S-Groove is one of the six grooves in Capcom vs. SNK 2. It features many unique abilities in CvS2, including the Dodge mechanic and manual meter charging. It also grants players unlimited Level 1 super opportunities when at low health. It is inspired by system present in the early King of Fighters games, starting with KOF'94.
Despite its looks on paper, S-Groove is a trash-tier groove in CvS2 for reasons that will be better explained below.
Groove Data
| Main Features | Dodging, Manual Meter Charging, and Unlimited Level 1 Supers at Low Health | |
|---|---|---|
| Groove System | Extra Gauge & Special Move System | |
| Groove Subsystems |
| |
| Meter Length | 100 Units | |
| MAX Mode Duration | 166 Time Units | (~16.6 seconds) |
| Guard Bar Length | 48 Units | Standard |
| Meter Bonuses |
| |
See Groove Subsystems for complete technical data on specific subsystems.
Meter System
The meter in S-Groove is a single bar. Though some meter is gained when getting hit by the opponent, the primary means to fill it is to manually charge the meter. To do this, hold 
+ 
while in neutral.
The longer the buttons are held down, the more the meter bar will fill up. There is a brief period at the beginning of the charge animation where the meter bar accelerates from a slower speed to the maximum charge rate. To put that more simply, you will gain a lot more meter off of a few significant charges versus several momentary ones.
Charging must take place on the ground and while the character is in a neutral state. Charging cannot be cancelled into from or out of with any move. While in the charging animation you cannot block, move, or perform any action other than to release the buttons to stop charging. However, ending charging is an instantaneous action, allowing you to do something on the very next frame after exiting the charge state.
When the meter is completely full, the player will automatically enter MAX Mode, a state that lasts up to 16.6 seconds. During this time all player attacks will do an additional 15% damage, along with enabling access to a Level 1 super or a Counter Attack. When using the meter for these abilities, any remaining meter will empty and the player will exit MAX Mode.
Meter charging is disabled in MAX Mode; there is no way to add meter or extend the timer for MAX Mode once it has activạted.
If the player has low health (a.k.a. Red Health) and enters MAX Mode, any super attack will instead be a Level 3 super. Like before, any remaining meter is lost and MAX Mode ends if a super is used during it, though the player will retain the ability to use Level 1 supers in the low health state.
Meter is gained and used by one character during a single round only. It does not carry over between rounds, even if you win the round. It does not carry over between characters when you lose a round. If partially filled after a round win, it will reset to zero at the start of the next round. If the player was in MAX Mode after a round win, they will no longer be in MAX Mode and will begin again with zero meter in the next round.
Unique Groove Abilities
Dodge
For full technical information on Dodge, see Groove Subsystems.
The Dodge allows players to become invulnerable to physical attacks performed against them on the ground, by literally dodging them in-place. Although technically a Groove Subsystem and not a baked-in feature, Dodge is a unique feature to S-Groove since no other groove has it.
A Dodge is performed by pressing 
+
during neutral state on the ground. When performed, the player character enters the dodge state, usually a step back or lean back animation.
Dodges cannot be cancelled into from any move, although they can be reversals, allowing the player to Dodge (and therefore be invulnerable) one frame earlier than they would have normally recovered from performing a move or recovering from a knockdown.
The player becomes invincible from the very first frame of a Dodge, up through the very last frame. The player is vulnerable to throws during a Dodge, however, which cannot be teched out of. Once a Dodge ends, the player can block safely or perform any other action.
A Dodge universally lasts exactly 35 frames, and has three phases:
- Startup: 18 Frames, when the player character's dodge animation is taking place;
- Attack Cancellable: 13 Frames, when the character is stationary in their dodge pose. During this state, the player can cancel the Dodge into a Dodge Attack (see below);
- Recovery/Dodge Cancellable: 4 Frames, when the character quickly returns to the neutral state. The recovery can be cancelled into another Dodge, extending invincibility time.
The third phase of the Dodge, the recovery phase, can be cancelled out of with another Dodge. If done successfully, the player character will re-enter the startup phase and startup animation of the Dodge, resetting the cycle. With good timing, it is possible to chain together Dodges and maintain physical invulnerability indefinitely.
Dodge Attacks
The second phase of the Dodge can be cancelled out of with a Dodge Attack. This is a special attack that allows the player to capitalize on a successful dodge with a quick attack.
To perform a Dodge Attack, press any 
or 
at any time during the 13 cancellable frames of a Dodge. (No attack will happen if the button is pressed too early or too late, and the Dodge will finish normally.) Upon attacking, the Dodge and its invincibility frames immediately end, after which point the normal properties of the Dodge Attack apply (including any hurtboxes).
There are two different types of Dodge Attacks. One knocks the opponent down, while the other is special/super cancellable to allow for combo followups. These are not universally mapped to punch and kick, though, as different characters have different punch and kick Dodge Attack moves. All have the two Dodge Attack types, however.
Manual Meter Charging
S-Groove is unique in CvS2 in how meter is used. Although fractional amounts of meter are awarded for taking damage and blocking incoming attacks, the primary means to gain meter is to manually fill it by charging.
To charge the meter, hold + from the neutral state. The longer the buttons are held, the more meter is gained.
While charging, the player character will become surrounded by a glowing ring of light and enter a special charging animation unique to S-Groove.
In the charge state, the player is completely vulnerable to all attacks and throws. However, the charge state ends immediately when the buttons are released, allowing the player to block or perform other actions, including a Dodge.
There is an acceleration effect in the initial moments of charging, meaning the rate of meter gained is lower at the beginning of the charge compared to later on in the charge. That is, in the long run more meter will be gained by fewer significant charges versus several shorter ones given the same amount of total charge time. The maximum charge rate kicks in approximately 15 frames after charging begins (testing is needed to determine the exact number).
MAX Mode
When the meter is completely filled, either by filling it by charging or as a result of taking damage or blocking attacks, the player will automatically enter MAX Mode and the meter bar turns into a timer, slowly draining meter. The timer lasts 16.6 seconds.
In MAX Mode, all player attacks do an additional 15% damage, and Level 1 supers and the Counter Attack becomes available. Additionally, meter charging is disabled. (There is no way to add meter or extend the timer while in MAX Mode.)
If a Level 1 super or Counter Attack is used while in MAX Mode, the remaining meter/timer empties and the player will exit MAX Mode, starting again with zero meter.
If a player wins a round while in MAX Mode, any remaining meter in the timer bar will empty and MAX Mode will end. The player will start the next round with zero meter.
Unlimited Level 1 Supers at Low Health
Groove Strategy
S-Groove is similiar to N in the fact you need to build a team around it to have the best chance of success. While S is overall a weak groove, some characters can excel if they can use the groove mechanics well. You want to be able to utilize dodge, charge, and desperation mode as best as possible. If your team can not do those well or at least excel in utilizing dodge or desperation then its near pointless to choose S over N (or any other groove).
Strengths
- The dodge attack mechanic on some characters is very strong.
- Dodge has no recovery and can be chained back to back.
- Dodge can allow for punishes against many moves that might have been safe if rolled or blocked.
- Charge fakes can throw people off.
- Some characters in desperation are very strong.
- Many people do not know how to fight S groove well despite being a weaker groove.
- Charging is safe and grants 15% damage bonus and access to level 1 super or level 3 in desperation mode.
- Level 1 supers charge up decently fast.
- Charging in general can make the opponent want to attack.
Weaknesses
- Dodge is throwable and you are stuck to your position until the animation is over.
- You do not build meter by attacking, only on block and charging.
- Some dodge attacks are worthless.
- Charging mechanic is counter-intuitive for some characters, must choose to charge for damage bonus or go on offense in some situations.
- Charging when in desperation is very very slow.
- If using counter-attack while in desperation, you basically spent your slow to charge level 3.
- Comeback factor is a mixed bag depending if you are able to charge a level 3 or have a great desperation level 1 super.
- Even though some characters have amazing level one's, typically you are near death when you have access to desperation.
Character Considerations
There are a few key factors when using S-groove to consider:
How good are my character's dodge attacks?
Good dodge attacks are a key component. They can help score good damage and knockdowns allowing you time to charge up or start the offense. If your character has a fast cancel normal with good range and a good fast knockdown normal for their dodge attacks, then they might be a good choice. Some examples:
Cammy- close s.fp (cancelable) and s.rh (knockdown), a dodge fp is +10 and can link to super like normal close s.fp Chun- close s.fp (cancelable) and s.rh (knockdown) Ryu- close s.mk (cancelable), and s.fp (knockdown)
How good is my damage or gameplan with and without super
Some matches it may be hard to charge so taking into account their normal gameplan (even better if they have good dodge attacks) to do damage with no meter is a good thing to have. Some examples:
Kyo Iori Yamazaki
Do I have abusable level 1's?
Since desperation mode is supposed to be a comeback factor and the "gimmick" of S-groove, it's best to have safe abusable level 1 supers. Big bonus if your characters have abusable normals. These super can be ones that are safe to cancel into or just abusable done raw. Some examples:
Ryu- Shinku Hadouken
Sagat- Tiger Cannon
Athena- Shining Crystal Bit
Terry- Buster Wolf
Blanka- Direct Lightning
M.Bison- Knee Press Nightmare
There is another consideration for damage and chip as well. Chun Li can kill you fast if she land her level one and Chang has huge chip and mix ups with Choi. The reason those aren't as good is because that is still on the player to land those situation to use them and cant be abused in anyway unless you force the situation.
While not an all inclusive list, the following are very strong or solid in S-Groove:
M.Bison- Decent dodge attacks, high abuseable super
Sagat- Good damage and pokes without meter, best poke in the game into abusable super, dodge attack fp very strong vs anyone who cant duck it
Blanka- Blanka things, but also abusebale super
Cammy- Best dodge attacks in the game, leads to big damage, easy link combos into lvl 1 from a dodge fp, dodge kick amazing
Athena- Good dodge attacks, wants to zone so charging is deal, fully invincible lvl 1 super that works great with her zoning, has corner trap in desepration
Ryu
Terry
Kyo
Benimaru
Yamazaki
Mai
Groove Comparisons and Matchups
The info in this section is for direct comparisons between grooves and generic groove vs groove matchups, which may apply differently to specific characters. For more detail on how a character plays in and plays against the different grooves, refer to their character info page.
