Finishing a Combo with a Heavy gets Backdashed

JKL

I'm seeing AI bots backdash from a heavy during a combo. Basically, I land my 4 hit combo and go to finish with a heavy but the bot backdashes out of the combo and counters me as my bot gets out of the heavy animation. They start their own combo from there. Zero chance to defend against it.

This isn't against the wall, it's out in the open with lots of space. It's not against a bot with evade ability nor is it against a bot on a mod with evade ability. It happened in AMs. It's not as frequent as when it was broken a while back and bots evaded 90% heavies but I don't think it should be happening now.

Anyone else experiencing this?

KillMasterC

Heavy after 4 normals does not count as a real combo. And the finishing motion of a melee heavy leaves you wide open. So I don't think AI is cheating, you can also punish Soundwave this way, because he often throws Laserbeak after landing 4 normals.

Manthro

This is completely normal. KillMasterC is spot on

JKL

Alright, makes sense. So can you do a 5 hit melee combo and finish with a heavy without opening yourself up?

Dircules

Heavy is never guaranteed to hit. I have most success connecting after hit 3 or 4, before officially finishing the combo, but it will always open you up if you miss.

KillMasterC

Before the 2.0 update, we were able to abuse melee heavy in combos. After 2.0, the team seems to react to any complains about:
1. AI backstepping melee heavies more often
2. All melee heavies have shorter distance
--but never come up with a "fix" because it's never acknowledged. Then we live with it. Bumblebee fell to mid class, Windblade and Mirage no longer shine facing ranged-style enemies. Now we're on 3.1 and we got used to it...
With the exception of Soundwave: 4 normals, Laserbeak, 4 normals, Laserbeak... if you happen to be able to connect your first normal between heavies (landed or blocked, but this is the hard part and this is why SW is not too OP), you have 99% guarantee that the opponent will be knocked down. But that's the AI. If you're attacked like this by SW, backstep and punish. So theoretically there's no airtight way to throw a heavy as the 5th hit, but it's up the AI you are facing. Most of the time they just backstep. Sometimes they'll eat. Backstep and punish mainly occurs in the 'nuclear mode' found in 30+ streak in the 3* Arena.

JKL

Appreciate all the info.

Hired_Goon

Dircules wrote: »

Heavy is never guaranteed to hit. I have most success connecting after hit 3 or 4, before officially finishing the combo, but it will always open you up if you miss.

This. Only time I throw a heavy is if I'm being blocked or after Soundwaves 4th hit. Better to finish your combo out with a Medium as that counts as part of the combo where a Heavy NEVER counts as part of any combo.

basic ranged > basic ranged > dash/medium hit > light > light > light > Medium