Since I currently have nothing better to do, I may as well put some time into making a guide. I'm also slowly losing my skill, so I may as well make it while I can still actually DO it. Note that I don't know that much about lag, so I won't go as in-depth into that as Voo did in his PvP guide he made a while ago. Oh, and this will be better than the piece of crap thing I made when I first started foruming.
Offense
Jump Attacks
A jump attack is your best friend. You use it by jumping (press C), and then attacking (press V). There are a couple different tricks you can do with jump attacks, and I'll just tell a few.
In most cases, you and your opponent will be locked in a jump attack battle. Both of you will be jumping around and waiting for the other to mess up. Normally you will see both people jumping around in circles. They do that for a couple of reasons. As you jump around in circles, you get very close to your opponent. If they aren't very good, the may take that as an opportunity to jump attack you. What they might think you are doing is attempting to jump attack them. Your opponent will be able to counter-attack this by dodging your jump attack, then quickly turning around to land where you've landed, and jump attack you. Since you will not be doing that, once they jump attack the place they think you are, you can quickly turn around and hit them. Circles also give you a couple options in where you can land. If you want to confuse your opponent, you can just jump out of your circles and land in a different spot (make sure it's a spot that your opponent can't hit you from). They also allow to come close, then far, then close, then far, etc. If your opponent makes a mistake, you will be close enough to come in for a jump attack. If you ever get in a position where your opponent is very close to you, and you aren't very good at running away, resort to circles. It's a great way to get a hit.
There's also a thing called a sidewinder. These are fairly easy, and should most likely be used whenever you jump attack. What you do is you come is when you are about to jump attack your opponent, you turn in a different direction to escape their guard. This is fairly simple, though I guess it can take slightly fast fingers. This has to be done right before you actually attack, otherwise you will veer away from your opponent and won't hit them. After a while, this should turn into a habit that you will do in any jump attack, just as it should.
Now, if your opponent messes up in a guard and starts guarding right beside you, if you do this correctly, you'll get a hit. Once you see them guard, quickly jump overtop of them. Continue pointing in different directions while staying above your opponent, so that they won't know which way you will turn and hit. If your opponent is even slightly good at guarding, he/she will attempt to predict where you will guard. But, if you are constantly changing the way you face, then they probably won't be able to predict it. Sometimes when I use this technique, I don't even know which way I'll hit. I'll just basically smash the arrow keys, and wait until I'm close enough to attack. Sometimes they'll get lucky and guard your attack, but normally, you can hit them. I guess this could also be considered a sidewinder, though it's not as predictable as the type explained in the paragraph above.
Evade locking is something that you will have to be pretty good at, since most of the people that you will play will be Surges. When you jump attack them and they evade, you will have to quickly jump attack them again. You have to keep doing this over and over, as quickly as you can. If you start to slow down, your opponent will be able to escape the Evade, and will be home free. You don't want to let that happen, so you have to continue attacking as fast as possible. Normally they will slowly start to get closer to the ground, and if they ever actually touch the ground, that would be a good time to use a 4-hit.
When you begin to get good and start playing with the pros, you won't be able to stick with your normal game plan. Basically what makes somebody a pro is their ability to predict others. That's bots for you; a game of predictions. What makes somebody "not" a pro, is how predictable they are. Even most of the people that are considered pros in today's standard are actually very predictable, and thus easy to beat. You can't really teach somebody how to be unpredictable, for if you taught them something, it would no longer be unpredictable, as you would know what they were going to do. One thing I can tell you about this is that you shouldn't always do the same sidewinder. 90% of the bots community will always turn the opposite direction they were facing at the start for their sidewinders. Watch the people that are considered pros like Dp and Garry, you'll see that they do this, too. I'm not saying that these guys aren't good or anything, I'm just saying that they could be alot better. If you turn into somebody who always does their sidewinders in the same direction, you'll most likely be destroyed. Always turn in different directions, and don't follow a pattern. Patterns = bad in bots.
Luring
Luring is a very useful part of the game. It is especially helpful in matches where neither player wishes to chase the other.
The reason for luring is to try and get your opponent to chase you. If they do, it's a lot easier to get a hit on them. Why? When somebody chases another person, then they will think that they are actually close. The chaser will attempt a jump attack, but since the chased will continue moving, the chaser will miss. Then, the person can swing around while still in the air, and get in a free hit.
The obvious use for luring is when both of you are far apart. You could jump right up close to the person, then instantly run away. As explained in the paragraph above, you will quickly spin around after their missed jump attack has finished, and hit them. This will usually not work against "pros" as they will most likely not follow you at all.
Another, more difficult to avoid, type of luring is of great use, and you will need to be very good at using it and escaping it in order to succeed. In most cases of a match, you and your opponent will be close together. What you can do in this position is come only slightly closer. This is normally enough to trigger your opponents attack. When they miss, you'd
Active Skills
In bots, there are many different types of Active Skills. In this guide I'll just talk about the more used ones: Guard Crush, Uppercut, and Rush.
Guard Crush
This is my main Active. I find it very useful as I am fairly good at guarding (in my opinion). Like all Actives, you use this by pressing X + C. This is slightly stronger than your regular 4-hit, and can also go through guard. You don't move when using it, unlike Upper and Rush. From my experience, you have to be fairly good at guarding in order to be good at guard crush (kind of ironic, isn't it? The very thing that you destroy you need to be good at). You also have to be fairly good at predicting where the other will go. I get quite a deal of my GC hits by guarding their jump attack, then quickly resorting to a GC. You will definitely get the first hit in, but you have to be careful about the next. Sometimes you knock them down after the first hit, though I don't know why this happens. When it does, quickly run away. There's also a way to jump out after the first GC, but only the "pros" can usually do this. Still always be on the look out for something like this, though.
Another way that I use GC is when the opponent is in evade. Obviously not when they're in the air; I use a jump attack in a time like that. If they evade while on the ground, or I continue evade hitting them and the slowly come down until they reach the ground, I GC. This can be fairly hard for beginners, and in my current state it's rare that I pull this off. The second that you land beside them, you have to begin your GC combo. It sounds easy, but it's actually hard. After playing bots for a while, your fingers get used to double clicking the arrow buttons while in air in order for you to continue your run. When doing this, you have to just move around without double clicking one of the buttons. Again, this sounds easy, but it's not. If you do double click it, you won't be able to instantly guard, and thus won't be able to pull off a quick GC.
As stated when I was talking about the jump attacks, you will most likely encounter many matches where you and your opponent will be locked in a circle fight. Jump attack isn't your only option in a time like this, you can also lure your opponent. As they come at you for a jump attack, quickly turn around and guard. When they hit your guard, this is a perfect time to GC. Again, be careful to notice whether you hit them on the second GC or not, and if you don't, quickly jump/run away.
When people begin using GC, sometimes they guard too much. As they progress in skill, it turns into a habit, and you can see people guarding in corners for up to 10 seconds. Some of these people are even the ones that are considered pros! My tip to prevent this is to never guard for more than 1 - 2 seconds. When in a close fight, never guard for even more than 0.5 seconds. Your opponent may see a guard as a mess up and come in to hit you, where they will then proceed to a sidewinder. You don't want to give away any hits, as even one may cost you the game.
Mid-Air GC's are very useful. When you are in an evade lock, if you are facing a pro, chances are you won't get out easily. You'll have to work your way out, and one of the ways to do that is by a Mid-Air GC. This takes some time to learn, as you have to do it at the exact right time. When done correctly, you will do a GC while you are in the air. This will hit your opponent, knock them down, and give you a chance to escape. Sometimes if they aren't knocked down, you can continue GC'ing them while in the air, but you have to be fast. If you don't go at the full speed, your character will fall, and the combo will stop. I consider myself one of the best Mid-Air GC's, as I have gotten into the high 20's.
Rush
First rule for this: Never spam it. Most people who are just beginning to PvP choose Rush, and will just be constantly spamming it. These are the types of people who have no skill whatsoever and won't even jump attack. If you play one of these people, all you have to do is jump attack them. Don't guard, just jump attack. Anyways, do NOT become one of these people. I myself am not very good at Rush, so this part may not be the best in the guide. =/
When I first began using Rush, I used a little routine that helped me out. All I did was Rush, jump, jump attack, Rush, jump, etc. Yes, that is a pattern, and patterns are bad in bots, but if you are a beginner like I was, it helped me think. I didn't have to focus as much for what my fingers would do, as they were already in a pattern. Do this only if you're a beginner, and after maybe a week move on from this. I don't suggest this pattern for the more skilled.
This doesn't always work, as sometimes you lag and are stuck in the jump attack animation for a bit. Though if you are able to pop out of jump attack right away, try this. Right after you jump attack, quickly use Rush. If done correctly, you will get another hit. If done with luck, the person will evade the Rush, where you can proceed to 4-hitting them.
Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn't. It's basically like Mid-Air GC, but with Rush. It doesn't require amazing timing, but you will have a better chance of escaping if you do it sooner than later, so you can escape before they hit you again. Maybe when you Rush they will hit you, but you will be lower to the ground. If you try to rush again, then you possibly be close enough to touch the ground instantaneously and make your escape. You could then come back in and hit your opponent with a jump attack.
^ Don't know if I'm supposed to post it here. Just showing you how little I covered. o_O