Click "Expand" for information about combo notation in SF6:
SF6 Combo Notation Guide
Notation
Meaning
>
Cancel the previous move to the following move. e.g. Normal into Special (2MK > 236P) or Special into Super (623P > 236236K)
~
Chain/Cancel the previous move into a followup. e.g. Luke's target combo (LP~MP~HP) or Rising Uppercut into Slam Dunk (623PP~PP)
,
Link the previous move to the following move. e.g. 5MP, 2MP (requires manual timing)
An example with Ken that uses all three "connecting" symbols: 2LP, 5MP~HP > 623P > 236236P 2LP links into 5MP; 5MP chains into HP Target Combo; HP cancels into Shoryuken which cancels into Lv.3 Super
j.X
Jumping action; for Neutral Jump, use 8j.X e.g. Kimberly j.2MP (Elbow Drop) or Ryu j.214K (Aerial Tatsumaki Senpukyaku)
P or K
Any Punch or Any Kick (when button strength does not matter) PP or KK represents any two punches/kicks.
X/Y
Do either X move or Y move. e.g. end a combo with 214K/623P
[X]
Hold the button input e.g. Luke 214[LP] = charged LP Flash Knuckle
dl.X
Briefly delay the action e.g. Ken 236HK~dl.6LK (Jinrai Loop starter)
AA
Anti-air; hit the opponent while they're mid-air. May cause a different juggle state compared to a grounded opponent.
Y xN {Y} xN
Repeat 'Y' input 'N' number of times. A sequence of multiple inputs will be bundled into "{}". e.g. 5LP x3 (5LP, 5LP, 5LP) or {2HP > Drive Rush} x3
Y > DR
Button Y cancelled into Drive Rush (3-bar version) e.g. 5HP > DR
DR~Y
Drive Rush into Button Y (cancel the dash frames early into a followup attack) This can be done from the 1-bar or 3-bar versions of Drive Rush e.g. 236HP Launch, DR~5LP
An example for Ryu using both Drive Rush notations: 2MK > DR~5HP (cancel 2MK into Drive Rush, then immediately use 5HP during dash animation)
Bread and Butter Combo Guide (This is a video on Luke from the demo version, who is identical to the launch version. Every combo is therefore applicable.)
Day 1 Combos
Basic Medium Link
Easy
2MP, 2LP > 214LP
Basic pressure string into a knockdown. This is an important link to learn for Luke as 2MP is his main pressure tool, being plus on block.
Basic Pressure String
Easy
2LK > 2LP > 2LP > 214LP
Three-hit string into a knockdown. On block, Luke can cancel into 236LP to remain safe.
Basic Triple Impact Combo
Very Easy
5LP~MP~HP > 214HP
Basic damage conversion from Triple Impact. Luke can cancel into 236PP on block to stay safe from Drive Impact or attempt a pressure reset with 214[HP].
Medium Punch Target Combo
Very Easy
5MP~MP~MP~MP
5MP is a great whiff punish tool.
Forward Heavy Punch Target Combo
Very Easy
6HP~HP > 214HP
Sand Blast Combos
Very Easy
5LK > 236LP
2MP/2MK > 236MP
5HP > 236HP
Harass your opponent by cancelling your pokes into Sand Blast. 5LK > 236LP is not safe to Drive Impact, while Medium and Heavy normals are. Prepare to DI back at them in case they do.
Jump-In Combo
Easy
j.HP/j.HK > 2HP > 214[LP] > 214MP
Basic jump-in combo that deals pretty good damage.
Combo Theory
Perfect Knuckle Breakdown
Every non-OD version of Flash Knuckle (214P) can be charged by holding down the respective P button. When charging and releasing a P button within a specific 3 frame window (frames 18~20 for all versions), Luke will scream out "PERFECT" and Flash Knuckle will gain an enhanced property depending on the version used:
pf.214LP has +100 Damage and 3 less Recovery
pf.214MP has +100 Damage and 1 less Startup, allowing it to combo from 2HP
pf.214HP has +300 Damage
Perfect Light and Medium Knuckles are required for Luke's highest damage combos. Practicing them is recommended but not required, as charged 214LP and 214PP provide good juggles while not needing to hit a fairly tight window. Still, if you want to learn how to Perfect Knuckle, look for the bright flash and sound cue each Knuckle makes during their Startup to know when to release the P button.
For pf.214LP and pf.214HP, it is better to slightly overcharge them, as 214[LP] will still allow a slightly worse follow-up juggle, while 214[HP] only affects damage.
For pf.214MP, it is better to slightly undercharge it, since 214[MP] cannot combo from any of Luke's normals and will end up being blocked and leave him at -3, while 214MP will leave him at +3 slightly outside Throw range.
2HP is Your Best Friend
Luke's highest damage combos come from cancelling 2HP into Perfect 214MP (midscreen) or 214LP (corner). You can land 2HP after jump-ins, Drive Rush enhanced normals, PC Drive Impact, and various other CH or PC scenarios.
Midscreen, after landing 2HP > pf.214MP, you have a lot of options to continue the juggle. Which one to use depends on your resources, and if you want to prioritise damage or oki.
Medium Flash Knuckle
Meterless
Run Tackle Ender
Easy
... 2HP > pf.214MP, 236K~P
Best meterless ender for oki that leaves you point-blank +13~15 after forward dashing with a cornered opponent when slightly past the middle of the stage. This also sets up a last active frame meaty 4HK that links into 2HP on hit and leaves you spaced at -2 on block.
Sets up a safejump for one Drive Bar. After landing a perfect or charged 214HP, whiff 2MP then forward jump > j.HK. For good oki midscreen, you will have to forward dash then slightly delay forward jump to land meaty j.HK.
Metered
Level 1 Combo (Driveless)
Hard
... 2HP > pf.214MP, pf.214LP/214[LP] > dl.236236P
Only worth going for if it kills, as this ender gives bad oki even when fairly close to the corner. You have to slightly delay 236236P for the first hit, otherwise the first hit of Level 1 whiffs.
A fusion of the two routes above. Due to Drive Rush's scaling, it actually deals **less** damage in shorter routes, such as j.HK into 2HP, than the 2 Drive Bar variant. Only go for in already scaled routes, such as 2MK > Drive Rush.
There are 2 possible route you can do depending on your confidence with landing Perfect Knuckles. The first route is higher risk and reward, since pf.214HP deals the most damage, but 214[HP] deals the least. Meanwhile, the second route consistently deals good damage even if you miss pf.214LP.
Midscreen Light/OD Flash Knuckle
You can connect a Perfect/Charged Light Knuckle from 2HP or Counter-Hit/Punish Counter 5HP (great meterless whiff punish). If you're not confident with landing a Perfect Medium Knuckle, it is recommended to cancel into Light Knuckle instead.
Combo from Light/Medium Normals (Driveless)
Very Easy
... (any cancellable normal) > 214LP (> 236236K)
Your basic combo from a Light and Medium normal. Can cancel into Level 3 as well.
You have to land a Light Perfect but do not have to land a Medium Perfect for this route to work. Can cancel into Level 3 at the end.
Combo from Heavy Normals into Level 2 (2 Drive Bars)
Hard
... 2HP or CH/PC 5HP > pf.214LP, 236KK~P > 214214P
Light Perfect is required for EX Tackle to combo. This route is only worth going for when you want to combo into a Level 2. Otherwise, go for the 1 Drive Bar route above.
Corner Light/OD Flash Knuckle
Generally, all routes (except those that include a Medium Knuckle) from the Midscreen section also work in the corner. This section will only list corner-specific routes.
Essentially the same enders with different versions of Sand Blast and Rising Upper used. Everything has to be linked as soon as possible, otherwise the DP ender can whiff and leave very punishable.
Sand Blast into Level 1/2
Medium
... 2HP or CH/PC 5HP > pf.214LP, 236MP, 236236P/214214P
... 2HP or CH/PC 5HP > 214[LP], 236MP, 236236P/214214P
Highest damage corner route into Supers. This is Luke's hardest route to do consistently, as it requires you to land a Light Perfect, immediately j.MP, then both delay cancel **and** partially charge into Air Knuckle. Linking afterwards into either a Level 1 or 2 is relatively simple, but due to Level 3's slow startup, you have to almost maximum both delay and partially charge the Air Knuckle cancel.
Links and Starters
Normal Hit
Basic Medium Link
Easy
2MP, 5LK
This doubles as a pressure string but will trade with 4f buttons.
3-hit Light Confirm
Very Easy
2LK > 2LP > 5LK
Doubles as a pressure string. Any counterhit (besides 2LK) can link into 5LP for a knockdown combo (described below). This will inherently beat wake-up Drive Impact due to being three hits, and all three lights are cancelable to counter DI. It will lose to other reversal options like Parry or DPs.
Triple ImpactMore details in the "enders" section.
Very Easy
5LP~MP~HP
This target combo is amazing. It gives Luke good damage and a knockdown out of a big 7f normal while also being safe with a special cancel. The juggle options are generally pretty open after this move, but things like 623HP will actually lose damage due to being an air connect.
Counter Hit
High Damage Counterhit Confirm
Medium
CH 2MP, 2HP
Only connects from close range, meaning it won't combo after landing CH 2MP after a Throw.
Confirms into Triple Impact
Easy
CH 2MP, 5LP~MP~HP
Alternate counterhit confirm into Triple Impact
Punish Counter
Reversal Punish
Easy
PC 4HP, 2HP
Luke gets access to his highest damage juggles anytime he can link into 2HP as it combos into Charged LP/Perfect MP Flash Knuckle without resources.
Drive Rush Extensions
Drive Rush Cancels into 2HP
Hard
...5LP/2LP/5LK > 66 > 2LP, 2HP...
...2MP/2MK > 66 > 2MP, 2HP...
...5HP/2HP/4HP > 66 > 4HK, 2HP...
Any of Luke's cancellable normals can be cancelled into Drive Rush into a normal and then linked into 2HP.
Picking an Ender
Flash Knuckle
Easy
214LP (close)/214PP (far)
214LP is Luke's longest range knockdown ender, but there are ranges where it won't combo from things like far 5LK. This requires Luke to spend Drive on OD Flash Knuckle which in turn gives him access to more damage.
Juggle Enders
Easy, Medium
623HP (midscreen) 236LP, 623LP (corner)
These will combo out of any of Luke's non-wallbounce launchers.
Triple Impact
Very Easy
... > 214HP ... > 214MP
Luke's highest damage ender if he wants to stay close after Triple Impact, as Rising Rocket gets its later, lower damage hit. MP Flash is better for MUs where Luke wants to hold space, as it pushes opponents out farther. This comes at the cost of damage.
Juggle Extenders
Flash Knuckle (launch)214{LP}, 214[LP], and 214PP.
All of these Flash Knuckles launch the same way. The main difference is their speed, with 214PP being the fastest and 214[LP] being the slowest (with 214{LP} being between the two). 2HP is Luke's only normal that combos into Charged LP Flash Knuckle naturally and as such linking into it whenever possible is Luke's best damage route. 2HP isn't his only route, as some normals will also combo into it on counterhit or punish counter.
Charge MP Knuckle (wallbounce)Midscreen only extensions using 214{MP} or 214[MP].
MP Flash Knuckle is primarily relegated to midscreen combos. The wallbounce is big enough to take opponents out of the corner. MP Flash will not wallbounce more than once in a combo. The Parry Drive Rush extension is best used after a Knuckle launch as it is extremely resource efficient damage.
