Japanese Potemkin player Doshin has put a lot of time into his #PlayPotemkin series. Using a grappler character in such a fast-paced game means you really need to capitalize on your opponent’s mistakes. Often times a knockdown or two from Potemkin will incite a risky defensive choice. Instill maximum fear in your opponents with this collection of optimized punish combos.

Punishing Axl‘s unblockable using flick:

If Axl tries to gatling into 6H, punish with instant block into 6P counter-hit:

Punishing Bedman‘s bedslam:

Punishing Chipp‘s super:

Two instant blocks and clever use of YRC allows Potemkin to avoid Dizzy‘s Imperial Ray super:

Punishing I-no reversal Chemical Love:

Punishing Elphelt‘s 5H:

Elphelt’s 5H can be a great spacing tool—especially against a huge character like Potemkin—but it also has a large hurtbox. Crouch under it for a counter hit 2H into very high damage.

It’s more likely, however, that Elphelt will use 5H from a much further range. This shows a way to utilize Hammerfall YRC to get close enough:



If Elphelt is holding onto a grenade, you can use Slidehead to detonate it and convert into a combo:

Jack-O gets her reversal grab super shut down by Potemkin Buster’s throw invulnerability. Depending on your timing, she either gets grabbed:

Or she whiffs and is in a counter-hit state:

Johnny‘s wakeup supers will either whiff or get beaten by meaty Trishula:



Punish combo for the aforementioned Johnny super:

If you’re feeling especially brave, a hard read allows you to grab Kum‘s 6H before the hitbox is active:

Punish Raven‘s wakeup super by backdashing it:

Punish Raven‘s airdash with Trishula:

Use backdash to make Sin‘s instant overhead j.D whiff:

Venom‘s Stinger Aim—a common ender to blockstrings—can be negated using flick -> YRC:

Zato pressure is insane, but note the use of Blitz Shield here against his jump K. Typically Zato will either jump cancel into another overhead, or land and go low. Avoid the whole situation this way, and if you have another 50% meter you can punish an attempt to Blitz back:

Bonus setup: canceling 2S or 5S with an RC right into slidehead cannot be jumped out of unless the opponent was instant blocking:

Of course, the opponent will be thinking about jumping out the next time you try this, that’s where a Heavenly Potemkin Buster comes in handy:

A big thanks to Doshin for his contributions, and his sense of humor:

Source: @Kenk_3