Note: The following is for advanced players. Beginners should start by learning S/A-ranked combos and okizeme routes.
Core Principles
立ち回りの基本
- Mai is a character who should fight centered around OD Kachousen
- Fighting around Kachousen is simpler and brings out Mai's strengths better than forcing ground-based neutral
- For ground neutral: 5HK, 5HP, 5MP, medium foot kick. Pressing 2MP is important for close-range trades and scrambles.
- Minimize Cancel Rush. Put that meter into OD Kachousen instead.
- When extending punishes or punish counters, extend with OD moves rather than CR.
- Think carefully about how to throw Kachousen: hold, light/medium/heavy, wakeup timing.
- Use SA1 aggressively.
- Don't throw Kachousen carelessly when you have Homura stocks. Just having stocks gives the opponent pressure.
- Ideal stock usage: spend 1 right after SA1 for a throw, use 3 with Heavy-Medium Ryuenbu + Heavy Ryuenzan, leave the last one for pressure.
- Be aware of Drive gauge damage. Make 5HP Kachousen a Brick when possible. Throw OD Kachousen into opponent's Parry attempts. Don't let them Parry freely.
- Players who struggle against projectile characters: drastically reduce normal Kachousen. Focus on timing OD Kachousen against opponent's fireballs.
Kachousen Projectile Strength Reference
花蝶扇の強度確認（リュウの波動拳にて）
| Result | Mai Kachousen | Ryu Hadouken |
|---|---|---|
| Mai wins | Charged Homura OD Kachousen | Concentrated OD Hadouken (but 3rd hit cancels, so 4th hits if thrown very early) |
| Mai wins | Charged Homura OD Kachousen | OD Hadouken (2nd hit cancelled, 3rd+4th go through) |
| Draw | Homura OD Kachousen | OD Hadouken |
| Mai loses | OD Kachousen / Charged Homura Kachousen | OD Hadouken |
| Mai wins | Homura OD Kachousen / OD Kachousen | Concentrated Heavy Hadouken |
| Draw | Charged Homura Kachousen / Homura Kachousen | Concentrated Heavy Hadouken |
| Mai loses | Charged Kachousen | Concentrated Heavy Hadouken |
| Mai wins | Homura Kachousen | Heavy Hadouken |
| Draw | Charged Kachousen | Heavy Hadouken |
Note: Homura hits 2x, Charged hits 1x, which seems to be the reason for these differences. Don't have Akuma so can't confirm OD Shakunetsu interactions.
If You Just Want to Win
とにかく勝ちたいなら
- Get in cancel held Kachousen. Adapt usage based on opponent's countermeasure level.
- Light Kachousen or OD Kachousen → Rush overhead
- Okizeme is almost entirely held Kachousen. Keep throwing it until they counter it seriously. Your Drive gauge will be very advantageous.
Ninpou Range Notes
忍蜂の距離
- From a short walk from corner to corner: Medium Ninpou guards at +2 to +4
- From Mai's ponytail height being half the stage height: Light Ninpou guards at 0 to +4