Special MovesAme-no-Murakumo:
(1 hit, 70,000 dmg, 15 startup, 27 recovery, 4 active, -10 on block)
(1 hit, 80,000 dmg, 23 startup, 25 recovery, 4 active, -8 on block)
(1 hit, 90,000 dmg, 31 startup, 22 recovery, 4 active, -5 on block)
Strider does a spinning slash. The light version causes a knockdown and the medium and hard versions cause a ground bounce, with the hard version's groundbounce being much bigger. The light version keeps Strider where he is and comes out the fastest, making it practical to use for a quick punish cancel into Legion to OTG. The medium and hard versions send Strider running before slashing, with the hard version going almost full screen. With the exception of the light version, this move is pretty impractical in combos because of its slow startup. The good news is that you can cancel the animation of all versions at ANY time into a Formation-S Shot. If you have a satellite out, you can cancel the Ame-no-Murakumo into the shot and make it virtually unpunishable. This ability to cancel makes this move a great approach option, though I would personally cover myself with an assist juuuuust in case. If it actually hits, you get a ground bounce and a free combo! Remember though, you can only cancel Ame-no-Murakumo into the Formation-S SHOT, not the initial activation.
Excalibur:
in the air
(4 hits, 30,000x4 damage, 10 startup, 11 recovery or until you hit the ground, 15 active, +10 on hit, +8 on block)
(4 hits, 30,000x4 damage, 10 startup, 26 recovery, 15 active, -9 on hit, -11 on block)
(4 hits, 30,000x4 damage, 10 startup, 26 recovery, 15 active, -9 on hit, -11 on block)
Strider flies through the air in one of 3 directions, and is essential for his air mobility. Light version travels down at an angle, medium goes straight, and hard travels up at an angle. When in recovery, you're actually in a jumping state, so you can still do stuff in the air like block, double jump, attack, or Gram. You're limited to only one Excalibur per jump though.
This move is great for changing your jump trajectory and confuse people. The light version is mainly used in offensive pressure and in combos. Strider recovers immediately when he lands, making it virtually unpunishable on block (unless they X-factor cancel like an asshole). Since it goes at a steep angle, it's good approach option against grounded opponents in the air, making it almost like a bootleg divekick. The medium version is mainly used as an escape and that's it. When an opponent kills your character off and Strider will be sent in, you can use this to escape from the corner and avoid a mixup. I almost never use the hard version, since you become a sitting duck the entire way down once the move is finished. I mean, you can still do stuff, but you can't move at all, so that's an easy lockdown for the opponent.
Wall Cling:
I don't feel like putting up the frame data because it's not important. The only thing that does matter is the divekick after the wall cling.. Anyway, this makes Strider quickly jump and cling to the wall he is facing. He can't block while he's jumping to the wall, so he's very vulnerable, but he jumps to the wall so quickly, it's not that big of an issue. You can climb up and down the wall while clinged on, and you can do several attack unique to the wall cling. Pressing
gives you the Ladder Kick, a downward stomp;
gives you the Cypher Attack, a quick slash;
gives you the Jump Kick, a divekick off the wall that causes a ground bounce on aerial opponents. A common tactic Strider players use is a wall cling then do a Jump Kick, since the speed he goes to the wall and comes back is fast enough to catch some people off-guard while they're in the middle of their moves. The Jump Kick is completely safe on block (10 recovery, +10 on block), can only be punished when guarded in the air, is also an overhead attack, and can also causes enough hitstun on the ground to combo afterwards. All of the wall cling attacks can be chained together just like a regular string, and you can cancel the Jump Kick into special moves, most notably Gram, which nets you a wall bounce. Pressing
while on the wall makes you jump to the opposite wall. While it is kind of funny to press S repeatedly to make Strider jump wall to wall a bunch of times, it can also be used to confuse and disorient the opponent. There are some stylish combos which take advantage of Wall Cling, but mostly, you'll be using it to mix-up the opponent and hitting them with a Jump Kick to start a combo. Best way to do this is to fire a Formation-S Shot then doing the Wall Cling, then divekick. Oh yeah, and you can dismount the Wall Cling by pressing the direction away from the wall.
Gram:
(in air OK)
(1 hit, 90,000 damage, 18 startup, 26 recovery, 5 active, -10 on block [0 in the air])
(1 hit, 90,000 damage, 25 startup, 26 recovery, 5 active, -10 on block [+8 in the air])
(1 hit, 90,000 damage, 33 startup, 26 recovery, 5 active, -10 on block [+16 in the air])
Strider performs a long sweeping slash. The length of the slice is determined by the strength of the button used, with the hard version covering almost full screen, causing a wall bounce. The startup is too slow for it to be used in most combos, but you can utilize its range as a nice long range zoning tool along with your Formations. The medium version is like the hard version but with less hitstun, range, and startup, and it's actually fast enough to connect in some combos. The light version has the shortest range but the quickest startup, making it usable in most combos. It's also different since it causes a hard knockdown instead of a wallbounce, making LMH xx L Gram xx Legion a nice, quick punish if you don't want to drop a combo. It gets better. You can cancel ANY version of the move at ANY time into the Formation-S SHOT. This allows for it to be unpunsihable and to strengthen the zoning potential the hard Gram already has.
Formations: 
Now I know that the formations are named A1, A2, C, and B for L, M, H, and S respectively. I find this order to be weird and I'm sure people can agree with me. So for the sake of simplicity, I will call them Formations A(tiger), B(eagle), C(bomb), and S(satellite) for L, M, H, and S respectively. This makes it easier to remember since many people refer to LMH as ABC anyway, therefore it'll be easier to remember which Formation does what. ANYWAY....on with guide.
TIGER (1 hit, 80,000 damage, 21 startup, 14 recovery, +13 on hit, +11 on block)
Strider summons a mechanical tiger to attack the opponent. The tiger always runs out from behind Strider and travels the entire length of the screen. Strider recovers very fast after summoning one, so you can repeatedly throw tigers at people. These have very low durability however, to the point where most projectiles and even normals can nullify them. Still, since they absorb hits for you, and can be very annoying for characters without projectiles. Use these to annoy along with your eagles until you can find a time to move in.
EAGLE (1 hit, 40,000 damage, 21 startup, 14 recovery, +14 on hit, +12 on block)
Strider summons an eagle to glide across the screen above him. The eagle also comes out from behind Strider and has low durability just like the tiger. It will nullify aerial attacks, but the eagle will be destroyed. Again, use it to annoy people and play a ranged game, using these eagles to keep people out of the air, and cover the ground with the tigers and bombs.
BOMB (1 hit, 90,000 damage, 36 startup, 4 recovery)
Strider summons an eagle holding a bomb to glide across the screen. Midway through its flight, the eagle drops the bomb towards the ground, where it will slowly descend until it explodes. The opponent can be hit by the eagle or the bomb, and the bomb can explode if it makes contact if the opponent. You can use this in the same manner as your Formation B, but you have to watch out since it comes out slower (that bomb is too heavy for that eagle, give it time), but it can be used as a nice zoning tool with your other formations.
Vajra: (12 startup, 10 recovery, 9 active, frames 12-20 invincible)
(12 startup, 10 recovery, 9 active, frames 12-20 invincible)
(1 hit, 80,000 damage, 33 startup, 11 recovery, active till grounded, +2 on hit, -7 on block, frames 13-29 invincible)
lol This move. The light and medium version simply teleport you above and in front or behind the opponent respectively, no matter where they are. Strider becomes vulnerable during the startup, but afterwords, he's in a jumping state and can do all of his regular moves and block as well. You can use these to start an offense (in conjunction with an assist to cover you, of course), punish slow moves, or use it to avoid a keepaway lockdown. Don't use this move too recklessly though, as it's VERY EASY for the opponent to air throw you if they see it coming. The heavy version is different since Strider teleports to the opponent's location and does a dive kick that leaves just enough hitstun to start a combo with L on the ground, and causes a hard knockdown if the opponent is airborne. This makes Vajra H ideal for hitting characters who spend a lot of time in the air. This includes those who love to take the skies and rain down projectiles, such as Dr. Doom and Trish, or those that rely on air mobility to begin most of their offense, like Nova, Dorm, Magneto, and even Ammy. On top of this, it's surprisingly safe on block, being virtually unpunishable when the opponent is blocking standing or crouching. Clever adversaries can jump and block the Vajra H if they see it coming, and punish Strider as they both land. They can also X-Factor the blockstun from Vajra and punish. To avoid this, use it only to punish ranged attacks rather than throw it out randomly. You can of course make it safe if you call a good assist to cover you beforehand though.
