Guilty Gear -STRIVE- Leo Guide Featuring C4

Although Guilty Gear Strive is without a doubt a continuation of the series, it is also an Arc-system game with all the exciting depth that comes with it. Leo then features both an aggressive playstyle and one keen to see his mash into him to punish them.

It can feel a little jarring when starting out, but Leo's game plan and playstyle are highly approachable to new players and can be a great intro to the depth that exists in GGST. For that reason, DashFight partnered up with one of Leo's best player reps, C4, to bring you a quickstart guide on how to play GGST Leo.

C4's Leo Guide

Leo's Best Buttons

The Best Buttons are the key moves for the character. You are likely to want to use or see these in play as players or opponents since they offer the best neutral, anti-air, pressure value, or some other benefit.

• 5K - A wonderfully powerful tool to start or end your combos, approaches, whiff punishes, and more. Solid all around.
• 236S - A long-range attack that reaches further than you might initially think, and can be followed up by strongly.
• [4]6S - You can backlash into the move.
• [2]8H/S - A safe way to get a knockdown, it also lifts the pressure off how you to input directionally.

Leo's Game Plan

Gone are the days of smashing buttons and spamming that one combo we learned five years ago. Instead, if you want to compete or impress your mates, you have to go into each match with a Gameplan to carry through to victory. Here are your key principles:

• Thanks to the number of long-range attacks you have a good number of ways to whiff punish opponents
• Once you close up the distance, you will have plenty of ways to pressure your opponent.
• Leo's mobility is somewhat limited, like not being able to jump while in your stance. Keep this in mind, since it might come into play in the neutral.
• As Leo, you can pressure opponents with an S/H cycle with some command grabs mixed in. Once back turned, you will need to mix in overheads and cancelable to make full use of the character.

Leo's Bread and Butter Combos

Knowing how to adapt to the changing landscape of a fight is important. That is why Combos play a crucial role in letting you shape it and extract the most out of your inputs. Here are the combos you should be looking to pull off:

• CS, 2H, qcbS, 2S, 5H, 2S, down charge, up S, (AKA [2]8S) qcbS.
  • Corner Combo 
  • Easy to execute and good damage.
  • Some characters might be able to escape it due to their weight.
• 5k, 6k, down charge, up H (AKA [2]8H), RC down, JL, Dash up, 2s, 5h, 2s, 5h, 2s, down charge, up S, (AKA [2]8S) qcbS.
  • Mid-screen combo.
  • Looks similar to its corner combo
  • Plenty of damage
  • Options open up after the RC Down allowing to fit the best follow-up.

Leo's Guide Conclusion

Leo is a powerful and aggressive character with somewhat limited mobility. But the benefits and flexibility he offers in straight-up mix-up fights are near the top of the rankings. You cannot go wrong in picking up this fighter as a starter, and if it fits your style of play, the depth of his combos and left/right mix-ups can give you plenty of things to hone your skills in the long term.