Ingrid

Ingrid is a tricky zoner who likes to pester opponents around the mid-range with an array of projectiles while building up Sun Crests from afar. With enough resources, Ingrid can deal absurd damage from across the screen, but has to be careful not to be too predictable against defiant opponents.

At the mid-range, Ingrid has a fundamental zoning game. Sun Shot is a projectile that pauses briefly before traveling forward that can also be held to alter its timing against parry-happy opponents. The Light and Medium versions both shoot forward with the only difference being their initial velocity and distance before pausing, while the Heavy version shoots upward at an angle before descending. Ingrid also has Light Rising Sun as a typical anti-air with an atypical quarter-circle motion. If she has the Drive Gauge, Ingrid can combine the meterless horizontal Sun Shots with an OD angled Sun Shot and vice versa to fill the screen with obstacles. At closer ranges, Ingrid has some solid pokes to complement her Sun Shots, like 5HK's long range, 2HP's special cancels, 5HP's whiff punishes, and 4MK's target combo extensions. When she does get a hit, Rising Sun serves as her primary combo ender, with the Medium version working off lights and the Heavy version being much slower but offering a variety of follow up afterwards.

Once the opponent is far enough away, Ingrid can use Light Sun Flare to gain a Sun Crest, a buff that enhances her zoning and Super Arts to even greater heights. Ingrid can stock up to four Sun Crests at a time, and can choose between Medium Sun Flare to keep the opponent far away from Ingrid and continue stocking up, or spend up to two Crests for Heavy Sun Flare to cash out on her resources with a devastating full-screen beam. Furthermore, OD Sun Flare stacks with Sun Crests, with a 2-stock OD Sun Flare piercing across the screen as an anti-fireball, a combo extender, a long-range whiff punish, and a pressure tool all wrapped up in one. She can also perform Solar Burst, a downward-angled air variant that can snipe opponents from afar or extend from Halo Flight for a terrifying low crush.

If the opponent gets frustrated and starts trying to chase her down, Ingrid has a few extra options to take them by surprise. Vanishing Sun lets Ingrid teleport either forward with a point-black dropkick, downward with an overhead hip attack that ground bounces, or backwards to escape full-screen to get back to zoning. While they all are on the slower side, they work well in conjunction with Sun Flare, tacking on some extra damage and repositioning her up close for pressure. Finally, Sun Veil has Ingrid hold up her beloved Monoid to take a hit, sending the opponent back mid-screen if successful. While somewhat slow on its own and vulnerable to throws, OD Sun Veil removes those weaknesses entirely, giving her an invincible reversal to further frustrate the opponent.

Along with Drive Gauge and Sun Crests, Ingrid's also got some remarkable, albeit atypical Super Arts to further manage. Her Level 1 Super Art Shining Sun is a flip kick that works as a reversal, anti-air, and combo ender alike. It can be enhanced with Sun Crests to further increase its damage to a whopping 2700 for massive reward. Ingrid's Level 2 Super Art Order of the Sun summons three shooting stars to fall on the opponent, landing either in front of, on top of, or behind the opponent depending on the button strength. Ingrid can combo in and out of the shooting stars for massive damage, and can also spend Sun Crests to launch even more projectiles. Finally, her Level 3 Super Art Cosmic Ray spawns a projectile on top of the opponent, letting her tack on even more damage at the end of her juggles. Though powerful, her Super Arts tend to be a bit on the slower side, making them risky to throw out in neutral. As with most of her kit, careful resource management is required to avoid being caught off guard.

While she may be comfortable from afar and at the mid range, Ingrid has a much less pleasant time up close. Without her Sun Crests, her damage potential is drastically cut down, and opponents capable of skipping through her fireball pressure through projectile-invulnerability or alternate angles can prevent her from building up her stocks, since her Sun Shots and even her Super Art 2 disappear if she gets hit. Ingrid also lacks a naturally plus-on-block normal, forcing her to either spend resources or delay her buttons to maintain advantage. Any careless stocks, haphazard fireballs, or blocked Super Arts can lead to massive punishes, especially against eagle-eyed opponents waiting for them. In order to enforce her domain, Ingrid has to keep the opponent guessing by alternating between teleports, fireballs, pokes, and her OD Counter to avoid being predictable. Only by invoking the fear of the Goddess can she unleash divine power.

Overall, if you like abnormal zoning patterns, can get into your opponent's head, and want to cash out with absurd damage, unleash the power of the sun with Ingrid!