Anti-Team TKD (HWO & BAEK) Strategy Tips
SS/SW really works against that [hwo & baek] team now but honestly I wouldn't advise too much walking against Hwoarang . His anti-SS game during flamingo is money, and his anti-ss game while not in stances is even better since he has access to fast safe mid homing moves. Experience (I know i always say that) will be your best friend in that match up. There are holes in the stings but knowing when to low jab/SS/punish can be tricky. I think the best way to beat him is to rush down and duck under attacks at the right time OR keep him 3 character lengths away. From this range he is easy to whiff punish.
Hwoarang needs space to do anything other than basic safe stuff, so if you get in and stay in his face it is much harder to get all fancy with him and he becomes much more linear. He doesn't have any scary "get off me" moves so its ok to bring the fight close range. If you can block ANY lows out of his stance then he can be punished big time. Understanding what point during the flurry you can duck is critical. That will come with more match up XP. If you decide to play the range game be ready to whiff punish. His attacks can close distance quick but those attacks are not fast or safe on block and they can be stepped.
Quick anti Hwo tip: When you see him do 1,2 transition to FLA, or 2, transition to FLA, REMEMBER he can be counter jabbed before ANY flamingo option. This has been an anti strat against him since Tekken 4 but i rarely see it used here over the years. That pressure starter is not free folks, so if someone always does jabs into flamingo they can be counter hit (10 frame moves please) before any flamingo option. Knowing this makes the HWO player have to consider going into flamingo using riskier options.
Beak is really unsafe and the riskier of the two since his strings are not totally safe at all and most of his good mix up options out of stings are either not safe or high attacks. That being said I think he is much harder then Hwoarang to defend IF you are not familiar with that character. Beak has longer stings and more moves out of flamingo so it can be a bitch trying to figure out where the holes are. I would apply the same strats to Beak as I would Hwoarang. Beaks whiff punish game is weak, and his mid range game is fairly weak as well, but again XP is your friend here. Baek is too ridiculous if you don't have the experience.
IMO If you don't know the scoop, TKD team is the hardest team in the game to adjust to because so much of their game is counting on the opponent not knowing when they can attack or move, and even if you do know they can switch up timing on strings and cancel strings or simply throw you and start it all over. Unlike most characters in Tekken, TKD players don't have a "script " to follow so most people don't play them the same way. I imagine how frustrating it is trying to figure them out, but when you do it is worlds easier. They are good but they are far from the best in the game, especially Beak.
A Word On Offense and Pressure..
As far as pressure goes frame data is your friend here. Applying pressure can be as simple as working off simple jabs (1 or 1,2) Out of Every characters move list, jabs (1) give arguably the best frame advantage. They are about +8 on hit and maybe a frame more on counter hit (interesting note Ganryu is +9 and +11 on counter hit jab). Captain obvious here, but jabs should be one of the staples of a pressure offense. On block most jabs in the game still give you +1, so even having that jab blocked can still put you in position to continue offense and make your next move a frame or so faster.
Jabs can also be used as a tool to see how people react. If you have been mounting an offense behind the jab then after a blocked jab your opponent might anticipate the follow up and try to counter you by SS/ducking, using crush move, ect. Counter this by simply doing a back dash/SS or simply wait and see what their habits are. If they sit there, test their reactions with a throw, if they want to duck give em a quick mid poke to stand them back up, you wanna SS? OK, use a homing or a move that tracks to the side they have a habit of stepping to. Simple jab pokes are a good foundation to build on. (thanks VF)
Another thing you could do is look for moves that put your opponent in a crouched state either on hit or block. Check the data for the move and see what advantages you have to work with. If you have a move that does leave them crouched AND frame advantage then you are in business. From that state you opponents options become limited, not bad by any means but limited for sure. Combining moves like these with jabs, and quick hitting mids can keep opponents locked down forcing them to possibly become impatient and get hit, or get thrown because they are unsure of when its safe to attack back.
Knowing the frames for such moves is key because not all moves that put an opponent in a crouched state leave you at + frames so double check for sure.
Also look for which lows give you + frames on hit as well. This can be EXTREMELY annoying to deal with because now your opponent must guess right to avoid the low and the subsequent follow up (another low, throw, mid , jabs) if you choose to do so. Lows can also be used as ways to check opponents habits too. Say if you have a low that leaves them in a crouched state on hit but not frame advantage your opponent may try to do a while standing move in hopes of preventing you from continuing an offense. If you sense a response like that coming then simply step back and let them hang themselves with a whiffed attack, and punish accordingly. This can also be applied to lows that don't leave them in any state but give YOU frame advantage.
Work with the simple tools that are given to each character by default. Sometimes those can be the best option. Also, continue to go over frame data for whoever you use.
