Combos

Every effort is made to record combo damage accurately, but not quite as accurately as with frame data. Over time, as moves are tweaked here and there, exact combo damage may be off in places. (The print guide’s combo damage errors where they exist, for example, are mostly because heavy-strength normals received a tiny, uniform buff on day one.) However, combo damage values are still useful to show general combo damage relative to other options. Writing damage values down in the first place is just there to help decision-making, so you have an idea of your preferred situational combos before a match ever starts. Not many people are thinking “I should use the 346 option over the 320 option” during actual matches.

Low Hit-Checks

COMBO 1

Crouching LK crouching LP
167 damage, 293 stun, requires one stock of EX gauge

This is a little safer with jabs, since crouching LP is +2 blocked while crouching LK is neutral, but this version must be guarded low. Starting with either crouching LP or LK hits in four frames, so decide between a low hit or a tighter frame situation on block.

Grounded Hit-Checks

COMBO 2

Standing MP standing LK
216 damage, 323 stun, requires one stock of EX gauge

Standing MP
375 damage, 100 stun, requires full EX gauge

You can simply cancel standing MP into LK Slash Elbow or LP Flash Chop, but it can also lead to EX Flash Chop via standing LK, or to his Critical Art. Standing MP is one of Alex’s best close- to mid-range ground pokes when fishing for combos or throws.

COMBO 3

Standing HP
162 damage, 285 stun

Standing HP charge ,
171 damage, 330 stun

tanding HP reaches surprisingly far, naturally combos to MP Flash Chop or MK Slash Elbow, and combos to the heavy versions of those specials on counter-hit. It’s also only -3 when guarded, making it fairly safe to throw out as a poke at the edge of its range, even if you don’t cancel out of it.

COMBO 4

Crouching HP, juggle
Crouching HP, juggle

Crouching HP, juggle
226 damage, 330 stun, requires one stock of EX gauge

Crouching HP can lead to a lot of juggle opportunities (from Flash Chops to Heavy Hammer to Air Knee Smash) and works as anti-air to boot, but leaves Alex at -8 when guarded. You can confirm into it from counter-hit Lariat or standing HK.

COMBO 5

395 damage, 150 stun, requires full EX gauge

standing LK
236 damage, 373 stun, requires one stock of EX gauge

Lariat leads to follow-up opportunities whether on block, hit, or counter-hit.

Jump-Ins

COMBO 6

Forward jumping , crouching LK crouching LP
238 damage, 409 stun, requires one stock of EX gauge

Forward jumping , standing MP standing LK
282 damage, 436 stun, requires one stock of EX gauge

Counter-hit forward jumping , standing HP charge ,
261 damage, 475 stun

Flying Cross Chop can lead to link combos on landing from clean hits. This is even more pronounced with a counter-hit, which is most likely if you buff up with Overhaul from far away and then land a long-range, Flying Cross Chop jump-in.

Grounded Counter-Hits

COMBO 7

Counter-hit crouching LP or LK standing MP standing LK
228 damage, 370 stun, requires one stock of EX gauge

Counter-hit crouching LP or LK standing MP
370 damage, 174 stun, requires full EX gauge

A counter-hit combo starting with a crouching light attack. When going for this, perform standing MP right away after the light attack--don’t wait. This situation can occur if the opponent is dashing forward to throw, or poking with a slow move up close.

COMBO 8

Counter-hit standing MP standing MP
182 damage, 330 stun

Counter-hit standing MP standing MP
246 damage, 370 stun, requires one stock of EX gauge

Standing MP on counter-hit gives you +7 to work with.

Counter-hit standing HP
301 damage, 515 stun

Counter-hit standing HP
333 damage, 555 stun, requires one stock of EX gauge

Counter-hit standing HP is the best way to verify into Alex’s stunning Power Drop specials. If you land one of these combos, be ready to land Chop or Head Crush to push their stun gauge the rest of the way over the top.

COMBO 9

Counter-hit standing HK standing HP
253 damage, 435 stun

Counter-hit standing HK standing HP charge ,
261 damage, 475 stun

Counter-hit standing HK standing HP or charge ,
309 damage, 475 stun, requires one stock of EX gauge

Counter-hit standing HK
270 damage, 378 stun

Counter-hit standing HK
306 damage, 405 stun, requires one stock of EX gauge

Counter-hit standing HK crouching HP, juggle
317 damage, 476 stun, requires one stock of EX gauge

“Das Boot,” as it’s often affectionately called, is one of Alex’s scariest tools. On counter-hit, it causes a crumple that allows for full combos. Hit the crumpling foe right away and they’ll be in grounded hitstun. Pause briefly and hit them to make them flip out into air recovery, potentially leading to a reset for you.

COMBO 10

Counter-hit standing HP
241 damage, 435 stun

Counter-hit crouching HP, juggle
233 damage, 436 stun

Counter-hit crouching HP, juggle
297 damage, 476 stun, requires one stock of EX gauge

Lariat’s grounded, counter-hit, follow-up options include standing combos and crouching HP launchers into Flash Chop or Air Knee Smash juggles.

COMBO 11

Counter-hit standing or crouching LP
231 damage, 403 stun, requires one stock of EX gauge

Counter-hit standing LK
252 damage, 403 stun, requires one stock of EX gauge

Counter-hit standing or crouching LP
255 damage, 403 stun, requires one stock of EX gauge

Counter-hit charge , standing LK
252 damage, 463 stun, requires one stock of EX gauge

Flash Chops and LK Slash Elbows can be poke and counter-hit fishing tools, especially when you’re loaded with Overhaul.

Anti-Air Counter-Hits

COMBO 12

Anti-air counter-hit crouching HP (second hit), juggle
157 damage, 255 stun

One of Alex’s weaknesses is that his anti-air is a little wonky. If you’re super early with your read of an opponent’s intent to jump, you can go air-to-air with upward-aiming jumping MK. If they jump in from very far away, you can use Lariat, which leads to its own counter-hit combos. A little closer in, crouching HP is his best anti-air since his hitbox extends above his hurtbox a little bit at his jutting shoulder. Otherwise, standing LP has a surprising anti-air hitbox on the second and third active frames and EX Air Knee Smash makes great anti-air if you’re willing to spend gauge.

COMBO 13

Anti-air counter-hit , juggle charge ,
232 damage, 360 stun, requires one stock of EX gauge

Anti-air counter-hit , juggle charge ,
457 damage, 360 stun, requires full EX gauge

Anti-air Lariat may occur if the opponent jumps in from far away, or if you attack them on the ground with up-close Lariat as they jump backward, perhaps afraid of throws. If you catch an opponent just before they hit the ground with MK Slash Elbow, a cancel to Heavy Hammer connects fully.

V-Trigger and Situational

COMBO 14

Against cornered foe, counter-hit standing HP charge , , juggle crouching HP (one hit), juggle
279 damage, 480 stun

Against cornered foe, counter-hit standing HP charge , , juggle crouching HP (one hit), juggle
321 damage, 515 stun

Counter-hit standing HP gives time for a cancel to HK Slash Elbow to launch the opponent up high. In the corner, this gives you time to juggle further with crouching HP. From here, you can finish with LP Flash Chop (into Heavy Hammer with full EX gauge) or any version of Air Knee Smash.

COMBO 15

Crouching MK standing MP
248 damage, 435 stun, requires full V-Gauge

When you have Rage Shift ready to go, crouching MK can become a low hit-check into a potential Sledge Hammer combo. This combo can be amped up by starting it with Overhaul-buffed, cross-up LK and by finishing with EX Power Drop or Heavy Hammer, too.

COMBO 16

Standing HP standing HP
302 damage, 525 stun

A simple V-Trigger activation hit-check. You can confirm into this from a frontal jump-in HP or HK attack, saving V-Trigger if standing HP is guarded. If it’s guarded up until V-Trigger activation, you can charge up Sledge Hammer to fish for a parry or unleash a guard break fully charged. When this hits, you can easily boost damage by ending with EX Power Drop or Heavy Hammer.

COMBO 17

With Rage Shift active, jump-in HP/HK, standing HP
333 damage, 580 stun, requires Rage Shift

An example of a simple hit-check when Rage Shift is active, most applicable when you make a great read jumping over a laggy ground poke or projectile. You can cancel into Sledge Hammer from any grounded normal attack. Tacking Sledge Hammer into Power Drop onto any sequence deals tons of stun damage. Alex loaded with V-Trigger and EX gauge can stun victims very quickly. A stunned foe while Rage Shift is still active allows you to feed them another brutal Sledge Hammer combo as a capper, or you can Overhaul and sweep to set up a mix-up on their forced slow wakeup. Keep in mind the pseudo-parry capability of Sledge Hammer while holding to charge it outside of combos.

COMBO 18

Crouching HP hold , release to juggle, juggle
290 damage, 445 stun, requires Rage Shift

After popping up a foe with crouching HP and then canceling crouching fierce’s second hit into a Sledge Hammer charge, release the charge so Sledge Hammer juggles them just before they hit the ground. What you may not realize is that Sledge Hammer’s recovery isn’t just cancelable into Power Drop or Heavy Hammer, but also Air Knee Smash. This is only applicable when juggling with Sledge Hammer, though, hence this combo example. This can also be done off crouching HP into Rage Shift activation, as long as you immediately begin a Sledge Hammer charge after the Rage Shift activation screen freeze.

COMBO 19

Anti-air counter-hit standing HK , hold , release to juggle, juggle
263 damage, 440 stun

This is an example of canceling to V-Trigger activation and juggling fluidly post-freeze with Sledge Hammer. This isn’t as impractical a setup as it may seem, thanks to the huge advantage Alex gains after EX Flash Chop. As one part of your okizeme game after EX Flash Chop knockdown into dash, you can then dash immediately and do standing HK. If the opponents wakes up with backdash or jump, this will hit them. As in the previous combo, Sledge Hammer’s recovery can be canceled into Air Knee Smash to continue the juggle.