Combos

Low Hit-Checks

COMBO 1

Crouching crouching

A standard two-hit combo, confirmable off of a crouching hit. Crouching can be substituted with standing . In SFIV, you couldn’t special-cancel normals that you had chained into, but that’s no problem here. Instead, you can do jab-jab-special type combos quickly again, like in Street Fighter III and the Street Fighter Alpha series.

COMBO 2

Crouching

The first two hits of this sequence are hit-confirmable into Shinku/Denjin Hadoken. Although HP Hadoken is unsafe on block, it’s still a useful blockstring in certain scenarios where you can afford to eat a sweep or two-hit combo.

Grounded Hit-Checks

COMBO 3A

Standing crouching , then cancel into:

228 damage, 395 stun

244 damage, 395 stun

454 damage, 395 stun (requires full EX Gauge)

COMBO 3B

(Cornered opponent) standing standing , then either:

,
323 damage, 477 stun (requires full V-Gauge and one stock of EX Gauge)

,
343 damage, 502 stun (requires full V-Gauge and two stocks of EX Gauge)

Standing is one of your best tools for frame trap setups since it’s +1 on block and provides ample time to confirm into the rest of the combo. A powerful tactic is to tick with either a jump-in attack or crouching jab, followed by a delayed standing frame trap or a throw.

If you can hit a cornered standing opponent while you have a full stock of V-Gauge, you can follow up with a couple of possible juggles using Jodan Sanrengeki target combo canceled into Denjin Renki, as seen in Combo 3b. Note that your foe must be standing in order for the portion of the target combo to connect. Another way to hit with your target combo against someone in the corner is by baiting out a throw tech. Back away after a tick, and then go straight into standing . Since throws force the enemy to stand, you’ll nail them with some serious damage.

COMBO 4

Crouching standing

You may opt to use crouching as your frame trap hit-check over standing because of its extra frame of advantage (+2 instead of +1). On hit, you don’t have many options as far as combos go, but you can at least scrounge up a couple hundred points of damage with a link into standing .

COMBO 5a

standing , then cancel into:

256 damage, 350 stun

466 damage, 350 stun (requires full EX Gauge)

(instead of cancel) standing standing
292 damage, 410 stun (requires one stock of EX Gauge; only works on crouching opponents)

Standing
268 damage, 386 stun

COMBO 5b

COMBO 5C

crouching

COMBO 5D

crouching

Solar Plexus Strike is one of Ryu’s signature (and most versatile) mid-range attacks. It’s safe on block, applies pressure from range, links into standing , and is cancelable on hit. Use it as a hit-check starter from footsie range; on hit, confirm into either Combo 5a or 5b, depending on Ryu’s distance from the opponent. At close range, you can score a standing link for moderate damage. On a crouching hit-confirm, use two standing strongs into EX Tatsumaki Senpukyaku for even more damage. From farther out, you can either go for a standing link or simply cancel into HP Shoryuken, which is the easiest execution-wise.

If you have a full EX Gauge, you can tack on about 300 points of damage to the HP Shoryuken ender by canceling into Critical Art.

If you can connect with Solar Plexus Strike at a closer range, you can link into your six-frame crouching for a triple-heavy attack combo (Combo 5c). At max range, you can link into crouching into HK Tatsumaki Senpukyaku (Combo 5d).

COMBO 6

standing , then cancel into:

219 damage, 373 stun

171 damage, 373 stun

177 damage, 313 stun (from farther out, Axe Kick hits only once; requires one stock of EX Gauge) 217 damage, 373 stun (from close range, Axe Kick hits twice; requires one stock of EX Gauge)

Like Solar Plexus Strike, Axe Kick is a powerful heavy attack that’s safe (±0 on block) and leads into more damage. The different enders vary in damage and advantage, with LK Tatsumaki Senpukyaku leaving you with the most knockdown advantage (you can follow up with a jumping attack against quick-recovery).

COMBO 7

standing , standing , step forward, standing

A combo for a more technical and advanced player. It requires recognizing both a successful hit-check and that the opponent is crouching. Furthermore, Ryu needs to take a slight step forward to connect with the standing portion. Taking this slight step removes the usual three-frame input buffer leniency for Street Fighter V combos, so you’ll have no execution/online training wheels for the standing LK link.

COMBO 8

Cornered opponent) standing crouching

With its unique ability to cancel into Shoryuken on hit, you can perform this combo against cornered opponents.

Jump-Ins

COMBO 9

Forward jump , standing crouching , step forward, crouching , then cancel into either:

336 damage, 593 stun

511 damage, 743 stun (requires full V-Gauge and EX Gauge)

Ryu’s high-damage, resource-intensive link combo for punishing the recovery of projectile specials or heavy attacks. This combo requires Ryu to step forward slightly after Denjin Renki activation to get close enough to connect with crouching , so it may take some practice to land consistently. Unloading both EX Gauge and V-Gauge into your opponent with this combo scores a massive amount of damage and stun.

Grounded Counter-Hits

COMBO 10

Counter-hit standing OR crouching standing crouching , then cancel into:

230 damage, 394 stun (requires one stock of EX Gauge)

340 damage, 254 stun (requires full EX Gauge)

214 damage, 394 stun

200 damage, 359 stun (requires one stock of EX Gauge)

A two-level hit-check. You’ll have to commit to the standing while confirming a counter-hit from the attack before completing the combo. The HK Tatsumaki Senpukyaku ender only works if the enemy is standing. For the most knockdown advantage, you can end this combo with EX Hadoken, following up with two forward dashes. Ryu will then be +8 if the opponent quick-rises (+13 on backflip quick-rise).

COMBO 11A

Counter-hit standing , walk forward, standing crouching , then cancel into:

, step forward, crouching
517 damage, 773 stun (requires full V-Gauge and EX Gauge)

492 damage, 530 stun (requires full EX Gauge)

312 damage, 530 stun

COMBO 11B

Counter-hit standing , standing crouching , then cancel into:

310 damage, 535 stun (requires full V-Gauge and one stock of EX Gauge)

300 damage, 535 stun (requires full V-Gauge)

415 damage, 585 stun (requires full V-Gauge and full EX Gauge)

Combo 11a is a mechanically demanding sequence primarily used as a reversal punish counter-hit. It requires multiple “hard” links with little leeway for error, but it rewards you with colossal damage and stun output. Combo 11b is much easier to execute, but it’s not nearly as rewarding.

COMBO 12

Counter-hit (second hit) into either:

318 damage, 108 stun (requires full EX Gauge)

Crouching
351 damage, 278 stun (requires full EX Gauge)

If you manage to counter-hit with the second portion of , Ryu’s at +6 advantage, enough for a crouching attack (within a certain range). At max range, you can simply link into Shinku/Denjin Hadoken.

COMBO 13

Counter-hit standing , ,

It’s entirely possible to react to a counter-hit standing with a follow-up cancel, thanks to the lengthy Crush Counter hitstop effect. Alternatively, you can use an option-select input of standing into delayed standing , which will only occur during a Crush Counter because of the long hitstop effect.

Anti-Air Combos

COMBO 14

(Air-to-air) jumping , then either:

Cancel into
224 damage, 280 stun

Land,
224 damage, 280 stun (requires one stock of EX Gauge)

If you make a good read on an opponent’s jump and can meet them in the air with either neutral jumping or forward jumping , you can earn yourself more damage than the standard MP/EX Shoryuken anti-air. The EX Shoryuken follow-up is generally better since Ryu can dash right next to the enemy for close-range offensive pressure.

Anti-Air Counter-Hits

COMBO 15

Counter-hit anti-air standing , forward jumping (two hits),

This is a situational combo if your opponent becomes predictable with their jumping attacks and Ryu can preemptively anti-air them with counter-hit standing . The forward jumping portion may be tricky to juggle with because it’s spacing-dependent, but it grants a great amount of damage for an anti-air sequence.

V-Trigger and Situational combos

COMBO 16

(Cornered blocking opponent) crouching , (breaks opponent’s guard), crouching

This sequence forces your adversary to either take a large amount of damage or use a stock of V-Gauge to break out of blockstun with a V-Reversal. The total block damage on top of the double uppercut combo adds up to 318 health points.