Capcom has released a new Street Fighter V character introduction trailer teaching us the techniques behind Matsuda Jiujitsu practitioner Laura.
This trailer uses some serious fighting game jargon. I will be explaining it as best as I can here, but if you want to learn more, you can check out some fighting game glossaries here and here.
Each Street Fighter V combatant has two special moves, V-Skills and V-Triggers. The V-Skill is a defensive move that often has added properties or effects. The V-Trigger is an offensive move that you can only use after charging up a bar called the V-Gauge.
Laura’s V-Skill allows her to cancel her attacks into a forward or backward dash. This means, even before the animation for her last move is finished, she can interrupt it to dash forward or backward. Laura can use this to her advantage by moving into a more advantageous position.
Laura’s V-Trigger powers her up in different ways. Her dash is extended, increasing her movement options. The amount of time Laura can charge her fireball is increased, so that she can cause higher damage. Finally, Laura’s ability to stun has been maximized.
Laura is a grappler, but also has a fireball attack. You can use her fireballs and other attacks to set her opponents up for throws, and other high damage moves. However, to use Laura to her best, you need to set up her dash attack with her powerful normal moves. You should not always use throws when you get within throw range. Instead, you should keep the opponent guessing what techniques and strategies you will use when you get that close.
Laura is not beginner friendly. Using her requires a solid understanding of techniques. However, in a professional player’s hands, she can create terrifying pressure.
You can check out the trailer below. You can also read our prior coverage of Laura Matsuda, including when she was leaked a month early, and why I wrote she is a groundbreaking Brazilian video game character.
Street Fighter V comes out on February 16, 2016 on PlayStation 4 and PC.