SaintCola’s Top Tips to start owning with Goldlewis Dickinson in Guilty Gear Strive

In true Guilty Gear fashion, the newest edition to the cast is anything but a conventional character. Goldlewis Dickinson is the first DLC dropped off from the mothership of Arcsys, carrying a coffin weaponized by the alien friend inside. What sets him apart is how he wields it - there are more than a few variations of his swings, and many require awkward directional inputs that are at first glance difficult to do.

To further complicate things, his overall game plan is seemingly a little less obvious when paralleled beside others like Sol and Gio. Those issues aside, once Goldlewis gets up close and personal, he can dish out otherworldly levels of damage, even if the opponent has their hands up blocking. We've got a few tips to help abduct your next win.

This is a more universal hint that applies to literally everything in fighting games, but bears repeating for such an unusual sort of character - practice your Behemoth Typhoons. Drilling out the various variations daily is key because Goldlewis lives or dies on whether or not he can keep twirling his terrifying button, so make the most of every opportunity.

Being able to deftly switch between overheads, guard breaks, and more will make your pressure that much more deadly. Before getting into bouts on or offline, spend time in the training mode dialing out each edition of Behemoth Typhoon ten times on both sides. Sound boring? Sure, but it'll develop muscle memory so that every sway of the coffin will feel like second nature. Put on your favorite podcast, or better yet, take breaks and check out the content here on this very website. Your win rate will thank you.

To assist in being more consistent in the assault, you can set yourself up for success by buffering a Bethom Typhoon behind some of the normal attacks. This helps against inputs that require an upwards motion so Goldlewis doesn't leave the ground.

If you want to rely upon the universal anti-air button that is 6P (Forward Punch) to cover the skies, that move will do the job right. It reaches farther up than other 6P moves to catch high jump-in attacks and crossups. On the unfortunate flipside, it's a terrible poke whereas others can use similar buttons for more utility, so stick to anti-airing. If you want to add more tools to Goldlewis' kit, you'll have to meet them up top. Being preemptive with jS (Jump Slash) is a great answer to hit people down to size. It's another button that again won't reach those on the ground, so stay aerial for it to work right.

When opponents start spamming low attacks, it's time to stomp them out. 5K (Standing Kick) is a direct counter to those buttons. The reward is pretty high if you land it, too, since it combos into 2D (Crouching Dust, or Sweep). Use this sequence to lead into setups with Goldlewis' special moves and press the advantage.

Feeling froggy? jD (Jump Dust) covers a lot of range as a jump-in, and might be one of his best buttons by far. Get things going by using the explosion of alien hands and make them respect your hops.

Finally, make friends with f.S (Far Slash). That's the secretary's main tool for poking. You can hit confirm into one of his faster Behemoth Typhoon attacks and score big damage.

For further grime, you can get real greasy by mixing up your Behemoth Typhoon approach by using the Roman Cancel system to mix up your approach and keep them guessing. Blocking wrong may mean losing half their health bar for a mistake, so be sure to have a decent list of combos at the ready to convert from every hit.

That coffin has a bit of weight on it, preventing Goldlewis Dickinson from being as nimble as other characters are. Many players diving into the depths of this character theorize a more turtle-ish style could be the set up for success. To help cover his six, players can drop Thunderbird to lock down the neutral as they dash forward.

Even in Security Level 1, the drone can still be very useful and force others to jump or be locked down blocking the mechanical menace. When you don't want to advance, Skyfish can put some bullets on the screen for zoning, although this move pales as a reactionary move in fireball wars. When the Security Level rises, both moves become even more powerful, so waiting back for it to build (as it does so automatically) can be a good call.

If you have enough Tension meter available, you can press the issue with Burn It Down. This Overdrive attack tracks opponents wherever they might be on the screen. As an added bonus, it draws the hapless opponent towards the beam, letting you lock them down for a few seconds.

His other Overdrive - Down With The System - is your only reversal option, but boy does it hurt when it lands. Believe it or not, it hurts even more once you do a maximum of 3 rotations on the stick. When you see a zoom-in on Goldlewis' face and his glasses break, you hit the limit. If you aren't close, the cutscene won't play and you'll lose the opportunity to apply more pain, so ensure the distance is short.

Once you get close, that's when you can turn from the Secretary of Defense into the Secretary of Offense. Layer on a mix of Behemoth Typhoons you've practiced and watch their health melt away with every hit. Even on block, Goldlewis Dickinson can dole out endless chip damage, so you'll be greatly rewarded once you finally navigate the neutral.

Check out my previous Guilty Gear Character Guide article for all 15 starting characters. It will help you pick a character to match your playstyle.