Skullgirls/Mechanics/Basic Attacks

Basic Attacks

Normal Moves

All characters have a set of normal moves which serve as the basic foundation for their move set. Each one of the 6 buttons (LP, MP, HP, LK, etc.) represents a distinct normal move. There are three sets of normals, standing, crouching, and jumping, which makes up 18 normals in total for each character.

Normal moves can chain cancel in combos, making many of them useful only in a sequence of attacks instead of on their own. Although normal moves usually represent a punch, kick, or an otherwise less complex action than other attacks, some of them have unexpected properties that make them more important than more advanced techniques.

Command Normals

Some characters have command normals, additional normals that require a directional input with the attack button. Command normals will generally work exactly like the same button normal in a chain combo.

Cancels

• Normals and command normals cancel into any special move or blockbuster during all start up, active, and most recovery frames. Normals that whiff can still cancel to a special move or Blockbuster.
• Air normals and command normals all cancel to an air dash for characters that have an air dash. Air dash canceling works during start up, on whiff, block, or hit similar to canceling to a special move.
• Specials always cancel into Blockbusters on start up. They cancel during active frames and part of recovery frames on hit or block. Late recovery frames can never cancel. No active or recovery frames can cancel for a missed special move.

Chains

All characters can chain cancel their normal moves into other normals on hit or block. Any move from an attack button lower on the chain will cancel to an attack higher on the chain during all active and some of the recovery frames. Standing, crouching, and command normals can appear in the same ground chain. Air normals and air command normals work in the same air chain. Different characters have different chain combo sequences for their ground and air chains, and maximum number of attack buttons in the chain describes the different chain types.

• 6 button chain: {{ #motion: lp --- lk --- mp --- mk --- hp --- hk }}
• 5 button chain: {{ #motion: lp --- lk --- mp --- mk --- hp OR hk }}
• 4 button chain: {{ #motion: lp --- lk --- mp OR mk --- hp OR hk }}
• 3 button chain: {{ #motion: lp OR lk --- mp OR mk --- hp OR hk }}

Normal moves with the Chains Twice, Chains Thrice, and {{ #motion: rpdfire }} properties can all chain into themselves. Self-chaining moves can still cancel into higher buttons in the chain. Chain cancels do not usually work on whiff, but self-chaining attacks will.

Throws

All characters have a ground {{#motion:throw}} and {{#motion:airthrow}}, inputted by pressing {{#motion: lp + lk}} simultaneously. Throws will beat opponents who are blocking, and must be countered either by throw teching (inputting a throw immediately after getting thrown) or by jumping away. Normal throws will miss opponents in the air, and when they're in jump startup. Air throws cannot be avoided this way, but will not work on grounded opponents.

A back throw {{#motion: b + lp + lk}} throws them behind and switches sides with the opponent.

All normal throws have a 7f of start up, stay active for 1f, and have a tech window ending 13f after the throw hits.

All throws come with 50% damage scaling and deal 100% recoverable damage.

All normal throws will miss opponents while they are in hit stun or block stun, meaning combos into a throw are not possible under most circumstances. Opponents in a stagger or crumple stun can be hit with a throw as a combo. Characters are vulnerable to throws on the first frame after hit stun, block stun, or after waking up. There are no additional frames of throw invulnerability, but holding up will avoid ground to ground throws that hit on the first frame after the stun, since throws won't connect during the opponent's jump startup.

Recovery after normal throws, or the animation after the hits, cancels into special and Blockbuster moves.

A successful throw animation are invulnerable and cannot be interrupted by any other characters or attacks on screen.

It is possible to cancel the start up frames of normal move into a throw, but only LP and LK. The popular kara throw technique, as seen in other 2D fighters with a 2 button normal throw command, is possible but considerably more restricted than in older games. Throws cannot cancel the active or recovery frames of any move.

Throughout the wiki, the universal throw mechanic will be referred to as normal throws. There are other types of throws in Skullgirls too, such as hit grabs and command grabs.

Special Moves

Performing a special move, often the most distinctive attacks for a character, requires a sequence of directional inputs, or motion, before pressing an attack button.

Command Grabs

Some characters have command grab special moves, which cannot be blocked like a normal throw. Unlike a normal throw, however, they cannot be teched and must be jumped away from. All command grabs have an input of some motion + {{#motion: lp + lk}}.

If two command grabs connect on the same frame, one randomly chosen throw will succeed.

Anti-air grabs

Anti-air grabs are grounded moves that will throw opponents that are in the air. These moves are unblockable if the opponent is on the rising part of their jump arc. If they are on their way down, they can be blocked.

Hit Grabs

A command throw can be blocked and used in a combo.

Super Moves

A super move uses 1 or more levels of meter to executes a powerful attack. Supers are the primary use of meter in Skullgirls. Supers offer a wide variety of utility, such as an invulnerable reversal, a high damage combo finisher, provide a setup, or other advantages. Supers that use more than one var of meter have minimum damage scaling to ensure their potency, with a 45% minimum scaling for level 3 Blockbusters and a 55% minimum for level 5s.

During start up, a super causes a super flash effect. This effect stops the timer, zooms in on the attacking character, and displays a background portrait image of the attacking character. Inputs during a super flash will count towards preforming an action on the first available frame after the end of the flash. At the end of the super flash, the defending character is forced into an induced hit stop before the attack begins it's active frames. For most Blockbusters, the induced hit stop can prevent the defending player from blocking the attack on reaction at short ranges. {{#motion:proj}} based Blockbusters typically induce less frames of hit stop, often allowing the opponent to block on reaction. {{#motion:throw}} based Blockbusters have no induced hit stop.

Supers are referred to by the in-game tutorial as blockbusters, and meter as dramatic tension.

Counter Hits

The start up, active, or recovery frames of an attack leave the attacking character vulnerable to a counter hit. When counter hit out of start up, the defending character flashes red during hit stun. Counter hits give the defending character some negative Drama, and some extra damage on the attack that caused the counter hit. When an Ensemble's attack lands as a counter hit, it reduces the Damage Scaling of any combo resulting from the attack.

File:SG counterhit.jpg

Filia's s.LP interrupted one of Squigly's slower normals during start up, showing the red counter hit effect.