Guilty Gear Strive: I-No Character Guide
Overwhelm foes with the Hard Rock Witch’s aggression
Since I’ve finally made it to Celestial with the character, and she recently got a patch that tuned her for the better, I thought I would try my hand at a general overview of I-No as she appears in GGST. I’m not sure if I’ll make this a regular series like I did with Trainer’s School, but I will likely (try to) add this to the strategy tab on I-No’s Dustloop page for easy reference.
Overview
Playstyle: I-No, also known as the Hard Rock Witch, the Crimson Minstrel, or more simply “that fucking bitch,” is one of Guilty Gear’s most iconic characters. Originating as a hedonist Arcade mode boss from the XX games with a rebalanced playable variant, I-No returns in GGST with a major role in the game’s story. I-No is primarily a rushdown character with insane overhead mixup pressure, granted to her by non-traditional movement options. Her mix and setplay is bolstered both by iconic tools like her Antidepressant Scale, as well as new options like her Megalomania super. While her playstyle is tricky, mastering her movement and mixup potential grants you access to a terrifying character who will make opponents feel like they’re always guessing wrong.
Values: 1.06 Defense modifier and 1x Guts (489 effective HP,) 20f backdash with 5f invuln, Lightweight.
Special moves: Antidepressant Scale (214P, Air OK, aka ‘Note,’) Stroke the Big Tree (236S or 236H,) Sultry Performance (j.236K, or j.236S, or j.236H, aka ‘Dive,’) Chemical Love (214K, Air OK, aka HCL.)
Overdrives: Ultimate Fortissimo (632146S, Air OK) and Megalomania (632146H.)
Unique Features: I-No’s forward dash is a hoverdash that travels through the air at a roughly 30-degree angle (she is considered airborne on frame 5 and can take actions on frame 10.) Unlike characters from other fighting games, like Morrigan, the hoverdash only applies to her forward dash. I-No’s airdash- both the forward and backward versions- also makes her travel slightly downward at a roughly 60-degree angle, as opposed to the straight-forward airdash that most of the cast has access to. It’s also worth noting that Arc System Works describes I-No’s airdash specifically as an aerial hoverdash rather than a proper airdash. I-No’s hoverdash and airdash start to accelerate and travel further the longer they’re held.
Of worthwhile mention is its major differences between previous iterations. In past Guilty Gears, I-No could perform triangle jumps or fast falls out of her hoverdash by tapping down-forward after leaving the air (663.) While this feature is gone in GGST, I-No switches it for a different application: the ability to airdash during her hoverdash. This allows for extended overheads after the initial hoverdash as well as additional safe jumps or fake-out movement by hoverdashing forward and then immediately airdashing back. While not as fast as her old triangle jump, hoverdashing and then airdashing forward also provides a similar utility due to the downward angle.
Further augmenting her air mobility is Sultry Performance, hereafter referred to as Dive. In previous games, I-No had access to four (five including XX’s Force Break Dive) versions of her divekick, but the P-Dive that keeps I-No in the air after hit is notably absent in GGST. This is because P-Dive’s utility has been combined into the other Dives- on hit or block, tapping the button you performed Dive with will cause I-No to hop forward. This has a variety of uses, like extending her hangtime and overhead pressure, making the Dives safer on block, or getting longer combos. With three different Dive angles along with her hoverdash and downward-angled airdash, I-No’s vertical movement makes her aerial and overhead pressure difficult to predict or track for her opponent. Dives are all mids and can be charged. K-Dive is -2 when hopped, S-Dive is -4 when hopped, and H-Dive is -7 when hopped. You can only use each Dive once per sequence, preventing you from staying in the air indefinitely. (I’ll update this section again when the frame data for non-hopped and charged versions is more accurate.)
Strengths and weaknesses
I-No is a menace once she’s in your face, with air movement and mixup potential only rivaled by fellow fragile pixie characters like Chipp and Millia. Nearly all of her air normals are good and lead to strong pressure or combos, and on the ground she still has strong options on S and H, as well as privileged 6P and 6H command normals. Her hoverdash, especially when combined with her airdash and Dives, lets her travel freely through the top half of the screen while granting her easy and terrifying instant overheads. Once the opponent anticipates hoverdash j.S or j.H, I-No can then just switch it up with a feint into 2K, where she can then go right into 2D or 6H depending on the situation, earn a knockdown, set up Note okizeme, and then make them guess on block once more. While HCL’s hitbox is questionable, she can still use it to poke from afar, and Stroke the Big Tree can let her travel quickly on the ground and buy back a turn.
On the other hand, I-No’s defense is very poor. She has few reliable anti-airs- she gets little mileage out of her otherwise good 6P on hit, and conversely her c.S and 6H aren’t meant to be anti-airs despite leading to the most damage on punished jump-ins, meaning they must be used carefully and situationally. Her best- and only real- reversal is the grounded version of Ultimate Fortissimo, which can easily be punished universally if the first hit is blocked. As a result, I-No must rely on abare 5P, 6P, or 2K as her safest defensive buttons, and her dependence on reversal super and universal defense mechanics makes her very meter hungry. Furthermore, as good as her hoverdash is, it also means that I-No can’t play neutral in the same way as the rest of the cast, since moving forward is always a highly committal choice. You will also inevitably run into situations where you curse Team Red for letting characters travel under HCL by simply dashing.
A good I-No player will have an awareness of when it’s okay to go in and how to make their approach options safe. Poking with big S and H buttons and Chemical Love, scoring a knockdown, and then using Note to cover your hoverdash will be the cornerstone of your offense. Once you’ve gotten the hang of her movement, you’ll be able to play around her weaknesses and move around the screen in ways that few characters can keep up with. After developing an understanding of each of her tools, you can put them all together to create unparalleled offense that will open up the most dedicated blocks.
Strategy
At round start/neutral
Round start will basically determine how everything else in the game goes, and I-No is all about taking risks. Some of your ‘safer’ round start options include backdash, 6P, 2K, 2S, f.S, and 2H. Of course, there’s nothing stopping you from starting your offense in neutral by just hoverdashing in, but it’s good to understand what your grounded pokes are so you have some alternative options and don’t get blown up or anti-aired for approaching all the time.
- Backdash will obviously give you a bit of breathing room against characters who have better grounded close-range options or are just swinging wildly. However, remember that you aren’t invulnerable the whole time, so it might even be better to just block instead so that you don’t get caught by something like Giovanna step-dash f.S.
- 6P obviously has upper-body invuln, good range and can lead to a bit of extended damage on counter-hit, making it a good way to disrespect some longer buttons like Sol’s f.S or get stickier opponents away from you. 2K likewise is a fast low poke with decent range and will either lead straight into a 2D knockdown and meaty Note oki- useful for guaranteeing an approach and your next mixup- or a 6H into a full combo at closer ranges.
- 2S and f.S are used for similar situations (long-range pokes) but have different pros and cons. 2S is faster, safer, and a low-profile, with great reward on counter-hit due to its stagger, but it’s still a mid. On the other hand, f.S is disjointed, reaches further, and grants a similar reward. As of version 1.10, f.S’s startup and hitbox have been reduced and extended respectively, making it a decent pseudo-projectile.
- 2H might inevitably be one of your go-to buttons due to its huge hitbox, fast startup, privileged safety, and excellent reward on hit, especially counter-hit. Counter-hit 2H H Stroke 6H H Stroke is some of your best meterless midscreen damage. It won’t beat everything, however, so you obviously shouldn’t fish for it too often- therefore you tend to mix it up or rely on the other options above.
Offense: Hoverdash
Once you’ve scored a knockdown, your mixup game begins. The two cornerstones of I-No’s offense are her hoverdash, as thoroughly detailed before, and her Sultry Performance, which we’ve been referring to as Note. Note is a fireball with slow acceleration that can be aimed after fired (but always hits mid.) Aiming Note allows you to seal off your opponent’s approach or defensive options. A low Note, for instance, will either keep your opponent blocking on the ground or force them to jump over it, opening them up to be anti-aired by 6H or sniped by HCL. On the other hand, a Note that travels high will obviously lock your opponent out of air options or force them to block if they’re already jumping. Meaty Notes tend to be aimed lower. Note will also gain hits the longer it’s been out, up to five total, dealing appropriate amounts of hit- or blockstun with each cumulative hit.
While your opponent holds Note, you can freely hoverdash in behind its trajectory. You can also use Note in neutral to let you approach in the same way, but the long startup animation means you often need some distance first before flying in. Nearly all your air normals have different but excellent uses for mixups. As of the universal air Gatling changes in version 1.10, all of I-No’s air normals are airdash cancellable, and all of them but j.P are jump cancellable.
- j.P probably has the least use out of all of them and is not a great mixup tool since it might even whiff on crouch. It’s still a five-frame air normal and it’s good for air-to-air situations.
- j.K has a variety of uses. It has low blockstun, making it a useful frame trap or tick throw setup depending on how well it’s been timed and spaced. The gatling into j.D also lets you get a double overhead, but be aware that it’s not a true combo and you might get caught by abare 5P. Conversely, jump cancelling it will let you punish such attempts with another overhead after.
- j.S is one of your better options with similar utility as j.K. It’s a great overhead poke, gatlings into j.H, and will often let you get a combo after landing on successful hit. j.S also benefits the most from the version 1.10 Gatling changes, since j.S j.D is a true frame trap on anyone without a four-frame or faster button, unlike the aforementioned j.K j.D. Also, with 50% Tension, j.S into Megalomania on normal block is a real tick throw.
- j.H is the infamous ‘block this overhead.’ This is more useful after a sustained hoverdash since it has longer startup and might whiff if I-No lands early. However, on a successful overhead hit (and most air-to-air hits) you’re basically guaranteed big combo damage, often with a 6H into H Tree. You can also exploit that same tendency to whiff during a shorter airdash to feint an overhead and then go for a low when landing.
- j.D has the longest startup of I-No’s air normals, but as mentioned before, its Gatlings makes it a useful double overhead. It also alters I-No’s momentum slightly upward, letting her float for a bit longer and potentially earning a crossup situation. Furthermore, it floats the opponent when it hits on the ground, and launches them on an air-to-air, meaning it has its own use in unique combos. (The grounded float is more useful on counter-hit.)
Offense: On block
If your opponent keeps blocking after j.S or j.H, you can keep locking them down with a blockstring. 2K 2D after landing is safe and useful when checking if your opponent is still blocking high. c.S 5H will also push your opponent away to reset the situation, frame traps between the two normals, and 5H leads to great reward even on regular hit due to floating the opponent. You also still have enough time to 6H after a j.H even on block due to how fast 6H is.
After your blockstring ends, you will often try to buy back your turn, either with another overhead (usually another j.S,) fishing for a poke like 2H, or Stroke the Big Tree. Stroke is a widely useful tool, but employing it is also a gamble much like hoverdashing is. Stroke moves I-No quickly across the ground, is a low hit that also low-profiles on startup, and both versions stagger on hit. On the other hand, if you’re too predictable with your Stroke use, you can easily be hit low out of the startup, and the H version can be reliably thrown on reaction. Be careful with their use and recognize the differences between each version.
- S Stroke is faster and travels a shorter distance than H Stroke, but is -7 on block. It’s still pretty difficult for your opponent to punish due to pushback, especially if they’re FDing, so you can either escape with a backdash or go for a cheeky frame trap with 6P, 2S, or f.S. Depending on your opponent’s stagger recovery, you might not get a lot of mileage out of it without Roman Cancelling. You can also use it to cross under air offense.
- H Stroke is the big one. While it’s slower (and thus reactable with throws and such) it also travels a huge part of the screen and is +2 on block, making it an excellent pressure re-buy. It will also see a ton of use in combos- you can combo into it on most S and H counter hits, and you can reliably get 6H combos on hit. To prevent it from being called out and punished regularly, remember to mix it up with S Stroke. You can also PRC H Stroke and then 2H or 6H to call out throws or low trade attempts more viscerally with a big counter-hit.
Offense: More mixups
Remember your throws! The best way to set up a tick throw will usually be j.K or j.S into your throw upon landing. You can also air throw opponents raw, like if they’re in the corner and trying to jump out, but since you’re stuck in recovery until you land, it’s pretty risky and you might often favor rising j.S or j.H in the same situation. A throw will lead to a knockdown, which will then let you loop your setplay again as described above, and it’s always good to remind your opponent that you have that option.
It’s also worth remembering that you have Megalomania, a command grab super, in your toolkit. The throw hitbox is fairly large and is active instantly after the flash, meaning your opponent must already be in the air before you’ve done the input in order to avoid getting thrown. On whiff, you’ll still get a beam super that will fire projectiles forward, and you’ll be fully invincible until the super ends. Also, for some weird reason, the projectiles will track your opponent somehow if they manage to jump over and right behind you, although you shouldn’t always rely on this. Apart from your throws, you can go for repeated fuzzy overhead attempts by doing hoverdash j.S over and over. Don’t forget about 5D, either- charged or uncharged, it’s still a standing overhead that can catch opponents off guard if they’re asleep at the wheel or juggling too many options in their mental stack.
Defense
As mentioned previously, I-No’s defensive options are not super great. You should get familiar with universal defensive options such as Faultless Defense and YRC, employing them in situations where simply doing Ultimate Fortissimo as a reversal won’t work out. Also remember that the air version of Fortissimo isn’t a real reversal, as the invuln isn’t instant and ends once the hitbox is active. Your fastest normals in an abare situation are 5P (which has little reward but can lead into, say, 6P HCL, and can sometimes work as an anti-air in the clutch,) and 2K, which can potentially get you a knockdown. Doing 6P raw is also an option due to its anti-air upper body invuln and generally just being a great hip-check hitbox. Your two more situational anti-airs will be c.S and the up-swing second hit of 6H.
- Keep in mind that c.S is not meant to be an anti-air. Its property as a situational anti-air is due to it having both a jump cancel and a marginally higher hitbox than 5K, your comparable jump cancellable ground normal. It’s still not super great at catching most air buttons that extend much lower than the attacker’s hurtbox, since it doesn’t have anti-air invulnerability. Despite that, the jump cancel lets you get a lot of reward off a successful hit, with full air combos.
- After frames 23–24, the mace on the end of 6H’s mic stand swings right over I-No’s head with a massive disjoint. The risk from anti-air 6H comes from you potentially being called out on whiff, but you get excellent reward on nearly any hit. Juggling characters on anti-air 6H hit- and even getting that hit to begin with- will require some practice, but you can generally do H Stroke right after the hit and go from there. If H Stroke hits, you can take the knockdown (or Roman Cancel and continue the combo,) or you can intentionally whiff H Stroke while the opponent is still in the air and get a combo off c.S jump cancel before they land.
Matchups and niche situations
While HCL and Air Note are not super great in this version (at least at time of writing) they still have a few uses. HCL is notably useful at keeping out opponents who try a grounded poke at full screen or who are already jumping in to cover that same distance, as well as potentially sniping the big body characters (Faust, Potemkin, and Goldlewis.) HCL also finds a lot of use in wall combos. Air Note puts you in a counter hit recovery state until you land, and doesn’t provide faster startup if Tiger Knee’d, but you can still use it to give the Note some bonus trajectory from the top of the screen. In the Goldlewis matchup, for instance, I often double-jump or jump and IAD back and then toss Air Note at fullscreen, forcing Goldlewis to make a risky approach or block due to his limited movement and inability to snipe me diagonally out of the air.
You will often find your hardest matchups to be against characters who fully lock down the space you want to play in, especially characters like May and Axl. May’s disjointed normals, and her fast and safe Mr. Dolphins, can be hard for I-No to poke through or punish on block, especially given the latter’s already poor defense options. Axl, on the other hand, is historically one of I-No’s worst matchups, and remains as such even with his reversal options limited. Since his buttons and zoning completely cover I-No’s area of movement, it’s very difficult for her to get in and run her offense. Against your tougher matchups, it might be more rewarding (albeit counter-intuitive and difficult) to play a reactionary game and rely on hard reads and whiff punishes with Stroke or quick hoverdashes.
Combos
These are meant to be examples of some basic bread-and-butters. Most of I-No’s best meterless damage is in the corner. Reaching for similar damage at midscreen will likely require a Roman Cancel extension or some combination of counter-hit or high RISC. When ending corner combos, the optimal enders are 5[D] for grounded wallsplats and charged S-Dive for air wallsplats- or, with 50 Tension, you can use Fortissimo to do more damage and guarantee a knockdown on wallbreak. While Megalomania will always break the wall, even on whiff if you’re close enough, you can’t combo into it on wallsplat due to how long the startup is. (You obviously can’t do a grounded grab on a wallsplatted opponent- I’m referring here to the beam on whiff.) I’ll be using numpad notation, and 66 indicates a hoverdash, i.e., double-tapping forward or simply pressing the dash macro. W! indicates a wallsplat. Remember that HCL will whiff on crouching opponents, even mid-combo.
Midscreen:
66j.K or 66j.S or 66j.H > c.S > f.S or 2S or 2H > 214K or 236S.
66j.H > 2K or 5K > 6P > 214K or 236S.
66j.H > 6H > 236H > RRC > 66j.D > c.S > 6H > 236H > W! > 5[D] (The version linked is a different iteration that substitutes the first 6H for c.S 2H and wallbreaks with double HCL. It’s still comparable damage and functions the same.)
[Counter hit] 2H 236H 6H 236H
Corner:
66j.H > 6H > 236H > RRC > j.S > j.H > j.236HH > j.H > W! > 5[D]
2K or 66j.S or 66j.H > 6H > 214K > 66j.H > j.236HH > j.S > W! > 5[D]
66j.H > j.236HH > j.S > c.S > 6H > 214K > 214K > W! > 214K
6H > 236H > 6H > 214K > 6H > 236H > W! > 5[D]
[Counter hit] 6H > 214K > 66j.H > j.236HH > j.S > c.S > 6H W!
5H > 214K > 66j.S > (j.236HH > j.S > c.S > 5H > W! > 214K) or (jc > j.S > j.H > 236HH > j.H > W! > j.236[S]) (Both versions deal comparable damage, so you should pick whichever is easier for you to execute.)
c.S > jc > j.S > jc > j.S j.H 214K
c.S > jc > j.S > jc > j.K j.D > j.236HH > j.H > j.236S
On 5[D] launch:
(delay hit) j.H > j. P > j.D > jc > j.S > j.H > j.H (Finishing Blow)
— -
The Crimson Minstrel is a force to be reckoned with. Open your opponent up with your instant overheads, knock them down after dealing big damage, and then loop your mixups behind Note and your hoverdash. If your opponent begins to expect your aerial offense, mix it up with some feints into lows or pepper in some tick throws and Megalomania. Take care when on defense, as your best option without meter is to wait for an opening where you can throw out a risky poke. Once you’ve mastered I-No, your rushdown game will grant you big damage opportunities and unparalleled mindgames relative to the rest of the cast.
