Flamingo Stance

Classic Fighting Games Street Fighter x Tekken
1

Ok, so we’re a good few months ionto the game now. I’ve been using Hwoarang since day one, but i put him on hiatus for a few weeks until i could pair him up with Blanka.

I think i know the character pretty well, but i can honestly say i have NEVER used Flamingo Stance ONCE in an actual match. I just feel like it doesn’t actually bring anything to the table.

Is there something I’m missing? Has anyone found a legitimate use for Flamingo Stance yet? I’d like to start using it, but the only use I’ve found for it so far is an OK corner combo that I’ll probably never land.

2

I took some notes about this stuff a while back. I’ll just copy and paste the most relevant parts for you.

Flamingo LP - Hwoarang’s only 3f normal. It can be used to make frame traps tighter, but unlike his other light attacks, it does not lead to safe chains on block.
Flamingo MP - Two-hit attack that does twice the damage of a normal medium attack. Using this in combos generally always increases damage.
Flamingo HP - Can be used to anti-air, but its main use is in combos.
Flamingo LK - The animation is the same as standing LK, but the move properties are altered. FLA LK has shorter range than 5LK, but it starts up in only 4f and hits low.
Flamingo MK - Can be used as a poke, but it is mainly a combo move.
Flamingo HK - Has good range, but it whiffs crouchers and has long startup and recovery. Its main use is in combos.

Tsunami Kick > Flamingo (6MK > 6) - Unlike Hwoarang’s other Flamingo transitions, this does not cause him to recover faster at all. However, he still ends at +2 advantage on block, making this a useful option for pressure. FLA LP and LK make good frame traps here.

Low & High Smash Kick Combo > Flamingo (5LK > MK > 6) - Recovers 8f faster than normal (+2 on block, +7 on hit). It is useful for comboing into FLA MK > LK because it forces the opponent to stand.

Reverse Kick > Flamingo (5MP > MP > 6) - Recovers 8f faster than normal (+2 on block, +7 on hit), but it’s not usable for pressure or combos because of the pushback. You can input 5MP > 5HP~MP at mid-range to option-select the string on whiff while also buffering a 5MP-5HP boost combo (especially on crouching Sakura) and hold 3 or 6 to recover as fast as possible.

5MK > MK > 6 - Recovers 8f faster than normal (+1 on block, +6 on hit). On block, it can be followed with FLA LK for pressure. On hit, it can link into FLA LK or MP for a combo. You can also use this in certain juggle combos to connect 2MP or 5HK afterwards.

Quick Kick Combo > Flamingo (FLA MP > MP > 6) - Recovers 5f faster than normal (0 on block). This transition is needed to connect FLA HK afterwards.

Flamingo Kick Combo (FLA LK > MK) - This string has a Flamingo transition, but it is not useful. It is better to cancel to Dynamite Heel on block. Hwoarang moves forward, so he can easily keep pressure on the opponent.

Fire Storm > Flamingo (FLA MK > LK > 6) - Recovers 4f faster than normal (+4 on block, +6 on hit), but whiffs most characters crouching. It is very useful to pressure large characters who cannot crouch under it. You can also use this in certain juggle combos to connect 2MP or 5HK afterwards.

Edit: Added formatting and corrected some misleading info.

3

Some other tricks with Flamingo Stance…

Defense
Traditional crouch tech (1LP+LK) doesn’t work well with Hwoarang because he has a 1LK command normal which is very slow and easily frame-trapped. You can avoid this by inputting 1LP+KKK, which will cause Hwoarang to enter Flamingo stance and immediately cancel it. (Hwoarang’s default LP+HK quick combo does not activate because it cannot be used while crouching.) He is vulnerable for the 1f of startup but can block again immediately afterwards. This technique, nicknamed the “Teabag OS”, makes it nearly impossible to punish Hwoarang for teching. Be careful not to input KKK~LP, which is read as 2 Motion Switch inputs and causes a vulnerable recovery animation.

Switch-Canceling
Normally, during a switch-cancel, the incoming character runs in until reaching the opponent character. This run-in can be canceled by inputting a move, but it is not cancelable into jumping or blocking. With Hwoarang, you can get around this limitation by using the Motion Switch (KKK) command to enter Flamingo stance and gain full control of Hwoarang. 9KKK causes him to jump, and 1KKK causes him to crouch-block.

4

wow there’s alot more to FS than meets the eye then. i’ll have to put some time aside to study this. Call me silly, but i don’t understand the numbers. I know they mean directional inputs, but other than that i can’t make head nor tail of em.
Thanks for such a detailed reply btw! :slight_smile:

5

It is numpad notation. The directions are like a keyboard numpad while your character is facing right (e.g. holding ‘6’ for Flamingo transitions means forward).

6

I’ve finally gotten over my Flamingophobia and have been trying to work in things to my game. Just a couple of questions on his Flamingo Offense:

cr.LP>st.MK>st.MK (hold forward), FLA st.LK>st.MK xx HCB.LP

What is the frame link between the st.MK & the FLA st.LK (1 frame, 2 frame, etc)? So far I’m only getting the whole thing to come out as a 6-hit combo about 25% of the time. If I fail to combo it completely will it act as a potential frame trap? Can an opponent Dragon Punch at any points during that string assuming I do combo it all or is it pretty air tight? I suppose the obvious place would be between the st.MK and the FLA st.LK since it ‘looks’ like a break.

Assuming your opponent is down-back blocking a series of FLA st.LK>st.MK xx HCB.LP, what is optimal mixup? You are out of throw range from the HCB.LP so you have to Special Step -> Throw. Even so it’s not the greatest damage. My guess was cancelling FLA into st.MP>st.LP into whatever. Thoughts?

7

I have had success with [FLA s lk>s mk xx dp lp xx qcb lp]*n FLA s lk, c lp, f mk/hk
also this works surprisingly well even though its not safe by any stretch of the imagination: [FLA s lk>s mk xx dp lp xx qcb lp]*n FLA s lk, c lp, lk tiger knee air raid (whiff), throw/overhead/s mk into FLA

8

5MK > MK > 6, FLA LK is a 3-frame link, and 5MK > MK > 6, FLA MP is a 1-frame link. On block, there is a gap since you’re at +1 advantage and FLA LK is 4f.

Something I neglected to mention earlier about the FLA LK > MK string is that it has 21 blockstun just like 5MK > MK > HK, so you can do things like HP Dynamite Heel, Special Step xx LP Dynamite Heel, or SCDC to move closer and create some frame traps. I only don’t like using it much because it’s difficult to hit-confirm with and you can’t option-select against backdashes while using it.

9

I’ve found that the easiest way to start using FLA stance is to start using after his over heads F.HK and LP, MP, those cause a ground bounce where you can stance change, OTG with FLA. MP.

The usual combo - F.HK [stance switch] MP (OTG), HP (launch), special step xx dp does 335 damage, that’s pretty damn good for what it is. Also works with LP, MP ground bounce.

Also, I haven’t tried it but I’m sure there you can mess with people on their wakeup with FLA LK, since it hits low. So instead of going for a slow overhead, go up to them FLA LK.

But yea these are just things to get people starting to use FLA stance, it’s really useful.