In preparation for AE, here are the “optimal” damage punish combos based on meter and corner positioning. This post is for me as much as anyone, to reference in the future. I think, in AE, meter management and max damage punishers are half the battle. I took into account EX Hayate’s damage increasing to 120. I’m calculating this crap by hand, so don’t worry about some missing meter usage or stun … I’m a lazy fellow.
Note: everything involving FA2 applies to FA3, just add 60 damage, 50 stun, and 20 meter.
No meter, no corner, FA2:
FA2, IA MK Tsurugi, s.HP xx HP Hayate. 282 damage, 474 stun, 138 meter.
FA2, HP Fukiage JC HK Tsurugi. 265 damage, 418 stun, 100 meter. Possibly the new meterless FA2 BnB, considering it’s so easy to accidentally juggle someone after an FA2 with the Tsurugi.
1 meter, no corner, FA2:
FA2, HP Fukiage, HP Fukiage, EX Tsurugi. 326 damage, 522 stun. This is the new 1 meter FA2 BnB for max damage.
FA2, HP Fukiage JC MK Tsurugi, EX Hayate. 302 damage, 466 stun. Arguably as useful, since you get a better setup and corner your opponent more for a slight loss of damage and stun.
2 meters, no corner, FA2:
FA2, EX Fukiage, HP Fukiage, EX Tsurugi. 358 damage, 554 stun. Can realistically be worth it if it will kill (and the 1 meter alternative doesn’t) or will put them within chip damage away from death. After all, we’ve all ended combos with EX Oroshi instead of a Hayate to take the last pixel of life left.
3 meters, no corner, FA2:
FA2, EX Fukiage, EX Fukiage, EX Tsurugi. 386 damage, 582 stun. Not recommended, but your most damaging option without Ultra.
4 meters, no corner, FA2:
FA2, IA MK Tsurugi, s.HP xx HP Hayate xx Super, s.HP xx HP Hayate. 387 damage. Not recommended unless you will kill someone with this.
No meter, in corner, FA2:
FA2, HP Fukiage, neutral jumping HP. 230 damage, 453 stun, 114 meter. I consider this optimal because of the extremely good risk vs. reward afterward.
FA2, IA MK Tsurugi, s.HP xx HP Hayate for max damage when killing them is possible.
1 meter, in corner, FA2:
FA2, IA MK Tsurugi, s.HP xx EX Hayate, LP Fukiage. 338 damage, 572 stun. For me, it’s good to know this does the most bang for your buck for one meter.
2 meters or more, in corner, FA2:
FA2, IA MK Tsurugi, s.HP xx EX Hayate, LP Fukiage, EX Tsurugi. 402 damage, 650 stun. This is AE Makoto, my friends. Do not use anything but this unless you have Ultra or less than 2 meters. Doing a max damage Super combo from an FA without an Ultra does LESS than this.
Any meter, no corner, standard punish of a blocked move hasn’t changed from SSF4, except for EX Hayate doing the same amount of damage as EX Oroshi and now your goal is to aim for corner placement.
1 meter, corner, standard punish:
s.HP xx HC, s.MP xx EX Hayate, LP Fukiage. 306 damage, 532 stun.
s.HP xx EX Hayate, LP Fukiage. 280 damage, 478 stun.
c.MP xx EX Hayate, LP Fukiage. 260 damage, 378 stun.
2 meters, corner, standard punish:
s.HP xx HC, s.MP xx EX Hayate, LP Fukiage, EX Tsurugi. 402 damage, 664 stun.
s.HP xx EX Hayate, LP Fukiage, EX Tsurugi. 392 damage, 632 stun. The gap of damage and stun narrows wildly here, consider well if the 1 frame link is worth the 10 damage and 32 stun.
Stun combos, one meter (this is all assuming the opponent is cornered, and we must start at one meter, otherwise it’s the same as SSF4 in terms of efficiency):
FA3, IA MK Tsurugi, s.HP xx EX Hayate, LP Fukiage. 398 damage, 622 stun. It’s always ideal to go for this over the meterless alternative unless the meterless alternative will kill your opponent.
Fully charged HP Hayate, LP Fukiage, EX Tsurugi. 398 damage, 516 stun. Good mainly for style points, but there is one very small incentive to this: it’s the quickest way to kill someone stunned and low on health while needing 398 damage.
Stun combo with two meters:
FA3, IA MK Tsurugi, s.HP xx EX Hayate, LP Fukiage, EX Tsurugi. 462 damage, 700 stun. If you don’t have Ultra, this is the end all, be all combo. Nothing will outdamage this after a stun.
