Hi, i main chun-li and i’m very good with her as far as the basics are concerned. I’m familiar with nearly all of her combos and i’m also familiar with nearly all of the gameplay mechanics like frames, counter hits, start-up time and stuff. (i just don’t completely understand reversals) So it’s not like i’m a complete noob, but how do you play offensively with chun-li and be successful at it? Every approach I try at the beginning of the match is too easy to counter, punish, or stuff regardless of what move I use. I have a friend who has a much better chun-li and ive watched him play but i still cant learn anything from watching him. For some reason i cant understand what it is that he does that im not doing in order to play offensively. Playing defensively is relatively easy for me but that always just ends me up in the corner and never actually getting the chance to damage the opponent. Aside from learning how to play offensively, my other problem is stopping jump ins. What are the correct moves and timings that are needed to successfully utilize Chun-li’s anti air game?
Zoning is what Chun li is good at, so of course that’s easier. But when I want to play rush down I would really just try to get in and do some lightning legs pressure when I punish an attack and try to get a knockdown. Then I would try to go for mix ups (Overhead, low, throw, etc.).
Thanx, so here’s what I’ve gathered so far: At the start of the match, zone the opponent till I’m in footsie range, then poke or unexpectedly jump in on them at close range to start up a combo or use lightning legs pressure; then after I get a knockdown mix up with various things to attack them with on wake up like overheads, throws, low attacks, or FADC; then repeat all the while reading my opponent’s patterns and not being predictable with my mix ups and strategies. Is this the correct strategy to have with Chun-li in a nutshell?
Add bait wake up reversals and mashed ones in blockstrings (and combo’s…Sometimes its worth not finishing a combo if you are fairly sure the other guy is mashing as it gives you a nice damage/stun reset) and frametraps to that and yeah you kinda have her…
Mainly play footsies and if you have a decent life lead DON’T do anything silly or risky, its ok to lame someone out or at least stop applying constant pressure and just basically say to your opponent “I’m winning so you’re going to have to make me make a mistake”
damn i hate when i try to lame out to ended up loosing… damn you capcom and your bs
I like to play Chun with an aggressive pressure in the beginning of the match to see how my opponent handles it. I know its Risky but sometime risky equal reward. If my opponent can read and counter my pressure ill back down and play chun footise and zone game.
Check out the player nicknamed “vivitan” in the last two pages or so of the Chun video thread.
I’d like to think I have an offensive Chun. A lot of people I’ve fought against have told me as much. This is how I approach the character.
1. Don’t move backwards.
My goal in every fight is to push them into a corner. To do so, I can’t give up any ground. So I move forward or try to sit where I am. If I move backwards, I try to do so in a way that won’t cause the screen to scroll. Chun has great normals, and for the most part people don’t like running into them. Her standing strong has great reach and priority, and is fairly safe against FA attempts. Sweep is also a great poke, but loses to FA. If you see your opponent doing FA stances in anticipation, you can use the opportunity to move or jump forward and throw them or hit them with something else. FA stances also usually cause the opponent to backdash out of it, which gives you an opportunity to advance.
2. Kikoken is not a good fireball.
Many Chun players I see like to start the round off with Kikoken zoning. The problem with this is that to use Kikoken with minimal threat of punishment on reaction, Chun needs 3/4ths to full screen distance. I see many Chun players constantly backing up to get this distance so they can throw Kikoken. This puts you on the defensive, and moving closer to the corner. So then, how am I going to be able to throw Kikoken? The answer is - don’t. Use her grounded normals. If you are sitting at half-screen distance and the options are to back up and throw Kikoken, or move forward while throwing out pokes, choose to move forward. Kikoken has its uses but don’t think you can play Chun the same way you’d play Guile or Dee Jay. She can do it but she’s not nearly as good at is.
3. Walk, don’t run.
In other words, Chun has a great walk speed that should be used. Her forward dash is nice, but it’s also a good way to run into pokes, fireballs, and jump-ins. Walking lets you cover distance while keeping your options open.
The next time you play, try using Kikoken as little as possible, and actively trying to force your opponent into the corner.
Best Chun advice I have seen in awhile. Thanks Az! I am going to share your post with a few players. I always value your input!!!
brilliant post az, could really help me improve i think.
to add from a more beginner to intermediate level, chun has good rushdown and decentmix-ups, but it all has to be set up. A punish combo or a knockdown allows you to start mounting on the pressure. So know you’re safe jump timings and cross-up distances, figure out some relatively good chains, (high-low with hazan-shu maybe) that even if blocked are not too punishable. (unless you play someone high level of course)
so in order to set up her offense safely, you have to zone and poke effectively first and work for the opening. you cant just start safely flying at your opponent like the twins/vi[per etc.
Most - not all - but most offensive pressure starts from a knockdown. In footsies, Chun’s sweep is actually really good. It’s fast and has good range and priority. It’s main glaring weakness is that it loses completely to FA. If your opponent is doing random FA stances to try and catch a sweep, this is a good chance for Chun to rush in and start her offense with either a throw, or a quick 2 hits to break the focus. Or just let the opponent backdash out of it and put themselves closer to the corner. You should learn how to do sweep in footsies - both of you are walking back and forth, trying to gauge what the other person is going to do, and then sweep. It will catch them if they were moving forwards, backwards, or just standing there.
Also remember that Chun is the only character in the game with frame advantage off a level 1 FA. This makes it a pretty good tool for just getting in. Remember who else had frame advantage on a ground-based move? Yun’s EX Zessho. Of course Chun’s FA is nowhere near as godlike as the Zessho, but when used at the right distance it can put Chun in her opponent’s face and with the offensive momentum. Like all of her tools, it cannot be abused but it is definitely something to keep at hand in her arsenal.
Good stuff Az, but this part is not true. Hakan can focus (release) xx dash xx normal (DNC), putting him at significant advantage whether blocked or connected. Still spot-on advice, but this is something to be aware of.
Off a level 1 FADC then. It’s a different thing entirely for Hakan to be a quirky character who can cancel his dash lol.
Haha, I lol’d. Either way, it’s helpful to know that he can combo off of a level 1 focus attack.
When you play a good Hakan, it’ll blow your mind.
Great advice! So it sounds like I need to focus more on footsies and closing distance on my opponent. I will implement this into my play style for sure.
Not giving up space is something I really need to work on. I back myself into the corner all the time by overusing Chun’s backdash because I know it’s that good. But then not only do I get predictable but I also voluntarily give up screen position, and end up putting myself in the corner when I don’t need to be. I just realized I am essentially throwing away health in those situations because getting out of them is a liability.
i also have the problem of overusing Chun’s dashes since they’re so good. when i played with Air and datdmg (no idea who he is on here), they both said to stop dashing so much and use her gdlk walk speed.
i think my main problems are my poor decisions during matches and my reliance on lightning legs, especially the EX version. i can spend time in training knowing the distance and timing of her normals, but i’ll still throw out the wrong ones at the wrong times in matches. and i really need to start using piano lighting legs in the right situations and stop wasting EX. also, i need to learn when to block more. and stop panicking once an offensive opponent starts pressuring me.
Once you start playing other characters, you’ll change your mind. I’m transitioning to Sakura at the moment and her wakeup options (or should I say lackthereof) have really helped my Chun game by teaching how to important blocking properly is.
I think not being on point with my anti-airs with Chun is probably why I lose alot of matches. AA is really important, but learning Chun’s situational AA’s and their effective range makes a hell alot of difference.
This was my Chun in a nutshell…maybe I need to pick this game back up?