Starting Strategies
When you're first starting out with Cammy as a new player, especially when playing other new players, there are three major things you're aiming for.
- Knock people down. Once Cammy has someone knocked down, she can walk closer to them and pester them with her light punches, light kicks, and medium punches as they're getting up, or walk up just close enough to block whatever they do when they get up. Basic tactics for knocking someone down include 2HK, throws, or hitting people with Spiral Arrow.
- Poke people with 5MK, 2MK, and 5HK. They all have great reach, and will oftentimes stuff people who are trying to walk at you or keep them from moving if they're standing still. 2MK is especially good at this--since it can be special canceled, you can Drive Rush, Drive Impact, Counter Drive Impact, or use special and super moves from it. It will often catch people trying to walk away from Cammy if they're not blocking low. Don't focus on trying to special cancel it early on, but keep it in mind if you want to be able to poke someone with a longer-range button and still have options to react or convert into special moves.
- Block people's attacks, and counterattack. If someone is pressuring you up close with fast attacks, you can try to use 5LP or 2LP to force them to get away from you. If they hit with something heavier and slower and you manage to block, try to use your medium punches, medium kicks, or even 5HP to hit them back afterward.
As you get used to these ideas, you can start adding in these basic tools for other situations:
- Walking toward people and then walking back without pressing any buttons (the shimmy) is a powerful tool for Cammy because she has very fast movement speed. When you walk in and out of people's ranges, you can sometimes trick them into pressing a button, and then hit them back with a button of your own like 5MK or 2MK. This is especially useful after you knock someone down, because they might try to press a button to hit you, or try to grab you. If you're walking backward when you do this, either they will miss when they try to grab you or you will block what they're doing.
- If people are jumping at you a lot, you can try to jump up and hit them with j.LK, stand on the ground and use Lift Upper (4MP), or if you've been practicing it, use Cannon Spike (623K).
- If you manage to hit with any light punch or 5LK, try to do a medium Spiral Arrow (236MK). After 2MP or 5HP, do a heavy Spiral Arrow instead.
- If people are dashing or Drive Rushing at you a lot, your light punches and 5LK are good at stopping them when they're really in your face, 5MK and 2MK do a pretty good job of stopping them when they're not super close to you, while 5HK is really good at that from much farther away.
The use of some of these tactics is going to depend on who you're playing against and what they're doing, and sometimes will lose to other tactics if other people have figured out certain things before you, but they're a good starting point for getting used to how Cammy works.
Neutral
Cammy's neutral game relies on a few major cornerstones:
- Taking advantage of her movement speed to get in and harass people with her normals
- Using her movement speed to avoid getting hit by the opponent's normals, then whiff punishing/counterpoking with her own normals or Spiral Arrow
Ideally, Cammy wants to try to get in close so that she can either pressure the opponent by mixing throws with her light buttons, or get a knockdown so she can approach the opponent and sit on top of them with other buttons as they're trying to get up. The length of her 5LK makes it a fairly decent shimmying tool, and her 5MK and 2MK are great harassment tools at midrange, with 2MK pulling double duty as a good normal for punishing and confirming into a Spiral Arrow if it's buffered correctly. 5HK is her longest-reaching grounded normal; it can either punish the opponent after a slow button if a Spiral Arrow is too risky, or lock them down from acting so that Cammy can walk closer and harass with slightly faster buttons like her lights or 5MP. 5HP has less range, but does move forward a bit, so it works great as a counterpoking tool when slightly closer than 5HK range and is a good alternative for punishing DPs or the like if a microwalk 2HP is doable but annoying (e.g, blocking an OD Vertical Blanka Ball).
In closer quarters, 2MP is fairly easy to confirm into another 2MP if it counterhits, allowing for 236MK, 236HK, or 236KK to hit. 5MP links to 5LK and 5LP when close enough, which lets it convert into 236MK. If 5MP counterhits, it will link into either 2MP or 5HP.
Using Drive Rush out of a Drive Parry gives many of Cammy's shorter and quicker normals a bit more range, and turns them into amazing starters for a variety of combos. Drive Rush 5MP links into 5HP, which lets her do a variety of things if she wants to, while DR 5LP/2P both link to 2MP.
As for using special moves in neutral, Spiral Arrow, when spaced correctly, is excellent at both covering ground, occasionally scaring the opponent by tagging them during shimmying, and whiff punishing things that 5HP and 5HK won't reach. When spaced to hit with just the tip, all versions of Spiral Arrow can be made pretty safe on block, ranging from 0 to -2 in the best case scenarios and allowing Cammy to do things like jump most throws or even land in time to counter-Drive Impact if she hits against an opponent's Drive Impact. This tactic becomes harder the stronger the version used is, though, because of the increased distance that Cammy travels with each one, and it doesn't work for Overdrive or [HK] Arrow at all, so it shouldn't be used too often -- especially not if your opponent proves to be very good at either jumping Spiral Arrows or perfect parrying them.
Offense
Frame Traps
Light Chains and Special Cancels
- 5LP~5LP/2LP or 2LP~2LP/5P or 2LK~2LP/5LP - beats 4-frame normals and non-OD DPs if the second LP is immediately chained into.
- If 5LP or 2LP counterhits, can link to 2MP > 236K/236KK. This basically applies to any frame trap in this section if 5LP or 2LP counterhits, so make liberal use of it. Without the counterhit, use the 2nd LP to confirm into 5LK > 236MK.
- Alternatively, 4MP~5HK target combo will work after both normal and counterhit LP, but this requires much less distance from the opponent to work.
- 5LK > 236MK - Spiral Arrow beats 4-frame normals clean, but loses to anything with invulnerable startup. Doesn't work if other normals come before 5LK, making it risky to use.
Medium Links
- 5MP, 5LP/2LP - beats 6-frame moves if they don't have invuln, but will trade if the LP isn't input quickly enough.
- 5MP, 5LK - slightly better reach, but only really works against moves with 7+ frames of startup. Works well as a meaty setup, though, and is a good fallback if you get a counterhit 5MP and can't link to 5HP in time.
Heavy Links
- 2HP, 5LP/2LP - shuts down 4-frame moves, and even if 5LP/2LP is blocked, going for 2MP > 236HK after said block will still stop 4-frame moves without air invulnerability when the 236HK comes out. This is usually best used after getting a Spiral Arrow knockdown but can be helpful elsewhere.
- 2HP, 5MP - trades w/6-frame moves, but stuffs 7-frame moves easily.
It is also possible to use 5LP or 2LP to frame trap after a well-spaced divekick and beat out most normals, but this can be tricky and is dependent on getting your divekick spacing correct enough to be plus.
Okizeme and Mixups
Cammy's ideal oki setups come from landing any Spiral Arrow successfully. Afterward, she can do a regular dash followed by 2HP for an automatically timed meaty.
On hit, going into 2MP after meaty 2HP allows for special cancels or Drive Rush Cancels to extend the combo. On block, 2LP will catch 4 frame normals but will lose to OD reversals or anything that gets strike invuln early in its animation. Cammy also has the option of just going for a throw after the 2HP (whether it hits or is blocked), or shimmying out of range to avoid getting thrown in turn. Cycling between 2MP/throw/2LP/shimmy from dash 2HP is a fairly effective tactic for a level zero oki strategy.
From Anti-Airs
If Cammy can successfully hit with a 4HK, DR 5HP > 236LK grants a +42 knockdown. Even if Drive Rush is omitted, using 236LK in these situations leaves Cammy in the rough neighborhood of +35-39 depending on the timing of the 236LK. This also works in non-anti airing situations using 4MP~5HK.
Hooligan Oki
If the opponent doesn't back rise, 236LP~P can be used to bait invincible reversals in certain situations, as Cammy's arc will cause the reversal to travel past her and the P follow-up will drop her back down to the ground fast enough to punish. Common ways to set this up involve hitting with j.MP > j.214K to bring the opponent down with her, then using 236LP as soon as Cammy lands.
For more specific Hooligan Oki setups and ways to set up Hooligan Oki, check the guide to Hooligan Oki in the Documents section of Cammy's Resources page.
Knockdown Advantage: all scenarios assume that opponent will Back Rise midscreen when possible, unless otherwise stated
| Knockdown | KD Adv. | Oki/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Forward Throw | +17 |
|
| Back Throw | +14 |
|
| Air Throw | +22 |
|
| Drive Impact (No Crumple) |
+35 | ? |
| Drive Reversal | +23 | ? |
| 2HK | HKD +31 HKD +43 (CH/PC) +? (Juggle) |
? |
| SA1 - 236236K (Spin Drive Smasher) |
+10 |
|
| SA2 - 214214K (Killer Bee Spin) |
+HKD 12 (cinematic) +70 (non-cinematic) |
|
| SA3 - 236236P (Delta Red Assault) |
HKD +17 | Cammy is left about 1/2 screen away:
|
| CA - 236236P (Delta Red Assault) |
HKD +22 | Cammy is left about 1/2 screen away:
|
Whiff Punishing
Spiral Arrow's long reach makes it excellent for picking up whiff punishes. Standing just outside the opponent's range and buffering Spiral Arrow behind a cancelable normal is the core to Cammy's gameplan, and most often 2MP/2MK/5HP are used to set this up. If a whiff punish setup is successful, Cammy can run her non-Hooligan oki pretty safely and continue pressing her advantage.
vs. Burnout
Cammy's Burnout pressure is some of the best in the game. LP and MP Quick Spin Knuckle become slightly plus on block (LP being +1 and MP being +2), allowing for abusable looping plus frame pressure. LP Knuckle is the fastest version but pushes Cammy out more. MP is slower and more easily interruptable but has less overall pushback. HP is by far the most plus, being a staggering +7, but is the slowest and most risky to attempt. Aside from Quick Spin Knuckle, essentially all of Cammy's main pressure normals become plus enough on block to force a strike/throw mixup safely. Cannon Strike (j.214K) also becomes much more forgiving to space.
| Normal | Gap on Block |
|---|---|
| 5LP | 10f |
| 5LK | 7f |
| 2LP | 10f |
| 2MP | 3f |
| 2MK | 2f |
| 5HP | Gapless |
| Normal | Gap on Block |
|---|---|
| 5LP | 13f |
| 5LK | 10f |
| 2LP | 13f |
| 2MP | 6f |
| 2MK | 5f |
| 5HP | 3f |
| Normal | Gap on Block |
|---|---|
| 5LP | 17f |
| 5LK | 14f |
| 2LP | 17f |
| 2MP | 10f |
| 2MK | 9f |
| 5HP | 7f |
Drive Rush
When canceling a normal into Drive Rush on block and following it up with another normal, there may be an interruptible gap in the blockstring. The following table lists these blockstring gaps when performed at the fastest possible timing.
| Gap Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 0 | True Blockstring (no gap) if input with fastest button timing; can still lose to Drive Reversal |
| 1 to 4 | Small blockstring gap; opponent can interrupt with an invincible reversal; a 4f gap can trade with 4f normal attack |
| 5+ | Large blockstring gap; opponent can interrupt without an invincible attack |
| 5LP/2LP | 5LK/2LK/4MP | 5MP | 2MP | 5MK/2MK/5HP | 2HK/4HK | 2HP | 5HK | 6HK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5LP~DRC | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 21 |
| 5HP~DRC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 |
| 5LK~DRC | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 19 |
| 2LP~DRC | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 21 |
| 2MP~DRC | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 13 |
| 2MK~DRC | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 14 |
| 4MP~DRC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 12 |
| 4HK~DRC | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 14 |
| 6HK~DRC | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 16 |
| 4MP~HK~DRC | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 14 |
The following table lists the general BnB combo routes when canceling a button into Drive Rush on hit.
| Starter | Hit Adv. | Combo Route |
|---|---|---|
| 5LP~DRC | +4 | 5LP, 5HP ... |
| 5LK~DRC | ||
| 2LP~DRC | ||
| 2MK~DRC | +10 | 5HP, 4MP~HK ... 2HP, 5HP ... 2HP, 4HK ... 4HK, microwalk 4HK ...
|
| 4MP~DRC | +11 | |
| 2MP~DRC | +12 | |
| 5HP~DRC | +15 | |
| 4HK~DRC | Free Juggle State | Midscreen: side switch + 623K opposite direction
Corner: delay 5HP > 236MK, 623HK
Note: Cammy can pick up 1-bar juggles with Parry~DR after a launch, so these are only worth knowing after an input error |
| 4MP~HK~DRC | ||
| 6HK~DRC | Free Juggle State | 2MP > 236[HK] ... (side switch + follow-up juggle) 2MP > 623HK (keep same side) |
Defense
Reversals
- OD Cannon Spike (623K) -- OD Cannon Spike is fully invulnerable for its first 8 frames and travels up fairly high. The primary downside is its extremely diagonal velocity; it can be jumped over relatively easily because it doesn't have any curve in its path at all. Side switches on hit, so it can get you out of the corner if you're being pressured.
- Spin Drive Smasher (236236K) -- SA1 works great for intercepting Drive Rush normals, blowing up Drive Impact strings that aren't airtight, or punishing predictable meaty attacks, anti-airs, and big whiffed buttons. Unlike OD Cannon Spike, it doesn't switch sides, and generally has better corner carry, so it may be a more ideal reversal in situations where you've already put the enemy into the corner and want to keep them there. It only has strike invuln after the first frame, so it will lose to fireballs and throws.
- Delta Red Assault (236236P) -- SA3 is the strongest reversal Cammy has overall. It has 13 frames of pure invulnerability and travels extremely fast, so she can snipe people from full-screen if they commit to anything with too much recovery. SA3 is also perfectly fine for many of the situations you would use SA1 for, with the exception of reversal projectiles, where it has another big advantage; the specifics are covered under Anti-Projectile.
Anti-Airs
Cammy's selection of anti-airs is fairly broad, though each has specific applications.
Grounded
- Cannon Spike (623K) -- normal Cannon Spike has air-attack invulnerability for its first few frames, though the stronger the version the less it has (excepting OD, as discussed above). Good at stopping jumpins from farther out, especially if you wait long enough to hit with the first hitbox and do more damage, but travels very diagonally so it will miss against close jumpins.
- 4MP/4HK-- less committal anti-airs than Cannon Spike. They'll trade or lose to bigger jumping buttons if they're not timed correctly (e.g., Luke j.HK), in which case a Cannon Spike may be a better call. However, they're also less committal than going for Cannon Spike.
- 4MP reaches above Cammy's head, which lets it catch closer jump-ins if timed right, while 4HK covers an arc in front of and above Cammy and is better suited for jumps from further out.
- The main benefits of landing either move is setting up the opportunity to Drive Rush afterward, either to cross under the opponent if they're close enough or set up DR 5LP > Spiral Arrow for a very beefy knockdown (anywhere from ~+35 to +42 if set up correctly).
Air-to-Air
- j.LP/j.LK -- very quick but have relatively short range, so they're well-suited to interrupting slower buttons. j.LK in particular has a crossup hitbox that can make it especially suited for stopping crossup jumpins.
- j.MP -- has relatively good forward range directly in front of her; it can be used from a forward jump to get an air Cannon Strike and knock the opponent down if they're not too high above Cammy. OD Cannon Strike (j.214KK) from j.MP in particular will set up for combo opportunities with SA1, SA2, or SA3.
- j.MK -- hits a bit ahead and above Cammy so it can be useful for trying to snipe someone who's a bit above her at an angle that j.LP/LK won't catch.
- j.HK -- reaches much further forward while shrinking her hitbox vertically. Great for hitting opponents further out from you at a similar height.
- Air Throw -- Cammy's air throw doesn't give her much opportunity for oki unless she puts them in the corner, but will catch a lot of buttons if used correctly.
Close-Range Jump-Ins
Dealing with close-range jump-ins, especially to stop the opponent from using a crossup jumping normal, mostly boils down to either using a crosscut input for Cannon Spike, using j.LK while jumping straight upward, or trying for a backward jump and an air throw. If the crosscut Cannon Spike hits an opponent that is jumping toward the corner, then Cammy's oki options are, while not great, a little more flexible than j.LK, but j.LK having its own crossup hitbox makes it more likely to hit in situations where the opponent's jump arc is more ambiguous about whether it'll cross up or not.
Anti-Projectile
Cammy has four specific tools for dealing with projectiles. Each has their particular upsides and downsides.
- Quick Spin Knuckle (214MP/214HP/214PP) -- These versions of Spin Knuckle have projectile invulnerability for some part of the animation and will let Cammy skip straight through a projectile to land a hit. However, the opponent can use a faster or slower fireball to hit Cammy outside of the projectile invuln window, deliberately shimmy to throw off the spacing and make the Spin Knuckle whiff, or flat-out neutral jump it and come down with a punish.
- On hit, particularly counterhit or Punish Counter, Cammy can link normals and go for a Spiral Arrow, Cannon Spike, etc.
- Cannon Strike (j.214K) -- Cannon Strike requires Cammy to be a bit closer than Spin Knuckle, but getting a counterhit with it, especially if the spacing is done to hit the opponent's feet, allows for links and has has the added bonus of generally keeping her above lower-angled projectiles. Misjudging which version of Cannon Strike to use can result in Cammy landing directly on the projectile.
- If Cammy gets over the projectile but uses Cannon Strike from too far out, the opponent may be able to anti-air and knock her out of Cannon Strike, much like they would any other jump-in. This is usually a concern against Ryu, Ken, Guile, or Juri.
- Hooligan Combination -- Hooligan Combination doesn't need Cammy to be close at all to evade a fireball, as even the HP version's lower vertical velocity is enough to get it over a fireball if used at the right time. However, Hooligan's fairly floaty no matter what version is used, so it carries a bigger risk of getting AA'd and is not an ideal choice in most circumstances.
- Cammy can use Hooligan Cannon Strike to descend once she clears the fireball, but she can also go for Reverse Edge or Fatal Leg Twister too. If she does nothing from further out against a fireball, Razor's Edge Slicer puts her enough to avoid a number of mid-height projectiles if her timing is right.
- Delta Red Assault (236236P) -- SA3 starts up fast, has complete invulnerability for the first 13 frames as previously noted, and can reach full screen. This means that in pretty much any situation where Cammy has SA3, the opponent generally should not be throwing fireballs unless they want to get punished.
- The main thing to watch out for when using SA3 as an anti-projectile tool is mistiming it or misjudging the space between you and the opponent. Projectiles with a lot of active frames or big hitboxes can be used to stuff it after Cammy has lost the invulnerability (e.g., Rashid's Ysaar), and characters with fast enough recovery from their fireballs can still block it if you do it from too far away or as a too-late response to a fireball.
Fighting vs. Cammy
TO-DO
