Kolin Guides

Kolin is a character that first appears in Street Fighter III and only becomes a playable character in the second season of Street Fighter V. She is an assistant to Gill and is wholly devoted to her supreme leader. Her childhood is unknown, but we learn that she was born in an unknown country, and she joined the military to fight in a war. The war wrecked her nation and eventually led to its extinction. The only survivor from her unit, Kolin, wandered the frozen wasteland and fell down to die. At this time, she met Gill, who helped her and told her to follow him as he aimed to create a new world and be its god. This utopian world would be a great place to live, and Kolin is taken in by this idea. She is completely loyal to Gill and is condescending to every other character. To bring Gill’s plans to fruition, she resurrects Nash and uses him in a bid to take down M. Bison. It eventually fails, and she is shocked but eternally grateful when Gill still keeps her at his side. 

Kolin’s Playstyle

If you watch any Kolin user, you will see that she is a  great character for neutral, and she excels at footsies. If you are going to use Kolin, you must be patient and play the footsie game till you see an opening. Once you get an opportunity and can confirm, Kolin will seek to back her opponents into a corner where she can do some real damage. Kolin is an aggressive character; however, she is not as gung-ho as someone like Cammy or Ken and is rather aggressive in bursts. Once you can get her V-Trigger activated, she has some really incredible mix-up options which can kill foes rather quickly. 

Kolin has really good normals, some of which are fairly rangy and can catch an opponent. Her HP is a really good button and can cause a crush counter which can open up the opponent for a world of pain. 

Best Buttons

Kolin has decent walk speed and combos, but her strength lies in several normals that can do some real damage. 

LP: Her standing light punch is a really fast move that can be used to poke at foes. At 4f, it’s one of the faster moves in the game, and since it is +2 on block, it is relatively safe. It is also handy for tick throws as you can get the throw to come out before your opponent has a chance to fight back. This throws the opponent into a state of panic, and they have to guess what will come next. In addition to all this, her LP can lead into her target combo and is relatively easy to confirm.

c.LP: This is an even faster button at 3f and is mostly used to check dashes while staying safe. It is a great poking tool too based on its speed and ease of use. There aren’t many combos it can confirm into, but it chips away at the adversary effectively. 

MP: This is a 6f button that isn’t used as much as it should. It is a good button to check dashes and is also really difficult to whiff punish, which makes it relatively safe. It doesn’t do much damage, but it is very useful.

c.MP: This is the more popular medium punch button. It is +2 on block and can also lead to a grab. It also causes less push back, which makes it an excellent offensive tool.

HP: One of the best buttons Kolin has. It is easy to use, has range, has huge corner carry, and is hit confirmable. HP is the button you’ll find most people using in a fight as it can be used anywhere, anytime, in any situation. It can also lead to crush counter, which is usually a great activation point. 

LK: Another of her great normals. The main advantage of her light kick is its range which is one of her furthest-reaching moves. It is farther than her medium punch and is also relatively safe. Most importantly, it’s a great combo starter, and there are a slew of combos you can go into once you can get one of these to connect. 

c.MK: This is another of her far-reaching moves and is great for catching opponents doing what they shouldn’t. It’s +1 on block, which makes it safe, and it can be used easily.

c.HK: There are a few things one could write about this button, but perhaps the most important thing to note is how it can be canceled into a special move. When it connects, you can easily cancel and pull off one of Kolin’s special moves to deal damage. 

Special Moves

Parabellum: This is Kolin’s most popular special move. She stabs at the opponent with her hands, which are coated in ice, rapidly. This move is useful in various situations. The light variation is a great pressure tool mostly because of how safe it is and how it can push opponents back. The most common version of Parabellum used for combos is the heavy variation. This does some damage, causes a knockdown, and isn’t easy to punish. The EX version is incredible as it can be a set-up for several combos. 

Hailstorm: For this move, Kolin throws a chunk of ice at the opponent. Depending on the button used, you can execute a light, medium, or heavy version. This is important because each version hits at different ranges. It is good to mix these up to keep the opponent guessing. It is typically used as a set-up for combos and should be avoided in neutral unless you’re at a good distance since it is definitely punishable. Also, it isn’t an overhead which means you can crouch block. If you see an opponent who thinks it’s an overhead and stand blocks, you can quickly go for a low attack and start a combo. 

Vanity Step: This is a move that sees Kolin rapidly glide towards or away from the opponent. It is a high-level move that should be used with care. Generally speaking, the EX version is quite useful. Like the Parabellum, Vanity step has a light, medium, and heavy variety.

Frost Touch: Otherwise known as ‘parry,’ this is a move that takes Kolin into an animation that sees her throw her opponent. Depending on the variation, you can take an opponent out of the air or on the ground. You must be careful when using the move as it only works in specific situations. For instance, the heavy Frost Touch is used for airborne figures, the medium is used for those standing, and the light is used for crouch opponents. The EX version does more damage. 

V-Skills

V-Skill I: Inside Slash- For this move, Kolin swipes at the opponent and hits them. On hit, it’s +2, and on CH, it’s +4, but since it’s -8 on block, it isn’t the safest move on her roster. To use the move you must know what you are doing and be careful. For instance, it can be used when the opponent throws out a normal as a counter which you can then extend into a combo. When in V-Trigger, the move changes property slightly and can extend further. 

V-Skill II: Glacier Throw- There isn’t much to this V-Skill as Kolin grabs the opponent by the head while freezing them and brings them down. In this state, their stun gauge is frozen unless Kolin is hit, which makes stun easier. You can use it as a command grab or use it after a knockdown to continue pressure.

V-Trigger

Now let’s take a look at Kolin’s V-Triggers. 

V-Trigger I: Diamond Dust- While it looks cool, very few people actually use this. It freezes your stun, and Kolin throws out a barrage of ice with her leg. It pushes the opponent back, and if blocked is -2, meaning that if you go dashing after the opponent in that scenario, you could get hit for your troubles. 

V-Trigger II: Absolute Zero- This is Kolin’s most popular V-Trigger and perhaps also her most useful. In this state, Kolin’s punches have more range to them, and her HP can crush counter, which opens up the opponent to a tonne of damage. Furthermore, in this state, she also gains two new moves. Both moves give her incredible forward momentum, and she can dash through fireballs. This is quite useful and will cause the opponent to be wary of carelessly throwing out projectiles. 

Kolin’s Critical Art

Kolin’s critical art is called Frost Tower, and it is one of those CAs you can use while doing a combo. For the move, Kolin hits the opponent in their midsection and then proceeds to create something of an ice mountain that stems from the ground, goes through the opponent, and carries them up. At this point, the structure shatters, and the opponent is brought crashing down.

Kolin’s Pros and Cons

Kolin is a nimble character with great pokes and has an aesthetically pleasing design. Here we’ll look at some of her pros and cons. 

Pros

• Fast walk speed which helps her control the neutral game

• Very useful normals that are great for pokes

• Her V-Skill makes opponents worry about throwing out careless pokes.

Cons

• She isn’t equipped with any reliable anti-air

• Her ability to deal with projectiles is limited. She is especially bothered by fast projectiles.

• Her reversal is less than impressive.

How to Fight Kolin

If you had to face off against a Kolin, the best tactic would be to keep her at bay with projectiles. This way, she can’t walk in on you and deal damage. You can also test her resolve with airborne attacks. While her Frost Touch is something to be feared, it is perhaps an acceptable trade for the potential damage you can do on her. She is susceptible to throw loops, so look to corner her. If she uses Vanity Step to get out of the corner, ensure you punish her with a DP or at least some damage to ensure she doesn’t get out for free.

Kolin’s Combos

Now let us look at some of Kolin’s combos. Kolin has several combo options, so this is by no means an exhaustive list.