In a previous article, I wrote about the benefits of learning to play Street Fighter at a professional level for money and sponsorships. In this article, I’ll focus on how to play the game professionally with charge-type characters. The article covers common questions about this type of characters and how to play with them.
What Are Charge-Type Characters?
Charge-type characters are characters whose move sets require holding down one direction, then pressing in an opposite direction, accompanied by an attack button, to execute a super move. The designation includes the characters Blanka, E. Honda, Vega, M. Bison, and Balrog.
These characters do not have fireballs or other projectile attacks. This means they have to be played with very different strategies than projectile-type characters. In place of projectiles they have very fast dash moves that take them across the screen to attack.
This guide does not cover Charge-type characters with projectiles like Guile and Chun Li, as they require entirely different strategies to play.
What Is the Best Way to Counter Projectile Users?
The biggest obstacle for playing with charge-type characters is their vulnerability against projectiles. They typically have none of their own, so they must avoid the other player’s projectiles. Skilled players use barrages of projectiles to put charge-type characters on the defensive and to set them up for powerful attacks.
It should go without saying that at a professional level of Street Fighter play players should know what every character is capable of. They should know what kinds of projectiles each character uses and how best to avoid them. For example, Sagat throws high and low projectiles and the fastest ones in the game. Ryu throws the largest and most damaging projectiles in the game.
There is almost no point in playing professionally as a charge-type character unless it is in a version of Street Fighter 4. In the fourth iteration of the series, charge-type characters can travel through projectiles with super moves executed with the three-punch or three-kick buttons. A slightly over-powered character like M. Bison can still hold his own on the older games, but even then, projectiles cause a distinct disadvantage.
Players won’t always have the ability to go through projectiles, as this maneuver takes away a section of the Ultra Combo bar. To get around fireballs, try aerial super moves of different speeds. Using more than one speed of move will help keep the opponent from predicting a landing spot. Aerial moves include super moves like E. Honda’s Sumo Smash and M. Bison’s Psycho Fist. Use these maneuvers to get in close to the opponent and deliver damage.
What Are the Best Strategies for Charge-Type Characters?
Charge-type characters should be played with a mixture of heavy defense and lightning offense. This means using guerilla attack methods of blocking a lot then quickly attacking effectively and unexpectedly.
Charge-type characters’ super moves take longer to pull off than other characters’, so it is harder for them to sustain an offensive barrage. That is why it is important to learn combination moves for each character, so that a single successful attack can become the launching point for a series of un-blockable attacks.
Make use of each character’s unique skills. Vega has a longer reach when his claw is equipped, so he can stand out of range of many attacks while still being in range for his own attack. He also has a defensive flip move that makes him practically invincible for a second or two, which can be used to maneuver through opponents’ attacks.
M. Bison is the strongest of the charge-type characters and has great super moves for attacking then retreating very quickly. His psycho crusher and psycho fist attacks hit opponents then put him at a safe distance from them, allowing him to attack with impunity in small amounts.
E. Honda is a very effective close-range fighter, which is where savvy players will keep him. His powerful attacks often knock opponents down, giving him openings to change up his tactics regularly.
Blanka’s slide can slip under most projectiles, and his extendable grab attack can cause massive damage with some practice. His electricity attack is not as impenetrable as novice players believe, as it only counters most aerial attacks and is susceptible to sweeps and low kicks.
Balrog has no good aerial moves, so he should be played at a ground level. He does, however, have excellent anti-air moves like his uppercut and dash uppercut. The makes him very effective against other charge-type characters who rely on aerial moves to get in close.
With these strategies and a lot of practice, you should be on your way to becoming a Street Fighter champion.