As the King of Iron Fist, you need to be the King of your own style. Let’s learn how to Block Attacks in Tekken 8. In Tekken 8, everyone wants to do damage, but you need to know how to keep yourself safe too. When you use devastating combos and the new Heat System correctly, you can really hurt your opponent.
They can do the same thing to you, though, and with the click of a finger, your fighter will be a shaking mess on the ground. This is the reason why you need to know how to block. Now, because Tekken 8’s fighting game tutorials aren’t very clear, you might not know how to right away. This guide will quickly show you how to put your dukes up if this is the case.
How to Block Attacks in Tekken 8
Moving to the side on your d-pad or left stick in Tekken 8 game will make you walk backwards until you hit. Your character will start blocking middle and high attacks as soon as you move towards the wall with your back facing the same way. But that would be too easy by itself. Even now, other players can still hit you low, so you have to crouch.
When you crouch, you don’t have to keep moving backwards to avoid more low attacks. But your opponents can still use different moves to hurt you, like jumps, overheads, or the Heat System. In Tekken 8, you have to learn how other characters move and guess where their next attack will land.
Training Tips for Improving Blocking Skills in Tekken 8
- To know when to respond to attacks, you need to understand Frame Data. Learn the moves that your character can block the fastest and practise reacting to them on those frames.
- Types of Blocks: Learn how the High, Mid, and Low blocks are different. Learn which attacks need certain block positions and practise switching quickly.
- Holding Back vs. Just Guarding: Holding back is the norm for blocking, but Just Guarding lets you use window frames to launch powerful counterattacks after blocking.
- Begin slowly: Do some simple single-attack drills against the AI to start. You can train the AI to make certain moves one at a time, and then practise consistently blocking them on reaction. Slow down at first and speed up as you get better.
- Random String Sequences: Once you already know how to do single attacks, move on to random string sequences. This makes it feel like real matches, where you can’t be sure what will happen next, and tests your reaction time to different attack patterns.
- Punish Practice: Blocking and immediate punishment should be done together. As soon as you block an attack, practise a quick punish move that can be used to attack.
Incorporating Offensive Strategies into Your Defensive Game
- Punishers: Master frame-specific “punish” moves for each block type. These moves capitalize on gaps in enemy strings, dealing significant damage and potentially launching them into combos.
- Whiff Punishes: Practice punishing whiffed attacks, where the opponent misses completely. These often lead to even bigger rewards than standard punishes.
- Counter Hits: Learn moves that counter hit on block, dealing bonus damage and potentially launching the opponent. Utilize Just Guarding for even more potent counter hit opportunities.
- Frame Advantage: After blocking, you might gain “frame advantage,” meaning your next move comes out faster than the opponent’s. Use this window to jab, throw, or initiate your own offense.
- Mind Games: Don’t always punish. Keep your opponent guessing by mixing in safe jabs, movement options, or even throws to disrupt their follow-up plans.
FAQs
If you want to guard, hold down the back button. This is known as a Standing Guard. When you hold back and press diagonally down, you get a Crouch Guard. It’s also possible for the player to guard while they’re still. This is known as a Neutral Guard. Neutral Guard was first used in Tekken 2.
In Tekken, parries are moves that block your opponent’s attacks while the parry is active. This gives you some kind of advantage without taking damage from the attack. A defender is a player on this page who parries, and an attacker is a player who uses a normal attack.
In Tekken 3, parrying was added. However, some characters, like Leo, Marshall Law, and Baek Doo San, are guaranteed to attack after a successful parry. Most parries are aimed at very specific attacks, like some punches but not all of them.
