Jacky and Lau are geared mostly towards offense, but Lion offers a game that's a bit more skill-oriented. His attacks might not look like they hit hard, but when strung together, they can be both painful and embarrassing for your unfortunate foe. Learning Lion's skills can help a new player understand some more technical aspects of VF without too much pain.

Down (hold), Forward + Punch (D (hold), F+P)

Expecting an attack from the oppon🥂ent? This essential skill leaves the enemy airborne when it scores a counter꧟ hit, from which you can go to town with a combo of your choosing. This technique must be performed from a crouch, though, so watch out for fast middle strikes that could spoil your fun.

Back, Down-forward + Punch (B, DF+P)

Got an opponent that likes to keep their dis♉tancꦰe? Try using this technique on them to literally knock them off their feet. Once they've lost their footing, you can tack on a skill like F, F+K, K for some extra hurting.

Down (hold), Down-forward + Punch + Guard (D (hold), DF+P+G)

Can a throw be a combo starter? You betcha. Try pulling 🍬this one off when you're crouching at close range. (One common tactic is nailing this throw immediately after you hit with D+P.) Your opponent will flop onto the ground, leaving just enough time to score one or two more hits. A standard followup is F, F+K, K, but there's other skills that'll hit, as well.

Back, Back + Kick (B, B+K)

Wait, did Lion just turn around and leave his back to the opponent? Isn't that a bad thin♒g? Not necessarily - all characters have specific attacks they can perform while backturned. In this case, Lion turns around with a high kick that can send the enemy into the air, then immediately follow it up with P+K and further combo hits. Be careful, though - since this is a high-level attack, it will fly right over the head of crouching opponents. Exposing your ꦗback always involves some risk, so make sure you've got a handle on the situation before pulling this one out.

Take it to the next level

Weight plays a big role in the effectiveness of combos in Virtua Fighter. A combo that can cause major damage to a smaller, lighter character might not even hit a big guy like Jeffry or Wolf. Some of Lion's more common combo starters play out close to the ground, so if your opponent's heavy, they're going to hit the floor a lot faster, leaving you less time for additional strikes. Try practicing Lion's B,🎐 DF+P and D (hold), DF+P+G and followups in the dojo on various opponents to get a feel for how height can affect gameplay.