Starting Strategies
When you're first starting out with Cammy as a new player, especially when playing other new players, there are three major things you're aiming for.
- Knock people down. Once Cammy has someone knocked down, she can walk closer to them and pester them with her light punches, light kicks, and medium punches as they're getting up, or walk up just close enough to block whatever they do when they get up. Basic tactics for knocking someone down include 2HK, throws, or hitting people with Spiral Arrow.
- Poke people with 5MK, 2MK, and 5HK. They all have great reach, and will oftentimes stuff people who are trying to walk at you or keep them from moving if they're standing still. 2MK is especially good at this--since it can be special canceled, you can Drive Rush, Drive Impact, Counter Drive Impact, or use special and super moves from it. It will often catch people trying to walk away from Cammy if they're not blocking low. Don't focus on trying to special cancel it early on, but keep it in mind if you want to be able to poke someone with a longer-range button and still have options to react or convert into special moves.
- Block people's attacks, and counterattack. If someone is pressuring you up close with fast attacks, you can try to use 5LP or 2LP to force them to get away from you. If they hit with something heavier and slower and you manage to block, try to use your medium punches, medium kicks, or even 5HP to hit them back afterward.
As you get used to these ideas, you can start adding in these basic tools for other situations:
- Walking toward people and then walking back without pressing any buttons (the shimmy) is a powerful tool for Cammy because she has very fast movement speed. When you walk in and out of people's ranges, you can sometimes trick them into pressing a button, and then hit them back with a button of your own like 5MK or 2MK. This is especially useful after you knock someone down, because they might try to press a button to hit you, or try to grab you. If you're walking backward when you do this, either they will miss when they try to grab you or you will block what they're doing.
- If people are jumping at you a lot, you can try to jump up and hit them with j.LK, stand on the ground and use Lift Upper (4MP), or if you've been practicing it, use Cannon Spike (623K).
- If you manage to hit with any light punch or 5LK, try to do a medium Spiral Arrow (236MK). After 2MP or 5HP, do a heavy Spiral Arrow instead.
- If people are dashing or Drive Rushing at you a lot, your light punches and 5LK are good at stopping them when they're really in your face, 5MK and 2MK do a pretty good job of stopping them when they're not super close to you, while 5HK is really good at that from much farther away.
The use of some of these tactics is going to depend on who you're playing against and what they're doing, and sometimes will lose to other tactics if other people have figured out certain things before you, but they're a good starting point for getting used to how Cammy works.
Neutral
Cammy's neutral game relies on a few major cornerstones:
- Taking advantage of her movement speed to get in and harass people with her normals
- Using her movement speed to avoid getting hit by the opponent's normals, then whiff punishing/counterpoking with her own normals or Spiral Arrow
Ideally, Cammy wants to try to get in close so that she can either pressure the opponent by mixing throws with her light buttons, or get a knockdown so she can approach the opponent and sit on top of them with other buttons as they're trying to get up. The length of her 5LK makes it a fairly decent shimmying tool, and her 5MK and 2MK are great harassment tools at midrange, with 2MK pulling double duty as a good normal for punishing and confirming into a Spiral Arrow if it's buffered correctly. 5HK is her longest-reaching grounded normal; it can either punish the opponent after a slow button if a Spiral Arrow is too risky, or lock them down from acting so that Cammy can walk closer and harass with slightly faster buttons like her lights or 5MP. 5HP has less range, but does move forward a bit, so it works great as a counterpoking tool when slightly closer than 5HK range and is a good alternative for punishing DPs or the like if a microwalk 2HP is doable but annoying (e.g, blocking an OD Vertical Blanka Ball).
In closer quarters, 2MP is fairly easy to confirm into another 2MP if it counterhits, allowing for 236MK, 236HK, or 236KK to hit. 5MP links to 5LK and 5LP when close enough, which lets it convert into 236MK. If 5MP counterhits, it will link into either 2MP or 5HP.
Using Drive Rush out of a Drive Parry gives many of Cammy's shorter and quicker normals a bit more range, and turns them into amazing starters for a variety of combos. Drive Rush 5MP links into 5HP, which lets her do a variety of things if she wants to, while DR 5LP/2P both link to 2MP.
As for using special moves in neutral, Spiral Arrow, when spaced correctly, is excellent at both covering ground, occasionally scaring the opponent by tagging them during shimmying, and whiff punishing things that 5HP and 5HK won't reach. When spaced to hit with just the tip, all versions of Spiral Arrow can be made pretty safe on block, ranging from 0 to -2 in the best case scenarios and allowing Cammy to do things like jump most throws or even land in time to counter-Drive Impact if she hits against an opponent's Drive Impact. This tactic becomes harder the stronger the version used is, though, because of the increased distance that Cammy travels with each one, and it doesn't work for Overdrive or [HK] Arrow at all, so it shouldn't be used too often -- especially not if your opponent proves to be very good at either jumping Spiral Arrows or perfect parrying them.
Once you have gotten a good sense of the opponent's habits on the ground, you can begin to potentially threaten divekicks to crush lows or take up space after pushing them out a bit with normals. Understanding the spacing of each divekick is key to making this work--the general rule of thumb is that the best spacing for each divekick is the maximum range of the equivalent standing kick. For example, j.214LK divekick is usually best used when you are at the tip of 5LK range, and so on. Keep in mind that while divekicks are very threatening in the overall, it is usually best to establish yourself as a threat on the ground before immediately attempting to use them; if you are playing against someone who is adept at figuring out your spacing and positioning, they will snipe you out of the air most times when you divekick unless you have given them reason to worry about grounded approaches first.
Offense
Frame Traps
Light Chains and Special Cancels
- 5LP~5LP/2LP or 2LP~2LP/5P or 2LK~2LP/5LP - beats 4-frame normals and non-OD DPs if the second LP is immediately chained into.
- If 5LP or 2LP counterhits, can link to 2MP > 236K/236KK. This basically applies to any frame trap in this section if 5LP or 2LP counterhits, so make liberal use of it. Without the counterhit, use the 2nd LP to confirm into 5LK > 236MK.
- Alternatively, 4MP~5HK target combo will work after both normal and counterhit LP, but this requires much less distance from the opponent to work.
- 5LK > 236MK - Spiral Arrow beats 4-frame normals clean, but loses to anything with invulnerable startup. Doesn't work if other normals come before 5LK, making it risky to use.
Medium Links
- 5MP, 5LP/2LP - beats 6-frame moves if they don't have invuln, but will trade if the LP isn't input quickly enough.
- 5MP, 5LK - slightly better reach, but only really works against moves with 7+ frames of startup. Works well as a meaty setup, though, and is a good fallback if you get a counterhit 5MP and can't link to 5HP in time.
Heavy Links
- 2HP, 5LP/2LP - shuts down 4-frame moves, and even if 5LP/2LP is blocked, going for 2MP > 236HK after said block will still stop 4-frame moves without air invulnerability when the 236HK comes out. This is usually best used after getting a Spiral Arrow knockdown but can be helpful elsewhere.
- 2HP, 5MP - trades w/6-frame moves, but stuffs 7-frame moves easily.
It is also possible to use 5LP or 2LP to frame trap after a well-spaced divekick and beat out most normals, but this can be tricky and is dependent on getting your divekick spacing correct enough to be plus.
Okizeme and Mixups
Cammy's ideal oki setups come from landing any Spiral Arrow successfully. Afterward, she can do a regular dash followed by 2HP for an automatically timed meaty.
On hit, going into 2MP after meaty 2HP allows for special cancels or Drive Rush Cancels to extend the combo. On block, 2LP will catch 4 frame normals but will lose to OD reversals or anything that gets strike invuln early in its animation. Cammy also has the option of just going for a throw after the 2HP (whether it hits or is blocked), or shimmying out of range to avoid getting thrown in turn. Cycling between 2MP/throw/2LP/shimmy from dash 2HP is a fairly effective tactic for a level zero oki strategy.
From Anti-Airs
If Cammy can successfully hit with a 4HK, DR 5HP > 236LK grants a +42 knockdown. Even if Drive Rush is omitted, using 236LK in these situations leaves Cammy in the rough neighborhood of +35-39 depending on the timing of the 236LK. This also works in non-anti airing situations using 4MP~5HK.
Hooligan Oki
If the opponent doesn't back rise, 236LP~P can be used to bait invincible reversals in certain situations, as Cammy's arc will cause the reversal to travel past her and the P follow-up will drop her back down to the ground fast enough to punish. Common ways to set this up involve hitting with j.MP > j.214K to bring the opponent down with her, then using 236LP as soon as Cammy lands.
For more specific Hooligan Oki setups and ways to set up Hooligan Oki, check the guide to Hooligan Oki in the Documents section of Cammy's Resources page.
Knockdown Advantage: all scenarios assume that opponent will Back Rise midscreen when possible, unless otherwise stated
| Knockdown | KD Adv. | Oki/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Forward Throw | +17 |
|
| Back Throw | +14 |
|
| Air Throw | +22 |
|
| Drive Impact (No Crumple) |
+35 | ? |
| Drive Reversal | +23 | ? |
| 2HK | HKD +31 HKD +43 (CH/PC) +? (Juggle) |
? |
| SA1 - 236236K (Spin Drive Smasher) |
+10 |
|
| SA2 - 214214K (Killer Bee Spin) |
+HKD 12 (cinematic) +70 (non-cinematic) |
|
| SA3 - 236236P (Delta Red Assault) |
HKD +17 | Cammy is left about 1/2 screen away:
|
| CA - 236236P (Delta Red Assault) |
HKD +22 | Cammy is left about 1/2 screen away:
|
Whiff Punishing
Spiral Arrow's long reach makes it excellent for picking up whiff punishes. Standing just outside the opponent's range and buffering Spiral Arrow behind a cancelable normal is the core to Cammy's gameplan, and most often 2MP/2MK/5HP are used to set this up. If a whiff punish setup is successful, Cammy can run her non-Hooligan oki pretty safely and continue pressing her advantage.
vs. Burnout
Cammy's Burnout pressure is some of the best in the game. LP and MP Quick Spin Knuckle become slightly plus on block (LP being +1 and MP being +2), allowing for abusable looping plus frame pressure. LP Knuckle is the fastest version but pushes Cammy out more. MP is slower and more easily interruptable but has less overall pushback. HP is by far the most plus, being a staggering +7, but is the slowest and most risky to attempt. Aside from Quick Spin Knuckle, essentially all of Cammy's main pressure normals become plus enough on block to force a strike/throw mixup safely. Cannon Strike (j.214K) also becomes much more forgiving to space.
| Normal | Gap on Block |
|---|---|
| 5LP | 10f |
| 5LK | 7f |
| 2LP | 10f |
| 2MP | 3f |
| 2MK | 2f |
| 5HP | Gapless |
| Normal | Gap on Block |
|---|---|
| 5LP | 13f |
| 5LK | 10f |
| 2LP | 13f |
| 2MP | 6f |
| 2MK | 5f |
| 5HP | 3f |
| Normal | Gap on Block |
|---|---|
| 5LP | 17f |
| 5LK | 14f |
| 2LP | 17f |
| 2MP | 10f |
| 2MK | 9f |
| 5HP | 7f |
Drive Rush
When canceling a normal into Drive Rush on block and following it up with another normal, there may be an interruptible gap in the blockstring. The following table lists these blockstring gaps when performed at the fastest possible timing.
| Gap Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 0 | True Blockstring (no gap) if input with fastest button timing; can still lose to Drive Reversal |
| 1 to 4 | Small blockstring gap; opponent can interrupt with an invincible reversal; a 4f gap can trade with 4f normal attack |
| 5+ | Large blockstring gap; opponent can interrupt without an invincible attack |
| 5LP/2LP | 5LK/2LK/4MP | 5MP | 2MP | 5MK/2MK/5HP | 2HK/4HK | 2HP | 5HK | 6HK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5LP~DRC | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 21 |
| 5HP~DRC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 |
| 5LK~DRC | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 19 |
| 2LP~DRC | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 21 |
| 2MP~DRC | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 13 |
| 2MK~DRC | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 14 |
| 4MP~DRC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 12 |
| 4HK~DRC | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 14 |
| 6HK~DRC | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 14 |
| 4MP~HK~DRC | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 14 |
| 5HP~HK(2)~DRC | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 15 |
The following table lists the general BnB combo routes when canceling a button into Drive Rush on hit.
| Starter | Hit Adv. | Combo Route |
|---|---|---|
| 5LP~DRC | +4 | 5LP, 5HP ... |
| 5LK~DRC | ||
| 2LP~DRC | ||
| 2MK~DRC | +10 | 5HP, 4MP~HK ... 2HP, 5HP ... 2HP, 4HK ... 4HK, microwalk 4HK ...
|
| 4MP~DRC | +11 | |
| 2MP~DRC | +12 | |
| 5HP~DRC | +15 | |
| 4HK~DRC | Free Juggle State | Midscreen: side switch + 623K opposite direction
Corner: delay 5HP > 236MK, 623HK
Note: Cammy can pick up 1-bar juggles with Parry~DR after a launch, so these are only worth knowing after an input error |
| 4MP~HK~DRC | ||
| 6HK~DRC | Free Juggle State | 5HP > 236[HK] ... (side switch + follow-up juggle) 5HP > 623HK (keep same side) 2MK > 236LK (safe jump setup) |
| 5HP~HK(2)~DRC |
Defense
Reversals
- OD Cannon Spike (623K) - Fully invulnerable for its first 7 frames with great horizontal range. Side switches on hit, allowing Cammy to escape the corner. Its low trajectory makes it easier to bait with a neutral jump, but this is easily punished if you don't bite.
- SA1 (236236K) - Cammy's primary reversal when in Burnout, though it can't be used against projectiles. It leads to great corner carry on hit, and is fast enough to punish all but the most perfectly-timed meaty light normals. Can be buffered in neutral as a response to Drive Rush normals.
- SA3 (236236P) - Essentially a stronger version of SA1 with full invincibility. Can be worth the risk if the extra damage can secure a game in an all-or-nothing scenario. If the opponent has strong Burnout pressure involving projectiles, this becomes Cammy's most important reversal.
Anti-Airs
Grounded
- Cannon Spike (623K) - Meterless Cannon Spike has significant anti-air invincibility, especially on the LK version. Each strength has its own trajectory, with LK being the most well-suited for close jumps and crosscuts. HK Cannon Spike has the least invincibility, but is great at catching the landing recovery of divekicks or punishing a neutral jump from long range. All versions are susceptible to whiffing under close jumps if not timed carefully. For optimal damage, time the kick input as late as possible so that the move connects on its first few active frames.
- Crosscut Input: Walk forward, then after crossing under the opponent, input Half Circle Back ending in Down Back + Kick (6321+K). Very important tool inside cross-up range, or if the opponent jumps forward out of your meaty Throw attempt.
- 4MP - A fast normal that hits directly above Cammy. Has a very short horizontal hitbox, making it easy for the opponent to bait with an empty jump at mid range. It also has a tendency to lose or trade against jump-ins with good hitbox priority. It also cannot hit as a cross-up; if the opponent jumps from close range, stick with an air-to-air or a crosscut Cannon Spike. On a successful hit, you can dash forward for pressure, though you usually can't cross under the opponent. You can also cancel the hit into Hooligan Combination to cross up with a meaty Cannon Strike, though this can be countered if the opponent is ready.
- 4HK - Hits above and in front of Cammy, with great reward on hit with its juggle state and jump cancel. Cammy's standing hurtbox is quite tall during this move, making it unreliable except at a specific range where her foot hitbox is disjointed. Some jump-ins are nearly impossible to anti-air with this move, so it's important to test it against every character. On a successful anti-air, the easiest follow-up is j.MP > j.214K. At most juggle heights, you can also juggle with DR~5HP into MK or Charged HK Spiral Arrow.
- 2HP - A very situational anti-air due to its lack of vertical hitbox priority. Primarily used against moves that extend a downward hurtbox like E. Honda's Sumo Smash, allowing Cammy to pick up a Forced Knockdown juggle.
- SA3 (236236P) - Reliable punish against midrange neutral jumps and even some back jumps. Against closer jumps, it must be timed late enough so that Cammy doesn't fly under the opponent but early enough so they can't land and block safely.
Air-to-Air
- j.LP/j.LK - Very quick with short range, making them ideal as a last-second reaction to close range jumps. In particular, j.LK is good at stopping cross-ups, since it can connect even if the opponent has already jumped behind Cammy.
- j.MP - Has good horizontal range and puts the opponent into a juggle state. When used from a forward jump, Cammy can cancel into Cannon Strike for a knockdown, or OD Cannon Strike/Air SA2 for follow-up juggles.
- j.MK - Situational air-to-air with the best vertical reach of Cammy's air normals for when j.LP/j.LK won't reach.
- j.HK - Has the farthest horizontal range, making it useful for opponents at a similar jump height. The slow startup makes it difficult to use on reaction, however.
- Air Throw - A great option from a back jump to prevent the opponent from escaping the corner, or in any situation where you don't want to switch sides with crosscut Cannon Spike. Only allows for follow-up oki near the corner.
Anti-Projectile
- MP/HP/OD Quick Spin Knuckle (214P) - All three versions have projectile invincibility starting on frame 9. Against faster projectiles, they are likely to get counter-hit on startup, but they can work reliably in some matchups. The OD version has the best combination of speed and range for countering fireballs. Both the HP/OD versions can link into 5HP on a successful Punish Counter, leading to great damage and corner carry. The startup is reactable if the opponent is looking to bait Spin Knuckle, so it's important not to overuse this move as a read against projectiles.
- Cannon Strike (j.214K) - Allows Cammy to descend from her jump arc more quickly than usual, leading to a reaction Punish Counter for a full combo. Cammy's lower-body hurtbox is quite vulnerable, however, making it harder to fully evade slow-moving fireballs. The threat of Cannon Strike is often enough to make the opponent hesitant to throw projectiles.
- Hooligan Combination - All versions can hop over standard-height projectiles if timed preemptively, though the timing is more strict on the HP version. Not a viable reaction punish due to its relatively slow speed and lack of projectile invincibility. From around 60% screen distance, Cammy can use a predictive LP Hooligan, then choose between a HK Cannon Strike or a Feint follow-up based on the opponent's actions; the closer Cammy is to the opponent, the more likely they will be able to anti-air both options, however.
- When successfully predicting a fireball, Cammy's best punishes are Hooligan Cannon Strike or Fatal Leg Twister. Be careful not to input a Cannon Strike while directly above a fireball, or the expanded hurtbox will knock Cammy out of the air.
- SA3 (236236P) - fast startup, long range, and fully invincible until the 5th active frame. Can completely shut down the opponent's fireball game once you have 3 bars. The invincibility doesn't quite reach full screen, so attempting a long-range punish (especially against slow-moving projectiles) can fail or result in a weak trade. For example, Rashid's SA2 Ysaar cannot be punished when activated from full screen. The SA3 also takes longer to connect at long range; opponents may recover fast enough to block even if Cammy passes through the projectile hitbox.
Fighting vs. Cammy
TO-DO
