what is alex’s stomp and how do u do it? Is it useful or abusable? 
sorry im sf3 noob
(charge) :d: :u: + :k:
The strength of the kick you use determines your stomping distance. EX stomp (:3k:) tracks your opponent and has slightly faster recovery but doesn’t cross up.
The only real uses I find for stomps are during mix-ups. For example, crouch briefly, jump in with some attack while charging, and stomp immediately as you land. Vary the distance of that stomp so that your opponent won’t know which way to block. When you charge during this process, you should hold :db: so that you can actually mix in slash elbows.
Another thing I do is just whiff some low attacks and stomp during an opponent’s wake-up, but I don’t do it too often.
Occassionally, you can stomp during your wake-up if you predict that your opponent will use a low attack or throw.
Another thing I like to do is to charge :db: if I connect :l: + :hp:. After Alex releases his opponent, you can either stomp or slash elbow, since your opponent will likely dash forward to regain some space. Don’t do this too often though.
The stomp is one of alex’s best moves if not his best mix up option outside of grab range.
If you wanna maximize your effectiveness with it learn how to charge partition. Basically you just break up the charge time into lil sections. For example, jump in and hold down for a bit until he lands, then release and dash towards the opponent, hold down again while he dashes, when he’s done just go for u+k and it comes out. This is a good mixup because usually people don’t expect you to be able to dash in into a charge down up move. Play around with it and you’ll find many ways to add charge partitioning to your game. Takes some practice (not a lot really)but it’s worth it. I know it might sound somewhat complicated but really it’s not, just fuck around with it. You can do it with his running clothesline (charge back, foward+k) but those tend to be best used after a parry or certain punishment situations.
EX stomp (can be just used with two kicks instead of all three), is good cuz it has homing properties. If you’re ever in a jam with a fireball happy opponent or someone who’s trying to dash all over the place this move will track them down.
Other good uses of the stomp, keep note of what strength kick you use in relation to the distance they travel. Good footnotes for mixups. For example you can go for a light kick stomp and have it whiff right infront of your opponent, BUT charge down as you go into the stomp, this way when you recover from the light kick stomp you can just hit u+mk or u+two kicks to suddenly attack with another one. Most people think that if you whiff a stomp infront of them it means free damage on you, wrong, stomp recovery is often overlooked.
If you wanna learn how to cross up with your stomp keep note that you can only do that with hk stomp. To set it up, dash right next to a knocked down opponent and crouch down (charge down), do whiffed low weak attacks to stall and make it look like you’re going for something. As they start to get up, return your stick (or pad) from charging down to neutral and whip out a close standing mk. Usually they’ll block it but that’s fine. Then immediately do u+hk and you’ll do a crossup stomp. This is a good setup to keep in mind but obviously it’s not one to abuse over and over.
Last paragraph is not true. A mk stomp crosses up if you start right next to them. The hk stomp will cross up off a c.lk and probably a few other pokes as well.
I don’t know how reliable it is to go for crossup mk stomp, I remember trying it out many times in matches and I rarely am given the chance to even do it. Prolly why I didn’t regard it. The standing mk to hk cross up has a start up which I forgot to mention, do a whiffed UOH (mp+mk)infront of the opponent (doesn’t have to be knocked down btw) and charge down while it’s happening, then return stick to neutral, do close s.mk, and then hk stomp. Doesn’t need to be in the corner either.
The rule of thumb is basically this: use the stomp whenever your opponent doesn’t expect it. Unfortunately, in order for you to do this, you’ll have to be charging most of the time (even if it’s for nothing).
mk always crosses up if you are next to them, midscreen. It also doesn’t have an attack before it so they can’t parry that.
does strength of the kick button vary the damage and/or just the distance of the move?
The strength determines distance.
If I was next to the opponent I believe it’s best just to go for throw mixups or bait parry attempts. Close range is his best department of damage dealing to begin with.
One thing to note is that Air Stampede (stomp) beats a lot of ground-based moves, includingbut not limited toEX Spinning Bird Kick, Corkscrew Blow, Jet Uppercut (if done early enough; it does NOT beat Rocket Uppercut though, so don’t try), Cyber Lariat, Chariot Tackle, any fireball, and any grab.
Speaking of stomp, i did the weirdest thing the other day. This guy used a wake-up stomp on me and i grabbed him out of it with a powerbomb from behind!? I didn’t think that was possible.
Well yeah, if you block a stomp that goes over you (or I guess beat it’s priority, like Power Bomb does with most everything), they’re left with their back to you for a pretty big amount of time, 'cause stomp is laggy. You could probably do Necro’s back grab, too.
I’m sure that i didn’t block, it just looked really weird considering i was so prepared to be stomped.
That stomp Is sweeeeet
Thats weird. That would be a sight to see and laugh at.
Increasing stomp strenght will also increase damage.
low: 120 dmg
mid: 140
high: 160
ex: 180
One of the tricks I recently learned (I knew about it, but I couldn’t do it) is this: charge :d:, release, :mk: (hold), :u:+:mk: (negative edge). You’ll have to be close to do this, but it makes Alex do a close, standing MK and then immediately cancel it into Air Stampede. You can, of course, use :hk: for Air Stampede instead, if your opponent blocks, and you want to cross-up.