Can someone please point me to a discussion of picking U1 vs. U2? I can’t seem to find anything. I’ve pretty much only been using U1 and I can’t find much discussion about which to choose. I’m sure there are some matchups where U2 is better
Here is the Denjin threads… This might help…
U1 is kind of the generic “damage” ultra because you can pretty much land backthrow each round. U2 is better for:
Rose - most Roses zone so getting close for a backthrow is a challenge. You can OS her backdash and guess ultra when she absorbs.
Hakan - can punish oil shower full screen on reaction and can OS back dash
Akuma - can OS or reaction punish teleport and can also punish jump forward or back air fireballs
Sagat - can punish tiger shots on reaction 3/4th screen and in
Blanka - can punish all Blanka Balls on block
MU’s where you can use U1 but U2 has its applications:
Viper - can punish ground pound full screen on reaction. You can OS safe dive kick and punish all of her options minus EX feint
Ryu/Ken/E .Ryu/Oni - I say them because you can punish fireballs at 3/4ths screen and in on reaction
T. Hawk - can punish blocked Condor Dive. I use U1 though and just Ultra that shit while he’s coming lol
Ibuki - OS backdash
Makoto - OS backdash and will beat EX chop if she wakes up with that
Vega - Can punish any blocked or whiffed wall dive
^ Pretty Much.
I think the only statics I have with Ultras are U1-Balrog, Abel, Seth, U2- Akuma, Sagat, Vega, Blanka…
Everybody else you can switch around for the most part, especially if you land a lot of EX Palm. Overall Denjin is more efficient with more applications.
Here’s an Ultra-choice thread I put up a while back:
[Ultra choice per matchup](Ultra choice per matchup
the concensus seems to be that I’m wrong about akuma because of OS U2 the escapes, so I should probably work on that in my game.
Thanks a lot for the responses about the ultra choices! I need to mess around with U2 more.
Now, I have a new question:
I keep getting SRKed, Ultra’d, command grabbed, etc. in between the DF kick and the cl. mp in the block string DF kick > cl. mp, cr. hp, lp gohadouken. Is this block string unsafe or is my timing off? Is it a matter of hitting too deep on the opponent? This would suck if it’s not safe, because a lot of my game seems to revolve around hit confirming into cr. HP > ex palm off of safe-jumping with demon flip kick and I can’t do it with just DF kick > cr. HP. Hit confirming off of two hits is above my level.
Thanks again.
You are using a 4 frame jump in (Guile, Cody etc. any one who doesn’t have a 3 frame dp.
It won’t work that way on certain moves (DP’s and EX Command Grabs).
Delay the timing on those types and you’ll be ok.
a blocked flip kick to cl.mp should absolutely be safe if you hit waist or below (iow, a safejump setup). If you are hitting them on the head, then consider either cl.mk xx lp.palm or just blocking and punishing the reversal.
In general, you have to use Gouken’s ability to punish hard to discourage reversal spamming.
And to add, tall characters add another level of ass-ness to the divekick. Hitting them (not blocked) near the head can still get you counter hit or reversaled a lot.
That’s with any character that jump in on tall characters. But that makes sense though, hitting tall characters in the head is equivalent to hitting them early so they can recover sooner while you’re still landing. Doing cross ups on these guys require different timing.
Hey guys I just started learning Gouken a few days ago. I haven’t gone online with him yet but I’ve played my buddy a bunch and I’m having trouble with his makoto rushing me down. I get lucky with some parrys but he baits them out a bunch. Any tips on how to deal with a character rushing you down with normals/overheads like makoto does? Sorry if this has been asked before, I’m at work with no time to read the whole thread. =D
btw I main Cody/Chun-Li so I’m not new to sf4.
With Makoto your best friend is ex flip and back dash. If you stand still shes gonna command grab you into crazy damage. Its her only way of doing damage. Im not saying play hot potato and try and get out all the time because theres OS’s for that but be on the move more than you’re standing still.
Also, poke alot to keep her at bay. Cr.lk. cr.mp, f.st.mk and f.st.hp. Zone as much as you can throwing fireballs and try not to let her in. That first paragraph was for if/once she gets in.
Tatsu FADC Ultra.
Is there some shortcut to that or I’m just not fast enough?
Bear in mind that I suck even when doing Ryu’s FADC Ultra.
There’s a shortcut for ryu. Not gouken…so just practice
The biggest challenge for beginners is inputting dash and two QCFs right after. That just comes down to practice. I’m sure you’ll land it successfully 1 out of 2 times in 30mins of concentrated practice. Trick to help you feel out timing is that when you do FADC, when you do it enough, you’ll input dash so early out of habit that you can actually begin inputting the QCFs during the dash animation. Just don’t feel the need to rush the attack buttons because that’s going to get you EX moves all day. Deliberately hold the stick in the final direction when doing ultra for a split second longer before hitting :3p:/:3k:. This isn’t a physical requirement, it’s a good way to calm you down when you’re trying to input ultra really fast.
If you’re using Denjin, instead of doing fadc Ultra you can let go of the fa for a level 1 which pops them up into the air. From there all you have to do is dash and do Ultra. Much much easier.
True that’s the easiest way, but it does scale your combo 20% b/c of the focus attack. 
TBH, I can do FADC’s with Ken, Ryu, and the like pretty much effortlessly… Sagat and Oni have similar launches where you have to delay a bit… but not too bad… but Gouken you have do that shit FAST.
Edit:.
Try it this way.
When you press focus hold forward. This will count as your first dash, and try QCF from that point. If you do it quick enough you will dash out and it will count for ultra.
I think the problem I have most with it is when I have to start doing it from going backwards, this kind of takes it out of the equation.
While it’s fun and flashy and a way to hit confirm into ultra, it’s also a fickle combo that depends a lot on where you were when the tatsu hit. Some people here are really good at doing stuff like this and it’s definitely worth practicing just to get it in your toolbox, but keep in mind how many times you see high level Goukens use it in their matches. I’m sure you’ve been watching high level Gouken play through youtube or whatever. Do you recall seeing that done more than a handful of times? I can’t but maybe I’m not paying attention.
How many regulars here incorporate this into their daily play? I can honestly say that I don’t…at all. I can do the combo and all that, but online I don’t even consider it…
I do. If I know it will end a fight I will chuck a hado and if my opponent jumps over I ex tatsu fadc Shin Sho.
If I’m really close to a win then I’ll get flashy on that ass, mostly with mp.hadou <u1 or u2