Ultra Street Fighter IV/Cody/Strategy

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The Basics

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Cody is essentially a more offensive oriented version of Ryu. He has all the tools he needs to win but not dominate anyone, however, his tools are not as easy to use compared to Ryu's. His defense is bad, with only one full invincible reversal (other than his Ultras), but he has a really high damage output and probably the highest stun output in the game. He has a plethora of frame traps to beat out enemy moves while pressuring, and he also can pull out tons more damage from a counter hit than anyone else in the game.

Cody can be a very good character for people starting out, since he can teach a lot of good fundamentals, but at a high level, Cody players will have to make a LOT of good reads to win.

Frame Traps

Frame traps are basically there to beat out your opponent from pressing buttons while you're pressuring them. When you land a move, it will put the opponent in hit/blockstun for a period of time. After the active frames of the move (the part where the move actually is supposed to hit) are done, then the recovery of the move happens while the enemy is still in block/hitstun (gonna call it block for now, since that's what they will usually do). The time of the recovery of the move that got blocked compared to how long the enemy is in blockstun is the advantage that you have (how many frames ahead of the opponent where you can move but they can't).

For example, let's take a common frame trap, crouching LP to crouching MP. Since crouching LP is +2 on block you can move 2 frames before your opponent. You then do crouching MP which starts up (the time before the move is supposed to be registered as hitting) in 5 frames. So 5 frames minus 2 frames equals 3 frames, which is the gap between the two moves. So, if your opponent does just about anything between the moves, the startup of their move (unless its a perfectly timed DP or so) will be too slow, and they will be hit by the crouching MP (also getting a counter hit for a bit more damage/stun).

Hit Confirms

Most of Cody's ground combos can started by a crouching LP, which can be comboed into a crouching LK or crouching MP. Teach yourself to recognize when a crouching LP connects, and then when done so, quickly follow up with a crouching MP or LK, and then to a Criminal Upper or Ruffian Kick. This is one of his main sources of damage starting on the ground. If the crouching LP doesn't connect (blocked), continue to do LPs or start a pressure string.

Tick Throwing

Ticking, in a general sense, is throwing out a fast move like a jab (usually gets blocked by the opponent) and then quickly walking up and throwing them. If someone is continually just blocking your pressure or frame traps, tick throwing them can be a good way to break their guard. It is very important to have a strong throw game to use frame traps effectively.

Ground Game/Footsies

A list of his most important normals, you will use these the most:

• standing - Basic poking tool.
• standing - Makes a nice anti air from afar.
• standing/crouching - Easy frame traps with delayed LPs, also for fishing for knockdowns
• crouching - Combo filler/starter.
• crouching - Very fast normal, good reach, and can be option-selected into specials if it hits
• + - Close the distance while still attacking, good in pressure strings.
• + - Hopkick, also nice for setting up throws.
• + - Very easy to use anti-air.

Air Game

• neutral jump - Air-to-air or anti-air.
• neutral jump - Attacking, can also hit-confirm into an Ultra.
• jumping - Air-to-air or defensive anti-air.
• jumping - Same use as the neutral jumping counterpart.
• jumping - Cody's cross-up jump in.
• jumping - Good range, lots of active frames.

Strategy

Far Range

• The only thing Cody can do in this range is build meter and pester the enemy from afar, so you should be throwing lots of Bad Stones. If you're not looking to hit the opponent for some reason or you want a shorter recovery for safety you can use Stones. No real reason to use Fake Stone here unless you are fighting someone who can punish from fullscreen (Chun, Abel, Seth, etc.)

Mid Range

Getting In

Here are some moves you can use to close the gap between you and your opponent:

• Crack Kick ( + ) - Slow and whiffs crouchers, but can be confirmed into a short combo for a reset or corner carry.
• crouch - Can go under some fireballs, use sparingly
• Focus Attack - Has good range. Can also be canceled into dash very quickly for increased distance + the benefit of absorbing a hit (known as focus dashing)
• LK Ruffian Kick ( + ) - Very risky, but hits low and is hard to punish if done at max range. Best as a one-time use surprise only.
• EX Ruffian Kick

Jumping is a nice option, but I only recommend jumping in these situations: 1. Your opponent has not shown they can anti-air well 2. You are still above 50% health. 3. You think your opponent is about to throw out a fireball or a slow move (and they aren't Guile).

The Knife

http://blockstring.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=540

The knife, while very underused by Cody players, can be a really nice tool. He is the only character that can pick it up and use it, and I suggest that you use it to your advantage.

While holding the knife, all his normal punch attacks have longer range and do chip damage, at the cost of not being able to special cancel said moves. Also, he loses the ability to do Bad Stone and Fake Bad Stone, but they are replaced with the Knife Throw and the Fake Knife throw.

Actions that drop the knife:

• Focus Attacking
• Throwing (attempting, teching, and landing)
• Taunting
• Doing a super or ultra
• Getting hit
• Throwing the knife (QCF + P while holding it)

Spaced properly, it can be a very good tool in the neutral game, especially his ground attacks, which have good range. However, you have to able to play very defensively as well in order to not lose the knife.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_D6sBJ4WEo4

Safe Jumps

• Back throw, forward jump HK (5f safe jump)
• HP Criminal Upper, walk forward ~1f, j. HK. (4f safe jump)
• Combo ender LK Ruffian, quickly crouch, neutral jump HP. (4f safe jump)
• EX Ruffian, forward dash, cr. lk, neutral jump HP. (4f safe jump)
• Ex Ruffian, fake bad stone, neutral jump mk. (3f safe jump on Ryu, Evil Ryu, and Ken only)

Pressuring

First of all, in order to consistently start up your frame trap game, you have to establish a solid throw game. If the opponent is just going to keep blocking your pressure, then your frame traps are useless. Here are some moves that usually leave you at a kara throw range (from point blank on block):

• cr.LP, cr.LP
• cl.MP
• cl.HP
• close ranged Stomach Blow
• close range Crack Kick

Remember you can safe jump with j.LP to reduce hitstun and mess with throw tech timings.

Know the start-up gradient between cr.LK, cr.LP, cr.MP, cl.MP, cr.HP, cl.HP, F+MP, (Focus/Kara) dash, F+HK; in addition to knowing the frame advantage on block of the same normals and how to apply the gradient. Examples:

• cr.LP cr.LK - 2 frame
• cr.LP cr.LP – 2 frame
• cr.LP cr.MP - 3 frame
• cr.LP cl.MP - 4 frame etc
• cr.LP cr.HP - 5 frame
• cr.LP cl.HP/F+MP - 6 frame
• cr.LP F+HK – 12 frame aka you better be outside of poke range or have them conditioned to block patiently
• cr.LP, dash in – 16 frame aka you better be outside of poke range or have them conditioned to block patiently
• cr.LP, focus dash – useful if you think they are going to stick out a slow poke

To consistently set up your offense, first check your foe's crouch with unexpected cr.LK xx LP Criminal Upper. It is -4 and is much safer than previous versions. Until your opponent shows you they can consistently punish it there is no reason not to.

2 frame gaps are throw impervious, 3 frame gaps can get thrown by frame perfect stand tech inputs and trade with frame perfect 3 frame normal inputs. Look at your opponents fastest buttons to determine the largest gap that they cannot mash normals to get out of.

Starting your first frame trap string with cr.LP x2 (chained), walk back, F+MP is a great way to get a read on your opponents tendencies. It allows you to block reversals, punish stand tech, visually confirm crouch techs, continue pressure vs blocking opponents and visually confirm backdashes. You can also see whether your opponent is delay teching or mashing crouch tech/jab safely. This allows you to more intelligently apply your throw/frame trap game.

You can charge focus to Lv2 and immediately release outside of your opponents throw range but inside your own throw range to try to catch them delay crouch teching for a focus crumple or free dash cancel into continued pressure. Lv2 focus dash on block is +4

Learn when to realize when you get a counter hit and take advantage of them. Practice reacting to them in training mode by setting the dummy to random block and random counter hit.

Staggering jabs with gaps larger than your opponents reversal is a way to bait reversals while continuing pressure vs patiently blocking opponents, mashed normals will put you in block stun or potentially counter hit you out so make sure to mix it up with normal frame traps.

Your opponent has no reason to press buttons unless they are inside your throw range. Keep this in mind as you want to be frame trapping when inside throw range and F+MP/F+HK/dash/focus dashing back in when outside of throw range. Lv2 focus is the exception as it is useful inside your throw range and outside of it. However players may try to stuff your F+MP/F+HK/dash/focus dashing with normals once they catch on so in that case it may be worth trying a cr.HP xx EX Bad Stone or other frame traps outside of throw range.

Remember at the end of an unsuccessful frame trap string you don’t always have to try to get back in or end it in cr.LK xx LP Criminal Upper. You can just admit defeat, stay safe and go back to neutral.

cl.MP F+HK can be used to blow up stand techs and backdashes as it is airborne but it will be thrown by a frame perfect stand tech even if you input the crack kick frame perfect. Another option is to Crack Kick on your opponents wakeup if you read a stand tech and/or backdash.

Setups

Double tap all specials and plink all normals for timing (remember cr.LK can be plinked with cr.LP).
Only do empty jump cr.LK xx LP Criminal Upper when you can FADC into combo or RFC into combo/ultra as this justifies giving up any chance for pressure and the risk (being -4)

after HP Criminal Upper

Forward Dash x2

• meaty cr.LP
• wait, throw
• cl.HP (3F gap)
• F+HK (beats stand tech and backdash)

cr.LP x2 cr.LK xx and cr.LP cl.MP cr.HP xx

• empty jump cr.LK xx LP Criminal Upper
• hold up forward, whiff j.HK, delay crouch tech (fake safe jump)
• pause (?F), hold up forward, j.HK (4F manually timed safe jump, susceptible to delay QR)
• LP Bad Stone, LK Ruffian (safe and chips, may need to hold forward 1 or 2 frames before cancelling)

cr.LP x3 cr.LK xx and long range F+MP cr.LK xx

• empty jump, backdash (DP bait)

after Bad Stomp (back throw)

• empty jump, cr.LK xx LP Criminal Upper
• forward jump HK (5F safe jump)
  • immediate st.LP, forward jump HK (4F delay wakeup safe jump)
• walk forward (?F) j.HP/j.MK (anti-shoto DP setup, for MK you will have to walk a bit more than HP)

Delay Wakeup OSes (for basic safe jump)

• F+HK (beats stand tech and backdash)
• cl.HP (2F gap)
• cr.LP (meaty safe vs. 8F reversals, +8 on hit and +4 on block)
• wait, throw

after Prisoner Throw (front throw)

• empty jump, cr.LK xx LP Criminal Upper
• walk forward, pause 1-2 frames, jump HK (4F manually timed safe jump)

Same back throw delayed wakeup option selects and anti-shoto setups still apply.