I finally got around to testing elbows and managed to find meaty l.elbow stuff, you can follow up with a cr.mp but that’s all I could manage, not much else really…
Chun/Ken will probably be two of his worst match-ups, they can both punish Slashes/L.Elbows at further distances due to Chun’s st.lk xx EX Legs and Ken’s EX DP.
Couple of things to add
St.mp -> LK Slash catches 2f normals! This is because you can do a delayed cancel instead of on the first active frame which is a true blockstring. I believe this is also possible with an LP Chop, but you have 1f less to do it. Real 1-2f links here we come! The best part is that this still combos on hit.
Powerbomb Oki: st.hp right away will catch them pressing pretty much any button that extends their hurtbox and counterhit 4f moves. cr.mp will catch them pressing any mid to lower button with a counterhit if it extends their hurtbox early on. Neither will connect if they don’t press a button, so you can buffer Clothesline with no worry. Mix this up with dashing in or using LK Elbow.
Traded MP Chops can go into st.hp I believe which is good if you don’t have VT on deck.
After the Power Bomb, if they quick rise, you can go with MK Stomp or mix up with MP Head Crush (MP Head Crush works on backrise too, but if they do a late wakeup you will be punished), it isn’t something that you should use everytime, but you can get people off guard if they think you will go with a meaty da boot. It’s a nice mix up to add to his arsenal.
Explain that beginning part to me again, L.elbow cancels on an earlier frame? I just made a dedicated tech thread anyways, I’ll add this to the OP once I get my head around what you mean with that first part
i’ve been doing cc st.hk, st.hp xx mp chop, hp powerbomb as a post stun combo + reset and it works every time
since the mp chop is actually +3 it should be a legit mixup
the cc st.hp xx hk slash elbow, cr.hp xx mk air knee seems like the better option in the corner though. more guaranteed damage + the mk air knee knockdown leaves you close enough and plus enough to do meaty f.hp or powerbomb
it is a legit mix-up, after m.chop if you do an immediate powerbomb you stuff everything excluding invincible reversals, jump and backdash
You can get crHP after trade mp chop too
st.mp has 3 cancel frames; both active frames and the first frame of recovery. It also has 14f of blockstun. This means that if you cancel the first active frame, going into LK Slash is a true blockstring. However, if you delay your cancel slightly (wait until the blockstop is over by a frame or two and then hit forward + LK) you leave a 1-2f gap so that if they hit a button they get caught. This is great against characters with 3f gaps because they know they can go for the jab if you’re doing MP Chop frametraps. No followups though.
Never thought of trying that, could probably get some pretty swag combos if you VTC’d the cr.hp as well.
OHH okay I understand, so we can add to the frametrap mindgames against 3f characters. I get you, that’s pretty nifty to know I’ll go and add it to the OP along with the counter poke Powerbomb stuff ;p
The same can be said for a blocked F.HP. He shines better than anyone else when he is plus three, except after headbutt the opponent is placed too far to even hit with a st.mk
I don’t think you get much out of a VTCed cr.hp; it’s basically a Clothesline into CA I believe, maybe an EX Knee. The only real swap combo we have is the HK Slash juggle IMO
Can alex ex knee smash on wakeup like in 3s?
No it was a horrible idea back and 3s and it is even worse now. I literally got thrown out of it for crying out loud.
Only on very late jump ins. You’re not invincible until frame 5. EX Slash is only armored starting on frame 3. So if you know they’re going for a strike on oki but one that isn’t a true meaty go for it. Charged Clothesline parries on frame 2 as well
Chun matchup feeling pretty uh, free for her.
She kicks your ass in neutral very hard, so you’re forced to spend meter to hopefully trip her up so you can run your oki game or
get an edge in on neutral. You also have to rely on headbutt/stomp mixups to get her make a mistake or two. As for Chun, she can keep you at bay pretty easily, and can for the most part safely stockpile EX for either super confirm or hitconfirm into EX Legs.
Also, dashing in and powerbombing isn’t a great idea, I don’t think I’ve encountered anyone who’s fallen for it (besides other Alex’s lol). Powerbombing in general feels about as good as 3s. Mostly there for the tick/corner game, you’re better off using normal throws honestly, his oki game off of them are pretty decent.
Chun may be his worst, she already has strong points in the match-up but to add to all of it she can punish elbow and slash from the furthest distance of any other character with st.lk xx EX legs. It’s DEFINITELY in her favour due to that alone, it makes his pressure slightly less scary and a hell of a lot harder to space. To top it off this only adds to Chun being the strongest character in the game with another favourable match-up for her.
I’m doing pretty bad with him. I have to be on like a 20 loss streak. RIP my LP.
why play rank w/ new char? casual match 
If I can compare SFV Alex to 3s Alex, it’s this way.
Powerbombs are still kinda ass except for ticks/corner game.
His real mixup gameplay comes from the headbutt/stomp gameplay, combined with his chop frametraps, he’s still not a really
much of a grappler at all amusingly enough. With meter his mixup game is great between headbutt/ex stomp, and you can counter-read people with your own jumping attacks if they think you’re gonna headbutt again, it’s actually a good mindgame!
In the corner it gets even better, you can cr.hp a quickrise jump and get a super, or other stuff, it’s probably gonna be a staple of his corner game. You want to train them to expect the headbutt/stomp/stuff. At this range he can even crossup j.lk pretty easily,
so the corner is still his strongest spot.
Neutral is decent, albeit Chops are slow and kinda suck. He relies more on offensive pokes and mixups to bait them into making a mistake he can take advantage of and end the game quickly.
Unfortunately his jump in game is much worst, his j.mp isn’t 3s j.lp good, and j.mk is still here but the range is neutered. j.hk is still good, but his j.hp isn’t as great. His AA is ass outside of st.lp midscreen.
to me, he’s a mixed bag so far. Buuut, pretty fixable. I think he’ll be good once he gets worked on, and is easy to buff when 2017 starts.