Strategies

Normals You Should Be Using

I think Elena has a lot of really useless normals. That seems to be more common in this game than in other games; I'm not really sure why. But, in any case, here are the normals I use...some, more often than others:

1. S.Lk - Cos sometimes, it's just nice to have a standing normal that cancels into stuff. In any case, I don't use this very much.

2. C.Lk - This move is kinda funny. It can go under fireballs at point blank (not all that useful), and it can combo into EX Spin Scythe or SA2. In fact, it's her only low cancelable normal. It's really a shame that this one is really hard to hit confirm, but in any case, it's probably good to know about it.

3. S.Mp - One of my other less-frequently-used normals, this one is nice when your opponent jumps in from too close to use Back Roundhouse effectively, and I don't have enough time to dash under my opponent.

4. C.Mp - This one is nice. It's got almost as long of range as C. Mk (on characters with straighter stances, there really is no difference, and on characters with less-straighter stances like Chun-Li, the difference is negligable), it's actually pretty nice anti-air, and it's her only viable hit-confirmable move. The only problems are that it's a mid, and its start-up time is a little slow in comparison to similar moves (Ken C.Mk, Chun C.Mk). Still, this one's very important.

5. F+Mp Overhead - It's an overhead. It's a little slower, or maybe as fast as her UOH, but the range on it is quite long, and it doesn't move her forward at all. I use this one less than her F+Mk Overhead, but this one has its uses, mainly in countering slow crouching attacks.

6. S.Mk - I used to not like this move too much; however, the range, speed, and priority of the attack made it quite an excellent move for stuffing attacks. It also can be used in a target combo (S.Mk + C.Hp), which is quite a valuable tool for SA3 users.

7. F+Mk Overhead - Oh man...I love this move. It's got about the same range as the F+Mp Overhead (surprisingly; I thought this move had much better range), and it comes out waaay faster. The only trouble with this move is that it recovers a bit slower, and it moves Elena forward, which can put her in trouble sometimes...If this move gets parried, you're in a lot of trouble. Just learn when it's safe to follow up and when it isn't, and you'll be fine.

8. S.Hk - One of Elena's important normals for her defense. This one sends Elena forward, and can go over some low attacks. This beats quite a lot of stuff on ground AND air, but is VERY slow to recover, and the range isn't quite as long as it looks. Use this if you're sure your opponent is gonna attack, so you can counter it. Otherwise, use it in close proximity. If you whiff this, it's GONNA hurt. Another thing...While this can be used as anti-air, you don't wanna use it as anti-air on closer jump-ins. Stick to S.Mp for that kinda stuff!

9. B+Hk - The other important defense normal. B+Hk moves Elena slightly backwards, giving her throw invulnerability. Is also goes over a lot of low attacks. As if that wasn't enough, it has crazy priority (better than normal S. Hk!), and does crazy large amounts of stun. Just like S.Hk, you don't wanna use this on close jump-ins, so watch out. Be sure to use her Hks along with S.Mp and C.Mp for a surprisingly solid defensive game.

10. C.Hk - A quick sweep that's pretty effective at far ranges, and even goes under fireballs on occassion. Going under fireballs isn't very practical, but it can be useful to remember. This move comes out pretty fast, and is surpsingly safe on block, considering you didn't do it too close to the opponent.

11. OC.Hk - A sliding kick that knocks down and has decent range. While the range is better than her C. Hk sweep, it's not really a lot safer, and you can't abuse it quite as much as some people's slide kicks (Dhalsim or Guy, anyone?). The range isn't quite as long as it looks (her foot doesn't actually hit the opponent), and it can whiff pretty easily. If it does whiff, btw, you're screwed - this move has horrible recovery time. Be sure to use this only when you've got a clear shot.

12. J.Lp - This move crosses up, but that's not the point...the main point is that you can use this in a target combo (J.Lp + J.Mk). If you're going for a jump in that clearly isn't going to cross up, this is the way to go, since you can stagger the timing for mind-games.

13. J.Mp - Nice move. This makes a great air-to-air move because of its speed and priority, but also because you can use it in a target combo (J.Mp + J.Hp). Overall, this makes it the best option for if you plan on meeting your opponent in the air.

14. J.Mk - This move is a nice cross-up. I used to not really like crossups too much, but sometimes, they can be effective. I still don't reccomend going for it incredibly often, but if you're going to, this is the move you should be throwing out.

15. J.Hp - If you're certain that your jump-in won't be parried, this is the way to go. It is the best jump-in to use for going into a combo, hands down - it's much easier to link into a combo after landing it than any of her other jump-ins, and jump-in combos beginning with J.Hp do the most damage. Use this one!

Special Move Breakdown

Elena has great special moves...but none of them are particularly safe unless you use the EX versions...that's just my opinion, though. The normal versions can be nice when used in combos, but that's about the extent to which I use them. In any case...

1. Spin Scythe (qcb + K) - Sigh...this move would be really nice in any game without parrying...but I guess there's no point in wondering what that would be like. Pretty much any person you play against will not fall for any of the built in tricks of Spin Scythe (additional hits, Hk Spin Scythe ticks), and none of the normal versions will combo in from any move you do. Thusly, you have to resort to EX. EX Spin Scythe, though, is very nice; it's the staple of all her B&B combos. More on that later, I suppose...

2. Scratch Wheel (dp + K) - I think I have a rather unpopular opinion of this move, as a lot of people like the normal versions. I think that none of the normal versions are particularly safe outside of a combo; Short and Forward Scratch Wheels won't even hit jumping opponents right next to you if they're on their way up. Wtf? I have no idea which of Elena's limbs actually hit. Roundhouse Scratch Wheel is move effective in this way, but it still has its problems. Even if Forward Scratch Wheel has some invincible frames on startup, I think there's much better, safer options overall for anti-air. I use the EX Scratch Wheel as a Reversal attack sometimes (it's her safest option, which isn't saying much, unfortunately), and I use the Short and Roundhouse Scratch Wheel in her various combos.

Actually, I found one very random use for Short Scratch Wheel: It makes a good Psychic DP attack when you use it in her wakeup game. What I mean is, for example, say you use F. Mk overhead and it gets blocked. Elena and her opponent recover at about the same time. Your opponent will naturally want to try and attack you, so you can just go for the Short Scratch Wheel and knock em down again. Of course, wakeup game is all about reading your opponents and training them, but should the occassion arise, this is an option at your disposal. ...Oh yeah, and if they block the Scratch Wheel, you're still in range for a Kara Throw. >:D

3. Rhino Horn (hcf + K) - I don't think I need to say much about this...The Short and Forward versions are safe when blocked, but are also slow, predictable, and the Short version doesn't travel very far. Let's not even get into the fact that NO Rhino Horn hits crouching opponents. It's my opinion that outside of combos, you shouldn't even be using Rhino Horn to hit grounded opponents, anyways. Outside of combos, I use EX Rhino Horn in a similar fashion to Alex's EX Slash Elbow; that is, I use it Psychic DP style to punish people that jump backwards (or even forwards sometimes, but much less frequently). Other than that, I just use the EX version in some of her combos.

4. Mallet Smash (hcb + P) - I used to like this move a lot, until I found out how great her command Overheads were. You can link the normal versions of this move into Scratch Wheels on crouching opponents, but if that's the only time you ever used Mallet Smash, that might get a little predictable. You can do the same thing using EX Mallet Smash on standing opponents, though I don't think that's very practical, either. I use Mallet Smash only in certain combos, and to psyche people out by using it to cross-up, but that's not something you should be doing very often. Suffice to say, I don't use this move very much.

5. Lynx Tail (rdp + K) - ...So, after playing Elena for a very long time, I did find one, very random use for this move: EX Lynx Tail is a good surprise move to throw out if you want to chip your opponent to death. Even then, I hardly do it. That's the only viable use I've ever found for Lynx Tail where there wasn't already a better option.

Quick note: For those who think that Lk Lynx Tail is faster than her foot sweep - it isn't. I believe the startup is the exact same, and the cooldown is like, almost twice as long.

Kara Throw

Elena has a very, very nice Kara Throw. Most Elena players already know, but it's using her T+Forward Overhead. I personally find it's much easier to land this throw if you're not already walking toward your opponent, but it's probably good to learn how to do it with accuracy from a standing or walking position. I generally find the best times to go for a throw is after a dash-in or on an opponent's wakeup, which are both situations where you can bring the Pad (or Stick) back to neutral before attempting it. Whichever way is easier for you; the important thing is that you should really learn how to use the Kara Throw if you're playing as Elena.

Idle Stance Notes

When I used to play Elena exclusively, I thought I just really, REALLY sucked at parrying. But, as I began to branch out into playing other people, I realized I only kinda sucked at parrying, and that Elena's fighting stance actually moves her around.

Anyone ever been in this situation? Some lame-o throws a Shinkuu Hadouken, or any other random fireball at you. You think you've got the timing down, so you go for the parry, and you COMPLETELY mess that shit up? Elena probably stepped forward or backwards as the fireball was coming at you, messing your timing up.

I think parrying is an important thing to learn as Elena (or anyone for that matter), so it's important to know the logistics of how her stance works:

- Elena's default position in her stance has her back leg (the one farther away from the camera) forward.

- Eventually, she puts her back leg backwards, and which moves her backward from her original position. The back leg stays back for a very short time before putting it forward again.

- Getting up from a crouch, landing from a jump, and executing any grounded move puts her at a different part of her stance.

The reason all of this is important is because if you don't know, you won't have any control over her stance, and it'll cause you a lot of frustration when you try to parry things.

There are about five different ways she can end an animation:

- Back leg foward (T+Forward Overhead, S. Roundhouse, B+Roundhouse, Throw connects, Spin Scythe) - Back leg moving forward (UOH, Getting up from a crouch, landing from a jump, Throw whiffs, Scratch Wheel) - Back leg backwards (Dash, Backdash, T+Strong Overhead, Rhino Horn) - Back leg moving backwards (S. Short) - Back leg back, moving forward (S. Strong)

With them, I've listed all the grounded actions I think are important. But, as complicated as that might sound, there's only a few of those you should know:

- Know Elena's position after all her dashes, her crouch, her jump, or any standing move that you might whiff (Throw, S. Short). If you know exactly what Elena does after, say, a crouch, you can parry projectiles easier by simply crouching before the fireball comes, then standing up and parrying; you'll always know the timing with this tactic! Learn all these different positions for effective defensive parrying.

- After heavily offensive moves (S. Roundhouse, B+Roundhouse, Overheads). This way, for pesky reversal attempts, or any attempts at stuffing your moves with bad recovery (T+Forward Overhead, anyone?), you know easier how to parry in the middle of your offensive game and keep the pressure on.

Jeez, this was a little long. If anyone knows how I can truncate this section, lemme know. :P

EX Spin Scythe Troubles

EX Spin Scythe can miss crouching characters at far ranges, especially on crouching characters that are SHORT. I was teaching my friend the basics of the game, and he wants to start as Makoto...Well, something I noticed while sparring with him is that Makoto almost NEVER gets hit by it when crouching. There are troubles with it in far ranges for MOST characters, sure. But I'm talking about comfortable ranges.

So, I decided to experiment with that, and I looked for various weird properties when trying to combo C. Mp XX Ex Spin Scythe.

Here's a list of characters that are difficult to hit with the combo when crouching (i.e You should only attempt C.Mp XX Ex Spin Scythe at point blank):

Yun Yang Makoto Oro Ibuki Elena (damnit, lol)

Here's a list of characters with strange, specific problems:

Necro & Twelve - It's pretty simple...Necro and Twelve seem to be shorter than average characters when crouching, but taller than the people I just mentioned above. You can still hit them in the range I tested, but it seems like they're still hard to hit within comfortable ranges. Take caution.

Dudley - This is weird...It's not a problem of hitting him while crouching, but it's a standing problem. You know how when you hit someone with C. Mp XX Ex Spin Scythe from a little far away, Elena sort of 'catches up' to them? Well, sometimes at farther ranges, Elena DOESN'T catch up, so the last hit of the Ex Spin Scythe will miss. My hypothesis is that it has something to do with how fast you cancel it; basically, this means no hit confirming this combo on Dudley from farther ranges. It could, however, be because of the way Dudley's stance changes slightly at he fights.

Chun-Li - The most obnoxious problem of them all: Ex Spin Scythe just plain DOESN'T work on crouching Chun-Li. The last hit always whiffs, no matter what you do. How annoying!

Turtling Game

I'm not sure how much this applies to SA2 players, considering that SA2 appears to be all about rushdown...but, then again, I don't see how it applies much to SA3, either. You see, a lot of fellow SA3 players insist that the best way for Elena to win is to use her high priority normals to zone an opponent out. I personally don't agree with this. I personally think Elena doesn't even HAVE a turtle game. Here are my three big reasons why:

- Her two most potent moves that people use for turtling, HK and B+HK, are terribly unreliable on the ground versus some characters. For example, versus Chun-Li, you have to be practically right in their face for it to connect. And if god forbid, you actually WHIFF one of those moves versus Chun...well, good-bye. :P

- Elena just plain DOESN'T have a reliable anti-air at close up range, meaning she has to rely on parrying and dashing under her opponents a fair amount. How is that a tactic spefic to only Elena?

- It's not easy to score a knockdown when you're turtling, and if you can't score a knockdown, you'll have a hell of a time using SA3 (Rushing, on the other hand, gives you a crapload of knockdowns, cos damn near every option of her mixup game ends in a knockdown (the only one that doesn't requires you to follow up with options that DO, so technically it's ALL of them).

So, for that reason, I think Turtling is a very limited, unrewarding venture overall for Elena. But...sometimes, just as with any character, you have to be on the defense. So! Here's my suggestions:

1. Know your match:

This might seem like obvious advice, but on the offensive, you really don't have to think about it as much. When you're defending as Elena, you need to know on a character-to-character basis how far away you can land her roundhouses, and what to do when your opponent jumps in on you (Back Roundhouse? Standing Strong? Crouching Strong? Jumping Strong? Dash Under? Parry? Mallet Smash?). Always learn quickly what your best options are. You should know that Back Roundhouse ruins Yun's divekicks, and Standing Strong takes care of the rest. You should also know that it's tough to parry some of Yun's jump ins, and trying to dash under Yun is just ASKING to get Genei Jin'd. You should know that on the ground, Back Roundhouse pretty much solves all your problems when fighting characters like Twelve or Hugo, so as to supercede a lot of crap you don't need to deal with. Just know.

2. On the ground:

- Stick to Back Roundhouse and normal roundhouse on most characters. Against most characters, this can hit them from fairly long distances, and it can save you from getting thrown or hit by a low. Funnily enough, you're still counted as on the ground in some situations; getting hit by a Ken SA3 will ground you, so don't think you'll just simply be reset if you get hit!

- Get ready to punish with C. Strong XX Ex Spin Scythe/SA2 any time you can. Why? Because you need to get back on the offensive right away.

- Standing Forward Kick is good against shotos and Urien, because you can connect the S. Forward -> C. Fierce target combo from almost max range. S. Forward also beats Hurricane Kicks clean.

- Lastly, for an opponent attempting to zone you can bait slower moves like your Roundhouses, Towards+Strong Overhead is really useful, cos of its long range and good recovery time.

3. Anti-Air:

Elena has lots of anti-air options, but they're all very match specific and situation specific. Back Roundhouse works incredibly well on some characters, like Yun, Yang, or Twelve, but is absolutely a wreck against other characters like Urien, Alex, or Hugo (Hugo in the air; on the ground, Back Roundhouse pwns Hugo). So, what are your best options, and when?

- Back Roundhouse is absolutely excellent when your opponent jumps in from far. It's also a godsend versus Yun/Yang Divekicks, Necro Drills, and pretty much anything at steep downward angle. Any chance you have to use this, use it.

- Parry into Back Roundhouse is something you should also learn to do well. It can be a little difficult parrying with Elena sometimes cos of how her stance naturally moves foward and backward, but against opponents that love to jump in (Dudley opponents, anyone?), you're gonna wanna get this down.

- Strong Punch is your best friend against close jump-ins. Versus attacks with high hitboxes (Remy J. Fierce, Yun J. Fierce), Standing Strong will take it clean. Crouching Strong also has surprisingly good priority; I like to bait attacks by crouching just before I think my opponent will throw out their air attack, and then counter it with C. Strong.

- Dashing under your opponent is your next option. This is for use when Strong Punches are failing you for close jump-ins, and for cross-ups (Elena doesn't have any good anti-crossup options besides this, as far as I know). If you're close enough afterwards, try landing a Back Roundhouse, or sometimes go for the Kara-Throw as they land (do NOT try this too often!)

- Jumping Strong -> Jumping Fierce target combo can be effective if you wanna surprise your opponent. The trick is not to do it too often, because then your opponent will just start parrying them, which leaves you WIDE open.

- EX Mallet Smash can be good if you really wanna surprise your opponent, too (especially if they jump straight up within close vicinity for some reason). You can combo EX Mallet Smash into itself up to three times (I think SA1 and SA2 can do it up to four times), and then finish with an LK Scratch Wheel. This will do roughly 50% stun damage, too! I don't reccomend trying it too often, however...In fact, I wouldn't reccomend trying it at all if you use SA3, unless you're sure it'd KO your opponent; you just don't have the meter to waste on a full meter combo that does less damage than SA2.

4. Miscellaneous:

- On wakeup, your best shot for a Reversal move is EX Scratch Wheel, but it doesn't even have startup invulnerability and won't knock down opponents that aren't very close to you, so be careful. You're likely better off just getting up blocking...

Aaaand that's about it. My verdict is this: If you're playing Elena, you better get on the offense...but you'll get put on the defensive sometimes, and that's when you should know this. Use this information to get back on the offensive as quickly as possible.

Offensive Game

In my opinion, this is what really makes Elena, Elena. Elena has one of the best wakeup mixups in the entire game. You can stand in one position and effectively go for a low knockdown, an incredibly fast overhead, a successful kara throw, or land your best combo. The absolute best part of this whole strategy is that if you learn to do it properly, you can execute all the moves from the same place, leaving them only to guess what you could possibly do! It's not without its flaws; however, this section should show you how best to go about playing wakeup games with your opponent, and what dangers to look for.

In Street Fighter 3, everyone's basic wakeup game has five options: Low attack (for those that wake up standing), Overhead (for those that get up crouching) throw (for when your opponent gets up without a move, or attempts to parry), Attack (for when your opponent wakes up with a non-reversal type move), and Block/Parry (for when your opponent makes a reversal attempt). Not everyone can execute their wakeup game from the exact same spot; in fact, Chun-Li and Elena are about the only two characters that would even play this type of wakeup game that have this advantage and can use all five options. Here, I'm going to go over all five of them for Elena.

First, The Basics:

- The optimal range is the max range at which you can land a C.Roundhouse, T+Foward Overhead, UOH, Kara-Throw, and a C. Strong XX EX Spin Scythe/SA2 Combo. You should not have to move forward at all; the key is to always be at the exact same distance, so that none of your options are telegraphed; but also, as far away as you can, so as to limit the amount of reversal options for your opponent.

- Make sure that you always are acting the same way when you get into position; for example, if you always crouch when you're going to go for a sweep, you'll become readable. The two basic things you can do are to constantly tap crouch, or go into all your moves from a crouching position (I don't reccomend standing at the position, since your position will change a lot when you're standing - remember, Elena's fighting stance moves her around!). Whatever you do, though, don't mix it up between rounds! I would reccomend choosing one or the other (I personally like tapping crouch rapidly, cos it's more confusing)

- Don't try and compensate if your opponent does a roll wakeup, because even that can be sort of telegraphed. I have a friend whom I play with that would always retaliate if he did a roll wakeup, because he saw that I would always try and dash to stay in position. Don't bother! Either attempt your next move from where you stand, or wait to see what he does and react accordingly!

- Remember, this wakeup game can also be played off of a reset (I.E after landing a J. Strong -> J. Fierce target combo), but be wary of your positioning, because you have less time to get set up off of a reset.

- Elena's only low option is very unsafe against opponents with moves that move forward at a quick speed (Shippu, Hoyoku-Sen, Corkscrew Blow, EX Chariot Tackle, etc.). At the max range, it can usually only be punished by a reversal, but this is sort of useless, since you have to change your position, which not only limits your options, but telegraphs what you're going to do. So, be wary.

- Elena's conventional wakeup game does not work on Hugo, do to the fear of a reversal 360. if you must try, I would reccomend getting to the max range of her C. Strong, eliminating the kara-throw option, and subbing the T+Forward overhead for the T+Strong Overhead. This way, you can still use most of her wakeup game without fear of getting 360'd.

Now, onto the nitty gritty...

1. Low Attack:

Elena's main option for a low attack should be her C. Roundhouse. Do NOT attempt to use her slide kick for this, because it's outrageously unsafe on block. C. Roundhouse is great, because it scores a knockdown, and the more times you knock an opponent down, the more chances you have to read what they do and react accordingly. You need to learn to size up your opponent's reactions quickly, and this is the best way.

When your opponent has meter (Or in other words, access to a move that moves forward quickly), I would dare say eliminate this option; it can be easily punished at the distance you'll be using it from, and it can still be punished by reversals at max range. You still have four safe options.

2. Overheads:

When your opponent doesn't have meter, I would strongly reccomend using the Toward+Forward overhead. It's very fast, and very long range. Whether you land it or it gets blocked, you'll recover at about the same time as your opponent. From here, I would reccomend you do three things: Attempt a Kara-Throw (for those that just block afterwards or make parry attempts), Block/Parry (for those who make reversal attempts), LK Scratch Wheel (for those who try nonreversal moves), or EX Scratch Wheel (For those who attempt to jump away). The reasoning and philosophy for all of these different options is explained on numbers 3, 4, 5, and 6 of this list (though 3-5 should be used even when not followed by an overhead).

When your opponent has meter, Towards+Forward is very unsafe on block. Thankfully, unlike the Low option, you can substitute T+Forward for Elena's UOH. A meaty UOH can link into C. Strong, which means if you successfully land the UOH, you can get off an EX Spin Scythe/SA2 Combo. The only reason I don't reccomend doing it normally is because you're not in a position to keep the pressure on your opponent if it gets blocked, and, for SA3 users, you should also try to conserve your meter, in case you want to use Healing.

3. Kara-Throw:

After using your highs and lows, your opponent will begin to start parrying. At first, it might seem like this thwarts your game, but that's where the Kara-Throw comes in. If you see your opponent is parrying your highs and lows a lot, start breaking out with the Kara-Throw! This will get him to start trying to guess when you're going to throw, too, making it safer again to try highs and lows.

4. Stuff Attack (C.Strong/LK Scratch Wheel):

So, if for some reason your opponent likes to try and wake up with random normal moves or throw attempts, you can use C. Strong XX EX Spin Scythe/SA2 to punish them for trying. This option is mostly incorporated for the sake of completion, since you probably won't be doing this very much against a good player; however, if the opportunity arises, you should know what to do...

Also, after a Towards+Forward Overhead, you might notice that it sets up its own guessing game afterwards for Kara-Throw, Stuff Attack, or Block/Parry. In this situation, don't use C.Strong, because it's too slow to stuff Light Attacks (it works just fine as a meaty, which is why you would use it on wakeup). Instead, use LK Scratch Wheel, because it generates a knockdown, and is very fast.

5. Block/Parry:

So now you're in big trouble because your Ken opponent keeps getting up with a Reversal Shoryuken or SA3. You can't beat those with highs, lows, OR throws (and certainly not with C. Strong)! Game over? Nope! Just block/parry and retaliate with C. Strong XX EX Spin Scythe/SA2. This is the more practical execution of the 'Stuff Attack' option, and combined with it, is how you effectively deal with anyone who likes to be aggressive when they get up.

6. Anti-Air:

this option is specifically for use with the T+Forward Overhead followup. After T+Forward, your opponent will have enough time to try and jump away. If you anticipate them trying to do that, use an EX Scratch Wheel; it's fast, and unlike LK Scratch Wheel, it makes decent anti-air.

With all these options, your opponent now has several things to worry about, and if you can read your opponent well enough, and keep the pressure on, you can deal a TON of damage with this tactic. I hope it works for y'all as well as it does for me! Good luck!