Glad to see a higher up FGC member doing something for casuals. We should always be trying to build our player base, and every player starts somewhere. Thanks for giving the new folks a way in, can't wait to what they make of themselves in SF6.
This; One of the thing I hate about my local scene is always those trying to keep this hush hush. Like, you want the genre to die? That's how you kill it. Grow the scene, get people interested, and they come back, they bring friends and keep it going.
@@RichterBelmont11891 that's the constant dilemma with the fgc as far as my own experience 3 years in, self appointed gatekeepers who care about nothing but keeping their community pure (whatever that means depends on the person) but those same gatekeepers keep wondering why their games playerbase shrink rapidly and hinder growth for years because they make the pond they're all in too toxic for anything else to thrive. Videos like these that break down the fundamentals go a long way to helping newer players get their feet wet with fighting games.
I just started SF6’s Beta pretty much blind, and no idea why attacks weren’t connecting. I got a grasp on combos now with this video. Thanks amigo, I hope I can put it in practice.
@HuntersWrathYou mean, jump block? Other games (mainly anime fighters) allow you to do a double jump or an air dash, and also air blocking. In SF, only certain characters can double jump (using a special move) or "air dash", again, using a special move. As an advice from a semi novice to total novice, don't jump too much in SF, this game has a lot of air game, but if you jump too much, you will get heavily punished.
Brian is a national treasure. Intelligent, eloquent, and handsome. Shoutout to the guy that bought him a capture card to start streaming, we are all blessed.
"I don't need these videos" - yeah you say that, but when you find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife, and things are not the same as it ever was, how else will you remember how to do a combo in Street Fighter but by watching this video?
I appreciate this explanation! It's very clear and concise. I would also like to see your explanation of juggles, as I feel like I'm slowly starting to get the hang of linking moves and special canceling, but most of the time when I try a juggle it doesn't work.
Brian has a big video on juggles! It’s tough to get a read on it sometimes because there’s a limited amount of juggles you can do, and some moves can get around that limitation.
So that was my biggest knowledge gap in street fighter is how links tied together. Can anything link given there's enough hitstun? Or does it follow like a light to medium to heavy concept? Can you go in reverse? I know special cancels are move and character specific, but are links the same? I really appreciate this video for the building blocks it's established. Would definitely love more going over combo theory
Hitstun is all that matters. The amount of hitstun a move does is all character specific. Sfv and 6 will tell you how "plus" you are, which basically tells you how much time you have to do your next move. If you're +6 after a move hits, you have time to link a move that comes out in 6 frames or faster. You can figure out the toolkits like this via trial and error and learn your characters options and potential routes
Brian once again showing how well he knows this game by actually being able to teach the basics. He introduces the building blocks, shows one way to put them together, and even leaves us with a starting point for more advanced experimentation on our own! A lot of top players forget just how simple beginners can need to keep it, props to Brian for breaking it down properly!
Hey smash player here who has recently started playing street fighter more recently. Just wanted to say how helpful this video is to me. Had no idea about links as they aren't the same in smash, with the game being a lot more lenient with hitstun, so it's really hard switching over to a game with near perfect inputs to perform links in order to combo. But practice makes perfect and the more I do them hopefully the more I'll improve.
Not gonna lie i actually understood this, and it was very helpful, i didnt know the red bar was the time of your move starting and ending. Thats so helpful lol
After playing FGs for the past 8 years or so it's refreshing to see tutorials this well explained and entertaining for beginners. It took so long to figure out all this stuff on my own all these years ago on SF4, great stuff Brian 👍🏽
Hey man, I’ve struggled with putting combos together in Street Fighter specifically since I’ve fallen in love with the game two years ago after super getting into fighting games with Tekken. I stick to characters like Honda, where I can at least get by on the skin of my fundamentals - I miss out on so much damage, though. I’ve been too afraid to flat out ask someone of your skill “hey, how do I even begin to combo properly in this game?”. Thank you for such an in depth explanation, you have essentially covered exactly where I’m going wrong and where I’m too afraid to ask for some pointers. You’re the best SF content creator (and competitor!) bar none for things like this - thank you for helping me enjoy something I love just that much more.
So far I've been able to do crouch normals into specials (Example: 3rd Strike Ryu cr.MK into Hadouken), but for some reason I struggle with doing standing normals into specials and supers. Is there a better method for those?
This explanation is like one of those aha moments, where now I finally know how combos work more intuitively, making it a lot easier not only to make combos yourself by understanding the mechanics behind it, but also making execution more intuitive to. Awesome video!🔥
People always say that links in SF are pretty lenient with timing but if “lenient” means i have to be able to do a combo link within a quarter of a second or else its too late, then i dont want to know what a not lenient combo is like
*1°:* A combo is a string of guaranteed hits to get more damage and stage than just regular attacks. Those consists generally of 4 elements, a starter, extenders, enders and attack cancelling in between. *2°:* The combo starter is the move who connects first, and has usually the properties of having enough stun on the enemy to connect into other moves or itself, as well as enough speed and range to be used to punish something the opponent did. *3°:* Extenders are moves fast enough to follow the previous move and are usually enablers of the enders or a different extender. A combo without an ender because the extender can extend into itself in certain loop is known as an infinite, and those are avoid like plague in a lot of fighting games for good reason, while 2-hit combos don't have extenders, just starter and ender. *4°:* The ender is an attack who cannot be followed up in any capacity. They're usually big damaging moves you want to land but cannot be reliably land if the opponent can defend himself, like most EX moves, altough any move can be a combo ender, either by dropping the combo (finish it before time in any capacity) or because it can no longer be followed by any circumstance. *5°:* Attack Cancelling means cancelling the endlag of an attack into another. Some are just cosmetic while in a lot of fighting games you can cancel the end of certain moves into a specific list of moves your character has; those are excellent combo extenders and you should try to research which moves your character has who can cancel and into what to discover what combos you have at your disposal.
I can say with all honesty, "link" combos in Street Fighter are the jankiest most annoying mechanic that has been kept in the game. The timing and range variances is over complicating, this is a great explanation of it but the fact we need a 20 minute in depth breakdown outside the game to explain it shows how outdated it is. It's tied to old game engines based on sprites... Why do they have to work differently then target combos? There's no reason for it anymore.
This is gold. Trying to learn this stuff feels like learning a foreign language, being taught in a different foreign language. Links, cancels, blockchains, buffers, confirms. More of this content please.
I really hope that my favorite Guile combo from SF4 still works. Jump Heavy Kick > Guile High Kick > Flash Kick is a combo I learned myself since I got Super SF4 on my 3DS.
In SF and KOF(and in some other) games this is not as common but in MK and Injustice games(my main games) this is not only common but a staple feature: every character has these strings(and I’ve never heard anybody call them “target combos”) and you can cancel them into specials, the ultimate, normals and even another string…I wish other games were like that too
Target Combo is specifically a Street Fighter term which is even in the game and fortunately one of the few which has mostly gone unchanged for over 20 years, so it is worth knowing since it covers Capcom's biggest fighter. As far as hoping more games could work like NRS releases. I'm glad that we have so many diverse releases on the market though it means you have to learn a new language unless you are constantly exposed to different things.
Okay that makes a lot of sense. As a smash player ive been struggling with execution and input windows. I can even combo in Tekken because the input windows are generally lenient, but Street fighter has always been like ???
I have a quick Question for beginners about Street Fighter does it work on PlayStation controller cause I heard it’s the same on PlayStation controller as hurt boxes
Finally, someone who explains what a cancel is. I struggle so hard with those and nothing has been clear on the subject. Now that I know what it is I can finally start practicing it.
Like others have said, a huge thank you for posting something like this. I have the bare minimal knowledge on playing fighting games and my friend has been getting me into it after I watched him play the SF6 Beta. Just seeing the back and forth of 2 equally skilled players fight is honestly really fun to watch. I know you have other plans when SF6 does release, but a good beginner overview similar to a video like this for it would be nice to see if you have the time for it Cheers mate 🍻
okay i have a question. ryu's normal 1 is +4 OH...His normal 3 (low normal kick) is 4 startup, right? so, why it not linking? (SF6 btw). im new in street fighter scene and im kinda strugling in combos. i've being playing mortal kombat my entire live and sf only casually with friends.
Christ. Thank you for reminding me how stupidly complicated fighting games are. Is there not any 2D/2.5D fighting games were you don't have to learn a stupid amount of information and have inhuman reaction times?
Bro.... That link explanation with the animation/bar LITERALLY fixed my mental gap on how to do conversions and what moves to prioritize in neutral. Thank you! Time to study Cammys frame data.
oh my god i thought i was so bad, thanks for this. Im new to traditional fighters and came from smash sf6 looks amazing but ive had issues in training room. This video helped me with all my issues
SF4 and other fighters were way better, in some scenarios you can get caught inside a "Loop Combo" in other words infinites ♾️ examples: Dudley, Chun Li, Ibuki etc...
The problem I'm having with specifically ken combos is the timing. Each combo can have drastically different timing and getting them consistently is proving to be very difficult. I really want to get good with ken but eventually a bunch of characters but if each combo trial is this difficult im thinking it would be pretty hard to consistently get even one characters combos. I wonder if there is some kind of tell the game has where it let's you know when to press the next attack to continue the combos. People say ken is easy to use and it blows my mind because he certainly isn't to me. I'm gonna keep trying though and I will eventually figure it out but if anyone has any tips please let me know. Much love and respect.
Can i pickup a juggle w another basic link? Thats where im having trouble, like mk i can juggle and pick it back up w another basic string but i tend to have troubke finding a string that will continue my combo in SF6
I watch all your videos. Love them. But this time I have to provide some feedback. I noticed your saying this a lot.. "it's really that simple". I get your intent with it. But to some beginning players that can come over a little demotivating. Cause when starting with this it far from simple.
listen i think this game is cool. i started off with one of these games put it down for a while and then tried to come back with five and just tried again this week with 6. however now that I've played other fighting games i have to admit the timing of when to do an input in these games dont seem to match up on screen with whats happening which leads me to dropping basic links of normals. i can no longer do basic combos and links even with this guide. Im not trying to bash the game, the stuff that's possible in this game looks amazing but if your reading this and you've had a similar experience i would suggest sticking to your other games, because no matter how cool it looks it'll just leave you frustrated like me. I whish i could rejoin this series but ive tried again and again to regain some sense of skill here and i just cant.
links have always felt really confusing and hard for me to do from back in street fighter 4 and it feels intimidating bc it's not set like combo strings in 3d games and mortal kombat or chains in arcsys games and marvel. I can do special cancelling though which feels a lot easier for me since it's the same idea as chain combos or strings since you are just pressing everything in sequence quickly and it's not as specific with the timing as links since you can't just press every button on order as fast as I can
TBH Brian you want to make this video using SF6’s training mode. There’s a bar that goes down that shows the timing at which you need to press your next button.
to elaborate on links further think of it like a rhythm game like guitar hero where you don't have the benefit of an input buffer you don't have to be frame perfect (though there can be situations and entire games where that's necessary) but you do need to time your next input to make it connect from the previous input
@@Brian_F for completeness? just thought maybe it deserved a footnote since you touched on juggles. plus, I learned about trade combos from you, sir. (^_^)
Despite knowing you have to do moves at the end of others to link, and actively practicing for hours, I can't do my basic links in SFV consistently I don't understand how people think SFV combos are easy and I don't understand how to get them down consistently
@@Brian_F I think you're giving the great advice in this video, but I also agree with the dude you're replying to that SFV's combos are only easy if you're already used to links. Easier than other SF games, certainly, but not easy outright.
@@Brian_F Okay so I did the ones you showed a couple times I can do them decently, my main problem is light links particularly Like I'm a Ryu main and I feel like I never actually pull off cr.lp, st.lp, st.lk, lk tatsu in match even though I've done it like 10 times in a row in training I think I just can't hit confirm moves with low hitstun or I'm not understanding what situations to use those combos
@@uncreativearro like I said in the video, I do think they are easy objectively just not intuitive. Once it clicks you won't have trouble because the timing is EXTEEMELY forgiving. It's just understanding the concept that is foreign to new players. Keep in mind doing combos in a vacuum in training mode is not the same as doing them in a real match. That's a different topic/skill
@@foreverfirebird5712 hit confirming/pulling off combos on a real opponent with variable starting moves and spacing is not what this video is covering , that's a whole other skill set. You have trouble "confirming" the combo. If you can do it training mode, you understand links. Your problem is a different but real hurdle to get over.
This guide was the perfect beginner's primer before going into an actual frame data guide, and it helped me feel **soooo** much more prepared for SF6 launch. Thanks!
As a Guilty Gear Strive player trying SF5 was like going into a foreign country. The base combo knowledge from GG does NOT apply here lmao. Besides target combos. I was so lost. Still am, it's why I'm watching lmao.
i never understood the juggle system. i once tried labbing some fun akira combos with VS1 only to find out that in some routes, after doing my wall bounce, the opponent just flies right through my special move. it'd be great to finally know how it actually works.
I have been playing SF since the Snes and this is the 1st time an explanation of these mechanics have sunk in. You have a knack for teaching. Keep doing this type of video In the future
Honestly was excited for the SF6 beta. It looks great as a game and quality product from Capcom and I've been trying several fighters after getting into Strive last year. I can honestly say after playing the beta these past 2 days I honestly just do not like how SF combos are structured. I don't like links. I wanted to like the game but unlike every other fighter I've been trying I don't like the buttons in this game. I still don't feel like I can grasp how links work even with video this when the game doesn't exactly help whether some link is possible or how far off I could be
tekken player here, wanted to get into sf as a genre but im absolutetly lost about combos. In tekken when you launch someone, you can attack them when they are midair with almost every move. Now in street fighter as far as I've noticed some attacks whiff when the enemy is midair. for example if I do akumas mp mk > kick into lp the LP whiffs?
There's a hidden value called "juggle potenial" that each move has. When you launch someone up, a hidden counter starts counting up for each hit you do during a juggle. If the counter is higher then the juggle potential for a move, it will whiff. Most moves have a juggle potential of zero, meaning they won't hit opponents during a juggle. Akuma's DP has a juggle potential value greater then zero, so it will connect after the launch. Hope this helps! Feel free to ask more questions if you need to. It's a weird system for sure
So it seems like there’s no actual hit confirming in this game though? You can’t cancel early enough in normals to raw confirm? Seems like an odd choice pushing heavy neutral. I know recovery is worse and whiff punishing exists but that’s sad if it’s true.
Nah you can definitely confirm, it takes some practice (and even then I'm still pretty bad at it) but, for example, Ken doing crouching medium kick into shoryuken is a classic and very possible to confirm in this game
