Neutral
Overview
Luke has a plethora of powerful neutral tools, with strong pokes that have long range, are forward advancing, or cancelable (and in the case of his standing punches, all three at once.) Many of his buttons fill multiple roles at once, so some moves may show up more than once in the following sections. He also has a useful fireball for a poke with even more range, or to pester and zone from outside midrange. He also possesses many solid anti-airs, with his 2HP and all versions of his Rising Uppercut being standouts. Luke is able to whittle down the opponent with great pokes and fireballs, and anti-air them when they get too antsy and start to jump. Many of his buttons also lead into his incredibly potent combo game, most notably with the help of drive rush.
Pokes
Luke's poking tools are plentiful, and all of them have their own uses in the neutral game.
5LP - A very slow light punch by jab standards being a pitiful 7 frame startup. However, it advances Luke forward and has a cancelable Target Combo extension. Even with all its strengths, it's only -3 on block, making it a decent option to throw out.
5MP - A very strong poking tool with fantastic reach, forward movement, and is only -3 on block. It doesn't cancel to special moves or supers, but it has a completely hitconfirmable Target Combo which scores a knockdown and can be canceled into supers on the second hit.
5HP - A powerful poking and whiff punish tool as it comes out decently quick, moves Luke forward, and is cancelable. On counterhit or punish counter, 5HP will combo into Perfect Light Knuckle and Charged Light Knuckle, making it even more rewarding.
5MK - A dominating poke in neutral. Has great range and speed, and is very safe on block. Luke's stop sign to keep the opponent out.
2MK - A solid cancelable crouching kick which hits low. Very potent when used as an empty cancel into drive rush, though when being used from drive rush it doesn't have any follow-ups. Also able to be used as a two-in-one into his fireball for a decent midrange check.
6HP - Can occasionally be thrown in as a poke. Safe at -3 on block, and has a hitconfirmable cancelable Target Combo extension. Do note that it has somewhat long recovery, and the first hit isn't cancelable, making it a little weak to drive impact.
Sand Blast - Luke's fireball has short recovery and good range, making it a very solid disjointed poke in the neutral.
Counterpokes
Luke has a small but useful variety of counterpokes to check the opponent pressing buttons carelessly.
5LK - A fast, long range move with short recovery and a reliable cancel into LP Flash Knuckle.
2MP - A fast medium with good hitstun and a small hurtbox, while also being cancelable.
2MK - Crouching medium kick shows up again as a great cancelable midrange counterpoke, with drive rush being a notable way to produce big damage.
Whiff Punishment
Luke's forward advancing moves make whiff punishing easy and rewarding to fish for.
5LP - A very nice whiff punisher due to the forward movement and as mentioned goes into Triple Impact to score some extra damage. It's slightly faster than 5HP, making it a bit better for tight whiff punishes.
5HP - As said before, standing heavy punch is a fantastic (and perhaps your primary) whiff punish tool as it comes out decently quick, moves Luke forward, and is cancelable. On punish counter, 5HP combos to Perfect Light Knuckle, making this whiff punisher incredibly rewarding.
5LK - A faster whiff punish tool, though not nearly as flexible with canceling and combo routes as 5HP (outside of drive rush, that is.)
5MK - Because of its long range and somewhat recessed hurtbox around his planted foot, standing medium kick can be used as a great whiff punish - especially against misplaced low kicks.
2MK - Who would have guessed. Crouching medium kick shows up yet again as a long range whiff punish tool that can be used slightly further away than some other buttons might be able to.
Anti-Airs
Luke has some excellent anti-air options against jump-happy opponents to keep them on the ground and playing his game.
2HP - The ol' Mexican Uppercut. Has a very disjointed hitbox around his arm, making this a great one button response to jump-ins.
Rising Uppercut - Luke's very own Shoryuken. Invincible against jumping attacks from frame 1, and all of them start up fast with good damage and a knockdown. OD Rising Uppercut can be used in situations where normal versions will not kill, as the dunk follow-up may squeeze out just enough damage to secure the kill.
Air-to-Airs
Luke has a few options for meeting his opponents midair to keep them on the ground.
j.LP - Useful as a fast option against crossups, especially when jumping backward.
j.MP - Floats the opponent, and has a cancel into Air Flash Knuckle for added damage.
j.HP - Decently quick, and spikes the opponent for a knockdown, though it's a bit slower than the other options so must be used a bit more predictively.
Offense
Frame Traps
Light Chains - Only 2LK and 2LP are able to chain into each other.
- 2LP > 2LP has a 1 frame gap.
- 2LK > 2LP has a 3 frame gap.
- 2LP > 2LK has a 2 frame gap; this chain is -5 on block and is -1 on hit, though a 2LP is still in range to connect if the 2LK hits.
- 2LK > 2LK has a 4 frame gap and can be Punish Countered by reversal 4 frame buttons.
2MP - 2MP is Luke's only plus frame button, being +1 on block.
- 2MP, 2LP will counterhit 4 frame buttons; point blank you are still in range for a 2MP if the 2LP counterhits.
- 2MP, 2MP will reset pressure again, and 2LP is a good empty cancel from the range this blockstring creates.
- 2MP, Throw requires a very small microstep forward. The delay makes this a somewhat obvious tell, though the gap isn't very long.
- 2MP, delay 4HP is a somewhat niche string to counter delay tech and people mashing throw after 2MP.
Okizeme and Mixups
TO-DO
Knockdown Advantage: all scenarios assume that opponent will Back Rise midscreen when possible, unless otherwise stated
| Knockdown | KD Adv. | Oki/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Forward Throw | +19 | Forward walk > Throw is a 4f timing to beat 4f mash Auto-timed DR > 5MP; +1 OB, can shimmy reversal Throw; +6 OH |
| Back Throw | +19 | Cannot Throw Loop due to distance Auto-timed DR > 5MP; +1 OB, can shimmy reversal Throw; +6 OH |
| Drive Impact (No Crumple) |
+35 | +16 after forward dash; -3 after double dash DR > 6MP has to be delayed by 4f |
| Drive Reversal | +23 | +4 after forward dash Auto-timed DR > 4HK; 0 OB spaced; +9 OH, link to 2HP |
| 2HK | HKD +28 | Auto-timed DR > 6MP; +1 OB, cannot shimmy reversal Throw; +6 OH; trades with 4f with +13 |
| PC 2HK | HKD +44 | +6 after double dash, meaty 2MP Whiff 2LP > DR > 6MP; +1 OB, cannot shimmy reversal Throw Can manually safe jump after (delay jump by 2f) |
| 5MP~MP~MP~MP (Snapback Combo) |
+33 | +14 after forward dash; meaty 4HK links to 2HP |
| 236PP (OD Sand Blast) |
+41 | Can safe jump 6f reversals; +3 after double dash |
| 236PP~PP (Fatal Shot) |
+48 | Manual safe jump (delay by 6f); +10 after double dash |
| 623P (Rising Uppercut) |
L +28/M +28/H +29 | Auto-timed DR > 6MP; +1 OB, cannot shimmy reversal Throw |
| 623PP (OD Rising Uppercut) |
+25 | Auto-timed Drive Rush > 4HP, +1 OB, can shimmy reversal Throw; +7 OH, can link to 2HP |
| 623PP~PP (Slam Dunk) |
+14 | Auto-timed Drive Rush > 2MP, +5 OB, not in throw range; +11 OH, links to 5HP, cannot link to 2HP unless in corner |
| 214LP (LP Flash Knuckle) |
+32 | Auto-timed DR > 6MP hits meaty; +2 OB, cannot shimmy reversal Throw; +7 OH, can link to 2HP |
| (corner) pf.214LP > 236MP |
+42 | Safe jump j9 > j.HK |
| 214HP (HP Flash Knuckle) |
+42 (ground hit) | Safe jump j9 > j.HK |
| 214HP after: 5LP~MP~HP 6HP~HP pf.214MP>DR~HP>214[LP] |
+31 | Whiff 5MP > 2MP beats 4f mash Auto-timed DR > 6MP; +1 OB, cannot shimmy reversal Throw; +6 OH |
| 214HP after: pf.214LP |
+35 | Whiff 5MP > 2MP beats 4f mash Auto-timed DR > 6MP hits meaty; +2 OB, cannot shimmy reversal Throw; +7 OH, can link to 2HP |
| 214HP after: pf.214MP>DR~5HP>pf.214LP pf.214LP>DR~2HP>pf.214MP |
+32 | Whiff 5MP > 2MP beats 4f mash |
| pf.214HP/214[HP] | +63 | Whiff 2MP > j9 > j.HK for an auto-timed safe jump |
| 214PP~PP (DDT) |
+12 | 6HP meaty, hitconfirm to second hit |
| 236K~P (No Chaser) |
+32 (ground hit) | Auto-timed DR > 6MP hits meaty; +2 OB, cannot shimmy reversal Throw; +7 OH, can link to 2HP |
| 236K~K (Impaler) |
+35 | Whiff 2MP > 4HK links into 2HP on hit |
| SA1 - 236236P (Vulcan Blast) |
+17~30 | Grounded connect, corner only (+17): 6HP meaty on last active frame, hitconfirm to TC or link, -1 on block; +5 OH Auto-timed DR > 2MP; +6 OB, can shimmy reversal Throw; +10 OH |
| SA2 - 214214P (Eraser) |
+2~3 | Strike/throw if in corner, can shimmy reversal Throw |
| SA3/CA - 236236K (Pale Rider) |
HKD +18 | Auto-timed DR > 5MP; +1 OB, can shimmy reversal Throw; +6 OH |
vs. Burnout
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 | 5LK/2LK | 2MP | 5LP/5MK/2HP | 2MK | 5MP | 5HP/5HK/2HK | 4HK | 6HP/4HP | 6MP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5LP~DR | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 17 | 22 |
| 5HP~DR | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 11 |
| 5LK~DR | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 16 | 21 |
| 2LP~DR | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 18 | 23 |
| 2MP~DR | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 14 |
| 2HP~DR | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 15 |
| 2MK~DR | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 17 |
| 4HP~DR | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 11 |
| 5LP~MP~HP~DR | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 11 | 16 |
| 6HP~6HP~DR | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 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~DR | +4 | 2LP, 2HP ... |
| 2LP~DR | ||
| 5LK~DR | +5 | |
| 2MK~DR | +8 | 2MP, 2HP ... |
| 2MP~DR | +11 | |
| 5HP~DR | +15 | 4HK, 2HP ... |
| 4HP~DR | +16 | |
| 2HP~DR | +20 | |
| 5LP~MP~HP~DR | Free Juggle | 2HP > pf.214[LP] ... |
| 6HP~HP~DR |
Defense
Reversals
- OD Rising Uppercut (623PP) - Essential defensive tool that costs 2 Drive Bars. Drive Rush from normals with low blockstun always has a guaranteed gap, allowing you to punish it with OD DP, netting you a 1 Drive bar advantage (3 from Drive Rush cancel vs 2 from 623PP). It is also possible to OS gapless vs Drive Rush cancel with gaps by inputting 623PP with a 323 motion. This way you never stop blocking low and are safe from gapless low attacks while punishing gaps if there are any. Spending an extra Drive bar on 623PP's follow-up is generally not worth unless it kills. The oki is worse, and you can spend that 1 Drive bar on a Drive Rush to get oki from OD DP instead.
- Vulcan Blast (236236P) - Your go-to Super to use against Drive Impacts in Burnout, as it is both fast at 6f and only costs 1 Super bar. As is most Level 1s, it is strike and throw invuln but not to projectiles. Some characters can abuse this fact by using a meaty projectile rather than a strike. The final hit of the Level 1 sends the opponent full screen, meaning no oki midscreen even with a Drive Rush.
- Eraser (214214P) - While dealing a good deal more damage than his Level 1, Eraser suffers from poor range, which can make it prone to whiffing. On the upside, Luke walks forward around a 1/4 of the stage during the animation and only then sends the opponent full screen. Using it when cornered will have the opponent slightly past the middle of the stage by the end. It does only leave Luke +2 afterwards, though.
- Pale Rider (236236K) - The one to use if you want to risk it all on one interaction. Regular Pale Rider deals 4000 damage and the CA version adds 500 to that. This Super is substantially slower at 10f from around one character length away, and it also gets even slower at longer ranges, up to a maximum of 27f. This gives long-range meaties potential to use them safely. A good way to tell if your opponent is under 4000 health (assuming they have standard 10000 health) is if the bottom corner of the health gauge is past the outermost Drive bar. 4500 health should be in the middle of the outermost Drive bar.
Anti-Airs
- 2HP - Easiest and fastest reaction anti-air to use for Classic players. 2HP has a generous low-profile hitbox and is good at clipping close-range jumps that 623P would whiff against. However, it leaves you pretty much in neutral afterwards at +4 to +8 and spaced around 1 character away from the opponent.
- Rising Uppercut (623P) - All versions are air attack invuln from frame 1, making them beat any jump-in as long as you can input the motion in time, which Modern players don't have to consider. The actual valid input for it is any forward direction (6 or 3), any down direction (1, 2 or 3), any forward direction (6 or 3). This gives you opportunities to shortcut the motion in neutral situations. From forward walk (6), you only need to input 23. From crouch, you can be holding down/forward (3), then also simply input 23 to get DP out. You can even be spamming 2 and 3 repeatedly, which will continuously buffer a DP without giving away that you're doing that to your opponent, since you're just crouching from their perspective. Inputting DP from crouch also has the benefit of keeping your hurtbox lower to the ground right until you DP, giving you more time to input it against jump-ins. The fastest, and sometimes only way, to DP against cross-ups is to use the Cross-Cut motion (video breakdown). It is essentially a well timed half-circle back motion (63214), where 6 buffers the first required forward direction, while the 214 gets read as a 236 due to your opponent having already crossed-up, which input the rest of the required motion.
Anti-Projectile
- OD Sand Blast (236PP) - Very fast full screen option that beats any non-OD or Super projectiles for 2 Drive bars. Afterwards Luke can forward dash twice at still be at an advantage. Additionally, he can spend another Drive bar to do one more OD shot for a total of 3 hits. This allows him to win most OD fireball wars since they usually hit twice.
- Vulcan Blast (236236P) - Vulcan Blast has great utility in neutral, as it destroy any non-Super projectiles and can be used on reaction against some characters. However, due to the fact that Luke isn't projectile invuln, a late reaction can make you activate the super freeze and spend the Super bar, and then get hit by an incoming projectile afterwards. This will both waste 1 bar and cancel any shots from Vulcan Blast.
Fighting vs. Luke
Punishable on block
| -4 | |
| -5 | |
| -6 | |
| -8 | |
| -9 | |
| -10 | |
| -12 | |
| -14 | |
| -18 | |
| -19 | |
| -21 | |
| -22 | |
| -23 | |
| -27 | |
| -29 | |
| -33 | |
| -40 | |
| -42 |
