The King of Fighters '98 UMFE/Vice

Vice is the second of Rugal's secretaries, and a secret member of the Hakkeshu. Her superhuman strength and extreme sadism allow her to toss her opponents around with ease. As is tradition, she is paired up with partner Mature alongside KOF's iconic deuteragonist Iori Yagami to form the Yagami Team.

Notation

- Light Punch

- Light Kick

- Heavy Punch

- Heavy Kick

Throws

Death Blow - (close) / +

Backlash - (close) / +

Command Normals

Monstrosity - +

Special Moves

Gore Fest - + /

Deicide - + /

Mayhem - + /

┗ Misanthrope - + /

Blackend - + /

┗ Misanthrope - + /

Outrage - + /

Ravenous - + / (Midair Only)

Desperation Moves

Withering Surface - + /

Negative Gain - + /

Dying Fetus - + /

Introduction

Vice is a grappler/poking hybrid, with a special trick under her sleeve. Her moveset consists of a mix of very strong pokes and grappling tools. Combined with some very good hitconfirms, this allows Vice to play a solid fundamental game while also having the mixup options a grappler has. This incredibly strong neutral is marred by Vice having weaker pressure, with none of her grounded buttons offering any sort of frame advantage, alongside an incredibly floaty jump. Vice has to make the most of her pressure sequences, making sure she lands a strike or throw to keep the opponent trapped.

Vice's special trick under her sleeve is particularly unusual for a grappler character, especially in a game with relatively average damage like '98 UMFE. This is her infinite - a corner-only juggle combo that is incredibly difficult to pull off, requiring special execution tricks and MAX Mode to even begin. This allows her to steal rounds with some incredible damage, especially with her amazing corner carry. This gives Vice a resemblance gameplay wise to Raoh of Hokuto no Ken, having relatively mediocre tools in exchange for the ability to completely steal rounds off of the correct opening. Due to the difficulty of this infinite, it can be argued that Vice has the most difficult traditional execution of any character in the game, at the exchange of having an infinite combo.

Gameplay Overview

Vice is a hybrid between a poking character and a grappler, focusing on bringing her opponents to the corner to unleash her potent strike/throw mixups, or her devastating high execution infinite combo.
Pros	Cons
Amazing Pokes: Vice's normals are very fit for long range poking, allowing her to play a very strong neutral game and scare the opponent into not approaching her. Solid Mixups: With a 1f command grab that combos from most of her close normals, a command overhead and a delayed command grab, Vice has the ability to deliver strong mixups that can keep her opponent guessing. Strong Hitconfirms: Vice's cl.D hits twice, allowing it to be hitconfirmed as a single button. Alongside this, she also has a 2B that is cancelable and allows her to hitconfirm specials, giving her a strong confirm game that reduces the risk of some of her tools. Corner Carry: Vice's 1f command grab Gore Fest (632146P) travels half way across the entire stage, which allows Vice to drag you into the corner, where she becomes one of the scariest characters in the game. The Infinite: Vice has the hardest combo in the game - a corner, MAX Mode infinite using Ravenous (j.214K) and Outrage (214K). The execution barrier for this combo is steep, but it gives Vice the ability to completely kill the opponent from a single opening.	Poor Pressure: Without Extra meter to spend on a Quick MAX, Vice has zero way of obtaining plus frames from the ground, significantly weakening her pressure game. Meter Dependent: Due to the requirement of Quick MAX to use her infinite without a counter hit, Vice has to hold on to her meter, disallowing her to use it for plus frames or safety. This also limits her system choice, as Extra meter is required to use Quick MAX. Poor Vertical Anti-Air: While Vice is strong at defeating hops, her normals and specials are not very good at stopping full jumps or crossups, forcing her to use air-to-airs and strong positioning to keep a jump-happy opponent at bay. Weak to Zoning: Vice's mediocre mobility and lack of long range tools outside of the slow Deicide (41236K) gives her a particular weakness to zoning characters such as Eiji and Rugal. Corner Reliant: While Vice's corner options are among the best in the game, her midscreen options are considerably worse, forcing her to play around screen position and force the enemy to the corner.

Difficulty

• At a basic level, Vice is very easy to pick up and play. Her strong pokes and easier confirms allow her to make use of most of her strengths at all levels.

• As is normal for a character with a lot of mixups, player creativity is required to make the most out of mixups and to make sure your opponent doesn't guess right.

• While using Vice at a normal level is easy, and not too executionally demanding, optimising Vice for the highest level is incredibly difficult. Vice's best combo requires a strong sense of positioning and very good execution, giving Vice a difficulty slope from beginner to expert.

• This difficulty slope means that Vice is a very solid pick for a new player, as you can develop your skills and execution as you go, with Vice's difficulty adapting depending on how far you want to take her.

System Mechanics

Run VS Step

• This is completely personal preference - Vice does not do any better with step or run.

• Run allows her to move more freely during pressure, whereas Step allows you to move in neutral faster.

Roll VS Dodge

• This is also personal preference - Dodge has its natural advantages, but roll can work just as well.

• There is some dodge cancel combos you can do, but these are very meter-hungry.

Advanced VS Extra

• Use Extra. Extra allows Vice to confirm into her infinite without a counter-hit, which is such a massive advantage that it completely removes any reason to use Advanced.

Changes from Previous Versions

98 to 98UM

Normals:

• Hitbox on second hit of cl.D has been buffed, it now hits tiny crouchers and Chris's guarding stance

Specials:

• 214K now has longer recovery, but you can cancel it at any time by pressing ABCD

• 41236P now does less damage

• 214P now has longer startup invincibility

• 214C now has 2 frames less startup and 2 frames more recovery

Supers:

• Added 236236K, an anti-air grab DM

98UM to 98UMFE

Normals:

• j.C's active frames have been lengthened from 4 to 8

• j.D's active frames have been lengthened from 5 to 8

Supers:

• 236236K now has invincibility until just after the throw hitbox appears

Normal Moves

Close

• cl.A: Same as f.A.

• cl.B: Chainable and cancelable.

• cl.C: Has relatively poor reach and lots of pushback, making it difficult to use in BnBs. Cancelable.

• cl.D: Two-hitting normal, making it very easy to hit-confirm into anything by itself. Can also be used as a makeshift anti-air. Cancelable on the second hit only.

Standing

• f.A: Good speed and reach. Nice anti-air against hops. Chainable and cancelable.

• f.B: Longer-range poke.

• f.C: Another long-ranged poke. Preferred over f.B because of its better hitstun, startup, and damage.

• f.D: Can used as an anti-air poke, but it's a little slow.

Crouching

• 2A: Chainable and cancelable on hit, block, and whiff.

• 2B: Standard low combo starter. Chainable and cancelable on hit, block, and whiff.

• 2C: Moderately good anti-air if used early enough. Cancelable on hit, block, and whiff. Can also be kara-canceled.

• 2D: Sweeps the opponent. Cancelable on hit, block, and whiff. Can also be kara-canceled.

Jumping

• j.A: Jump-in. Cancelable.

• j.B: Good meaty and instant overhead.

• j.C: Jump-in, very active. Cancelable.

• j.D: Air-to-air.

CD Normals

• 5CD: Has good range, much like her f.C, except it comes out slower. Cancelable on hit, block, and whiff.

• j.CD: Comes out fast, making it a good air-to-air when used early.

Throws

Death Blow: 4/6C (close)

• Regular throw, techable. Vice grabs the opponent then scratches them, simple stuff.

Backlash: 4/6D (close)

• Regular throw, techable. Vice grabs the opponent, then tosses them behind her. Switches sides. Good for setting up meaty jump-ins.

Command Moves

Monstrosity: 6A

• Vice hits the opponent over the head. Overhead when used raw, cancelable mid when canceled into. Good for combos and blockstrings.

• However, when late-canceled into, it acts like the raw version, allowing you to surprise the opponent with an overhead in pressure.

• Hard knockdown when done to opponents in the air.

Special Moves

Gore Fest: 632146A/C (close)

• Vice grabs her opponent then rushes forward, dragging them across the ground before throwing them into the air.

• Fast command grab with lots of damage and corner carry.

Deicide: 41236B/D

• Vice does a quick swipe attack with her hand, throwing the opponent to the other side of the screen. Switches sides.

• B version can combo from strong attacks and 6A, the D version has more range but is too slow to combo.

• Can grab jumping opponents, but only when they are close to the ground.

Mayhem: 214A/C

• A very fast shoulder tackle.

• A version combos from just about everything except her command normal, making it good for conversions from lights. It's also safer on block. The C version does more damage and goes further.

• Near the corner, Quick MAXing either version is the main starter for Vice's infinite. The A version is much easier to perform the TK Ravenous from.

Misanthrope: 236A/C (during Mayhem)

• Follow-up jumping grab for additional damage.

• Input the command as soon as the the shoulder hits, but only if the shoulder hits, otherwise she'll jump into the air completely missing the opponent and opening herself up to a huge punish.

Blackend: 41236A/C (close)

• Command grab with some invincible startup, making it a good reversal on a read or a nice way to bait opponents.

Misanthrope: 236A/C (during Blackend)

• Same as the followup to 214P, except obviously you can't whiff this one on block and you also need to input it slightly before the opponent is thrown into the air.

Outrage: 214B/D

• Vice does a fast barrage of razor-sharp kicks.

• B version combos from lights and does 4 hits, but also pushes her hitbox back after about the 3rd hit.

• D version makes her hop forward, then do the attack for 10 hits, but it's also not as fast or safe as the weak version because of the hop.

• Both versions can be canceled after the first hit by pressing ABCD. This allows her to perform the infinite.

Ravenous: j.214B/D

• An air variant of 214K. Can be combo-ed into from cancelable air normals.

• A key part of Vice's infinite, as it sets up the main juggle.

Desperation Moves

Withering Surface: 236236A/C

• Vice leaps forward to command grab the opponent and slams them into the ground repeatedly.

• A version goes halfscreen but the jump she does is high. It can be used to punish slow projectiles from midscreen.

• C version make her do a lower/faster jump and she goes about 90% of the screen.

• Both the A and C versions do 3 hits, and she is completely invincible during the forward leap.

• MAX version follows the same trajectory as the C version, but does more hits and damage.

Negative Gain: 6321463214B/D (close)

• Instant command grab. Vice grabs her opponent and does three frankensteiners in a row.

• Combos from just about all of her normals.

• Vice's main combo DM.

• MAX version does five frankensteiners and more damage.

Dying Fetus: 236236B/D

• Anti-air version of 236236P that only hits airborne opponents.

• In most cases, jumping in on Vice usually isn't an issue, but because she has this DM she can be a major threat and is more likely to keep her opponents grounded and close, which allows for more chances to catch them with her grounded options and command grabs.

• MAX version does more hits and damage.

Videos

King of Fighters 98 UM FE: Vice Guide by Mash It Out

Infinite Vice combo