up (as always). Even though Psylocke's quick, she's weak, unlike Wolvie, who's fast and strong as well. In short, watch out for Psylocke's speed, but no matter what, constantly stay on the offense. Shuma Gorath In Shuma's backstory, when he fights, it says that he changes form to become the opponent's "worst nightmare" every battle. So, since Shuma never changes form during the game, every character in Marvel Super Heroes's "worst nightmare" must be a giant, one-eyed octopus with razor sharp teeth and the ability to shoot six giant eyeballs at you. O-kaaaay.. DIFFICULTY: ** SPEED: Average POWER: Medium POWER: Moderate EASY TO SET UP FOR LAUNCH?: Yes SHOULD YOU USE COMBOS OFTEN?: Yes WHICH STYLE SHOULD YOU USE?: Up Close, Jump Attack. BEST TIME TO USE WEAPON X: While Shuma fires a Mystic Stare from a full screen distance. SPECIAL MOVES: Mystic Stare: ** 1/2 Mystic Smash: ** 1/2 Devitalization: * INFINITY SPECIAL: CHAOS DIMENSION: *** Well, it's "The People's Nightmare", is it? Shuma Gorath can "lay the smack down" at times. One unique thing about his stage is that it goes on forever, and there is no official "corner" in it. This means you can't knock him into the corner with a BB or a BBX and OTG his fallen body. His projectile (Mystic Stare) is great, hitting you six times and resulting in big damage. Also, his Mystic Smash move will send him rolling into you and hitting you six times (must be his lucky number). This move is VERY fast to come out, and I've even seen him hit me with one, do a regular move to keep the hits going, then execute ANOTHER Mystic Smash for a whopping 13 or so hits! This only happened once, though, so don't expect him to use this as one of his main strategies. If you try to dash too much, Shumy will probably stick out an attack: Standing Hard Punch, which does good damage and will knock you back, or his Standing Hard Kick, which hits you 5-6 times! If he ever uses his Infinity Special, the Chaos Dimension, RUN! Shuma connects with this move? Say "See ya!" to half of your life bar! Fortunately, the Chaos Dimension is pretty easy to avoid, since Wolvie is faster than Shuma and can just Super Jump over his slimy little head. To me, Shuma Gorath's main weakness is probably that he has to charge for two seconds before he can excecute a Mystic Stare or Smash. This makes it so he can't quickly counter a BB or any kind of fast move that works well up close, leaving him open to attack while he's still trying to find time to charge up. He's kinda defenseless to air attacks, too, so make use of the Jumping Hard Punch or the Air Blade Kick in attacking him. His Devitalization move is probably the worst move ever to come out in the history of fighting games-- it has no range whatsoever. I've never been hit by it. As I've mentioned before, Shuma's stage has no end, but the good thing about this is that you can't get cornered, which can be annoying. A good time to use the Weapon X is when Shumy fires a Mystic Stare at you from a full screen distance-- Wolverine will just go right through it. I know this Weapon X through projectiles is getting kind of repetitive, but I have to remind you when to use it. Keep the pressure on Shuma, jumping in and BBing, and you'll be able to send this purple mess back to where he belongs, if he belongs anywhere. Spider Man Why is my favorite super hero my worst enemy?? WHY?? DIFFICULTY: *** 1/2 SPEED: Fast SIZE: Small POWER: Moderate EASY TO SET UP FOR LAUNCH?: No SHOULD YOU USE COMBOS OFTEN?: Sometimes WHICH STYLE SHOULD YOU USE?: Jump Attack. GOOD TIME TO USE WEAPON X: Whenever he makes a big mistake. Sorry, couldn't think of anything else--Spidey's smart. SPECIAL MOVES: Web Ball: *** 1/2 Spider Sting: *** 1/2 Web Swing: ** INFINITY SPECIAL: MAXIMUM SPIDER: ** 1/2 RRrggghh!! I HATE THIS GUY!! Spider Man is probably Wolverine's worst nightmare come true (if the fact about Shuma Gorath becoming people's worst nightmare isn't true). He's fast, small, VERY annoying, he has very high priority on most his moves, his special moves are really cheap and annoying, his combos do big damage, and he's just plain good. Watch out if he starts to barrage you with Web Balls; you can't do anything about it unless you SJ in, in which case he'll probably do a Spider Sting on you, resulting in big damage. If you ever try to dash in a lot, he'll use a Spider Sting, too, so only dash when he's not expecting it. The Web Swing does BIG damage against you, so jump outta there if you see Spidey try to pull it off. Never let your guard down, or he might punish you with a Maximum Spider and take off half your life bar. Since Spidey likes to combo, get out of the way if you see him dash towards you and never try to fight him at close-quarters. Pulling off a Weapon X is VERY tough when you try to go through a Web Ball because they're just so dang FAST! Well, I have to say that Spider Man has very few weaknesses! The main strategy you should use is the Jump In strategy, which is very effective if you are quick enough. "But what about the Spider Sting? Won't that take you out of a jump??" No, it won't, because Spidey rarely uses that if you're quick and hit him before he can react. It's kinda like how CA hardly ever uses the Charging Star--Spidey doesn't use the Spider Sting too often if you jump in. The BB is great at close range, but if you use it from half a screen distance or more, Spidey will throw out a web ball, followed by others if you try to dash in some more. The Drill Claw is a pretty effective move on the ground, so don't neglect it in the fight. Spidey's Web Swing might do great damage, but it leaves him WIDE open when blocked, setting him up for a BBX (no, WX isn't quick enough to catch him). If Spidey misses a Spider Sting, launch him on his way down and air combo him. The Maximum Spider leaves him open a bit when blocked as well, so take advantage of this and do whatever you want with him--just make it quick, though. The Incredible Hulk Hulk? Yes. Incredible? Not exactly.. Difficulty: ** SPEED: Slow SIZE: Big POWER: Strong EASY TO SET UP FOR LAUNCH?: Yes SHOULD YOU USE COMBOS OFTEN?: Sometimes WHICH STYLE SHOULD YOU USE?: Up Close, Jump Attack. GOOD TIME TO USE WEAPON X: When you see him begin to use the Gamma Toss (just as he bends over to pick up the wood/stone/whatever). SPECIAL MOVES: Gamma Charge: *** 1/2 Gamma Tornado: ** Gamma Toss: * INFINITY SPECIAL: GAMMA CRUSH: * 1/2 Well, we've now come to Mr. "Let's Rock", have we? While he may be slow, The Incredible Hulk can catch you off guard in a few places. First off, he's pretty strong, so you shouldn't let your guard down and blindly dash into him--you'll have a fair amount of life taken off before you know what hit you. His Gamma Charge is probably one of the most effective moves in the game--very fast, pretty strong, and it can counter just about any attack you try to pull off. Oh, it also can be chained into itself for a damaging combo--TIH loves to do this whenever he hits you with it. Also, the Gamma Tornado is pretty nasty: Hulk puts his arm out and begins to swing you around by your head! Ouch! It's not only unblockable, but it does _insane_ damage. I'm talking around 1/5 of your life bar! Watch out if he uses the Speed Gem, too, Hulk will not only be powerful, but he'll be very fast as well. Other than those small things to look out for, Hulk doesn't really have too much going for him. The "projectile" he throws at you takes forever to come out. Hulk has to bend over, rip a piece out of the ground, hold it over his head, and finally throw it at you. Even when it does connect, it doesn't do that much damage! Try pulling off a Weapon X when you see Hulk begin the Gamma Toss. Also, while we're on the subject of taking- forever-to-come-out, we come to Hulk's Infinity Special. First off, it can be seen from MILES away. You actually see Hulk jump into the air to grab the meteor, and you can easily see him come down to crush you with it before it even starts to hit you. Secondly, you can dodge it! Just try super jumping and use a Drill Claw straight up. The amount of time you're in the air actually outweighs the time it takes for Hulk to finish his IC! If that isn't long enough, try a Wall Bounce before you use the Drill Claw to get more time in the air. Of course, why waste all that energy when you can simply hold Back and block the attack with hardly any damage done to you? Either way, this IC is useless. Hulk is pretty slow, too, so Wolverine should be able to run circles arount him. Just keep the pressure up as always, not making any blind mistakes, and you'll win this fight with ease. Magneto You call this guy a SUPER VILLAIN?? Difficulty: * 3/4 SPEED: Slow SIZE: Medium POWER: Moderate EASY TO SET UP FOR LAUNCH?: Yes SHOULD YOU USE COMBOS OFTEN?: Yes WHICH STYLE SHOULD YOU USE?: Up Close. GOOD TIME TO USE WEAPON X: Rrr...I can't think of any. Whenever he makes a mistake (which is pretty often for this guy), I guess. SPECIAL MOVES E-M Disrupter--*** Hyper Gravitation--* 1/2 Fly--** Magnetic Blast--* 1/2 INFINITY SPECIALS MAGNETIC SHOCKWAVE: ** 1/2 MAGNETIC TEMPEST: * 1/2 Ah, Magneto. The final boss of X-Men COTA. The much battled villain and arch-nemisis of the X-men. One of the worst CPU opponents in the game. Even if it's hard to believe though, there are several things that you should watch out for. First, Magneto has a nasty beam projectile move, the E-M Disrupter. It's fast, has very little lag time, and can strip you of gems faster than Wolvie can say, "Lets go, bub". Secondly, Magneto has a nasty Gem that helps him out when he uses it--the Space Gem. When it's activated, a large circular force field appears around him, and he is immune to all attacks, but he can still hurt you! Third, Magneto has an damaging (and impressive!) Infinity Special--the Magnetic Shockwave (Aaa! Macromedia's gone evil!). When executed, many columns of energy will begin to cascade away from him, causing huge damage if the first one connects. You'll be juggled from column to column, and before you know it, you'll be flat on your back with the fight going in a bad direction. The only thing that you can do against this is block it. Finally, you'll notice that instead of walking on the ground like anybody _else_ Magneto has to float. So naturally, one of his special moves would have to be the ability to fly. When he executes this, he can move around a lot faster, and can stay in a height about equal to a half super jump. Not only can he float around and avoid you while you're on the ground, but he can also throw Magnetic Blasts at you, which are these annoying little C's of energy that travel pretty fast and can mess up your concentration. Other than the above mentioned, though, this purple villain hasn't got much left against Wolverine. In terms of speed, lets just say that Wolvie can run circles around Magneto. This should give you plenty of chances to set up a good offense, retreat when necessary, react to what's about to happen to you (a.k.a. blocking) and go all out at the end of a fight. Concerning Magneto's specials, yes, the E-M Disruptor can be annoying, but if you learn to react when you see the swirl of energy forming in the villain's hand, you should be able to avoid or block it most of the time. Since Hyper Gravs looked incredibly cheap in Marvel vs. Capcom, I thought they would be a pain to go up against in MSH, but surprisingly, they weren't. A couple super jumps is all it really takes to avoid them, sometimes only one will do the trick. As for flying, yes, it is pretty annoying, but it has a major weak point: Once hit, Magneto will stop flying and fall to the ground! In other words, you can just super jump up there, aim correctly, and nail him with a jumping Hard punch. BAM! He's outta there. There isn't much he can do to defend himself, since all he can do is pull off regular attacks (Wolverine's priority will beat him out) and Magnetic Blasts, which may be sort of annoying on the ground, but have hardly any effect on you when you're in the air. Magneto's Magnetic Shockwave may be painful if it hits, but when he executes it from a half or full screen's distance, it's incredibly easy to spot coming, and therefore, you can just block it. Same goes for the Magnetic Tempest; it hurts when it hits, but you can see it coming, so don't let your guard down. Since Magneto is a pretty slow character, keep barraging him with, er, Berserker Barrages and Tornado Claws. The Drill Claw is okay, but resort to other moves since Magneto might pull off a E-M Disrupter. As always, keep the pressure on, looking out for the above mentioned "strengths" that Magneto has, and you'll pretty much have the fight won. Magneto ain't so neato. Iron Man Jeez, think how much oil this guy must have to use.. Difficulty: ** 1/2 SPEED: Average SIZE: Medium POWER: Moderate EASY TO SET UP FOR LAUNCH?: Yes SHOULD YOU USE COMBOS OFTEN?: Yes WHICH STYLE SHOULD YOU USE?: Up Close GOOD TIME TO USE WEAPON X: When he misses with a Repulser Blast. SPECIAL MOVES Uni-Beam *** Repulser Blast: * 1/2 Smart Bomb * 1/2 Fly: ** INFINITY SPECIAL PROTON CANNON: *** Some call him Iron Man, and some call him a mini-Sentinel--I just call him cheap. Iron Man has so many different sorts of moves, it's easy to be overwhelmed the first time you see him--heck, even when you've already seen him. This bucket of bolts has a few things up his metallic plate arm (er, something like that), and can give you some trouble. First off, as I've already made clear, Iron Man has many different moves, giving him a lot of flexibility and variation; it's hard to figure out a distinct attack pattern. He can bombard you with mid-air Smart Bombs (fires two small, annoying balls that explode on contact) just to tick off your health and tick you off in general, for one thing. Also, Iron Man has arguable one of the best projectiles in the game, the Uni-Beam. It's a beam projectile, so it goes across the whole screen, which would still be a threat if it only hit once (beams are tough to go against). But nooo, it has to hit 8, count 'em, 8 times max, causing big damage to you--a few of these and you're behind in the battle. The Uni-Beam can strip you of gems as well, so either dodge it or use up your gems fast. The main reason that you should watch out for Iron Man is because of an even bigger, cheaper, longer, more damaging move: The Proton Cannon! *omninous music* This Infinity Special is probably the flashiest IC in the game, and can total up to 29 hits! It does big damage, and even if you block it, you've still had a fair amount of your life ticked off. If you're almost dead and Iron Boy whips this out, you can just throw down the controller and watch the fireworks, because you don't have a chance against the cheap power of this beam. Fortunately, there are a few noticable weaknesses in Iron Man. First off, he's moderately slow, so as usual, you can outrun him (jeez, is there anybody that Wolvie can't outrun?) and plan your strategies. Also, while Iron Man does have a ton of firepower, most of the specials are easy to block. The Smart Bomb is easy to block because Iron Man says it loud and clear, plus it has a lot of lag time. You can even Weapon X through it if Bolt Boy uses it on the ground! And while we're on the subject of the Weapon X, I'd like to bring up the fact that the Repulser Blast is just incredibly easy to run through with the WX! At any time when you see the Repulser Blast about to be pulled off, use the Weapon X and the WX won't be the only thing executed! This is probably your best chance to come from behind in a battle. The Power Gem is also more useful than usual against Iron Man, although I can't exactly say why. Kinda like how Captain America is prone to the Berserker Barrage. Maybe it's just because Iron Man doesn't exactly have a good defense (he *is* an all out attacking machine), or maybe because Wolverine beats him out in terms of speed. Just use the Launcher-SJ -Medium-Punch combo over and over again, and Iron Man will be flat on his back before he knew what hit him. As for the Flying special move that Iron Man ANNOYINGLY uses to his advantage, all you should really concentrate on is super jumping and Hard Punching to bring him down. And as always, always try to keep the pressure on Iron Man, and don't forget to use the Soul Gem if you need it. In short, a Weapon X, Power Gem, and pressure should vastly help you in this battle against the Renagade Tin Can. ***************************************************************************** ***************************************************************************** SPECIAL THANKS * Gamefaqs, for providing a place for me to put my ol' FAQ on, and just for being the most helpful gaming site on the web. * Capcom, for producing yet another "supoib" fighting game. * Marvel, the creators of the X-Men, the MSH, and of course, our Wolverine. Stay tuned for more updates.....hopefully. I'm having a really tough time with homework and other projects on the net (as usual). Questions? Comments? Hate mail? Viruses? (Er, scratch those last two.) Just e-mail me at serpent231@yahoo.com.