[Character Guide] The Surgeon Is In - Vendetta Guide

This guide was written by @Bob199

:vendetta: is a character with a varity of tools at her disposal: recurring fast pokes, big damage and quasijokers. All these options come at the cost of having only 75 hp, no way to find specific tools except drawing into them and requiring good yomi/gameflow awareness.

Innate - Carrion Reach

This allows her to maintain her handsize while attacking much like :jaina::lum: . With the threat of constant fast pokes, opponents have to be wary of slow attacking/throwing, lest they get hit by the poke they have seen for the last few turns.

Her tools:

  • Recurring Fast Pokes (2, 7, 3) - x.2 normals tie her with :setsuki: and are only slower than :gwen:.
  • Her 7 is actually faster than her 3 with its 3.0 speed and is also a KD ender.
  • Against slower opponents, poking/blocking is very effective at keeping them back while gaining cards because of the normal draw rule. The exception to this is against characters with Defense Mastery (:midori::rook::troq:) because if she pokes into their blocks, she’s giving her opponent a free draw instead of both players drawing a card.
  • KD off a hit confirm - Speaking of her 7, because it’s an ender, any poke can lead to KD, which sets up a cross up situation or if she’s holding a K, speeds up both sides to 1.0.
  • Big Damage from Hit Confirms - K does 12 damage, AA does 18, J does up to 20 damage, AAA does 36, all of these are without combos. Add in a poke from above and a Q to link and she can deal 30+ damage rather easily.
  • Quasijokers (Acrobatics) - :vendetta:'s 8 ability, Acrobatics, lets her cancel a combat at the cost of a dodge, her current combat card & being slowed down by 2 next combat. Very useful against opposing AA+ or other high speed/high damage cards like DPs or :rook: & :troq:'s K.
  • K - This card does a lot of damage by itself and against characters that lack 1.0 or faster attacks, it’s a dangerous threat on KD. This makes it really important in grappler (:rook::troq::midori:) MUs. Also, be careful against characters with counters (:argagarg::grave::persephone::setsuki:) as they can stop K from returning to :vendetta:'s hand.
  • :vendetta:'s major flaw is that she has so many different tools available, but only wants certain ones at certain times, and has no way to tutor/search for them outside of powering up for A’s. This makes her very draw dependant and can be very weak/vulnerable in the early game.

For example:

  • Without a 2, she only has AA(A) or block/dodge to deal with attacks faster than 2.2. To remedy this, try dodge -> K early.
  • Without a K, her damage output is significantly lower, and her best dodge options become yet again AA(A) & J, both of which are much rather used as combo enders/later in the game. To remedy this, try linking into simple combos from pokes, such as 2/3 -> Q -> 5 ->6 or 2/3 -> 7 for a simple KD combo.
  • Without Acrobatics, she only has 75 hp, the 5th lowest in the game.​

When to Acrobatics/Joker/Eat Damage:

With both Acro and Jokers, :vendetta: has many options to evade damage, but there are important differences on when to use them.

  • Acro is better used against burst damage like Pilebunker, Beast Unleashed, TPoS, etc. These can be considered gold bursts except instead of gaining 2 A’s, :vendetta: gets to see if her opponents card is worth stopping or not.
  • Joker(Blue Burst) is better used against potential damage such as dodges, losing combat to an opener/throw, because an opponent has to commit their cards before knowing if they are going to hit or not.
  • Early game, it’s better to just take the damage instead of Acro’ing because of how expensive it is (Acro + current combat card + spare dodge). :vendetta: needs cards to be able to convert into damage in the mid/late game.
  • Because Acrobatics slows :vendetta: down by 2, many opponents take this opportunity to go on the offensive the next turn. This makes it a perfect opportunity to Gold Burst for 2 A’s.

Wall Dive Loop (WDL) Tips:

Because a lot of :vendetta:'s power is in this single card, it’s wise to go over how to use it effectively.

Pre KD - The attack side is 12 damage, 3.2 speed, 2cp starter, so even if she doesn’t follow up with anything, it’s 1/7th-1/10th of an opponents life gone, and WDL returns. Against slower characters: :rook::midori::troq::quince::degrey::zane:, it’s a respectable attack, but against everybody else, it’s more useful to use after a dodge to start a loop or after establishing KD. The throw side is the slowest throw in the game and only should be used if :vendetta: has a very certain read.

After KD - Both sides become 1.0 speed, making it a damaging starter attack and the third fastest throw in the game. This gives :vendetta: a dangerous early game mix up range of K throw for maintaining a loop of Dodge -> K throw against attacks, K attack for big damage, or cross up normals into big damage.
K -> 5 -> 6 does 23 damage, K -> AA does 30 damage, K -> J+++ does 32 damage.

Replace K attack with cross up 2/3 -> Q -> for 1 less damage on the above combos.​

Main Objectives:

  • If she has only a few tools early game, just survive to gather enough tools to start pushing back in the midgame, then use her many finishers to end the game.
  • If she has early game tools, she can Poke/Block to gain more options, start converting handsize to damage (J/powering up for A’s) in the midgame/lategame.

Early Game - This is entirely dependent on :vendetta:'s initial/first few draws.

If she gets an early poke (2/7/3) paired with a block, this makes for a very strong card draw engine that can keep many characters at bay until midgame, where they have more options available. Without an early poke, she needs to block as much as possible without letting the opponent know that she doesn’t have a fast poke. Powering up slower attacks/throws here is also an option because it both thins her deck, so she can draw the cards she needs (2/7/3/8), and also gives her the threat of AA/AAA to deter opponents.

Beware of getting throwlooped as it will take large chunks of hp and keep her from finding the tools she needs. Early acrobatics are another way to keep from losing too early, and because handsizes are still low, losing the second combat won’t hurt as bad as later in the game.

Mid Game - If poking & blocking were successful, :vendetta:'s handsize should be rather large, and can be converted into damage with J or powering up for A’s. AAA is 36 damage at 1.0 speed, having this available will keep opponents trying not to get cut. Dodge -> K is also a viable way to get good damage in, or set up for big combos. If she had a bad early game, but finally finds a poke, she can start to slow the game back down and convert into a combo via a Q link.

Late Game - Maintain her mid game plan, but beware of the high damage options that most characters have by now. Acrobatics protect her from being blown up by most character’s Ace threats.
Card Analysis

2: Attack 4 damage, speed 2.2, 1 CP normal // Dodge
:vendetta:'s go to poke. 2.2 speed means it outspeeds every other normal in the game except :setsuki:'s 2 (a tie) and :gwen:'s 2 (a loss). With this and her innate, she can keep opponents at bay until they draw into a fast special or use a dodge / gold burst joker. Be careful though, if the opponent catches on, they can just start blocking and drawing free cards.

3: Attack 4 damage, speed 3.2, 1 CP normal // Dodge
Same purpose as her 2, a fast poke to keep opponents back. But now she has to worry about opponent’s 2s and specials a bit more. Fun trick to use when holding both a 2 and 3, use the 3 first then next turn use the 2. A lot of players will try to punish the 3 the next turn but instead will open themselves up to a 2 poke that can lead into many options. 3’s become viable dodges later in the game.

4: Throw 8 damage, speed 8.8, 1 CP starter// Dodge
:vendetta:'s big damage throw. Landing this gives her an opportunity to do major damage as it does 8 damage and only cost 1 CP.
EX:
4 => 6 => AA = 32 damage
4 => Q => J+++ = 35 damage

5: Attack 5 damage, speed 5.2, 1 CP normal // Block
One of her go to blocks and is good power up bait for A’s. Very useful in grappler matchups as it will beat out :rook:'s & :troq:'s Kings.

6: Attack 6 damage, speed 6.2, 1 CP normal // Block
See 5.

7: Attack 7 damage, speed 3.0, 1 CP ender// Throw (KD) 7 damage, speed 7.4, 2 CP Starter
One of her best tools. It pokes, it throws, it KDs. Despite being a 7 attack, it’s speed is 3.0, even faster than her normal 3 attack. The throw side is her best normal throw and rather fast at 7.4. Any KD will speed up :vendetta:'s K, so a solo throw or 7 poke can be used to set up for large damage next turn.

It also has some very good character specific uses:

  • Because :zane: lacks any odd blocks, if he gets KD’d, :vendetta:'s 7 becomes an infinite unless he uses a 2/J/K/AA(AA)/Gold Burst.
  • Hitting with a 7 against :rook: / :argagarg: / :gloria: prevents them from using their innate ability that turn.

*8: Throw (KD) 7 damage, speed 8.4, 2 CP Starter, Acrobatics // Block
:vendetta:'s acrobatics let her get out of a bad situation such as an oncoming Beast Unleashed/TPoS/DSD/etc at the cost of an 8, a dodge and being 2 speed slower next turn. It’s also a very useful throw as 8.4 speed beats everyone except :zane::setsuki::valerie::troq::rook::midori::onimaru: and ties with :bbb::lum:.

9: Throw (KD) 7 damage, speed 9.4, 2 CP Starter // Block
Another useful block.

10: Block // Dodge
Go to block or dodge.

Jack: Tumbling Strike: Attack 8+4 (+3 Any) (3) damage, speed 2.4, 1 CP Ender
At 2.4 speed, it is useful to use on it’s own as either a way to stop fast attacks or to go for the kill by fully pumping it for 20 damage. For damage, AA is more card effecient and should be her primary ender.

Queen: Frostweb: Attack 7 (2) damage, speed 3.0, 1 CP Linker
:vendetta:'s max damage linker. Use these to go from a simple 2/3 poke into AA or J+++

King: Diving Pincer Strike: Attack 12 (1) damage, speed 3.0[KD = 1.0], 2 CP Starter
Wall Dive Suplex Throw (KD) 12 damage, speed 11.0[KD = 1.0], Can’t Combo
See WDL section above.

AA: Maximum Ven: Attack 18 (4) damage, speed 2.0, 2 CP Ender
AAA: Surgical Strike: Attack 36 damage, speed 1.0, Can’t Combo
AA is :vendetta:'s main ender as it does only 2 less damage than J+++ for 2 fewer cards. At 2.0 speed, it can also be used as a decent way to stop an early rushdown, or as a finisher if needed.

AAA is a viable comeback option/finisher for :vendetta: should she need it. 1.0 speed beats or ties with the majority of non reversals in the game. Against lower hp characters, :bbb::gloria::gwen::menelker::persephone::setsuki::valerie:, landing this can take 1/2 an opponent’s hp in one hit.

Matchups

Vendetta vs Grave
As :vendetta: outspeeds everything Grave does except for Q/K/A/AAA, she can play her game of poke away farily easily. Be wary of his counter as it can stop either K from returning to hand or acrobatics.

Vendetta vs Jaina
Jaina hits fairly hard, but is not particularly fast. Your normal attacks are faster, your special attacks are roughly the same speeds, and your throws are faster. Keep track of how many Q’s & A’s she has available as they both outspeed everything Ven has. Acrobatics can also be used to counter Unstable Power if need be.

Vendetta vs Midori
The main things to worry about in this mu are Dragon Q and Defense Mastery. Dragon Q outspeeds everything Ven has and also ignores dodges, this makes it a good target to use acrobatics on. Defense Mastery makes it so Ven does not draw when she pokes into a block, making it more difficult to draw out of a bad opening hand. Ven’s K is very good in this mu as once she lands a KD, it outspeeds everything Midori has except Dragon Q.

Vendetta vs Setsuki
Setsuki is one of few characters that can outpoke Ven, which means having to rely more on dodges into K/AA to deal damage. Smoke bomb can counter acrobatics/K return, so Ven can’t overly rely on either in this match. Thankfully Sets only has 70 hp, which Ven can shred in a couple combats.

Vendetta vs Rook
Ven’s 7 and K are very strong cards in this mu. 7 lets Ven end a poke with a KD which disables Rock Armor and speeds up her K the next turn. K on Rook KD outspeeds everything he has except for AA. Be careful of Rook’s K as it will beat Ven’s 2/3/7 poke, instead add some 5/6 pokes to the mix to keep Rook guessing.

Vendetta vs DeGrey
Ven likes to poke, Degrey likes to dodge into big damage, not a good combination. One bad read and Ven loses 1/3 - 1/2 her life. This means having to throw a bit more than usual, and taking advantage of Degrey’s weakness while in KD.

Vendetta vs Valerie
The main things to watch out for in this mu are Burst of Speed and her combo potential. BoS can be mitigated with Acrobatics while her comboability can be dealt with by smart play and going more dodge => K / AA play.

Vendetta vs Geiger
Having an early 2 poke is important in this mu as it keeps Geiger from being able to use J/Q to keep Ven from building a hand. Be careful as the game goes on as a Temporal Distortion combo can easily take Ven’s 75 hp.

Vendetta vs Lum
The fat panda has surprisingly fast attacks, and has an amazing ace dodge, but weaker throws. This makes building a hand with blocks and dodge => K a very strong plays.

Vendetta vs Argagarg
Outside of 2, Arg can outpoke everything else Ven has with 2/J/Q/K. Yet another mu where dodges into K/AA is strong. Ven should use 8’s here more as throws due to Arg having a counter, and lack of burst damage.

Vendetta vs Quince
Ven is faster, has good damage and Acrobatics to deal with Patriot Mirror. Play standard poke go and be careful of any positive spin trickery.

Vendetta vs Onimaru
Oni’s innate makes blocking with low cards dangerous, and his damage off of dodge is rather high, both of these make this mu difficult. Try for a more dodge => K/AA game as his throws are much weaker than his other options.

Vendetta vs Troq
A very similar mu to Rook vs. Ven, the main difference is that Troq has more anti poke options but weaker blocks. K on Troq’s KD outspeeds everything he has except for Q / AA. Be careful of Troq’s K as it will beat Ven’s 2/3/7 poke, instead add some 5/6 pokes to the mix to keep him guessing.

Vendetta vs BBB
Ven is faster, has good damage and Acrobatics to deal with Overdrive. Play standard poke go and be careful of A or AA trying to outspeed Ven’s pokes.

Vendetta vs Menelker
Much like playing against Grave but with 20 less hp and can disrupt Ven’s hand with Bonecracker/Into Oblivion/Bleeding Wounds. This can go either way depending on Ven’s early hand.

Vendetta vs Persephone
This is a mu where Ven is faster, but if Perse can get going, it becomes very difficult for Ven to stop AA pressure. Don’t be afraid to throw in this mu and be careful of getting MC’d.

Vendetta vs Gloria
Gloria has very fast specials that render Ven’s poke game ineffective, and even if she gets hit by a single poke, she can just heal it back the same turn. 7 is an important card here as KD stops Gloria from being able to heal for a turn, and she is really weak on KD. Aim for dealing large chunks of damage instead of poking away her hp.

Vendetta vs Gwen
Gwen can easily outpoke Ven, so dodging becomes more effective. Blocking isn’t as good as usual in this mu because of Gwen’s innate allowing her to eat blocks, making it difficult to build a hand the usual way.

Vendetta vs Vendetta
The main things to do here are try to establish KD into K first and try to build a better hand than the opponent.

Vendetta vs Zane
Zane’s damage output makes it easy for him to kill Ven in a few combats. That said, if Ven can land KD, he has no way to deal with K except for Crash Bomb/AAAA/Gold Burst or correctly guessing block. He can only deal with 7 on KD with 2/J/K/AA(AA)/Gold Burst.

This guide was written by @Bob199

5 Likes

In light of recent events, I might try and pick up this character! :smiley: I like characters with a strong KD game anyway, so why not! :smiley:

2 Likes

There is nothing more satisfying than getting someone tangled up in the K vortex. There is nothing more unsatisfying than knowing the tools you need to be competitive and just not having them in your hand when you need them. Welcome to the fold! :chibivendetta:

2 Likes

gotta live that downback life

1 Like

I take it all back. Watched @JonnyD play Vendetta in casuals tonight.
Turn 1: Attack wins, Q, J+++ taking his hand down to 1 card
Pokes, blocks, and survives until he gets A, A, triple in hand
Powers up for 2 more A’s
Draws and plays intermittent throw
Wins with Surgical Strike. gg

Brazen as it was beautiful. Hand management is a lie.

7 Likes

It was more disgusting than that. He won off 9throw into Q for 14 damage when his opponent was at 13. kisses fingertips

4 Likes

Memory is the first thing to go. Still waiting for the second.
Thanks for clarifying.

2 Likes

it was more skillful than that. I drew into three Aces. XD

3 Likes

This is exactly why I don’t try to recall play by play after the fact. Epic fail on my part. But you can’t take away the fact that it was still as brazen as it was beautiful. Fun to witness.

2 Likes

@JonnyD loses that match 80+ percent of the time, but hey that is why you play the game. You never know what may happen or you may draw. Now, let’s see some of those dramatics in a tournament match. It is exciting to watch.

2 Likes

Didnt realize so many people watched. I had to leave right after cause my friends wanted to play sfv. ( i probably still wouldve went yolo ven anyways since lum generally has a bad early game)

I played ven as an rps character. He has a recurring throw/dodge punish + normals. He is deceptive on small hand. Besides DeGrey hes the best YOLO character if you want that style.

3 Likes