| SF6 Combo Notation Guide | |
|---|---|
| Notation | Meaning |
| > | Cancel the previous move to the following move. e.g. Normal into Special (2MK > 236P) or Special into Super (623P > 236236K) |
| ~ | Chain/Cancel the previous move into a followup. e.g. Luke's target combo (LP~MP~HP) or Rising Uppercut into Slam Dunk (623PP~PP) |
| , | Link the previous move to the following move. e.g. 5MP, 2MP (requires manual timing) |
| An example with Ken that uses all three "connecting" symbols: 2LP, 5MP~HP > 623P > 236236P 2LP links into 5MP; 5MP chains into HP Target Combo; HP cancels into Shoryuken which cancels into Lv.3 Super | |
| j.X | Jumping action; for Neutral Jump, use 8j.X e.g. Kimberly j.2MP (Elbow Drop) or Ryu j.214K (Aerial Tatsumaki Senpukyaku) |
| P or K | Any Punch or Any Kick (when button strength does not matter) PP or KK represents any two punches/kicks. |
| X/Y | Do either X move or Y move. e.g. end a combo with 214K/623P |
| [X] | Hold the button input e.g. Luke 214[LP] = charged LP Flash Knuckle |
| dl.X | Briefly delay the action e.g. Ken 236HK~dl.6LK (Jinrai Loop starter) |
| AA | Anti-air; hit the opponent while they're mid-air. May cause a different juggle state compared to a grounded opponent. |
| Y xN {Y} xN |
Repeat 'Y' input 'N' number of times. A sequence of multiple inputs will be bundled into "{}". e.g. 5LP x3 (5LP, 5LP, 5LP) or {2HP > Drive Rush} x3 |
| Y > DR | Button Y cancelled into Drive Rush (3-bar version) e.g. 5HP > DR |
| DR~Y | Drive Rush into Button Y (cancel the dash frames early into a followup attack) This can be done from the 1-bar or 3-bar versions of Drive Rush e.g. 236HP Launch, DR~5LP |
| An example for Ryu using both Drive Rush notations: 2MK > DR~5HP (cancel 2MK into Drive Rush, then immediately use 5HP during dash animation) | |
Neutral
Guile is one of the first characters people tend to think of when they think of a zoner, and for good reason. While he is a highly versatile character in his own right, Guile excels at controlling the pace of the match through careful and deliberate usage of his pokes, Sonic Boom, and Flash Kick special moves. Playing Guile means spending a lot of time in neutral, however in exchange his neutral tools are much stronger than average.
Being a charge character (and a very traditional one at that), Guile's movement is heavily tied to his playstyle. Moving at all will remove his ability to use Flash Kick after 10 frames, and moving forwards will do the same for Sonic Boom. Movement with Guile is committal. The way he is built as a character encourages as "fortress" playstyle, sitting still and holding your ground. Learning when to move forward is the most difficult part of learning the character.
Pokes
Guile's main pokes are his 4/6MK, 2MK, and 6HK. None of these are cancelable into special moves. He has a suite of more niche pokes, those being 4HP, 2MP, and 5HK. 4HP and 2MP are both cancelable, but are more defensive in nature. 5HK is slow and only super cancelable, but advances forwards and is pretty safe to throw out. The super cancel works nicely if he has 2 bars of super available.
Most of his poking game will be with 6MK and 2MK. 6MK hops over lows and can convert into damage on Punish Counter depending on spacing. 2MK is particularly nasty, being a spacing trap into itself and linking into Flash Kick on Punish Counter for great reward. His other normals are more situational. 6HK acts like a higher risk, higher reward version of 6MK. Guile can maintain charge when using 2MP and 4HP, and they also cancel into special moves.
Special Moves
Guile's special moves all serve a distinct niche in how his neutral works. Playing Guile means getting intimately familiar with Sonic Boom. Boom is the strongest fireball in the game, its only limitation is that it is a charge move. It recovers in a total of 40f, which means it must be jumped on prediction as jumps are usually 40 frames total. Using Sonic Boom means Guile cannot use Flash Kick, as he must release down to use the move (unless it's Modern Guile).
Against other characters with fireballs, Guile's only real restriction is the 45f charge time. His fireball recovers about 5 frames slower than the total charge time, and most other fireballs are in the ballpark of 47f if they travel fullscreen. Guile will usually win fireball wars of attrition by default. LP Sonic Blade is his next most important projectile. Not only can he use it as a shield, it also powers up any Sonic Boom that travels through it. HP Sonic Blade is much slower, but will beat most other non-OD fireballs due to it being a stationary two-hit fireball. It also powers up any Boom that travels through it like other versions of Sonic Blade.
LP Sonic Boom and LP Sonic Cross are not only good tools to mix up firball timings, but also strong approach tools. Both travel slow enough for Guile to comfortably walk or Drive Rush in behind them.
Offense
Frame Traps
Guile's ability to run tight frame traps is incredibly poor. Not only does he not have any naturally plus on block normals, his light normals have high pushback. Guile can only get two light normals in a chain before the opponent is out of range. The only exception to this rule is with Drive Rush, as then he can get three. Instead of running pressure focused on light chains or plus normals, Guile wants to space himself out and use spaced LP Booms to maintain frame advantage or slight disadvantage.
Pressure
Though most of Guile's attacks are negative on block, many have significant pushback, making them difficult to effectively punish. Moves such as 2MK, 5HK, 6HK, or 4HP can tempt opponents to throw out quick reversal buttons to steal back their turn while Guile is stuck in recovery. With proper spacing, these will whiff, enabling Guile to land a punish counter and link into Somersault Kick or a Drive Rush combo.
Guile's best spacing trap buttons are fast and long-reaching. 2LP, 5LK, 5MP, 2MP, and 5HP are all excellent choices as they're fast and can special cancel into damage or to defend against reversal Drive Impact. 2MK is also good at range but will lose to reversal Drive Impact.
Lock down an opponent's options to attack or gain ground by canceling any long-range special cancelable normal with a whiffed LP Sonic Blade. If the opponent attacks, they will be interrupted by the Sonic Blade, allowing Guile to continue his pressure.
The Sonic Blade defense isn't perfect; it will lose to quick moves with armor, disjointed hurtboxes, or early-frame projectile invincibility. Some character-specific counters include Jamie's Bakkai, Zangief's LP Spinning Piledriver, JP's Triglav, and E. Honda's OD Sumo Headbutt. General counters include Drive Reversal, low profile attacks such as 2LK, and many invincible reversals like DPs or Level 2 or Level 3 Super Arts. OD projectiles can also beat Sonic Blade, though Guile can nullify these by placing an OD Sonic Blade.
5MP > 4HP~214P
The second hit of Guile's Recoil Cannon can be kara canceled into Sonic Boom or Sonic Blade to create new opportunities for block pressure. Unlike most kara cancels found in Street Fighter, this example moves Guile backwards rather than forwards. This backwards momentum automatically spaces Sonic Boom and Sonic Blade out so that they have much better frame data on block, among other things. Kara cancel into Sonic Boom is a frame trap that is +2 on block at worst (with LP Sonic Boom), which Guile can convert from at close range midscreen and in the corner. See routes from 2MP for midscreen combos, but in the corner counter hit kara Sonic Boom allows for boom loops with 5MP > 4HP~6P, 2MP > LP Boom, 2MP > LP Boom, 4HP > LP Boom, ([2]8HK/5HK > SA). See Drive Rush Extensions for ways to extend this combo from 4HP with Drive Gauge.
Okizeme and Mixups
2HK, whiff 4LK, 5MP
(corner) [2]8KK, dash, 5MP
The timing is tight, but with good timing a meaty 5MP can be +1 or +2 on block, safe from Reversal DI and enabling several frame trap opportunities.
5MP, 5MP needs to be delayed by 2F or the attack will whiff, leaving Guile vulnerable to a Punish Counter. 4LK, 5MP has a bit easier timing and can side switch the opponent, giving Guile a left/right block mixup.
If timed correctly, this okizeme is: safe to all reversals (even Zangief SA3, if you backdash after setting blade), +18 or more on block, +19 or more on hit, +8 on perfect parry, and safe to Drive Impact. Essentially answers any possible wakeup option, and the opponent's only recourse is to perfect parry to avoid losing drive and make sure Guile is less plus (but he's still plus.) It is also possible to stun a burned out opponent after meaty LP Blade with an unjumpable Drive Impact, though of course they are able to react with reversal super if they have meter.
Knockdown Advantage: all scenarios assume that opponent will Back Rise midscreen when possible, unless otherwise stated
| Knockdown | KD Adv. | Oki/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Forward Throw | +16 |
|
| Back Throw | +19 |
|
| Air Throw | +23~25 (Forward) +16 (Back) |
|
| Drive Impact (No Crumple) |
+35 | ? |
| Drive Reversal | +23 | ? |
| 2HK | HKD 34 HKD +44 (CH/PC) |
? |
| 6HK (Punish) | +55 | ? |
| 3HK (Punish) | +46 (Launch) | ? |
| 2HK~3HK (Phantom Cutter) |
+33 | ? |
| [4]6PP (OD Sonic Boom) |
+48 | ? |
| [2]8K (Somersault Kick) |
+36/37/39 (L/M/H) +29 (OD) |
? |
| 214PP (OD Sonic Blade) |
+53~ | ? |
| 214P~6P (Sonic Cross) |
+44~ | Enhanced Sonic Booms after passing through Sonic Blade; much greater KD advantage from farther ranges |
| SA1 - [4]646P (Sonic Hurricane) |
+41 (LP/MP) +70 (HP) |
? |
| SA3/CA - [4]646K (Crossfire Somersault) |
HKD +16 | ? |
vs. Burnout
Burnout can be treated as Guile's win condition. His offense relies on slowly whittling down the opponent's health bar and Drive Gauge, and his reward for doing so is that his fireball game becomes incredibly destructive. Up close, every version of Sonic Boom becomes +1 on block at worst, giving him reliable blockstrings to push opponents away from him. Fireballs dealing real chip damage makes his zoning a lot more threatening. Burnout also removes the opponent's ability to blow throw Sonic Cross with their own OD fireballs.
Solid Puncher and Sonic Blade also shine in Burnout. When the opponent is at low health, Guile can use the Sonic Boom follow-ups in Solid Puncher to catch opponents jumping fullscreen Booms by making them land on the smaller ones. These are usually advantageous enough on hit to force the opponent to block another Boom on wakeup and take more chip. They enhance his blockstrings but are less useful for that purpose. Burnout also makes meaty Sonic Blade stronger, as it becomes even more plus and can lead to an un-jumpable Drive Impact.
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 |
| 2LP | 5LP/5LK/2LK | 2MP | 5MP/5MK/5HP | 2MK/4LK | 2HP/2HK/4HP | 3HK | 6/4MK | 5HK | 6HP | 6HK | 6MP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5LP~DR | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 22 |
| 5MP~DR | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 12 |
| 5HP~DR | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 10 |
| 5LK~DR | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 19 |
| 2LP~DR | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 19 | 20 | 23 |
| 2MP~DR | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 16 |
| 4HP~DR | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 10 |
| 3HK~DR | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 20 |
| 5MP~4HP~DR | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 10 |
| 2MP~2MP~DR | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 17 |
| 2HK~3HK~DR | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 19 |
The following table lists the general BnB combo routes when canceling a button into Drive Rush on hit.
| Starter | Hit Adv. | Combo Route |
|---|---|---|
| 5LP~DR | +4 | 2LP, 5MP, 2MP ... 2LP, 5MP~4HP ... |
| 2LP~DR | ||
| 5LK~DR | +5 | |
| 2MP~DR | +9 | 5MP, 5MP, 2MP ... |
| 3HK~DR | ||
| 5MP~DR | +14 | 6MK, 5MP, 2MP ... |
| 5HP~DR | +15 | |
| 4HP~DR | ||
| 5MP~4HP~DR | Free Juggle | 5HP > 214MP, [2]8HK |
| 2MP~2MP~DR | ||
| 2HK~3HK~DR | 5HP > 214HP, [2]8HK - if 3HK hits vs. grounded 5HP, [2]8HK - from Punish Counter 2HK juggle |
Defense
Reversals
Outside of system mechanics, Guile has two reversals. Both his reversals require charge. Being in Burnout removes the option to use his [2]8 charge option, making him vulnerable to crossups.
- [2]8KK
- [4]646LP/MP
Guile can also use his level 3 super as a reversal, but it carries the same issues as Sonic Hurricane with much higher risk/reward. It's also worth noting that Crossfire Somersault is slower than Sonic Hurricane.
Anti-Airs
Guile's main anti-air is Flash Kick: it's fully invulnerable to air attacks, knocks down, and pushes opponents back out to his ideal range. He will not always have charge, which makes it worthwhile to learn his other normal attack anti-airs.
- [2]8K: different versions cover different angles.
- 2HP: prone to trading but does not require charge.
- 5MK: ideal for farther jumps. Does not require charge.
- Air throw: ideal for jumps in crossup range. Guile gets to pick what side he wants his opponent on.
- [4]646HP: long reaching, but expensive and has no invulnerability.
- [4]626K: better used as a cancel from Flash Kick, but can be used as an anti-air on its own.
Anti-Projectile
Guile does not have inherent anti-projectile tools. His best tools in this case are his own fireballs, as they are overall better than average.
- [4]6P: again, the fastest total duration fireball in the game. 45f charge time.
- 214LP: useful when opponents respect Sonic Booms. Adds a projectile hit to Sonic Booms when they become Sonic Cross and acts as a stationary projectile otherwise.
- 214HP: more situational than 214LP, but has two hits of projectile durability instead of one when stationary.
- 214PP: OD projectile wall.
- 214214P: win fireball wars guaranteed for the cost of two bars. Better saved for Burnout but is an option to know.
Fighting vs. Guile
Punishable on block
| -4 | |
| -5 | |
| -6 | |
| -7 | |
| -8 | |
| -8 | |
| -9 | |
| -10 | |
| -12 | |
| -26 | |
| -30 | |
| -31 | |
| -32 | |
| -33 | |
| -59 |
Punishable on whiff
| -6 | |
| -36 | |
| -38 | |
| -39 | |
| -40 | |
| -42 | |
| -50 | |
| -54 |
