Cody (SSFIV)

Introduction

Background

Cody Travers is a street brawler, who made his first appearance in the Capcom game, Final Fight. He was a fighter who, along with Guy and Mike Haggar, rescued his girlfriend, Jessica from the Mad Gear gang. In Super Street Fighter 4, he has since been locked away (after being framed for a crime he didn't commit). He relieves himself of boredom by breaking out of jail and fighting as he pleases.

Playstyle

Cody is a rushdown character with great mix-ups, relatively easy but damaging combos, and a spectacular pressure game. People who enjoyed characters such as Abel, Balrog, Fei Long, Ken, and Rufus would probably be interested in what Cody has to offer.

References

• Jab = lp. = light punch
• Strong = mp. = medium punch
• Fierce = hp. = hard punch
• Short = lk. = light kick
• Forward = mk. = medium kick
• Roundhouse = hk. = hard kick
• Cr. = crouching
• St. = standing
• J. = jumping
• Nj. = neutral jump
• F = holding forward direction
• B = holding backward direction
• D = holding down direction
• --> = cancelling a normal with a special move
• --) = cancelling a special move with a Super
• , = linking one move into another
• How To Read Frame Data

Move Analysis

Cody has a rather large arsenal of great normals to apply pressure, bait-and-punish, fish for counter-hits, and stun opponents.

Normal Throws

• F+mp+mk
  • Cody grabs the opponent and tosses them about half-screen distance. Good for getting an opponent off of a pressure-heavy game, as well as good spacing for some Bad Stones.
• B+mp+mk
  • Cody grabs the opponent and jumps on their back, possibly causing long-term arthritus. Excellent for spacing, getting out of corners, and moving yourself towards the Knife.

Command Normals

Cody has amazing command normals which mostly all leave him at some kind of frame advantage.

• Stomach blow (F+mp.) - +1 block, +6 hit
  • One of Cody's best, as it leaves him +1 on block, and it moves him forward as well. Can be hit-confirmed into a cr.lp or cr.mp (1-frame link) into a combo.
• Crack Kick (F+hk) - +1 block, knocks down on hit
  • A great move. Though it has quite a bit of start up time, it moves Cody forward a lot, and is useful in setting up tick throws. If hit, Cody can follow up with a EX-Criminal Upper.
• Jaw Crusher (B+mp) - -1 block, +5 hit
  • One of the best anti-airs in the game. This move beats out almost any air-to-ground move if timed right (even Bison's EX-Headstomp), and being -1 on block, it leaves the opponent with no options for reversal.
• Hammer Hook (F+hp) - -6 block, -1 hit
  • One of Cody's only command normals to have disadvantages on hit/block. This is a semi-quick overhead, which hits twice, meaning it can go through Focuses. Strong move, but not recommended for heavy usage.
• Slide Kick (D+mk) - -6 block, -3 hit
  • An odd move which slides Cody along the floor. Goes under moves that hit high, and great for escaping cross-up attempts. Use seldomly during pressure as it is easily punishable.

Focus / Saving Attack

Cody pulls out his wrench and swings downward.

• A decent focus. Moves Cody slightly backwards during charge, making him difficult to jump over. The actual swing itself is somewhat slow, but his charge time is pretty quick. Not too bad, but not recommended for jump-ins. He has plenty of anti-airs for those.

Special Moves

• Bad Stone (QCF+P)
  • Cody picks up a rock from the ground and throws it. Range is determined by punch, and he can hold the stone to throw it at a different interval.
    • Though it has 29 frames of startup, it's recovery is 16, 18, and 20 for jab, strong, and fierce. Cody can do well in fireball wars, though he will eventually lose.
    • Bad Stone is best used for zoning, and the EX-version hits twice.
    • EX-Bad Stone is an amazing move. Hit confirmable into cr.hp or U2 for crazy damage.
• Bad Spray (U+P on techable knockdowns. Instead of pressing a button when impacted against floor, press up+punch)
  • Cody recovers quickly and throws dirt at the opponent, causing a knockdown if hit.
    • A good move to throw out every once in a while if an opponent won't let off pressure.
    • Though it has it's uses, it should be used very sparingly, as it has 29 frames of recovery, IS focusable, can be hit out of before the dirt is even thrown, and leaves you at a -20 frame disadvantage if the opponent blocks.
• Fake Bad Stone (D+hp+hk)
  • Cody picks up what appears to be rocks, but, OH, SNAP, SON! He didn't grab anything!
    • Great move for faking out the opponent and punishing accordingly.
    • Though it is quicker than Bad Stone, it still has a pretty long startup time (32 frames), leaving Cody open for punishment if the opponent is close or poorly spaced.
• Knife Pick-up (D+PPP)
  • Cody grabs the conviently placed knife in the middle of the stage.
    • Cody gets great range with the knife and his moves gain priority, but he loses the amazing F+mp.
    • Knife is good in footsie games, but if Cody is hit, he drops it.
    • Cody drops the knife if he:
      • Gets hit
      • Throws or gets thrown
      • Does a focus attack
      • Does an Ultra
    • The knife will remain in Cody's hand after Criminal Uppers and Ruffian Kicks.
    • Cody can throw the knife by inputting the Bad Stone command (QCF+P)
    • Cody can follow up with a combo if he catches someone with the knife throw in the corner, as it leaves them in a free-juggle state.
• Ruffian Kick (QCF+K)
  • Cody's signature move. Short is a sliding sweep kick, Forward is sliding thrust-kick, and Roundhouse is a sliding 90-degree-angled-cramping-leg kick.
  • Short Ruffian Kick (QCF+lk)
    • 15 frames of startup make this the slowest one. It, however, has the best distance of the three, hits low, and has the least advantage on block (but still recovers more slowly than Forward).
    • Can be comboed from cr.mp.
  • Forward Ruffian Kick (QCF+mk)
    • At 11 frames, this move comes out quickly and does the most damage of the three variations. -8 on block makes it very punishable, so it is best used in hit-confirmed combos.
    • Can be comboed from cr.lk and cr.mp.
  • Roundhouse Ruffian Kick (QCF+hk)
    • The fastest Ruffian of the three comes out in 7 frames, but is also the most dangerous to throw out, as it has -19 horrible frames of disadvantage on block, and whiffs completely on crouching characters. Whiffing this moves means 27 frames of recovery.
    • Great anti-air. Incredible priority.
    • Can be Super-cancelled and FADCed.
• Zonk Knuckle (Charge P 2+ seconds, release P)
  • Cody does a 360 spin and follows up with a wicked punch, saying "Bingo!" for some reason.
    • The Zonk Knuckle has a variety of uses, and should be used in as many practical ways as possible. Such variations include:
      • Pressure
      • Anti-air (requires precise timing)
      • Breaking armor
      • Comboing
      • Going through projectiles
    • Beware that while the move may seem incredible at first, it only has upper-body invincibility, meaning that any attack that hits low will hit Cody out of it, unless it's EX. It is also very unsafe, being -8 on block (EX is -7)
    • EX-Zonk Knuckle has 16 frames of full-body invincibility. This is one of Cody's only decent wake-up options. However, it doesn't auto-correct like a DP, meaning timing is essential, and if baited, can leave Cody in a very punishable situation. In this case, sometimes it's best to use 3 stocks of meter to FADC out of a blocked EX-Zonk to backdash to safety and regain momentum of the fight.

Super Move

Dead End Irony

• QCF+K
  • Cody does a Ruffian Kick, followed by a series of kicks, Final-Fight-style. Damage - 350

Uses

• Depending on the kick pressed, Cody will do a different kick, similar to his normal Ruffian Kicks. Short hits low (must block low accordingly), and forward and roundhouse hit high.
• Roundhouse DEI is useful as an anti-air, because of it's great priority, and Cody will usually wait for the opponent to come down to finish the whole Super
• DEI can be Super-cancelled out of roundhouse Ruffian Kick (short and forward Ruffians are not Super-or-FADC-able), Bad Stone, as well as the initial hit of a Criminal Upper.
• Decent damage, and very hit-confirmable, but may not always be the best option, as Cody's wake-up options sometimes rely heavily on meter.

Cons

• The whole Super-animation follows, regardless if the opponent is hit or not. If completely blocked, Cody can get punished hard.
• Hit-confirming into DEI causes massive scaling, so the damage may not be worth it depending on how many hits landed prior to the Super.
• Sometimes, when using DEI as an anti-air, Cody will get the first kick, but the opponent will land, and Cody will continue to whiff the rest of the kicks. Cody gets punished.

Ultra Moves

Final Destruction (I)

• QCFx2+PPP
  • Cody lands a devastating punch, exclaiming "Jackpot!", and continues to batter the opponent, finishing them off with the greatest Criminal Upper ever. Damage - 468

Uses

• FD is Cody's combo Ultra. If the initial punch connects, the rest of the Ultra animation will follow.
• More geared towards players who prefer comboability as opposed to punish-damage or gambles.
• Can be comboed from FADC-ed roundhouse Ruffian Kicks and EX-Zonks.
• Useful anti-air if timed at the peak of the opponent's jump.

Cons

• 14 frames of start-up, meaning this Ultra comes out slowly, much like Ken's Shinryuken.
• 50 frames of recovery spells bad news for blocked/whiffed Ultra.
• Damage scaling makes this Ultra do very sub-par damage at times.
• Bad reach (like, really bad) makes it difficult to punish certain moves, and sometimes whiffs completely in combos.

Last Dread Dust (II)

QCBx2+PPP

• • Cody scuffs a large wave of dirt from the ground, and, while the opponent is still blinded/hit-stunned, he dashes towards the opponent and bludgeons them with a handy wrench, pops them in the air, and destroys their spine with a rather large pipe, causing internal bleeding, and most likely, death.

Uses

• LDD is Cody's punish Ultra. It is capable of punishing a great deal of special moves and some normals (mostly sweeps). Last Dread Dust Punish List - A noteworthy compilation of moves punishable with this Ultra.
• Great reach (almost half-screen) makes it possible to punish poorly spaced projectiles.
• The dirt hits 7 times total, and will usually negate the effects of armor-moves (I.E. Balrog's EX-dash punch, Abel's Breathless, etc.)
• Can be linked off certain normals. F+mp. on counterhit, st.mp. (1-frame link), and (knife)cr.hp (1-frame link). High risk/medium-high reward.
• Can be used if the opponent attempts to jump in attack, but requires precise timing. If done correctly, the opponent will land, but the full Ultra will connect. If done incorrectly, the dirt will hit the opponent in the air, but the rest of the hits will not connect.
• Great for chip wins!

Cons

• Very punishable (47 frames of recovery after the upswing). Can be reversal-Ultra'd before and after the dirt kick, and after the upswing.
• If Ultra connects at any point while the enemy is in the air, the dirt will connect, but the swings will whiff, and Cody can be punished, except in very rare circumstances where only one of the dust hits connect, and Cody follows up with the rest of the swings (I.E. at the peak of Ryu's air-tatsu).
• In some instances, the follow-up after the dirt kick is slow enough so that the enemy can block it, even if the dirt connected. This happens if the opponent is too far away when the dirt hits (I.E. Blanka ball on block)

The Basics

Footsies

Cody has a decent footsie-game. His best pokes are:

• Standing short
• Crouching short
• Crouching strong
• Standing forward
• Crouching fierce
• Crouching roundhouse

The Footsies Handbook by Maj from www.sonichurricane.com - read it, then, read it again, AND THEN... be amazed. Then, learn. Seriously. Do it. It is the ultimate guide to ever understanding footsies in any fighting game.

Hit Confirmation

• Hit-confirming is the central basis of Cody's combos, as most of them stem from cr.lp, cr.mp -> special move. Train yourself to see if a cr.lp connects. If it does, continue with another cr.lp or cr.mp and cancel into a move. If blocked, continue to apply pressure through Cody's amazing pokes, or tick throw setups.
• Cody is a hit-confirmable character. His standing and crouching jabs are easily linkable into crouching strong and crouching short, which can be followed by a Criminal Upper or Ruffian Kick.
• Mastering his links and hit-confirmable combos should be top priority when learning Cody.

Tick Throws

• Tick-throwing, the act of throwing out a fast, close-range poke (such as a short or jab), and then following up with a throw immediately after block-stun stops, is a great asset to Cody's pressure game.
• Mix up your tick-throws by trying a different set-up each time, to avoid techs and punishes.

Pressure

• Much of Cody's game relies on his ability to apply pressure, to avoid being put on the defensive. Cody's defense is really bad, so, he makes up for it with a strong offense.
  • Cody has awesome normals, most of which leave him at a frame advantage, even on block.

Setups, Mind Games, Knife Strategies and Reactions, Pressure Strings

Tick-Throw Setups

• Though Cody's walk speed is incredibly slow, he still has the potential for some decent tick-throw setups, which include (but, of course, not limited to):
  • F+mp.,cr.lp., walk forward, throw
  • F+mp., walk forward, throw
  • F+mp., cr.lp., cr.lp., F+mp., walk forward, throw
  • D+mk. (slide), cr.lp., walk forward, throw
  • D+mk., cr.lp., F+mp., walk forward, throw
  • Nj.hp., walk forward, throw
  • Nj.hp., cr.lp., F+mp., cr.lp., walk forward, throw
  • J.mk. (crossup), cr.lp., walk forward, throw
  • Cr.lp. walk forward, cr.lp., walk forward, cr.lp., walk forward, throw
  • (On crouching opponent) F+hk. (Crack Kick) whiff, throw
  • (On crouching opponent) F+hk., cr.lp., cr.lp., walk forward, throw
  • (On crouching opponent) F+hk., nj.hp., cr.lp., walk forward, throw
  • (On crouching opponent) F+mp., cr.lp., F+hk. whiff, throw

Mind Games

• Cody's great pressure game can often make the opponent nervous, and this is one of the biggest advantages to gain in the fight. Some situations include:
  • Cody has scored a knockdown. He can take a risk and go for a meaty short Ruffian Kick, whiff a jab during their waking-up state and attempt a throw when they are in neutral stance, meaty Hammer Hook (overhead), jump and go for a crossup, or even just block (watch for wake-up throws).
  • The opponent has just jumped towards Cody. He can go for the roundhouse Ruffian Kick (and maybe even follow up with a forward Ruffian if they're high enough) for the knockdown, Jaw Crusher (B+mp.) for the reset, then dashing forward and applying pressure, st.hk. for a reset and following up with a meaty short or forward Ruffian Kick, a well-timed EX-Zonk-FADC-U1 for good damage and knockdown.

Knife Strategies and Reactions

• In my opinion, the knife deserves it's own section, mainly for the way the opponent acts after Cody picks it up. Every player is different, but most will either fall under one of two categories:
  • Aggressive
    • When the opponent becomes aggressive, Cody can use this opportunity to punish things the opponent wouldn't normally just throw out without thinking. With the fantastic reach of cr.lp. with the knife, hit-confirming is quite easy, and the damage is decent.
    • The opponent will begin to jump more as well, in an attempt to catch Cody off guard, but Cody has cr.hp. With the knife, this is an incredible anti-air if timed properly. U1 is also quite good if timed correctly.
    • In all, when the opponent becomes more aggressive, use every opportunity possible to capitalize on poor mistakes.
  • Defensive
    • When the opponent becomes defensive, Cody can gain a great momentum in the fight. With the knife doing good chip damage, the opponent may become nervous, which is more power to Cody.
    • Tick-throw setups in this situation are very helpful, as it is unexpected of the Cody player to give up the knife for a throw attempt.
    • Cr.lp., walk forward (slightly), cr.lp., walk forward (slightly), (repeat), is a good pressure string, dealing chip damage at the same time. If an uppercut is anticipated, block and punish accordingly.
    • Throw in a jump every so often. Deep crossup into cr.hp., link into U2 is insane damage.

Pressure Strings

• Cody's pressure strings, coupled with his high-damage combos, are what make him such a scary character. Some examples of his good block strings are:
  • F+mp., cr.lp., F+mp... (repeat)
  • F+mp., cr.lp., cr.lp., D+mk. (slide), cr.lp., F+mp...
  • F+mp., cr.lp., cr.lp., cr.lk., F+hk (Crack Kick)*
  • F+mp., F+mp., cr.lp., D+mk., cr.lp., F+hk.*

Combos

Hit-Confirm Combos

• Cr.lp., cr.lp., cr.lk. --> Forward Ruffian Kick
• Cr.lp., cr.lp., cr.mp. --> Forward Ruffian Kick
• Cr.lp., cr.lp., cr.mp. --> EX-Ruffian Kick
• (Corner only, character specific, standing opponent)st.lp., st.lp. st.lp., cr.mp. --> Roundhouse Ruffian Kick, Forward Ruffian Kick
• Cr.lp., cr.lp., cr.lk. --> Fierce Criminal Upper
• Cr.lp., cr.lp., cr.mp. --> Fierce Criminal Upper
• Cr.lp., cr.lp., cr.mp. --> EX-Criminal Upper
• (Corner only)Cr.lp., cr.lp., cr.mp. --> Strong Criminal Upper, EX-Criminal Upper
• F+mp., cr.lp. --> Fierce Criminal Upper
• F+mp., cr.lp. --> Forward Ruffian Kick
• F+mp., st.lp., cr.lp., cr.lk. --> Forward Ruffian Kick
• F+mp., cr.lp., cr.mp. --> Short Ruffian Kick
• (Corner only)F+mp., cr.lp. --> Strong Criminal Upper, EX-Criminal Upper

Punish/Focus-Crumble Combos

• Cr.hp. --> Fierce Criminal Upper
• St.hp., cr.mp. --> Fierce Criminal Upper
• F+mp., st.mp., cr.hp. --> Fierce Criminal Upper
• (Corner only)Nj.hp., st.hp., cr.mp. --> Roundhouse Ruffian Kick, Forward Ruffian Kick
• (Corner only)Nj.hp., F+mp., st.mp., cr.hp. --> Strong Criminal Upper, EX-Criminal Upper
• (Corner only)Cr.hp. -->Strong Criminal Upper, EX-Criminal Upper

FADC Combos

• 50% Meter Combos
  • (Standing opponent)F+mp., cr.mp. --> Roundhouse Ruffian Kick FADC Forward Ruffian Kick
  • (Standing opponent)Cr.lp., cr.lp., cr.mp. --> Roundhouse Ruffian Kick FADC Forward Ruffian Kick

Matchups

Frame Data

	Block			Super Meter					Frames
Move Name	HL	Damage	Stun	Gain	Cancel Ability	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Guard	On Hit	Notes
Close LP	HL	30	50	20	ch/sp/su	4	3	5	+3	+6
Close MP	HL	70	100	40	sp/su	6	3	8	+4	+7
Close HP	HL	100	200	60	sp/su	8	4	13	+1	+6
Close LK	HL	30	50	20	-	4	4	6	+1	+4
Close MK	HL	90	100	40	sp/su	6	4	14	-4	-1
Close HK	HL	110	200	60	su	8	6	17	-5	-1
Far LP	HL	30	50	20	ch/sp/su	3	2	6	+3	+6
Far MP	HL	9	100	40	-	7	3	11	0	+3
Far HP	HL	120	200	60	-	8	4	17	-3	+1
Far LK	HL	40	50	20	-	5	4	8	-1	+2
Far MK	HL	70	100	40	-	8	5	9	0	+3
Far HK	HL	110	200	60	-	10	5	15	-2	+2
crouch LP	HL	20	50	20	ch/sp/su	4	4	5	+2	+6
crouch MP	HL	60	100	40	sp/su	5	3	10	+1	+4
crouch HP	HL	100	200	60	sp/su	7	3	16	-1	+4
crouch LK	L	20	50	20	sp/su	4	4	8	-1	+2
crouch MK	L	70	100	40	-	7	7	13	-6	-3
crouch HK	L	100	100	60	-	7	3	24	-9	-
Jump up LP	H	50	50	20	-	4	8	-	-	-
Jump up MP	H	80	100	40	-	6	4	-	-	-
Jump up HP	H	120	200	60	-	8	8	-	-	-
Jump up LK	H	40	50	20	-	5	8	-	-	-
Jump up MK	H	80	100	40	-	7	7	-	-	-
Jump up HK	H	100	200	60	-	8	3	-	-	-
Jump forward LP	H	50	50	20	-	4	8	-	-	-
Jump forward MP	H	80	100	60	-	9	3	-	-	-
Jump forward HP	H	100	200	60	-	11	6	-	-	-
Jump forward LK	H	40	50	20	-	5	8	-	-	-
Jump forward MK	H	70	100	40	-	7	7	-	-	-
Jump forward HK	H	90	200	60	-	9	11	-	-	-
Fake Knife Throw	HL	-	-	-	-	-	-	32	-	-
Knife ??	HL	-	-	-	su	-	-	27	-	-
Knife ??	HL	70	100	10/20	-	26	-	45	+7	-
Knife Standing LP	HL	40	50	20	ch	4	3	6	+2	+5
Knife Standing MP	HL	80	100	40	su	6	4	10	0	+3
Knife Standing HP	HL	120	200	60	su	8	3	17	-2	+2
Knife Crouching LP	HL	40	50	20	ch	3	4	7	0	+3
Knife Crouching MP	HL	80	100	40	su	7	2	14	-2	+1
Knife Crouching HP	HL	120	200	60	su	9	4	12	+2	+7
Knife Jumping LP	H	50	50	20	-	4	4	-	-	-
Knife Jumping MP	H	80	100	40	-	7	3	-	-	-
Knife Jumping HP	H	120	200	60	-	8	6	-	-	-
Bad Spray	HL	60	100	10/40	-	25	12	29	-20	-
Stomach Blow(F+MP)	HL	60	100	40	-	8	3	12	+1	+6
Crack Kick(F+HK)	HL	110	200	60	-	14	3	12	+1	-
Jaw Crusher(B+MP)	HL	80	100	40	-	6	4	13	-1	+5
Hammer Hook(F+HP)	L	40*60	50*50	60*20	-	18	1*3	21	-6	-1
Focus Attack LVL1	HL	60	100	20	-	21	2	35	-21	-21
Focus Attack LVL2	HL	80	150	40	-	17+12	2	35	-15	-
Focus Attack LVL3	-	140	200	60	-	64	2	35	-	-
Forward Throw	0.95	130	140	40	-	3	2	20	-	-
Back Throw	0.95	130	120	40	-	3	2	20	-	-
Bad Stone LP	HL	50	150	10/20	su	29	16	44 (total duration)	+4	+8
Bad Stone MP	HL	50	100	10/20	su	29	20	46 (total duration)	+2	+6
Bad Stone HP	HL	50	100	10/20	su	29	27	48 (total duration)	0	+4
Bad Stone EX	HL	70*50	100*100	-250/0	su	24	24	40 (total duration)	+8	+15
Criminal Upper LP	HL	80*20x3	70*30x3	20/5x4	su	13	2(1)14	22	-5	-
Criminal Upper MP	HL	70*20x4	70*30x4	20/10*5x4	su	13	2(1)20	23	-8	-
Criminal Upper HP	HL	60*20x5	70*30x5	20/10*2x5	su	13	2(1)18	28	-10	-
Criminal Upper EX	HL	60*20x6	50x30*6	-250/0	su	7	2(1)12	30	-11	-
Ruffian Kick LK	L	120	150	20/40	-	15	8	20	-7	-
Ruffian Kick MK	HL	130	100	20/40	-	11	4	25	-8	-
Ruffian Kick HK	HL	100	100	20/40	su	7	13	27	-19	-
Ruffian Kick EX	L	130	150	-250/0	-	11	7	25	-10	-
Zonk Knuckle(Lv1)	HL	130	200	40/40	-	16	3	26	-8	-
Zonk Knuckle(Lv2)	HL	140	200	40/40	-	17	3	26	-8	-
Zonk Knuckle(Lv3)	HL	150	200	40/40	-	18	3	26	-8	-
Zonk Knuckle EX	HL	90*70	150*100	-250/0	su	16	1*2	26	-7	-
Super Combo LK	H*HLx6	60*45x5*65	0	-1000/0	-	1+11	???	30	-16	-
Super Combo MK	HL	60*45x5*65	0	-1000/0	-	1+7	???	30	-16	-
Super Combo HK	HL	60*45x5*65	0	-1000/0	-	1+7	???	29	-16	-
Ultra Combo 1	HL	83x385	0	0/0	-	1+12	2	50	-30	-
Ultra Combo 2	HL	23x7*45x5*120	0	0/0	-	1+6	???	47	-28	-
	Block			Super Meter					Frames
Move Name	HL	Damage	Stun	Gain	Cancel Ability	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Guard	On Hit	Notes

Super Street Fighter IV