Vampire Savior's aerial metagame is unique among capcom fighters. It combines the chains and aerial maneuverability found in the versus series, and melds it together with the pace and framework of an ST match. So, to re-iterate from above, and from linked articles/wiki's, you generally speaking have the following aerial options in Vampire Savior(Vsav):
-Throw
-Attack(single)
-Attack(Chain)
-Attack(link)
-Attack->special/ES/EX
-Block->attack
-Aerial Evasion/movement/special move
Since this is from a perspective purely from an air-to-air standpoint - the one factor lingering outside of these options is Vsav's engine mechanic of characters having near zero (0) blockstun in the air after the complete animation of an attack.
Teching and guard canceling are not available aerial options (since every character[including Anak] can ripost from an air to air encounter...a.k.a. chicken guard)
Also to note, in similar fashion to versus games, in the same jump you can transition from an aerial block to an aerial attack, but not from an aerial attack to a block.
Its ok to be a bit Chicken:
Chicken Guarding is a very powerful tool in air to air confrontations in Vsav. It is an aerial option that every character(including Anakaris) has the option to utilize effectively. A description and definition of its uses and application has been previously written by myself on its uses above.
Air chaining - Elaborated:
In a single jump losing the ability to block after an aerial attack underlyingly infers a commitment made in jumping in. If you(as the initiating jumping character) cannot maintain a continuous string of attacks for the opponent to block aerially, you leave yourself prone to counter-attacks from chicken-guarding.
So upon picking up Vsav for the un-initiated, air-chaining on hit or block is one of highest priority habits to acquire(even flailing normals without hitting is a first initial habit to learn).
Due to the fact aerial block-stun is non-existent, the start-up of aerial attacks plays into much greater effect. Knowing the start-up of your own aerial normals compared to those of your opponents allows for your character to potentially interrupt their aerial chains mid-string. Thus, taking this into effect, which normal you begin an aerial chain must be weight with each jump.
For example, Felicia's jumping fierce punch(HP) and roundhouse kicks(HK) are among the best aerials in the game - but starting a jumping attack with these normals leaves you with only one other button to chain into with HP, and NONE with her HK - leaving her highly suceptible to chicken guarding. In this example, should they not chicken guard, and instead be hit by say, the HP, the RK will likely wiff, still benefiting you with the meter.
Also to take into account when weighing where to start an aerial chain is the height at an encounter. At the early parts of your character's jump, it is much more preferable to start with the light or medium attacks, since a longer period of time in that particular encounter will be of both you and your opponent being in the air, or your opponent possibly landing before you(Chain combos will mitigate their advantage landing before you considerably).
Should you land before your opponent [from utilizing long air chains] to keep your opponent airborn, you can knock them out of the air with a [unblockable] standing normal.
Throwing Air-throws into the formula:
Throws, ground and air, have a super turbo speed to them (1f startup)- which is to say, very fast, via the older input method of utilizing the Forward or Back directional input simultaneously with an attack. Conversely, it is EXTREMELY easy to tech throws as it is to throw. the window after a successful throw input is quite high, and it negates the soft throw damage to near nothing(but you can die from a tech'd throw). The throw buttons may vary between characters from a j.F/B+mp and\or j.F/B+HP .
This in mind, you can start your initiating jumping attack holding back, and initiating with your character's throw button. During this initiating attack, chain as you would normally. As an option select, if you hit or are out of range, you'll chain as normal, otherwise, the game will register the input as a throw, or a throw tech to what the opponent was doing.
In a defensive manner, if you delay this maneuver slightly, and the opponent does/attempts the same thing, you instead get an O.S. tech throw, or chicken guard attack, depending what your opponent leads/chains with.
This option select greatly benefits characters with medium attacks that inherently have high priority, such as lei lei(j.mp) or aubath(j.mp). to lesser extents, lilith(j.hp) and morrigan(j.hp) can use it too(utilizing their command input EX's to cover the tail ends of their chains)
In air-to-air encounters, O.S. chaining/throwing trumphs an opponent waiting to chicken guard you, as well as opponents who start their jumping chains with chaining normals that do not chain fast enough to beat out what becomes your chicken guarded attack.
Opponents who's characters can force you to block, and perform aerial chains that generate enough block push-back without allowing for a chicken guard opportunity counters this mildly(you are still not taking damage). Fast Jumping attacks (i.e. llight attacks), that manage to hit outside of throwing distance while being faster than the normal move being optiones for counters this strategy straight-out.(but they lose any chance of teching a throw if you do get in range)
Bufferable aerials & special moves
(Applicable to Demitri, Bishamon, Jedah, Gallon(talbain), Leilei(Hsien-Ko), Lilith, Morrigan, Q-bee and Zabel(L. Raptor), )
In similar fashion to standing normal moves, jumping normal moves are also bufferable in Vampire Savior. Depending on the characters set of aerial special moves, users have the option of creating varied situations which result in optimal positioning. I will give a brief rundown of each listed character:
Demitri
Demitri has two aerial special moves, his chaos flare projectile, and the drill. He can actually do a pseudo jumping kara-fireball, with a wiffing j.rk quickly canceled into fireball to build additional meter. An aerial move canceled into drill can be used to escape, by using stronger strength drills to get away from the opponent, or to add additional upfront pressure. A blocked aerial->lk drill will actually make demitri prone to chicken guarded attacks. On hit though, an opponent will flip out, and demitri's drill will wiff and/or come into contact with the opponent on the ground(depending on how high the aerial encounter happened.) [I have to test this option more, but it is infact an option that demitri has, I wouldnt mind a demitri expert's opinion weighed in on this]
Bishamon
Bishamon has the potential to cancel into his aerial projectile, but his projectile is quite straightforward, and has a bit've startup(in an aerial encounter, zero aerial blockstun allows a chickenguarded attack between the buffered normal and the projectile), so its not often a viable option in any scenario. [I wouldnt mind a demitri expert's opinion weighed in on this]
Jedah
Jedah has his aerial command throw, and aerial projectile(the "wheels"). In scenarios where jedah hits the opponent [causing them to flip out], canceling into either his aerial command throw(HCB+K) or wheels makes for advanced positioning greatly in jedah's favor. On block, it is much more favorable for jedah to catch the opponent when they're in the descent, minimizing the chances of an aerial reposté.
Gallon/Talbain
Talbain can cancel an aerial move into beast cannon(bc), in both scenarios of hitting and blocking, he reaches the ground first, which is advantageous to him upon his opponent's landing. [I wouldnt mind a gallon expert's opinion weighed in on this, and whether or not he has feasible cross under options, etc.]
Leilei
Lelei's j.lp and j.lk are the only bufferable normals she has. It is feasible to buffer into gong or pendulum off of these jumping normals - circumstances for usage of these buffered moves are limited though, due to the short range of her j.lp and j.lk normals. Canceling into gong allows for a mistiming in landing. Canceling into a low ES gong allows for a player to extend his combo into a ground combo. On block though, this is not safe.(since the extended block stun allows for significant ease of teching/gc'ing). Similarly, canceling into the pendulum provides leilei with a varied landing time, and if the opponent is not expecting it, you are provided with further mixup via pendulum canceling.
Lilith
Lilith users should be proficient in using her projectile via a tiger knee motion. The height that her soul flash comes out(above the average character's head roughly) stops many opponents from advancing on her in certain scenarios. (see/inquire in the LeiLei Thread). Lilith can cancel a soul flash off of her normal moves, but more often times than not, she is in the air for too long for a favourable ending position.
Lilith's LI(luminous Illusion, aka Raging Demon EX) can be used at the end of aerial chains to zing your opponent for a full combo, after they thought chicken guarding lilith is safe.
Morrigan
Morrigan's projectile fires at a downard arc, and really serves little to no purpose when buffered off of a normal move. It is a defensive option, whereas she vies for forward momentum more often than not. In similar fashion to Lilith, morrigan can tack DI at the end of her aerial chains to deter opponents from using chicken guard. Morrigan can also cancel into her valkyrie turn. The primary issue though, is that valkyrie turn is really a get out of jail free card. You should be using that EX raw to get out of any pressure that you're in.
Qbee
Qbee doesn't benefit from buffering into her jaguar tooth move - but if you are committing to an airdash, you can cancel directly into her jaguar tooth move at any time. Doing this allows for extra "air time," and lets Qbee completely avoid EX moves such as Talbains Dragon Cannon Wave, LeiLei Knife Waves and Sasquatch's ES Ice Towers.(and other wave related ES/EX's that I'm forgetting. Qbee can cancel into her ES's off of her bufferable normals, but the nature of her landing those normals fits no scenario where using a buffered aerial in that manner is normally possible.
Zabel
Zabel has such ridiculous normals which normally take precedence over canceling aerial moves into special ones. BUT, canceling into his up-down sawblade move provides for some interesting block scenarios(air to air, and on the ground.), and canceling into the appropriate hurricane allows for zabel to land before his opponent.
Flailing aerials
[also pertains to scenarios where the opponent is on the ground, listed as Empty air chaining in the previous post]
As said initially, once you begin to input a jumping normal attack, [unless you are anakaris] your character loses all options to block. without any opponent around, you can still throw normal attacks. This is done by rising with one jumping attack, and falling with another. The second attack can be any lighter or stronger attack button, but cannot be the same as the initial attack button that was flailed. additionally, it cannot be a raw, unbuffered special attack/EX
Two positive scenarios occur with the second normal attack:
a. The move hits, or is blocked, enabling you to chain further or buffer a special move out of it.
b. You throw a jumping opponent (which happens on lesser occasions.)
This topic can be expanded further upon in scenarios against grounded opponents, but in both cases, having a second normal move to chain into always is in your character's benefit.'
Aerial Mobility vs. expanded Options.
A major oversight that new players[I myself at times ^_^;;] have when playing characters with airdashes (leilei,jedah,zabel,qbee,) is overutilization of airdash attacks in too many different scenarios. Ideally, iad'd attacks are the only form of air-dashed attack utilized by your character. these low to the ground attacks prevent the opponent from having the time to chicken guard you [since landing after performing a low altitude attack allows you to block immediately]. Additionally, characters lose the ability to buffer normals into special moves after a command airdash.
Airdash attacks can be used out of chicken guard. This is an overlooked option against characters who's aerial block strings leave them a significant distance away from your own character(such as jedah's j.hp).
