neogeofun vs ZOOTOO (various characters vs Haohmaru)

It's nice to be back on Haohmaru. I decided I was tired of playing other characters. This set was fun, especially near the end with the frantic mirror match.

I am pretty proud of my performance this set, as I played well and even landed optimal steel cutter punishes, which I used to struggle with. Probably because I was chilling, which prevented me from getting misinputs (which are extremely common when I have nerves from a tough set or am tired near the end of a tournament). Nothing sucks more than getting 623AB instead, since I believe it does not combo after 2AB and it does less damage than steel cutter. But only getting a 5AB also sucks because of the missed opportunity. I didn't have issues with that this time.

Steel cutter after blocking frog is incredibly important for making the opponent want to avoid using it, and backhit 2AB to steel cutter is just plain devastating.

The great thing about Haohmaru is that his simplicity prevents me from getting "rusty" as there isn't much execution to worry about. It's mostly mental with him. Trying to play a character like Ukyo, Rasetsumaru, or Kazuki after a hiatus is guaranteed misinput hell though. They need consistent practice. Ironically, though, I can easily pick up new things that I used to struggle with when I get off a character or game for a bit. Taking a break and letting the brain process new combos, punishes, etc. is a viable strategy in any fighting game.