USFIV Cody Guide

8/11/2019 USFIV Cody Guide

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CODYFirst appearance: Final Fight(1989)


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DataSTAT VALUE RANK

Vitality 1000 B

Stun Threshold 1050 A

Forward Walk Distance Per Frame 0.0425 B-

Backward Walk Distance Per Frame 0.024 C-

Dash Duration in Frames 18 frames B+

Dash Distance 1.0992 C-

Backdash Duration in Frames 8 invincible, 6 airborne,13 recovery (27 total)

C

Backdash Distance 0.85462 D+

Pre-jump Frames 4 frames A

Jump Duration in Frames 38 C+

Diagonal Jump Distance 1.76687 C

W Ultra Damage: 75%


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CLOSE STANDING (CL.) NORMAL MOVES
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STANDING (ST.) NORMAL MOVES
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CROUCHING (CR.) NORMAL MOVES


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VERTICAL JUMP NORMAL MOVES


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DIAGONAL JUMP NORMAL MOVES


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NORMAL THROWSPrisoner Throw deals the largest amount of stun damage, so use it over Bad Stomp when this is more important. Prisoner Throw leads

to a basic cross-up setup: walk forward a step and jump forward with jumpingh

to hit the opposing character from the front, or walkfurther forward and do jumping Mto hit their back. After Bad Stomp, a common safe jump against 5-frame reversals is to hold 2as

soon as you recover from the throw. Come down with jumping Hwhile holding 6to block a reversal. You can also buffer in an EX Zonk

Knuckle release as jumping His blocked. If the opponent backdashes against the jump attack, theres no hitstop to swallow up your EX

Zonk Knuckle release command, so EX Zonk Knuckle comes out to punish the backdash. If your opponent does block (or get hit by)

your jumping attack, EX Zonk Knuckle doesnt come out. If meter isnt available, MK Ruffian Kick or even Last Dread Dust can be

option-selected here instead. Beware, of course, that your foe can use delayed wakeup to throw your setup timing off. If this occurs,

land and do a quick attack to meet the opponent as they rise.
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FOCUS ATTACKS
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Although this leaves you at +1 on guard, Codys main combo opening of crouchinglis a 4-frame move, which will only trade with other

incoming 3-frame attacks. Occasionally do crouching L(3-frame startup) instead after Stomach Blow to condition your opponent into

not hitting buttons as soon as possible, so you can fall back on better openings.


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Crack Kick:The long-reaching Crack Kick is an unusual move. Its primarily used as a hard counter to backdashes, but it can also

catch the starting periods of upper-level attacks, or be used to punish their recovery on whiff (though Crack Kicks slow startup makes

this difficult). However, Crack Kick whiffs against all crouching opponents and attacks. Although seemingly problematic, the total

amount of time it takes for the kick to strike and recover is short, allowing you to quickly approach the opponent without the worry of

being struck by crouching attacks, which Crack Kick avoids. If the enemy happens to accidently stand as you do it, theyll either be

struck or theyll guard it. In either case, youre left with a positional advantage (its +1 on guard). To stop Crack Kick, they must

interrupt its startup, or crouch under it initially then immediately perform a fast throw or attack just as Cody lands. Use Crack Kick as a

slower dash thats less vulnerable to an incoming assault.


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Jaw Crusher:This uppercut is used only as an anti-air attack, a job it performs beautifully. It beats absolutely everything while

recovering rather quickly, giving you ample time to dash forward after the hit to move into close range. Use it whenever HK Ruffian

Kicks startup period andcommand are a liability.


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Bad Spray:In a vicious display of criminal trickery, Cody throws dust into his foes eyes. Bad Spray can only be done whenever youve

suffered a soft knockdown (one that allows quick standing). Bad Spray is not invincible, but because it causes Cody to stand faster than

usual with an attack, it can throw off your opponents wakeup attack timing. More importantly, this thwarts some safe jump setups

against Cody. The second hit can be Focus canceled, allowing you to juggle afterwards with Ultra I on a hit.


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Bad Spray must be used cautiously because of its extreme frame disadvantage when blocked, but when used in concert with quick

standing on soft knockdowns, delayed wakeup on hard knockdowns, and reversal Zonk Knuckle on wakeup, you can make any

attackers life difficult.

Fake Bad Stone:Cody picks up a rock without throwing it, mimicking the starting period of Codys Bad Stone. Use this to lure players

into jumping when theyre wary of Bad Stone. When they take the bait, knock them out of the sky. This doesnt work if the enemy

matches a stone with an EX projectile of some sort, which will catch even the fake stones recovery.


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SPECIAL MOVESBad Stone:Codys rock throw is used in combination with Fake Bad Stone to mount a ranged attack. The distance the rock travels is

dependent on the strength used: LP flies only a short distance before falling in front of Cody, MP flies a moderate distance, and HP

travels most of the playing field before falling. The greater the button strength, the longer Codys recovery period is. Bad Stone has along and telegraphed wind-up, but recovers quickly after the stones release. It usually leaves you at a frame advantage on guard,

which grows larger the later the stone hits during its transit. Always adjust the button strength used according to the opponents

position: use the LP version only at mid-range, and MP and HP from longer distances. You can hold the punch button for Bad Stones

command to delay the rocks release. If held for the longest possible duration, the stones damage increases. If done from a distanced

position where their jump cant land on top of you, this can bait a player into jumping, and then landing on a charged Bad Stone.

EX Bad Stone hits twice, allowing it to pass through any projectile that doesnt hit multiple times. It leaves you at a whopp ing +8 on

guard, and gives you ample time to stage the follow-up attack of your choice. Even though you usually cant cancel into it for a combo,


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crouching h>a+PPdoes combo on a counter hit. If youre good at getting people to hit buttons, this can potentially lead to Combo

VIII, which inflicts massive damage.

Criminal Upper:This is strictly used in combos. The button strength determines the damage dealt and its recovery. LP deals the

smallest damage while having little recovery, MP has moderate recovery and damage, and HP inflicts the heaviest damage and is

extremely punishable on guard. Use HP Criminal Upper in combos when youre certain itll connect. Use the LP version when youre

uncertain of a hit, like in situations where you arent in range for a verifiable combo. Do this rarely and only when you arent directly

next to the enemy, since the disadvantage of -5 is still punishable by light attacks and fast medium attacks. Its level of safety is

determined by the matchup youre in. EX Criminal Upper is invulnerable to strikes and also comes packed with a lot of juggle potential.

Its useful as an optional alternate reversal to EX Zonk Knuckle when you need to blow through and punish a quick-recovering attack.

You can Focus Attack dash cancel and link after every version of Criminal Upper (+4 on hit, -2 on guard). The link afterwards is a

difficult 1-frame link, but it can help you lead into a combo that nearly stuns the target if theyre on the brink. Despite a Criminal

Upper >FADC being -2 on guard, players expecting its multiple hits can be thrown off by FADC followed by a throw.


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Ruffian Kick:Each strength of the Ruffian Kick is a completely different move. The LK variant is a low slide kick that causes a hard

knockdown on hit. Outside of being a rare replacement for Criminal Upper in combos, its used in combination with Bad Stone to mount

a ranged attack. Its safe on guard if it makes contact at the tail end of its active frames, meaning the further away you use it, the less

vulnerable it is. MK Ruffian Kick is the fastest version and is best used as a counter to Focus at mid-range, and as a means of juggling

the enemy in short combos. The HK variant is a high priority anti-air attack. Although it has no invulnerability, it will beat or trade hits

with anything as long as it becomes fully active just before the enemys air strike makes contact. Its also used to start juggle combos

off of ground hits, though the opponent must be standing for it to hit. EX Ruffian Kick is an upgraded version of the LK version, which

is faster and invulnerable to projectiles. It also causes an extra-long hard knockdown on hit, a property used for ambiguous corner

cross-up setups.


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Zonk Knuckle:This hook punch has upper body invulnerability. It beats anything with a high profile, boasting enough range and

invincibility to even pass through projectiles. EX Zonk Knuckle is fully invincible and is Focus cancelable on the first hit, leading to

Combo VI while keeping you at a safe -1 disadvantage on guard. This is one of Codys key methods of making a big comeback.

Unfortunately, its slow wind-up makes it unable to catch the recovery of fast attacks it passes through. This becomes a problem when

youre rising from a knockdown; if the enemy times a light attack to challenge your reversal, itll recover before Zonk Knuckle connects.

Save EX Zonk Knuckle to counter close-range normal moves with especially large recovery, backdashes, throws, or mid-range

projectiles.

Since one or two punch buttons must be held to perform Zonk Knuckle, youre always losing access to one strength of punch attack.

Manage this problem by only selecting a strength that isnt needed. For example, if youre getting up from a knockdown and youre

considering using a reversal Zonk, dont use LP for the input. This leaves you free to escape an incoming throw if needed, orto counter

delayed attacks with crouching l. At mid-range its best to leavemopen for 7+mand 3+m, so hold hand lfor Zonk Knuckle/EX Zonk

Knuckle.


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Knife Pickup, Knife Attacks, and Knife Throw:The knife lying at the center of a stage can be picked up by standing over it and

inputting 5+PPP. With knife in hand, all of Codys punch attacks turn into slashes, improving their range and hitboxes drastically.

These attacks also inflict chip damage and have a juggle potential of 3. His CR.leven becomes a 3-frame move. Furthermore, Bad

Stone changes to a knife toss that travels the full length of the screen. It grants a massive +7 frame advantage on guard and even

breaks Focus armor.

Note that the knife pick-up animation can be canceled into light attacks of any kind. This allows you to stop enemy attempts to thwart

knife acquisition by canceling the pickup into crouching L. The pickup animation itself can also be canceled into from any normal

attack, allowing for combos that werent possible before (Combo XII).

Cody drops the knife if he takes a hit, or if he performs a throw, Knife Throw, Focus, Ultra, or Super Combo. He also loses access to his

invaluable 3+m. Save the knife for matchups where his normal mid-range options cant compete, like versus Adon and M. Bison. With

the knife in hand, standing and crouching mdominates the vast majority of ground attacks that give a knifeless Cody problems.


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Ultra I: Final Destruction:This improves the damage output of Codys defensive options: any EX Zonk Knuckle, HK Ruffian Kick, or

Bad Spray can lead to FADC into Ultra I for massive damage. This also means ground combos that lead into HK Ruffian Kick, which

only work against standing opponents, also lead to Ultra I. Though this usually means you can only combo into it off of a direct

opening (a missed Shoryuken, for example), the first hit of Combo III forces standing, giving you a verifiable opening that can be done

anywhere. Final Destruction does have enough invulnerability to pass through attacks as a reversal, but youre better off saving it for

verifiable openings.

Ultra II: Last Dread Dust:Cody kicks a multi-hit dust wave at his opponent before marching forward with strikes. The combination

of the dust waves range and Codys invincibility makes it ideal for countering enemy projectiles or backdashes. Its also a supplement

to Codys close-range counter-hit game; you can verify and link directly into Last Dread Dust off of close m, 3+m, or close hif any of

them counter hit. This is done by looking for and reacting to the Counter Hit prompt that appears in the corner of the screen. The

same idea works ifCR.h>a+PPcounter-hits as well. Also note that the multi-hit dust part of this Ultra inflicts massive guard damage, which is great for

chip-KOing a low-vitality opponent.


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Recommended Ultra Choice: Matchup Dependent

Final Destruction should be picked in matchups where defense is your main concern. Characters like Cammy, Rufus, Yang, and Yun

have an aerial offense that can only be stopped with a perfectly placed HK Ruffian Kick, which can lead to FADC into Ultra I for heavy

damage. Projectile characters, on the other hand, are easier to tackle with Ultra II.

OverviewPROS:

His close-range frame trap game is flexible and extremely damaging


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Active attack range at close range is massive

He can punish most mid-range attacks with 3-frame crouching L

A large selection of effective anti-air options

Great jump speed and air attacks

CONS:

His walk speed is extremely slow, weakening his ground game

His reversal options, though varied, are slow and extremely vulnerable to vertical jumps

Backdash doesnt cover much distance

Cody is a close-range character with a focus on counter-hit setups. His openings all have great frame advantage, and his active attack

range up-close is large. To get in close, use Codys ranged attacks (which arebetter than a typical brawlers) to control the enemys

position. Badger the enemy with Bad Stones to lure out jumps, control their mid-range attacks with crouching L, and slip in under the

radar with Crack Kick or dash to get close. With a little patience and smart decision-making, the charge into close range yields huge

rewards.

Your objective playing Cody is to establish close range. You can achieve this objective by:

Punishing a whiffed attack with crouching L>a+M

Performing 7+m, standing H, or HK Ruffian Kick against a jumping foe

Jumping over and punishing a ground attack

Using 3+Hto leap over a crouching attack


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Passing through a projectile with EX Ruffian Kick or Zonk Knuckle

CODYS TUNING HISTORYSUPER STREET FIGHTER IV TO SUPER STREET FIGHTER IV ARCADE EDITION

CHANGE EFFECT

CR. Lstartup reduced from 4 to 3 The speed increase helps an already good move become an evenstronger tool in footsies

3+Hno longer increases juggle

count by 1 against grounded foes

Cody can now juggle off of Crack Kick the same as any ordinary limitedjuggle state rather than requiring a move with juggle potential 2 orhigher

Range where Cody can pick up theknife increased

ARCADE EDITIONTO 2012 UPDATECHANGE EFFECT

Forward walkspeed increased from 0.035 to 0.038 ~10% walk speed increase, givingCody more maneuverability during mid-range skirmishes

Diagonal jumping mhitbox extended downward and forward Harder to anti-air when jumping fromfar away

3+hadvantage on block changed from -6 to -4, advantage on hit

increased from -1 to +1 on crouching opponent and +3 on standing

opponent, can now be performed without dropping knife

Can now link a CR.Lon hit againststanding opponent

MK Ruffian Kick hitbox extended forward Will now successfully combo frommaximum range CR. L

EX Zonk Knuckle knocks opponents further back

Bad Spray now a 2-hit attack, now able to Super cancel Can no longer be deflected with Focus,


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can now be Focus canceled for safety

ST. lwith knife advantage on hit increased from +5 to +6

ST. mwith knife changed to 2-hit attack Now useful as an armor break attack

ST. hwith knife advantage on hit increased from +2 to +3

CR. mwith knife active frames increased from 2 to 4

CR. hwith knife startup reduced from 9 frames to 7 Better as anti-air

Diagonal jumping lwith knife active frames increased from 4 to 10 Gives Cody an approaching attackwhile jumping in

Diagonal jumping mwith knife hitbox extended downward and upward Better at beating foes during an air-to-air exchange

2012 UPDATE TO ULTRA STREET FIGHTER IV

CHANGE EFFECT

Forward walk speed increased from0.038 to 0.0425

Walks even faster, now just slightly slower than average character walkspeed of 0.045

Backdash distance slightly increasedfrom 0.75 to 0.85462

Allows Cody to escape more easily

CR. Madvantaged changed from -3 to -1 on hit and from -6 to -3 on block

Aside from making the move safer in general, this change allowsCR. Mto have maximum advantage of +5 on hit and +3 on blockallowing for Cody to begin pressure off of a late hit

7+mis now able to be counter hit

during startup

3+Hnow airborne starting on frame 8 Crack Kick will punish late throw attempts as well as go over lows,when hit during Crack Kick Cody will air recover if not knocked down orput into juggle state making Crack Kick a safer tool for approachingyour opponent


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Knife Throw now breaks armor

Knife ground attacks now have a jugglepotential of 3

Ground knife attacks can be used in juggle combos

Zonk Knuckle can be Focus canceled Allows Cody to make the move safe

When Bad Stone is held, stone is thrown

immediately at button release

Cody is no longer able to be counter hit after releasing stone, stone

comes out faster as well

LP Criminal Upper has less recovery onguard, disadvantage changed from -5 to-4

Safer on block allowing Cody to be completely safe from some rangesagainst most characters

EX Criminal Upper pushback on blockreduced, now strike invincible until theframe before active

More easily punishable on block, no longer invincible to throws

HP Super changed how high it floatsopponent More likely to get all hits to connect

Ultra II damage reduced from 506 to466, forward movement increasedslightly

LONG RANGE

Codys long-range objective is to find a way into mid- or close range, which is best done by luring out a jump and punishing it

with 7+m, standing H, or HK Ruffian Kick. To do this, throw Bad Stones to control ground movement. When you believe theyre

looking to jump, do a fake Bad Stone to bait it out, and then punish the jump with HK Ruffian Kick (which can transition into Combo V

if meter is available) or 7+m. If a fake Bad Stone is too risky because of its lengthy animation, whiff standing linstead to keep your

intentions ambiguous.

LK Ruffian Kick can be done directly after any Bad Stone to stop the enemy from using Focus armor to deflect the stone. This also

preemptively counters any action they take after immediately guarding Bad Stone, with the exception of jumping. As long as its

blocked from as far away as possible, LK Ruffian Kick usually leaves you at only a mild frame disadvantage on guard (anywhere from


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+1 to -2 if it connects at the tail end of its animation). This doubles as a high-risk attempt to move in; even though youre usually at a

frame disadvantage, you can immediately threaten with EX Zonk Knuckle or EX Criminal Upper to thwart counter attacks. Again, the

opponent stops this by dodging it with a vertical jump, leaving you open to a combo. Use this tactic only when youre certain theyll

stay grounded.

Bad Stones slow windup makes it impossible to keep up against the projectile offenses of Akuma, Ryu, Ken, Gouken, Sagat or Dhalsim,

among others. To compensate, jump vertically over a projectile to slow their shot rate, or throw an early EX Bad Stone to punish your

opponent without taking a big risk. If youre watching their actions closely, and if youre in range for it, you can also use EX Ruffian

Kick to pass through a shot for a knockdown. Ultra II is also a projectile killer, but your reaction time has to be quick to land it.

MID-RANGE

Focus on controlling your opponents mid-range attacks with crouching L, the longest-reaching 3-frame low attack in USFIV. Its

recovery is fast, making it impossible to counter with jumps and extremely difficult to whiff-punish. Use it to punish whiffed attacks, orpreemptively stick it out directly in front of your foe (just out of range) so that incoming moves run into it. In either case, always buffer

the command for MK Ruffian Kick as though youre canceling crouchingLinto it. As long as you purposefully whiff it in front of your

foe, the MK Ruffian Kick only comes out if crouching Ltags an extended limb thats incoming or recovering, scoring you a short combo

and a knockdown.

Preemptively sticking out crouching Lis riskier than using it as a whiff punisher because its susceptible to being countered if it misses,

so walking backwards to avoid attacks is important. Unfortunately, Codys poor walking speed leaves you open to long-reaching low

attacks, which may catch you even if you try to back out of range. For example, Ryus, Guys, and Zangiefs crouchingHare all difficult

to back away from. To compensate for this problem, carefully manage your foes position by using standingMor crouching Lwhenever

the opponent moves into range. Use standing Hinstead against larger characters that are reliant on standing moves, like Hugo, T.

Hawk, and Zangief. These same characters also have a hard time clearing this attack by jumping, so do it often if you think one is

coming.

Many upper-level strikes reach over crouching Lfrom a position not easily dealt with, like Guys standingM, Adons standingH, Ryus

standing M, Sakuras standingH, and Cammys standingH. Although difficult to time, use 3+Hto punish these attacks on whiff (and


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juggle after it with a+M). You can also use a preemptive level two Focus Attack to counter them for heavy damage, though this

comes with much risk. Crouching Malso slips under some of these attacks (like Adons standingHand Guys standingM).

If your foe walks backwards to avoid attacks, move forward and do crouching Mto catch them standing. In general, CR.Mis a great

pressure tool, since it beats out high-profile attacks, is difficult to back away from, and is now safer on guard than it previously was. Its

frame data and animation are deceiving; despite Cody sliding forward, its hitbox doesnt actually move after the first active frame. In

other words, you cant make it hit on a later active frame by doing it from a distance. It will always be -3 on guard. Doing it at a

distance makes it safer to punishment because youre out of the range of most 3-frame attacks. When spaced well, you can

occasionally do EX Zonk Knuckle to counter attacks done against this disadvantage. When theyre wary of your counter, CR.Mcan be

done more often. Some adversaries will be content with guarding low. Stop this by walking forward and doing 3+h, or by dashing

forward and going for a close attack (like a throw or Combo I, II, or III). When the enemy smells your approach, they may do a quick

attack as theyre backing up to counter the above options. The counter to this is to do an attack earlier than them. Another option is to

do3+Heither to fly over a crouching attack, to catch the starting period of a standing attack, or to force a player walking backwards

to block it (leaving you at a +1 frame advantage). Though punishable, its extremelydifficult to react to if it whiffs against a crouching

enemy, while moving you into close range. You can plow through early attempts to attack your Crack Kick recovery by doing an

immediate EX Zonk Knuckle. When your opponent is wary of that option, instead go for a throw or Combo I. Again, this can be reacted

to and countered, but if they arent looking for it, youll get away scot-free.

Bad Stones can be thrown to make a foes ground movement ineffective. They leave you at a frame advantage when blocked,giving

follow-up actions a boost. If you suspect the enemy will walk forward or do an attack after guarding a stone, do 3+Hto stop them.

When theyre afraid to act, throw another Bad Stone, or use the frame advantage to dash into close range. Projectiles may be thrownto match your stones. As always, a forward jump is the normal answer to this. If you guess incorrectly and they dont throw a

projectile, come down with an early jumping h, which has a shielding hitbox that may beat non-invincible anti-air attacks. Aside from

jumping, you can also do Zonk Knuckle to pass through projectiles. Also be wary of jumps, and counter close jumps with 7+m.

Counter jumps from further out with standing H.

Any jump youre certain of can be stopped with HK Ruffian Kick (into combo V or VI), but this must be done early to guarantee it beats

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In matchups where Codys ground game isnt effective (like when youre against Balrog, Vega, or Chun-li), equip the knife if you can

get to it safely. Standing mis your best general attack since it outright stops almost anything as long as its fully extended. It also

breaks Focus Attacks because of its dual hits. It slashes two ticks of chip damage every time its blocked to boot, so its threatening

even when it isnt hitting.

Crouching mhas a low profile thats good versus high altitude strikes (like Zangiefs standingm). It also has the longest reach of any of

his knife attacks. Throwing the knife breaks Focus Attacks when youre out of range for ST.m. If the knife hits, juggle with animmediate EX Ruffian Kick (and then EX Criminal Upper if youre near a corner). If your opponent jumps when you have the knife, hit

them with crouching hfor heavy damage. Combine these attacks with crouching L, which is still a great poke with the knife in hand, to

further improve his mid-range game.

CLOSE RANGE

Your goal playing Cody is to fish for counter hits. This is done by pressuring the opponent with Combo I on their wakeup or after a

blocked jump-in. The purpose of this is to scare them into blocking. Combo Is opening two attacks, crouchinglx2, leave you at a large

enough frame advantage on guard to stage follow-up attacks. The chain can be staggered purposefully to coerce your foe into sticking

out an attack. For example, do a single CR.l, then do an immediate CL. m(into Combo II) or a delayed CR. l, CR.L>b+lto counter-hit

attacks. Similar conditioning should be done when crouching lx2 is guarded, like with immediate CR. L>b+lto stop fast counter

attacks, or walk up Combo I again, or 3+m.3+mis especially good for moving back into point-blank range because it moves you

closer while retaining frame advantage. If it hits, link into Combo IV.

When your offense scares them into guarding often, go for throws to crack their defense. The opponents ideal response is to watch

out for throws and escape them as late as possible. This can play right into your counter-hit-fishing hands. Try 3+h, an overhead that

may connect if theyre focused on guarding and escaping throws, or walk directly next to them and attack with Combo II or III. Combo

II opens with the 7-frame

CL. m, which is good for crushing semi-late throw escapes. Combo III starts with 8-frame CL. h, a better option when your foe techs

throws as late as possible. Combo IV can also be used for the same purpose. All of these openings leave you close to the enemy with

frame advantage, so keep attacking if either is blocked.


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EX Zonk Knuckle acts as a risky throw or crouch tech killer. Its effective because of its slow startup, which gives your foe enough time

to flinch when theres no reason to. Though risky and expensive, it blows through any attack thrown at you, including Focus Attacks

and some reversals. It even catches backdashes. This should only be done when the assets for Combo VII are available, which allows

for FADC into Ultra I. To land it, walk or dash way into an opponents body to convince them youre going to throw, then let EX Zonk

Knuckle go. It also works in any situation where an enemy commonly tries to escape a throw, like after doing an empty jump against

an enemys wakeup.

Whenever youre on the defensive, you have to vary between all of Codys defensive options to prevent the enemy from countering

them. Your safest option is to escape throws as late as possible with Codys best crouch tech,5+l+L. If your opponent does a throw,

youll tech it. If they try an attack, Codys speedy CR.Lcomes out to counter it. Against ground attacks, backdashes, or throws done

rising from a knockdown, do EX Zonk Knuckle and FADC the first hit to escape safely. On hit, it leads to Combo VII. Zonk Knuckle is not

fast enough to beat most light attacks, which come out and recover before it hits. Use the speedier EX Criminal Upper against these

attacks. Against safe jump setups performed after a soft knockdown, replace a quick recovery with Bad Spray to retaliate (which,

through FADC, can also lead into Combo VIII). Be wary of vertical jumps, which your foe might do just as you rise from a knockdown

to avoid and punish Zonk Knuckle, EX Criminal Upper, and Bad Spray. Look for these jumps and punish them with 7+mor a+H.

CombosI. CR. l>CR. l, CR. mthen cancel into either:

a+L

172 damage, 285 stun

a+KK



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b+h


Input CR. l>5+l+Hto option select the opening string. If the enemy does a backdash against the first attack, crouching Hcomes

out to catch their recovery. Crouching Hdoesnt hit against characters with lengthy backdashes (like Chun-li, oiled Hakan, Gen,

Makoto, Rose, or Vega), so replace it with EX Zonk Knuckle in those cases (release mand hthe moment you do the second CR.l).

Crouching mcan be replaced with crouching Lto make the link easier at the loss of some damage, though it can only be canceled

into b+h. The special into which you cancel dictates how flexible your post-knockdown attack is. LK Ruffian Kick causes a hard

knockdown but inflicts the least amount of damage. EX Ruffian Kick causes a hard knockdown and offers a large enough time to set up

a cross-up. HP Criminal Upper deals the largest stun and damage, but your wakeup game is relegated to a dash followed by a combo

or throw. Delayed wakeup makes hard knockdowns weaker than before, so the worth of spending meter for a better knockdown isnt

what it was in older versions of SFIV.

II. CL. m, CR. mthen cancel into either:

a+L


a+KK


b+h



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This is done to counter hit semi-late throw techs. If close mcounter-hits, you can link into 3+mand then crouching mfor additional

damage. This combo can be started with a crouching las well, which actually reduces the damage dealt because HP Criminal Upper

hits fewer times from a distance. Replace CR.mwith CR. Lif you have trouble with the link. Alternatively, you can even plink CR.mwith

CR.Lto give yourself extra link timing insurance.

III. CL.h, CR. mthen cancel into either:

b+h


a+H>FADC, 3+H, b+PP


a+H>FADC, aa+PPP


Bust this out when your opponent either misses a big attack, or when youre trying to counter hit especially late throw techs. Youre at

a +1 advantage when its guarded, making it slightly worse for keeping your offense going than CL. m. Its all about the risk versus

reward; if youre certain of a hit, CL.hleads to more damage than Combo II. When youre less certain, use CL.minstead. Note that the

HK Ruffian Kick versions of this combo work because close hforces the enemy into a standing state. HK Ruffian Kick does not combo

properly in certain matchups though, like against Akuma, Blanka, or Zangief.


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IV. 3+m, then link into either:

CR. m>b+h


CL. m, CR.h>b+h


This is Codys primary method of keeping his close-range attack going when hes been pushed out slightly. CR.mcan be replaced with

CR.Lwhen youre further out to make the link easier, and to ensure HP Criminal Upper scores all of its hits. The second combo listed

requires two 1-frame links to do, so plinking is an absolute must. It only works at close distances as well, making it only good as a

point-blank throw tech killer. Though difficult, the damage it inflicts is massive for a combo that requires no meter.

V. Against aerial enemy, a+H>FADC, then juggle with either:

3+H, b+PP


aa+PPP



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The first variation of this combo should only be done when you know itll either KO the enemy or bring them close enough to astun to

make your next combo or throw a dizzy opportunity. HK Ruffian Kick only beats jump attacks as long as its fully extended when it

makes contact. If it trades with an attack, you can still juggle with Combo VIs first variation.

VI. Against aerial enemy, do an early a+H, a+KK,

then juggle with either:

b+PP


Knife equipped, CR.m


This combo only works when HK Ruffian Kick hits on a much later active frame than normal against an enemy at a high altitude. Near

corners, replace the knife crouching mjuggle with crouching hfor additional damage.

VII. Hold PP, release (1 hit) >FADC, then juggle with either:

3+H, b+PP


aa+PPP



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The first variation of this combo blows 4 meters, a massive investment considering how much damage it deals. Save it only for

circumstances when you know itll either KO or stun your foe. The Ultra I variant is more efficient and is one of Codys best comeback

methods.

VIII. During a soft knockdown,1+P

>FADC,

then juggle with either:

b+PP


aa+PPP


Bad Spray is not invincible, so it only works when it comes out early against an incoming strike. The enemy is put into a free juggle

state if the first hit trades with an attack, in which case you can still juggle with b+PP.

IX. Counter hit CL.h>a+PP, 3+m,

CR.m>b+h



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This combo only works if CL.hcounter hits, causing the EX Bad Stone to link afterwards. You must be directly next to the enemy for

the combo after EX Bad Stone to work. The exception to this rule is corners, where max range CR.h>a+PPstill leaves you in range

for the remainder of the combo. If this opening is guarded, use the heavy frame advantage granted from EX Bad Stone to stage a

follow-up attack.

X. Knife equipped, CR.l>CL.l, CR.Lthen cancel into either:

b+h


b+l, CR. m


Near corners, b+l, CR.h


The opening two hits of this combo, CR.l>CL.l, can be option selected with

3+H(input 5+l>3+H+l). This transitions into Crack Kick if the opponent backdashes against CR.l. The HP Criminal Upper variant

of this combo gives you the best wakeup game, while the version ending with the CR.mknife juggle deals the most damage, but

causes a complete match reset. Youre better off saving the juggle to end rounds or to stun an enemyon the brink. Against croucing or

wide-standing enemies, you can do CR.l>CL. l, linked into ST. m(2 hits), then CR. L>bb +hfor 254 damage and 347 stun.

XI. Knife equipped, CR.h, CR.Lthen cancel into either:

b h


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b+h


Near corners, a+H, CR.h

a+H>FADC, 3+H, b+PP


a+H>FADC, aa+PPP


This is used as a replacement to Codys closeh. Its great for blowing up late throw escape attempts, and its also just a great combo

starter for big openings. HK Ruffian Kick doesnt combo against some characters, like Akuma or Zangief. Youre better off going for the

HP Criminal Upper version in most match ups.

XII. Knife nearby, jumping H, CL.h>5+PPP

(knife obtained) >CR. l>CL. l, CR. L>b+h


This is an example of a combo that cancels a normal attack directly into the knife pick-up, and then the pick-up recovery into light

attacks. The knife must be near Cody as ST.hconnects in order for it to work.

XIII CL h CR b h (1 hit) EX R d F d h


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XIII. CL.h, CR. m>b+h(1 hit) >EX Red Focus, dash,

then link into either:

aa+PPP


bb+PPP


Any combo canceling into HP Criminal Upper can be canceled into EX Red Focus. This is an example of using EX Red Focus to link

directly into Codys Ultra Combos. After Red Focus hits, you can transition into Combo III instead to work the enemys stun gauge,

though the damage reduction is usually high enough to make the payoff low.

Documents

USFIV Cody Guide