[0:00] A friend of mine recently commented on
[0:01] how the combos in Strive feel
[0:03] unintuitive, and I remember thinking the
[0:05] same thing when I first started. It felt
[0:07] unnatural to not be able to chain punch
[0:10] and kick together and weird that you
[0:12] can't use a super from a special move.
[0:14] It felt restrictive and made me question
[0:16] just how combos even work. But over
[0:18] time, especially playing different
[0:20] games, I came to understand that all
[0:22] combos fundamentally work the same. But
[0:24] the systems of a game will allow
[0:26] different ways to interact with the
[0:28] opponent and the move set. Each game
[0:30] emphasizes different aspects of combos
[0:33] and thus creates their own unique feel.
[0:35] So, let's go over combo theory in
[0:37] general, but then dig into how you
[0:39] should look to learn about combos in any
[0:42] fighting game.
[0:44] As always, let's start with the basics.
[0:46] When you hit an opponent, they are in a
[0:48] state called hit stun. They cannot block
[0:50] or move during this state. If your
[0:52] second attack can hit them before they
[0:54] recover from the hit stun, you've made a
[0:56] combo. A combo is just a series of
[0:59] attacks that the opponent is guaranteed
[1:01] to be hit by because it cannot recover
[1:03] in time from the hit stun to block. Of
[1:06] course, there are exceptions to this
[1:07] rule. Hello, burst. But generally,
[1:09] that's what makes a combo. What attacks
[1:11] you can use to hit an opponent before
[1:13] they recover from hit stun changes
[1:16] depending on the move that hit them on
[1:18] the amount of hit stun that was applied
[1:19] and the startup of the follow-up attack.
[1:22] It comes down to the frames. And if you
[1:24] need a breakdown into frame data, got a
[1:26] video on that already. There are two
[1:28] categories of follow-up attacks, links
[1:30] and cancels. A link is when your attack
[1:33] applies enough hit stun to where you can
[1:35] completely recover from that attack and
[1:38] use another one before the opponent
[1:40] recovers. Essentially, you're so plus
[1:43] that you can fit in another attack. A
[1:45] cancel is when you cancel the recovery
[1:48] of your first attack with another
[1:50] attack, thus speeding up your next
[1:52] attack. The goal is for you to be fast
[1:55] enough to hit them before they can
[1:57] recover from the hit stun. In both
[1:59] cases, it's just a matter of having
[2:00] enough frame advantage to hit them
[2:02] before they can recover. But there's
[2:04] another way of making combos via
[2:06] extending stun. The easiest illustration
[2:09] of this is a wall bounce. When you hit
[2:11] an opponent against a wall with a move
[2:13] that can wall bounce, you're essentially
[2:15] extending the stun they have to allow
[2:17] you to follow up with another attack.
[2:19] There are many different character
[2:21] states that games allow you to be able
[2:23] to combo with. Crumple, dizzy, juggles.
[2:26] These are all character states that
[2:28] extend the stun the opponent has. OTG
[2:31] moves are basically moves that let you
[2:32] interact with an opponent that's in a
[2:34] state you normally would not be able to
[2:36] when they're on the ground, thus
[2:38] allowing you to apply stun. Again, if
[2:40] any of these terms are going over your
[2:42] head, check the description for the
[2:43] fighting game glossery and look them up.
[2:45] But these concepts are what makes combos
[2:47] work. Different games emphasize these
[2:50] concepts differently, and it's what
[2:52] gives each one its own unique feel.
[2:55] Let's start with Street Fighter. Street
[2:56] Fighter is known for its links. Thus,
[2:59] you're looking for moves that apply
[3:00] enough hit stun so you can connect with
[3:02] another attack. Take this heavy kick for
[3:05] example. Ryu is plus 9 from the hit.
[3:08] Thus, if I have a move that's nine
[3:10] frames or faster, I can link to it. Now,
[3:12] compare that to Uni. Uni has a very free
[3:15] flowing cancel system. Any normal can
[3:18] from any other normal. So, I can go
[3:20] light, medium, heavy, but I can also go
[3:23] heavy, medium, light, or even medium,
[3:25] light, heavy. They can cancel regardless
[3:28] of the advantage. But if you notice,
[3:30] spacing becomes a factor. Strive focuses
[3:33] on cancels, but not so free form. The
[3:35] Gatlings are much more specific.
[3:38] However, what Strive does focus on is
[3:40] character states. Counter hits apply
[3:43] extended stun, allowing for links, and
[3:45] things like Unica's charge DP has a wall
[3:48] bounce effect to it. So, it's via
[3:50] different states that you really get
[3:52] your extensions and combos. If you think
[3:54] that's limiting, check out City of the
[3:55] Wolves. It's built around its special
[3:57] cancel system, Rev cancels. But this
[4:00] system also locks you out of using
[4:02] normals. Notice here how plus I am, yet
[4:06] I cannot connect with this normal.
[4:08] Weird, but that's how the system works.
[4:10] Whenever you pick up a new game,
[4:12] understanding what the system allows
[4:14] will help you wrap your mind around its
[4:16] combos. You can ask yourself questions
[4:18] like, "Do moves leave me plus enough to
[4:20] link attacks together? What buttons can
[4:22] be normal canceled or special canceled?
[4:25] Are there ways to extend stun?" And once
[4:27] you have the answers to these questions,
[4:30] you have the fundamentals of what that
[4:32] game's combo system is.
[4:34] As you understand and start to develop
[4:36] your own combos, there's one central
[4:39] thing you should ask yourself. What do
[4:41] you want from the combo? The first
[4:43] response is damage. That's the entire
[4:45] reason we create combos to begin with is
[4:47] to increase the number of hits against
[4:49] an opponent. Thus, they take more
[4:51] damage. But there's two more concepts
[4:53] you should consider. Firstly,
[4:55] positioning. As you hit an opponent,
[4:57] naturally your characters move. They
[5:00] move forward or upward and thus leaving
[5:02] you in a different position on the
[5:04] screen. What position you're left in
[5:06] after the combo is over is worth
[5:08] considering. Let's say you're a rushdown
[5:10] character fighting a zoner. you want to
[5:12] stick close to them as much as possible
[5:14] so their zoning becomes less effective.
[5:17] So with that in mind, maybe you want a
[5:19] combo that leaves the opponent close to
[5:21] you rather than launching them far away.
[5:24] Or maybe you're playing a character that
[5:25] does its best in the corner. So corner
[5:27] carry is much more advantageous to you
[5:29] than damage. Positioning matters.
[5:32] Secondly, end state. By this I mean the
[5:34] state you leave yourself or your
[5:36] opponent after the combo is over. Some
[5:38] combos can set you up nicely for a safe
[5:40] jump, or they leave you point blank next
[5:43] to the opponent so you can meeting them
[5:44] easily, or it pushes them far enough
[5:47] away that it allows you time to set
[5:49] something up, like a trap. The end state
[5:51] can be really influenced by your
[5:53] character's core strategy. If you're a
[5:55] mixup monster, you want to stay close so
[5:57] you can keep your pressure up. If you're
[5:59] a zoner, you want to knock them far away
[6:00] as possible. Or you just really love oki
[6:03] and want that hard knockdown every time.
[6:05] Regardless, when you're developing
[6:07] combos, think of these three concepts:
[6:09] damage, positioning, and end state. Your
[6:12] combos should have purpose, and the more
[6:14] intentional you are with your combos,
[6:16] the better you'll be.
[6:19] And that be combo theory. Quite a meaty
[6:21] topic, but one I hope helps shed light
[6:23] as to why some games feel the way they
[6:26] do and why some fit your preferences
[6:28] better. Some people want to hit buttons
[6:30] constantly, so a heavily cancelbased
[6:32] system feels great to them. Others like
[6:34] the intentionality of blinks, so they
[6:36] prefer that system. Overall, it's a
[6:39] personal preference, and no game is
[6:41] right or wrong for its system, but
[6:43] regardless, as a casual, you should try
[6:45] them all.
[6:47] [Music]