MKX(L) player here, and I would consider myself a high level player of the game. However, recently I have just gotten really bored with it. I did some research on SFV went out & bought the game. I understand spacing, punishing, whiff punishing, etc. I play on a Hitbox Controller, so there are already tutorials on how to execute moves on it, so I am not going to waste anyone’s time with that. What I am having a hard time with is the combo system…
For instance;
Most combos in MKX are done as follows: (NormalxxSpecialxxNormalxxSpecialxxetc EXAMPLE: F4xxDB4xxD1xxDB1xxNJ2xx4xxBF2)
My point is, every combo is done by juggling your opponent. That does not seem to be the case in SFV. Suffice to say, how am I to know what normals to cancel into? When should I use a special move instead of a normal in a combo? Is this just something that I will have to learn and figure out on my own, or is there a guide that someone can point me to?
Sorry for being so lengthy with this post, I am just very eager to learn!
A combo in SFV at its most basic is Normal xx Special, how many normals you can fit in front depend on the hitstun and pushback of that normal. There are juggles but often they are done with specials and if a normal attack can connect they caus a reset state mid air(they flip out of combo). There are absolutely a bunch of exceptions to these though.
Using normal attacks during your combos you are limited to these types:
[list]
[] Chains
[] Target Combos
[] Links
[] Special Cancels
[/list]
Chains
Chains refers to light attacks cancelling the recovery frames into another light attacks. Not all light attacks can chain into eachother. The require very very little timing, you can simply drum them one after another.
Target Combos
These are most like MKXL style combos, preset combos, a specific sequenc of button inputs that is unique to the character. Example is Ibuki her st.mk>cr.hk>hk, Juri st.mp>b/f.hp etc. Most characters have a TC, not everyone though.
Links
Links are what SF is known for, these are attacks that require you to wait for the animation to complete before being able to combo into another normal attack. There is a 3f input buffer so you would rather input the next attack too fast than too slow. Another idiosyncracy is that almost no character in SFV can link a medium or heavy attack from a light attack. This is to avoid having fast low risk attack being able to convert into big damage. If a medium or heavy can link from a light then it almost always is into a Target Combo(TC). Examples being:
Cammy cr.lp, b.mp>hk
Ibuki cr.lp, st.lp>mp>hp
There are yet again exceptions to this which we can see in Chun-Li being able to do cr.lp, st.mp. If you hit a person out of the startup of their attack then that means you get a CounterHit(CH), this gives an additional 2 extra frames of hitstun, allowing you to link normals that were previousely impossible. a light into a medium/heavy attack for example. Some heavy attacks gain a CrushCounter state on CH, which is basically a long reeling state allowing you to sometimes even dash up and link into a normal.
Lastly, attacks have acttive frames, the more active frames the better, so it’s possible to time an attack early on an opponent their wakeup or after a reset so only the last active frame(s) would hit giving you extra frameadvantage, allowing you to indeed link medium or even heavies form a light attack.
Special Cancels
This simply refers to normals cancelling their recovery into a special attack. This is done by inputting a normal and quickly inputting the special as fast as possible, no real timing required. The less hitstun and short the startup is of a move, the faster you need to cancel into a special simply because you have less time. Cancelling from light attacks needs to be done really fast while cancelling from a heavy usually can be done very slowly.
Now after having read the stuff above, how do you know what actually combos, and what doesn’t? Simple experimentation. Set the dummy in training to “Block after first hit”, what this does is that the dummy will block any attack after the first hit that is either simply mistimed(too late) or it just doesn’t combo. If you pressed the second attack and it didn’t come out, this means you pressed the attack way too fast, the input buffer system is only 3 frames for links(which is a LOT compared to older SF titles).
Another easy and less tedious way to figure out what combos hitstun wise is simply look at the frame data, if an attack says it’s +5 on hit, then look at attacks that have a 5 frame startup or less. Frame data says nothing about pushback or hitboxes so you might be too far away to link the attack.
Hitconfirming is a big part of SF or any FG really, however where you might press an entire sequence of attack in MK, in SF you usually press only 1 medium or heavy or 2 lights to see if it’s connecting and go from there. In MK when you land a jump attack you have to input the first few attacks of a string before you land, in SF it’s the other wat around, you have to time the grounded attack. The heavier the jump attack, the more hit and blockstun it gives, more time for you to visually confim if it’s hitting.
To summarize, combos in SF are very grounded with minimal juggles, the take the shape of normal, normal xx special. 1st normal is an opener to allow a hitconfirm(visually see if it’s hitting), any normal afterwards is filler, trying to stuff in as much damage as possible, lastly is the special which is the ender and most cases cause a knockdown for further potential pressur eopportunities.
What combos and what not, simple experimentation, set dummy to “block after first hit” and if the dummy blocks the second hit, you either mistimed it or it doesn’t combo. If the second attack isn’t coming out, you inputted it way too fast slow down your input, from there just press buttons slower or faster to get the timing down.
How do you start combos in SFV is basically like this:
-Neutral>Pressure>Combo
You have to win in neutral before you can even apply any pressure, things like jumps skup neutral and go straight to prssure but it carries risks. SF is HUGE on spacing, so familiarize yourself with your pokes, pokes that can also be special cancelled are great because you can throw them out and buffer into a special, throwing them outside of the opponent their range means you ONLY cancel into a special if they either walked/dash forward into your poke or extended their hurtbox by pressing a normal or special attack themselves. At this point you get a knockdown and you’ll pressur ethe opponent, start with a certain pressure sequence that allows a combo on (counter)hit, if it’s hitting you ofcourse extend the combo.
SFV is a VERY easy game to understand at the basic level, however the most important aspect of doing wel in SF is often completely ignored by beginners, being solid in the neutral game, winning in ther neutral will create chances themselves for you to land a combo, don’t force it.
