Street Fighter Alpha 3/Ken

From SuperCombo Wiki

Introduction

Ken now travels the world again in the hopes that Ryu can challenge him again for another fight, but wonders if he's now making the right choices in life by doing so.

Pros Cons
  • Great set of normals and a decent fireball
  • Unique kick normals do heavy guard crush damage and have great speed/range/safety
  • Medium DP has a huge amount of horizontal range on startup. Much larger than the other shotos
  • Punch grab has a lot of corner carry
  • Kick grab sets up juggles in the corner
  • Hard to keep cornered due to roll and air tatsu trajectory
  • Great cross-up loop that's difficult to block
  • Fantastic air mobility with air tatsus. Can combo into DP on hit
  • Great meter build like the other shotos with tatsu spam. Ground tatsu recovers slightly slower, so not quite as good as Ryu/Akuma's.
  • Recent developments have made him more of a complete V-ISM character
  • Has an infinite on P1 side
  • Customs do relatively mediocre damage mid-screen and require Ken to be close to start them.
  • Hadou rave is more difficult to setup/execute (requires constant kara cancels) and does less guard damage than Ryu's
  • Is missing the hopkick Ryu and Akuma have access to
  • Fireball doesn't knock down like Ryu or Akuma's
  • Ground tatsu is unsafe on hit against many characters
  • Cannot cancel into roll like he could in A2
  • One of the hardest infinites to execute consistently


Ken
SFA3 Ken Art.png
Character Data


Colors

First row: Punch X-ISM, A-ISM, V-ISM
Second row: Kick X-ISM, A-ISM, V-ISM

SFA3-ken.png

A3kensjc.png

Moves List

Ground Normals

Standing

  • Close/Far Standing Jab:
Damage 7 A3kenstlp.PNG
Stun 2
Chain Cancel Yes
Special Cancel Yes
Super Cancel Yes
Meter on whiff/hit 0/1
Frame Count 3/4/7
Block Stun +3
Hit Stun/Counter Hit +4/+9
  • Far Standing Strong:
Damage 13 A3kenfarmp.PNG
Stun 4
Chain Cancel No
Special Cancel No
Super Cancel No
Meter on whiff/hit 1/3/XV4
Frame Count 5/6/21
Block Stun -7
Hit Stun/Counter Hit -6/-2
  • Close Standing Strong:
Damage 13 A3kenclosemp.PNG
Stun 4
Chain Cancel No
Special Cancel Yes
Super Cancel Yes
Meter on whiff/hit 1/3/XV4
Frame Count 6/6/21
Block Stun -8
Hit Stun/Counter Hit -7/-3
  • Far Standing Fierce:
Damage 17 A3kenfarhp.PNG
Stun 8
Chain Cancel No
Special Cancel No
Super Cancel No
Meter on whiff/hit 1/4/XV6
Frame Count 6/6/27
Block Stun -10
Hit Stun/Counter Hit -9/Launch
  • Close Standing Fierce:
Damage 18 A3kenclosehp.png
Stun 20/8
Chain Cancel No
Special Cancel Yes
Super Cancel Yes
Meter on whiff/hit 1/10,7/XV 15,10
Frame Count 4/5/27
Block Stun -9
Hit Stun/Counter Hit -8/Launch
  • Close/Far Standing Short:
Damage 6 A3kenstlk.PNG
Stun 2
Chain Cancel No
Special Cancel Yes
Super Cancel Yes
Meter on whiff/hit 0/1
Frame Count 6/4/10
Block Stun +0
Hit Stun/Counter Hit +1/+6
  • Far Standing Forward:
Damage 12 A3kenfarmk.png
Stun 14/4
Chain Cancel No
Special Cancel No
Super Cancel No
Meter on whiff/hit 1/3/XV4
Frame Count 13/6/12
Block Stun +1
Hit Stun/Counter Hit +2/+6
  • Close Standing Forward:
Damage 6+4 A3kenclosemk.png
Stun 2x2
Chain Cancel No
Special Cancel Yes(first hit only)
Super Cancel Yes (both hits)
Meter on whiff/hit 1/1x2
Frame Count 6/2/3/6
Block Stun -5
Hit Stun/Counter Hit -4/+0
  • Far Stand Roundhouse:
Damage 16 A3kenfarhk.PNG
Stun 8
Chain Cancel No
Special Cancel No
Super Cancel No
Meter on whiff/hit 1/4/XV6
Frame Count 13/4/27
Block Stun -8
Hit Stun/Counter Hit -7/Launch
  • Close Standing Roundhouse:
Damage 14 A3kenclosehk.PNG
Stun 8
Chain Cancel No
Special Cancel Yes
Super Cancel Yes
Meter on whiff/hit 1/4/XV6
Frame Count 7/4/12
Block Stun +7
Hit Stun/Counter Hit +8/Launch

Crouching

  • Crouching Jab:
Damage 6 A3kencrlp.PNG
Stun 2
Chain Cancel Yes
Special Cancel Yes
Super Cancel Yes
Meter on whiff/hit 0/1
Frame Count 3/4/8
Block Stun +2
Hit Stun/Counter Hit +3/+8
  • Crouching Strong:
Damage 12 A3kencrmp.PNG
Stun 4
Chain Cancel No
Special Cancel Yes
Super Cancel Yes
Meter on whiff/hit 1/3/XV4
Frame Count 5/6/11
Block Stun +2
Hit Stun/Counter Hit +3/+7
  • Crouching Fierce:
Damage 16 A3kencrhp.png
Stun 14/8
Chain Cancel No
Special Cancel Yes
Super Cancel Yes
Meter on whiff/hit 1/4/XV6
Frame Count 6/2/29
Block Stun -8
Hit Stun/Counter Hit -7/Launch
  • Crouching Short:
Damage 4 A3kencrlk.PNG
Stun 2
Chain Cancel Yes
Special Cancel Yes
Super Cancel Yes
Meter on whiff/hit 0/1
Frame Count 4/4/7
Block Stun +3
Hit Stun/Counter Hit +4/+9
  • Crouching Forward:
Damage 11 A3kencrmk.PNG
Stun 4
Chain Cancel No
Special Cancel Yes
Super Cancel Yes
Meter on whiff/hit 1/3/XV4
Frame Count 5/3/15
Block Stun +1
Hit Stun/Counter Hit +2/+6
  • Crouching Roundhouse:
Damage 15 A3kencrhk.PNG
Stun 8
Chain Cancel No
Special Cancel No
Super Cancel No
Meter on whiff/hit 1/4/XV6
Frame Count 5/6/31
Block Stun +14
Hit Stun/Counter Hit Knockdown/Launch

Air Normals

  • Neutral/Diagonal Jump Jab:
Damage 9 A3kenjlp.PNG
Stun 2
Chain Cancel No
Special Cancel No
Super Cancel No
Meter on whiff/hit 0/1
Frame Count 5/10/6
Block Stun N/A
Hit Stun/Counter Hit N/A
  • Neutral Jump Strong:
Damage 12 A3kennjmp.PNG
Stun 4
Chain Cancel No
Special Cancel No
Super Cancel No
Meter on whiff/hit 1/3/XV4
Frame Count 5/8/2
Block Stun N/A
Hit Stun/Counter Hit N/A
  • Diagonal Jump Strong:
Damage 12 A3kendjmp.PNG
Stun 4
Chain Cancel No
Special Cancel No
Super Cancel No
Meter on whiff/hit 1/3/XV4
Frame Count 5/8/2
Block Stun N/A
Hit Stun/Counter Hit N/A
  • Neutral Jump Fierce:
Damage 17 A3kennjhp.PNG
Stun 8
Chain Cancel No
Special Cancel No
Super Cancel No
Meter on whiff/hit 1/4/XV6
Frame Count 8/6/2
Block Stun N/A
Hit Stun/Counter Hit N/A
  • Diagonal Jump Fierce:
Damage 17 A3kendjhp.PNG
Stun 8
Chain Cancel No
Special Cancel No
Super Cancel No
Meter on whiff/hit 1/4/XV6
Frame Count 5/6/2
Block Stun N/A
Hit Stun/Counter Hit N/A
  • Neutral Jump Short:
Damage 6 A3kennjlk.PNG
Stun 2
Chain Cancel No
Special Cancel No
Super Cancel No
Meter on whiff/hit 0/1
Frame Count 5/10/10
Block Stun N/A
Hit Stun/Counter Hit N/A
  • Diagonal Jump Short:
Damage 6 A3kendjlk.PNG
Stun 2
Chain Cancel No
Special Cancel No
Super Cancel No
Meter on whiff/hit 0/1
Frame Count 7/10/2
Block Stun N/A
Hit Stun/Counter Hit N/A
  • Neutral Jump Forward:
Damage 11 A3kennjmk.PNG
Stun 4
Chain Cancel No
Special Cancel No
Super Cancel No
Meter on whiff/hit 1/3/XV4
Frame Count 4/6/12
Block Stun N/A
Hit Stun/Counter Hit N/A
  • Diagonal Jump Forward:
Damage 8 A3kendjmk.png
Stun 11/4
Chain Cancel No
Special Cancel No
Super Cancel No
Meter on whiff/hit 1/3/XV4
Frame Count 7/7/13
Block Stun N/A
Hit Stun/Counter Hit N/A
  • Neutral Jump Roundhouse:
Damage 17 A3kennjhk.PNG
Stun 8
Chain Cancel No
Special Cancel No
Super Cancel No
Meter on whiff/hit 1/4/XV6
Frame Count 12/6/11
Block Stun N/A
Hit Stun/Counter Hit N/A
  • Diagonal Jump Roundhouse:
Damage 14 A3kendjhk.PNG
Stun 8
Chain Cancel No
Special Cancel No
Super Cancel No
Meter on whiff/hit 1/4/XV6
Frame Count 6/6/10
Block Stun N/A
Hit Stun/Counter Hit N/A

Command Normals

  • Overhead: f+MK
Damage 8+6 A3kenoverhead.png
Stun 2x2
Chain Cancel No
Special Cancel No
Super Cancel No
Meter on whiff/hit 1/1x2
Frame Count 33/3/6/9
Block Stun +4
Hit Stun/Counter Hit +5/?

Standard two hit overhead.

  • Step Kick: f+HK
Damage 17 A3kenstepkick.PNG
Stun 8
Chain Cancel No
Special Cancel No
Super Cancel No
Meter on whiff/hit 1/6/XV9
Frame Count 24/2/19
Block Stun +3
Hit Stun/Counter Hit Knockdown/Launch

Special Moves

Hadoken/Fireball : QCF + Punch

Shoryuken/Dragon Punch : F,D,DF + Punch

Tatsu/Hurricane Kick : QCB + Kick (also in air)

Zenpou Tenshin/Roll : QCB + Punch

Super Combos

Shoryu Reppa : QCF x 2 + Punch (X/A)

Shinryuken : QCF x 2 + Kick (A Only)

Shippu Jinraikyaku : QCB x 2 + Kick (A only, Level 3 super)

The Basics

Which Ism?

A-Ism

Solid with good supers, but far outclassed by his V-ISM options these days.

V-Ism

By far his best ISM in modern Alpha 3. He has access to reasonably reliable mid-screen customs along with corner hadou rave and unblockable strings. Paired with his infinite and his amazing meter build, it's difficult to argue for any other ISM. Also gets some good proximity normals.

X-Ism

Gets more mileage out of hitting his kicks, and keeps his best super, but generally not worth using over A-ISM.

Combos

A-ISM combos

V-ISM combos

Advanced Strategy

Match-ups

Sodom is a much bigger problem for Ken than the other shotos due to his lack of a hopkick.

Notable Players

Japan

774 (V-Ken)

Afro (A-Ken)

Chiroru (V-Ken)

cowcowcow (A-Ken)

Esu (V-Ken)

Gechena (A-Ken)

Harashou (V-Ken)

Hisashi Ken (V-Ken)

Imakichi (A/V-Ken)

Imakira (V-Ken)

Inbe (A-Ken)

Ino (V-Ken)

Kenji (A-Ken)

Maho (A/X-Ken)

Masumi (A-Ken)

Mina (V-Ken)

Morikawa (X-Ken)

Pekejay (V-Ken)

Rokkou Ken (A/V-Ken)

Super Hayashi Kenji (A-Ken)

Takizawa (V-Ken)

Teishikawa (A-Ken)

Tugu (V-Ken)

VER (A-Ken)

Yano (A-Ken)

ZM (A-Ken)

North America

Caliagent (A/V-Ken)

Kyokuji (V-Ken)

riz0ne (V-Ken)

Europe

V-Ryu (A/V-Ken)

Discussion

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