| Line 108: | Line 108: | ||
* 0: Even though its -1 on hit, you can't be punished by 1 frame supers (except gigas) or 1 frame moves | * 0: Even though its -1 on hit, you can't be punished by 1 frame supers (except gigas) or 1 frame moves | ||
*+1: If you don't hit with the first hit of the tatsu, its plus on hit only vs. Crouchers | *+1: If you don't hit with the first hit of the tatsu, its plus on hit only vs. Crouchers | ||
''All variations of Tornado are better used as an "out of range" footsie, especially the Roundhouse version. This will actually make the move safer (not by much).'' | ''All variations of Tornado are better used as an "out of range" footsie, especially the Roundhouse version. This will actually make the move safer (not by much).'' | ||
Revision as of 13:03, 18 February 2017
Introduction
Sean is perhaps the most efficient definition of an underrated character in the history of fighting games. In the 2nd version of Street Fighter III, 2nd Impact, he was pretty much totally broken, doing tons of damage off of his lengthy combo strings. In response to this, Capcom did the responsible thing and made him an original character, as opposed to a black Ken in a yellow gi.
Well, they did it a little too well.
Other than being extremely hard to use and situational because of his hit-box placement and frame advantage (Dragon Smash's hit-box is located over his head), 3s makes Sean much more of a defensive counter character. When you play as him you have to understand that he does have a lot of good points, such as his MP-HK target combo, Cl.HK, and EX Tornado that inflicts nice stun on everyone. He trades pretty well and if used properly on the right SA's against the right match-ups. He also has an assortment of AAs:
- Cr FP
- St RH (steep jump in)
- DS (over or near over Sean's head only)
- Tornado (steep jump in)
- Wheel Kick (mid-far jump in. Do not kick into them. Wheel kick with the appropriate range for their jump in)
- f+FP/MP
- RH (far slow good for angled jump in)
- FP (close)
Now try to pull all that together and use them based on your match-up's move-set/hit-box placement. See how hard he is to use? Now if you don't use his AA's based on your match-up's move-set you will struggle. End of story.
Specific Character Information
- Stamina: 1120
- Stun Bar Length (pixels): 64 (Normal)
- Stun Bar Recovery (frames it takes to recover 1 pixel): 23rd frame
- Taunt: Increases stun damage for the next hit/combo by 12.5% per ball thrown. If Sean throws nothing (ie. another ball on the screen), there is no bonus. Maximum 3 balls thrown, 37.5% bonus.
- Best Kara-Throw: F+HP
- Standard Throw Range (pixels): 20
- Dash Forward (frames) / Moving Distance: 13 / 1
- Dash Backward (frames) / Moving Distance: 13 / 1
- Normal Wake up (frames): 77
- Quick Stand (frames): 50
Strategy
Chippiness
Sean can deal alot of damage to your Stun meter in small "chips" at a time.You see since he can't combo very well he needs to hit you more over the duration of the match to break even. He's not ranked very high because "chippy" (High/mid damage : Low combo ability) characters in tournaments fall apart because professional players will not give you a chance to hit them many times and they don't make many mistakes. So try to find ways to chip until you have meter then use your SAs to deal large damage to break even.
Parrying with Sean
You need to parry and parry well to use Sean. Jump into/out of parry dash in/dash back into parry. Parry makes Sean a good character. If you do not use it he will suck. A lot of his moves are extremely situational/impractical or have a strange hit-box placement. You need the parry and other tech to setup into said moves. Learn to red parry a lot things that can help you in match-ups as well (multi-hit overheads, Ken's SA3, Chun's SA2, etc.).
EX Tornado
After a EX tornado, you have 8 different options you can choose from while your opponent typically only has 5 (but be ready to gamble):
- Block [Loses to grabs but wins against reversals and super]
- Throw/tech throw (Regular or Kara) [Loses to reversals, evasive maneuvers, super but wins against blocking]
- Parry/SGGK/OS [Least amount of risk that involves 2 or more options at once]
- EX Dragon Smash [Loses to throw, blocking, reversals, evasive maneuvers and super but wins against throws that come out too early or attacks that don't have enough priority]
- Zenten [Loses to blocking, reversals and super but wins against throws and certain attacks]
- Dash Backwards [Loses to super but wins against throws and reversals]
- Jump forward/backwards [Loses to reversals but wins against throws]
- Super (SA2 only) [Loses to blocking but wins against everything else]
Moves List
NOTE: Names taken from Kao Megura's Street Fighter III 3S FAQ (can be found in GameFAQs.com)
Dragon Smash: F, D, DF+P
Tornado: QCB+K
Ryuubi-kyaku: QCF+K
Sean Tackle: HCF+Hold P (not holding P will have him dash forward, the length depends on the button used)
Zenten: QCB+P
Command Normals
Sean Pachiki: F+HP
Rolling Sobat: F+HK
Target Combos
St. MP --> HK (Not cancel-able but links into SA3 on Makoto)
Close HP-->F+HP (F+HP is overhead and it wont combo)
Taunt:Jump Shot (Basketball)
Effect: Added stun to next move (if ball hits)
Move Analysis
Tornado:
This is Sean's version of the tatsu. Its easy to combo into (LK/MK/EX versions) from HK, MP, etc. Does good damage and its useful for pressuring opponents. The LK tornado can be used as an anti-air and combo'd into SA1 before they hit the ground (in the corner only). Also the HK or MK versions are great for chip out wins. All variations of Tornado are unsafe on hit AND block (except for EX which is 99% safe) and comboing into the HK tornado works only vs Crouching opponents (still very unsafe). The first hit all of the Tornadoes force stand which makes the move even more unsafe than it should be.
The strongest combos Sean has w/Tornado is: (J.Fierce x Cl.Roundhouse x EX Tornado vs. Standing opponents) or (J.Fierce x Cl.Roundhouse x HK Tornado vs. Crouching opponents). This former does around 67 while the latter does 78 damage (to Akuma) and is comparable to some supers in the game. For the high amount of damage of the 2nd comes a high amount of disadvantage though so keep this in mind.
EX Tornado can leave you at -1, 0 or +1 on hit depending on the situation:
- -1: The move's normal frame advantage. Its -1 on hit even if canceled from Cl.HK or Cl.MP due to the first hit of the tatsu inducing stand
- 0: Even though its -1 on hit, you can't be punished by 1 frame supers (except gigas) or 1 frame moves
- +1: If you don't hit with the first hit of the tatsu, its plus on hit only vs. Crouchers
All variations of Tornado are better used as an "out of range" footsie, especially the Roundhouse version. This will actually make the move safer (not by much).
Dragon Smash:
Sean's version of the Shoryuken. The variations come out in 5/7/8/9 frames respectively, but do all the same damage (except EX) and can cancel into Hadou Burst and Shoryu Cannon. People tend to think DS is a DP, Well it's not. Its slower by a few frames but it has most of its priority over Sean's head. It also doesn't have much range either, so it has a high chance of whiff-ing plus you can't combo into it off of Cl.HK (only on a few characters) and he can be grabbed out of it as well (all versions). EX Dragon Smash will out-prioritize a good amount of things in the game due to its 8 frames of invincibility but this has to be timed correctly.
The strongest confirm you can get with this is normally Cl.Fierce x LP Dragon Smash x Sa1 or 2 but this just only does a few more pixels worth a damage when compared to just confirming into the super with Cl.Roundhouse.
His true strongest confirm by far is Cl.Roundhouse x Dragon Smash x Sa1 or 2 but this is only possible to do usually on Dudley, Elena, Urien, and Twelve or when the opponent is stunned and a basketball is thrown.
The basketball also helps him to land his strongest ground combo which is Cl.Roundhouse x EX Dragon Smash.
If you trade/collide with someone jumping in using this, you can SA1 them before they hit the ground which does a few points less then what it normally does but it's still good damage nonetheless.
Advice: Learn how to quickly cancel Cr.LK or Cr.LP into Dragon Smash.
Tackle:
This is another source of mobility in addition to Sean's already fast and lengthy dash. Its start-up is low to the ground which gives him a 2nd move that goes underneath projectiles (the first being Zenten). Useful to close distance from you to the opponent when used just for the dash itself. The tackle itself is only useful in catching whiffed lows or dashes when in close enough range. You can cancel into this (LP version) from his HK/HP/HP for fake outs into grab/EX DS/super but be for-warned doing this against someone who's quick enough to punish you. You can combo into this off of his taunt for style. Be warned, the attack is not a grab and the attack doesn't have the "duck" property (like Yun's jump kick and Dudley's rush attack or Sean's Zenten). So now you have a move that has 0 priority until the actual tackle attack. Even then its too slow/predictable.
Tip: If your AA get's parried, cancel into an empty tackle or Zenten for a mix-up. To actually tackle, you have to bait out crouching moves before using it. In this scenario, LP or MP tackle depending on how far away you are, should hit when they whiff.
Ryuubi Kyaku:
The second special AA that Sean has. The range of this move is deceptive, it can hit very high in the air and even stuff out some of the other shoto's air tatsu's. Useful for when the opponent tries to jump out of the corner and you smack them back down into there with it. The EX can hit up to 3 times if you catch an Opp. jumping away or if you're up close (Remy and Hugo). Like the tackle, you can also combo into this off the basketball taunt, you know, for style. This move is one that opponents tend to look out for or bait out the most because of how easy it is to parry it, even the EX so be careful.
The frame Adv. of the RK's vary depending on who you're playing against. On block up close for taller characters its -5, but on a shorter character (like Yun) its 0. On hit, its about the same, though on shorter characters its between -2 and +1 (twins).
Zenten:
The Pros:
The roll lowers his hit-box to the ground which allows him to avoid throws and projectiles for however long its out on screen. It can even avoid high hitting supers altogether when done early enough. Its parry bait as well since opponents who know about this move will stick lows/overheads out constantly to punish you for using this. Its throw invincible though not attack invincible. It can help you out every once in a while to get out of pressure but its not recommended to do it all the time.
Combos
Meter-less
J.Fierce - Strong/Roundhouse
J.Fierce - Strong - Dragon Smash (f,d,df+P)
Standing Close HP - Fierce Dragon Smash
Crouching MK - Tornado (Short)
Crouching MK - Dragon Smash (f,d,df+P)
Close MP - Close HK (Target Combo)
Crouching LK - Crouching LP - Crouching LK
EX moves
Standing close HP - EX Dragon Smash/Tornado
Standing close MP - EX Tornado/Dragon Smash
Crouching MK - EX Tornado/Dragon Smash
J.Fierce - Close HP - EX Tornado (His highest stun combo)
J.Fierce - Close HK - EX Tornado (His most damaging combo)
Super Art I
Crouching LK - Crouching LP - Crouching LK - Hadou-Burst
Crouching MK - Hadou-Burst
Standing close HK - link Hadou-Burst
UOH - link Hadou-Burst
Standing close HP - Dragon Smash (LP) - Hadou-Burst
Close HK - Dragon Smash - Hadou-Burst (On certain characters)
J.Fierce/Roundhouse - Close HK/HP/MP - Hadou-Burst
J.Fierce/Roundhouse - Cr.MK - Dragon Smash - Hadou-Burst
Super Art II
UOH (Meaty) - link Shoryu Cannon
Crouching Forward - Jab Dragon Smash - Shoryu Cannon
Close Fierce - Jab Dragon Smash - Shoryu Cannon
J.Fierce/Roundhouse - Close HK - Shoryu Cannon - EX Dragon Smash
J.Fierce/Roundhouse - Cr.MK - Dragon Smash - Shoryu Cannon
You can add a Jab Dragon Smash/Close HK or HP (Hugo and Alex) in the corner to link into another Shoryu Cannon if you have both stocks. It'll look something like this:
(Corner) Close Fierce - Jab Dragon Smash - Shoryu Cannon - Crouching Forward - Shoryu Cannon - Jab Dragon Smash
You can replace the Crouch Forward to Close Roundhouse for big hit-box characters like Q, Elena, Chun, etc.
Super Art III
Crouching LK - Crouching LP - Crouching LK - Hyper-Tornado
Crouching MK - Hyper Tornado
Standing close HK/HP/MP - link Hyper Tornado
UOH - link Hyper Tornado
J.Fierce/Roundhouse - Target Combo - SA3 (Makoto only)
J.Fierce/Roundhouse - Close HK/HP - SA3
Basketball
Beginner Basketball Combos
In addition to doing stun if it hits, the basketball taunt can be used in combos to apply a fair amount of mix-up on the opponent (granted they aren't teching every knockdown except for SA2 or SA3):
- BB - Sean Tackle (All variations)
- BB - Wheel Kick (All variations)
- BB - Target Combo
- BB - Headbutt
Etc.
Intermediate Basketball Combos
Another thing to note about the basketball is that once you throw it, you gain stance value for the next few moves you do. This allows you to land combos such as Cl.HK - Dragon Smash which you wouldn't be able to normally. After you throw the basketball, there's a small window of time that allows you to put a Jab (easy to time) or Short (harder to time) before the ball actually hits then after that you can do many things.
- LP/LK - BB - Target Combo (4 hits) - SA3 (Makoto only)
- LP/LK - BB - Dragon Smash (All versions) - SA1 or 2
- LP/LK - BB - HP/HK - EX Tornado
- LP/LK - BB - MP/HP/HK - SA1/2/3
- Cl.HK - BB - Dragon Smash - SA1 or 2
- Fr.MP - BB - SA3
Advanced Basketball Combos
After throwing a basketball, you can hit with a Cl.MP/HK into another Cl.MP/HP/HK but this is really difficult and only possible on the shorter characters (Yun, Yang, Chun, etc.). In this situation, the basketball acts as a "hit-stun extender" and allows you to connect things you normally wouldn't be able to. For confirmation that you have hit the Cl.MP correctly, the ball will hit and fall to the side instead of just falling on the top of the head. These do the same amount of damage as a jump-in combo and as such its just as hard to do.
- Cl.MP - BB - Target Combo - SA3 (Makoto only)
- Cl.MP - BB - Cl.HP - EX Tornado or SA1/2/3
- Cl.MP - BB - Cl.HK - SA1/2/3
- Fr.MP - BB - Fr.MP
- Cl.HK - BB - Cl.HK - SA1/2/3 (The most difficult but quite possibly Sean's strongest anything due to being able to hit with Cl.HK twice...)
THESE COMBOS ARE ONLY FOR WHEN THE OPPONENT IS STUNNED AND CANNOT DEFEND
Frame Data
Normal Moves, Command Normals, Other
| Move | Parry | Damage | Stun | Cancel Ability | Startup | Active | Recover | Frame Adv. Block | Frame Adv. Hit | Frame Adv. Hit Crouching |
| Light Punch | HL | 20 | 3 | C*Sp*Su | 3 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Medium Punch | H | 90 | 9 | Sp*Su | 5 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Hard Punch | H | 120 | 13 | Sp*Su | 5 | 4 | 15 | -4 | -2 | 0 |
| Light Kick | HL | 30 | 3 | - | 4 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Medium Kick | HL | 90 | 5 | - | 6 | 3 | 15 | -2 | -1 | 0 |
| Hard Kick | H | 145 | 11 | - | 5 | 4 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| Far Medium Punch | H | 80 | 11 | - | 5 | 3 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Far Hard Punch | H | 120(100) | 11 | - | 9 | 3 | 19 | -7 | -5 | -3 |
| Far Hard Kick | H | 120(100) | 11(9) | - | 7 | 3 | 26 | -9 | -7 | -5 |
| Crouching Light Punch | HL | 20 | 3 | C*Sp*Su | 4 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Crouching Medium Punch | HL | 80 | 7 | Sp*Su | 5 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Crouching Hard Punch | HL | 120 | 13 | Sp*Su | 7 | 4 | 17 | -9 | -7 | -5 |
| Crouching Light Kick | L | 20 | 3 | C*Sp*Su | 5 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Crouching Medium Kick | L | 70 | 3 | Sp*Su | 7 | 4 | 17 | -4 | -3 | -2 |
| Crouching Hard Kick | L | 120 | 3 | - | 8 | 4 | 26 | -16 | Down | Down |
| Neutral Jumping Light Punch | H | 40 | 7 | - | 5 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Neutral Jumping Medium Punch | H | 90 | 11 | - | 6 | 4 | - | - | - | - |
| Neutral Jumping Hard Punch | H | 130 | 15 | - | 7 | 2 | - | - | - | - |
| Neutral Jumping Light Kick | H | 50 | 7 | - | 5 | 18 | - | - | - | - |
| Neutral Jumping Medium Kick | H | 90 | 9 | - | 5 | 5 | - | - | - | - |
| Neutral Jumping Hard Kick | H | 130 | 13 | - | 7 | 4 | - | - | - | - |
| Jumping Light Punch | H | 50 | 7 | - | 4 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Jumping Medium Punch | H | 90 | 9 | - | 5 | 4 | - | - | - | - |
| Jumping Hard Punch | H | 130 | 13 | - | 6 | 3 | - | - | - | - |
| Jumping Light Kick | H | 50 | 5 | - | 4 | 9 | - | - | - | - |
| Jumping Medium Kick | H | 90 | 9 | - | 5 | 5 | - | - | - | - |
| Jumping Hard Kick | H | 110 | 13 | - | 6 | 3 | - | - | - | - |
| Toward + Hard Punch | H | 60+80 | 7+7 | - | 21 | 1*4 | 22 | -6 | - | - |
| Toward + Hard Kick | H | 90(70) | 9 | - | 15 | 4 | 18 | -5 | - | - |
| Throw | - | 120 | 11 | - | 2 | 1 | 21 | - | - | - |
| Back + Throw | - | 140 | 5 | - | 2 | 1 | 21 | - | - | - |
| Universal Overhead | H | 40 | 3 | - | 16 ~ 23 | 7 | 7 | -5 ~ 0 | 0 ~ +7 | +1 ~ +8 |
| Taunt | H | 5 | - | - | 31 | 1 | 20 | - | - | - |
| Move | Parry | Damage | Stun | Cancel Ability | Startup | Active | Recover | Frame Adv. Block | Frame Adv. Hit | Frame Adv. Hit Crouching |
Special Moves and Super Arts
| Move | Parry | Damage | Stun | Cancel Ability | Startup | Active | Recover | Frame Adv. Block |
| Sean Roll Light Punch | - | - | - | - | 2 | 16 | 9 | - |
| Sean Roll Medium Punch | - | - | - | - | 2 | 26 | 9 | - |
| Sean Roll Hard Punch | - | - | - | - | 2 | 40 | 9 | - |
| Overhead Turn Kick Light (Ryuubi Kyaku) | H | 120 | 19 | - | 15 | 7 | 15 | -3 |
| Overhead Turn Kick Medium (Ryuubi Kyaku) | H | 120 | 19 | - | 15 | 7 | 15 | -2 |
| Overhead Turn Kick Hard (Ryuubi Kyaku) | H | 120 | 19 | - | 15 | 7 | 15 | -3 |
| Overhead Turn Kick EX (Ryuubi Kyaku) | H | 60+70 | 7+7 | - | 27 | 1*1 | - | - |
| - | H | 70 | 7 | - | - | 1 | 15 | -1 |
| Tornado Light Kick | H | 50+50 | 5+5 | - | 11*5 | 1*1 | 21 | -7 |
| Tornado Medium Kick | H | 50 | 5 | - | 14 | 3 | - | - |
| - | H | 50+50 | 5+5 | - | 7*9 | 1*1 | 21 | -6 |
| Tornado Hard Kick | H | 50 | 5 | - | 16 | 2 | - | - |
| - | H | 40+40+40 | 5+5+5 | - | 9*7*7 | 3*3*1 | 21 | -6 |
| Tornado EX | H | 60 | 9 | - | 9 | 1 | - | - |
| - | H | 40+40+40 | 5+5+5 | - | 9*7*7 | 2*3*1 | 17 | -3 |
| Sean Tackle (All versions) | L | 100+80 | 11+7 | - | 18/22/26 | 1 | 28 | -14 |
| Sean Tackle EX | L | 40x4 | 7x4 | - | 28 | 1 | - | - |
| - | - | 100 | 7 | - | - | - | 28 | -14 |
| Dragon Smash Light Punch | HL | 130(90) | 11 | Su | 5 | 5 | 36 | -24 |
| Dragon Smash Medium Punch | HL | 130(90) | 11 | Su | 7 | 7 | 39 | -30 |
| Dragon Smash Hard Punch | HL | 130(90) | 11 | Su | 9 | 8 | 42 | -34 |
| Dragon Smash EX | HL | 90+90(60) | 11 | Su | 8 | 1*10 | 42 | -37 |
| SA1 — Hadou Bursts | H | 220 | 9 | - | 3 | 1 | 61 | -39 |
| SA2 — Shoryu Cannon | HL | 80+50 | 0 | - | 1 | 1*6 | - | - |
| - | HL | 35+35+40 | 0 | - | 18 | 1*1*1 | - | - |
| - | HL | 40+40+40 | 0 | - | - | 1*1*1 | - | - |
| - | HL | 40+40 | 0 | - | - | 5*5 | 36 | -43 |
| SA3 — Hyper Tornado | HL | 20+40+60 | 0 | - | 2 | 13*4*1 | 53 | -31 |
| - | HL | 60+60+60 | 3+3+3 | - | 7*8*9 | 1*1*1 | - | - |
| - | HL | 60+60 | 3+3 | - | 6*4 | 1*1 | - | - |
| - | HL | 60+60 | 3+0 | - | 6*4 | 1*1 | - | - |
| - | H | 60+100 | 19+3 | - | 10 | 3*4 | 22 | - |
| Move | Parry | Damage | Stun | Cancel Ability | Startup | Active | Recover | Frame Adv. Block |
Strategies
Overview
Sean is not an easy character to use. Aside from a good amount of his moves being punishable and having either a long start-up and/or a long recovery, his jump in combos are very hard to pull off. He needs meter for his safer moves but even then they're still risky, so as such you have to ask yourself: is the opportunity cost at this particular moment worth using his unsafe moves? The first thing should always be to decrease the risk when playing whether using option selects, less whiffs, etc. The second is actually knowing the match up, and what that character can actually do. The third is figuring out how to and what can punish what the opponent does with Sean.
Basics
- Utilize the Cl.MP-HK Target Combo as it is truly safe on block and hit. It even serves nicely as a nice AA as well.
- Cl.HK is your friend.
- Don't be scared to wake up with a EX Dragon Smash (seldom)
- Use St.MK to out-prioritize lows when in the correct range
Super Art Selection
- SA1
- Super Cancel Hit Confirm
- Decent Recovery
- Easy to Parry
- Usage: All purpose SA. Can be used against all characters if you're adept at hit confirms. Many different ways this can be combo'd into as well and does decent damage. Plus it'll eat through lesser projectiles and hit the opponent so that's something to keep in mind. Also can function as a nice anti-air if you place it in the right spot. Meter builds up rapidly so you'll always be stocked with at least 1 at all times. It has a recovery that's longer than it should be though.
- SA2
- Corner Juggles
- Bad recovery
- Usage: The most balanced super that has the most EX and the highest chance of big damage. A highly invincible super (10 frames) that has the highest priority of any SA in the game (save for Gill's Seriphim's Wing) which just might save you in sticky situations. This super requires a "up close and personal" kind of play style. The biggest problem with Shoryu Cannon is the lack of range it has. This super vs Necro/Elena/Chun/Q is very good since if you have 2 stocks, you can juggle them for free in the corner with back to back SA2s due to their hit-box size. Shoryu Cannon is also a very good chip out option as well.
- SA3
- Big Damage
- Large Meter
- Bad capacity for EX and Super Cancel Moves
- Usage: The Punisher. Hyper Tornado is Sean's strongest and most invincible super (12 frames + 4 for throw invincibility). It has the same confirms that Hadou-Burst does (minus the ones with Dragon Smash) and has almost the same range. The main issues with this super is the length of the meter, how long it takes to fill it and the fact that you only get one. The play-style you have to take when using this is calculated, picking the right time when to use this. With a 2 frame start up (one more than Shoryu Cannon), you can punish many things in the game with this since it is very fast. Another thing to note is that you can use this to bypass projectiles that come toward you. Thing is, is that they have to be far away from the projectile or else you're still going to be caught by it and waste the super. Another thing noteworthy about Hyper Tornado: It will beat out Shoryu Cannon.
Kara-Techniques
Sean's best Kara throw is F+HP for his tick throw game while his Cl.HK Kara throw is better for SGGK. You can Kara into his roll from his overhead headbutt but the timing is very strict.
He also has his own Kara DP (like Ken's) where if the opponent jumps high enough he can punish with 2 Dragon Smashes (Very situational and difficult to do but works anywhere on the screen).
Zoning
- Far HP will be the main tool you use to maintain your zone. Use it to smack away any dive kicks/jump-ins that come your way.
- All 3 variations of MP (cr/cl/fr) are very useful to keep the position as well, being that they're all safe on block and hit.
- Don't be afraid to stick a cr.MK on the screen from time to time (just be careful doing so)
- You have a vast assortment of AAs so choose your AA's wisely
Mixups
EX Tornado
EX Tornado can be combo'd depending on the attack and the opponent's current state:
| Akuma, 12 | |||
| Attack/Opponent | Stand HK | Stand HP | Crouch MP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stand Close | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Stand Far | No | Yes | No |
| Crouch Close | Yes | Yes | No |
| Crouch Far | No | No | No |
| Hugo | |||
| Attack/Opponent | Stand HK | Stand HP | Crouch MP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stand Close | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Stand Far | No | Yes | No |
| Crouch Close | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Crouch Far | No | Yes | No |
| Urien, Remy, Dudley | |||
| Attack/Opponent | Stand HK | Stand HP | Crouch MP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stand Close | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Stand Far | Yes | Yes | No |
| Crouch Close | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Crouch Far | No | No | No |
| Oro | |||
| Attack/Opponent | Stand HK | Stand HP | Crouch MP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stand Close | No | Yes | Yes |
| Stand Far | No | No | No |
| Crouch Close | No | Yes | Yes |
| Crouch Far | No | No | No |
| Ibuki, Q, Necro, Alex | |||
| Attack/Opponent | Stand HK | Stand HP | Crouch MP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stand Close | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Stand Far | No | Yes | No |
| Crouch Close | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Crouch Far | No | No | No |
| Chun Li | |||
| Attack/Opponent | Stand HK | Stand HP | Crouch MP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stand Close | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Stand Far | No | Yes | No |
| Crouch Close | No | No | No |
| Crouch Far | No | No | No |
| Yang, Yun, Makoto, Ryu, Ken | |||
| Attack/Opponent | Stand HK | Stand HP | Crouch MP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stand Close | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Stand Far | No | Yes | No |
| Crouch Close | No | Yes | No |
| Crouch Far | No | No | No |
| Sean | |||
| Attack/Opponent | Stand HK | Stand HP | Crouch MP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stand Close | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Stand Far | Yes | Yes | No |
| Crouch Close | No | Yes | No |
| Crouch Far | No | No | No |
| Elena | |||
| Attack/Opponent | Stand HK | Stand HP | Crouch MP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stand Close | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Stand Far | Yes | Yes | No |
| Crouch Close | No | Yes | Yes |
| Crouch Far | No | No | No |
Taken from japan's atwiki
Match-ups
Note: Sean has a disadvantage in every match-up. That means its up to you, the player, to overcome this with your skill.
- Vs. Necro
The Bad: His corner pressure is just as deadly as Dudley's, so you need to not let him corner you. That means no backing up, just advance forward only until you can corner him. Problem is, he can zone you out just like Remy can with his pokes (ground and air) so that means you need to parry to get inside on him. Learn how to parry his revolving punch, electrical, and the overhead. It'll help you out quite a bit. He can also build up quite a bit of stun especially with SA3. His grab has good range so watch out for that.
The Good: He has a big hitbox, a really big one. Keep this in mind, things that normally wouldn't connect manage to actually hit him while he's still airborne. The Double DP works especially on his normal jump so keep that in mind if he tries to neutral jump in the corner. Say if you're just shy of 2 stocks of SA2, the best substitute would be to end the Shoryu Cannon with a EX Dragon Smash at the end (Corner) since it'll hit with both hits of the EX. Confirming into SA2 x2 in the corner vs. Necro is about 90-93 damage (more than half) if you can time it right.
- Vs. Remy
This match-up depends on how well you can read/parry your opponent and how quick you are to react/reversal. Its not easy for Sean to get in close to do damage when all Remy has to do is just zone you out. To get in close on a Remy player that knows what they're doing, you need to parry at least 1-4 times before trying anything (sometimes you might not have to) and this applies to jump-ins as well. From far range, you only have 4 options: EX Tackle/Wheel and SA1/3. EX tackle and Wheel have to be done psychically because they can be parried or met with retaliation by a Flash Kick, Dive Kick or LOV and SA1/3 have to be done on reaction which is not easy either. Be on the lookout for lows since alot of Remys like to test the waters with a few lows until they get the chance to cancel into the F.K. Sean Tackle will help you a bit here; It goes underneath the high LOV. Remy's will often throw them and then quickly dash up the screen to get to you to apply mix-up. So as soon as you see them start dashing, full Sean tackle underneath the L.O.V coming and grab them for approaching. You can do to some extent, the same with Zenten so get creative with this concept. Always keep one thing in mind, Remy's very susceptible to stun and Sean has the ability to stun him within 5 consecutive heavy hits so when you get the chance to pressure/trap him, do so and do it quickly.
Recommended Super: SA1 or 3 against Remy's who zone with LOVs/SA1 or SA2 vs. "In your face" Remy's or if you're confident getting past the zone.
- Vs. Sean:
As a Sean player you should already know most of the "Sean-nanigans" and what he is capable of. There are some who use his taunt as a main source of mix-up and that's not a good thing to do. There are only 2 moves that can get to the other side of the screen in an instant and those are EX Tackle and EX Wheel Kick. As such, bait these 2 moves out for free damage. Be quick to react to any sudden Sean Tackles (empty or full) lest you want to be thrown.
Recommended Super: Any. Take your pick.
- Vs. Ryu:
Not a bad match-up overall. Be aware of the whiffed LK Tatsu since that's a common move to buffer parry into due to its deceptive recovery so just grab for free. The Fireball can be a big problem though if you aren't looking out for it. The Ryu player may throw it after a throw tech or crouch tech and might even throw multiple if they think you aren't paying attention. Watch out for the Kara-grab since Ryu has a good one. Resist jumping especially when you're trapped in the corner or you might get caught by the Donkey Kick as an AA. You have 6 ways of getting around his hadokens (Parry, Neutral jump, Zenten, Sean tackle, SA3 and Wheel Kicks). Once you let the opponent know this, they'll think twice before throwing them.
Recommended Super: Any. SA3 works nicely against Denjin Ryu/Zone Ryu, SA2 works against ShinSho, and SA1 can be used against him period.
- Vs. Ken
- Vs. Oro
- Vs. Ibuki
- Vs. Twelve
- Vs. Yang
- Vs. Alex:
- Vs. Hugo:
This is a difficult match up to over come. While its already difficult getting in close on some characters, getting in close proximity of Hugo can be very dangerous. You have a weapon in your arsenal that will help you out and that is Zenten. Since it's throw invincible you'll avoid the imminent danger of a SPD especially if you can telegraph it. Don't let him trap you in the corner either. Remember when I said the EX Tornado is 99% safe? Well, against SA1 Hugo it isn't. In fact, he can flat out punish you for doing it even though you normally can escape 1 frame supers. Gigas is the 1% exception so be very aware of this when playing. Also another thing, take heed to how many ways Gigas Breaker can be buffered (cross-up jump, clap, cr.LK, whiffed back-breaker, super jump, etc.). Don't jump too much or better yet, jump unpredictably as to bait out an occasional back-breaker whiff and punish as you see fit. As long as you play the full screen, getting your damage in and getting back out safely, you won't have too much trouble with this match-up.
As for the recommended super: SA2. Strictly SA2 in my opinion especially if you're confident in getting in and getting out. It will save you in case Gigas comes out slower than it should. Plus the other 2 aren't as good for damage against Hugo.
- Akuma
- Vs. Urien:
Spectre General went into heavy detail on this match up in the Shoryuken Forums
- Vs. Yun
- Vs. Chun-Li
- Vs. Dudley