The King of Fighters XIII/Maxima
| 0 Stock, No Drive Gauge |
Anywhere |
j.C, d.A, df+C, qcb+A =263 dmg |
| 1 Stock, No Drive Gauge |
Anywhere |
j.C, d.A, df+C, qcf x2 +P = 357 dmg |
| 2 Stock, 1+ Drive Gauge | Anywhere | j.C, st.D, df+C, qcb+A [SC] qcf x2 + AC = 638 dmg |
| 3 Stock, 2 Drive Gauge
HD Bypass Combo |
Anywhere | j.C, st.D, df+C, qcfx2 +CB [HD Bypass], [MC] hcbx2+AC = 796 dmg |
Console Changes
- df.C has better recovery
- No recoil after air vapor canon
-Guard points on normal are now cancel-able by specials
-Hit box on the follow up to EX Maxima Press improved. Can now hit from counter CD.
-No bounce back when EX Maxima Press is guarded. He’s now more vulnerable to punishes.
Yamamoto: "df.C can be used effectively as an early (okiwaza) anti-air as the recovery has improved. Also counter df.C and counter j.CD can be followed by EX Maxima Press for extra damage, possible to counter-confirm. Pressuring the opponent by earning precise follow-up damage is the ideal way to play Maxima "
Gameplay Overview
Gameplay Notes
The best way to describe Maxima is a big, blue wall. Maxima, from his specials, to his normals are meant to keep counter an opponent and lock them down. Although he has one command grab, he has an air grab and variations of his command grab to give him utility. On top of being a highly defensive player, his moves have the dreaded "Guard Point" ability that lets him absorb a hit while he does a move. Nothing hurts an opponent's spirit more than to have their attacks blocked AND get hit at the same time!
Some would think he's the "Big Guy" kinda tank, but this man packs power. For 1 meter, Maxima can take half an opponent's life away. He is rippling with power and should never be underestimated. Despite being slow, with meter, he can be a very big threat.
Pros
- Has very long range and powerful normals
- 5 normals, 2 specials, and 1 DM have guard point
- Can cancel any normal guardpoints into specials.
- A 1 frame command grab that can also change to a slow run grab.
- Follow up to command grab can be super cancelled!
- Deadly with meter and drive.
- Easy 100% HD combo with 3 bars, overkill with 4. Still does major damage without HD!
- EX moves are fast (EX Maxima Press) or have guardpoint (EX Air Vapor Cannon)
Cons
- Incredibly slow - All far normals can be punished by rolling through them.
- None of his moves are safe on whiff (So make sure to hit your mark!)
- Hard to get in without meter
- Very limited defense against cross ups.
- Requires a great deal of timing to utilize guardpoints (That won't stop us!)
- Only 1 move (d.C) has lower body guardpoint and is incredibly slow (Can work around that)
- Very limited in air offense because hop C has terrible hitstun and jump D is slow.
- 100% HD combo is hard to link (Needs perfect timing).
Normals
Standing
st. A: 30 damage,*special cancel-able, super cancel-able, hits high: Maxima extends his fist out in a quick punch. It's not the fastest normal, but it covers such a high area that hops and jumps get beat out by his st.A. Good anti-air!
Specials that can cancel from: (B) Maxima Press, EX Vapor Cannon, EX Maxima Press, EX M19 Blitz Cannon
st. B: 30 damage, hits mid: This move is pretty fast and good for poking. You can use it to kind of poke people out of the air if they're hopping or advancing in on you from the ground. You can't special cancel it or super cancel it and does not combo with other normals.
far C: 100 damage, super-cancel-able only, hits mid: Far standing C has guardpoint for 1 hit. It can absorb mid to high hits. On hit, it can be super cancelled into the DM, but outside of HD mode, it can't be special cancel-able. Be sure it hits something 'cause it's not safe on whiff!
far D: 100 damage, hits mid.: Far standing D has guard point for 2 hits even though it only hits once. It's very slow so you can time this much easier than st.C for standing guard points. Other than that, he can poke people from far away. Make sure that it hits as it's not safe to whiff this!
s. C: 50x2 damage, special and super cancel-able, hits mid: St.C is a 2 hit normal. It's much faster than far standing C and the first hit of the move can be canceled into df+C. The second hit moves the opponent away. The two hits guard points separately, but they don't guardpoint two hits. All specials cancel as well. After the second hit, in midscreen, df+C might not hit, especially if the opponent is ducking.
s. D: 100 damage, special and super cancel-able, hits mid: st.D guardpoints once and hits once. It's a slow and hard to combo into from jump ins, but the fact that it does so much damage in one hit makes it the optimal starter for combos. Since it hits once, you can do df+C and hit even on block.
Crouching
d. A: 30 damage, special and super cancel-able, hits mid: d.A is a quick punch from Maxima. It links much better into its self from other normals so it's the best choice for tagging people who are trying to get in with ground pressure or just to start some pressure yourself. Like st.A, it can't combo directly into Vapor Cannon, but works with all EX moves and supers. However, it links well enough that there's little gaps between hits. Used with df+C, it's a pretty safe way to start a combo.
d. B: 35 damage, hits low: d.B is a slow, but long range low B. Maxima extends his leg out for a front kick. This is the only low that Maxima can combo into, but the timing to combo into it is weird. d.B can combo into d.A which combos into df+C. This gives you a bit more openings for combos with a mid to low mix up. As it is your only low, it's advised to use it often. However, remember the timing from normal to normal with this move is long so you have to delay the next press. Also, from a distance, d.B, d.A, df+C might not hit and especially true for crouchers.
d. C: 100 damage, cancel-able, hits mid: SAFE! Maxima chops at the knees of an opponent, looking like an umpire in a baseball game. This move is the only move Maxima has that guardpoints lows. It's very slow start-up and guardpoints one hit, but the utility for it to cover his Achilles' heel is the main reason why it's good to use it. By itself, it can cancel into everything and has a pretty decent amount of range. Aside from being special and super cancellable, it's also whiff cancellable. You can immediately cancel this into vapor cannon or even a command normal like df+C. You can make people afraid to get in or twitch by using moves that whiff cancel. This is also faster start up for that strategy than st.CD.
d. D: 100 damage, hits low: Maxima swings his long leg out to sweep his opponent. Although this is indeed just a sweep, there's something to note about it. Its range is quite long and it does 100 damage. Timing a sweep the moment someone lands after an anti-air or when they wake up makes it difficult for them to recover as well as something they have to deal with. The range makes it so you can do it from a long distance as well. Use it for just those reasons or in simple traps like when you're pressuring someone. Although it's telegraphed for being slow, properly timing it and hitting people is very rewarding!
Jumping
j. A: 45 (40) damage, cancel-able, hits overhead.
j. B: 45 (40) damage, hits overhead.
j. C: 72 (70) damage, cancel-able during (hyper) hops only, hits overhead.
j. D: 70 (68) damage, hits overhead.
Blowback Attack
CD: 110 damage, cancel-able, hits mid.
j. CD: 90 (80) cancel-able, hits mid.
GCCD: 10 damage, hits mid.
Throw
Dynamite Drop = (b/f+C/D) close 100 damage, can be broken, causes hard knockdown.
Command Moves
M9 Missile = (df+C) 80 damage, cancel-able, hits mid.
Special Moves
M4 Vapor Cannon = (qcb+P)
(EX) = qcb+AC - M4 Vapor Cannon has Guard Point properties, especially the C version. The EX version has increased priority and wire damage can be followed up.
- Super-Cancellable
- Hit Detection: High
- Damage: 120; EX Damage: 80, 50
M4 Air Vapor Cannon = qcb+P (air)
(EX) = qcb+AC in air
- Can't be cancelled
- Hit Detection: High
- Damage: 110; EX Damage: 50 x 2, 60
M19 Blitz Cannon = (dp+K)
(EX) = dp+BD
- EX version has guard point and additional hit frames on his knee.
- Normal version can't be cancelled; EX version is Drive- / Super-cancellable
- Hit Detection: Throw; EX Hit Detection: High
- Damage: 0, 150; EX Damage: 50, 150
Maxima Press = (hcb+K)
(EX) = hcb+BD
- Can't be cancelled
- Hit Detection: Throw, EX Hit Detection: High
- Damage: 80
∟Press Plus = (qcb+P
(EX) = qcb+AC
- EX version is very fast and hard to jump over. Press Plus can now be Drive and Super Canceled. It's an instant-grab when near opponent unlike the D version which has a start-up animation.
- Super-cancellable; EX version is also Drive-cancellable
- Hit Detection: High
- Damage: 50, EX Damage: 120
Desperation Moves
Double Vapor Cannon = (qcfx2+P)
(EX) = qcfx2+AC
- EX version has faster start-up and increased hit count.
- MAX Cancellable
- Hit Detection: High
- Damage: 220; EX Damage: 80 x 2, 180
Neomax
Maxima Laser = (hcbx2+AC)
- Hit Detection: High
- Damage: (15+0) x 22, 120
Combos
No Stock, No Drive Gauge -
d.B, d.A, hcb+B.qcb+P -->
Crossup j.C, d.A, df.C, qcb+P/hcb+B.qcb+P -->
1 Stock, No Drive Gauge -
(d.Ax3)/(d.B, d.A, df.C), Ex qcb+P (wires), df.C, (df.C), dp+K/Ex hcb+K.qcb+P -->
1 Stock, 1+ Drive Gauge -
Crossup j.C, d.A, df.C, Ex hcb+K.qcb+P, [DC] Ex qcb+P, (wire) df.C, dp+K
If, --> hcb+K.qcb+P, [SC] qcfx2+P
2 Stock, No Drive Gauge -
Hyperhop/hop C, Ex air.qcb+P, Ex qcb+P (wires), df.C, dp+K
qcb+P (counter), hcbx2+P NM
2 Stock, 2 Drive Gauge -
If, --> Ex hcb+K.qcb+P, [DC] qcb+P, [SC] qcfx2+P
3 Stock, No Drive Gauge -
d.B, d.A, df.C, Ex qcb+P (wires), hcbx2+P NM
Hyper Drive Combos
(1)j. C -> cl. D -> df C -> HD -> cl. D -> df C -> qcb + A -(DC)-> qcf + AC -(MC)-> hcb x 2 + AC = 1110 Damage
(2) If HD, --> [SC] qcfx2+P, [MC] hcbx2+P NM
Tips
- Maxima Press B is unblockable, it's considered a command grab. However, when it connects it'll press him against the wall. The whiff animation looks like any command grab.
- Maxima Press D is unblockable but has a slow start up.
- EX Maxima Press is blockable but is fast.
- All of Maxima's ground strong normals, have Guard Point (autoguard); d.D is the only exception.
- Vapor Cannon C will wire if it's a counter, EX Vapor Cannon will counter wire every time.
- d.C empty cancels.
- GP'ing takes no tick damage at all. It is possible to Guard Point Joe's entire Screw Upper DM (qcfx2+P)!
Quick notes between these two combos:
--> EX qcb+P (wire), df.C, (df.C), Ex hcb+K -->
vs
--> Ex hcb+K.qcb+P, [DC] Ex qcb+P (wire), df.C, dp+K
Use the second one for more damage, but first one if you only have 2 stocks and no Cancels. Arguably, both combos can be extended, but use the first one for SCs and MCs as it uses one less Drive Cancel already.
Maxima only has three special moves (if you count Air Vapor Cannon, he has four). The cool thing is he does massive damage and his limit is his stocks (the more he has the more creative the combos can get). df.C has pretty good horizontal range as well.
Strategies
Far Range
Mid Range
Close Range
Cornered Opponent
Cornered
With No Meter/No Drive
With 1+ Meter/No Drive
With No Meter/50%-100% Drive
With 1+ Meter/50%-100% Drive
Best Team Position?
Character Matchups
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Iori Yagami (Flame)
Joe Higashi
K'
Kim Kaphwan
King
Kula Diamond
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Kyo Kusanagi (NESTS)
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Mature
Maxima (mirror match)
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Yuri Sakazaki
Links & References
Technical Reference
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfzcjMfwgi0#t=3m35s
Contributors
Discussion Threads
Discuss at Dream Cancel
