---
title: 'What is Frame Data? Street Fighter 6 Frame Meter Guide'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=5mFQAQVg2zg'
video_id: '5mFQAQVg2zg'
date: 2026-07-28
duration_sec: 907
---

# What is Frame Data? Street Fighter 6 Frame Meter Guide

> Source: [What is Frame Data? Street Fighter 6 Frame Meter Guide](https://youtube.com/watch?v=5mFQAQVg2zg)

## Summary

This video explains frame data in Street Fighter 6, covering the frame meter, startup, active, and recovery phases, and how to use advantage to create combos, frame traps, and better strategies.

### Key Points

- **What is Frame Data?** [00:00] — Frame data is the logic behind fighting games, measuring moves in frames (60 frames per second).
- **Three Stages of a Move** [00:50] — Every move has startup, active, and recovery frames. Active frames (purple) are when the move can hit.
- **Hit Stun and Advantage** [01:48] — Hitting an opponent causes hit stun (yellow bar). Advantage is the difference between recovery and hit stun frames.
- **Links and Combos** [02:32] — A link occurs when a move's recovery ends before the opponent's hit stun, allowing a follow-up move.
- **Block Stun and Frame Advantage** [03:33] — On block, advantage is different. Example: standing medium punch is +2 on block.
- **Frame Traps** [04:39] — A frame trap is a sequence with a small gap where the opponent's move cannot become active before yours.
- **Chains vs Links** [06:36] — Chains skip startup on the second move, going from recovery to active. Links require full recovery.
- **Drive Rush and Frame Advantage** [08:38] — Drive Rush adds +4 frames of advantage on hit or block, enabling new combos.
- **Projectile Frame Data** [11:51] — Projectiles have a projectile phase (orange) combining active and recovery. Distance affects advantage.

### Conclusion

Understanding frame data helps you make better decisions, create combos, and set up frame traps to win more games.

## Transcript

what is Frame data and what is the frame
meter what are all these colors here
what am I supposed to do with all this
information well by the end of the video
you will have a firm understanding of
what Frame data is so that you can make
better decisions and win more games
first let's turn on the frame meter so
hit start and we're going to scroll over
to screen display settings and we're
going to turn on the frame meter we're
gonna see two rows of boxes each of them
representing a frame the top row will be
ours and the bottom will be our opponent
to understand what these funny colors
mean we must first understand a few key
points so I'm going to play a clip from
an unreleased video I did on Frame data
I recently made a video about Frame data
it is the logic and reason behind
everything in fighting games as at the
time of this recording modern fighting
games run at 60 frames a second frames
are the measurement of speed referring
to a normal or a command every second
that passes 60 frames also pass broken
down into three stages startup active
and Recovery let's first look at stage
two the active face active frames refer
to the frames in which your move can hit
an opponent we start at step two because
when we think about a move we think
about hitting the move and the only part
of the move that hits the opponent is
the active phase and the active phase is
represented on the frame meter by the
purple bars let's look at go osatsu when
I use this move she has to spin around
first and then she connects with the
opponent during these 17 frames of
startup jury cannot attack Ryu it is
only after the 17 frames during the
purple phase where she can actually
connect with Ryu let's now double back
and talk about the first stage startup
startup refers to the amount of frames
that must pass before your move becomes
active the recovery phase refers to the
amount of frames your move must complete
before you are able to act again to put
it simply startup refers to the wind-up
of the move active refers to hitting the
opponent and Recovery refers to her
reeling her arm back before she can do
her next attack jury cannot act again
until she is out of recovery or when
those blue bars pass when we collided
with Ryu we saw another bar the Bottom
bar is reusebar and the yellow bars
refer to stunned when we hit Ryu we see
startup active and stun starts on the
first frame of active Ryu was stunned
longer from the hit than jury had to
recover the difference between the
amount of hits done versus the amount of
recovery is called advantage since jury
recovers seven frames before Ryu gets
out of hit stun jury is plus seven on
advantage or you might have heard plus
seven on hit since I'm seven frames
ahead if I throw out a move after the
medium punch that's 5 frames if we look
at the fraying meter the first move
recovers the next move starts up becomes
active and then recovers and if we look
at the bottom meter where U was in
stunned the whole time he never had a
chance to recover this is called a combo
more specifically this is called a link
a link is when you use a move that
leaves you at advantage and your next
move starts up so fast your enemy never
leaves hits done your first move must
completely recover before you use the
second move but the key part is the
enemy must never leave hits done if our
second move becomes active after Ryu has
left hits done if we look at the frame
meter where you had time to recover and
he's able to block this is not a link so
how can we tell what links and doesn't
link the frame meter will tell us
startup frames and it also will tell us
Advantage if we we hit for you it tells
us stand medium punch starts up in six
frames and on hit it leaves us Advantage
by 7 frame if we use a move it tells us
startup frames or all of her moves even
on width since we're advantaged by seven
frames any move that starts up in 7
frames or quicker will link crashing
medium punch is six frame so seven
frames Advantage six frame startup that
links stand light kick is by frame so
seven frames five frames that links
startup active recovery startup active
recovery and on the bottom we use it hit
stun the whole time what if for you is
blocking if we hit start go to dummy
settings we can turn block all on now
when we use that same move we get a
different piece of information it says
we're advantage to frame rather than
being seven that's because the amount of
frames you get on block is different
from the amount of frames that you get
on hit so after I use stay in medium
Punch If review blocks I am only ahead
of him by two frame what does it mean to
be advantage two frames on block it
typically is referred to as plus two on
block so if you ever hear that that
means your two advantage on block plus
two I can act two frames before Ryu and
if we look at the frame meter we see it
here he recovers out of block stun and
there's two empty frames and then he
enters block stun again well what would
happen if were you hit a button we can
go into the dummy settings go over to
reversal settings and on block reversal
we can set it to be crouching light
punch we'll turn that on when I hit him
he will respond with the crouching light
pump the frame meter shows my move
startup was active for five frames and
recovered for 12 frames meanwhile Ryu
was in Block stun for 19 frames and then
he was able to start up his move became
active and then he recovered let's look
at a situation where Jerry would take
advantage of her two frame Advantage if
we were to hit medium punch and then
light kick you see here on the frame
meter startup active recovery and her
next move startup active and recovery on
reusebar he was in Blackstone this whole
time tried to start up but then my move
became active and then he was stuck in
hit stunt the logic is in the frame
meter Ryu was stuck in Block stun this
whole time tried to hit a button
afterwards and then my move became
active and stuffed his this results in a
counter hit setup or it's commonly
called a frame trap a frame trap is a
sequence of moves that leaves a small
Gap too small for the opponent's move to
become active Meanwhile my move can
become active before his and I went out
did we need to have the frame meter on
to find this out no technically we could
just press button and see what works but
why go through this trouble turn the
frame meter on We Can Make a Better plan
reuse quickest button is four frames and
we can see that on the frame meter on
here it says his startup was for frame
so if we're plus two on this situation
long as my move becomes active here my
next move will be out his startup of his
next move we can see that in action like
this
startup active recovery reuse in Block
stun my move starts up in one
two three four fifth frame becomes
active while his move is still trying to
start up his move would have become
active on this Frame here it didn't have
a chance to because my move was already
active what happens if two moves become
active on the same exact brain well that
results in a trade both of our moves
enter the active phase and we both got
hit at the same time so we both entered
stun at the same time why did Ryu
recover after I recovered if we both hit
each other at the same time Ryu use the
light attack I used a medium attack
usually mediums give more hits than
light attacks this could also lend
itself to this interesting situations
called trade combos based on what we
learned since I recovered before Ryu and
I'm Advantage 8 frames any move that is
8 frames or quicker should be able to
combo even though we traded let's look
at another unique situation by you
standing light punch I'm disadvantage to
frame so if I hit light punch and then
hit light punch again I get beat out
because on disadvantage 2 frames and Ryu
gets to act first Ryu recovers before I
do and he recovers two frames before me
his move starts up even before I recover
from my first move his light punch
becomes active before my light punch
becomes active so what happens here
wait doesn't that disprove what I just
said let's look at these situations side
by side the situation on the left shows
startup active recovery startup and then
I got beat trying to become active the
situation on the left shows something
different startup active recovery but no
startup I go straight to the active
phase some moves can be chainable which
means there's no startup on the second
move it goes from recovery straight to
active for the second move Ryu has to
recover and tries to go start up but
gets hit and goes into recovery jury's
feng shui engine works in Reverse
instead of cutting the startup it cuts
the recovery of all of our string we
have here startup active startup active
startup active so if any of Jerry's feng
shui strings leave a big enough Gap that
Ryu tries to match through as we see
here that means he will get hit because
my moves will definitely become active
before his after my crouching medium
kick where you tries to hit a button
only gets one frame to do so which is
not quick enough and then my move
becomes active the next frame some moves
can be canceled by special moves you
look here we have the startup of light
punch it becomes active for one frame
but then we have the startup of her
fuhajin that's because standing light
punch is special cancelable we see one
empty frame here so if Ryu tries to hit
a button Ryu gets hit there's not enough
space in between those two moves let's
review every move has startup active and
recovery for all their moves some moves
can be canceled into each other which is
called a chain also some moves can be
canceled into a special move that's
called a special chance a frame trap is
when you throw at a move that's
advantage and your next move becomes
active before their move becomes active
it's a trap because they think they can
squeeze and move in and they cannot
let's look at some cases where we can
manipulate The Frame data to get even
more Advantage the first is going to be
Drive Rush Drive Rush is done by holding
down the power and dashing if we don't
use Drive rush or advantage to frame but
if we drive rush into the same button
we're Advantage six frame let's first
look at the frame meter this purple
color shows something new this is armor
which we get off of the Parry when we
hold Parry we get armor the same same
thing as if we use Drive Impact there's
a certain amount of frames that we get
that is armored sending medium punch
starts up in six frames however if we
drive rush we see the startup of the
move is now 17 frame that's because we
have to run first before the move starts
any move that you dry brush into you get
four extra frames on hit or block so
this move that is usually plus two on
block is now plus six when we use
crotchet medium punch after standing
medium punch we traded because both of
our moves became active on the same
frame however if we were to drive rush
now where you can't hit a button at all
because there's no longer a gap in
between those two but if we were to
manually leave enough space in between
those two moves we would see that it
would counter hit and if we look at the
frame meter we have just the frame there
enough so that reuse move doesn't even
start up sequences that were not
advantaged so Ryu can counter attack
before our move becomes active can now
get plus four frames and we can act
before Wii U does this could be tricky
for the opponent because if they're used
to counteracting after a certain move
after Drive rush they might fool
themselves and get hit by it or if they
don't think they can act after a drive
rush they might be susceptible to throws
dry fresh can also augment things on hit
standing medium punch is plus seven
after Drive rush it is now plus 11 any
move that's 11 frames or quicker will
now combo a really damaging combo for
jury is standing medium punch standing
heavy punch but that does not combo
dating medium punch starts up and
becomes active after it hits Ryu Ryu
enters it's done Jerry recovers and
exits recovery starting up her next move
now that move becomes active however
becomes active after reuse hitstun wears
off dry Rush will put Ryu in an extra
four frames of hit stunt so that would
have comboed and if we look at the frame
meter my move becomes active it recovers
my next move starts up becomes active
and all the while Ryu is in hit stunt
withdrive Rush adding those four extra
frames on a drive thrust normal you can
create new combos that wouldn't have
been possible and get more damage now
that we understand how the frame meter
works we can creates situations without
having to test for hours standing light
punch is 5 frames advantage on hit if we
were to drive rush we know that we can
add four frames to it so we would be 9
frames Advantage any move that is 9
frames or quicker with combo we could
just look at the startup here and press
buttons warframes 5 frames 6 frame six
frame 10 frame A-frame oh so if this is
eight frames and after a dry brush I'm
plus nine Advantage well that means
standing light punch on a drive brush
with a crouching heavy punch would work
standing heavy kick is advantaged by two
frames on hit so if we drive rush we add
four that gives us six so any move that
is six frames or quicker will combo
after a drive Rush standing heavy kick
since this move is six frames or quicker
we can piece together this combo here
let's look at projectiles we have the
startup phase here but we also have this
orange bar think of this projectile
phase as the active and Recovery both
together since the projectile becomes
active and it's active all the way
through and it's still active even after
this phase I can't move until I reach
this 30 frame Mark if we look at this
situation on hit we can see the story
play out so we have startup for 16
frames one frame of the projectile phase
and then 29 frames of recovery we must
go through these 30 frame no matter what
but what if I'm far away
we have the projectile phase go through
for 27 frames and then three frames of
recovery 30 frames must pass for this
projectile but something interesting
happens I only recovered for three frame
if we look at this situation up close
Ryu must recover out of hitstand for 31
frames and 30 frames must pass by for me
to act again which means I am one frame
of Advantage if I let the fireball
travel just a bit we see something
interesting happen the projectile
travels for 19 frames and on the 19th
frame is when Ryu starts his 31 frames
of hit stunt meanwhile I only have 11
more frames to recover before I can act
again that means Ryu enters his hit stun
much later and I recover much sooner
which gives me Advantage 19 frames 30
frames must pass before I act again so
if I can recover and my projectile
travels I can have Ryu start his hit
stun much later if I hit the Fireball
the closest that I can I have to recover
for 30 frames Ryu has to recover for 31
frames putting me at one frame of
Advantage but if I can make that
fireball travel just a bit we see all of
a sudden I'm six frames of Advantage I
hit Ryu with a crouching medium punch
and special cancel that to my Fireball
the 15 frames go by and then the
projectile traveled for six frames this
is the frame where Ryu would start his
31 frames of hit stunt it's hard to tell
because he's in hit stun throughout the
whole combo but this is the frame that
he starts his hits done on 31 frames
after I am six frames of Advantage So in
theory
I can Cobble after the fireball because
I am plus six any move that is 6 frames
or quicker will work this is a sneaky
way to augment Frame data because you
can allow your Fireball to travel and
give you bigger frame advantage in this
case here I am minus and I cannot attack
before Ryu attack however if I let my
Fireball travel just a bit
I can attack before Ryu and in some
cases leave really nasty traps wherever
you think he's free to attack and he's
actually not
all right
this was a hard task I wanted to explain
a really hard Concept in a precise and
concise way so that even beginners can
understand it there's anything you don't
understand please ask in the comments
and if this helped out in any way please
press the like button so I know that you
like content like this and I hope I did
a good job because I want you to enjoy
Street Fighter 6 because sometimes pain
points can be relieved by having more
information if you want to get better at
Street Fighter 6 subscribe to the
channel and on screen will be a video
that should help you on your journey now
that you understand Frame data and the
frame meter I'm sure you'll be able to
understand this video a lot better
hopefully you enjoy I'll see you in the
next one have a good one