I-No is a versatile and aggressive character in the Guilty Gear series known for her exceptional mix-up game and mobility. She excels at high-low mix-ups, uses a unique hoverdash for unpredictability, and has solid normals for both offense and defense.
Strengths:
Versatile Mix-up Game: I-No has a potent mix-up game, utilizing fast overhead and low attacks to keep opponents guessing.
Strong Mobility: Her hoverdash allows for quick movement, making her unpredictable and giving her control over the pace of the match.
Solid Normal Attacks: I-No's normals have good range and combo potential, crucial for setting up knockdowns and maintaining pressure.
Projectile Zoning: Her Chemical Love projectile lets her control space and punish opponents from afar, interrupting their approaches.
Combo Potential: I-No can convert her hits into significant damage, often leading to advantageous knockdowns, allowing her to continue her offense.
Weaknesses:
Limited Defense: I-No lacks a true DP reversal, making her vulnerable to pressure and mix-ups, relying more on her mobility and blocking skills for defense.
Execution-Heavy: Players need strong execution and timing for hoverdash mix-ups and advanced combos.
Risk vs. Reward: Some of her moves are risky if blocked or whiffed, requiring precision in offense to avoid punishment.
Projectile Vulnerability: Hoverdash can leave her vulnerable to well-timed projectiles, and Chemical Love can be low-profiled, limiting her zoning options.
I-No's ground dash in Guilty Gear Strive behaves differently from a typical run. When she dashes, she becomes airborne, allowing her to perform high/low mixups without the need to jump.
Here are some key characteristics of I-No's ground dash:
Becomes airborne on frame 5.
She can take actions starting from frame 10.
This unique dash mechanic significantly impacts I-No's gameplay in various ways. In neutral, it can make advancing more challenging compared to characters with regular runs, especially considering the dash-blocking mechanic in Strive. On offense, it gives her quick overhead options from a neutral state, and it can make pressure resets and throws more complex to deal with. In defensive situations, her airborne dash prevents her from simply moving under certain jump-ins. Even during punishes, the slight delay when initiating a dash can affect the timing of her combos.
To maximize I-No's potential, it's essential to use her hoverdash strategically. Consider its high profile and use moves like "Stroke the Big Tree" before dashing directly over low pokes. This same move can be used to duck under opponent's jump-ins and set up cross-up situations. Additionally, employ effective frame traps and conditioning tactics to encourage opponents to stay still before attempting hoverdash resets.
Mastering I-No involves playing around the strengths and weaknesses of her hoverdash mechanic to keep your opponents guessing and maintain control of the match.
A fast jab that serves as a reliable anti-air option and can be used in situations where a 6P input might result in a cross-up. When used as an anti-air, it allows for follow-up combos into Okizeme setups, or it can be used to reset into hoverdash pressure for continued offensive pressure.
It's important to note that this move will whiff on crouching opponents, so it's most effective against standing or airborne foes. Additionally, it shares the title of being I-No's fastest normal, making it a valuable tool in her arsenal for quick and precise attacks.
A swift poke with impressive range considering its speed and minimal recovery, although it can be easily Low Profiled by certain moves.
When this move connects, it's ideal to follow up with 2D to establish a Note-based Okizeme setup. Additionally, it can be used effectively in combos due to its jump cancel property and gatling into 6H. This makes it a preferred option over c.S when you're out of range for that normal, especially when you're in a midscreen position.
You also have the flexibility to jump or hover-dash cancel this move on hit or block, providing opportunities for further offensive pressure or movement options.
This move plays a crucial role in I-No's pressure game, as it leaves her at a +1 advantage. It's an excellent choice for creating frame traps, particularly after a j.S attack. Additionally, it often serves as combo filler in her combos.
Its jump-cancelable property makes it a valuable tool for baiting bursts from opponents. While it can be used as a combo starter and deals decent damage, it's worth noting that 6H often surpasses it in utility in many situations.
You can take advantage of the jump and hover-dash cancel options on hit or block, giving you opportunities for extended offensive pressure or maneuverability.
I-No's f.S is a somewhat slow but disjointed grounded poke. It boasts an impressive disjointed hitbox that provides good range, making it useful in certain matchups where it can outspace the opponent's longest normals. This move has an extended disjointed hitbox but starts off somewhat slow, with a 13-frame startup. It reaches its maximum range at 14 frames, making it effective for counterpoking opponents.
One thing to note is that while it can hit crouching opponents, it is also susceptible to being low profiled. Additionally, f.S has a significant recovery time, so you should exercise caution when using it, as opponents can potentially punish you if it's blocked or whiffed. Nonetheless, it's a valuable tool for controlling space and challenging opponents from a distance.
I-No's 5H is primarily used for whiff punishes and frametraps, offering good rewards on both regular and counter hits. Despite having worse startup, recovery, and block advantage compared to 2H, 5H has its own advantages, such as better range and the ability to convert into combos without spending meter on both normal and counter hits.
As a combo tool, 5H allows I-No to end juggles with a 236H move in midscreen situations. It's also handy for confirming hits from mid-range 2S and f.S into hard knockdowns. While it may not be as effective as 2H or f.S for fishing for counter hits in neutral, it guarantees significant rewards if it connects at all.
Overall, 5H is a versatile tool that can be a valuable addition to I-No's toolkit for various situations, particularly for punishing opponents' whiffs and setting up frametraps.
Uncharged Dust is a universal overhead attack that can be particularly useful when you have 50 meters available. It provides a quick overhead option that can be made safe or comboed from using Roman Cancel (RC). By gatling into Uncharged Dust from moves like 5K, 2K, or c.S, you can create an overhead mixup opportunity.
When Uncharged Dust connects, it results in either 0 or neutral frame advantage and causes the opponent to float, setting up potential follow-up attacks.
Charged Dust, on the other hand, is slower and can often be reacted to by your opponent. However, if it does land, it leads to a highly damaging combo, making it a good choice for punishing your opponent's mistakes. It's also I-No's most damaging wallbreak attack, which can be crucial in specific situations.
In summary, Uncharged Dust is a faster overhead option with mixup potential, while Charged Dust offers high damage and wallbreak capabilities if you can successfully land it. Both moves have their uses in I-No's gameplay.
2P serves as I-No's primary Abare (anti-pressure) button. It doesn't whiff on crouching opponents, which is an advantage over 5P, and it has a fast 5-frame startup. However, it's important to note that 2P has limited range compared to her other light attacks. This move is typically used to interrupt the opponent's pressure and create space for I-No to regain control of the match.
I-No's 2K is her fastest low attack, offering good range for a move of its kind. It's a crucial tool for I-No to open up her opponents, and while it's slightly slower than her 2P, it compensates with greater reach. This makes it not only a solid low option but also a valuable Abare tool for interrupting the opponent's pressure.
In scrambles and neutral situations, I-No players often use 2K due to its speed and low hitbox, making it a reliable choice. Additionally, it can gatling into 6H at close range for a combo or into 2D for a hard knockdown, allowing I-No to set up her Antidepressant Scale okizeme.
I-No's 2S, while fast and relatively safe, doesn't hit low. It's a useful tool for her due to its speed and safety compared to her f.S. Additionally, 2S boasts excellent range and a hitbox that can catch opponents attempting low profile moves.
One of its notable strengths is the rewarding counter-hit properties, making it a valuable choice for punishing certain moves on block, such as Millia's S Tandem Top.
I-No's 2H is a crucial move in her arsenal, mainly used to fish for Counter Hits. This move plays a significant role in I-No's overall gameplan.
2H stands out for its remarkable disjointed hitbox, which extends farther and lower than many other disjointed normals in the game. Its low recovery and excellent reward on Counter Hit make it an ideal choice for I-No players when they want to bait and capitalize on opponent's mistakes. This move can be particularly effective when opponents try to counter I-No's approaches with pokes, as it can make them hesitate to throw out their moves.
I-No's universal sweep is a critical tool in her kit. It plays a crucial role in setting up her okizeme game, allowing her to cover her approach with a well-timed note.
This move becomes especially important for I-No's pressure game, as it enables her to frame trap opponents after landing a 2K or 5K, potentially leading to a meterless wallbreak combo in the corner if she scores a Counter Hit. Additionally, when spaced properly, her sweep is relatively safe on block, with only a -7 disadvantage, which makes it a useful choice as a blockstring ender in certain situations.
I-No's 6P is considered one of the best 6Ps in the game. It boasts impressive range, fast startup, and relatively quick recovery. However, it doesn't provide a grounded launch, which limits its effectiveness as a combo tool. Its primary utility lies in its effectiveness as an anti-air and counterpoke with moderate rewards.
One of the standout features of I-No's 6P is its low profile, which allows her to disrespect certain moves during pressure situations. For example, it can be used to counter moves like Sol's f.S, Giovanna's Trovão, or Ky's Foudre Arc.
When it lands as an air hit, I-No's 6P can lead into combos, such as linking into Stroke the Big Tree (236S) or Chemical Love, with various extension options available in the corner. However, in midscreen situations, it may be more advantageous to opt for the knockdown into okizeme rather than attempting to extend into a combo.
One of I-No's best combo and frame trap tools.
Fast, easy to confirm due to its multiple hits, and launches high, letting it combo into Stroke the Big Tree (236H), 214S and delayed Chemical Love anywhere on grounded hit. Cancelling the first hit into 236H is safe to instant bursts, making it potentially useful as a burst bait, as well as making 6H(1) > 236H a burst-safe CH starter. Almost any starter will combo into this move, but if they're too far away, it will whiff. Occasionally useful as a high-risk, high-reward anti-air or poke using the second hit. Leads to great damage on both CH and normal hit in the corner.
I-No's j.P is primarily employed as an air-to-air attack. It's worth noting that this move tends to whiff on most crouching opponents. However, it does not whiff on crouching Potemkin and Goldlewis. This unique characteristic can be used to your advantage.
If your opponent is accustomed to I-No's hoverdash offense and tends to block high on wakeup, you can utilize j.P as an unconventional mixup tool. You have the option to chain up to three j.Ps together or stop at any time to transition into a low or a throw, keeping your opponent guessing and potentially opening them up to your offensive strategies.
I-No's j.K can be a useful tool in her arsenal due to its low blockstun. This characteristic allows you to attempt frame traps or go for tick throws in your offensive sequences. Additionally, its low pushback makes it more effective against Faultless Defense (FD). This move is I-No's fastest air normal that will hit crouching opponents, providing an extra frame of speed when you need it.
Furthermore, j.K boasts a high level of activeness, making it a niche air-to-air option in scramble situations. However, it's worth noting that, in general, j.S and j.H are preferred in pressure situations for their higher blockstun, offering more versatile offensive options.
After executing a hoverdash, j.S is one of your primary choices for follow-up moves. It's particularly valuable because it sets up the possibility of using f-shiki with double jump j.K or j.S. Beyond its role in combos, j.S is versatile due to its jump cancel and the ability to gatling into j.H.
Moreover, j.S serves as an effective rising air-to-air option, offering superior rewards compared to j.P while maintaining a faster execution time than j.H. The gatlings available from j.D and j.H give I-No various double overhead mixup opportunities, further expanding her offensive options.
I-No's j.H is an exceptional choice for air-to-air engagements and becomes especially useful following a longer hoverdash.
In addition to its primary purpose in air combat, you can employ j.H after a brief hoverdash to feign an overhead attack, creating opportunities to mix up your approach with 2K or a throw. Furthermore, j.H serves as a precursor to executing f-shiki, opening the door for subsequent moves like double jump j.K or j.S, which can be valuable for extending combos or continuing pressure.
I-No's j.D is a versatile mixup tool that allows you to modify your momentum, creating opportunities for additional overhead attacks during your air blockstrings. This move is also effective for breaking your opponent's fuzzy block attempts and catching opponents who attempt to fuzzy backdash.
Furthermore, j.D can be used as a crossup, expanding your mixup potential. When combined with gatlings from j.S and j.H and its ability to launch opponents upward on air hit, j.D becomes a valuable combo tool for converting air-to-air encounters, whether on counter or normal hit.
I-No's 214P Antidepressant Scale is one of her most prominent moves. You can use notes to control the battlefield by shooting them in neutral, forcing your opponent to block or move in specific ways. After nearly any hard knockdown, you can use this move for a safe mixup opportunity. However, keep in mind that it has a long recovery time and limited vertical control when using it in neutral.
The projectile accelerates and gains up to a maximum of five hits as it travels, resulting in more blockstun or hitstun if it connects. You can influence the note's trajectory upward or downward by holding the 2 or 8 directions. It's important to note that the number of hits the projectile inflicts depends on how long it has been active rather than the distance it has traveled. This means that the character hurtboxes can determine how many hits the note will have after traveling a certain distance.
When used in the air (j.214P), the air note covers distance faster than its grounded counterpart. This feature can be particularly useful for disrupting grounded fullscreen options that would otherwise hit the regular note, such as Goldlewis' Skyfish or Ky's Stun Edge.
I-No's Stroke the Big Tree (236S/236H) is an essential pressure tool for her. It has a great low profile during its startup, which makes it extremely useful for approaching opponents in neutral. However, it's important to note that both versions of Stroke can be prone to trading with attacks it low profiles because the low profile ends as soon as the move becomes active. Nonetheless, both versions lead to significant damage on counter hit.
236S
This version travels to around round start distance but unfortunately doesn't lead to much on a normal hit if your opponent knows how to recover from stagger. It's useful for ducking under an opponent's jump-in to cross them up or to simply escape. Due to its faster startup, it can be challenging for opponents to punish on block because of the pushback. In tight spots, this version is often preferred over 236H.
236H
This version travels about 2/3rds of the screen and grants a hard knockdown on air hit, making it a great combo ender. It's an incredible combo tool, always providing enough advantage on grounded hit to allow follow-up combos with moves like 6H, 5K, or 2K. However, it can be challenging to use as a punish or call-out due to its long startup.
I-No's divekicks are versatile tools that can be used in various ways. When I-No presses the same button used to input the special after it connects, she will bounce up, allowing for a pressure extension. However, aware opponents can counter this by mashing or using 6P to deal with it. I-No can block after the follow-up to bait out buttons, but she doesn't get any reward for it. Even on block, using the follow-up makes the dive safe, but only for j.236H.
j.236K/j.236S
These versions are similar in function. j.236K can be reliably converted into a combo by linking a 2P or 5P, while j.236S converts reliably when hitting low to the ground. Both versions cause a soft knockdown, allowing for a quick hoverdash reset if used as a combo ender. They are useful for stalling air momentum, catching careless anti-airs, or as air-to-airs to bring the opponent back to the ground with plus frames. If the follow-up is used on a midscreen hit, you won't get any Okizeme from hitting with these. However, not using the follow-up allows I-no to get a meaty jump-in.
j.236H
This version is primarily used in combos for corner carry and wall damage. It's slightly more niche for whiff punishing compared to the other versions but can be utilized when I-No doesn't have much height left in her jump for more reward. It allows I-No to convert meterlessly from j.K F-Shiki and j.D. Occasionally, it's useful in neutral to cover large distances with a high profile, typically with PRC (Purple Roman Cancel), or during pressure or frame traps.
Chemical Love is a projectile with good range, making it a valuable tool for controlling space and zoning. However, it does have some vulnerabilities. It can be easily low-profiled by characters with certain movement options, such as runs, crouches, or moves that shrink their hurtboxes. Additionally, characters with tall hurtboxes or those who lack a run, like Potemkin or Goldlewis, will have a harder time approaching I-No when facing Chemical Love.
Against specific characters like Anji, Faust, or Zato, Chemical Love can be a nuisance as it interacts favorably with their integral moves, such as Anji's parry spin, Faust's Item Toss, and Zato's summoned or Unsummon. In general, it's also useful for interrupting opponents who are trying to set up slow fireball attacks in neutral, such as Anji, Leo, Ky, or even I-No herself.
So, while Chemical Love has its weaknesses, it can define matchups and be a crucial tool in I-No's zoning and control game when used strategically.
This move allows I-No to leap forward from the ground, executing a slow but large advancing attack. When blocked, it puts I-No in an airborne state, granting her significant advantage and causing the opponent to experience a Guard Crush. This advantageous position can be used to close the distance and set up another mixup with moves like 2K or AD j.S against the opponent. Additionally, it serves as an effective combo filler for corner carry combos, enhancing I-No's overall combo potential.
One interesting aspect of this move is that its startup resembles the sound and movement of her Hover Dash, adding an element of ambiguity to her approach, making it more challenging for opponents to predict her movements and respond effectively.
Megalomania is an exceptionally powerful command grab super that complements I-No's already formidable high/low mixup game. It activates instantly after the superflash, which means opponents need to be in the air before the superflash to avoid getting caught by Megalomania. They cannot react to the flash itself.
After the cinematic, projectiles are released, even if the move whiffs. I-No is entirely invulnerable until the end of the attack, making it difficult for opponents to punish this super unless they have her cornered. Interestingly, the projectiles track behind I-No if the opponent is close to her back.
This super is effective at beating out various moves, including DPs, Abare throws, and even Anji's parry super. The extended invulnerability frames on whiff can allow Megalomania to power through and punish real, throw-invulnerable reversals depending on their speed and the timing of their execution. The throw invulnerability at the start of the move can also make Megalomania a clever Abare option to beat throws or opponents who are blocking to bait out Ultimate Fortissimo.
However, it's worth noting that the projectiles released on whiff may not be fast or active enough to force the opponent to block, so Megalomania isn't the best choice for chipping the opponent out.
I-No's 632146S is her only reversal move. When executed, she performs a flying knee strike, followed by emitting a circular area-of-effect projectile while in the air. If the opponent blocks the projectile, I-No has enough advantage to run a mixup, making it a useful option if your initial mixup is blocked or if your opponent is unaware of how to punish this super. In the corner, it will force an Area Shift but won't actually break the wall unless the opponent is right up against it.
The j.632146S version is the air version of this move. It can be used to extend your pressure after an overhead mixup is blocked, to close the gap from neutral, or even as a meaty attack to ensure a safe mixup. It can also be employed after a successful j.D hit for significant damage and a hard knockdown. If you're close enough to the corner and your opponent is at the right height, you can perform combo extensions after air Ultimate Fortissimo. However, this can be challenging to execute, so it's best attempted if you are experienced with it.
In many matchups, ending corner combos with either version of Ultimate Fortissimo is crucial because it allows I-No to continue her offensive pressure without returning to a neutral state.
I-No is a versatile and mobile character in Guilty Gear Strive. She excels in mix-up and pressure playstyles, making her a strong offensive character. Her unique hoverdash allows for tricky high-low mix-ups, and she has an array of tools for approaching and controlling space. I-No's normals have good range, and she can convert them into damaging combos.
Key moves include her hoverdash normals (j.H, j.S, and j.D) for mix-ups, 6P for anti-air, and her Chemical Love projectile for zoning and punishing. She also has tools like her 632146S reversal and Megalomania command grab super for defense and punishing opponents.
Managing her note projectiles and controlling space is essential for I-No players. She excels in maintaining pressure, and her combos can lead to strong okizeme situations. However, she lacks a true DP reversal, so defensive play can be challenging.
I-No's playstyle revolves around high-speed, unpredictable mix-ups and pressure, making her a formidable and exciting character in the right hands.