Sol Guides

Sol Badguy Guide

Sol Badguy in Guilty Gear

Sol is the main protagonist of the Guilty Gear series. You can consider him as the ‘Ken’ of Guilty Gear. While his position as the main character of the game makes him seem like Ryu, his personality and moveset are more akin to the fiery Ken Masters. Sol was once a brilliant scientist, but after being transformed into a gear by That Man, he became a bounty hunter out for revenge against That Man, who is responsible for the disappearance of his sole love, Aria Hale. 

Sol took on the Surname ‘Badguy’ after his reign of terror against the underground world earned him the nickname ‘The Badguy.’ He is a brash and surly character whose fiery personality belies a compassionate nature that is committed to justice and to making the world a better place.

Sol’s Fighting Style

Sol, much like May, is listed as a balanced character who is actually really a rushdown character whose blatant disregard of the neutral game makes him one of the most powerful characters in the game. Sol was considered basically broken early in the game’s life cycle thanks to his litany of tools used to open up the opponent and ruin them. However, Sol was nerfed to make him a lot more manageable in a later patch. But, he still possesses a tonne of options with which to defeat the opponent. Sol is equipped with a lot of useful normals that are damaging and can put an opponent in the corner in no time. While Sol has several moves that remind one of Ken Masters (Like his gun flame projectile and Volcanic viper DP), it wouldn’t be fair to describe him as a shoto. 

Sol thrives on getting close to the opponent and pressuring them till they can hold out no more, but even when pushed back, he has a number of moves that allow him to close the gap. For instance, his Night Raid Vortex is an awesome move used for approaching, and with the way the animation was created, it low-profiles a lot of other moves. On top of that, you can combo off of it and take the opponent to the wall. Sol can also steal his turn back with the use of Bandit Bringer, which is like a dive kick that hits the opponent and leads to several combo opportunities. Sol is also equipped with a command grab and a full-screen overdrive which can be used either raw or in a combo. All in all, Sol is an excellent character that is great for new players with his heavy damage output and the several tools at his disposal to make the enemy suffer.

Sol’s Best Buttons

As the name implies, this section will take a look at the best buttons Sol has available to him. Sol has a lot of good buttons, but some buttons are better than others. 

f.S: You cannot have a conversation about Sol and his capabilities without talking about his f.S. This button is easily his best, and for some people, it's basically broken. His f.S extends further than the animation reveals so much so that it can be used from round start. Not only that, but it is plus on block, meaning it can be abused with some relative safety. Sol’s f.S is perhaps the most critical tool to his pressure game. It is a great combo starter and can lead to a lot of damage. The only disadvantage is that it has some pushback which means the follow-up button could whiff and cause the opponent to punish accordingly. 

6S: While Sol is majorly an up-close fighter who seeks to get in and start the throw game, he has a couple of mid-range options, most notably his 6S. This is a move that sees Sol swing his sword towards opponents. It is not the fastest move in the game, but it is good for pinning the opponent down and is easy to cancel into, which makes it a handy tool while attacking. With his 6S, Sol can now challenge opponents who look to play keep away.

6H: This is another wonderful button that Sol has at his disposal. With it, Sol slams his sword into the ground and can knock opponents back if they are trying to do something. It deals a lot of damage and is a guaranteed knockdown on hit. It is also incredible as a counter as it causes a bounce on counter, which could lead to a lot of combos and potential damage on the opponent. Furthermore, it is amazing at punishing normals that opponents might think are okay to do when in fact, they are in the danger zone. So, if an opponent feels safe because of the pushback of their move, Sol can use the 6H to catch the other person and make them suffer for that move. 

5K: 5K is a 2-hit kick that doesn’t do much damage but is incredibly dangerous for the opponent. This is because of how fast it is. At 3 frames, this is Sol’s fastest move and is great in scramble situations, and can easily be the launching point for a variety of combos. It also works as an anti-air, and since both kicks can be canceled, it opens up a vista of options for Sol when attacking or counterattacking against the opponent. 

6P: This button is good in certain situations. It’s a great anti-air and knocks opponents back. It can also be used to counter opponents trying to use f.S to cause problems. It can catch their attack and lead to damage for Sol. 

Special Moves

When it comes to special moves, Sol is also well-stocked in this department, and we will talk about a couple of them and examine ways to use them. 

Bandit Revolver: This is interestingly similar to the Tatsu in Street Fighter. It is a great combo ender with a lot of corner carry, making it an excellent tool for damage and sustained pressure. 

Gun Flame: A projectile that is great to use in neutral and in the mid-range. It is an excellent tool to camouflage Sol’s approach, and since it is plus on block, it is relatively safe, and you can even purple Roman cancel with it and try out some great combos and mixes. 

Gun Flame (feint): As the name suggests, this move has everything the normal attack has without the flame. It is great for deceiving opponents into poking and then hitting them with a combo. It is also a great tool against zoners as it helps build Sol’s tension gauge, which, in turn, grants Sol the resources to really go in against his opponent. 

Night Raid Vortex: This move sees Sol travel a great distance and deliver an uppercut on the opponent. It’s a useful move when trying to get out of pressure as it low profiles most moves in the game. When it hits, it can turn the tables and put Sol on the front foot even from a disadvantaged position. Unfortunately, it is one of those moves that get severely punished if whiffed. It can be baited, and the opponent might expect it, which is never good news for Sol. So, ensure you use this move wisely when in battle.

Fafnir: This is a beautiful move that allows Sol to really bully his opponents and keep them trapped in an unhappy corner. It is a somewhat slow move, but it plus on block, which means it can be used repeatedly. Also, it deals damage like you can’t believe, and even when blocked, it deals an insane amount of chip damage. It causes a knockdown and a bounce on hit and a higher bounce on counter hit. But, because you cannot cancel into it, its use must be very deliberate. 

Volcanic Viper: This is Sol’s DP, and it is a pretty decent option for anti-airing and releasing pressure. The S version, in particular, recovers so quickly that it is almost safe to use. The H version hits really hard and deals a lot of damage. It’s also a lot more punishable on whiff. The Volcanic Viper is the ideal combo ender for Sol players, and for good reason as it not only deals damage but sets the opponent up for further pressure, which they might just succumb to.

Sol’s Pros and Cons

Sol is a powerful character with a flexible combo structure that makes him suitable for new players who are trying to learn the ropes. Sol is well-balanced with both offensive and defensive options on hand to help him manage his fights. 

On Sol’s pros, the most prominent one is his damage output. Sol is equipped with several moves that cause a fair bit of damage and when strung together could destroy the opponent. Sol is the kind of character that could finish a round in about 3-4 mix-ups if utilized correctly making him a dangerous character to come up against. Apart from that, he also has a couple of moves that are plus on block making them perfect for keeping an enemy pinned down. For instance, his f.S and Fafnir are both moves that one could potentially spam until they create an opening. Also, Sol has good defensive options which make him difficult to zone and once he gets going, there’s no stopping him.

Conversely, Sol’s normal have a fair bit of pushback meaning that to keep his offensive pressure going, he needs to keep approaching the opponent which can be read and countered by a wily opponent.

How to Fight Sol

So you’re facing off against Sol, and you’re not sure of what to do? Don’t worry; you’re in the right place. So, here’s what to do: space him out. Okay, perhaps that was a bit too simplistic. Sol’s normals are oppressive, but they have some pushback. Sol is deadly up close and also problematic from range thanks to moves like vortex that goes under several moves and brings Sol closer. However, Sol isn’t all too great in the mid-range since he doesn’t have too many moves he can use from that distance. Also, when Sol is far away, while he has moves to get in, they are not as safe as his close-range options. So, moves like vortex leave him very vulnerable when they whiff and can be well punished. Keep these things in mind, and you’ll find that while Sol will probably never be an easy opponent, he can be beaten. 

Sol’s Combos

Sol has A LOT of combos, so we can’t go through everything. So, we’ll be looking at some of the easier to intermediate combos which you can pull off.