this is just a written version of my video of poison ivy guide for the people that wanted it with the writing for the combos etc...
In DEPTH poison ivy guide:
PROS
- When nightshade is up she is amazing at rush down and zoning
- Her setups are amazing
- Gets a lot of damage for her meter
- A lot of combo potential
- Nightshade
- Has multiple defensive tools
- Pressure can be vicious
CONS
- Bad anti airs
- Doesn’t have a lot of range moves
- Bad zoning
- Nightshade
- Can’t really combo off d1
- It’s hard to open people up
- She can get punished easily on whiff
- It’s hard to beat a lot of people if they know how to completely ruin nightshade and her pressure
- Poor meter build
- She NEEDS meter for EVERYTHING
- She has to respect people too much
NORMALS
2- I use to juggle people mid screen but mostly in the corner for high meter less damage
B3 - this is poison ivy’s bounce. I use this to extend combos, but also I use it for footsie tools and anti airing. This also goes through barrier such as clones, ice wall, or green lanterns wall
F3 – this is poison ivy’s overhead bounce. This is used mainly as a footsie tools since it’s the farthest ranging F3 in the game. It can sometimes anti air, and also it can be used for 50/50s
D1 – this is poison ivy’s fastest move at 7 frames. it’s great for punishing moves near background bounces because the only thing d1 combos into is her new move Chompy and Bitey bash and datura hammer meter burn which does give much value for the meter
D2 – this poison ivy’s only real anti air and its 16 start up frames so not the best uppercut in the game. it really only hits when you’re predicting a jump in or air dash but it’s very rewarding because you can get a B3 and its great for juggling some combos
D3 - this is poison ivy’s sweep. I usually don’t use this a lot since it’s punishable on block and it doesn’t give her a lot of advantage on hit
JUMP ATTACKS
U1 – this a great jump in because it doesn’t scale as much as her U2 so I usually do it after a background bounce if I’ve already done a B3 or F3
U2 – this is a double hitting overhead. It depends on what’s happening that I use this usually after a heavy gravity combo or background bounce.
U3 – this is great for following up B3 into juggling
COMBO STRINGS
121, 1212, & 121213 – depending on what’s happening ill use all three. In some of my setups I have to do only 121 to get a kiss out into the middle of pet, 1212 is plus 1 on block so sometimes I’ll stop there and go for something else or d1 and it scales less in combos than 121213, and 121213 is a hard knockdown but you can special cancel it before the knockdown for combo extending. I also use this while pet is up on people who like to push block by creating a blender effect like aquamans trident making it virtually impossible to push block and get hit.
121U3- this a launcher but it’s also punishable on block so I don’t through this out there often unless I know I get the hit. I either use this for a raw meter burn kiss combo with pet or ender pet setup. You can also cross people by doing 121U3 and going for far f3.
B12, B123- this is her low starter but it doesn’t have a lot of range so you have to be right up on the opponent. I use this to mix up, cancel pressure because it doesn’t have a lot of pushback, and for a safer low juggle combo extender. I usually don’t go into the 3 because its punishable on block but also sometimes the second hit of her 3 whiffs on ducking opponent making it even more punishable but it is a meter less launcher for extending combos
21, 213- this is a low into double overhead launcher. I usually use this to mix up my opponent by doing into the low from datura stance instead of the over head or I cancel before the overhead to go into more pressure. You can also special cancel to combo off of it mid screen for more mix-ups and it’s an excellent combo starter
B2D2, B2D21+3- this is poison ivy forward advancing mid I use this for whiff punishing opponents, juggling combos, and sometimes I try to anti air with it, I fail, but I try. The only time I every use the grab at the end is to get myself out of the corner because this ender switches the player sides. Or a special setup that yall will see later in the notes or video
F21, F212 & F213- this is a forward advancing high. I use this for juggling combos and for ending combos and depending on the play style I use the ender 2 or 3, and for crossups
31, 313- this is a double low in contrast of her 213, and people often mistake it for her 213 and fall for the low. It’s a hard knockdown and you can’t combo off of it unless you use pet which is great for setups
SPECIAL MOVES
Kiss of death- this is used for to restand opponents but when you meter burn it, it allows poison ivy to do her setups, vortexes, crossups, and resets.
Datura Hammer- datura gives poison ivy a multitude of options to improve her game play.
R2- this option lets poison ivy make her 1 and 2 safe on block, create pressure, combo off her down 1, or combo-ing off of it by doing any of her options
1-this is poison ivy’s most safe option on block in datura stance although some people can punish it. It’s really hard to punish because of the pushback on it and the cancel makes it safer
2- This is poison ivy’s meter less launcher. I use this to extend combos on hit reaction. This can also be used as an anti air if you time it right but it takes more time to do than her d2 but has a better area range
3- This is poison ivy’s low option off of datura. I usually use this mix people up so that they have to guess whether I’m going for the overhead full combo punish or low hard knockdown. And what people may not know is that you can also do this to punish people’s barriers like ice clone on subzero or captain colds ice wall. Or green lanterns wall, etc.
U- This is poison ivy’s recoil it allows her to make her datura hammer safe, cancel pressure, improves her neutral, and generate better meter than she normal does while zoning
Chompy and Bitey bash – I don’t know what to tell yall except that this move really has no purpose in her game play. I mean besides from the damage and chip damage it’s really not that great, people still can jump over it like her other wakeup, it’s not fully invincible, it doesn’t have any range, its punishable on block, it doesn’t have a lot of hit advantage, recovery is a lot too. I honestly thing seeds has more of a purpose than this move. So I don’t use this move at all
Vine drill- this is poison ivy’s knockdown but when you meter burn, It becomes a launcher for extending combos. I usually use this to either extend combos, chipping someone out for pressure, and to zone opponents.
Rhytidome skin- this prevents poison ivy from taking chip damage and also reduces damage. I usually use this on people that doe a lot of chip damage that I can’t avoid like cyborg or fate or when I’m low on health and I don’t to get chipped out to try and make a comeback.
Bed of thorns- this move does damage over time to opponents standing in thorns, I usually use this for block pressure with trait to chip someone out since this move scales in combos my point is to not get a combo but chip.
TRAIT
Nightshade – night shade oh night shade, this is poison ivy’s… I would say faithful companion but that would be a lie… nightshade is a piece of work if you’ve seen my negatives of nightshade yall would understand anyways… back to the guide, nightshade shoots projectiles at the opponent a total of 5 times juggling and extending combos and creating possible traps… I use nightshade as more for a barrier against rush down characters and zoning/ defense when paired with her vine drill, but nightshade is a versatile trait so he can also be used for rush down and setups. Nightshade has 1 frame start up but 50 frames of recovery so you have to be specific of when you choose to summon nightshade. So I usually summon nightshade after a hard knockdown, a juggle combo, meter burn kiss, or against people who can’t ruin her chances of putting out nightshade from a distance.
But warning nightshade does mess up combos, messes up frame data, and goes away from a multitude of things like push block, grab, hit, etc.
Burrow – this has a start up of 48 frames and it’s a full screen traveling low. I use this for hard to block able setups or during the end of nightshade to get more meter when zoning. And I also use it for pressure and mix-up when rush down. This is also poison ivy’s most plus move on block at plus 14. Second being plus 5/2
COMBOS:
STARTERS
1212
121213
B12
B2D2
JUGGLERS
2
F21
B2D2
ENDERS
F212
F213
121213
BNBS
B123, B2D2, DBF1 (deadly kiss)
Starter, DD1, 2, U (cancel), B2D2, DBF1 (deadly kiss)
Starter, DD1, 2, U (cancel), B2D2, DBF1 (deadly kiss) MB, B3, U3, F212
Starter, DD1, 2, U (cancel), B2D2, DBF1 (deadly kiss) MB, B3, U3, F213
Starter, DB2 (vine drill) MB, F3, U2, F212 or F213
Starter, DB2 (vine drill) MB, F3, 2, F212 or F213
213, FFR2, U2, F21, B2D2, BDF1 (deadly kiss)
213, DB2 (vine drill)
213, DB2 (vine drill) MB, DB2 (vine drill)
213, FFR2, 2, F21, B2D21+3
121U3, B2D2, DBF1 (deadly kiss) MB, B3, U3, F212 or F213
121U3, B2D2, BBR2, FF, U3, B12, DBF1 (deadly kiss)
F3, 2, F21, B2D2, DBF1 (deadly kiss)
D1, DD1 MB, 2, U (cancel), B2D2, DBF1 (deadly kiss)
D2, B3, U3, F21, B2D2, DBF1 (deadly kiss)
CORNER
Starter, DD1, 2, U (cancel), 2, 2, 121213, DBF1 (deadly kiss)
Starter, DD1, 2, U (cancel), 2, 2, 2, 121213, DBF1 (deadly kiss)
Starter, DD1, 2, U (cancel), 2, 2, 2, B12, DBF1 (deadly kiss)
Starter, DB2 (vine drill) MB, F3, U2, 2, 121213, DBF1 (deadly kiss)
213, 2, 2, 121213, DBF1 (deadly kiss)
213, 2, 2, 2, 121213, DBF1 (deadly kiss)
D1, DD1 MB, 2, U (cancel), 2, 2, 121213, DBF1 (deadly kiss)
ANTI AIR/ AIR TO AIR
Poison ivy’s best anti air options are her B3, D2, and her 1/2. As you may notice poison ivy anti air options aren’t that great either they have to long of a start up that you have to predict a jump in or it doesn’t have any range like her 1/2.
So it’s better to air to air the opponent than to try to anti air. Her j2 is a great option to air to air opponent when you see them jumping.
MIX UPS
Some people think poison ivy doesn’t have any mix ups but this isn’t true. The mix-ups I usually do is either F213 or 213 but isn’t of finishing the string into the overhead. You can do datura stance into 3 which is her low for a 50/50. You also can extend the 50/50 by doing into 213 bounce cancel or 213 datura into 3. You can also throw 313 out there and bounce cancel before the low for an overhead 50/50. Although 313 isn’t a 50/50 from 213 people will often mistake the two for the same move because the both sweep on the second attack. She also has her F3 or F3 cancel into B12 or D3 for another 50/50.
RESETS
Poison ivy’s resets come from her meter burn kiss. I haven’t done it in a while but after meter burn kiss you can do U2 into F3 or U2 into a delayed B1 for a 50/50 reset. That’s all I really know that you can actually do yourself. There are resets using her pet like batman’s overhead into trait to restand the opponent and reset them but unlike batman poison ivy can’t control her pet and time it right with all the calculations involved in the game
VORTEX
Poison ivy’s vortexes come from her meter burn kiss then you want to forward dash then back up a little bit then jump over the opponent using either U1 or U2 and depending on how far back you move it can hit in front, hit in the back, hit in the front and back with her U2, or hit in the front but end up in the back… then into a full combo and back into to meter burn kiss and repeat the cycle
PRESSURE
Poison ivy’s pressure comes from her pet, her zoning, but mainly from her datura hammer cancels. I usually do datura cancels because poison ivy basically doesn’t have any plus frames and her strings are predictable so nothing really opens the opponent up so you have to create fake plus frames or pressure to try and open them up by getting to poke at the wrong time and get punished for it. Unlike flash her stance cancel doesn’t make her plus its safe but not plus the cancel has a recovery of 19 frames. When paired with her trait nightshade poison ivy’s pressure becomes vicious and she generates better meter than she normally does. I typical throw my cancels out during the middle of a multitude of strings to throw them to when I’m going to cancel or not cancel.
Tip: if you can’t cancel datura hammer with one press you can also hold U to cancel
CROSSUPS
Poison ivy has some crossups. Some easy some practically impossible to time and hit and only work on certain character’s hurt box… first we’ll start off with an easy cross up by use her meter burn kiss then you want to forward dash then back up a little bit then jump over the opponent using either U1 or U2. Then we have her 121U3 into F3, and lastly the hardest one of all is her F213 into F3… I sort of have the timing down but I usually only do this is when I have no meter or nightshade and I need the advantage when rushing down.
SETUPS
Most of poison ivy’s setups come from her meter burn kiss but some can come from hard knockdowns or burrow from pet when juggling. First, well start off with the easiest with burrow. Since burrow is a traveling low you can also get an over head out at the same time performing a hard to block able setup. I usually do this if I catch someone while my pet is up or from a distance when I’m doing cancel pressure while pet is up.
The most important setups to use with poison ivy is with her pet nightshade after meter burn kiss not only does it give her setups but it also gives her safe 50/50s and chip such as a couple set ups:
MID SCREEN
DBF1 (deadly kiss) MB, 4, B2D2, DD1, 2, U (cancel), F3, U2, F213
DBF1 (deadly kiss) MB, 4, B2, FFR2, FF, 2, F2, B2D2, DB2
DBF1 (deadly kiss) MB, 4, 1, B2D21+3,… B12, DD1, 2, U (cancel) , B2D2, B2D2(1+3, Kiss, or D4)
PRESSURE
DBF1 (deadly kiss) MB, 4, B12, DD1, U (cancel)…
CORNER
DBF1 (deadly kiss) MB, 4, 2, 313, D2, F3, 2, 121213, DBF1 (deadly kiss)
DBF1 (deadly kiss) MB, 4, 2, 31, FF3, 2, 2, 121213, DBF1 (deadly kiss)
DBF1 (deadly kiss) MB, 4, 2, F3, F3, 2, 121213, DBF1 (deadly kiss)
DBF1 (deadly kiss) MB, 4, 2, F3 (hold), FF, B12, DD1, 2, U (cancel), 2, 2, 2, 121213, DBF1 (deadly kiss)
DBF1 (deadly kiss) MB, 4, 2, F213,…, F3 (cross up), 2, 2, 121213, DBF1 (deadly kiss)
DBF1 (deadly kiss) MB, 4, 2, F21, DD1, 3, U (cancel), D1, D1, 2, 121213, DBF1 (deadly kiss)
CORNER PRESSURE
DBF1 (deadly kiss) MB, 4, B2, DB3 (bed of thorns) MB, D1…
GAMEPLAN
Depending on the character ivy has to fight against determines how she has to play. Both types should use her datura cancel to open the open up whether it be to keep them in or push them back out. And both should also use setups… to get the advantage on the opponent but as soon as you can set up anymore zoners should push them back out. Both rush down and zoners can use skin to
ZONING
You primarily want to try and keep the opponent out of your face. A few things that really help her out in the zoning department are: her vine drill, nightshade, D2, B3, and combo Enders like F212 or 121213. You can also do a zoning setup after meter burn kiss and nightshade by doing B2D2 into vine drill and then back dash and you’re back into your zoning
RUSHDOWN
You primarily want to try and keep your opponent in so a few things to keep that happening is her cancel pressure, nightshade setups, F3, combo enders like F213.
In DEPTH poison ivy guide:
PROS
- When nightshade is up she is amazing at rush down and zoning
- Her setups are amazing
- Gets a lot of damage for her meter
- A lot of combo potential
- Nightshade
- Has multiple defensive tools
- Pressure can be vicious
CONS
- Bad anti airs
- Doesn’t have a lot of range moves
- Bad zoning
- Nightshade
- Can’t really combo off d1
- It’s hard to open people up
- She can get punished easily on whiff
- It’s hard to beat a lot of people if they know how to completely ruin nightshade and her pressure
- Poor meter build
- She NEEDS meter for EVERYTHING
- She has to respect people too much
NORMALS
2- I use to juggle people mid screen but mostly in the corner for high meter less damage
B3 - this is poison ivy’s bounce. I use this to extend combos, but also I use it for footsie tools and anti airing. This also goes through barrier such as clones, ice wall, or green lanterns wall
F3 – this is poison ivy’s overhead bounce. This is used mainly as a footsie tools since it’s the farthest ranging F3 in the game. It can sometimes anti air, and also it can be used for 50/50s
D1 – this is poison ivy’s fastest move at 7 frames. it’s great for punishing moves near background bounces because the only thing d1 combos into is her new move Chompy and Bitey bash and datura hammer meter burn which does give much value for the meter
D2 – this poison ivy’s only real anti air and its 16 start up frames so not the best uppercut in the game. it really only hits when you’re predicting a jump in or air dash but it’s very rewarding because you can get a B3 and its great for juggling some combos
D3 - this is poison ivy’s sweep. I usually don’t use this a lot since it’s punishable on block and it doesn’t give her a lot of advantage on hit
JUMP ATTACKS
U1 – this a great jump in because it doesn’t scale as much as her U2 so I usually do it after a background bounce if I’ve already done a B3 or F3
U2 – this is a double hitting overhead. It depends on what’s happening that I use this usually after a heavy gravity combo or background bounce.
U3 – this is great for following up B3 into juggling
COMBO STRINGS
121, 1212, & 121213 – depending on what’s happening ill use all three. In some of my setups I have to do only 121 to get a kiss out into the middle of pet, 1212 is plus 1 on block so sometimes I’ll stop there and go for something else or d1 and it scales less in combos than 121213, and 121213 is a hard knockdown but you can special cancel it before the knockdown for combo extending. I also use this while pet is up on people who like to push block by creating a blender effect like aquamans trident making it virtually impossible to push block and get hit.
121U3- this a launcher but it’s also punishable on block so I don’t through this out there often unless I know I get the hit. I either use this for a raw meter burn kiss combo with pet or ender pet setup. You can also cross people by doing 121U3 and going for far f3.
B12, B123- this is her low starter but it doesn’t have a lot of range so you have to be right up on the opponent. I use this to mix up, cancel pressure because it doesn’t have a lot of pushback, and for a safer low juggle combo extender. I usually don’t go into the 3 because its punishable on block but also sometimes the second hit of her 3 whiffs on ducking opponent making it even more punishable but it is a meter less launcher for extending combos
21, 213- this is a low into double overhead launcher. I usually use this to mix up my opponent by doing into the low from datura stance instead of the over head or I cancel before the overhead to go into more pressure. You can also special cancel to combo off of it mid screen for more mix-ups and it’s an excellent combo starter
B2D2, B2D21+3- this is poison ivy forward advancing mid I use this for whiff punishing opponents, juggling combos, and sometimes I try to anti air with it, I fail, but I try. The only time I every use the grab at the end is to get myself out of the corner because this ender switches the player sides. Or a special setup that yall will see later in the notes or video
F21, F212 & F213- this is a forward advancing high. I use this for juggling combos and for ending combos and depending on the play style I use the ender 2 or 3, and for crossups
31, 313- this is a double low in contrast of her 213, and people often mistake it for her 213 and fall for the low. It’s a hard knockdown and you can’t combo off of it unless you use pet which is great for setups
SPECIAL MOVES
Kiss of death- this is used for to restand opponents but when you meter burn it, it allows poison ivy to do her setups, vortexes, crossups, and resets.
Datura Hammer- datura gives poison ivy a multitude of options to improve her game play.
R2- this option lets poison ivy make her 1 and 2 safe on block, create pressure, combo off her down 1, or combo-ing off of it by doing any of her options
1-this is poison ivy’s most safe option on block in datura stance although some people can punish it. It’s really hard to punish because of the pushback on it and the cancel makes it safer
2- This is poison ivy’s meter less launcher. I use this to extend combos on hit reaction. This can also be used as an anti air if you time it right but it takes more time to do than her d2 but has a better area range
3- This is poison ivy’s low option off of datura. I usually use this mix people up so that they have to guess whether I’m going for the overhead full combo punish or low hard knockdown. And what people may not know is that you can also do this to punish people’s barriers like ice clone on subzero or captain colds ice wall. Or green lanterns wall, etc.
U- This is poison ivy’s recoil it allows her to make her datura hammer safe, cancel pressure, improves her neutral, and generate better meter than she normal does while zoning
Chompy and Bitey bash – I don’t know what to tell yall except that this move really has no purpose in her game play. I mean besides from the damage and chip damage it’s really not that great, people still can jump over it like her other wakeup, it’s not fully invincible, it doesn’t have any range, its punishable on block, it doesn’t have a lot of hit advantage, recovery is a lot too. I honestly thing seeds has more of a purpose than this move. So I don’t use this move at all
Vine drill- this is poison ivy’s knockdown but when you meter burn, It becomes a launcher for extending combos. I usually use this to either extend combos, chipping someone out for pressure, and to zone opponents.
Rhytidome skin- this prevents poison ivy from taking chip damage and also reduces damage. I usually use this on people that doe a lot of chip damage that I can’t avoid like cyborg or fate or when I’m low on health and I don’t to get chipped out to try and make a comeback.
Bed of thorns- this move does damage over time to opponents standing in thorns, I usually use this for block pressure with trait to chip someone out since this move scales in combos my point is to not get a combo but chip.
TRAIT
Nightshade – night shade oh night shade, this is poison ivy’s… I would say faithful companion but that would be a lie… nightshade is a piece of work if you’ve seen my negatives of nightshade yall would understand anyways… back to the guide, nightshade shoots projectiles at the opponent a total of 5 times juggling and extending combos and creating possible traps… I use nightshade as more for a barrier against rush down characters and zoning/ defense when paired with her vine drill, but nightshade is a versatile trait so he can also be used for rush down and setups. Nightshade has 1 frame start up but 50 frames of recovery so you have to be specific of when you choose to summon nightshade. So I usually summon nightshade after a hard knockdown, a juggle combo, meter burn kiss, or against people who can’t ruin her chances of putting out nightshade from a distance.
But warning nightshade does mess up combos, messes up frame data, and goes away from a multitude of things like push block, grab, hit, etc.
Burrow – this has a start up of 48 frames and it’s a full screen traveling low. I use this for hard to block able setups or during the end of nightshade to get more meter when zoning. And I also use it for pressure and mix-up when rush down. This is also poison ivy’s most plus move on block at plus 14. Second being plus 5/2
COMBOS:
STARTERS
1212
121213
B12
B2D2
JUGGLERS
2
F21
B2D2
ENDERS
F212
F213
121213
BNBS
B123, B2D2, DBF1 (deadly kiss)
Starter, DD1, 2, U (cancel), B2D2, DBF1 (deadly kiss)
Starter, DD1, 2, U (cancel), B2D2, DBF1 (deadly kiss) MB, B3, U3, F212
Starter, DD1, 2, U (cancel), B2D2, DBF1 (deadly kiss) MB, B3, U3, F213
Starter, DB2 (vine drill) MB, F3, U2, F212 or F213
Starter, DB2 (vine drill) MB, F3, 2, F212 or F213
213, FFR2, U2, F21, B2D2, BDF1 (deadly kiss)
213, DB2 (vine drill)
213, DB2 (vine drill) MB, DB2 (vine drill)
213, FFR2, 2, F21, B2D21+3
121U3, B2D2, DBF1 (deadly kiss) MB, B3, U3, F212 or F213
121U3, B2D2, BBR2, FF, U3, B12, DBF1 (deadly kiss)
F3, 2, F21, B2D2, DBF1 (deadly kiss)
D1, DD1 MB, 2, U (cancel), B2D2, DBF1 (deadly kiss)
D2, B3, U3, F21, B2D2, DBF1 (deadly kiss)
CORNER
Starter, DD1, 2, U (cancel), 2, 2, 121213, DBF1 (deadly kiss)
Starter, DD1, 2, U (cancel), 2, 2, 2, 121213, DBF1 (deadly kiss)
Starter, DD1, 2, U (cancel), 2, 2, 2, B12, DBF1 (deadly kiss)
Starter, DB2 (vine drill) MB, F3, U2, 2, 121213, DBF1 (deadly kiss)
213, 2, 2, 121213, DBF1 (deadly kiss)
213, 2, 2, 2, 121213, DBF1 (deadly kiss)
D1, DD1 MB, 2, U (cancel), 2, 2, 121213, DBF1 (deadly kiss)
ANTI AIR/ AIR TO AIR
Poison ivy’s best anti air options are her B3, D2, and her 1/2. As you may notice poison ivy anti air options aren’t that great either they have to long of a start up that you have to predict a jump in or it doesn’t have any range like her 1/2.
So it’s better to air to air the opponent than to try to anti air. Her j2 is a great option to air to air opponent when you see them jumping.
MIX UPS
Some people think poison ivy doesn’t have any mix ups but this isn’t true. The mix-ups I usually do is either F213 or 213 but isn’t of finishing the string into the overhead. You can do datura stance into 3 which is her low for a 50/50. You also can extend the 50/50 by doing into 213 bounce cancel or 213 datura into 3. You can also throw 313 out there and bounce cancel before the low for an overhead 50/50. Although 313 isn’t a 50/50 from 213 people will often mistake the two for the same move because the both sweep on the second attack. She also has her F3 or F3 cancel into B12 or D3 for another 50/50.
RESETS
Poison ivy’s resets come from her meter burn kiss. I haven’t done it in a while but after meter burn kiss you can do U2 into F3 or U2 into a delayed B1 for a 50/50 reset. That’s all I really know that you can actually do yourself. There are resets using her pet like batman’s overhead into trait to restand the opponent and reset them but unlike batman poison ivy can’t control her pet and time it right with all the calculations involved in the game
VORTEX
Poison ivy’s vortexes come from her meter burn kiss then you want to forward dash then back up a little bit then jump over the opponent using either U1 or U2 and depending on how far back you move it can hit in front, hit in the back, hit in the front and back with her U2, or hit in the front but end up in the back… then into a full combo and back into to meter burn kiss and repeat the cycle
PRESSURE
Poison ivy’s pressure comes from her pet, her zoning, but mainly from her datura hammer cancels. I usually do datura cancels because poison ivy basically doesn’t have any plus frames and her strings are predictable so nothing really opens the opponent up so you have to create fake plus frames or pressure to try and open them up by getting to poke at the wrong time and get punished for it. Unlike flash her stance cancel doesn’t make her plus its safe but not plus the cancel has a recovery of 19 frames. When paired with her trait nightshade poison ivy’s pressure becomes vicious and she generates better meter than she normally does. I typical throw my cancels out during the middle of a multitude of strings to throw them to when I’m going to cancel or not cancel.
Tip: if you can’t cancel datura hammer with one press you can also hold U to cancel
CROSSUPS
Poison ivy has some crossups. Some easy some practically impossible to time and hit and only work on certain character’s hurt box… first we’ll start off with an easy cross up by use her meter burn kiss then you want to forward dash then back up a little bit then jump over the opponent using either U1 or U2. Then we have her 121U3 into F3, and lastly the hardest one of all is her F213 into F3… I sort of have the timing down but I usually only do this is when I have no meter or nightshade and I need the advantage when rushing down.
SETUPS
Most of poison ivy’s setups come from her meter burn kiss but some can come from hard knockdowns or burrow from pet when juggling. First, well start off with the easiest with burrow. Since burrow is a traveling low you can also get an over head out at the same time performing a hard to block able setup. I usually do this if I catch someone while my pet is up or from a distance when I’m doing cancel pressure while pet is up.
The most important setups to use with poison ivy is with her pet nightshade after meter burn kiss not only does it give her setups but it also gives her safe 50/50s and chip such as a couple set ups:
MID SCREEN
DBF1 (deadly kiss) MB, 4, B2D2, DD1, 2, U (cancel), F3, U2, F213
DBF1 (deadly kiss) MB, 4, B2, FFR2, FF, 2, F2, B2D2, DB2
DBF1 (deadly kiss) MB, 4, 1, B2D21+3,… B12, DD1, 2, U (cancel) , B2D2, B2D2(1+3, Kiss, or D4)
PRESSURE
DBF1 (deadly kiss) MB, 4, B12, DD1, U (cancel)…
CORNER
DBF1 (deadly kiss) MB, 4, 2, 313, D2, F3, 2, 121213, DBF1 (deadly kiss)
DBF1 (deadly kiss) MB, 4, 2, 31, FF3, 2, 2, 121213, DBF1 (deadly kiss)
DBF1 (deadly kiss) MB, 4, 2, F3, F3, 2, 121213, DBF1 (deadly kiss)
DBF1 (deadly kiss) MB, 4, 2, F3 (hold), FF, B12, DD1, 2, U (cancel), 2, 2, 2, 121213, DBF1 (deadly kiss)
DBF1 (deadly kiss) MB, 4, 2, F213,…, F3 (cross up), 2, 2, 121213, DBF1 (deadly kiss)
DBF1 (deadly kiss) MB, 4, 2, F21, DD1, 3, U (cancel), D1, D1, 2, 121213, DBF1 (deadly kiss)
CORNER PRESSURE
DBF1 (deadly kiss) MB, 4, B2, DB3 (bed of thorns) MB, D1…
GAMEPLAN
Depending on the character ivy has to fight against determines how she has to play. Both types should use her datura cancel to open the open up whether it be to keep them in or push them back out. And both should also use setups… to get the advantage on the opponent but as soon as you can set up anymore zoners should push them back out. Both rush down and zoners can use skin to
ZONING
You primarily want to try and keep the opponent out of your face. A few things that really help her out in the zoning department are: her vine drill, nightshade, D2, B3, and combo Enders like F212 or 121213. You can also do a zoning setup after meter burn kiss and nightshade by doing B2D2 into vine drill and then back dash and you’re back into your zoning
RUSHDOWN
You primarily want to try and keep your opponent in so a few things to keep that happening is her cancel pressure, nightshade setups, F3, combo enders like F213.