Shoryureppa! The Ken Thread

[Coth_X]

Coth: What Chenser said. You can in fact link the crouching roundhouse of any of the crazy kicks (the roundhouse one has to have the first hit blocked of course, cause it knocks down.) Like I mentioned before, your mileage with the move will vary but I certainly don’t recommend not using high and low mix-ups with ken. It all leads to knockdowns or frame advantage that each lead to some serious damage from other mix-ups. This is why Ken is so damn fun.

Well, when I tested against the computer, it would always take the second hit standing then block the sweep. I know it links if they are crouching when the second hit lands, but i can’t make it work with the computer standing with auto guard enabled.

I mangaged to find this as well:
At close range, standing mp and hp 2 in 1 with all crazy kicks. These are the only 2 in 1s I’ve found with crazy lk though.

EDIT: Yeah so if you read the original post forget that one paragraph, I wasn’t thinking straight and needed a good night’s rest. I was being stupid.

[Alternate275]

Which matchups does Ken struggle with the most?

[parabellum]

HDR Blanka can be a tough match, you can’t punish Blanka like you use to be able to in vanilla. I suggest making sure you lock the hori-ball with crouching jab and be ready to pop out a jab srk for the rainbow ball. if you can keep him from getting in and trying to bite/ get his ball combos on you, you can win, but it is tougher than it was for sure. I suggest throwing out the jab srk a lot to stuff throw attempts cause that bite has crazy range. Look out for random slides etc. You have to work.

With zangief you want to keep him out. Don’t play the inside game with him unless you know that the person you are playing can’t deal with the knee bs and your mix ups. toss a lot of fireballs intelligently and knock him down when her tries to get past them. watch out for crouching roundhouse. it will kick your ass.

Thank you…I will take all of this in and try to apply it next time I face a good blanka.

That matchup is definitely one of the harder ones for Ken, in my limited experience.

Last night I also faced a very well rounded, very well executed Chun Li. This guy had a lot of different tactics from rush down to fireball/tickthrow traps…and I lost over and over to him. I only wish I could have played him more, as by about the 5th match I was finally starting to see where the holes in his defense were and what to do to avoid his traps.

One technique he used on me a lot, that I am ashamed to say I lost more than one match to before I figured it out, was to follow a knockdown with crouching roundhouse, timed JUST right so that it was striking me deep in my hitbox. I tried OVER and OVER to reverse F.SRK it and I never pulled it off.

Now, I’m a just a casual player who is (for the first time in a decade) starting to really take this game seriously…but I pride myself on being very consistent with being able to reverse a knockdown with ken’s F.SRK. It wins me a lot of matches…but damn if I was NEVER able to pull this off against this well timed crouching roundhouse.

Was this some kind of priority issue? Or was I just rattled and had my timing off?

[RagingStormX]

Random stuff I do:

MK grab hold up-forward:

1. follow up j.lk

Most people auotmatically mash throw so:

a. c.mk xx dp

Free damaging 2-hit and follow up with a j.lk. or

b. Throw again

reset the loop or

c. c.mk xx mk crazy (hits mashers again but can be punished, best stick with dp)

d. c.lk then grab

e.c.lk then lp dp

Simple but pretty effective mix-up, I’ve made quick ass comebacks with this. Also if they try to dp and the lk hits, you get a 3 hit combo. Most people cant punish ken’s lp dp at all making it safe if you do it, only bad thing is you get pushed out. On that note if they are scared of 2nd dp, walk up throw or walk up dp.

2. j.mk, walk forward throw

Sorta hard to time a tech from this, also you can c.lk xx dp after this if it hits.

3. j.rh

a. lp dp

Painfull ass 2 hitter, safe if blocked.

b. c.rh xx lk hurricane, hk crazy kick, s.fp xx lp dp

crosses up shots if sweep hits.

Ken’s throw is so good, you should know how to land it alot.

c.lk -> throw

c.mk -> throw

j.fp -> throw

c.lk x3-4, wait for whiff -> throw

c.mk, c.mp walk forward a bit ->

bait a dp -> throw

cross up km, walk back -> throw

any jumping move xx hurricane -> throw

These best work when mixed between a lp dp.

ex. c.mk wait a milli second then lp dp or c.mk and go straight into throw.

You can also set-up whiff punishes with Ken pretty well, like max range c.lk walk forward a bit, c.rh anywhiff.

Of course this sin’t Ken’s game in a nutshell but its good to be knowledgeable on how to use this aspect of his game, since its still a strong tactic, even if the throw range was nerfed. That’s all I got for now.

[parabellum]

Random stuff I do:

MK grab hold up-forward:

1. follow up j.lk

Most people auotmatically mash throw so:

a. c.mk xx dp

Free damaging 2-hit and follow up with a j.lk. or

b. Throw again

reset the loop or

c. c.mk xx mk crazy (hits mashers again but can be punished, best stick with dp)

d. c.lk then grab

e.c.lk then lp dp

Simple but pretty effective mix-up, I’ve made quick ass comebacks with this. Also if they try to dp and the lk hits, you get a 3 hit combo. Most people cant punish ken’s lp dp at all making it safe if you do it, only bad thing is you get pushed out. On that note if they are scared of 2nd dp, walk up throw or walk up dp.

2. j.mk, walk forward throw

Sorta hard to time a tech from this, also you can c.lk xx dp after this if it hits.

3. j.rh

a. lp dp

Painfull ass 2 hitter, safe if blocked.

b. c.rh xx lk hurricane, hk crazy kick, s.fp xx lp dp

crosses up shots if sweep hits.

Ken’s throw is so good, you should know how to land it alot.

c.lk -> throw

c.mk -> throw

j.fp -> throw

c.lk x3-4, wait for whiff -> throw

c.mk, c.mp walk forward a bit ->

bait a dp -> throw

cross up km, walk back -> throw

any jumping move xx hurricane -> throw

These best work when mixed between a lp dp.

ex. c.mk wait a milli second then lp dp or c.mk and go straight into throw.

You can also set-up whiff punishes with Ken pretty well, like max range c.lk walk forward a bit, c.rh anywhiff.

Of course this sin’t Ken’s game in a nutshell but its good to be knowledgeable on how to use this aspect of his game, since its still a strong tactic, even if the throw range was nerfed. That’s all I got for now.

Holy crap, I am printing out your post and training on all of this tonight.

If I could, I would give you +rep.

You Sir are a gentleman and a scholar.

[blitzfu]

Godlike strats Jeff. No wonder your Ken is one of the best I’ve played. = )

[System_1]

With zangief you want to keep him out. Don’t play the inside game with him unless you know that the person you are playing can’t deal with the knee bs and your mix ups. toss a lot of fireballs intelligently and knock him down when her tries to get past them. watch out for crouching roundhouse. it will kick your ass.

• Call me crazy, but I like to rush down most Gief players. Most of them expect you to play the keep away game, and range with hadoukens. HOWEVER, this only works against average Gief players. When you’re playing against an elite Gief, do exactly what this guy says. The occasional rush down isn’t a bad idea though, just make sure you’ve got the Geif player guessing. It will help disrupt any rhythm he’s trying to build.

[Coth_X]

Thank you…I will take all of this in and try to apply it next time I face a good blanka.

That matchup is definitely one of the harder ones for Ken, in my limited experience.

Last night I also faced a very well rounded, very well executed Chun Li. This guy had a lot of different tactics from rush down to fireball/tickthrow traps…and I lost over and over to him. I only wish I could have played him more, as by about the 5th match I was finally starting to see where the holes in his defense were and what to do to avoid his traps.

One technique he used on me a lot, that I am ashamed to say I lost more than one match to before I figured it out, was to follow a knockdown with crouching roundhouse, timed JUST right so that it was striking me deep in my hitbox. I tried OVER and OVER to reverse F.SRK it and I never pulled it off.

Now, I’m a just a casual player who is (for the first time in a decade) starting to really take this game seriously…but I pride myself on being very consistent with being able to reverse a knockdown with ken’s F.SRK. It wins me a lot of matches…but damn if I was NEVER able to pull this off against this well timed crouching roundhouse.

Was this some kind of priority issue? Or was I just rattled and had my timing off?

Fierce Dp hits on first frame, did you see reversal message? You should have been swept and put chun on fire for a trade. If you didn’t see the reversal message then she was sweeping you before you could get the move out after the reversal frame. If you saw the message, then perhaps the red box on her sweep is much longer than I thought it was, and you simply weren’t hitting her.

Damn chun li and her ability to even use that sweep as an anti air.

[parabellum]

Fierce Dp hits on first frame, did you see reversal message? You should have been swept and put chun on fire for a trade. If you didn’t see the reversal message then she was sweeping you before you could get the move out after the reversal frame. If you saw the message, then perhaps the red box on her sweep is much longer than I thought it was, and you simply weren’t hitting her.

Damn chun li and her ability to even use that sweep as an anti air.

Yeah, no reversal message…so it was just that my timing was off because I was flustered.

Need to remember to relax, but I wanted that win SOOO badly.

And yeah, Chun Li can kiss my arse.

[RagingStormX]

Holy crap, I am printing out your post and training on all of this tonight.

If I could, I would give you +rep.

You Sir are a gentleman and a scholar.

lol. Mix-up ftw.

[Tooserius]

Im doing the same Print faster. Jeff mind if I add you-Me you and Blitz should go a few rounds

[RagingStormX]

Sure, I’ll be doing a casual room before the online tourny tomorrow and I might be on tonite.

[RagingStormX]

I forgot to add on bison you can’t c.mk then delay dp. The dp will whiff, so just do c.lk x2 instead.

[SK_Vicious]

whats a juice kick? Yes Imma N00b

[blitzfu]

Juice kick is rainbow Tatsu. Do the Air Tatsu as soon as you leave the ground and you will get a fast, low-arcing Tatsu.

[RagingStormX]

Juice kick is rainbow Tatsu. Do the Air Tatsu as soon as you leave the ground and you will get a fast, low-arcing Tatsu.

Yeah its dope, I mess up 50% of the time on this shit stick.

meaty c.lk combos into s.fp.

c.lk, c.lk xx super is stupid easy.

I always forget you cant jump on chun after mk throw.

c.lk, c.lk renda cancel dp is harder than the super rofl

cross up mk then knee bash or c.lk x2 super is scary.

Playstation network hates me.

Always Hp dp after a juggled super.

Online this always messes up but j.lp then throw or c.mk xx dp is dope. Offline you’ll be fine, online you will get thrown alot if it isnt a perfect connection.

mk throw, walk forward, last minute neutral j.lk. Ken hits the wrong way but it crosses up on the way down.

I love hispanic women.

I still find ground hurricane near useless in mix up, better to lk dp most the time.

Knee bash in the corner then walk foward, last minute s.fp xx dp. Crosses up. Mk swing the wrong way too much.

Why does bacon floss exist.

Jumpsuit jesse has a dope ken, you should ask him for some tips.

Sleepy time.

[Gonzales]

does anybody have some mathcup help vs. dictator
his standing foward as well as his scissors kicks upclose are a pain to deal with as always
however know he has that stupid invincibilyt on devils reverse wich is a free escape from fireballs traps and lets him build meter for free because i dont know how to beat it. Anybody got some suggestions on waht beats what and jes i tried jumping to avoid his standing foward but j.strong beats me clean 100% of the time.

[HAMMER_FRENZY]

Raging: Ground Hurricane is awesome. Aside from the obvious advantage it gives you on Guile. It can be used for all kinds of silliness.

Keep in mind that the ground tatsu makes crouching characters stand up, so on mix up if you know some chump will duck or even isn’t, getting combo’d into a short tatsu will make them stand up and give you frame advantage leading to free throw set ups or free jab SRk reversals which lead to wake up shinanigans.

RH tatsu does a bunch of dizzy, not as much as before but still quite a bit. All hits combo and you are usually safe, if some fool gets silly after the tatsu, jab srk says hello, knockdown GET, shinanigans ensue.

More over, tatsu hits CROUCHING OPPONENTS! so footsies gets creepy with ken because you try to fuck with him and he knows you are going to throw out a low poke IE crouching forward, he counters with RH tatsu and crosses the screen like he’s on fire, you eat all the hits, he gets frame advantage and he is in. Again, throw mix up/ reversal jab srk/crouching short -> funky kick mix up etc.

additionally. ground tatsu goes over downed opponents. (forward and rh versions) It needs to be done quickly but mixing up between the two, ( forward leaves you on just the other side of the rising opponent while rh version leaves you just outside sweep range) and tossing in the short version to fake the cross over can lead to more silliness.

All these things are very valid ways to abuse the shit out of ground tatsu.

[RagingStormX]

Raging: Ground Hurricane is awesome. Aside from the obvious advantage it gives you on Guile. It can be used for all kinds of silliness.

Keep in mind that the ground tatsu makes crouching characters stand up, so on mix up if you know some chump will duck or even isn’t, getting combo’d into a short tatsu will make them stand up and give you frame advantage leading to free throw set ups or free jab SRk reversals which lead to wake up shinanigans.

RH tatsu does a bunch of dizzy, not as much as before but still quite a bit. All hits combo and you are usually safe, if some fool gets silly after the tatsu, jab srk says hello, knockdown GET, shinanigans ensue.

More over, tatsu hits CROUCHING OPPONENTS! so footsies gets creepy with ken because you try to fuck with him and he knows you are going to throw out a low poke IE crouching forward, he counters with RH tatsu and crosses the screen like he’s on fire, you eat all the hits, he gets frame advantage and he is in. Again, throw mix up/ reversal jab srk/crouching short -> funky kick mix up etc.

additionally. ground tatsu goes over downed opponents. (forward and rh versions) It needs to be done quickly but mixing up between the two, ( forward leaves you on just the other side of the rising opponent while rh version leaves you just outside sweep range) and tossing in the short version to fake the cross over can lead to more silliness.

All these things are very valid ways to abuse the shit out of ground tatsu.

Yeah most people hit me with tatsu, it hits wrong, I dp them before they land. Ill stick with dp stuff. I like staying close.

[System_1]

I love hispanic women.

You too, eh?