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==Strategy== | ==Strategy== | ||
====Zoning==== | |||
Akuma has one of the best, if not the best set of zoning tools out of the entire cast. Learning to use Akuma's fireballs well can frustrate his opponents to no end, and being able to zone is an art form itself. <br><br> | Akuma has one of the best, if not the best set of zoning tools out of the entire cast. Learning to use Akuma's fireballs well can frustrate his opponents to no end, and being able to zone is an art form itself. <br><br> |
Revision as of 06:31, 5 January 2015

Akuma
The art known as Ansatsuken (the Assassin's Fist) was created by Goutetsu, and he passed the skills onto two brothers: Gouki and Gouken. However, the dark nature of the art consumed Gouki, and he reveled in its ability to end the life of those who came against it and, thus, came to be known as Akuma. Determined to become the most powerful warrior on the planet, he not only murdered Goutetsu himself, but also turned the Satsui no Hado, "the killing intent," on his own brother Gouken. Now on a hellbent mission to fight against the most worthy opponents, Akuma has set his eyes on Gouken's student Ryu. Although Gouken had removed the Satsui no Hado from his teachings, Akuma intends to being that out in Ryu so the two can engage in the ultimate battle to the death.
In a nutshell
Akuma has always been the "balance" between Ryu's excessive defense and Ken's excessive offense. His playstyle is very technical and he requires a lot of practice, but the payoff is well worth it. Akuma players live by one simple motto: "The best defense is a good offense." Akuma has the second worst health and the worst stun in the game, but his extremely high speed and massive damage output more than make up for it. His vortex game is absolutely unparalleled, and is practically the defining point of his playstyle. He has so many options at his disposal that the very prospect itself can be downright frightening. If you like playing mind games with your opponents, or if you feel that Ryu and Ken aren't challenging enough, Akuma may be for you.
Ultra SFIV Changes
(From Ultra SFIV Arcade Japan)
- Close MK: Now forces stand on hit; startup reduced to 4 frames from 5 frames; Hitbox expanded downward
- Crouch HK: Can no longer be cancelled into Wrath of the Raging Demon (UC1)
- Zanku Hadoken: All versions done during back jump have recovery increased by 2F, to 18 frames from 16 frames for Light, Medium, and Hard versions and to 11 frames from 9 frames for EX version
- EX Zanku Hadoken: Can now be performed during the start of Light, Medium, and Hard Hyakkishu (Demon Flip) as well
- Goshoryuken: 2nd hit of Medium version can no longer be EX Focus cancelled on block
- Goshoryuken: 2nd and 3rd hit of Hard version can no longer be EX Focus cancelled on block
- Goshoryuken: Hard version startup invincibility reduced to 5 frames from 6 frames
- L, M and H Goshoryuken --> EX Focus Cancel --> Forward Dash is now -5 on block at best
(New to Ultra SFIV Console Digital Release)
- Close MK: Attack range recognition increased
- Stand HP: Damage reduced to 90 from 120
- Stand HP: Can now be canceled into Special Moves, Super, or EX Focus Attack
- EX Shakunetsu Hadoken: Startup reduced to 19 frames from 25 frames
- Tatsumaki Zankukyaku: Light version Hitbox expanded downward
(New to 1.04 Update)
- Gohadoken: All versions' startup reduced to 13 frames from 14 frames
Character Specific Data
Akuma
VITALS | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Health: | 850 | Stun: | 850 | W-Ultra Scaling: | 75% |
WALKING | DASHING | ||||
Forward Walk Speed: | 0.055 | Forward Dash Distance: | 1.00 | ||
Back Walk Speed: | 0.04 | Forward Dash Total Frames: | 18 | ||
JUMPING | Back Dash Distance: | 0.90 | |||
Jump Height Apex: | 1.76 | Back Dash Total Frames: | 25 | ||
Jump Total Frames: | 40 (4+36) | Back Dash Invincibility: | 8 | ||
Forward Jump Distance: | 1.92 | Back Dash Airborne: | 10 | ||
Back Jump Distance | 1.92 | Back Dash Recovery: | 7 | ||
THROWS | WAKE-UP TIMING | ||||
Forward Throw Range: | 0.91 | Face Up Total Frames: | 31 | ||
Back Throw Range: | 0.91 | Face Down Total Frames: | 21 | ||
NOTABLE MOVE CLASSES | |||||
High Attacks: | Zugaihasatsu, Tenmakujinkyaku | Hard Knockdowns: | Crouch HK, Hyakki Gozan, Hyakki Gosho, Hyakki Gosai | ||
Low Attacks: | Crouch LK, Crouch MK, Crouch HK, Hyakki Gozan | Armor Breakers: | Hyakki Gosho, Demon Armageddon | ||
FOCUS ATTACK DATA | |||||
Level 1 Focus Startup Frames: | 21 | L1 EX Red Focus Attack Combo Lead-Ins: | Close MP, Close HP, Far HP, Crouch HP, GoHadoken (Corner Only), MP/HP Goshoryuken (1st Hit), MK/HK Tatsumaki Zankukyaku (1st Hit) | ||
Level 2 Focus Startup Frames: | 29 | ||||
Level 3 Focus Startup Frames: | 65 | ||||
L1 Focus Attack Forward Dash: | -2 | L2 FA Forward Dash (On Block): | +4 | ||
L1 Focus Attack Back Dash: | -9 | L2 FA Back Dash (On Block): | -3 |
Frame Data (At A Glance)
More detailed Frame Data Table at bottom of page.
Moves
Standing Close Normals
Name | Nickname | Command | Notes | |
File:No image.png |
Close LP |
Close Jab | Close lp | speccancel supercancel |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ Aside from being able to combo into Akuma's cr. HK, you won't find too many uses for this move. | ||||
File:No image.png |
Close MP |
Close Strong | Close mp | speccancel supercancel |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ You could potentially use this as a frame trap and fish for a counter hit, letting you combo into cr. HK and a few other normal moves. | ||||
File:No image.png |
Close HP |
Close Fierce | Close hp | speccancel supercancel |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ This is the go-to normal if you want to start any bread and butter or punish combo. You can link into this normal off of cr. LP and cr. MP, letting you dish out more damage than usual. | ||||
File:No image.png |
Close LK |
Close Short | Close lk | |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ It leaves you at a frame advantage on block, and also leaves you at enough frame advantage to link into cr. MP. You can sometimes start a block string with cr. LK, then follow it with a chain cancelled close st. LK and can either continue block string pressure, fish for counter hits, or go for a throw. | ||||
File:No image.png |
Close MK |
Close Forward | Close mk | speccancel supercancel |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ The release of Ultra Street Fighter IV made this move shine. In the previous versions, Akuma had limited combo opportunities (outside of counter hits) if his opponent was crouching. This move now forces opponent to stand, so you can do way more damaging combos to crouching opponents than you could have done before. What's also nice is that you can hit your opponent with two cr. LP's or one cr. MP, and you'll still be in range for Akuma's close st. MK to connect. | ||||
File:No image.png |
Close HK |
Close Roundhouse | Close hk | |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ There's practically no use for this move. Even if you land a counter hit, it tends to push the opponent far away to land useful combos. |
Standing Far Normals
Name | Nickname | Command | Notes | |
File:No image.png |
Far LP |
Far Jab | lp | speccancel supercancel |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ This is a great move to use if you need to punish something that requires tight timing, such as Balrog's LP Dash Straight. You can combo into cr. HK or far st. HP off of this move as well. | ||||
File:No image.png |
Far MP |
Far Strong | mp | supercancel |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ A mostly useless normal. | ||||
File:No image.png |
Far HP |
Far Fierce | hp | speccancel supercancel |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ Akuma's far st. HP has many uses. The change made in Ultra Street Fighter IV is that this move is now special cancellable, meaning you can cancel a far st. HP into a special move. This is a great buff because against most characters, you cancel into LK Tatsu and it will still connect, even from the tip of the st. HP. It can also be used for pressure because fireballs can be tighter block strings than they were before. Even better is that if you happen to land a counter hit with this move while you were pressuring the opponent, you can link into cr. HK as well. | ||||
File:No image.png |
Far LK |
Far Short | lk | |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ You might occasionally be able to hit your opponent out of the air with a far st. LK, but it's not that reliable for the purpose of anti-air. It's mostly used to feint a fireball after you do a quarter-circle forward motion. | ||||
File:No image.png |
Far MK |
Far Forward | mk | |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ This is nothing compared to Evil Ryu's far st. MK, but using this once in a while as a poke can have its advantages. Otherwise, its uses are limited. | ||||
File:No image.png |
Far HK |
Far Roundhouse | hk | |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ A pretty nasty move, this move can frustrate opponents while playing footsies. Akuma will do a series of two roundhouse kicks, and if the second hit connects, it gives you enough frame advantage to link into most of his other normal moves. You can also use this to pester opponents who likes to focus a lot, since this move hits two times. You can still be hit by the focus in between the kicks, but it requires some timing from the opponent to be able to hit you out of this. |
Crouching Normals
Name | Nickname | Command | Notes | |
File:No image.png |
Crouch LP |
Crouch Jab | d + lp | speccancel supercancel |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ A fairly common combo starter, but it can also be used to punish certain moves as well. You will most likely use this move to start hit confirming, as it is both advantageous on both block and on hit. You can apply safe block string pressure, or you can link into most other normal moves. | ||||
File:No image.png |
Crouch MP |
Crouch Strong | d + mp | speccancel supercancel |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ Another nasty move in Akuma's arsenal. You want to use his cr. MP to fish for counter hits, because the amount of things you can do off of landing a counter hit cr. MP is insane. You can link into cr. HK for a hard knockdown, giving you a mix-up opportunity. At closer ranges, you can even link into far st. HK, letting you do combos with ridiculous damage and stun. | ||||
File:No image.png |
Crouch HP |
Crouch Fierce | d + hp | speccancel supercancel |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ Akuma raises his fist upwards, and this is actually a solid anti-air normal. It's nothing like an uppercut where it would knock your opponent down, but this is the anti-air to go for if your opponent is directly above. Things like a cross up tatsu attempt, Honda's Sumo Splash, or Vega's wall dive will get hit by cr. HP. If you're also not prepared to do a Goshoryuken, cr. HP will also do a decent job hitting opponents that jump towards you from up close. | ||||
File:No image.png |
Crouch LK |
Crouch Short | d + lk | speccancel supercancel |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ This move is a solid normal to use to apply pressure on opponent's wake up. However, don't just input a meaty cr. LK. It's best to press both cr. LP and cr. LK so that if the opponent tries to throw you on their wake up, you can also tech their throw. If the opponent blocks the meaty cr. LK, a common frame trap setup is to follow it up with a close st. LK afterwards, then mix the opponent up with either a throw or a cr. MP to fish for a counter hit. | ||||
File:No image.png |
Crouch MK |
Crouch Forward | d + mk | speccancel supercancel |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ This is one of Akuma's primary pokes. It's not as good of a cr. MK in comparison to Ryu's since it has less active frames, but it can still get the job done in a poking war. I would argue that with the release of Ultra Street Fighter IV, this should be the poke that Akuma should go for more often rather than the cr. HK. It may have shorter range, but the fact that you can cancel into special moves and Ultra more than makes up for it. | ||||
File:No image.png |
Crouch HK |
Crouch Roundhouse | d + hk | supercancel |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ In the previous versions, one of the reasons why Akuma was hated on so much was because of his cr. HK. It seemed completely safe to use without much thought, as it had great range, was difficult to punish, and even if a character could punish a blocked cr. HK, Akuma would have usually been able to just easily cancel into Wrath of the Raging Demon to counter the punish attempt. |
Neutral Jumping Normals
Name | Nickname | Command | Notes | |
File:No image.png |
Neutral Jump LP |
Neutral Jump Jab | u + lp | |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ Akuma uses his elbow to hit a jumping opponent. It's the fastest neutral jumping attack that Akuma has, so it can sometimes be used in air-to-air situations. The only problem is that the range isn't that great, but you can use this in a pinch if you need to quickly hit an opponent in the air. | ||||
File:No image.png |
Neutral Jump MP |
Neutral Jump Strong | u + mp | |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ If you have the opponent in the corner, this normal move may have its uses. If you opponent tries to jump his or her way out of the corner, you can peg him with a nj. MP. It's not as fast as nj. LP, but it has better range. | ||||
File:No image.png |
Neutral Jump HP |
Neutral Jump Fierce | u + hp | |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ Like nj. MP, this can also be used to trap a jumping opponent to keep him or her stay in the corner. | ||||
File:No image.png |
Neutral Jump LK |
Neutral Jump Short | u + lk | |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ This move is pretty much useless. It has almost no range, and you have better neutral jumping normals for air-to-air situations, so avoid using this. | ||||
File:No image.png |
Neutral Jump MK |
Neutral Jump Forward | u + mk | |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ This move can be used in most air-to-air situations. It has pretty decent range, and it can be used to hit an opponent trying to jump in on you. It is on the slow side of things unfortunately, but it will work every now and then at the right ranges. | ||||
File:No image.png |
Neutral Jump HK |
Neutral Jump Roundhouse | u + hk | |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ This is a worse version of the nj. MK. It is slower, but it also has decent range for air-to-air situations. |
Diagonal Jumping Normals
Name | Nickname | Command | Notes | |
File:No image.png |
Diagonal Jump LP |
Diagonal Jump Jab | ub / uf + lp | |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ Although uses for j. LP is limited, you can use it for sneaky tick throw setups off of safe jumps. | ||||
File:No image.png |
Diagonal Jump MP |
Diagonal Jump Strong | ub / uf + mp | |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ A useless jump attack. There is almost no utility behind a diagonal j. MP. | ||||
File:No image.png |
Diagonal Jump HP |
Diagonal Jump Fierce | ub / uf + hp | |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ This move can have its uses. You can use it as a jump-in, for air-to-air counters, or to bait out a Zanku Hadoken. | ||||
File:No image.png |
Diagonal Jump LK |
Diagonal Jump Short | ub / uf + lk | |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ This is a sneaky jump attack to use on the opponent's wake up. You can setup an ambiguous cross up, but it does not provide as much frame advantage on hit as j. MK or HK.. It can become difficult for the opponent to guess whether this move will hit from the front or the back, since it is not as obvious as a cross up j. MK. This can also be used for tick setups as well, due to the little amount of block and hit stun this move does. | ||||
File:No image.png |
Diagonal Jump MK |
Diagonal Jump Forward | ub / uf + mk | |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ Akuma's diagonal j. MK is his primary cross up move. You can also use this move to hit the opponent from the front as well, depending on how you spaced your jump attack. | ||||
File:No image.png |
Diagonal Jump HK |
Diagonal Jump Roundhouse | ub / uf + hk | |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ This is one Akuma's primary jump-in attacks, since it hits more downwards than the diagonal j. HP. If you predict a fireball or a poke with lots of recovery, you can use the occassional jump-in HK to hit your opponent. It leaves you at tremendous block and hit stun, so you can apply pressure or perform combos if the opponent fails to anti-air you. |
Unique Attacks
Name | Nickname | Command | Notes | |
File:No image.png |
Zugaihasatsu |
Overhead | f + mp | supercancel |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ Akuma's overhead can be used once you condition your opponent to block low. It can catch your opponents by surprise sometimes when they are not expecting it. Be aware that you're at -5 on block, so it can be punished if the opponent guesses correctly. | ||||
File:No image.png |
Tenmakujinkyaku |
Dive Kick | (in air) d + mk | |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ Holding down and pressing medium kick at the peak of Akuma's forward jump will give you his dive kick. At first, this move may seem useless, but it can actually be pretty dangerous if used correctly. |
Focus Attacks
Name | Nickname | Command | Notes | |
File:No image.png | Focus Attack (Level 1) | Level 1 Focus | mp + mk | |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ (No uses/strategies) | ||||
File:No image.png | Focus Attack (Level 2) | Level 2 Focus | mp + mk | |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ (No uses/strategies) | ||||
File:No image.png | Focus Attack (Level 3) | Level 3 Focus | mp + mk | |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ (No uses/strategies) |
Throws
Name | Nickname | Command | Notes | |
File:No image.png |
Goshoha |
Forward Throw | f or n + lp + lk | |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ Akuma will hit the opponent hard in the chest and send him or her flying. Landing a forward throw sets your opponent up for your deadly mixups. | ||||
File:No image.png |
Syuretto |
Back Throw | b + lp + lk | |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ The back throw has much less utility than his forward throw. If you do land a back throw, you can apply meaty pressure on your opponent's wake up. |
Special Moves
Name | Nickname | Command | Notes | |
File:No image.png |
GoHadoken |
Fireball | qcf + p ex | |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ Akuma's fireball is projectile thrown on the ground. It's main use is for zoning and FADC combos. The punch button pressed determines the speed the fireball will travel at. LP Gohadoken will travel the slowest, HP Gohadoken will travel the fastest, and MP Gohadoken is somewhere in between. | ||||
File:No image.png |
Shakunetsu Hadoken |
Red Fireball | hcb + p | |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ You should definitely consider having a meterless Shakunetsu as a privilege, since not every character has a meterless multi-hitting projectile. Akuma will charge up a little bit and throw a red fireball, and this will knock the opponent down on hit. The LP Shakunetsu hits once but recovers the fastest, MP Shakunetsu hits twice but recovers slower, and HP Shakunetsu hits three times but recovers the slowest. | ||||
File:No image.png |
Zanku Hadoken |
Air Fireball | (in air) qcf + p ex | |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ This move is one of the reasons why Akuma is hated on by many. It outclasses so many other tools in the entire game in terms of utility, and it makes his zoning very difficult to deal with for most characters. Having a projectile that covers both the air and the ground is a godsend, so use it well. | ||||
File:No image.png |
Goshoryuken |
Uppercut | dp + p ex | |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ Akuma's Goshoryuken is his primary anti-air option, but it can also be used as combo enders and frame traps. It has more recovery than most other uppercut special moves in the game, so be careful when using this. | ||||
File:No image.png |
Tatsumaki Zankukyaku |
Hurricane Kick | qcb + k ex | |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ LP Tatsu is probably one of Akuma's most used special moves. It is used primarily for combos, as it sets you up for a free juggle into most normal or special moves. You will most likely follow any LK Tatsu juggle into HP Goshoryuken, as it gives the most amount of damage without using meter. On certain characters, you can land a cr. HK off of a LK Tatsu juggle, but this is entirely character specific. Also be aware that this is unsafe on block, so make sure you hit confirm successfully before committing to LK Tatsu. | ||||
File:No image.png |
Air Tatsumaki Zankukyaku |
Air Hurricane | Air Tatsumaki Zankukyaku | |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ There's very little utility for this move outside of mixups, but it can be deadly if you do successfully knock your opponent down. In neutral, one of the few uses can be to build bits of meter, but you have better options for that. The most likely use of an air Tatsu is to cross the opponent up on his or her wake up. From there, you're given a free juggle between any normal move. You can either go for a reset by hitting the opponent with a normal cancelled into a Demon Flip for another mixup. You can also just end the juggle with a cr. HK to set up for another mixup. If you want to go for damage, juggle with HP or EX Goshoryuken. | ||||
File:No image.png |
Hyakkishu |
Demon Flip | dp + k ex | |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ Hyakki, AKA the Demon Flip, is Akuma's primary mix up tool. Akuma will do a big leap forward, and the kick button pressed will determine how far he will travel across the screen. LK Hyakki won't move him much forward, HK Hyakki will fly him across almost 3/4 of the screen, and MK Hyakki is somewhere in between. EX Hyakki will travel a lot faster and home in on the opponent. | ||||
File:No image.png |
Hyakki Gozan |
Demon Flip Slide | No input after performing Kyakkishu | |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ There is absolutely no reason to ever use this. If you press nothing after performing a Hyakki, you will do a slide that will knock the opponent down. It is ridiculously unsafe on block, and all variants of Hyakki can be blocked by defensive crouch, so this is essentially next to useless. | ||||
File:No image.png |
Hyakki Gosho |
Demon Flip Palm | p armorbreak | Perform during Hyakkishu |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ Hyakki Gosho, aka the Demon Flip Palm, has many uses such as safe jumping, armor break, and plays a part in Akuma's side-to-side mixups. | ||||
File:No image.png |
Hyakki Gojin |
Demon Flip Dive Kick | k | Perform during Hyakkishu |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ An awesome move, this is another way of safe jumping the opponent. Most reversals will either whiff or even get stuffed if timed right. Akuma is given a lot of advantage on block, so the opponent is in your world while you go for pressure. If the opponent guesses wrong and gets hit, have fun doing your big damage combos. This move will hit up front about 90% of the time, but on rare occasions it will cross up. This is very strict on timing, distance, and the match up, so this where you just have to study whether you have a cross up Demon Flip Kick setup or not. | ||||
File:No image.png |
Hyakki Gosai |
Demon Flip Throw | lp + lk | Perform during Hyakkishu |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ This is a beautiful move, both aesthetically and technically speaking. Akuma will grab the opponent's head and hurl him or her some distance away. Be careful that if this move is whiffed, you are very much punishable due to its long recovery, so use it with caution. Once you land the throw, you're given a few setup opportunities. See strategies. | ||||
File:No image.png | Ashura Senku (Far) | Punch Teleport (far) | dp or rdp + 3p | dp moves Akuma forward; rdp moves Akuma backwards |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ If Akuma isn't hated enough due to air fireballs and insane mixups, this is probably the other reason why Akuma is hated. Akuma will teleport to safety, and depending on whether you did a forward dragon punch motion or a backward dragon punch motion, you will teleport in different directions. You are completely invincible while the teleport is active, but there is quite a bit of recovery once the move finishes, so you can risk eating a big punish if the opponent successfully chases you down. You can cancel the teleport from some of its active frames with Demon Armageddon. What's even better is that the teleport gives Akuma the ability to combo from a normal move cancelled into a teleport into the Ultra. | ||||
File:No image.png | Ashura Senku (Close) | Kick Teleport (close) | dp or rdp + 3k | dp moves Akuma forward; rdp moves Akuma backwards |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ If Akuma isn't hated enough due to air fireballs and insane mixups, this is probably the other reason why Akuma is hated. Akuma will teleport to safety, and depending on whether you did a forward dragon punch motion or a backward dragon punch motion, you will teleport in different directions. You are completely invincible while the teleport is active, but there is quite a bit of recovery once the move finishes, so you can risk eating a big punish if the opponent successfully chases you down. You can cancel the teleport from some of its active frames with Demon Armageddon. What's even better is that the teleport gives Akuma the ability to combo from a normal move cancelled into a teleport into the Ultra. |
Super Combo
Name | Nickname | Command | Notes | |
File:No image.png |
Raging Demon |
Super Combo | lp lp f lk hp | |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ Akuma's Super is a 0 frame grab. This means that if the opponent is in range to get grabbed by the Raging Demon, he or she cannot escape from the Super. The opponent must also be in a throwable state for the Super to land, meaning that any opponent in block stun or hit stun will not be grabbed by the Raging Demon. See the strategies section to find various setups to land the Raging Demon. |
Ultra Combos
Name | Nickname | Command | Notes | |
File:No image.png |
Wrath of the Raging Demon |
Ultra Combo I | lp lp b lk hp | |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ Wrath of the Raging Demon is probably one of the scariest Ultra Combos in the game. It can be used to punish certain moves on block, and it can also serve as a fantastic anti-air and anti-focus tool. Unlike the Super, Ultra is not a 0 frame grab, so even if the opponent is in point blank range, he or she can still jump away from the Ultra. It does 510 points of damage with maximized Ultra meter, so you can expect to do brick tons of damage if the opponent makes a crucial mistake. | ||||
File:No image.png |
Demon Armageddon |
Ultra Combo II | u u + 3k armorbreak | Can be used in the middle of Ashura Senku |
~~ Uses and Strategies ~~ Akuma's Ultra II also comes with a lot of uses. One of them is to punish anybody that tries to punish your teleport with an Ultra or a special move if you can react fast enough. Unfortunately, if you cancel the teleport into Demon Armageddon, the damage to the Ultra will scale down, but it's more than worth it if you need to escape safely from the opponent. The hitbox of Demon Armageddon will also expand if you cancel the teleport into it. Speaking of cancelling from a teleport, you can combo into Ultra II off of a normal. To elaborate, if you manage to hit the opponent with any normal with enough hit stun, cancel that into the teleport and then quickly cancel into Ultra II, you will be rewarded with tons of damage. |
The Basics
Akuma is a very versatile character. He has everything you need for every situation. He has the fastest walk speed alongside Chun-Li, M. Bison, and Vega, so his ground game is already very strong. He also has amazing zoning tools, thanks to his arsenal of great normals, three different types of projectiles, and a variety of anti-air options. If that's not enough, he also has an amazing teleport that can be pretty difficult to punish, since there's no indication of which way he'll be going. Not only can he annoy you with amazing keepaway zoning tools, but if he manages to land one hard knockdown, his opponent is in his world. Even with delayed wake up, Akuma's mixup potential still stands strong. He has many options that he can do as you get up, only to knock you down again and even looping you into his vortex until his opponent dies.
That said, even though Akuma may have amazing abilities at his disposal, being able to win consistently takes lots of practice. By no means is he an easy character, in fact some may even argue that he is one of the most technical characters in the game. Not only is he difficult to win with because of execution requirements and knowledge of how to properly use his tools, but he also has the lowest health and stun in the game. You can only get hit so much before falling dizzy and eventually falling dead, so you must strive for perfection before being able to win consistently with Akuma. Another factor that plays into the difficulty of using Akuma is that a lot of his setups vary from character to character, so matchup knowledge is a requirement as well.
Combos
Strategy
Zoning
Akuma has one of the best, if not the best set of zoning tools out of the entire cast. Learning to use Akuma's fireballs well can frustrate his opponents to no end, and being able to zone is an art form itself.
At the beginning of the match, there are a few ways to start. Obviously, starting with a Demon Flip right away can be quite risky, so it's probably best to start out a little defensive at first. You want to analyze how your opponent plays. It's best to vary how you start a round every time so you can throw your opponent off as soon as the round starts. Here are some ways you can you can start a round:
1) Do a defensive crouch for a few seconds.
2) Take a few steps towards your opponent before stepping back a bit.
3) Neutral jump Zanku Hadoken.
4) Back jump Zanku Hadoken.
5) Any ground Gohadoken.
6) Step back a bit before throwing a neutral jump Zanku Hadoken.
7) Walk right up and throw a cr. MK.
You're not limited to these round starters, as you can start a round with whatever you see fit... so long as they're safe. You want to make sure you act according to how your opponent reacts. Playing defensive lets you get a feel for how your opponent likes to approach the Akuma matchup. If you're seeing an opponent that jumps a lot to try to hit you out of your fireball, you obviously have an impatient player in your hands. At that point, you should probably focus on getting your anti-airs out. Akuma has his cr. HP for opponents above him or pretty close up. He has his far st. HP for opponents that may be positioned further away. He can use his MP, HP, or EX Goshoryukens if the opponent is in ranges anywhere in between.
If you have an opponent that likes to focus dash your fireballs, you can implement different strategies depending on the player. Stop some of the fireball barrage and play a bit of footsies at mid range. Take note of any habits your opponent may have if he or she likes to focus a lot. Once you notice a pattern, you can punish with a cr. MK cancelled into HK Tatsu for both solid damage and positioning. Even if there's no pattern, you can sometimes just react to the focus as long as you buffer the cr. MK with a quarter circle back motion before pressing HK button.
Now, if the opponent seems to be focus dashing, you have a few options. Depending on the distance, you can just use cr. MK to hit him out of his dash, or even cr. HK if you're up for it. This is obviously distance dependent though; if you threw a fireball at closer ranges, where the opponent might be able to focus dash through and hit you before you recover, then you already know that you were standing at an unsafe range to throw fireballs. That's not to say you should never throw fireballs at that distance, since you don't want to give up throwing fireballs as a poke. Likewise, it's still important to know your opponent's dash distances in order to make sure you're ready to punish any badly positioned focus forward dashes.
If you notice the opponent is focus back dashing more, tell your opponent that he or she can't do that forever. Take note of this though; the opponent may not likely be focus back dashing all the time. Sometimes, he or she may just block a few before focus back dashing again. Once you confirm that your opponent seems to be playing defensive, that's your cue to push your opponent down to the corner while still applying fireball pressure. Even if the opponent catches on and begins to push forward, that's still fine. Unless if the opponent caught on earlier, by the time he or she noticed what you were planning, you already gained positional advantage to start zoning again.
Now any good opponent isn't going to do one of these things. They will always vary how they react to different fireballs, so that's when getting a feel for their habits can get a bit more difficult. That's why it's important to vary different types of fireballs. Against non-projectile characters, vary with back jump air fireballs, neutral jump air fireballs, and ground regular fireballs. Mix these up, constantly. Make sure you're not leaving any patterns for the opponent to catch on to. The more variety of plasma you chuck, the more frustrating it can get for your opponent.
Don't just pray and hope that your opponent will eventually get impatient and do something stupid though. Opponents who play patient can and will gradually push you to the corner if you keep playing a keep away zoning game. That is why sometimes you have to switch from defense to offense when the situation demands it. At some point, if you notice you're beginning to lose space, that probably means you tried to play keep away for too long. Playing defensive is fine, but playing too defensive can make you lose positioning. Once you're cornered, your options become much more limited, so when you play zoning game, pay attention to where you are on the screen while you do it.
So let's say your opponent is gradually closing you in to the corner. This is where you have to play footsies. If you've been playing keep away for a certain amount of time, then your opponent may start to catch on to your playstyle. Well, break that impression and start pressing forward (well, not 100% literally...). Don't get overly aggressive now, because chances are this is where your opponent will also play aggressive too. You can play more offensively, but make sure you play a cautious offense with your pokes. Starting using a mix of cr. MK and close range fireballs to play footsies; these do wonders in pushing your opponents away. It may not look like it, but telling your opponent that you won't run away forever and will fight up close sends a message. If you win this poking game, you can get some damage and also push the opponent further away. If you feel like you've successfully done this part, great, go back to the zoning game and start frustrating your opponent again.
In the case that you are cornered, don't give up just yet. You are still free to throw the occasional jump back fireball, but also try your best to fight back and gain positional advantage again. If you feel that you've gotten your opponent to concentrate on the ground game, you can suddenly do a HK Demon Flip Palm to escape, and now the tide has shifted because now your opponent's back is closer to the corner. Be careful doing this though, because opponents may be looking for you to go to the air to try to escape.
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