The purpose of a fighting game is essentially to fight. Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 has a variety of ways of attacks that are particular to this game. Below is a break down of each of the varieties of basic attacks. More specific information regarding each character can be found in each character specific page in this Hyper Guide.

Basic Attacks

Normal Attacks

These are the basic attacks you perform when hitting any of the three main Attack Buttons. Obviously, the strength of the button usually determines the speed and strength and range of the moves: Light Attack causes faster but low damaging and short-ranged attacks. Hard Attack causes high damage moves that usually reach farther, but they are generally much slower. And Medium Attack will perform moves that, not shockingly, fall in between. Of course, this varies greatly from character to character, particularly in a game like Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 where the characters are so unique and varied. But for the most part, those concepts hold true.

There are three main states of Normal Moves, and learning your character will take knowing all four intimately. The three states are Standing (hitting an Attack Button while your character is standing, Crouching (hitting an Attack Button while you are also holding any of the Down positions on the controller), and Jumping (pressing an Attack Button when in the air). It is also noteworthy that, while jumping, the Special Button gives you a fourth button of Normal Attacks. On the ground, the Special Button only performs Launchers, so they do not count as a Normal Attack.

On top of those three states, many characters have Unique Attacks, which are Normal Moves that can only be accessed by holding the controller in a certain direction. For example, Ryu has a move that can only be accessed by holding Toward on the controller and hitting Medium Attack: his Overhead Punch that cannot be crouch blocked. Wolverine has a sliding attack along the ground that has to be performed by holding Offensive Crouch and hitting Medium Attack. Doctor Doom can perform the Hidden Missile attack by holding Back on the controller and hitting Hard Attack repeatedly. She-Hulk has a move while jumping that can only be accessed by hitting Down on the controller and pressing Hard Attack: her Reverse Splash.

Almost every character has a Unique Attack, so make sure you know what they are for your favorite character. Unique Attacks usually have unusual properties associated with them (e.g. they are Overheads, they can perform Chip Damage, they cause Soft Knock-Downs, they reach farther than every other Normal Attack, etc.), so it's a good idea to get to know them well.

Strategy Corner

Really take the time to get a strong grasp on all the different move properties that exist in the game. Refer to the glossary page here (Attack Properties) and understand what each property means. Once you get a strong grasp of these properties, memorize which of your moves has which property. Once you learn all of that, that's when you can really start taking advantage of all your moves.

One of the main benefits of Normal Attacks are their ability to be canceled into another Normal Move (called Chaining) or a Special Move or a Hyper Combo (called Buffering). Particularly with Buffering, you can really start using a proper combination of Normal Attacks and Special Attacks to really do some damage in combos or perform some really intense close quarters rushdown on your opponent or allow you to keep opponents at a distance a lot easier.

Chain Combos / Magic Series

To perform a Chain Combo, tap the buttons in the correct sequence of your character's Magic Series to chain Normal Attacks one after another.

Starting Small

It's good to familiarize yourself with your character's Normal Attacks so you know which moves to use and where. But it's better to really get to know your character's Chain Combos because this is where you'll be starting the majority of your offense.

What makes Chain Combos so valuable is that you can start with your quicker attacks, which are safer to throw out because they are harder to punish due to their speed, and, if they connect on the opponent, you can work your way up to the higher damaging moves through a Chain Combo. So while She-Hulk's best poke, her Crouching Light Attack, only does 48,000 damage on its own, you can easily chain that move into a Medium Attack and then into a Hard Attack right into a Launcher and then go for an Air Combo afterwards for huge damage.

Strategy Corner

The concept of "Hit Confirmation" has existed in many, many Fighting Games. This is the ability to start a combo sequence that, if blocked, you can stop the combo and still be safe from punishment and even branch into a different attack to continue pressure. However, if the opponent is struck, you can just continue performing the combo.

Chain Combos are particularly useful for Hit Confirming. For example, with Captain America, you can dash up to the opponent and hit Crouching Light Attack chained into Crouching Medium Attack chained into Crouching Hard Attack. If the opponent blocks the whole sequence, you can the Crouching Hard Attack into a Light Shield Slash to continue pressure on your opponent. However, if they do get hit by the Crouching Light Attack, you can easily hit confirm that sequence into a Launcher and go into an Air Combo.

When it comes to Hit Confirms, always assume the combo is going to connect and react to the opponent blocking. It's much easier to react by stopping a combo than it is to react and continue a combo. So always assume the sequence you are going for is connecting and, if the opponent blocks, branch off to the other paths.

No Whiffing

Note that Normal Attacks cannot be chained unless they make contact with the opponent, whether it hits or is blocked. On whiff, you cannot cancel a Normal Attack into another Normal Attack. Also, if the move you start with connects on the opponent, you can chain into the next move at any further point in that move's animation. For example, if you perform Ryu's Standing Hard Attack, you can chain that into a Crouching Hard Attack immediately when the Standing move hits or you can wait a while and let the Hard Attack continue animating a bit before you chain into the Crouching Hard Attack. Any point after the move makes contact is chainable, though as with everything there are always a few exceptions.

The Magic Series

Every character has a rule set they must abide to that dictates what Normal Moves can be chained into which other Normal Moves: the Magic Series. And each character usually has a Magic Series mostly unique to themselves, especially given the fact that many of the Unique Attacks have their own idiosyncrasies on how they can be used in Chain Combos. For example, a character like Wolverine has intense flexibility: he can chain a Standing Light Attack into a Crouching Light Attack into a Standing Medium Attack into a Crouching Medium Attack and finally into a Standing Hard Attack. However, other characters like Hulk and Dormammu can only perform a Chain Combo of two moves: a Light Attack into either a Medium or Hard Attack. Then some characters like Sentinel have a similarly limited Magic Series but have an exception where he can also chain Standing Heavy into Crouching Heavy. It's really different for every character so take the time to really figure out what the sequence is.

The three main types of Magic Series are the Zig-Zag Magic Series, the Strong Magic Series, and the Light Start Magic Series.

Zig-Zag Magic Series

In the Zig-Zag Magic Series, the order which you can perform your moves is as follows:

Standing
Crouching
Standing
Crouching
Standing
Crouching

Stronger Magic Series

In the Stronger Magic Series, the order which you can perform you moves is as follows:

Standing or Crouching
Standing or Crouching
Standing or Crouching

Light Start Magic Series

And in the last Magic Series, the Light Start Magic Series, you can perform your moves in the following order:

Standing or Crouching
Standing or Crouching or

If a Magic Series is more than two buttons long, you can skip any of the middle buttons and jump straight to later buttons in the series. However, you can never go backwards in a series. For example, Wolverine has the Zig-Zag Magic Series listed above. But he does have to go in that specific order. He can choose to just do a Standing Light Attack -> Standing Medium Attack -> Crouching Medium Attack -> Crouching Hard Attack, skipping the Crouching Light Attack and Standing Hard Attack all together. However, he cannot do a Standing Light Attack -> Standing Hard Attack and then back to a Crouching Medium Attack. You can only progress forward in the series.

Once again, though everyone's Magic Series follow those three patterns closely, everyone has exceptions to the rule that will deviate from the expected pattern.

The Limit of Three

Although the Magic Series for a character can be several moves long, there are some characters that possess a 3 move limit. So if you look at a character's Magic Series and notice that the longest sequence of moves in the Magic Series is, say, 7 moves long, you still are not able to actually get all 7 moves out in a ground Chain Combo: 3 is the most you can do.

For example, with Captain America, he has a Stronger Magic Series. But he also has a Unique Attack that can come out if he hit Standing Medium Attack twice: he performs a straight kick once to the chest and, upon pressing Medium Attack again, he performs another straight kick to the stomach. However, performing this sequence actually counts as two separate moves in the Magic Series and Captain America is one of the characters that possess the 3 move limit. So if you perform a Dashing Light Attack and chain into Standing Medium Attack and chain into another Standing Medium Attack, that actually ends his Chain Combo thanks to the 3 move limit! The second Medium Attack is fully chainable into Standing Hard Attack, you just won't be able to do it because of the limit. If you actually walk up to the opponent and just do Standing Medium Attack into Standing Medium Attack, you can then chain into Standing Hard Attack without any issues because you are still within the 3 move limit by skipping the Light Attack at the front.

Again, this is very character dependent. Many characters can easily chain as many moves as they feel like in a Chain Combo so long as they reach the opponent.

Also, remember, Launchers do not count as Normal Attacks, so they are not included in the limit of 3 attacks. In any of those examples with Captain America above, you can buffer the last hit of the Chain Combo into the Launcher.

Throws / Air Throws / Break Away

To perform a Throw, hold the controller Toward or Back and press Hard Attack to perform a Forward Throw or a Back Throw respectively. Forward Throws always put the opponent on the same side they started on and Back Throws always put the opponent behind you. You can only perform a Throw when near your opponent while both of you are on the ground.

All the same rules apply for an Air Throw with the only difference is that and your opponent must both be in the air to connect an Air Throw.

To perform a Break Away, simply hit Hard Attack while holding any of the three Toward directions or any of the three Back directions on the controller immediately after your opponent lands a Throw or Air Throw on you to escape their Throw.

Increased Role of Throwing

Throws didn't play a very large role in MvC2. In fact, you almost never saw them because landing a Throw was such a difficult task. In Marvel Vs. Capcom 3, however, Throws have been given quite a boost in effectiveness, and you can expect to see many more Throws throughout a game.

The reason Throws have become more powerful is that they have been given heftier ranges in Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 See this album for more details. Also, Throws are activated on the very first frame of a forward or backwards H input.

Everyone's Throw and Air Throw affords them different benefits. Some Throws drop the opponent onto the ground for a Hard Knock-Down that gives you plenty of time to combo off of it. Other Throws cause the opponent to recover instantly so the direct damage off the Throw is the only reward you get. But for those characters that can combo off a Throw, the reward can be huge. Characters like Sentinel can K.O. an opponent with half of their life left just by landing a Throw into the corner. It's definitely worth learning your best combo off of a Throw.

No Cross Throwing

You cannot Throw or Air Throw an opponent while they are in Hit Stun or Block Stun. And you cannot ground Throw an opponent who is in the air and cannot Air Throw an opponent on the ground. You cannot Throw opponents when they are floored and you can never chain into a Throw.

Break Aways

The only way to escape a Throw is to perform a Break Away by inputting your own Throw command. However, the window to input a Break Away is 7 Frames, which is very fast. It's also important to know that you can only input one throw per air action, but this can be altered by having a character with an air dash who can input multiple throw option selects. Throws also take the recovery of the move used before it, for instance if you use a standing forward H, you won't be able to throw again until you've recovered from the move. Now, some characters can actually shorten the recovery by inputting another command such as a special or flight or by plinking your dash with forward/backwards H will cancel the normal into a dash and allow you to perform another one.

Break Aways can also be performed in the air. And after an air Break Away, both characters fall away from each other and immediately start falling to the ground. What's important to know is that after a throw break, neither character has an active hurtbox that can be attacked UNLESS they press a button. For example, you throw tech an opponent in the air, on your way down you input another jumping throw, it will whiff and your opponent won't get hit by your normal as long as they themselves also didn't press a button.

Strategy Corner

You can actually defend from Throws pretty effectively if you combine trying a Break Away with trying an Advancing Guard. Holding Back or Down/Back and pressing Hard Attack will break a Throw, but so will holding those directions and pressing all three Attack Buttons, which happens to be the command for an Advancing Guard. So if the opponent comes up to you and you're not sure whether they are going to attack or Throw, you can press {{ and h}} at the same time to handle both situations: if the opponent attacks, you perform an Advancing Guard and if your opponent went for a Throw instead, you'll perform the Break Away. It will still require some good timing to be able to cover both situations with a single timing of pressing the three Attack Buttons, but it can be a valuable way to defend against both options at the same time.

Special Throws

Keep in mind that all of the above rules apply to regular Throws. Many characters have Throws that are Special Moves or Hyper Combos, called Command Throws, that have all sorts of different properties that may violate some of the rules that apply to regular Throws. Also, all Command Throws cannot be escaped via Break Away.

Special Moves

Special Moves give every character in Marvel an arsenal of more powerful tools alongside the Normal Moves they have. Special Moves require a specific controller motion or a combination of buttons to perform. Examples of Special Moves are Captain America's Shield Slash (which requires a Down, Offensive Crouch, Towards controller motion before pressing Punch), Spider-Man's Web Zip (which requires you to hit the Special Button with any one other Attack Button simultaneously), and Chun Li's Hyakuretsu Kyaku's (which requires you to tap any of the three main Attack Buttons as fast as possible).

Chip Damage

The main thing that makes Special Moves significant besides the more complex motions are the fact that they do damage even if the attack is blocked. This is known as "Chip Damage" or "Block Damage". Chip Damage is always 30% of the actual damage. You can actually be K.O.'ed from Chip Damage. So even if you Block the Special Move, if you do not have enough life left, you will lose.

Strategy Corner

Chip Damage plays a huge role in Marvel Vs. Capcom 3. In fact, sometimes Chip Damage is more threatening that actual damage. So if you want to learn to play Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 correctly, you will have to start really implementing Chip Damage as part of your gameplan. Some players may not be able to properly grasp the idea that Chip Damage can be such an effective way to drain life off of the opponent. However, don't be frustrated if the opponent keeps blocking your Special Moves or Hyper Combos: keep them coming! In fact, some players will burn Hyper Combos specifically just to do Chip Damage -- they don't care at all if the opponent blocks it or not. All that Chip Damage adds up quickly in Marvel Vs. Capcom 3, and in some cases entire characters can lose the majority of their life through Chip Damage. This would not be a rare occurrence at all.

So definitely start getting used to the idea of planning on getting as much Chip Damage as possible if your character is equipped for it. Doctor Doom, for example, is particularly well equipped for causing tons of Chip Damage via Hidden Missiles, Plasma Beams, Photon Shocks, and Molecular Shields. It's definitely a very strong strategy to damage opponents via Chip and, in many cases, will unnerve them to the point where they make defensive mistakes and open themselves up for big damage. Yes, the combo is what did the actual damage, but it was the Chip Damage that caused them to make that mistake to get comboed.

Controlling Space

While Normal Moves will form the basis of your gameplay, Special Moves can actually be the majority of your offense and defense. Because Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 is a game that can be played at all ranges and Normal Moves generally don't reach that far, Special Moves play a very prominent role in locking your opponent down or keeping them away from you or attacking from a safe distance. They will be your main tools when it comes to controlling the space in the playing field. Remember, characters in this game have extreme mobility thanks to all the different ways a character can move, and learning how to use your Special Moves to control what areas your opponent has freedom to move into will be key to defeating your opponent.

Combos

Special Moves also generally form the basis of extending your combos. While most characters can do a basic Chain Combo into Launcher into Air Combo sequence, the key to making your combos more potent and damaging will be using Special Moves, as Special Moves, more often than Normal Moves, come with those special move properties such as Ground Bounce, Wall Bounce, Hard Knock-Downs, and such. And because of that, not only do they allow you to land longer combos, but they let you more easily combo into Hyper Combos, as Special Moves can be canceled into Hyper Combos.

Special Ingenuity

Mastering Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 will require you to really learn how to use the Special Moves in ways you may not have realized they were meant to be used. Thanks to the huge variety and quantity of Special Moves, the ability to use your imagination and ingenuity to get the most out of your Special Moves is almost limitless, so experiment as much as possible.

Projectile Clashing System

The way Projectiles in Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 interact with each other is more complex than most entire Fighting Games are! From Hadokens to daggers to beams to drones to columns of fire to gun shots to whirlwinds to Yashichis, learning what overrides what and how Projectiles work is complex business! This section will teach you all you need to know.

Projectile Clashing