The King of Fighters '98 UMFE/EX Kyo

Normal Moves

Close

• cl. A/B/C/D are cancel-able.
• cl. A/B are chain-able
• cl. A: An elbow that hits high.
• cl. B: Hits low.
• cl. C: Has very fast start-up. Great combo starter and anti-air.
• cl. D: A bit slower than cl. C.

Stand

• Far A: Hits high and is cancel-able. Good for stopping hops.
• Far B: Has more endlag than far A, but has more range.
• Far C: A backfist with a noticable bit of startup. Hits high. Whiff/cancel-able.
• Far D: A sobat kick that hits mid. Can avoid lows.

Crouch

• cr. A/C/D are whiff/cancel-able.
• cr. A/B are chain-able.
• cr. A: Hits mid. Standard outward jab.
• cr. B: Fast low that could start combos.
• cr. C: Rising uppercut that hits mid. Used to react against jumps and hops.
• cr. D: Soft knockdown.

Jump

• j. A: Ok air-to-air.
• j. B: Downwards knee. Great cross-up and jump-in from a hop. Instant-overhead.
• j. C: Another good jump-in.
• j. D: A flip kick that could put on pressure when spaced. A bit difficult to cross-up with.
• n. j. B: Knee is out horizontally instead of down and forward. Decent air-to-air.
• n. j. D: Kyo kicks almost directly in front of him. Good air-to-air.

Blowback Attack

• CD: Soft knockdown, whiff/cancel-able. Average start-up.
• j. CD: Soft knockdown. Pretty big hitbox.

Throws

Anvil Slam [Hachi Tetsu]: (close) b/f + C

• Kyo smacks his opponent in the face with his forearm.
• Regular knockdown

Swift Shoulder Throw [Issestsu Seoi Nage]: (close) b/f + D

• Kyo throws his opponent behind him, then falls on them with his elbow.
• Hard knockdown
• Reverse knockdown

Command Moves

Thundering Axe Burst: f + B

• Two-hit axe-kick.
• Second hit hits overhead.
• Can be cancelled into from normals, allowing it to special-cancel. Overhead property is lost.

Drop to Naraku: (in the air) down + C

• Double-handed hammer fist.
• Hard knockdown on airborne opponents.
• Great cross-up. Aim to have Kyo's bent legs right over the opponent's head.

Style 818: df + D

• Kyo kicks near the ground twice, one foot then the other.
• Hits low, even when cancelled into.

Special Moves

Dark Thurst [Yami Barai]: qcf + A/C

• Kyo's grounded projectile
• Either version can be used to space or as pushback in a blockstring.
• Light version travels slower. Can be linked from a fullscreen distance to someone in the corner.
• Heavy version travels faster. Deals a bit more damage than light.

Fire Ball [Oniyaki]: dp + A/C

• Kyo's DP. Can be combo'd into from most normals.
• Soft knockdown
• The hitbox is all around Kyo. Not as high as his normal variant.
• Light version deals one hit. Safer to use in combos.
• Heavy version deals two hits, travels higher, and has more invincibility, making it a good reversal.

Spinning kick [Oboroguruma]: rdp + B/D

• Can be combo'd into from most normals.
• Will whiff on crouching opponents.
• Light version has Kyo do an upwards jump kick. If the opponent is hit by this move in the air, they're put in a juggleable state.
• Soft knockdown
• Heavy version has Kyo fly through the air a 3/4 screen distance with two of the upwards kicks, then flips forward with his foot sending the opponent into the ground.
• Heavy version is a good corner carry. Deals more damage than dp+C.
• Hard knockdown. Allows for okizeme opportunity.

New Wave Smash [Kai]: qcf + K, K (B or D)

• Kyo jumps up with one foot, then after pressing kick again, kicks with the other.
• 2nd hit juggles the opponent
• Soft knockdown
• Light version only allows for dp+p to connect.
• Heavy version can be followed up with dp+p/rdp+k/hcb+k/DM. Can also link into the light version.

Crescent Slash [Kototsuki Yo]: hcb + B/D

• Kyo runs after the opponent, faster than his normal run, then hits the opponent with his elbow into an explosive, one-handed choke.
• On-hit command grab. Very unsafe on block.
• Can be combo'd into from heavy normals and f+B.
• Hard knockdown. Allows for okizeme opportunity.

Desperation Moves

Serpent Wave: qcb, hcf + A/C

• Kyo throws a wave of fire in front of him.
• Soft knockdown
• DM does one hit. C version seems to have slightly faster start-up and can combo from heavy attacks.
• SDM has Kyo set his own body on fire, having its own hitbox with up to 3 hits. The fire wave does three hits.
• Both versions can be linked into from qcf+k.
  • If timed right, only two hits will connect. This puts the opponent in a juggle state that can be followed through with dp+C/rdp+D.

Combos

Anywhere

• j. X, [cr. B, cr. A]/[cl. C], dp+p/rdp+D

• Cross-up j. B/D/d+C, cl. C, qcf+D, [delay] D, run, rdp+D

Corner

• j. X, cl. C, qcf+D, [delay] D, rdp+B, dp+C/rdp+D

( Timing rdp+D after rdp+B is very tight versus dp+C )

Combos into DMs

• j. X, cr. C, qcb,hcf+C

• Corner Only j. X, cl. C, qcf+D, [delay] D, qcb,hcf+p (SDM, 2 hits), dp+C/rdp+D

Strategy & Tips

The second button press of qcf+D,D must be delayed as late as possible to get SDM qcb,hcf+p to hit only twice.

Videos

(2:35) Shows the difference between regular and EX Kyo's hitboxes on DP. It seems no other hitboxes differ between the two.