Every new fighting game has a new character designed for beginners to play. For Guilty Gear Strive, this character is Giovanna who sports a fast rushdown playstyle and simple, straightforward tools. Here's how you can play as Giovanna in Guilty Gear Strive.
Who is Giovanna in Guilty Gear Strive?
In the Guilty Gear Strive story, Giovanna is one of the United States Of America's special service in charge of security of White House. Unlike the other agents, Giovanna looks uninterested and aloof about the job but does it anyway.
As a newcomer in the Guilty Gear story, Giovanna has a lot of screen time as she was seen in a lot of fight scenes against the other newcomer, Nagoriyuki.
Playstyle-wise, Giovanna's tools are her speed and her straightforward attacks to overwhelm her foes. Her attacks are reliable enough for beginners to get used to rushdown playstyles in fighting games.
Read more: Guilty Gear Strive Sol Badguy Guide: Beginners Tips, Move List & Best Combo
Giovanna Move List
Giovanna's move list sports a lot of fast special moves and straightforward use. When her moves land, she is mostly assured to get a knockdown and can be a reliable ender to her combos. Here's what she can do written in Numpad Notation:
- Sepultura - 214K
- Trovao - 236K
- Sol Nascente - 623S
- Sol Poente - 214S (Air OK)
- Ventania (Overdrive Super) - 632146HS
- Tempestade (Overdrive Air Super) - In midair, 236236HS
Giovanna Beginners Guide
Despite being a speedy character, try your best to keep Giovanna grounded as her step dash is a better traversal tool for her. Unlike her airdash, Giovanna can technically fakeout her approach as she can backdash to cut her dash short. She's one of the few characters that can do this for free but be careful to not be too predictable about it.
As a speedy character, beginner Giovanna players can take confidence that she'll be faster than her foes on the button presses. Go for bold and brash approaches with her buttons to limit test what you can and can't do against your enemies.
Giovanna Tips To Get Better
One of Giovanna's strengths is that her blockstring combos can have multiple frametrap windows. For reference, the close S>far S>5HS blockstring can be made deadly if the Giovanna player slightly delays the input in between these buttons. If this done, the blockstring gets fake openings where most buttons will get caught in a counterhit. As long it the move is not invulnerable, Giovanna will get a stronger hitconfirm which can be a starter of a more painful combo.
While she is geared for rushdown offense, her attacks are also reliable when used defensively. Get used to the range of all her kicks and using the Sol Nascente cartwheel kick as an anti-air kick in shutting down her foes. Some of her hard-hitting combos can start this way which makes her a threat regardless if she goes offensive or defensive.
Giovanna Combos
As a beginner-friendly character, some of her combos can come out from mashing one button and cancelling it to a special move. Combos coming out from this pattern deal decent damage and sometimes doing one clean hit into a super can also count. Here are some of her beginner combos you can use:
- close S>far S>5HS>214K
- close S>2S>2HS>214K>5K>6HS>6HS>6HS
- (Near corner) close S>2S>2HS>236K>5K>6HS>6HS>6HS
- far S>5HS>214K
- 5HS>632146HS
For now, try to consistently land hits and go into these combos whenever you can. If it gets difficult to land combos, try playing defensively and see if the enemy has a predictable opening.
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