Introduction/Summary
A favorite of beginners for being on the masher-friendly side, but deadly in the hands of an expert. Possibly the best character in the game, but not without tough matchups.
Ground Chain: Kick to Punch (any)
Normal Jump Chain: Kick to Punch (any)
Super Jump Chain: Zig Zag 2
Tech hit type: Escape/Safe Fall
Weight Class: Light
Height: Shortest
Moves List
Normal Moves
LP: Extremely fast, self-chainable.
MP: Can be crouch canceled.
HP: A large, decently quick attack that knocks the opponent away on hit.
LK: Slightly slower than s.LP but lower hitbox (still can be blocked high) and longer range.
MK: 2nd hit will micro launch.
HK: Launcher and good anti-air.
c.LP: Extremely fast, self-chainable.
c.MP: Doesn't micro launch on it's own, but will juggle slightly if it hits an airborne opponent.
c.HP: 2-hit slash that moves slightly forward (can be blocked high). If it hits as a juggle the opponent will slip downwards.
c+f.HP: Claw Slide (belly slide). This is a low-hitting knockdown (not a sweep), that's good for going under attacks, and sliding across the screen quickly when dashing. As it's not a sweep, you can combo off of it normally. It can hit some characters as a juggle.
c.LK:
c.MK: Sweep. Can hit some characters on a very low juggle and be comboed off of in that fashion.
c.HK: Will juggle slightly if it hits an airborne opponent.
j.LP: Very quick and the move of choice for fast normal jump stomp overheads. (jump, down+mk and quickly xx to j.LP. If done too fast, j.LP will not have time to activate (4~frame startup) but the overhead fake can scare the opponent to blocking high.
j.MP: Self-chainable. Wolviecopter, except it doesn't build meter (unless you're making contact with it).
j.HP: A downwards attack that can be very difficult to anti-air.
j.LK:
j.MK: Upkick that juggles somewhat upwards but doesn't have a ton of stun. Interesting quirk is if you kickoff during this, you always bounce a bit more upwardish than kickoffs of other moves.
j+down.MK: Stomp. This can be done extremely low to the ground, allowing for crazy cancels and quick overheads (with whiff cancels, the d+mk itself can be blocked low). If done in a normal jump, it can be chained to a punch, but if done in a superjump, it'll bounce off the opponent unless extremely close to the ground. In SJ mode, it can't be chained, but you can use kickoff (you'll still be bouncing away, but can do another stomp).
j.HK: Can hit multiple times. Usually twice but if you're very deep into the opponent, you may get around 4 hits. Hits swing in front and behind him.
Wall Rebound - Jump/SJ near a wall and push the opposite direction to hop off of it.
An example use for runaway: SJ in the corner to your maximum height, rebound, at the height of the rebound jump, drill claw up-back and rebound up-forward, off the top of the screen.
Kickoff - After a Jump/SJ attack that's blocked/hit, hold back and hit attack again. Can be used for poke/run strats and in combos. In a normal jump, it acts like a "double jump" rule modifier, in that you can toss out two more normal attacks. If it crosses up, it can also confuse the opponent as you start flying back. Kickoff sends you further away when in normal jump mode compared to SJ mode and goes back at different angles depending on what you held (back or up-back, down-back doesn't trigger it). Back in a normal jump goes furthest/deepest. Up-back in either is shallow and sends you up slightly. Kickoff on MK (not stomp) bounces like a double jump.
Taunt - LP, MK, MK, HP, MP. Builds meter and cancels normals (usually the HP you do when attempting it). That's about it.
Special Moves
Drill Claw -- Same strength Punch + Kick + Direction (ground/air)
The stronger the attacks you use, the further Wolverine travels. Can rebound off of floors and the walls. Drill claw rebound doesn't build any extra meter. You can only drill claw once per jump (rebound is still the same one), then you must land before you can do another.
The ground version has slightly less startup (approx 15 frames vs 17).
Tornado Claw: F,D,DF+P, then mash P for more hits
Your typical dragon punch type move. Easy as heck to combo into. Not safe to spam, unless the opponent is turtling/running away. If you're far enough away, it's a faster means of building meter than runaway drill claws, but still not as safe.
X-Specials
Healing Factor: D,DB,B+3K
Regain a small amount of life while completely defenseless. Best to frustrate turtlers and runaways, or to cancel a successful belly slide if you REALLY need the health (only vs characters with longer OTG times). It's typically better to save the meter for GC super.
Berserker Charge: D,DB,B+3P
Ground speed and normals greatly increased. Combo freestyle. You don't gain meter while in speed up mode.
Super Attacks
Berserker Barrage: D,DF,F+2P
Has basically no startup, so is one of the most effective guard cancel supers in the game. At point-blank range, it will go through almost anything, or at the very least, trade. May have a few frames of 100% invincibility. It's probably best used as a guard cancel, since unless it's done very early in a combo, it'll be heavily damage scaled. Smart players will know not to rush carelessly when Wolverine has full meter, so don't end up getting baited.
Once it hits, you can mash for more hits, but this may sometimes cause the final hit to not cause flyaway knockdown. If the last hit causes flyaway knockdown, it's very easy to combo after. If you're in the corner almost brush up against the wall and juggling the opponent, the wall will "cancel" the super, and you won't lose all your meter. This was the basis for one of Mofojo's Wolverine combos in Mofojo Volume 3. (vs Cyclops in corner: Jumpin HP, dash HK, LPx3, Berserker Barrage, dash LP, LP, Berserker Barrage, etc).
The Basics
General when Playing Wolverine
Get comfortable with his ability to both rush down and run away. Kickoff is great for poking and running in the air, and confusion tactics, in the corner especially. Because kickoff gives you extra attacks in the air, you could catch them trying to block low while you can still attack in the air.
General when Fighting Against Wolverine
When Wolverine gets full meter, how you fight the match changes. Guard cancel super is a serious threat (on/near the ground), and the super can stuff many things outright. If the opponent tends to jump the gun, you may be able to bait it out of them with run up and block. But if they wait for something to block, you might be able to get away with run up and throw. Another option is dash-in with a normal attack, but back-SJ cancel just outside of the super's startup range. If they attack, you'll either block on the ground (if you cancelled after their super starts), block in the air, or be out of range in the air.
If you're getting pegged with numerous overheads, just jump backward. This leaves you vulnerable to potential crossunders and throw attempts, however.
Advanced Strategy
Corner throw reset, feather to heavy:
d.s.mk-mk, c.mp, walk up (or dash up if need be) and throw. This can combo, but generally you don't want that in a match.
Stomp Tactics (Utilizing air D+MK to it's fullest)
Normal jump, then quickly j.D+MK (whiff cancel) to j.LP. This can be done very low to the ground, and surprise defending players blocking low, and can even hit the super-low crouchers like Storm/Wolv/Red. If done low enough, you can combo off of it (except on stronger characters with less hitstun), but if done TOO low, the jab won't get a chance to come out (although this could fake the opponent out, thinking an attack will come high and then doesn't). Kickoff is possible off of this, including kicking off into another stomp xx punch attack, if you're fast enough.
A more difficult tactic (and one that doesn't work as well on super-low crouchers) is sj.LK, sj.d+mk (whiff, aka stomp cancel), then continue to attack low (or repeat high if they tend to block low after). This can combo, and if done off a neutral SJ, you can use kickoff to get in more attacks in the air after the LK, before you stomp cancel (kickoff tactics best done on taller characters). Normal jump LK(or j.LP depending on angle), kickoff stomp xx jab is also possible on non-superlow crouchers, although the jab will often miss if done too quick (but if done quick enough you can combo a fast hit when you land).
Combos
Simple, dizzy anywhere ones: c.hk, c.hp(2 hits) xx hard drill claw (feather to Omega Red)
j.d + mk, j.hp, c.hk, c.f + hp xx hard drill claw (feather to Colossus)
Colossus only: c.hk, s.hp xx hard drill claw (also works off an mp throw)
Sentinel only: jumpin down+mk, j.hp, land, c.hk, c.hp(2 hits) xx tornado claw(mash).
On standing Sent - jump toward j.hk (2 hits), j.hp xx drill claw.. jump toward j.hk (2 hits), j.hp is also an infinite.
Corner juggle loops, walk/dash forward as needed:
s.mk-mk, c.mp, [s.mk-mk] x N (or s.mk, c.mp) - Feather to Heavy
d.c.f + HP [xx Berserker Barrage, d.mp-mp (until meter full)] x 2~ - Feather to Heavy
[s.hk (whiff c.lp)] x N (Silver Samurai to Sentinel)
Air combo corner loops, feather to heavy:
launcher/relauncher A. s.hk
launcher B. s.hk (whiff c.lp), s.hk
aircombo A. sj.lk, sj.mp x4, sj.hk (2 hits), land, relaunch with s.hk or s.hk, c.lp (whiff), s.hk if need be. If you're not low enough by the last sj.hk, you can use kickoff to add another sj.lk, sj.hk but you need to be deep when doing so.
∗ if you're really deep on certain characters, you'll hit more than twice.
aircombo B. [sj.lk, sl.lp, sj.mp] x2, sj.hk(2 hits)
aircombo C. sj.hk(2 hits/+)*.. sj.lk, sl.lp, sj.mp, sj.hk(usually 1 hit)
aircombo D. sj.mp x2, sj.hk (2 hits).. sj.lk, sj.mk