Low-Tier Hero: A Throw By Any Other Name - Dealing with Normal & Command Grabs

Just like actual combat, a well-timed throw can be the difference between victory and defeat. A throw is much more than just a simple slam to the ground - it’s an opportunity to start your offensive gameplan. For some, much of what makes their offense great is converting off a normal throw that everyone has access to, like Street Fighter’s Ryu or Ibuki. For some, like BlazBlue’s Iron Tager and Street Fighter’s Zangief, their throws, called “command throws,” are special moves that can only be performed by them and have different properties than traditional throws, like faster startup or even invincibility frames.

Generally speaking, throws all have the same basic characteristics, as explained by ThirdPersonBlog:

“– throws usually (but not always) lead to a hard knock down (This has changed in games like Street Fighter V)

– characters usually (but not always) have to be in close range

– characters usually (but not always) can’t combo after one

– characters usually (but not always) can’t combo into one

– characters can usually (but not always) hit opponents out of a throw attempt

– throws usually (but not always) cannot be blocked”

That last point is probably the most important of all of the above - the inability to “block” a throw. Now yes, you can “tech” a throw by pressing throw at the moment your opponent does, but you can’t hold back to block a throw. If you try to, you’ll be treated to a nice visual of your character getting slammed, like our good friend Daigo Umehara here:

Using Throws (And Techs) To Your Advantage

Now that we know what a throw is, we can start to learn how to use throws in our matches. One way to take control of a match or set is to “train” your opponent into thinking you’re going to do one thing, but do something completely different the second or third time. Throws allow you to approach your opponent differently each time and keep them guessing as to your intentions. Throws also are a major factor in the position battle, as one well-timed throw can take you out of the corner - and put your opponent in it. Let’s watch this first game between Hajime “FOX|Tokido” Taniguchi and Ryan “SPLYCE|Filipino Champ” Ramirez from Evo 2017’s Top 8 as an example of the above:

Almost immediately, Tokido utilizes a throw to put Champ in the corner, but just as quickly, Champ is able to flip to momentum with his own back throw and put Tokido in the corner. Throughout the first game, Champ is able to recognize Tokido’s desire to throw him and does a great job teching the throws. This causes Tokido to have to change up his gameplan by utilizing Akuma’s forward+Heavy Punch more, since the grab isn’t an option anymore.

Just as important as your diligence to throw your opponent is the ability to recognize your opponent’s attempts to throw and neutralize their throw game. This way, your opponent will have to try riskier offensive moves, like Tokido above, which could tip the scales in your favor.

Longtime Tekken veteran Aris created a guide on recognizing and teching throws at it pertains to Tekken that is a great watch. Similar videos have been created for other games, but this one does well for a game that has notoriously difficult teching requirements.

Staying in Command

Any fighting game veteran can tell you the absolute terror of playing a strong grappler. I can only compare it to the feeling of losing your footing on ice and trying to keep yourself upright without falling. But inevitably, you’ll fall, and you’ll get command grabbed. Effectively playing a grappler means you’re really good at rock-paper-scissors, meaning you’re good at predicting what your opponent will do, and also good at conditioning them. One of the absolute best grappler players I’ve ever seen is Aquasilk, a New York City-based Zangief player throughout Street Fighter IV. Just...watch this:

As Silk explains, the “Snackish Special” is a corner setup that involves using the Street Fighter IV Focus Attack in the corner to cause the opponent to jump on reaction. Immediately, the Zangief player will jump and use Zangief’s Ultra 2, Siberian Blizzard, to grab their hapless foe out of the sky and drive their neck into the ground, similar to how Kinnikuman used to Kinniku Driver people in the old-school wrestling anime. It is also the most frightening display of conditioning I’ve ever seen in fighting game history. Even if they know what he’s going for, players will still jump upon seeing that Focus Attack, and will always get splattered to the mat. No matter what game you play, Aquasilk is a player to learn from when it comes to effectively playing grapplers.

If you’re not interested in playing a grappler, but instead find yourself struggling against them, it’s important to recognize that grapplers are just like characters that don’t have command throws and are subject to the same philosophies of victory that you use for other characters.

One of the classic online player moves is to mash command grab while in either blockstrings or mid-combo in the hopes of catching opposing players off-guard and turning tides back in the grappler’s favor. If you know you’re playing a person who does such things, one wise thing would be to simply neutral jump, have them whiff the command grab, and punish the whiff. If your opponent is a bit more nuanced in their approach, there are still other ways to punish whiffed command grabs. Here’s some ways to punish Bane’s command grab in Injustice 2:

Notice the use of the game-specific back+3 and forward+3 to punish grabs. While neutral jumping seems to be the de facto punish, it is important to know the game your playing and what other options are available to you in there. Whether you’re using command normals, throw-invincible special moves, super combos, or everything in between, knowing what you have in your arsenal to beat grapplers is the first step in being able to beat them.

Last Grasp

Grabs are a vital part to your success in fighting games and need to be utilized effectively in order to grow. What they aren’t is cheap, unfair, or dishonorable. I’ve told this story about grabs before but it bears repeating here. A friend of mine who was coming up into fighting games told me that he never ended matches in a throw, because he deemed them dishonorable (but chip damage was apparently okay. Go figure.) As such, he would never end a match in a throw - but I damn sure did. Out of the 10 games we played the first day we sat down to play, I must have ended 14 of those rounds with a throw to close. I didn’t do it because I wanted to disrespect him, but I did it because there’s only honor in winning, not playing a certain way. If you’re of the belief that throws are cheap, or throwing in certain situations is cheap, you’ll forever be stuck at the plateau that you’re currently on and will never improve as a player. Only by shattering those mental limitations will you see the growth you’re looking for.

As always, many of the problems you’ve been running into can be fixed by effectively getting into the lab. Not sure how? Check out the Low-Tier Hero on using Training mode to its maximum potential!