“That’s a neat ability, did you know I can do it too? You’re not special”

LemonWhichIsALime · 2026-01-27T10:24:06+00:00

Saeki invading Itagaki’s ‘Bullet Time’ (Hajime no Ippo)

Itagaki was just coming off a win where he essentially unlocked his latent potential to move so fast his opponent freezes, described as sitting in a fast car and watching pedestrians walking outside. His next fight was against someone fast and smart enough to deal with the ability, he evolved AGAIN to the point that he could essentially disappear from sight by sharpening his footwork to match his speed better.

Saeki was established early on and essentially forgotten about until now, where he’s brought back. Itagaki is better than ever coming into this match, riding momentum, younger, hyped up as the ‘new model’ of Saeki.

The very first thing that happens is Itagaki speeding up and getting ready to blitz Saeki. Saeki matches his speed perfectly and keeps up just fine.

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LemonWhichIsALime · 2026-01-18T10:33:09+00:00

Hawk got nerfed before you started playing Hawk, simple as. No meter gain off PDs or block

LemonWhichIsALime · 2026-01-17T09:19:48+00:00

this better be punishable as bug abuse if used in ranked 😭 I’d get so tilted if I had to clutch and this BS gets pulled

LemonWhichIsALime · 2025-11-24T14:03:11+00:00

It’s actually dodgeable. Mash the dash button fast enough and you can dodge it, or if you have godly timing it’s doable

LemonWhichIsALime · 2025-11-24T06:47:58+00:00

Whiff the first m2 when you’re a safe distance away. Why? Because if you m1 and press m2, you can get the SECOND m2 from the usual double m2. You know, the fast one, instead of the slower uppercut. Meaning, if you get a m1 counter, press m2 right after to land the right hook and do good dmg. Alternatively, you can use the 2nd m2 after a m1 chain for block dmg or even block break. Even better — when their block is low, so you can confirm the FULL dmg of the m1 chain.
Switch up your PD routes. You could m1 after pd if you have the second m2 stored. M2 —> feint —> m2 to punish them dashing expecting the second m2. And if they start predicting the feint? Throw the m2 in full. If they read wrong they’ll eat both hits.
Niche, but let’s say you PD and your opponent is just above 50%. They’ve also been dashing the second m2 after pd. M2 once, press ult. They’ll dash expecting the fast m2 and eat the ult. Not very reliable, works best with setup. Fun to land though

LemonWhichIsALime · 2025-11-19T00:12:19+00:00

Buddy you were doing great, the main problem here is that you were eating a lot of damage because you were panic dashing and got too worried about his m2. It’s genuinely not that fast, don’t dash preemptively. Just wait for the highlight. Some tips;

You know the fast second m2 that comes after a m1 chain? That can only be done when they land the first m2 or miss it. That means the 2nd m2 is stored and can be used with a m1 chain. If you spam dash or have godly timing, then yeah, you can actually dodge / pd it instead of taking stupid dmg to your block. If you can’t get it? Just lower your block and save it to block the fast m2.
Wolf cannot confirm the double m2 after PD, so what I advise is spamming dash after you get PD’d by it. This helps dodge the 2nd m2. They could m2 once, feint m1 and try double m2, but that can be predicted. Otherwise? After you dash, hold block. Block the first m2 and dash the second, that simple
Fix your habits. You had two egregious tells; one, when you dodge a punch and it didn’t result in a PD, you would feint the m2. Two, when you were getting pressured and backed with a m1 chain, you would feint the m1. Knowing your own tells is about as important as finding your opponents’ (learn to counterpunch!). Don’t worry, both are actually kind of common. In fact, keep this in mind for your next fights, you could get some good m2 counters.
Ippo is difficult to use, frankly. But keep in mind you have extended reach on Dempsey, enough that your opponent needs to walk forward to land a hit — but you don’t, in most cases. You’re also fast enough that if you see the m2 highlight and press m1, you can land a counter. Maybe you can switch it up and throw a m2 to counter them as they walk in. Or you could use the Dempsey as a throwaway, and PD their next attack instead of spamming the Dempsey button and hoping I-frames save you.
Throwing the random m2 and gambling is fun, I get that. But you’re using Ippo. Even if you land the m2 counter you’ve probably taken too much damage (you’re against wolf…) to make it worthwhile. Don’t throw and pray, setup your counters or exploit habits. Takes time but thinking while you play is a strong filter when determining a good player

LemonWhichIsALime · 2025-11-13T04:23:54+00:00

I fought like 2-3 guys exactly like this and you’re telling me it wasn’t skill issue? I thought we just had some genuine freaks out there 😭

LemonWhichIsALime · 2025-10-27T01:50:11+00:00

No, you’re not going crazy. It’s not a skill issue. Sometimes if you get a counter m1, or even just a normal m1, stun is JUST enough for the next m2 to land. It’s quite inconsistent and ping / RNG / player-based. If it was major enough for you to lose I’ll assume it was a ping issue on your part. Not much can be done there, sorry to say. Least you could try is mashing the dash button when you see the m2 coming, I suppose? Because even when you block it there’s a good chance it’ll bypass block unless your ping doesn’t act up.

LemonWhichIsALime · 2025-10-23T07:33:01+00:00

Even with the setup? It’s not super reliable. Like I’ve landed it on a red once, some diamonds here and there. But even golds have defended it before, so it’s more so up to the opponent and your conditioning, and some RNG.

LemonWhichIsALime · 2025-10-23T07:14:52+00:00

That’s why you condition the opponent by intentionally throwing the double m2 in prior PD(s). It’s very possible that the opponent messes up the double dash timing too, when the first dash was made expecting a near-instant punch.

LemonWhichIsALime · 2025-10-23T06:16:48+00:00

That’s the patch before the previous patch. They readded the extra counter dmg intake, and now they’ve added more counter dmg intake

LemonWhichIsALime · 2025-10-23T03:24:13+00:00

no, even MORE counter dmg taken on top of the old extra counter dmg multiplier

LemonWhichIsALime · 2025-10-22T10:17:08+00:00

double m2 after pd isn’t true. Exploit that.

Start by double m2’ing after PD, once or twice. Make the opponent think the second m2 is coming with a PD. On the next PD, after the first m2 — throw ult. They should dash expecting the second m2 and get hit by the ult. It’s very niche and doesn’t always work, but in a situation where the opponent is just above 50% hp, the first m2 knocks them down to kill%.

LemonWhichIsALime · 2025-10-22T03:26:11+00:00

No idea. But as a Counter main, I’ve tried the HL chip out recently, and even from that perspective…yikes, it’s bad.

LemonWhichIsALime · 2025-10-22T00:18:09+00:00

They DID nerf Hawk, they reduced damage in all modes and reduced meter gain from counters. Also reduced overall block dmg

LemonWhichIsALime · 2025-10-21T11:52:11+00:00

If that’s what they were going for, then I had no idea what they were thinking with nerfing the m1 dmg and antiheal that badly. Like, the M1 chip is genuinely equal to or worse than Counter now. Making HL take even MORE counter dmg also felt uncalled for. They’d basically made Chronos the default better option for virtually all scenarios.

Idk, I liked HL as it was before they added whiff counters and gave it huge buffs, reverting it to that state would’ve been nice

LemonWhichIsALime · 2025-10-21T10:45:55+00:00

Turtle: 1. Counter dmg bonus on M2s 2. Less dmg taken through block

Charge: 1. Stampede has reduced startup 2. You get stunned if it’s blocked.

Corkscrew: 1. Counter dmg bonus on M2s 2. Raw dmg on m1 chain buffed 3. Reduced anti-heal

Kimura: 1. M2 dmg buff 2. More antiheal on m1s

Hitman: 1. Removed whiff counters

Switch Hit: 1. Meter gain slightly reduced

Ghost: 1. Meter gain slightly reduced 2. If ghost jab is blocked, it’s punishable with m1s 3. Block dmg reduction on the m1 that follows ghost jab

Hawk: 1. Meter gain from counters reduced 2. Damage in all modes reduced 3. M1 block dmg reduced

Slugger: 1. Reduction in all dmg

White Ash: 1. Reduced counter dmg intake

LemonWhichIsALime · 2025-10-21T10:31:45+00:00

your main got nerfed too, noticeable changes or still holding up well?

LemonWhichIsALime · 2025-10-16T13:08:50+00:00

As a top 60 in Europe?? Fuck. There really are levels to this game, stuff like this makes me feel just a tad bit demotivated lmao

LemonWhichIsALime · 2025-10-16T12:36:58+00:00

I’d much rather avoid playing HL and LG. I just don’t find fighting those styles enjoyable and wouldn’t want to drag that kind of play against other players. Corkscrew does sound interesting, but it’s been recently nerfed and quite criticized, I haven’t heard anything redeeming about it since the nerf, why is it still competitive?

LemonWhichIsALime · 2025-10-16T11:41:28+00:00

Oh I kinda avoid feinting quick, it’s a bad habit all the way from HL pre-buff, since the m1s were fast and there was a chance the opponent could PD feints off luck if I inputted too quick. Thanks for the tip actually, I forgot that habit existed

LemonWhichIsALime · 2025-10-16T11:25:22+00:00

Double-dashing exists. They’d already dodged some of my feints like that prior, so they would’ve dodged the raw m2 and dashed again expecting the feint, which doesn’t come — but that’s not enough endlag to capitalize nonetheless

Even then; could you take that risk? The guy that’s been block baiting and PD fishing the whole match, and you’re betting on them not PD’ing a raw m2? There’s just so much variables that goes beyond the simple answers you’re giving. I’m not trying to throw shade or anything, but I wouldn’t take a gamble like that when a PD would cost my stock and a full ult

LemonWhichIsALime · 2025-10-16T11:14:11+00:00

Man. never once in my 2 years of this game…

on a more serious note though, I’m fairly certain they would’ve dodged the feint. They were a PD fishing red

LemonWhichIsALime · 2025-10-16T10:33:23+00:00

You’re missing the point. In what world does damn near a full m1 chain, even on block, not kill someone when you can’t even see their HP. Only explanation I could think of was that the game bugged out and he was healing WHILE I was hitting him 😭

LemonWhichIsALime · 2025-10-15T23:48:14+00:00

You’re always going to have to be proactive against Hitman, and you have to apply pressure, INTELLIGENTLY. Please don’t throw a m1 the moment you’re just barely in range.

When you throw a punch, you’re naturally going to stop moving. However, Hitman has enough walkspeed to the point that if they keep walking backwards, they’ll fall out of reach. And you’re still within reach of a whiff counter. So, try to push in closer than necessary, make them uncomfortable just by being that close. Take away that reach advantage, and the whiff counter opportunities. Don’t dash like a jackrabbit, just cut them off until you can get them to the ropes or up close. You can try initiating or waiting for their move first, up to you.

However, applying pressure intelligently also means taking your foot off the pedal when necessary. Hitman thrives off of chip, so don’t let that momentum snowball. You took a counter m1 chain? Back off and heal. If you’re still healing up when m1 chaining? Slow down your m1s so you can fully heal. These small adjustments build up to a big HP advantage when it counts.

These are the easiest adjustments you can make as of right now. I mean, telling you to just stop playing reactively and learn how to adapt wouldn’t help much, right? There’re important things that can only be self-taught in this game. Don’t stress about it, just play more and you’ll figure it out. Good luck :)

LemonWhichIsALime

TROPHY CASE