Last Updated May 13, 2010
Please read this OP before contributing a combo - we appreciate the help but lets try and keep this thread neat and tidy and keep the reposts to a minimum.
EXECUTION QUESTIONS? HERE IS YOUR ANSWER
Cody is a link-intensive character so learning how to plink is a must. Please read this thread for information on how to perform this invaluable technique: Plinking Explanation
So after you’ve learned how to plink, go into training mode and set the dummy to auto block. Attempt the combo: if it works, fantastic, what’s the problem? If your moves are not coming out, do them slower. If they are getting blocked or are whiffing, do them faster. There is no magical shortcut someone online will be able to describe to you. This goes for everything - links, juggles, and cancels.
Format For the Combos
Please post things in this format so that I can just copy and paste new combos right into the OP.
[damage / stun] (ex used) combo - extra notes
Use standard notation (c.lp, c.mp, c.fp, etc.)
c.: crouching
s.: standing (generally close normals)
cl.: standing close
sf.: standing far
j.: jump (assume an angled jump)
nj.: neutral jump
A Note on Combo Enders
Cody has several options for ending a combo. Which one is best depends on your spacing and the state of your opponent.
Summary:
Fierce CU - most no EX damage, close range, standing or crouching
Jab CU - used to juggle into EX criminal, less range than fierce, standing or crouching
Short Ruffian - hard knockdown, least damage, close range to just inside maximum c.mp range, standing or crouching
Forward Ruffian - decent damage, if you can hit them with a normal, this will work on standing or crouching opponents
Roundhouse Ruffian - not much damage on its own; used to start FADC combos; works on standing opponents only
Zonk Knuckle - good damage, difficult to combo into; can FADC to ultra; works on standing or crouching
Fierce Criminal Upper is a very strong move that uses no meter. If you cancel into it and get all the hits, it does fantastic damage and gives Cody some of the strongest hit confirm combos in SSF4. From maximum range, it will still combo but the initial hit will miss and its damage is cut almost in half. To avoid this, you can use fewer hits before it or link into c.lk instead of c.mp to reduce pushback. You can also use a Ruffian Kick instead.
Jab Criminal Upper is weaker than fierce criminal, but in the corner can be followed up by an EX criminal to do extra damage on some characters. The first hit also has slightly less reach than fierce, so keep this in mind.
Short Ruffian Kick is Cody’s sliding sweep. It does respectable damage, combos off of c.mp easily enough and gives you a hard knockdown that you can use to start an okizeme game. If your opponent is too far away, the short ruffian won’t reach them in time and can be blocked & punished. In these situations, use EX ruffian if you really want that hard knockdown, or forward ruffian if you just want to do some damage.
Forward Ruffian Kick is Cody’s sliding forward kick. It does good damage and combos off c.mp easily. It knocks the opponent down, but they can fast stand from this one. If your opponent is a long ways away, this is the best combo finisher you can use - it uses no meter and is guaranteed to work. It does more damage than short or roundhouse ruffian.
Roundhouse Ruffian Kick is Cody’s sliding launcher kick. Against grounded opponents it doesn’t do much damage, and it has slow startup and travels slowly across the stage. For this reason, it can sometimes be blocked if you try and combo into it from too far away. It also will whiff completely over the head of a crouching character. The real beauty of roundhouse ruffian is the possibilities it gives you for FADC combos afterwards. RH Ruffian FADC lets you combo into full ultra 1, neutral jump fierce (strongest no meter followup), f+rh (to set up a juggle with EX), or EX ruffian (to juggle into EX criminal). In the corner, you can follow up a non-FADCed roundhouse ruffian with a forward ruffian for free.
Zonk Knuckle is Cody’s charge-a-punch-button move. It is a beefy two hit punch to the head that does as much damage as fierce criminal upper, and can be FADCed to ultra. It is difficult to combo into in most circumstances; the advantage of Zonk over roundhouse ruffian is that it will hit crouching characters.
Crouching Jab Combos
These combos do a lot of damage for such an easy hit confirm. To maximize your damage output, use as few jabs as possible. You can also use a ruffian kick instead of criminal. Short ruffian will reduce damage by approx. 30-50, forward ruffian by 20-40.
[166 / 307] (0) c.lp c.lp c.lp, c.lk xx fierce criminal
[194 / 342] (0) c.lp c.lp c.lp, c.mp xx fierce criminal - Spacing dependent
[200 / 334] (0) c.lp c.lp, c.mp xx fierce criminal
[208 / 326] (0) c.lp, c.mp xx fierce criminal
Crouching Strong Combos
Cody’s crouching strong is a really good move with impressive reach. You can also hit confirm out of it, letting you do more damage than a crouching jab hit confirm but at this point spacing becomes an issue. c.mp, c.lp xx criminal works consistently but c.mp, c.lp, c.mp only works if you start point-blank.
[197 / 250] (0) c.mp, s.lp, c.lk xx forward ruffian - Fierce criminal sometimes will not reach
[208 / 326] (0) c.mp, c.lp xx fierce criminal
[220 / 320] (0) c.mp xx fierce criminal
[240] (0) c.mp, c.lp, c.mp xx fierce criminal
Standing Strong Combos
Cody’s standing strong has the most frame advantage on hit or block of all of his moves. It also does 10 damage more than crouching strong and still links into crouching fierce, so Cody’s strongest combos usually involve a link from s.mp to c.fp. It is a 1 frame link that must be performed quickly, so hit training mode and start putting in your time if you want to squeeze every last bit of damage out of a combo opening.
[140 / 200] (0) s.mp, c.mk - 1 frame link
[170 / 200] (0) s.mp, sweep - Hard knockdown, 1 frame link
[250 / 384] (0) s.mp, c.lp, c.mp xx fierce criminal
[258 / 376] (0) s.mp, c.mp xx fierce criminal
[298 / 476] (0) s.mp, c.fp xx fierce criminal - 1 frame link
F+MP Combos
Cody’s version of Solar Plexus Strike, the Stomach Blow, is a great move that starts quickly and is +6 on hit, giving you a lot of combo options afterwards. You can combo into standing close strong, jabs, and crouching strong - you can hit confirm out of F+MP with jabs and still do good damage. You can also combo F+MP after a jump in - a deep jump mk, or any fierce or roundhouse.
[210 / 280] (0) f+mp, s.mp, sweep - Hard knockdown, two 1 frame links
[234] (0) f+mp, c.lp c.lp, c.mp xx fierce criminal
[240 / 384] (0) f+mp, c.lp, c.mp xx fierce criminal
[258 / 376] (0) f+mp, s.mp xx fierce criminal - 1 frame link
[290] (0) f+mp, s.mp, c.mp xx fierce criminal - 1 frame link
[322 / 514] (0) f+mp, s.mp, c.fp xx fierce criminal - two 1 frame links
B+MP Combos
Cody’s B+MP works best as an anti-air but if you ever land it while you are on the ground, it has some really good range and speed on it. You can also link out of it. Of all these, b+mp, c.mp is the most reliable because you might not be close enough to properly hit confirm.
[228 / 344] (0) b+mp, c.lp, c.lk xx fierce criminal
[260] (0) b+mp, c.lp, c.mp xx fierce criminal
[268 / 376] (0) b+mp, c.mp xx fierce criminal - 1 frame link
Standing Fierce Combos
Cody’s standing fierce hits hard and like everything else of his you can link out of it. While Cody’s strongest punishes start with s.mp, c.fp that is a 1 frame link. s.fp, c.mp is a 2 frame and so is somewhat easier.
[260 / 420] (0) s.fp xx fierce criminal
[280] (0) s.fp, c.lp, c.mp xx fierce criminal
[288 / 476] (0) s.fp, c.mp xx fierce criminal
Jump In Combos
These need no introduction. Add 10 extra damage if you start with j.fp, subtract 20 damage/100 stun if you start with j.mk, add 30 damage if you start with nj.hp.
[288 / 570] (2) j.rh, cr.lp, cr.lp, cr.mp xx rh ruffian FADC nj.fp
[300 / 520] (2) j.rh, cr.lp, cr.mp xx rh Ruffian FADC nj.fp
[350 / 570] (2) j.rh, s.mp, cr.mp xx rh Ruffian FADC nj.fp
[354 / 620] (2) j.rh, s.fp xx rh Ruffian FADC nj.fp
[368 / 610] (2) j.rh, f.mp, s.mp, cr.mp xx rh Ruffian FADC nj.fp - 1 frame link
[396 / 680] (2) j.rh, f.mp, s.mp, cr.fp xx rh Ruffian FADC nj.fp - two 1 frame links
Rocks Combos
Bad Stone is a weird move - it has a lot of startup for a projectile, but has only half as much recovery as Guile’s sonic boom. You have several different combo options out of rocks from different ranges. The combos from rocks to ruffian get easier as you hit your rocks from further away, letting you do decent damage and a lot of stun to punish whiffed moves from as far away as half screen. If you are closer, you can combo long-range normals like c.mp and c.fp out of rocks and do huge amounts of damage and stun.
[170 / 300] (0) rocks, short ruffian - Hard knockdown
[180 / 250] (0) rocks, forward ruffian
[180 / 300] (1) rocks, ex ruffian - Hard knockdown
[230 / 434] (0) jab rocks, c.lp, c.mp xx fierce criminal
[278 / 526] (0) jab rocks, c.fp xx fierce criminal
[348 / 576] (1) ex rocks, c.fp xx fierce criminal
FADC Combos
With any of Cody’s FADC combos out of Ruffian, you need to make sure your opponent is standing, so the following all start with standing close fierce to force your opponent to stand up. This is just a short list of Cody’s possible FADC combos.
[296 / 460] (2) s.fp xx rh ruffian FADC nj.fp - Spikes opponent into ground; can put you at disadvantage
[372 / 586] (3) s.fp xx rh ruffian FADC f+rh, ex criminal
[388 / 546] (4) s.fp xx rh ruffian FADC ex ruffian, ex criminal
Final Destruction (Ultra 1) Combos
If you are hit confirming into ultra, make sure your opponent is standing as well so that you don’t whiff your RH Ruffian and go from a possible FADC ultra to getting punished. To make sure your opponent is standing, you can use a combo with a fierce punch in it to force them to stand.
[478 / 100] (0) rh ruffian kick TRADE dash forward ultra 1
[478 / 100] (0) anti-air rh ruffian kick, ultra 1 - Corner only
[393 / 250] (2) c.lp c.lp, c.mp xx rh ruffian FADC ultra 1
[442 / 230] (2) c.lp, c.mp xx rh ruffian FADC ultra 1
[491 / 200] (2) c.mp xx rh ruffian FADC ultra 1
[498 / 200] (0) nj.fp, ultra 1
[527 / 380] (2) s.mp, c.fp xx rh ruffian FADC ultra 1 - 1 frame link
[530 / 300] (2) s.fp xx rh ruffian FADC ultra 1
Last Dread Dust (Ultra 2) Combos
Cody’s U2 works differently than most ultra combos. While most require you to FADC or something similar, Cody has the option of linking into his U2 off his standing close mp or landed rocks. While this no meter ultra combo does great damage, it is a difficult 1 frame link so if you plan on using U2 in a match in this manner you will need to put in some serious practice time. Thanks to yeb for these.
U2 combos more easily off rocks - just learn the spacing that it will work from.
[484 / 125] (0) CH f+mp, ultra 2 - counterhit only, but it’s an easy 3 frame link
[469 / 100] (0) meaty f+mp, ultra 2 - works any time you hit late in f+mp’s active frames
[499 / 200] (0) j.rh, ultra 2
[504 / 200] (0) j.mk, s.mp, ultra 2 - 1 frame link
[604 / 450] (1) CH c.fp xx ex rocks, ultra 2
Knife Combos
Picking up Dat Knife changes all of Cody’s punch normals. His damage output increases even more, and he gains some new links. Thanks to yeb for these combos.
[220 / 300] (0) c.fp, c.hk - Hard knockdown, 1 frame link
[222 / 307] (0) c.lp c.lp s.lp, c.lk xx fierce criminal
[304 / 470] (2) c.fp, c.lk xx rh Ruffian FADC nj.fp
[368 / 594] (0) j.fp, c.fp, c.lk xx fierce criminal
[398 / 630] (2) j.fp, c.fp, c.lk xx rh Ruffian FADC nj.fp
[599] (0) nj.fp, c.fp, ultra 2
Counter Hit Combos
Normally Cody can’t combo into Bad Stone, but he can in one situation - on a counterhit fierce punch, EX Rocks will connect for both hits. This is an extremely powerful combo starter that does massive amounts of stun as well. There are more permutations of this listed in this post but readability’s sake I have cut out all the possible permutations of attacks you can do after RH Ruffian FADC. Thanks to iRockTheVote for these combos.
[604 / 450] (1) CH c.fp xx EX rocks, ultra 2
[630 / 680] (3) CH c.fp xx EX Rocks, c.fp xx rh Ruffian FADC, ultra 1 - Corner only?
[467 / 800] (3) CH c.fp xx EX Rocks, c.fp xx rh Ruffian FADC nj.hp - Corner only?
[607 / 530] (3) CH c.fp xx EX Rocks, rh Ruffian FADC ultra 1
[409 / 670] (3) CH c.fp xx EX Rocks, rh Ruffian FADC nj.fp
Credits
Thanks to yeb, iRockTheVote, JustinH, Dereshi, and HunterSFL for their contributions. This list is by no means complete!