Help me better understand the timing of combos with a Fightstick?

So I got my very first Fightstick today. I’ve been playing a bunch of KOFXIII, learning its systems, etc… I admit to being a near complete fighting game novice in terms of the technical stuff. But I’m trying to learn.

So here’s the thing. I’ve been playing a lot of Clark as my first character to focus on, probably not the best idea. But there you go. I’m trying to figure out the timing of his most basic B&B combo.

sc.D > cf.A > HCF.k

I can do his standing close D normal into the crouching forward A command normal. I get a 2 hit combo no problem. But no matter how fast I twist the half circle forward and slap a kick button, I just can NOT get the special move to register in the combo. I’ve had it go off correctly maybe twice in 20 attempts as complete flukes. So I know it works. I just have no idea of the timing. Do I have to finish the special before the Command normal finishes? When it connects? Before it connects? WTF!

Also, similar question. Clark as another basic combo that I believe goes… cr.B > cr.A > b~f.p

How, in the great googs of moog, are you suppose to hold ‘back’ long enough to trigger his back~forward punch special? There isn’t enough time to hold the stick back for the necessary 2 seconds before the kick and punch finish. Unless the time for it is shortened within combos somehow…

Any advice?

for clark only his hcf D version can connect into combos
for b~f p you only need to charge it for 1 second :slight_smile:

That explains a lot. Thanks.