hey guys… been learning SFIV in preparation for SFV, and I kinda understand basic for the frame data.
But I would like to know to how to “read” frame data so I can check 1frame links?
For example I am trying to figure out far st.MP into cr. HK for Ryu. Frame data says st.Mp is -1 on hit, and cr.HK is 5F star up… so how much frames I have to connect that moves ? how do I read it? Am I looking for the wrong column?
Here is frame data link for Ryu http://www.eventhubs.com/guides/2008/nov/13/ryu-frame-data-street-fighter-4/
Btw I know SFV has no 1F links, but I rly want to learn how to read frame data properly.
thanks 
I suggest you use SRK’s wiki, eventhub’s is super out of date while ours is more up to date, more accurate, AND more detailed than the USF4 bible prima guide (/humblebrag)
http://wiki.shoryuken.com/Ultra_Street_Fighter_IV
As for how to read from data it’s pretty simple actually. If an attack is +X on hit then anything equal to or lesser than ( <= X ) will combo. For example, Ryu’s crMP is +5F on hit so any attack with a 5F or faster startup will combo. A 1F link is one where the exact amount the attack is +, 5 in this case, is equal to the exact amount the move you are trying to combo has for startup. It is called this as you have 1 frame to input the attack for it to combo.
So for example, a move that is +6F on hit will be a 1Frame link to a move than is 6F startup and would be a 2frame link to a move than is 5F startup and so on.
- frames refers to how many frames of animation you move before the opponent can do anything of their own. So a move that is +5 means you move 5frames before the opponent regains control of their character.
If you are negative on hit, such as in Ryu’s farMP’s case, the opponent is actually able to move before you can. Nothing will combo, and in some cases you will actually be unable to block the opponent’s attack and get punished. For example Ryu’s farHK is -6F on block and -2F on hit. This means that on block anything with a 6F startup, that can reach you in that time, will punish your farHK. Likewise, on hit anything with a 2F startup (like Zangief’s SPD) that can reach you will punish your farHK because you cannot defend against it.
Hope that makes sense.
thanks for help… everything is clear now
Good explanation. But then how do you explain Evil Ryu’s Cl. St HP (-3 on hit) linking to MK Axe Kick (20 frames on startup)?
close hp into axe kick is a cancel. since the entire recovery of the hp is forgone, the advantage/disadvantage of the move doesn’t need to be taken into consideration.
Hm what do you mean by “the recovery of HP is forgone”?
there are three phases of any move in a fighting game: start-up, active (the part that hits), recovery. when doing a cancel, the first phase comes out as always, then the second phase hits, but that phase transitions directly into the start-up of the next move (eg. a special move). the recovery of the first move never takes place, so the frame (dis)advantage is no longer meaningful in the context of combos.
As gajin blaze touched on. A key point is the term “link” it’s actually not a LINK it’s a Cancel.
Move come in three parts
Startup - this is the amount of frames until the move has become “active” and can actually hit an opponent. Note that for ease of reading the last frame of Startup is also the first active frame so 6F startup and 4F active is only 9F total, this is done just to make it easier to understand what can combo or not when you see a move +X frames.
Active - this is the number of frames a move is able to hit an opponent
recovery - this is the number of frames after the active frames are over before you can move
When you hit with an attack the remaining active frames are turned into recovery frames as you can no longer hit anymore. Think of it like an on/off switch, once the attack connects the remaining active frames are turned off (unless the attack is multihitting of course). They are “off” but that doesn’t mean that they are “gone” they just can no longer hit, you still need to pass through those frames of animation though.
Frame advantage is based on the hit or blockstun of a move minus the remaining frames in the move minus 1 for the frame the move connected on. So if you do Evil Ryu’s closeHP it is 5/4/22, when it hits there is still 25F of animation to pass through (3 remaining active frames + 22 recovery frames). The hitstun on the move is 23 so the math looks like this: 23-25-1 = -3.
A link is when a move completes all of parts and THEN you combo to another attack after fully completing the sequence of startup/active/recovery.
Now when you CANCEL a move the remaining frames are gone because you’re no longer performing that attack as you’ve canceled it into another move. You never reach the recovery portion of the move, you skip the remaining active frames as well. So all that matters is the hitstun (23) minus 1 for the frame it connected. Anything with a 22F startup, or faster, will combo. MK Axe kick is 20F startup so closeHP xx MK Axe Kick will combo on hit.
The same math can be applied to find out how tight a block string is when you cancel a move. CloseHP has 19F of blockstun so 19-1(for the frame you hit the attack) = 18. If closeHP is blocked and cancel to MK Axe Kick there will be a gap since you only have 18F blockstun but the MK Axe Kick takes 20F to startup.
When you cancel an attack you stop whatever move you are currently performing and move into a new attack.