V System

V-Skill

Quick Step

Quick Step Kick (hold)

Quick Step/Step Kick: Although Ken has a plethora of advancing moves, Quick Step is his most efficient one. It’s exactly what it sounds like: a quick step toward the opponent. It travels about half a screen’s distance if performed without any inputs after the initial tap (neutral direction, no buttons). However, its animation can be canceled early; inputs are buffered on the 17th frame and will execute on the 23rd frame.

Much of your offense will revolve around Quick Step, so thoroughly understanding its properties is vital to your success with Ken. All of Ken’s standing and crouching normal attacks can be canceled into Quick Step, albeit at varying frame advantage values (see the frame data for details). Most of his Quick Step cancels are punishable on block, but they are still worth using. They require fast reactions from the opponent to punish—and failing to punish it usually results in you scoring a counter-hit or throw.

The least punishable sequence is standing Quick Step, at -6. Not many characters have a six-frame Crush Counter heavy attack, so you’re not at a huge risk of eating a Crush Counter combo. It can also become awkward for opponents to punish this blockstring under duress, especially if you’re mixing up your attack timings frequently. A powerful and simple Ken strategy can revolve around standing Quick Step followed by crouching / throw / MP Shoryuken. It forces the opposing player to make a difficult decision: whether to block, tech, or reversal.

Just like during a dash, note that getting hit out of your Quick Step animation results in a counter-hit for the opponent.

That’s all for Quick Step, accomplished by simply tapping the medium buttons. If you hold down , Ken steps forward and completes Quick Step with Step Kick. This is a very far-reaching poke that knocks down on hit, and it can even link after you throw an LP Hadoken with the correct spacing. But overall, Step Kick is much slower than it used to be in its Street Fighter IV incarnation, and it no longer enables an incredible kara throw. It has some use as an occasional change-up look from the very tip of its range, but generally, you’ll want to use Quick Step instead of Step Kick. You’ll get more mileage (and stay safer) simply walking, dashing, using Thunder Kick Feint, or Quick Stepping forward and then poking with the tip of standing . While Step Kick is underwhelming when compared to its previous incarnation, it is V-Trigger-cancelable. This property is useful for extending combos (see Combo 2c), or to make it safer if it’s blocked.

V-Reversal

Senpu Nataotoshi

Senpu Nataotoshi: Ken’s V-Reversal is a jumping roundhouse kick that leaves you at +2 on hit and ±0 on block. Since it doesn’t knock down on hit, and Ken’s Heat Rush is a 3-stock V-Trigger, using his V-Reversal is not recommended unless you’re winning by a large margin and think you won’t need his Heat Rush.

V-Trigger

Heat Rush

Heat Rush: Heat Rush is a 3-stock V-Gauge power-up mode with a duration of 1200 frames. Immediately after activation, Ken dashes toward his opponent with a built-in Quick Step. While Heat Rush is active, Ken’s legs will flicker with flames, signaling the enhancement of all of his special moves. Descriptions of Heat Rush-improved specials follow.

V Hadoken

V EX Hadoken

V Hadoken: Ken’s fireballs become actual balls of fire under Heat Rush, dealing 20 more damage. They also knock down on hit, as well as become safer on block (-6). You probably won’t use this move as often as you would with Ryu’s Denjin Renki projectiles, but it’s a useful tool to have at longer distances to help cover more ground as Ken approaches.

V LP Shoryuken

V MP Shoryuken

V HP Shoryuken

V EX Shoryuken

V Shoryuken: Keeping with the fire elemental theme, Ken’s LP and MP Shoryuken also set opponents ablaze on hit, dealing more damage. HP Shoryuken becomes a five-hit Shoryuken, allowing for increased juggle potential off of attacks like LK Tatsumaki Senpukyaku and V HK Tatsumaki Senpukyaku.

V LK Tatsumaki Senpukyaku

V MK Tatsumaki Senpukyaku

V HK Tatsumaki Senpukyaku

V EX Tatsumaki Senpukyaku

V Tatsumaki Senpukyaku: Heat Rush-enabled Tatsumaki Senpukyaku virtually become new special moves compared to Ken’s normal hurricane kicks. After the initial knee attack, Ken’s kicks during V Tatsumaki Senpukyaku become large projectiles surrounded in flames. The hitboxes for the spinning kicks on this flaming Tatsu are much more generous than during the regular versions, too. They clash with incoming projectiles, deal more damage, and provide better juggle opportunities.

V Air Tatsumaki Senpukyaku

V EX Air Tatsumaki Senpukyaku

V Air Tatsumaki Senpukyaku: As with his V Tatsumaki Senpukyaku, the properties of Ken’s kicks are strengthened. The most noteworthy effect is that its hitstun and blockstun are increased, so you can link into combos on hit and you’re at an advantage on block. As with the grounded version, Ken’s flaming Tatsu rotations become capable of destroying incoming single-hit projectiles, like the upward-arcing ones that Dhalsim, F.A.N.G, and Rashid throw.