Introduction

Overview
Character Outline
About Servants
Move Overview

Combos
Important Combo Notations
Mid Screen
Charged Dust Combo
Anti Air Combos
Corner

Gameplan
Win Conditions
Neutral
Pressure
Defense

How to Fight Jack-O’

Other Resources

Special Thanks
 Goober Essentials: A Guilty Gear Strive Jack-O’ Guide
By Deknud

Introduction

Welcome to Goober Essentials: A Guide for Guilty Gear Strive’s Jack-O’. Whether you want
to play Jack-O’ and are looking for resources to start out with or want to improve your play,
this is the place for you. Using the table of contents you can easily jump to certain chapters
of the guide, making it easy to navigate and allowing you to quickly get back to the section
you wish to view.

This guide provides:

❖ An extensive overview of Jack-O’s moves and her tools.
❖ Combos, both basic and optimal, for most general situations. More difficult or
complex combos will have a video to make them more accessible.
❖ A basic match-up overview addressing the most important aspects of each.

This guide doesn’t provide:

❖ A recipe for success. This is a guide designed to give you a more insightful view into
your options and what possibilities there are, it doesn’t make choices for you.
❖ A replacement for practice. While this guide gives you a headstart in terms of
knowledge, you will still have to put time into practicing combos and match ups.
❖ A Community. Keeping your goals in mind and staying positive are key to improving.
Getting frustrated is only natural so don’t be shy to ask for other people’s support
when needed to get back on the right track or to further your improvement!

The guide will be updated as new tech is discovered and new versions of Strive are released
in case they provide any changes to Jack-O’, be it combos, moves, or match ups.

Due to upcoming exams I couldn’t put as much time into the guide as I had originally
intended, so this guide will keep expanding slowly over the coming weeks as people give
feedback and more information is added.
For feedback contact Deknud#3526 on discord
 Overview

Character Outline

Jack-O’ is a puppeteer character, meaning you will both control Jack-O’ herself and
command her Servants (Goobers). In gameplay, she boasts good setplay, zoning, and
pressure at the cost of her resource bar, the Servant Gauge. However, she requires setup,
usually from a knockdown, to take advantage of her strength. In addition to requiring setup,
Jack-O’ generally only gets little damage from winning an interaction, depends on mix up
and conditioning to stay safe when she has no Servants, and is very minus on block when
her Servant Gauge is empty. Managing her resources well is therefore essential to playing
Jack-O’ effectively.
Defensively Jack-O’ has few good options unique to her with a 5 frame startup 5P/2P, a 6
frame 2k with very good reach and a reversal command grab Overdrive that can be jumped
after the super flash, making her rely on system mechanics, such as Faultless Defense and
Yellow Roman Cancel, more than others.
Due to Jack-O’s flexible play style she is one of Strive’s most expressive characters, giving
you a lot of freedom in how you can approach neutral and pressure once you’re proficient.

❖ Summon Servants to:

➢ Throw or attack them to make them fly across the screen
➢ Make them attack and guard to keep your opponent on their toes
➢ Or both!
❖ Die quickly but have very strong and hard to escape corner pressure
❖ Have excellent tools for taking control of neutral but be ready to rely on system
mechanics such as YRC and Burst to get out of a pinch
❖ Setting up takes time so be prepared to defend yourself and take risks if the
opponent doesn’t give you the time to do so
❖ Have a gameplan as flexible as Jack-O’ herself and express your skill in a variety of
ways
❖ Be prepared to dedicate yourself to Jack-O’ as she is a high maintenance character

DISCLAIMER! I’m working on updating this little by little

About Servants

If you aren’t here for Jack-O’ you’re here for the goobers. These happy little
go-getters will do everything for Jack-O’ when commanded to do so.

Here are their general properties:

➢ Up to 3 Servants can be active at a given time

➢ Servants last for up to 8 seconds and continuously lose duration while on the screen
➢ Servants lose 3 seconds of duration upon being hit by Jack-O’
➢ Servants don’t lose duration while being held by Jack-O’
➢ Servants are recalled when Jack-O’ is hit, blocks, uses FED, and on wall breaks
➢ Servants thrown (6X) or kicked (236K) have a higher clash level (clash level 2),
making them beat or fly through almost every projectile
➢ Recalled Servants refund 0.5 Command Gauge and 1 Summon Gauge per Servant
➢ Servants will execute the command they’re issued before disappearing even if their
duration is at 0 unless they’re already in their disappearing animation
➢ Jack-O’ can hit cancel from hitting a Servant like she can from hitting an opponent
➢ One hit from Jack-O’s opponent kills a Servant and they can also hit cancel from it
➢ Killing a Servant extends the duration of the hitbox of whatever move killed it

Hitting Servants with attacks makes them bounce in different directions depending on the
move. While seemingly complex, this gets a lot easier as you play more and use the different
angles. Utilizing each angle in correspondence to the situation and Match Up is key to
making Jack-O’s neutral effective and strong.

Here is which move causes what trajectory:

❖ A
➢ 2P, 5P, jP, 5K, jK, jD
❖ B
➢ 6P, fS, cS, jH, 5H, 6H(2)
❖ C
➢ jS, 2H
❖ D
➢ 2S, 5D, 6H(1)
Move Overview

For more detailed frame data and hitboxes, check Jack-O’s Dustloop Page.
This guide uses keyboard numpad notations. If you’re not familiar with them, check
the Dustloop Notation Page.
CH = Counter Hit KD = Knockdown HKD = Heavy Knockdown

Jack-O can struggle more in neutral than other characters due to her lack of all purpose
disjoints and worse frame data without setup but can exercise extreme pressure and zone
control once she gets to establish one or more Servants on the screen.
This section will first go over her normals and then her specials (with one exception),
outlining their general properties and usage.

Summon Servant (236P or 236[P])

This move is your everything. It Summons a Servant at the cost of 1

section of the Summon Gauge (Green) and due to its properties every
move can be canceled into this on block or hit, even Servant Kick.
You can Place the Servant by pressing the button (25 total frames) or
Hold the Servant by holding the button (14 total frames).
Holding the Servant will leave Jack-O’ in Hold Servant Stance, which
will be covered at the start of the Specials section.
Since this move is the very core of Jack-O’s gameplay the input
difference between Place and Hold needs to be muscle memory.
Put practice into it if you can’t consistently choose between them.
Every grounded move will have a notation stating its frame data when canceled into
236[P] on block (Hold) and when hitting both the opponent and a Servant on block
(Double Block, abbreviated as DB). They will look like this: (+/- x on Hold, +/- y on DB).
Frame data on Double Block is in case the Servant is immediately blocked. It improves the
later the Servant collides. If you cancel a DB into 236[P] you are at least +7.
Air moves won’t have these notations since they can’t be canceled into 236[P] and have
generally varying safety on block depending on height.
Punches

❖ 5P:
➢ 5 Frames Startup (-5 on Hold, +10 on DB)
➢ Jack-O’s fastest move and one of your go to options to mash
out of pressure
➢ Can be low profiled by most crouching characters
➢ Gatlings into 6P, causing KD and allowing summon

❖ 2P:
➢ 5 Frames Startup (-5 on Hold, +9 on DB)
➢ Her most reliable abare option, links into 2K on CH
➢ Gatlings into 6P, so similar application to 5P
➢ Both 5P and 2P are extremely + on Servant Hit, making
them really safe to keep or setup more pressure

❖ 6P:
➢ 10 Frames Startup (-1 on Hold, -4 on DB)
➢ Frame 1 upper body and frame 2 to 12 above knee
invulnerable
➢ Excellent anti air, stretching slightly forward
➢ Yields little reward on hit outside KD and setup opportunity
➢ The happiest button in the game

❖ jP:
➢ 6 Frames Startup
➢ Fast but low reward air button
➢ Gatling into itself
➢ Your fastest and safest option on descent
➢ Good at catching opponents diagonally below her
Kicks

❖ 5K:
➢ 7 Frames Startup (-3 on Hold, +6 on DB)
➢ Fast and safe poke tool, good anti air
➢ Jump and dash cancelable on block or hit
➢ Gatling into 2D allows for a KD for safe setup into
pressure (Gatling into 6H from air hit for full screen KD)
➢ Does finally combo into 2D from further distances!

❖ 2k:
➢ 6 Frames Startup (-3 on Hold, +7 on DB)
➢ Fast and safe low poke
➢ Can be used to low profile jump ins and other moves
➢ Doesn’t low profile for the first few frames which makes
it lose to mids during that time
➢ Gatling into 2D allows for a knockdown giving safe setup for pressure from a
really strong low poke

❖ jK:
➢ 7 Frames Startup
➢ Really fast air to air
➢ Jump and Air Dash cancelable on hit or block
➢ Excellent for catching people out of the air due to its
great hurt and hitbox above Jack-O’
➢ Yields decent reward with Air Dash cancel into jS or
jHS, allowing further follow up with cS after landing
Slashes

❖ cS:
➢ 7 Frames Startup (+2 on Hold, +6 on DB)
➢ Average cS with good active frames
➢ Gatling into everything but kicks, jump and dash
cancelable on hit or block
➢ Its many gatling options make cS a very potent pressure
tool, giving Jack-O’ full control of the situation
➢ Getting into a situation where you can safely use cS
usually depends on setup or oki

❖ fS:
➢ 11 Frames Startup (-1 on Hold, -1 on DB)
➢ Reaches maximum range on frame 15
➢ Good long-range poke despite lack of disjoint
➢ Gatling into 5H from CH causes KD, allowing setup

❖ 2S:
➢ 9 Frames Startup (-1 on Hold, -7 on DB)
➢ Higher risk higher reward anti air compared to 6p
➢ Disjointed from bare leg upward
➢ Very specific anti air, mostly good against enemies directly
above Jack-O’ such as Chipp during j2K (Drill) or Millia
➢ Takes practice to use effectively, don’t be discouraged if you
get hit out of this move a lot at first
➢ Direction for 236P on CH can be ambiguous, sometimes
resulting in Recall (214P) instead

❖ jS:
➢ 11 Frames Startup
➢ Good jump in attack
➢ Jump and Air Dash cancelable on hit or block
➢ Can cross up due to delayed hitbox behind Jack-O
➢ Grabable on blocked landing, can be made safe by
canceling into Servant Shoot (j236K) which makes you land
slightly out of range
Heavy Slashes

❖ 5H:
➢ 10 Frames Startup (+4 on Hold, -3 on DB) 5H(2)
➢ Hits twice, data on DB refers to second hit
➢ Extremely safe on block due to pushback and frame data
on cancel into Hold
➢ Jack-O’s personal unga bunga button due to low startup, far reach, and
disjoint in front of her. Don’t get predictable, as the move loses to lows and 6P
➢ Excellent for catching backdashes
➢ Can pull in Servants from behind Jack-O’ enabling pressure and combo
routes

❖ 2H:
➢ 15 Frames Startup (+4 on Hold, -2 on DB)
➢ Good during combos and for frame traps
➢ Moves Jack-O’ forward with the entire ball being disjointed
➢ Jack-O’ moves forward before the hitbox becomes active, so
trying to frame trap using 2H after cS can be grabbed unless
you’re frame perfect

❖ 6H:
➢ 8 Frames Startup (+2 on Hold, -14 on DB) 6H(1)
➢ 19 Frames Startup (+4 on Hold, -3 on DB) 6H(2)
➢ Disjoint so big it doesn’t properly fit on this page
➢ Your go-to for stopping jump ins at range
➢ Hits very tall characters standing, forcing them to
crouch to avoid it (Pot, Goldlewis, Faust)

❖ jH:
➢ 11 Frames Startup
➢ Jump and Air Dash cancelable on hit or block
➢ Good jump in attack
➢ Good hitbox and +5 on blocked jump in, making this a
good option to keep pressure up or mix your opponent
➢ Hits on both sides making it a decent cross up tool
Dusts

❖ 5D:
➢ 20 Frames Startup (-7 on DB) 5D
➢ 28 Frames Startup (-7 on DB) 5[D]
➢ Can’t be canceled into specials
➢ Jack-O’s only standing overhead
➢ Gatling into 5D from cS, 5K, or 2K allows for mix
➢ Can be made + by hitting a minion that isn’t immediately
blocked by the opponent making it a surprisingly safe high/low mix tool

❖ 2D:
➢ 10 Frames Startup (-1 on Hold, -11 on DB)
➢ Low that moves Jack-O’ forward
➢ “The Roomba”
➢ One of your main tools to secure a HKD and
setup pressure from 5K and 2K confirm
➢ Low profiling allows you to slide beneath certain moves, such as Ky’s
Charged Stun Edge, and punish them. Doesn’t low profile enough to beat
moves such as Ram fS
➢ High amount of total frames make it very punishable on whiff
➢ 2 frame gap between 2D > 236K on block acts as a natural frame trap but this
also means it loses to invulnerable reversals such as Leo DP
➢ Not disjointed so it trades with/loses to other lows and disjoints

❖ jD:
➢ 21 Frames Startup
➢ High recovery projectile with low clash level
➢ Projectile disappears when Jack-O’ is hit or when it
collides with another projectile
➢ Jump and dash cancellable as soon as the projectile
connects
➢ Expands Jack-O’s hurtbox forward, making it risky to
use against high mobility or far reaching characters
➢ Useful zoning and stalling tool against slower
characters to recover Servant Gauge
Specials

❖ Pick Up Servant (2P Near Servant)

➢ 14 total frames
➢ Picks up the nearest Servant even when it’s currently
being launched, entering Hold Servant Stance
➢ 1P and 3P will allow you to do 2P near Servants
➢ In case the Servant disappears or moves out of range
before it can be picked up it results in a Fake Pick Up
❖ Fake Pick Up (FP)
➢ Cancels any move used to launch the Servant out of Pick Up Servant range,
changing the remaining total frames to 14
➢ 236P (Place) leaves Servants in the perfect range to FP after certain moves,
6H(1) and Servant Shoot (236K) being the most common
➢ Allows Jack-O’ to move freely again quicker, improving safety and
enabling certain combo routes
❖ Hold Servant Stance
➢ You can no longer block or backdash but gain access to a backwards
run
➢ The only moves you can use in this stance are Throw Servant,
Release Servant, Servant Shoot (236K), the Servant Commands,
and her Overdrives
➢ Servant Commands are executed by holding neutral and pressing
their respective button (5K = Attack, 5S = Guard, etc.)
➢ Held Servant executes Commands even at empty Servant Gauge
❖ Throw Servant (6X in Hold Servant Stance, Air OK)
➢ 12 Frames Startup, 27 Total Frames
➢ Throws the Servant forward, leaving it at full duration
➢ Executed by holding forward and pressing any attack button (6X)
➢ Good for setting up Sandwich Pressure after a KD
➢ Gives the Servant an increased Clash Level, causing it to destroy or fly
through almost every projectile in the game
❖ Release Servant (5D in Hold Servant Stance, Air OK)
➢ 11 Total Frames
➢ 236[P] → 5D has the same total frames as 236P (25)
➢ Drops the currently held Servant in front of Jack-O’
➢ CH State for the entire duration so drop with caution
 ❖ Servant Shoot, referred to as Servant Kick (236K, Air OK)
➢ 15 Frames Startup (+2 on Hold, -7 on DB)
➢ Your only offensive special that isn’t Servant related
➢ Unlike most specials in the game Servant Shoot can be
canceled into Overdrives and Specials on block or hit
➢ Gives the Servant an increased Clash Level, causing it to
destroy or fly through almost every projectile in the game

The Servant Gauge and Servant Commands

All Commands have CH state on their recovery so don’t spam them mindlessly!

❖ The Servant Gauge

➢ Split into two sections: Summon Gauge (Green) and Command Gauge (Gray)
➢ As the names imply, Summon Gauge is spent when summoning Servants and
Command Gauge is spent when issuing Commands
➢ Summon or Command cost equal to a third of the maximum Gauge
➢ The Command Gauge can be higher than the Summon Gauge but the
Summon Gauge will always drop to the Command Gauge’s level if it drops
beneath the Summon Gauge due to a Command
Simplified: Green gauge drops to gray gauge’s level if the gray gauge is lower
➢ Recovers faster the lower its current level
➢ Recovers faster when there are no Servants on screen
➢ Recovery paused for a short time after issuing a Command to a Servant
➢ Constant awareness of the Servant Gauge is key to playing as and against
Jack-O’ since it determines how long she can pressure safely

❖ Attack Command (214K, Air OK)

➢ 12 Frames Startup
➢ All Servants on screen attack in the direction they
are facing
➢ This is Jack-O’s strongest move:
■ +15 on block
■ Really big hitbox and disjoint
■ Launches upward on hit, allowing side switch when hit close up
➢ Causes your combos to deal vastly reduced damage after and makes the wall
break quickly, so try to avoid using it in combos when possible
❖ Defend Command (214S, Air OK)
➢ 4 Frames Startup
➢ Commonly referred to as “Guard”
➢ Destroys projectiles projectiles (Exceptions:
Overdrives, Eddie Drills, Goldlewis Drone)
➢ If an enemy attack collides with a guarding Servant
the enemy is put into Guard Crush state and the spent
Command Gauge is refunded
➢ Not your average Guard Crush:
■ You can Forever Elysium Driver (632146p) enemies in this guard
crush
■ Deals 33 damage that cannot kill, leaving at least 1 HP
➢ Protects Jack-O’ for up to 10 Frames after recovery
➢ +31 when parrying a move on the first Frame, up to +65 on the last Frame
➢ Doesn’t work against Overdrives of any kind
➢ Dropping the Servant the same frame it guards an attack removes the
colliding hitbox without putting the enemy in Guard Crush (Hitbox Nullification)
❖ Hitbox Nullification
➢ Can only be done in Hold Servant Stance
➢ Executed consistently by buffering 5D input during Guard recovery
➢ Allows Jack-O’ to hard punish DPs other than Leo’s which is its main purpose

❖ Recover Servant (214P, Air OK)

➢ 10 Frames Startup, 19f total (-6 after 2D, -1 after 2H/5H)
➢ Give up your setup at the cost of Command Gauge
➢ Usable to bait reversals after attack level 2+ (2D & 236K
mainly) on block and to stay slightly safer than summon

❖ Countdown (214H, Air OK)

➢ Causes all your Servants active at activation of Command
to explode after 3 Seconds
➢ 26 Frames after timer reaches 0 until Explosion
➢ Prevents your Servant Gauge from recovering during
Countdown and empties it upon Explosion
➢ The explosion can also hit Jack-O’
➢ Allows you to combo from grab without meter
➢ Due to its drawbacks generally considered very bad
Overdrives

❖ Forever Elysium Driver (632146P) Usually called FED

➢ 10 Frames Startup + 1 Frame post Super Flash
➢ Fully invulnerable command grab
➢ Unlike other command grabs this can hit enemies
Wall Stuck or in hitstun, even when they’re airborne
➢ Like other Overdrives, this will break the wall break when
the opponent is hit close to the wall
➢ Can be jumped or backdashed post Flash and should
therefore be used as a reversal only if you know your opponent attacks
➢ Has very high recovery (58 frames) and can be hard punished easily on whiff
➢ High raw damage so using it early into a combo is beneficial (cS > 2H > FED)

❖ Cheer Servant On (236236S or 236236H) Usually called Cheer S and Cheer H

➢ 3 Frames Startup
➢ Buffs your Servants for 5 seconds
➢ Makes Servants invulnerable for 10 Frames after Startup
➢ Prevents Servant duration from decreasing and keeps them alive when their
duration is 0 for the entire 5 seconds
➢ Halts Servant momentum upon activation allowing for precise placement
➢ Enables Servant Gauge refill during Countdown but doesn’t prevent
Explosion from setting the Gauge to 0

❖ Cheer S (236236S)
➢ Makes your Servants fully invulnerable for the duration
and they will not disappear when Jack-O’ is hit or blocks
an attack, also destroying projectiles that hit them
➢ This means Commands will be executed even when
Jack-O’ blocks or is hit
➢ Cheer S Servants still die to Burst and Overdrives
■ If Jack-O’ is hit by or blocks the Burst she makes
the hitbox disappear, causing the Servants to survive
➢ Turns Servants into indestructible and independent hitboxes when hit by
Jack-O’ making this an insanely powerful tool to close out rounds
➢ Most opponents will attempt to camp out the duration by jumping and
extending their airtime so be prepared to cover these options
❖ Cheer H (236236H)
➢ Vastly increases Servant Gauge recharge and prevents the
recovery pause that usually occurs after Commands
➢ Requires setup beforehand to be effective
➢ Using DB Frame advantage from 2H or 236K cancel makes
5K a frame trap and 2P a true blockstring after Super Flash
➢ Allows Jack-O’ to create inescapable block strings using
Attack Command
■ Only using Attack Command to keep the opponent blocking will still
empty the Servant Gauge after 4-5 uses, so mix in different attacks
➢ Especially powerful in the corner, creating scenarios where the opponent
cannot escape the blockstring without Yellow Roman Cancel or Burst
■ Cheer H blockstring loops build a lot of R.I.S.C. and deal a lot of chip
damage due to the high amount of specials involved

❖ Basic Cheer H Loops

➢ Corner:
■ Close Range: cS > 236K > 214K 66 Repeat
■ Mid Range: 5K > 236K > 214K 66 Repeat or swap to Close Range
● This is just an example for mid range. Get creative with these
and use 2D to close in or fS to frame trap, for example
● Swap to mid range version when you see the opponent
Faultless Defense your blocksting

➢ Mid Screen, during Sandwich Pressure

■ cS > 2H > 214K Repeat
■ cS > 2H > 236K > 214K 66 Repeat

➢ Mid Screen, with a Servant close behind Jack-O’

■ cS > 5H > 214K 66 Repeat
■ cS > 5H > 236K > 214K 66 Repeat

➢ Mid Screen routes aren’t as powerful or reliable as Corner routes and depend
on Servant placement but still build a lot of R.I.S.C. and provide decent corner
carry through a true blockstring
➢ Cheer H loops are commonly ended with a high (5D) or low (2D) mix up from
cS gatling, providing a forced CH at max R.I.S.C. allowing a combo after
 Combos

Corner and mid screen combos will be split into non CH and CH.
Combos with less than 80 damage will not have their damage noted.
When you have 50 Tension using FED early into a combo can yield high damage.
In the corner dropping combos at points where Servants cover the get up can be beneficial
as Jack-O’ boasts immense corner pressure if executed well.

As this Section is out of date, I recommend looking at Dustloop for anything beyond
basic Combos: https://www.dustloop.com/w/GGST/Jack-O/Combos

Important Combo Notations

> = Hit or block cancel the previous move into the next one
, = Link the previous move into the next (manually timed)
CH = Counter Hit
& = You hit both an opponent and a Servant with this move (e.g. 236K&)
(5D) = Drop the currently held Servant using 5D in Hold Servant Stance
(5K)/(5S)... = Execute the Servant Command during Hold Servant Stance
FP = Use Fake Pick Up to be actionable quicker
jc = Jump Cancel
WS = Wallsplat
Mid Screen non CH

❖ 2K/5K > 2D
➢ Main HKD Route Easy
■ Max range 2K/5K doesn’t combo into 2D
❖ 2P/5P > 6P > 236[P]
➢ KD + Gives Space Easy
❖ fS > 5H > 236[P]
➢ KD + Gives Space Easy

Mid screen CH

❖ CH cS > 2H > 236P, 5H(1)& > 214K, 66 fS& > 236K& > 214K WS 6H
➢ 201 dmg Medium Video
❖ CH 5H > 5H > FED
➢ 225 dmg Easy
❖ CH 2D > 236P, 2K > 2D > 214K, 66 > cS 2h/6h 236[P]
➢ 128 dmg Medium Video
❖ CH 2H > 236P 66 5H(1) > 214K, 66 5H(1) > 214K, 66 cS > 2H WS > 5[D]
➢ 196 Damage Hard Video

Charged Dust Combo

❖ 5[D] 8, jH > jK > 9jc > jS > jK > jS > jKK

➢ 181 dmg Easy
Anti Air Combos:

❖ 6P > FED
➢ 170 dmg Easy
❖ 5K > 5K > 6H(2) > 236[P]
➢ KD + Gives Space Easy
❖ 5K > 9jc, jK 66 jS > jH > cS > 2H/6H > 236[P]
➢ ~113 dmg Medium Video
❖ CH 2S > 236P, 2K > 2D > 214K, 66 cS > 6H > 236[P]
➢ 125 dmg Medium Video
❖ CH 2S > 66 cS > 6H(1) > 236P, 2K > 2D > 214K, 66 cS > 6H >236[P]
➢ 138 dmg Medium Video

Air to Air

❖ jK > 66 jS > jH > c.S > 6H > 236[P]

➢ 96 dmg Medium
❖ jH(1)> 66 jS > jH > cS > 6H > 236[P]
➢ 93 dmg Medium
Corner non CH

❖ cS > 2H > 236p, 5p& > 214k, 66 cS, WS 5[D]/FED

➢ 189/212 dmg Medium Video
❖ 2D > 236K > 236[P], 236K > (5D), 236K& > 236[P], 236K& > (5D), 66 fS > 2H WS
5[D]/FED
➢ 189/216 dmg Hard Video
❖ cS > 2H > 236[P], 236K > (5D) > fS& > 2H& > 236K& > 2P (FP), 66 cS > 6H > WS
> 5[D]/FED
➢ 219/243 dmg Hard Video Optimal
❖ cS > 2H > 236[P], 236K, (5D), 6H(1,2)& > 214K WS 66 5[D]
➢ 214 dmg Medium Video

Kick Loops

❖ 236K > 236[P], 236K& > (5D) > 236K& > 236[P], 236K& > (5D) Repeat
➢ One of Jack-O’s most versatile corner combos, can be converted into from
almost any counter hit
➢ There is a delay between kicks so getting these down takes practice
➢ Video, from 2H CH Video, from 2D CH Video, from 236K CH
➢ Often only loses 10~15 damage over the optimal
➢ Due to how applicable it is and how little damage it loses you will have to
learn this if you want to be good at Jack-O’ and deal decent damage
➢ You can replace Summon Servant (236[P]) with Pick Up Servant (2P) to
conserve Servant Gauge Video, 1 Gauge Loop

Corner CH

❖ CH 2D > 236P cS > 236K& > cS& > fS& > 236K&, WS 66 5[D]/FED
➢ 195/222 dmg Medium Video
❖ CH 236K > 236P, cS& > 2H& > 236K& > 214K, 66 cS WS 5D/FED
➢ 210/234 dmg Medium Video
❖ CH 2H > 236P, 5H(2)& >236K& > 214K > 66 cS, WS 5D/FED
➢ 216/234 dmg Medium Video
❖ CH 2H > 236[P], 5(D), 66 cS > 2H > 236K& > 236P, 4 cS > 5[D], 6H WS 66
5[D]/FED
➢ 237/257 dmg Hard Video Optimal
 Gameplan

Win Conditions

❖ Zoning & Zone Control

➢ While slow to start, Jack-O’s zoning and pressure using Servants can be very
potent, especially against slow characters such as Goldlewis
➢ Death by a thousand cuts: Winning by only zoning requires a lot of patience
and good management of the Servant Gauge
➢ Controlling space using Servants and making opponents respect Attack
Command and Guard is key to opening them up and move in to enable
Jack-O’s other win condition: pressure
❖ Pressure
➢ While Jack-O’ has to work to put the opponent into Sandwich Pressure or into
Corner Pressure, once she gets going she can dictate the pace until the
Servant Gauge runs out utilizing Attack Command’s fantastic frame data
➢ With some of the best Tick Throw in the game, a lot of potential Frame Traps,
and very high Tension build up Jack-O’ can easily keep her pressure going for
extended amounts of time by either getting a hit on the opponent or
recovering the Servant Gauge by using Cheer H

Neutral

Jack-O’s main goal in neutral is to force the opponent to approach her and/or to score a
knockdown to secure a safe way to set up her win condition. Here are some of her neutral
tools:
❖ Lower Risk Pokes & Reward
➢ fS as a good, far reaching poke. Leads into 5H, giving KD
➢ 5K as a shorter reaching but safer poke. Leads into 2D, giving HKD
■ Both lose to 6P, so take care using these
➢ 2K as a far reaching low poke. Leads into 2D, giving HKD
➢ 6P as go-to option to beat mids and air approaches. Gives KD, high recovery
❖ High-Risk, High-Reward Options
➢ 5H as a decently fast disjoint. Can lead into a Combo on CH with tension and
leads into KD, loses to low profiling moves and 6P
➢ 2D as a more risky alternative to 2K that has bigger reward. Leads into
Combo on CH and beats 6P but has lots of recovery on whiff
 ❖ Servants in Neutral
➢ Use with care, as faster characters can quickly approach and punish any
attempt at summoning Servants in a neutral state
➢ Servants can be used as projectiles for strong zone control and zoning,
forcing the opponent to respect and deal with them
➢ Using Attack Command to condition the opponent to respect Servants in
neutral and using Defend Command to protect Jack-O’ or the Servant itself
from projectiles or attacks in addition to using Servants as projectiles is key to
setting up good zone control and zoning
➢ Make sure you are aware of Servant Trajectories as they are crucial to
making the most use of Servants in neutral:
■ jS/6H(1) angle allows to cover ground in front of Jack-O’ and allows
her to go for a fairly safe jump/run in or to set up further Servants
■ jS > 5jc, jD allows to cover a lot of ground in front of Jack-O, can be
dangerous to use against faster characters and has low reward
■ jP/jK angle allows you to cover an opponent’s run in while also placing
a minion roughly mid screen that you can use to cover your landing
■ 5K/5P angle is similar to jP/jK angle but grounded, allowing you to
stay safe due the moves’ low recovery while setting up
➢ These are just ideas and concepts of Servant usage in neutral so get creative
and practice until you feel comfortable using them in different situations

Neutral is very complex and changes from match up to match up and player to player so
adaptability is key. Use this section as a rough guide line on what tools can be used in what
way, not as a recipe for success.

Here’s a guide on Servants in neutral by baccpack:

Using Servants to Dominate Neutral | Jack-o Guide
Pressure

Before we tackle pressure there’s a very important concept that needs to be explained first:
❖ Hitstop Canceling
➢ Hitstop Canceling occurs when an opponent and Servant are hit by Jack-O’ at
the same time but the Servant doesn’t collide with the opponent
➢ Hitstop Cancel vastly improves the frame data of the move used to do it
➢ Commonly used during Sandwich Pressure to create unique frame traps and
to build additional risc safely
➢ The most important moves will have their Hitstop Cancel frame data on block
listed below. For more detailed data visit the Dustloop Hitstop Cancel Page

cS fS 5D 5[D] 236K 5K 5H

+10* -1 +/-0 +5 -3 +/-0 +4

❖ *is +11 according to some sources other than Dustloop

❖ Sandwich Pressure
➢ Sandwich Pressure is when you put an opponent between a Servant and
Jack-O’
➢ Can easily be setup from a 2D HKD by throwing a Servant over the opponent
➢ Placing a Servant behind the opponent enables Jack-O’ to push them
towards the corner with true blockstrings that build a lot of risc, mix them up
using 5D and 2D, and set up unique frame traps utilizing Hitstop Canceling
■ While it takes some practice to recognize when the Servant is in the
right position for Hitstop Canceling, utilizing this tech you can chain
cS > cS as a true blockstring or frame trap, building a lot of risc or
dealing decent damage from a cS CH Combo
■ Similarly, utilizing Hitstop Canceling you can go for high-low mix using
5D, making you + on block and giving KD on hit
➢ Common Sandwich Pressure strings can look like this:
■ cS > 2H > 214K,… (risc build up, true blockstring)
■ cS > 2D > 214K,… (low conditioning, true blockstring)
■ cS, cS > 2H > 214K… (risc build up using Hitstop Canceling)
● Example showcase risc route from 2D KD: Video
➢ Be careful when using 236K to go for extra risc, as the move will whiff if the
opponent uses FD to block the first moves in the string
❖ Okizeme (Oki)
➢ Jack-O’s Oki options are 4 way mix and setting up Sandwich Pressure, the
latter of which was covered on the previous page and is generally preferable
➢ Let’s focus on Jack-O’ mix options from…
➢ …grab:
■ 6/4D > 236[P], 7 (5D), jS > 66, jS/2K Video
■ For same side delay (5D), jS or land and approach grounded, unsafe
■ Skipping the jS makes this DP safe if you block after the air dash
➢ …2D
■ 2D > 236[P], 7 (5D), jS > 66, jS/jH/2K (Same as throw oki)
■ 2D > 236[P], 9 (5D), 44 jS/jH Video
■ Delaying the air back dash decides which site is hit
■ 2D > 236P, 9 (5D), 214K Video
■ Simple but ambiguous, side depends on 214K timing

❖ Corner Pressure
➢ Jack-O’ boasts some of the strongest and highest Tension building corner
pressure in the game when executed well
■ Can be nearly inescapable until her Servant Gauge runs out and can
be extended through Cheer H
➢ Using Double Block frame advantage from Meaty (second definition) Servant
hits, Attack Command, and excellent Tick Throw Jack-O’ can choose freely
when to leave gaps and how to mix up the opponent
➢ Any grab in the corner leads to a Safe Jump or Meaty (first definition) allowing
Jack-O’ to set up one or more Servants:
■ 2/4D, 236[P], 9, 6X, 2K… (Meaty Servant into low) Video
■ 2/4D, 236[P], 9, 6X, 66/44, jS… (Meaty Servant into overhead)
■ 2/4D, 236[P], 7/8/9, 44, 6X… (Meaty Servant granting space)
■ 2/4D, 236P, cS& > 236P, cS&… (Meaty Servant, gives 2 Servants)
➢ Meaty Servants allow Jack-O’ to follow up with whatever she wishes, and
ending the string with Attack Command makes her +15 after
➢ Dropping combos from any hit can be very beneficial in a lot of match ups and
situations due to how strong Jack-O’s corner pressure is
■ Mostly applies to characters without reversals, such as Happy Chaos
➢ Double Block Servant Shoot and 2H can be converted into Cheer H Loops
■ After super flash 5P is a true blockstring and 5K is a frame trap
➢ Double Block also enables Pichu Pressure:
 ❖ Pichu Pressure (PP)
➢ Named after NotPichu? who found and popularized the string
➢ Has high tension build up, enables jokes due to its abbreviation as “PP”
➢ Using a Double Blocked cS, the following string is possible:
■ cS& > 2H > 236K& > 236[P],... Video
➢ Options after 236[P]:
■ …236K& > 6X Video
● Can be jumped out of after 236[P], 236K& loses to far reaching
moves that are frame 6 or faster (e.g.Anji 2P) and DPs
● 6X loses to most 6P
● Trades with 236K& are favorable for Jack-O’ due to CH
● 6X follow up not safe if blocked by a standing opponent
■ …6X
● Used to cover possible jump out after 236[P]
■ …(5K) Video
● DP safe ender that similarly covers jump and mashing at the
cost of leaving a wider gap after (5K)
● Jack-O’ can hard punish DPs after (e.g. with Kick Loops)

Defense

Since Jack-O’ doesn’t have any standout defensive options there isn’t much to talk about:
❖ Your best options to mash out of pressure are a frame 5 5P and 2P,a
frame 7 5K, and a frame 6 2K. 5P loses to low profiling so be aware
❖ Her only reversal super, FED, can be jumped and backdashed after the super flash
making it a poor defensive option against opponents who know how to play around it
so use it with caution or only when you can PRC it with 100 tension
❖ Jack-O’ relies on system mechanics such as FD, Burst and YRC to get out of sticky
situations so smart usage of these is important, don’t get predictable
❖ Jack-O’ can’t really bait burst or YRC herself outside of low recovery moves such as
2K or jump cancel cS or 5K

Safe Jumps

All of her safe jumps are manually timed, the most common one from a throw however only
requires a small delay and goes as follows:
6/4D, slight delay, 236[P], jump towards opponent, 6X (toss), jS/jH
 How to Fight Jack-O’
❖ Since Jack-O’ is now relevant to the meta I plan on expanding this section
greatly.
❖ The basics:
➢ Jack-O’ wants to set up Servants in neutral and otherwise, so try to prevent
her from doing so by mounting pressure on her weak defense and/or killing
Servants launched at you with low recovery moves, such as P and K buttons
➢ Familiarize yourself with the Servant Trajectories as it is crucial to know how
moves launch Servants to effectively deal with them
➢ Pay very close attention to the Servant Gauge as it is Jack-O's fuel for
offense. Once it’s low her options to pressure you as well as her reward for
scoring a hit drastically decreases
■ Be mindful still, as it recovers quicker the lower the gauge is and
recovers even faster when there are no Servants on screen
■ Once her Servant Gauge is low Jack-O’ might resort to stalling with
her jD so be prepared to make your way around it or to dash block
➢ Jack-O’ lacks disjoints outside of 5H which makes it hard for her to play
around disjoints and bigger moves in neutral without using Servants. Stuffing
her out using moves such as Sol 2S can therefore be fairly effective at forcing
her to commit to an option
➢ Blocking low is essential, as Jack-O’ will be using 2K and 2D a lot
➢ Most of Jack-O’s moves lose to 6P (2D is the exception), making it
exceptionally good against Jack-O’
■ Don’t get too predictable though, as 2D CH gives Jack-O’ good reward
➢ Against more proficient Jack-O’s you will want to always save your Burst
and/or 50 Tension to safely get out of Cheer H pressure as Jack-O’s reward
for mid screen hits generally isn’t as big as you are used to from other
characters and she is rarely Burst or YRC safe without deliberately leaving
gaps in her pressure
■ Try to use YRC between Servant Shoot and Attack Command when
caught in Cheer H pressure
■ If you don’t have tension for YRC or Burst and get caught in Cheer H
pressure, FD can reduce risc gain and chip but doesn’t let you get out
■ Be wary of high-low mix ups at max risc as these grant Jack-O’
massive damage that will most likely lose you the round
➢ Jack-O’s reversal super, FED, can be jumped after the super flash which
makes it easier to avoid than other reversal supers
■ FED has a lot of recovery frames so move in for a hard punish on whiff
 Other Resources
❖ Jack-O’s Dustloop Page
➢ Your go to for looking at hitboxes, frame data, strategy, you name it
❖ Jack-O’ Cord
➢ A community full of Jack-O’ players to share and find that wacky tech you
couldn’t find on this guide
❖ GGST Resource Hub
➢ Great place to go for any character or Strive player. People are generally
happy to answer questions if you have them
❖ Videos:
➢ Guilty Snacks: Jack-O Tips and Tricks
❖ Players to watch (Updated 06.02.2022):
➢ Eddventure, best performing Jack-O’ NA on Twitch
➢ NotPichu?, best performing Jack-O’ EU on Twitch
 Special Thanks

First of all I’d like to thank a subset of the Jack-O’ community who pulled me into their small
circle and encouraged me to keep playing her back in October 2021 when I wasn’t good at
the character at all and very close to giving up on learning her. You guys have gotten me to
the level of skill I’m at today and have caused me to engage more with the community, it
truly means a lot to me. You know who you are, so I won’t mention you by name.

A special thanks to Gamma who gave a lot of feedback, helped write down parts of this
guide, and provided videos. Your computer might be a potato but your contributions aren’t
just vegetating away.

Thanks to Eddventure for putting Jack-O’ into the spotlight of multiple tournaments and
generally being an inspiration for us Jack-O’ players.

Thanks to Mizi because he asked to be thanked.

Thanks to Myzisco for being wrong.

Thanks to Emo Tarquin for providing graphics for me and the entire Dustloop team for
making an extremely useful resource for learning and improving in fighting games. You guys
make everyone’s life way easier when it comes to fighting games. It wouldn’t be the same
without you and your work. It’s very much appreciated.

Thanks to NotPichu? for pioneering a lot of Jack-O’ tech and combos and for ruining all my
hopes of ever finding an optimal combo within 5 minutes of me posting them. You are my
favorite cyberbully. (He’s not actually a cyberbully)

Thanks to the EMEA GGST community for providing an environment that encourages
improvement as much as it encourages shitposting. Also thanks for enduring many of my
salty hours and being salty with me.

Thanks to you for reading this guide. I hope it helped anyone at all at improving not only at
Jack-O’ the character but at the game itself. In the end that’s what this guide is for what is
most important to me when I think about it.