CvS2 Rolento Steel Rain Setups Guide

Game Version: Capcom vs SNK 2 / Dreamcast / Japan / 2001
Soundtrack: Tricky - Black Steel

This video demonstrates the versatility of the most useful combo setup in all of CvS2 - Rolento's Steel Rain (QCF, QCF + K). It includes an example of each type of combo resulting from this setup. As always, everything was performed using a standard Dreamcast pad without any assistance, using the Training Mode Dummy's Record feature whenever an opponent action was necessary.

Rolento vs Rock combo
Because Rolento performed the Steel Rain super facing left, the knives cause pushback towards the left even if his opponent gets on the right side before the knives connect. This allows Rolento to link hella consecutive s.LP attacks in one combo before linking into his c.MK attack.

Chang vs Rolento combo
A number of throws in CvS2 could be followed up with a juggling attack if only they had shorter recovery periods. Using Rolento's Steel Rain to interrupt the recovery period of Chang's kick throw gives him enough time to juggle with Choi's Hurricane Cutter (HCB + K) for two extra hits.

Haohmaru vs Rolento combo
The Steel Rain super can be used to interrupt attacks that cause long hit stun but have bad recovery periods, resulting in an overabundance of Dizzy combos against Rolento. The example shown here uses an extreme case of this principle, as Haohmaru's s.HP attack causes so much hit stun that he has time to run forward in order to continue the combo. Very few characters have the ability to cross up Rolento while he's performing the Steel Rain super, but doing so causes them to be pulled towards Rolento when the knives connect, allowing for longer combos and fewer missed hits from supers.

Sagat vs Rolento combo
This Sai-Rec setup relies on Rolento's Steel Rain to simultaneously nullify the final knockdown hit of a super fireball and interrupt the recovery animation of the super, allowing for an extended ground combo before Rolento recovers. Against S-Groove, the interrupting knife hit can be used to fill out the last bit of super meter necessary to use a lvl3 super midway into the combo. Sagat also has the ability to tack on a lvl1 Tiger Raid (QCB, QCB + K) after his lvl3 Ground Tiger Cannon (QCB, QCB + P) in the corner, making it possible to perform a combo using five levels of S-Groove super meter.

Terry vs Rolento combo
Created by Sai-Rec as well, this Steel Rain setup takes advantage of the way the majority of CvS2 multi-hit uppercuts juggle. Each hit of such a move sets up a free juggle state without resetting the juggle count. Strangely, these free juggle states have time limits which vary from move to move, generally depending the natural gaps between the move's hits. This variation explains why Haohmaru can follow up an interrupted HP Secret Crescent Moon Slash (DP + P) with something as slow as his j.HP attack, while the window to follow up Sagat's interrupted HP Tiger Uppercut (DP + P) is extremely short. The first appearance of free juggle state time limiting in the Capcom vs SNK series occurred in CvS with Sakura's HP Kou'ou Ken (DP + P), the final hit of which allowed Sakura a short period of time to juggle her opponent with any attack. The clip shown utilizes Terry's MP Rising Tackle to hit Rolento at the exact frame when Rolento's knives hit Terry. Immediately after recovering from the hit stun caused by Rolento's Steel Rain, Terry performs his far s.HP attack canceled into a lvl3 Power Geyser (QCB, HCF + P) to juggle Rolento. Note that since no juggle count resetting occurs, the s.HP counts as the first juggle. Therefore, Terry's lvl3 Power Geyser juggles only once and his lvl2 Power Geyser will not juggle at all, as it only has a juggle potential of one.

Rolento vs King combo
In order for a lvl2 super move to become cancelable, the opponent must get hit by a super attack after the lvl2 super is initiated. Throw portions of lvl2 supers cannot be canceled and throw hits don't count towards this requirement, meaning characters like Zangief and Vega have no way of canceling their lvl2 grab supers even after they release the opponent. The only hit of Rolento's Take No Prisoner (QCF, QCF + P) counts as a throw hit and normally cannot be canceled. However, using Rolento's lvl1 Steel Rain to hit the opponent after the lvl2 Take No Prisoner super is initiated makes the lvl2 super cancelable before it connects and after the throw portion of the super. Every character with a projectile super can do this sort of thing to cancel lvl2 supers without ever connecting with them, but it's usually not very useful. Note that the roll performed immediately after Rolento lands from his KKK Scouter Jump has no shadows, proving that the Scouter Jump landing recovery can be canceled as though it was a normal jump.