Just a slight note, you can practice E.Ryu cr.mk xx lk axe kick RFC for punishes, then go for full charge (and animation) u1 or u2 (full animation ofc). Deal around 500 damage. Save my ass a lot of time.
Of course, when you are at Daigo level, cr.mk xx ex hado fadc u2 will be better since it will have better damage, but still. Just a cr.mk (whiff buffer) can lead to 500 damage. Thats scary.
Also, like someone said above. Fundamental is the key. E.Ryu is not about the combo, it is the footsie. Keep opponent in range of Cr.mk, use hado at a safe range so you can react mp dp. thats e.ryu. Then when you have an opening, you can unleash your combo. But E.ryu without fundamental is dead, even if you can land sako combo. No use when you cannot get in.
Correction: E. Ryu is the combo AND the footsie. Otherwise you might as well be using OG Ryu.
Also, low forward EX Fireball FADC U2 does not take that much skill. You just have to have execution and reaction, which you’ll need for E. Ryu’s other basic stuff, which largely consists of low forward fireball > FADC combos.
Cr.MK doesnt combo into MK axe unless it is counter hit. You can combo freely if it is MK axe, nice damage without meter spend (daigo does this alot) but if you do fadc, then you will be at +4 iirc (Lk axe is +3).
Well of course, you have to learn combos for all character, it is just that you dont need to do all that fancy axe kick fadc combo.
For the Ex hado fadc part, i find the fadc input weird, often miss time the dash, resulting in no dash at all.
P/S: S.mp xx lk axe/lk tatsu is very good for punishing far -5 plus moves. If you can fadc the axe kick, it is one hell of a damage for a punish. otherwise just go straight for rfc.
What I’m saying is that E. Ryu is very reliant on getting the FADC combos down so that his low forward nets him 300 or so damage. If you can’t land his combo, then you’re going to get punished every single time. Characters like Ken and Ryu aren’t like that. In that regard, they rely on just as much footsie ability but their ability to combo isn’t nearly as difficult or as important. Where E. Ryu needs to be able to punish the cl.HP Axe Kick combos, characters like Ryu only need to do a cl.HP to DP or cr.MP, cr.HP to DP which is a two frame link and then a standard cancel. E. Ryu needs more emphasis on his combos.
For the dash, you can hold forward, hit focus (while holding forward), then tap forward once to get the FADC to come out easier. I personally don’t use it, but the option is there.
They all have strengths and weaknesses. You know what’s easier with ERYU? Hit confirming c.mk xx fireball into a FADC combo. First, you get more frames to see if it hit or not. I couldn’t do this with Ken or Ryu when AE launched, but I picked up Eryu, and all of a sudden I could…easily. You have so much more time. Second, the fireball basically ALWAYS hits. With the other two you have to be paying really close attention to your spacing. Only time ERYU’s won’t hit is in some of those half screen situations where you’re totally out of range to begin with, but they stick out a poke that extends their hitbox. Like if ERYU hits c.mk at the same time Balrog hits c.hk and they’re both out of range. If you hit him, you can’t combo.