Overview

Raiden is a well-rounded character, who is a little more geared towards pressure and offense, while having a decent projectile and good mobility.

Best Normals and Strings

1, 2

2, 4, 2

B+2

F+2, 2, 4

3, 4

F+3, 4

F+4, 3, 4

D+4

Pressure

A)Standing Opponent

Punch attacks 1, 2 and 2, 4, 2 can be staggered and mixed up with pokes, special cancels, throws, back dashes. 1, 2 can be finished fully with 1, 2, 3 to give + frames.

Main staggerable 3 hit low string F+4, 3, 4 can be stopped after any hit and continued into throw, special cancel, back dash or poke.

F+3 can be occasionally thrown out on its own to make opponent anticipate F+3, 4. But then F+4, 3, 4 follows.

Use D+4 poke in neutral to check opponent.

B)Oki

(Enhanced) Electromagnetic Storm can chip away health and be extended into kameo like Cyrax' Kopter, Kano Ball, Sektor Missile etc.

F+2, 2, 4 and F+4, 3, 4 also check an opponent with a mid and a low respectively.

Mix-Ups

B+2 is a nearly unreactable overhead.

F+3, 4 ends in double overhead, but quite reactable, although leads to combos

F+4, 3, 4 is 3 hits of low attacks, which can be staggered.

F+2, 2, 4 ends in a low.

Punishes

A)Standing Opponent

1, 2 is the fastest punish, starting with a high punch.

2, 4, 2 also high starter, only 1 frame slower and can punish for more damage.

F+2, 2 and F+4, 3 can whiff punish after e. g. back dashing from blockstring.

Teleport can help punish zoning on a read.

Ex. Teleport is a low that can lead to an aerial string, but requires 2 bars of meter. Very situational, acceptable only to finish the round or game.

B)Anti Air

D+2

3, 4

(Enhanced) Shocker is fast and can catch a jump, esp. when extended.

F+3, 4 is situational, but can catch an opponent on a read.

Enhanced Razzle Dazzle also situational, only scenario is to switch sides and keep distance.

Zoning

The Orb is not the fastest projectile. It can be charged, but opponent can punish charging with a move or a kameo. Enhanced Orb charges much faster for 3 and 5 hits. Raiden can zone characters that have a problem with getting in close combat or have few counterzoning tools options.

Wake-Ups

Standard wake-up options: delay, kameo reversal, wake up with Ex. Electric Fly.

Combo Overview

Main combo route is a starter > Enhanced Shocker > F+3, 4 > F+2, 2 > Shocker.

Other combo enablers besides Enhanced Shocker are Enhanced Travelling Electromagnetic Storm; F+3, 4; 3, 4; Enhanced Teleport.

Kameos

Cyrax - Synergy with (Enhanced) Electromagnetic Storm: Vertical Helicopter on hit continues into an aerial string. Horizontal Kopter on block makes the move safe. Combos from Forward Throw. Net can be thrown out in the neutral. Self-Destruct still to be explored.

Jax - Meterless combo extension from Shocker. Unblockable ground pound setup combined with a jump > Air Electric Fly. Combo from back throw in the corner.

Sektor, Kano, Goro, Stryker - Support the same chip away playstyle like Cyrax by making (Enhanced) Electromagnetic Storm safe on block with their respective moves. Stryker additionally gives mix-ups.

Sareena - Generically good.

Scorpion - Increases damage by ~5% in combos. Additionally provides a reactable overhead, especially useful after F+4, 3 and F+2, 2 (on block).