there are lots of threads about how hard that link is for new players. I’m more curious though about what ELSE you can or should be using f+mk to do.
What else combos with it? Are there any easier things to do with it for beginners than the 1-frame link? (which I promise I am practicing but I know I’m still weeks from having it be 90% consistent)
I’ve been trying to use it to get in close for a TT, which works against people who dont spam shoryukens or jab but are still bad at the game (ie not a very viable option when I start playing more good players?)
so basically, just list out when you use it, why, and in what other ways you think it works.
PS: if you think it ONLY is useful for linking to the s.f then please say that too so I stop worrying about it
I think this is more suitable for the Q and A thread man, but, Abel’s f+MK is used to get in close, now, you just created a situation, and now you have to guess. The 1 frame link is your bnb combo from that. Now then, if you’re off, you’ll probably eat a shoryuken, until you get ex, and you can ex tt them, once that happens, you set up mind games when you have meter, then they’ll start jumping, FP stops them from jumping cause they’ll get hit. If you’re feeling froggy, you can go do a Falling Sky but if they just block, you’ll eat it, so your best bet to is to try to nail down that 1 frame link, and pay attention to your opponent. If they shoryu alot then, ex TT next time, if they jump away alot, fierce punch, I would only use Skyfall for a combo.
You can link from it sure, but since you can’t really combo into F+MK I’d say that roughly half the time it is going to be blocked. In that case, it doesn’t combo into anything. But even if it is blocked, you have just dashed up right in their face and you have a small amount of frame advantage so you can keep pressing the attack.
People really underestimate the importance of moves that move you forwards in SF. It applies pressure, and people have to respond to that pressure… by hitting someone with a F+MK, you push them back towards the corner; you close to Abel’s deadliest range (TT range); it is a fast, relatively low-risk move so even if it misses, it is very difficult to punish; it gives you a ton of mix-up opportunities.
It is the pressure and chance for mix-ups that makes it so valuable. There are a lot of things that can happen after a F+MK…
they mash a reversal - especially common against shotos. This beats everything Abel can do from a F+MK, and knowing this, you can bait it, block, and punish.
they mash normal throw. This loses to TT, but will beat all of Abel’s normals except possibly standing fierce. Usually, TT is such a threat that people will not do this but they might know that TT’s whiffing animation is very long, and then anticipate a normal throw instead of a TT
they attempt to jump out. This loses to standing close roundhouse (100 damage) and falling sky (160+ damage). Vega gets out of F+MK mixups for free using jump back fierce unless you have perfect timing on a close roundhouse.
they stand there and block high. This is when you hit them with a low short, which then lets you combo afterwards (c.jab, c.jab, s.far strong), set up ticks into TT, or set up another F+MK (c.jab, c.jab, f+mk is the best bet - on a landed c.jab f+mk becomes a very nice frame trap). Also, blocking loses to TT every time.
they stand there and block low. Once again a TT opportunity, but you can also standing close roundhouse as an overhead.
they mash jab, especially common against anyone with a 3 frame jab who needs EX for a good reversal. This loses to EX TT but beats everything else Abel can do.
So now you know why F+MK is so good. Abel is a little like Zangief; the tornado throw on its own is really strong but it is the threat of a tornado throw that is really useful. Once you land the F+MK, the natural follow up is a TT and you need to take advantage of the panic that causes to start doing your damage. As soon as somebody is within Abel’s reach they want to get out, and you have to try and guess how they are going to try and escape the situation so that you can punish their choice and keep up the pressure.
But then there is the problem of landing a F+MK in the first place. People with experience against Abel will see it coming and then shoryu, which kind of puts a damper on trying F+MK again. So again, you gotta yomi that shit and set up with the F+MK with a c.jab then bait and punish
Good advice. However, instead of ex tornado throwing an expected shoryu, I think you should just block. You can do more damage and gain meter by doing a Cr. Fp xx roll xx fierce falling sky on the recovery of the shoryu rather than ex tornado throw them out of the shoryu.
I can hit the link most of the time. But if I miss it and they block and I have the meter, I will cancel into change of direction then focus cancel out and TT providing they’re not mashing DP.
Abel’s 5th hard trial forced me to learn that link, I had to do it so many times it’s muscle memory now.
I’m REALLY working on that link, I do about 20 minutes of nothing but that link 5 nights a week. I can hit it about 1 in 4 times now, but until I’m getting it 3/4 times I’m scared to really go for it in matches, but I know when I have it my game will improve quite a bit. I’m starting to see moments in matches where I want to use it but am scared. a week ago it wasn’t even something I’d consider trying.
Enterix, how exactly are you inputting the move? This might sound stupid or patronizing but I don’t mean it like that lol…
I couldn’t hit it at first because I would press
:r:+:mk: :r::r:
Then I realized the :r: in the forward kick counts as an input for dash aswell, so if you hit
:r:+:mk: :r: he will dash
then you have more time to focus on the :hp:
And I’ve found that you should hit :hp: he exact moment Abel stops moving from his dash, practice over and over until the timing becomes muscle memory. I’ve not got it down perfectly but I can hit it the majority of the time. It’s just practice, the more you do something the better you will become.
yeah I only press forward twice, been doing that since I started practicing. When I began practicing i would hit the link (i kept count) 16 times in 5 minutes of trying to time it right.
after a week I’m hitting it 40 times in 5 minutes. which is definite improvement in only a week, but it still has me landing it less often than having dan block it or the fp not come out at all.
It would probably help if I could sit there for a solid hour doing the link but I get WAY too bored doing something so repepetive for a whole hour. So i practice in 20 minute increments.
i see a lot of people who use the f+mk tend to use it at the end of a bklockstring, when theyve just been pusjed out of range from a few cr.lp followed by a st.lk, then f+mk.
like someon above said, anybody with any experience will see the f+mk coming as theyve just had a whole blockstring in front of it to prepare for the reversal shoryu/whatever.
i tend not to use blockstrings much atm in SF. i pretty much use the fmk on wakeup (theirs) a lot, and occasionally if im within range of it hitting, followed by a TT/FS whatever. so i was thinking, is throwing out a f+mk ON ITS OWN better than at the end of a blockstring solely for the fact that its harder to react to as it doesnt have a lengthy blockstring sequence coming? its quick enough to throw out on wakeup after a reversal shoryu oppertunity has passed, and surely the point of a blockstring is also so you can stop before you commit to any moves with a longer recovery time risking getting hit back.
obviously not all players are gonna use it at the end of a blockstring but surely everybody is waiting for th obligatory cr.lpx3>st lk>f+mkxxdash so they can backdash out or whatever. i say dont give them the pleasure!
also a note on hitting the links after my link linking improved almost tenfold when i started HOLDING the FP button after the dash instead of just tapping it (both for cr.FP and st.FP) i cant believe the difference it made. i guess the game will buffer the move slightly which is easier to get as the button is being pressed for longer than if you just tap the button with a finger or whatever.
good post sakeido
i fuckin hate 3 frame jabs man, have to use a whole EX to beat out jab cuz wheel kickin that close gets beat too
i think the best way to learn the timing F+MK–>s.FP is go to training mode, setup auto-block and just do the F+MK, dash, and then press FP ONCE,don’t spam the FP button, and then repeat the process until u get the rhythm and timing down. I dont like the idea of relying on visual cues, but to each their own.
With good timing, you can do a regular TT and they won’t have time to jab. Yes, even on Sakura and Balrog.
If that’s too tough then you can try F+MK -> neutral jump, and if they really are a jab spammer you’ll see 3 jabs whiff before you hit them in the head with j.HK.
Also remember than on a F+MK normal hit they shouldn’t have time to jab you out of a cr.LP. On counter hit you should be comboing that
a TT gets stuffed if they are mashing 3 frame jabs, but a regular throw beats it.
So your best bet agaist people who keep mashing jabs is to just land a blocked fwd.mk and normal throw them. After awhile they are gonna start teching, thats your chance to TT them.
Close fierce also stuffs jabs, but only on tall characters, it wont stuff chun/sakura jabs.
In all honesty I don’t think the frame perfect jab is a threat. I still F+MK -> TT all the time against 3-framers.
(This is Sabre I’m talking about, so don’t go thinking I’m playing somebody who sucks)
I guess if his timing were better that would help him, but a good Abel should be mixing up so well that your opponent really wants to block after F+MK.
First of all I’m new here so pleased to meet you all.
Got a question on the whole F+MK thing. Can you please clarify, are you guys saying you can link F+MK into just about any attack/combo? e.g. F+MK > cr.lp > st.mp > CoD etc? i.e. if the F+MK lands, the rest will land too/is unblockable?
I can ONLY get it to link into st.hp as a proper combo and I’ve been hammering this forever, I know the 1 frame thing makes it tight but I feel like a n00b trying to pull this supposed bnb link off and I’m not one dang nammit!!! :-/
Cheers for your help guys, great forum/community. EZ
I’m not sure about anything other than st.hp but if the f+mk hits you should be able to confirm the st. hp.
You can use f+mk to get in. I use it as a poke and try to pressure the opponent. Be wary of reversal DPs/ultras, but you can try and TT or start a blockstring since it gives you frame advantage (more frame advantage on hit).
