Basic Mio tips?

[akuun]

I got an odd urge to learn Mio the other day, so are there any basic tips or ideas that anyone who knows Mio can help me with? Her strengths/weaknesses? Combos and pressure strings? Thanks in advance

[linalys]

In random, incoherent order:

Mio can duck a lot of stuff! Though her horizontal hitbox and airborne hitbox can be larger it seems?

Mio has a ton of moves! Do chains and randomly switch modes in unexpected places to keep attacking.

2nd best overhead (close range) in the game? Just be sure to be 100% sure to hit or have IC ready. Learn to do crossup/fake crossup overhead on wakeup!

Long range keepaway is halfway decent if the other person isn't good at RGing/you are good at being unpredictable. Pokes that go half screen and can do a quick 1-2-3 for decent damage. Cards are good for lockdown, arrows are good for when the opponent is impatient and trying to run at you before the cards hit.

Use lvl 1 supers all day long as they're generally the most efficent (and anymore really is a waste unless you're trying to kill or you suck at getting openings). Long range ES being one of the few non lvl 1's you'd want to use but it's hard to make it connect without IC and if you IC you might as well do a better combo.

basic combos: (since I don't know how to do the better, longer ones) they're all pretty much shortmode since I can't do the long range ones
2a5bbc 236b 236a, c
chain into whip pull hat toss, no meter no IC combo
2ab5c236a236a, 623a/b
chain into whip pull into uppercut, slightly more damage but harder because of positioning and link timing.

nearish to corner
2abc lvl 1 fireball IC (last hit or whenever you're comfortable canceling it), 2b5c (repeat till ~70% power) Long Range switch, j.bc j.a2bc.

just make sure you hit 2b as low as possible and the rest is easy. There's a better variation that invoves hitting them with LR dash 2c switch 2b5c but I can't do it . It does work until 50% power though.

Air combo is pretty much j.b dash j.bc and either lead into 2b5c corner combo or close 5b into air portion again to push them further away from mid screen.

Setups into air section include but are not limited to:
j.2c overhead IC
uppercut 1st/2nd hit IC
Dishpan super first unblockable hit IC
close 5b anti air
probably more.

Weaknesses:
Short range sucks at anti air, can't RG -> 5a for anti air. No long range options. Meter dependant (IC or super bar) to do damage usually. Wakeup options range from non-existant to unreliable.

Long range is SLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWw. Like Yuyuko slow and about that floatly except Mio can't dash to make her floaty jump land faster. Your book and cord counts as your hitbox so you can get hit from across the screen even if they can't normally hit you. Pretty much the only wakeup option is now ES, and it's terrible at that. Vulernable to rushdown, vulnerable if other person can RG decently since most attacks are one hit. Can't really rush down.

Strengths:
Shortrange: rushdown is really good thanks to good run speed, instant overhead, good combos that make the opponent fear being hit, ability to switch mode to pseudo infinite rushdown with no recovery.

Longrage: multiple attacks serve as anti air, lockdown with cards/arrows, almost full screen pokes, builds meter pretty well IMO,

My one week take on Mio.

[meta]

I've only had two months of experience with her, but here's a few quirks I've learned that might be helpful. I'm no expert, so there could be things that I don't see or there could be things that lead to better combos/options than the stuff I've written.

Random stuffs and in no particular order:

Mio (Short range)

Staying on the ground to attack is the best option in most cases. Her jump/air rush normals can be pretty much be beat out by a lot of things since they lack range. I've seen myself get beat out by other characters who just can jump up and hit me, while I haven't even reach them yet.

j.C can put your opponent in a good stunblock thuogh which may give you advantage and allow you to follow up with grounded normals. It also provides a good crossup, which I sometimes use on oki. Like as they get up, j.C crossup over them, then jump back j.C again to put em in block then follow with grounded normals. If you get a deep j.C into the opponent, you can link grounded 2_5A with it, or a miko twirl (236A) which you can then IC into a loop.

j.2C can be a good quick overhead if you're close to your opponent. The startup can be pretty easy to see if you do it far away. You'll almost always want to IC this. If blocked, the recovery is horrid, so you'll want to get out of that, but if it hits, it can lead to a pretty strong air loop.

As far as ground attack goes, rushing with 2A and 5A's till you hit is probably your best bet. I pretty much just go for ABC 236B 236A which is the whip pullin into uppercut which does a pretty sizeable amount of damage. I've seen replays of people using 236A 236A then miko twirling and ICing that. If you have a BIC though, you can cancel the 236B uppercut into an air loop. If you have an RIC, you can't follow up with an airloop, unless you level 3 214214C super after the RIC.

A loop/combo I use off a floating opponent is B, j.B, (airdash)B, B. j.BC, (airdash)6C, land 2B5C wallbounce (switch modes), j. 5B.5C, j.5A2B5C. Or something like that. Usually the first part of this loop will put them in a corner, where you can do the wallbounce combo. There's some advanced stuff off wallbounces that I'm not too clear on the specifics of that do more damage, but this one is pretty easy and standard once you get the hang of it.

Another fairly good mio short range rush in would be 662C, you can cancel this into a twirl, even on block, which can be good if you opponent doesn't know there is a followup. If you don't follow it up with a twirl, there's a ton of recovery time. On hit, you can IC into the loop I was talking about earlier, or twirl then IC into a loop.

2C by itself is a decent low since it's pretty quick, but bad recovery on block. If you get it to hit, you can IC it into a 66B to air loop on some characters.

Mio's 214A_B_C can hop lows by the opponent. I don't know the specifics on this, but it can. The 214C version is great on hit since you can follow it up with a variety of stuff, like supers. I don't really use this move much because the start and recovery times are pretty bad.

As far as whip attacks go, I just use the 236B236A one since it's good guaranteed damage. 236A236A is alright if you can follow it up with a miko twirl to IC, but whether the twirl hits depends on your initial distance from the opponent. 236B236B which is the exploding one can be good, if your opponent ducks the whip because you can activate it if you whiff. I know mayu can duck the whip and do her slide, in which case this can bail you out. It's also good if your opponent blocks the whip if you screwed up a combo since it'll leave you safe. 236C is really quick and can lead to a wallbounce which can lead to additional damage. It has a weird thing where against some opponents, it'll completely miss them if they're standing directly next to you.

5B and Miko Twirl are pretty much her only anti-air options in short range mode, but I wouldn't rely on them because if you get blocked, you're in a horrible position.

2B5C wallbounce against a floating opponent is good. From midscreen, you can switch to long range Mio, do cards, then Ciel super. In the corner, you can switch to long range Mio, and follow up with a jumping combo.

Other random quirks: 2B and 5C on block or hit can allow you to instasa to long range mode. I think the instaswap will allow a follow up A to naturally combo. Ridiculously hard timing though, I still gotta experiment with it.

So yea, that's stuff from my shortrange Mio. I'll post long range Mio's stuff, since I need to go to class right now. I know db, can comment on some of this stuff, since half of it I learned from him.

[meta]

New post since short and long range are pretty much completely seperate characters.

Long Range Mio stuffs:

Against a really good RGing opponent, almost all her normals are terrible. The recovery time after getting RG'd against seems like forever, which can end up with you getting destroyed.

Her close range A is pretty much the same as the short range mio's A. Far away, it can act as a prettty good quick/safe poke. If you hit with a deep close range A, you can naturally combo ABC214A.

2B is her longest poke I think, but it's really close to the ground.

5B is can act as pretty decent anti-air, but if they RG you're wide open. 4B is a higher anti-air.

5C on hit can allow you to follow up with a 236236A_B_C super. Same with 66C.

66C can cause a wallbounce against a floating opponent. It's a really good follow up to a successful single arrow hit. For example, 236A, 66C (wallbounce), cards, ciel super. Or if close to corner, jumping combo. It also hits lower than a normal C. (ie, a ducking mayu can duck a normal C, but can't duck a 66C.)

2C: After a few hits of it, you can follow up with a single arrow, into the 66C wallbounce. Or you can follow with the ice block super. You can also insta-swap into short range Mio, after it hits.

214A_B_C cards: Really really good zoning tool. If you hit, you can follow up with a Ciel super if at the correct angle. Or 5B4B to get em into that good angle. Pretty good to spam if your opponent is in the corner, then you can cover the air with 5B or 4B or j.5C if your opponent's character as a bad ground dash to get out of there.

j.2B has a pretty surprising range if you attack a grounded opponent from the air.

j.2C from the air can be cancelled into the 412A_B_C firestick thing I think if they block. Which can leave you safer than if you didn't do those.

I try to land her ABC412A IC Ciel Super a lot personally, since it's really easy to do with a lot of damage.

Arrows do a ton of chip damage. Try not to do double arrows too much, because you're totally open to get hit if they see it and dash over your arrows.

Random things: 412A: there's some weird thing if you IC the first 1 or 2 hits, your opponent flies into the air and slow falls and can't recover till they hit the ground. in which case you can swap into short range mode then do a loop on em. i still gotta experiment with this though.

She has some crazy air combos from mid screen in this mode, I don't know how to do them/set them up though.

I think that's all the things I can remember off the top of my head for now. Frequent mode swapping is good.

[akuun]

Wow, thanks guys It'll be a while before I digest all of that, but it helps a lot.

Oh, and Meta, seeing someone with an Ayu avatar giving advice on Mio is messing with my head. XD

[akuun]

Hmm one question.. what are BICs and RICs? I only know ICs.

[meta]

I'm assuming the notation for a Instant Cancel when your bar is red is called an Red Instant Cancel (RIC). When your bar is maxed and you cancel it's called a Blue Instant Cancel (BIC). BIC's add more damage and juggle time an RIC does. That's the way I differentiate the two anyway.

Ayu is love. Hence the Ayu avatar.

[linalys]

I'll recommend against calling red IC's RIC and blue IC's BIC. Officially there are only two types of IC, IC (any attack) and Flicker Instant Cancel (projectiles and other random stuff). IC's usually need to hit while FIC's usually cancel before they hit or like Unknown's teleport just cancel with no real hit frame.

Call red IC's red IC and blue, blue/white/flashing/whatever ICs. It really cuts down on the confusion and prevents people from making up terms.

I'll also recommend against EVER using long range Iceball super. It's slow and the damage sucks.

[meta]

So there really is no notation to differentiate the color two bars? Just thought it's something to mention since some things can only be combo'd with the blue cancel and not the red one. I'll keep that in mind.

The only thing the iceblock super would be good for is when the opponent is really low on life and you just need that extra damage to finish him off. If i recall, long range mio can't really link anything after a C or 66C aside from the 412 fire move, which may or may not work, depending on distance the C hits on the opponent. But I think the ice block super combo's naturally. Or her long range air combo could be j.bca2b(ice block) instead of j.bca2b2c. Other than that, I pretty much never use it myself either and just set up for the other supers.

[akuun]

I've been watching replays and on that note I usually only see the ice block super being used the way meta says: in a combo, after a long range switch and then jb jc ice block.

I've also seen Long Range Mio do something like 5c IC 663c ciel super (why do you guys call it the ciel super anyway?), so I suppose that's one of things she can link after that. I'm not sure if the other player just ran into the 663c though. Maybe it's a pressure string rather than an actual combo. I'll have to spend some time messing with it.

[linalys]

It's Ciel because she's cosplaying as Ciel during the move.

2/5abc IC 662C swords is a simple little combo Mio can do that's certainly worth using. If your IC bar is full and you're near the corner you can do:

LR mode starting:
2a5bc IC 662C switch 66b air combo -> corner combo.

The only Mio replays I've ever seen are of SETI who supposedly is the greatest Mio player and he never uses Iceball so I don't either. =p Whatever works for you, I'd personally love SR fireball super the best and would gladly do it all day long. It's actually an ok anti reaction move as long as the other person doesn't do a move with signficant invincibility.

[akuun]

Ah. I have no idea who Ciel is

Is there a place I can find these replays?

My impression after messing with arcade mode some more is that the ice block doesn't do as much damage as Mio's other supers because it has a huge hitbox and so it's fairly easy to just throw out and hit something. It also bulldozes over other projectiles so it's good as a counter if the other person is spamming stuff at you. It does do some damage so I think it has its uses.

[linalys]

youtube.com/watch?v=lwsIzy1gwbw

[akuun]

Just in case you didn't see the comment on the video, a huge thanks for this video again

Also, I think I like Mio's style more than Akiko's, so I'll probably make Mio my new main.

....Akiko is still better looking, though >_>