Rufus (SSFIV)

Move Analysis

Normal Moves

Crouching Normals

Crouch LP is a fast poke with a very good hitbox, but can be difficult to turn into a combo and real damage due to its minimal frame advantage.

Crouch MP is a reliable anti-air but is vulnerable to crossups or high jump-ins.

Crouch LK is a fast low poke with a good hitbox, but less damage and range. Useful, for example, against Blanka's Electricity. Combo into LP Galactic Tornado to quickly punish a standing opponent.

Crouch MK is a medium-speed low poke that is frame neutral on block and has the same basic range as Crouch LP. It moves Rufus' hitbox back as it starts up so it can be useful against Focus Attacks. Combo into HP or EX Galactic Tornado to strongly punish a standing opponent.

Crouch HP is a very slow but very long range poke. Even if your opponent blocks, you build about as much meter as whiffing three LP Snake Strikes, so it can be useful to gain some advantage against a zoning opponent. It is quite unsafe on block and vulnerable to focus absorb dashes, so use it carefully!

Crouch HK is a slow but long range sweep; it moves Rufus' hitbox forward significantly, so be wary of counter hits.

Far Normals

Far LP is a fast poke which gives great frame advantage on block (+4). With good reactions and spacing, you can hitconfirm and combo into Far MP afterwards for an additional 90 damage and +3 frame advantage on hit. An altogether great normal.

Far MP is a medium-speed poke which controls horizontal space well with a moderately good hitbox.

Far HP is a great anti-air which does good damage but controls a limited jump arc which it shares with Jump Forward HK and EX Snake Strike.

The second frame of Far HP extends the powerful anti-air hitbox even further.

Far LK is a medium-speed poke which has a fantastic hitbox for shutting down an opponent's low pokes, especially Shoto Crouch MK.

Far MK is Rufus' longest range standing poke; it has the same range as Crouch HK, but is slightly faster, has a somewhat better hitbox, does less damage, and doesn't knock down.

Far HK is a slow medium-range poke with several special characteristics. For example, it can combo into either Ultra (though under limited circumstances for U2). It can step over some low pokes and punish harder than Far LK, but with more risk. It can combo into EX Snake Strike for full or near-full hits on some characters anywhere, or on most characters if it catches them out of the air or hits them into the corner. It can combo into Crouch HK for an untechable knockdown.

Close Normals

Close LP is a fast normal which covers Rufus' face with a good hitbox. It can safely hit mistimed crossups, though in some situations a turnaround Close HP does the same job better. It can miss on crouching opponents, so beware.

Close MP is a fast normal, useful for baiting counter hits and frame trapping, since Close HP and Crouch MK can be linked from it afterwards. Against some characters such as Blanka, it is a vital part of bread and butter combos.

Close HP is a tried and true element of Rufus' bread and butter combos, whether hitconfirmed from a Close LK or directly linked from a divekick as a punish, Close HP is the go-to close normal for good damage.

Close HP's second active frame is an often neglected tool which serves as anti-air directly above Rufus' head. Used skillfully in tandem with Crouch MP, Rufus can control his airspace effectively.

Close LK is a fast, close poke with great frame advantage, used in frame trapping, tick throws, and bread and butter combos.

Close MK is a rarely used move, as it is essentially a sub-optimal version of other normals, such as Close MP.

The second part of Close MK, its second hit, which can be used to go through an opponent's one-hit armor up close, though other options are generally better.

Close HK is almost never seen outside of Rufus' Target Combo, though it does have one legitimate use - Close HK canceled to Super is the most effective way to use Rufus' super, or in other words, the most likely to do enough damage to finish your opponent and win the game.

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	2	7	+2	+5
Close MP	HL	80	100	40	sp/su	5	2	10	+2	+5
Close HP	HL	100	200	60	sp/su	6	2	23	-7	-2	Forces stand
Close LK	HL	30	50	20	-	4	2	6	+3	+6
Close MK	HL	30*50	50*50	40*20	sp/su	7	2(4)3	11	0	+3	1st hit cancellable
Close HK	HL	110	200	60	su	8	2	21	-5	0	Forces stand
Far LP	HL	20	50	20	ch/sp/su	5	2	5	+4	+7
Far MP	HL	90	100	40	-	7	2	12	0	+3
Far HP	HL	120	200	60	-	9	3	16	-1	+3
Far LK	HL	40	50	20	-	6	2	7	+2	+5
Far MK	HL	70	100	40	-	10	1	17	-4	-1
Far HK	HL	90	150	60	-	17	2	14	+2	-
crouch LP	HL	30	50	20	ch/sp/su	4	2	8	+1	+4
crouch MP	HL	80	100	40	sp/su	7	3	10	+1	+4
crouch HP	HL	100	200	60	-	14	2	30	-14	-10
crouch LK	L	20	50	20	ch/sp/su	4	2	9	0	+3
crouch MK	L	70	100	40	sp/su	6	1	16	-3	0
crouch HK	L	110	200	60	-	12	2	22	-6	-	cannot fast recover
Jump up LP	H	50	50	20	-	5	7	-	-	-
Jump up MP	H	80	100	40	-	6	5	-	-	-
Jump up HP	H	100	200	60	-	5	7	-	-	-
Jump up LK	H	50	50	20	-	5	6	-	-	-
Jump up MK	H	90	100	40	-	4	6	-	-	-
Jump up HK	H	110	200	60	-	6	4	-	-	-
Jump forward LP	H	50	50	20	-	6	6	-	-	-
Jump forward MP	H	80	100	40	-	6	9	-	-	-
Jump forward HP	H	100	200	60	-	7	5	-	-	-
Jump forward LK	H	50	50	20	-	6	7	-	-	-
Jump forward MK	H	80	100	40	-	7	5	-	-	-
Jump forward HK	H	50*40	50*100	60*20	-	7	3(4)3	-	-	-
F+MK	L	60	50	40	-	21	2	16	-4	-1
DF+MK	HL	50	50	40	-	21	2	12	0	+3
F+HP	HL	100	150	60	-	19	5	18	-5	-
DF+MK(air)	HL	70	100	40	-	11	Until ground	-	+7	-	Pursuit property
Target Combo 1	HL	70	100	30	-	8	2	21	-5	-
Focus Attack LVL 1	HL	80	100	20	-	21	2	35	-21	-21
Focus attack LVL 2	HL	100	150	40	-	17+12	2	35	-15	-
Focus attack LVL 3	-	160	200	60	-	58	2	35	-	-
Forward Throw	0.9	150	120	40	-	3	2	20	-	-
Back throw	0.9	130	160	40	-	3	2	20	-	-
Messiah Kick LK	HL	80	100	20/30	-	24	2	8+20	-9	-5
Messiah Kick MK	HL	80	100	20/30	-	26	2	11+20	-12	-8
Messiah Kick HK	HL	80	100	20/30	-	35	2	5+20	-6	-2
Messiah Kick EX	HL	20x5	10x4*50	-250/0	-	11	3(1)2(1)2(1)2(8)2	6+27	-14	-10	1~16f invincible
Messiah Kick LK followup	HL	60	100	20/30	su	12	4	14+21	-18	-	1~11f invincible, Pursuit property
Messiah Kick MK followup	L	80	100	20/30	-	19	2	19	0	-	Low attack, cannot fast recover
Messiah Kick HK followup	H	90	150	20/30	-	26	5	17	-1	-	Mid attack, cannot fast recover
Tornado Galaxy LP	HL	40*50	50*50	20/10*20	su	10	8(6)2	20	-1	-	1st hit pursuit property, Armor break, 1st hit cancellable
Tornado Galaxy MP	HL	50*20*40	50x3	20/10*10*20	su	14	10*11(5)2	20	-1	-	1st hit pursuit property, Armor break, 1st hit cancellable
Tornado Galaxy HP	HL	50*20*50	50x3	20/10*10*20	su	15	10*11(5)2	20	-1	-	1st hit pursuit property, Armor break, 1st hit cancellable
Tornado Galaxy EX	HL	0*130	0*100	-250/0	su	11	19(3)1	22	-2	-	(translate), 2nd hit pursuit property, armor break
Jatotsu Nature LP	HL	40x5	40	20/16	-	8	1x5	1+17	+2	+6	Pursuit property
Jatotsu Nature MP	HL	40x7	40	20/16	-	7	1*1*2*1x3*2	2+17	0	+2	Pursuit property
Jatotsu Nature HP	HL	40x7	40	20/16	-	6	1x3*2*1x3	4+17	-1	+1	Pursuit property
Jatotsu Nature EX	HL	30*7	30	-250/0	-	7	1*2*1*2*1x3	15+17	-	-	1~10f invincible, Pursuit property
Super Combo LP	HL	100*80*150	0	-1000/0	-	1+6	1(14)1	29	-9	-	1~6f invincible, Pursuit property, 2nd hit armor break
Super Combo MP	HL	100*80*150	0	-1000/0	-	1+13	2(14)1	29	-9	-
Super Combo HP	HL	100*80*150	0	-1000/0	-	1+15	3(14)1	29	-9	-	1~2f invincible, Pursuit property, 2nd hit armor break
Ultra Combo 1	HL	30*30*38x7*134	0	0/0	-	1+8	3(6)3(10)3(22)3(17)2(6)3(9)3(2)3(14)2	32	-13	-	1~9f invincible, Pursuit property, 9th hit armor breaks
Ultra Combo 2	HL	47*403	0	0/0	-	1+10	88	87	-74	-	1~13f invincible
	Block			Super Meter					Frames
Move Name	HL	Damage	Stun	Gain	Cancel Ability	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Guard	On Hit	Notes

Super Street Fighter IV