From Dustloop wiki Flashcards
Writing Combos
Combos are an important part of any fighting game, and so being able to read combos is also important. Based on the way attacks are written, you can determine when and how to perform the next attack in the combo.
Cancels
Cancels are interrupting the animation of one attack with a second. Cancels are separated by right angle brackets (>).
Example: 5A > 5B > 5C = Neutral A, cancel that attack’s recovery with neutral B, then cancel that attack’s recovery with neutral C.
Example: 5B > 623C = Neutral B, then Forward, Down, Down-Forward (Dragon Punch) + C.
Immediate Followup/Kara Cancel
Occasionally you’ll need to press one button immediately after another to perform special attacks or to kara cancel (allowing you to use the movement of an attack that you cancel to reach farther with the attack you cancel into). These are written using a tilde (~) between the attack buttons.
Example: 225D~C = press down twice, return to neutral and press D, then immediately press C. This allows you to use the movement of 5D while actually performing 22C.
Example 2: 236B~214B = press Down, Down-Forward, Forward + B, then immediately press Down, Down-Back, Back + B.
Links
Links are attacks that do not cancel into each other, but that still combo thanks to hitstun.
Example: 5B, 5C = neutral B, then neutral C after the B attack recovers.
Note: unless links have an especially long wait on them, timing is usually not written. Typically the next move is performed as soon as it’s available to use and will hit the opponent.
Canceling Multi-Hit Moves Early
If you need to cancel an attack that hits multiple times before all of the hits connect, it’s typically indicated by adding the number of hits desired in parentheses to the end of the attack.
Example: 41236C(1) = cancel after the first hit from half-circle forward C.
Followups
Some moves allow additional commands to be entered afterward to change how the first command works. Hazama demonstrates two of the most common forms: a stance, and a variable Drive. Followups are written using an arrow (->) between commands.
Example: D -> A = press neutral D, then press neutral A for the followup.
Multiple Possible Inputs
This comes up more often in some games than others, but almost always turns up in move lists. When multiple buttons can be pressed with a single movement input, slashes (/) are used to separate the possible inputs. If ANY input is acceptable, an X is used.
Example: D -> A/B/C/D = press neutral D, then you may press either A, B, C, or D.
Example 2: 236X = press Down, Down-Forward, Forward, then any attack button.
Holding/Releasing Buttons
Sometimes an attack or command requires an input to be held, and then released later. Brackets are used for both, [] for hold and ][ for release. You’ll see a lot of these in Carl combos.
Example: 5[D], 22]D[ = press D while neutral, then press Down twice and release D to perform the second attack.
Example 2: [4]6A = hold Back, press Forward + A.
Repeating Inputs
Some attacks require, or allow, an attack button to be pressed multiple times. It’s simple math: Command (xNumber of times to perform the command). If an entire group of commands is to be repeated, the commands will all be surrounded in parentheses with the multiplier outside.
Example: j.C(x5) = while jumping, press neutral C five times.
Example 2: 5C(xN) = press neutral C forever, or until it stops working.
Example 3: (5A 5B 5C)xN = loop neutral A, neutral B, and neutral C forever.
(Fatal) Counters, and Rapid/One More Cancels
Some combos only work under special conditions. One of the most common is a combo that’s started with a counter hit - because counter hits have additional hitstun, they allow for combos that would otherwise be impossible. When an attack has to be a Counter Hit to work properly, CH or Counter Hit is written before the attack. If it needs to be a Fatal Counter, FC or Fatal is used instead. Furthermore, some moves don’t link together naturally, and require a Rapid/One More Cancel for the combo to continue. When a Rapid Cancel is used in a combo, it is abbreviated as RC (One More Cancel is OMC, while Burst is OMB), with no other separation, and you’ll use it to cancel the move that came before it.
Example: CH 5B > 6A RC 236B = neutral B hits as a counter, then cancel to forward A, and rapid cancel that into quarter-circle forward B.
Whiffs, and Other Unusual Things
You can’t have shorthand for everything. Sometimes an unusual circumstance comes up that can’t be adequately explained in three letters, and so instead we simply give the instructions in the combo itself. Common instances of this are “whiff”, “dash”, and “delay”, but there are plenty more besides those.
Example: BC whiff, 6C = press B and C together to perform a throw that misses the target, then cancel to forward C.
Example 2: 236236B, walk forward 4D = double quarter-circle forward B, then walk forward in order to make the back D hit.
Prefixes
Sometimes you’ll see a prefix before a numerical movement command or attack. Here are some of the most common:
j. Jumping, or in midair. sj. indicates a superjump.
Example: j.2C = perform a Down+C attack while in midair.
jc. Jump Cancel (cancel the previous attack by jumping, then perform the indicated command), sometimes written as dj. (Double Jump)
Example: 6A > jc.B > j.C xx j.236C = Forward + A, cancel with a jump and attack with neutral B, cancel with neutral C, cancel into the special move quarter-circle forward + C.
c. Close. In Guilty Gear, Slash attacks work differently when you’re near your opponent. f. is for the Far version of that attack.
d. Command performed while in Drive (Noel’s Chain Revolver moves are notated this way)
Example: 5D > d.6D = press neutral D to initiate Drive, then press forward D while in Drive for the next attack.
tk. Tiger Knee, indicating that the command should be performed on the ground with an upward end to the motion, allowing it to be performed just as you enter a jump state.
Example: tk.236A = Down, Down-Forward, Forward, Up-Forward, then press A just as you enter the air.
Move Names, Placeholders
In combos, you may find the name of an attack used in place of an input. Just perform the move that’s written. Additionally, combos might end with phrases like “air combo ender,” “OTG ender,” things of that nature. In these cases you would use any general combo that suits the situation and yields the result you want, rather than writing out a new combo for each possibility.
CH
Counter Hit
To interrupt the opponent’s attack with your own. Counter Hits usually have increased hitstun or have additional properties that normal hits do not have. This usually gives the opportunity to retaliate with even stronger combos.
FD
Faultless Defense
A Guilty Gear term that refers to a special type of blocking that negates chip damage and increases pushback. Can be used to refer to similar mechanics in other games (such as BlazBlue’s Barrier Block).
IAD
Instant Air Dash
To perform an air dash from a standing position as fast as possible. Done by pressing 956 to air dash forwards or 754 to air dash backwards.
IB
Instant Block
A mechanic used in games like Guilty Gear and BlazBlue where you begin blocking right before an attack strikes you. The benefit of this is that you recover faster, suffer less pushback, and gain extra meter.
OCV
One Character Victory
When a single person defeats every opponent in a team match.
OTG
Off The Ground
The act of hitting the opponent when the are knocked down, thus hitting them Off The Ground.
FC
Fatal Counter
A state inflicted on the opponent that increases hitstun on all subsequent attacks in a combo, allowing for bigger and/or longer combos.
Often earned by counter-hitting the opponent with specific moves.
Burst (noun)
An invincible attack that can be performed during hitstun to prevent an opponent from performing a full combo. Bursts usually consume a very hard-to-come-by resource and can be baited and punished.
Cancel (verb)
To perform a second action while the first action is still in motion. Used to create combos, advantageous situations, etc.
Catch Move (noun)
An attack where your character goes into a blocking stance and will only trigger an attack if the opponent hits you. Examples of this include Hakumen’s Drive attacks or Axl’s Tenhou Seki (214P/K)
Command Throw (noun)
A throw that is performed by inputting a special command like 214C. Generally command throws have special properties like more damage or inescapable.
Chicken Block (noun)
Jumping into the air and blocking rather than standing on the ground and being forced to guess a high-low mixup.
Chip Damage (noun)
Damage incurred when blocking an attack. Typically, only Special Attacks and Super Attacks have chip damage, but there are exceptions.
Combo (noun)
A sequence of attack where if the first attack hits, then the followup hits are guaranteed to hit the opponent.
Crossup (noun)
To perform a maneuver where a defending opponent must block the opposite direction. An example is Ragna jumping over an opponent and attacking with a j.B. Depending on the timing, the opponent must block in two different directions.
Dead Angle/ Alpha Counter/ Counter Assault
An attack that is done during blockstun that has invincibility and is used to stop the opponent’s pressure.
EX / Force Break
A type of special attack that consumes meter, but is not a super. Normally the power of these attacks are between that of Specials and Supers.
Faultless Defense / Barrier Block (noun)
A special type of blocking that negates chip damage, increases blockstun, and pushes the opponent back further than usual. This type of blocking comes at the cost of a resource.
Frame Trap (noun)
An offensive technique where the attacker leaves a small opening in their offense, goading the defender into performing an attack. This opening is designed such that the attacker can easily counter the defender’s attack with his own.
Fuzzy Guard (noun)
An advanced offensive technique where the player tricks the opponent to block high then low, then does two high attacks in a row that would normally miss the opponent if done independently.
Gatling / Revolver Action / P Combo
The special category of cancels that describe how each character can cancel normals into other normals.
Guard Point (adj.)
An attack that automatically blocks certain attacks. Examples of this include Bang’s Drive attacks and Baiken’s Suzuran (63214K)
Hard Knockdown (noun)
A knockdown that forces the character into a prolonged knockdown state.
High-Low (noun)
A mixup where the opponent must choose between blocking high and low.
Hit Confirm (verb)
To perform the first hit of a combo, but only performing the followup hits if the first hit successfully hits the opponent.
Hyper Armor (adj.)
An attack that can absorb multiple hits from the opponent (usually taking a fraction of the regular damage). Examples of this include Tager’s 6[A] and Potemkin’s Judge Gauntlet (63214D)
Link (verb)
To perform a second action after the first action completely finishes its animation in order to create a combo.
