Blair Dame Character Guide Street Fighter EX (Arcade) version 1.6 By John Culbert (tigeraid@geocities.com) Version Updates: ---------------- -changed her name from "Dim" to "Dame" -added Shoot Upper info -added stuff on Shoot Kick -fiddled with/added combos -changed "thanks to Capcom" to "thanks to Arika" (the real makers of the game) -added more vs. strategies -confirmed game version (according to lancer it is the "English" version) -added F+Forward Side Kick move (never noticed it before!) INTRODUCTION: ------------- For once our arcade actually got a game fairly early!! This should help me get a fairly good head start on doing some strategy and such for EX. Street Fighter EX IMO could be thought of a LOT like SSF2T. There are NO chain combos (Except of course things like C.Short -> C.Short with Ken/Ryu), NO ACs (YES!!!! YES, YES, YES!!!), and also thankfully, no CCs. Yes, Street Fighter EX is, for the most part, a collection of all the things we classic SF players like--it has no CCs, ACs, or chain combos, but retains good ol' Super Combos (wouldn't be a fighting game without them these days), tech hits (I'd prefer if these weren't there, personally!), and a rigid combo system. And of course, probably the biggest thing about SFEX is the fact that it is the FIRST Street Fighter game that is polygon-based and 3-D! In my opinion, it's kinda nice, and doesn't detract from the gameplay that much (some of the basic movements like jumping are a little different and require some getting used to, however). WHO'S BLAIR DAME? ----------------- I don't know! No one know's her story, actually. She looks a lot like a call girl though... :) (a little like Sophia from Toshinden, without the whip and has blue hair). NOTE: In the "A word about..." section, I use examples in my explanations involving OTHER fighters. I prefer to leave Blair for the actual guide, and I find examples with other fighters are easier to use. Therefore, I recommend you find a general SFEX FAQ, like Darklancer's, if you don't know what moves I'm talking about. ############################################################################ ******* LEGEND: BUTTONS ******* .-------------Jab D-PAD | .-----------Strong | | .---------Fierce U/B U U/F | | | \|/ | | | B--o--F | | | /|\ O O O D/B D D/F O O O | | | | | | | | | | | ----------Roundhouse | ------------Forward -------------Short QCT= Quarter Circle Toward (roll the joystick from D to F) QCB= Quarter Circle Back (roll the joystick from D to B) HCT= Half Circle Toward (roll the joystick from B to D to F) HCB= Half Circle Back (roll the joystick from F to D to B) + = enter commands simultainiously N = Neutral (return D-Pad to center) J. = Jumping S. = Standing C. = Crouching XX = indicates buffering Some Short Forms Used in This FAQ: ---------------------------------- SF2= Street Fighter II: the World Warrior (may also refer to it as Classic) SF2CE= Street Fighter II: Champion Edition (may just be CE) SF2T= Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting SSF2= Super Street Fighter II: the New Challengers SSF2T= Super Street Fighter II Turbo (may refer to it as Super Turbo) SFA= Street Fighter Alpha: Warrior's Dreams SFA2= Street Fighter Alpha II DP= Dragon Punch- can be referring to Ryu's, Ken's, Akuma's Special move, or to the similiar joystick/D-Pad motion (F, D, D/F) HK= Hurricane Kick- can be referring to Ryu's, Ken's or Akuma's Special Move, or to the similiar motion (QCB+any kick) FB= Fireball- can be referring to Special Move possessed by many characters, or to the similiar motion (QCT+any punch) SC= Super Combo CC= Custom Combo- pertaining to Custom Combos from SFA2 FK= Flash Kick- Guile's (and Charlie's) move, or similiar motion (charge D, U+any kick) SB= Sonic Boom- Guile's (and Charlie's) move, or similiar motion (charge B, F+any punch) YF= Yoga Flame- pertaining to Dhalsim's OLD Special Move or similiar motion (HCT+any punch) SBK= Spinning Bird Kick- pertaining to Chun Li's pattened move TBK= Thousand Burst Kick- Chun Li's Super Combo SPD= Spinning Pileriver- Zangief's pattened move, or similiar motion (roll 360 degrees) FAB= Final Atomic Buster- Zangief's pattened SC, or similiar motion (roll 720 degrees) A WORD ABOUT... *************** THROWS AND GRABS: A Throw or Grab (including SPD or other Special Move Throw) must be done right up close, and is unblockable; it can only be avoided (some exceptions, like Zangief's Running Bear Grab, and Cracker Jack's Lazy Buffalo do exist). ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- TECH HITS: To perform a tech hit, hold B or F and hit Strong or Fierce (or Forward or Roundhouse if your fighter has a Throw with those buttons) just as the opponent grabs you; basically, you perform a Throw at the same time the enemy tries to Throw you. YOU CANNOT TECH HIT SPECIAL MOVE THROWS (eg. Zangief's SPD) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- BLOCKING: To block an oncoming attack, hold in the opposite direction. To block a low attack (i.e. the enemy hits low, like a sweep), hold D/B to crouch and block. As FAR AS I KNOW, there is NO Air Blocking SFEX! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- GUARD BREAKING: --------------- The only truely new (non-combo) feature of SFEX is the Guard Break; taking up one level of the Super Meter, a Guard Break will break through an enemy's block, and stagger them for QUITE a long time, allowing you to set up some devastating combos. To perform a Guard Break, press Fierce+Roundhouse, or Jab+Short, or Strong+Forward. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- TICKS: A tick is an attack that, if you connect with it, you can go into a combo or some other follow-up of your choice, and if blocked, you will recover in time to throw another attack before your opponent can; note that they also recover from their blocking frames at relatively the same time, so they will also be able to block the follow-up. But, since Throws are unblockable, you can nail them with a Throw! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- SUPER METER: Underneath your Health meter is a meter which will fill up when you perform Special Moves or when you hit the enemy. Once filled to one level, it will flash and you can now perform one SC (or one Guard Break). It can also continue to be filled to a max of 3 levels. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- SUPER COMBOS (SFA2 and SSF2T): Your fighter has the ability to perform a powerful multi-hit attack known as a Super Combo (SC). You will know a character has executed a Super Combo because the screen will grow dark for a moment as they gather "chi" (spirit). ALL ANIMATION except for the gathering of the character's energy will stop, so your opponent cannot move. If you finish your opponent with an SC, the screen will flash brightly, and for some ODD reason in SFEX, a METEOR will fly through the screen! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- COMBOS: A combo is a series of attacks that, once the first hit connects, are totally unblockable until the opponent is knocked down or the attacker is pushed too far away to continue. In SFEX, the combo system has been ALMOST returned to the original system in SSF2T. Combos in SFEX generally follow the pattern of Jump-in -> Standing or Crouching Attack buffered into Special Move. You can also start simply from a Standing or Crouching Attack and buffer into a Special Move (see "buffering" below), and in some cases, more than one Standing or Crouching attack can be used (eg. two S.Jabs). ONLY CERTAIN REGULAR ATTACKS ARE BUFFERABLE! So what's different about SFEX's combo system? Well, first off, there is a juggle system now, moreso than ever; for example, one time I was using Guile, and I hit a jumping opponent (Ken) with my Jab SB. I then jumped and actually hit him with a J.Fierce before he landed, for a 2-hit combo! Still, the only big difference is that you can now buffer a SPECIAL MOVE into a SUPER COMBO, and a Super Combo into a Super Combo! There are no longer different SCs depending on the Super Meter level (except in some cases, like Akuma's dreaded Raging Demon) but this is remedied by the fact that you can string together up 3 SCs to make, in essence, a L3 Super Combo anyways. And hey, all you whiners who complain about no more huge multi-hit combos, take this example combo for Chun Li! J.Roundhouse XX Roundhouse TBK XX Kikosho This is an excellent example of how easy it is to pull of a HUGE multi-hit combo, if you have the timing down pat. For this reason, it is a VERY good idea to cancel Special Moves into Super Combos for MASSIVE combo damage. RESTRICTIONS: Their are TWO restrictions to the Super Combo buffering: 1. If the SC is ground-based, your character's feet MUST be on the ground when you perform the buffered SC. The best example is with Ken; a powerful combo for him is a Fierce DP buffered into a Shoryureppa--but wait, doesn't the DP cause Ken to rise into the air? This problem is solved if you perform the Fierce DP. This is because the first 2 hits of the _Fierce_ Dragon Punch leave Ken grounded, then he takes off for the the 3rd (now non-flaming) hit. The buffered SC WILL work IF you buffer it in before the 3rd hit of Ken's SC. So this means that, for example, you cannot perform a Flash Kick with Guile, then quickly cancel it with a Double Flash Kick SC, because Guile will be off the ground with the first FK! BTW, this restriction does of course not apply to air SCs; for example, the CPU Ryu did this HORRIBLY powerful combo to me: J.Roundhouse, C.Forward XX Roundhouse HK XX SUPER HK Ryu cancelled the 2nd hit of his regular HK into the mid-air Vacuum Hurricane and juggle me repeatedly in mid-air! This combo HURT. I would assume that he could do the same thing with his DP, perhaps cancelling the DP near the peak of its ascent! 2. You CANNOT BUFFER AN SC INTO ANOTHER OF THE SAME SC. The big mistake that lancer pointed out to me is that you cannot buffer two of the same SCs. For example, you cannot buffer C.Jack's Crazy Buffalo into ANOTHER Crazy Buffalo. (Thanks, lancer.) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- BUFFERING: This is a technique used in 90% of all fighting games out today. To buffer means to do the motions of one move while the animations of another move are still being performed. Here's an example for Guile: -C.Strong XX Roundhouse FK a) hold D and hit Strong, then U+Roundhouse In order to perform this as a true combo, you must "cancel" the Strong with the FK, in other words, the Flash Kick must come out before the animations of the Strong are finished (before he draws the punch back after it connects). If you are too late the Kick will be blockable and won't count as part of the combo. Eg. 2- (same button buffering) -C.Strong buffered into Strong Sonic Boom There are two ways to perform this combo: a) begin holding D/B, then hit Strong, then F+Strong b) hold D/B, then press and HOLD Strong, then F and release Strong Some may find the second easier, but I actually use both. Again, the idea is to make the Sonic Boom come out before the punch is finished. The second way is easy simply because there are less things to do, and may keep some big combos a little more simplistic. Remember of course that you can now buffer Special Moves into SCs and SCs into other SCs; the same idea applies, i.e. perform the motion before the first move's animations are complete. ############################################################################# BLAIR'S MOVES: -------------- -Shoot Upper: F, D, D/F+any punch -Shoot Kick: QCB+any kick (up to 3 times) -Lightning Knee: F, D, D/F+any kick -Sliding Arrow: QCT+any kick -Thrust Fist: F+Strong -Side Kick: F+Forward -Shoulder Toss: F or B+Strong or Fierce (close) -Knee Bash: F or B+Forward or Roundhouse (close) -Guard Break; Trick Knee: Fierce+Roundhouse -Super Combo 1; Mirage Combo Kick: QCT, QCT+any punch -Super Combo 2; Mirage Arrow: QCT, QCT+any kick REGULAR MOVES ANALYSIS: ----------------------- Jab: Both are basic quick punches, standing and crouching respectively. Besides being bufferable, the Jabs are great moves to use up close, and if the opponent isn't really quick, they can tick well. Strong: S.Strong is a basic hook punch, and C.Strong's no big deal. The S.Strong is bufferable right up close, but isn't that important otherwise. Fierce: The S.Fierce produces a cool-looking Backfist, similiar to Guile's. you can buffer it into SUPER COMBOS ONLY. Its recovery is horrible and it can be ducked, so don't use it too often. C.Fierce is an uppercut, a decent air counter. Short: Both provide decent ticking ability, but otherwise no big deal. Forward: S.Forward's a good pecking attack, and C.Forward is a fast, bufferable low kick. Roundhouse: S.Roundhouse is a long range mid-roundhouse, great for hitting enemies from a distance and taking priority over low attacks. Think Adon's S.Roundhouse... The C.Roundhouse is your basic knockdown trip, with good range and great damage. It can be taken out with some fast high-priority moves, so be careful. ############################################################################# MOVES ANALYSIS: --------------- -Shoot Upper- (Blair lunges forward and performs two consecutive uppercuts) Think Heihachi/Kazuya's Twin Piston Uppercuts from Tekken 2. I still can't quite find a good use for these; they have no amazing priority or other special properties, although they do decent damage. According to Gamest, you can juggle after a full launching Shoot Kick IN THE CORNER with the Shoot Upper, but neither I or lancer can seem to do it... -Shoot Kick- (Blair steps forward with a series of kicks, ending with an upward kick) Little bit of a correction here; the first two QCB+kick motions will cause her to do the first 3 kicks, then another, and THEN if you do QCB+Short OR Forward, she will knock them AWAY with a kick--if you finish with a QCB+Roundhouse, she will then launch the opponent. NOTE: you should only use this move when the enemy leaves themselves open, or in combos, or if you are POSITIVELY sure they cannot defend against it; its recovery is quite slow, and it has low priority on regular attacks, not to mention Special Moves. -Lightning Knee- (Blair rises into the air with a knee, followed by a mid-air kick) Your basic DP move, the Short is a single-hit, quick knee that is a decent air counter. As usual, bad recovery when blocked or missed. Stick with it in combos or as the air counter. -Sliding Arrow- (Blair slides feet-first along the ground, and if she connects with the enemy's legs, twists them to the ground) VERY important move, its greatest asset is that it hits low, surprising many foes. Great under FBs and most high attacks, and can surprise a lot of opponents. The recovery on the Roundhouse is HORRIBLE, but it also has the longest range, so be careful with it. Up close, stick with the Short in case it's blocked. BTW, at EXTREME long range, this won't grab, it'll just nick them for little damage. NOTE: you can buffer this into an SC IF she doesn't grab the enemy. -Thrust Fist- (Blair lunges forward with a punch) Except that it can be buffered into a Super Combo, it's really no big deal. (Any additions?) -Side Kick- (Blair twists to the side and throws a kick to the rib area) Basic side kick, it has decent speed and range, other than that I see no real use for it as of yet--may be good for taking out low moves if anticipated. -Shoulder Toss- (Blair hauls the enemy over her shoulder, slamming them to the ground) -Knee Bash- (Blair grabs the enemy around the neck, and brings her knee into their face 4 times, the last knocking them away) The Shoulder Toss does slightly more damage, but the Knee Bash is brutal! Use these mixed in with Shorts and Jabs up close for ticks. BTW, lancer says he's seen her knee 5 times--maybe by wiggling the joystick and ramming the kick buttons? -Guard Break- (Blair spins around on one foot with her knee extended) This as very little range compared to other GBs. However, it seems slightly faster, and basically it's good only turtlers... -SC 1; Mirage Combo Kick- (Blair lunges forward with a series of punches, ending with a knock-away kick) Weaker than her other SC, but it has excellent recovery. Use liberally. -SC 2; Mirage Arrow- (Blair performs a forward flipping kick for multiple hits, then does a falling kick and finishes by snapping the enemy's legs with her own) The more powerful and effective of her two SCs, it also has the worst recovery. It takes great priority over ALL low attacks because of the initial flip, so if you have the reflexes, use it in this fashion. ############################################################################# TACTICS: -------- Blair is certainly an "in-your-face" character, but the one thing you need to play her well is _timing_. She is decent in both offense and defense, but her greatest asset is taking the enemy's move out with her own high-priority attack. If the enemy throws high attacks, perform a Sliding Arrow; if they throw out a pattern of low attacks, or you anticipate one, take it out with a S.Forward or S.Roundhouse (or Mirage Arrow if you have it available). Do NOT use the Shoot Kick or Shoot Knee a lot, ONLY when the opportunity is open, because the recovery is bad enough to get Blair in trouble. When you get right up close, either stress the Jabs and Shorts for ticks, or the C.Forward to start combos. Basically, if you can master her timing and have quick reflexes, she's nearly unbeatable. ############################################################################# COMBOS: ------- Blair is certainly a combo character, with all of her Special Moves easily put in combos, and the ability to string together SCs in the Shoot Kick for devastating damage. NOTE: as lancer said, according to Gamest, you can supposedly juggle after a a Shoot Kick with the Shoot Upper IN THE CORNER, but neither of us have gotten it to work. As well, Gamest also lists a combo that juggles after the Shoot Kick with a _C.Forward_ buffered into a Shoot Upper, in turn buffered into a Super Combo. I don't know about this one... 1. J.Roundhouse, C.Roundhouse Comments: boring, but easy. 2 hits. 2. J.Roundhouse, S.Jab XX Shoot Upper Comments: she has better combos, but this is a LITTLE safer if blocked. 4 hits. 3. J.Fierce, S.Fierce Comments: kinda weak, but the backfist looks cool. 4. J.Roundhouse, C.Forward XX Shoot Kick (end w/QCB+Roundhouse), S.Roundhouse Comments: her easiest and most powerful combo not involving a Super Combo. The last S.Roundhouse juggles, and with good timing you don't even have to move forward. NOTE: for some reason, as in other 3D games, this will not work on larger fighters, as they fall faster. BTW, it is also quite easy to juggle with a S.Fierce Backfist... 5. J.Roundhouse, F+Strong XX Mirage Combo Kick Comments: fast and powerful combo, it can also be done jumping from max range, because of the reach on the F+Strong. If you have 2 levels, remember to cancel the Mirage Combo Kick into a Mirage Arrow. NOTE: an alternate to this combo is to do a J.Roundhouse, S.Jab XX Shoot Upper and buffer the FIRST uppercut into the SC. 6. Cross-up J.Forward, Sliding Arrow Comments: VERY good for confusing the opponent, who will be too worried about your jumping attack to defend against the Sliding Arrow in time (usually...) 7. J.Roundhouse, C.Forward XX Shoot Kick (first two motions) XX Mirage Combo Kick XX Mirage Arrow Comments: one of the most powerful combos in Blair's arsenal, it can do well over 60% damage! 8. J.Roundhouse, C.Forward XX Shoot Kick (first two motions) XX Mirage Arrow XX Mirage Combo Kick XX Mirage Arrow Comments: a little more damage than #7, but more hits. Good if you have all 3 levels available. ############################################################################# Vs. Strategies: --------------- Vs. Ryu: Your most important move in this fight will be your Sliding Arrow. Against most Ryus this spells doom, as you can slide EASILY under their FBs. As well, the Sliding Arrow is PERFECT for anticipated Hurricane Kicks, and you can snag him with a S.Roundhouse as he still recovers behind you. Just don't jump too often, through fear of the great DP; unless you're positive your jump-in will connect, stick with the Sliding Arrow. Vs. Ken: Basically the same as Ryu, but you have to watch for two things; first, he will use his Roll a lot; if he comes up a distance from you, you can hit him with the S.Roundhouse, and if he tries rolling around up close, use the C.Forward. The other big thing to worry about is his high priority Shoryureppa--up close, refrain from throwing anything out without a reason, 'cause he'll take you out like LIGHTNING with the SC. Vs. Chun Li: The biggest problem is that she can avoid your Sliding Arrow with her new Swallow Kick, so don't use it too often. Other than that, try to get in close and out-prioritize her. Nothing much other than that. Vs. Pullum Purna: She's a fast bitch, but if you're VERY careful and faster on the draw than her, she's not too difficult. Whenever you block her Drill Purnas (that's the name, right?), wait a split second and counter with a Sliding Arrow (do it too fast and you'll just knock her out of the air with your toe). Don't jump too often, 'cause she has great priority in the air and also has a mega-damage Flip Kick for an air counter. Like Chun Li, she can hop over your Sliding Arrow and nail you with that overhead flip kick, so don't use it too often. She also has a high-priority S.Roundhouse, a lot like Blair's, so she can tag you from a fair distance. Vs. Hokuto: Shouldn't be too much of a problem. When she has a level charged, refrain from jumping, 'cause her FB SC is a great deep air counter. You can take out all of her stupid sliding moves with the Sliding Arrow, so just use good reflexes and you shouldn't be in trouble. BTW, lancer says you shouldn't jump on her even without a level on her meter, 'cause her S.Roundhouse has awesome priority; maybe I'll get around to doing a FAQ for her... Vs. Zangief: FOR GOD'S SAKES, STAY AWAY! This is a difficult fight for Blair, because except for her S.Roundhouse, she has no "pecking" long-range moves. So, stick with the S.Roundhouse a LOT, and when you jump, dive in with an early J.Fierce, which (as lancer had told me) usually takes out the Clothesline. When he starts for the Running Bear Grab, counter quickly with a jump-in combo, or a Shoot Kick (or SC). If he tries for any of his ticks and you get hit with one of them, your best bet is to simply hold up; you often will jump out of the SPD... BTW, I just finished my Zangief FAQ! LOOK FOR IT! Vs. Guile: He's usually very defensive, but isn't too difficult, 'cause you can Slide under his SBs. Just don't jump too often, because he has the ever-present Flash Kick, and the Double Flash Kick SC. Once up close, you'll probably need to tick a lot, as he'll stay defensive. Vs. Skullomania: Thankfully, not many people use him here, and he sucks anyway (what a stupid character). You can take out his SkulloSlide with a Mirage Arrow or jumping attack, and a well-time Roundhouse Lightning Knee will take out the SkulloCrasher. His two regular SC are just higher-priority, longer recovery versions of the SkulloSlide and SkulloCrasher, so counter accordingly. Not much else on him. Vs. Cracker Jack: Your Sliding Arrow will take out any of his dashing moves, but in turn he can react to a missed or blocked Sliding Arrow (or Shoot Kick/Upper) with ease, so stay defensive, 'till he gets itchy and goes offensive. You can also take out his Crazy Buffalo SC with the Sliding Arrow... NOTE: remember, I have a C.Jack FAQ posted as well. Vs. D.Dark: Slide under the Snap Wires, but he will frequently lay Explosives to catch you doing this. Stay defensive mostly, and wait for him to screw up. Nothing much else. Vs. Blair: Remember that you need better reflexes... A fun fight! Vs. Allen: If they play like Ryu, it'll be an easy fight. Just slide under the FBs! Otherwise, refrain from jumping, 'cause his Rising Dragon rules, and do not allow him to block a slow-recovering move, or he'll counter with the MEGA damage Justice Fist! NOTE: remember that I also have a FAQ out on Allen, wherever you got this one... Vs. Darun: An even more devastating version of Zangief (though still not as cool!) He can snag you from a distance with his Lariat, so keep on your toes and stay away for the most part. Nothing else for now... Vs. Kairi: No one's played him yet! One thing I know is that he has a MEGA damage air counter SC, so be careful when jumping. He plays basically like a slightly weaker Akuma, so fight accordingly. NOTE: along with Hokuto, I MAY do a FAQ for this guy (I like his SCs and Throws!) ############################################################################ WHAT'S MISSING? *************** -MORE COMBOS! -more Vs. Strategies -any correction on tactics -more info on her story -ANY CORRECTIONS ############################################################################# CREDITS: -------- Thanks to ARIKA for a great game, and thanks AGAIN to Lancer for the info he provided me. Also a big thanks to Happy Man Arcade for finally getting a game in fairly early! Finally a big thanks to Jason Jamieson (cka@efni.com), Jarvis, that dude with the pink hat, that guy who gave me a few good fights with Blair Dame (especially him!) and all the other guys at Happy Man for playing me. :) This and other FAQs can be accessed at my homepage: http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Heights/1910 You can also e-mail me at: tigeraid@geocities.com "I said it before and I'll say it again--democracy simply doesn't work!" -Kent Brockman, the Simpsons