Someone asked this a few pages ago but I never saw an answer:
I’m having trouble linking c.mk into anything, be it another c.mk, but especially a F.Ball. Are there any timing tricks, other than just grinding it out in practice mode?
I’m working on putting together j.rh->c.mk->f.ball, as this seems to be the classic Blanka bread-and-butter combo. I’m linking j.rh->c.mk every time, but I’ve only gotten c.mk->f.ball twice out of 50 or so tries.
im starting to feel akuma is up there with chun and DJ in blankas bad matchups, or is it just me.
whip to charging d/b faster + deeper j.hk = success.
I’ve noticed that linking c.mk is harder than linking (joystick neutral) s.mp. For example, it’s super easy to do
crossup lk, (joystick neutral) s.mp, c.mk
but harder to do
crossup lk, c.mk, c.mk
It seems that you have to press the button much earlier for c.mk. If you can do that, however, there’s the great combo of
crossup lk, c.mk, c.mk, horizontal ball.
Basically I’ve found that you have to link or combo off the c.mk very very fast compared to say chun li, ryu, or dictator.
Lastly, if your opponent is dizzy and you want an easy combo from the front, I recommend
jump hp, (hold joystick back), s. mp (this will be headbutt), horizontal ball.
The reason this one is easier is twofold. For one, the headbutt seems easier to combo than the c. mk, and secondly, if you screw up, you’ll get 2 hits from the headbutt which will do reasonable damage.
Hope that helps!
So… anyone else think blanka/gief matches are 10-0 in Blankas favor? Attempt tick throws on ME will you!?
I would have thought that too until i played #1 ranked Haru Tejyo (I’m sure it’s jodim from GGPO) and he fucked me up 3-0. It wasn’t even close.
Well, it’s NOT 10-0 in Blanka’s favor…
It really depends…
IF your blanka is good and their gief is at the same level, it’s probably around 9/1 just on the fact if you fuck up, you get SPD’d to death.
IF their gief knows the matchup, you better be damn good. (I know from playing frijoles)
Here’s a good spot for my reappearance. 
Just wanted to add onto what zass said…bottom line close standing strong is Blanka’s best move to link into and from. If you want easy combos, link to close standing strong and you can follow up with almost any attack crouching or standing. (Jump fierce or roundhouse, neutral close strong, close fierce is an easy combo to try from the front while crossup short, neutral close strong x2, crouch fierce is…as you would guess…a painful crossup combo (on bigger characters, IIRC).) Crouching forward kick is a little harder to link from, but definitely useful from point-blank range (i.e. after a crossup) and especially because you can interrupt it.
Once you get really good, you can do something fancy like crouch forward, (neutral) close strong, Horizontal Ball…but that’s only if you don’t like the ease of the crouch forward (x2), Horizontal Ball combo that zass gave earlier.
sigh Here I am talking about a game I don’t have yet. 
One day…
Read about half the thread. Just a couple additional tips:
j.lk is about the safest thing you can do in most situations, especially if it’s not deep.
s.lk - just as good if not better, but requires timing of course. s.lk snuffs out Psycho Crusher, and Headbutts from Honda clean, among many other things. It also snuffs out honda’s slaps in some cases (go to training and learn the range). A very good thing to throw out now and then. Good alternative to the j.lk to mix it up. It’s too high to snuff out low attacks, but c.lk is awesome countering many things, especially slides.
Wheasas original ST Blanka did great against T.Hawk and Zangief, I’m actually having trouble against the really good Hawk and Gief players. I probably just need more patience though. I’m not talking about your run-of-the-mill players, but the ones that are supposedly really good at those characters. Avoid bite, and poke a lot. Okay to jump in if you position it out of throw range. When I won, against those tougher Hawks I ended up using Elec more than usual, and it’s also safer to Elec gief because he has no range on his c.hk
A good Chun Li beats me clean. Most Chun Li’s are easy of course, but play someone like Chunbelievable and you’ll have a hard time getting the most wins, if any.
All other match-ups seem fine lately. DJ used to give me a headache, but I’ve worked around that, with j.lk at my side to snuff out things and zone in.
Love the post hommi. Did my struggling Blanka wonders in 5 minutes lol
I have a decent gameplan but i need lots of polishing, thanx
Regarding your post above: Another good cross up I use that would be good if you manage to get it off online (lag fucks over the timing sometimes) would be this
A simple f+mp (1-hit) d/f+punch/kick (cross up) c.mk xx whatever ball
or
When you condition your opponent, you could replace the c.mk with a c.sk then
recross them over with a j.k. The crouching short kick sets up the jumping cross up nicely.
Blank is a offensive monster lol
the headbutt for me is typically countered more… but that works too.
Akuma’s hard for anybody I think.
how do you get the close strong without losing charge? I don’t get it. PLEASE TO EXPLAIN PLEASE
Thanks all - that was a big help. I played around in training mode for a while and I just wasn’t hitting the FP ball quick enough. It’s much faster than what I thought it would be - I hit f+fp immediately after I hear the c.mk and that seems to do it. I can do j.rh -> c.mk -> f.ball about 80% of the time now. I haven’t done the 4-hit yet, but I’m still working on it.
He means vertical ball. Charge, then cr.mk, move to neutral, hit mp, then stick to up and hit kick for vertical ball.
Anyone here have any good strats against e. honda? I find that if I can get in close and bite them to death, that usually works, but that damn headbutt is annoying. Sometimes I can electricity the headbutt, but other times, it doesn’t work/we trade damage (with blanka losing).
Another thing (that doesn’t only affect blanka): What determines grapple throw damage (i.e. bite) and escape? Is it anything other than pressing left and right on the joystick? I’ve played a player who could escape my bite after one or two bites, and whenever he grappled me, he could get in like 10. Any help would be appreciated.
s.lk j.lk beat headbutts.
j.lk is your best friend in this match-up. It’ll hit him a lot and open up opportunities. Stay on your toes and out of the corner, it’s impossible to out-turtle him in this match-up.
Although if you are cornered, s.lk will snuff out his slaps, especially on start-up, so that can help get you out at times.
errr…
OK, there’s a few things that don’t work with what you said…
don’t ever rush down with j.lk because LP headbutt will snuff it out. You can apply pressure, but don’t abuse it.
if you stay in the corner, you can bait his headbutt and beat it (lp only beats it on startup, hence a good anti air move). from there, you will cross up if you hit the lk, thus eliminating the oricho tick, and you get to bite for free.
s.lk will throw off their timing and will beat headbutts (and the super). so if yo’ure cornered and you’re baiting the headbutt, change your rhythm with the s.lk
You can end that combo with the Horizontal Ball, too, though. Charge down-back and press the forward kick button to do the crouching forward kick, release joystick to neutral and press strong punch right as the kick ends to link the close strong punch, and then press the joystick forward+punch to end the combo with the Horizontal Ball. (Think standing move into Flash Kick, but you’re pressing the joystick forward. In Guile’s case, you’d get a Sonic Boom.)
If you can do it with vertical moves, you can do it with horizontal ones, too. But, like I said before, that’s if you really really want to show off. Crouch forward (x2) XX Blanka Ball is much easier and more practical.