Nathan “Mister Crimson” Massol has won Red Bull Kumite London 2021 using Dhalsim, a character that didn’t win a single Capcom Pro Tour event all of last year.
The French veteran player started his championship run with wins over Amarjyot “Boltstrike” Sangha and former Capcom Cup 2018 Champion Kanamori “Gachikun” Tsunehiro. Those two wins earned him a spot in the Playoffs, where he faced off against the tournament favorite and his new overseas rival, Victor “Punk” Woodley.
Mister Crimson and his journey to the Final
Punk talked trash against Mister Crimson before their Quarterfinals match, according to Street Fighter V commentator and personality Femi “F-Word” Adeboye. The French SFV star then defeated and popped off against Punk, and advanced to face fellow countryman Olivier “Luffy” Hay in the Semifinals.
Mister Crimson’s evasive playstyle gave him the edge against Luffy’s R-Mika. This propelled him to the Final, where he faced Capcom Cup 2019 champion Derek “iDom” Ruffin.
Mister Crimson wins an intense Final match against iDom that went the distance
Right at the start of the match, both players utilized Street Fighter V: Champion Edition’s new V-Shift mechanic to full effect. However, Mister Crimson always managed to utilize it better, as he created separation between his Dhalsim and iDom’s Laura.
Mister Crimson used the space masterfully, hitting iDom from different angles using Dhalsim’s air attacks and Yoga teleport that caused major damage.
The Capcom Cup 2019 champion rallied back and reached tournament point first. This caused Europe’s last representative to change up his playstyle and go on the attack, pressuring iDom during close-range exchanges.
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With the tournament going down to one final round, iDom tried applying his own forward pressure with Laura. But Mister Crimson negated this by constantly using his V-Reversal. This allowed Dhalsim to use his neutral game and punish iDom’s mistakes.
With a first place finish at Red Bull Kumite London 2021, AS Monaco’s Mister Crimson won US$7,900, along with bragging rights for winning the first international Street Fighter V: Champion Edition Season V competition of 2021.
Mister Crimson shares how to improve in SFV
After his impressive win, Mister Crimson shared some encouraging words to players who want to get better and improve their gameplay. “Watch your losses. I know it’s hard. I know it’s painful. But, this is the most optimal way to grow up. So, watch your losses, and don’t be afraid to change your gameplay if you can.”
iDom explains the meta shift in Season V
Red Bull Kumite London 2021 runner-up iDom also shared his take on Street Fighter V: Champion Edition Season V’s new V-Shift mechanic. “I hate it, by the way. The new mechanic is very interesting and adds a deeper dive to the game. V-Shift is great for characters like Dhalsim and Poison. But for us hard-working footsies masters characters like R-Mika and Laura, we’re working too hard out here.”
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