Table of Contents
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I. Legend
II. Movement
III. Frames and Buffering
IV. General Move Properties and the Crush System
V. Grabs, Parries, Reversals, etc.
VI. Walls and Techrolling
VII. Random Information
VIII. Tier Rankings and Misconceptions
IX. Tag Techniques
I. Legend
_____________________________________________________________________________
There are plenty of terms and notations when conveniently referring to various gameplay aspects in Tekken. Here's what is generally used by people.
Spoiler: show
1 - Left Punch
2 - Right Punch
3 - Left Kick
4 - Right Kick
F or f - Forward, the direction your character is facing.
B or b - Back, the direction your character is not facing.
U or u - Up.
D or d - Down.
D/F or d/f - Down-forward, the diagonal between D and F.
D/B or d/b - Down-back, the diagonal between D and B.
U/F or u/f - Up-forward, the diagonal between U and F.
U/B or u/b - Up-back, the diagonal between U and B.
N - Neutral. No direction inputs are being pressed.
QCF - Quarter-circle forward. (d,d/f,f)
QCB - Quarter-circle back. (d,d/b,b)
HCF - Half-circle forward. (b,d/b,d,d/f,f)
HCB - Half-circle back. (f,d/f,d,d/b,b)
Capital letter difference - If a directional notation is in capital letters,
you must HOLD the direction instead of tapping it.
SS - Sidestep(s). Tap U~n or D~n.
SSR - Sidestep to your character's right.
SSL - Sidestep to your character's left.
SW - Sidewalk(s). Tap U~n or D~n and then press and hold the respective
direction after the character SS. (For example, after pressing U~n,
press and hold U when your character SS)
FC - Full crouch. Press and hold D or D/B.
WS - While standing. Usually includes a button input of some kind that should
be pressed while your character rises from a crouch.
WR - While running. Self-explanatory.
BD - Backdash(s). (b,b)
FD - Forwarddash(s). (f,f)
CD/WD - Crouchdash/Wavedash. Explained in next section.
cc - Crouch-cancel. Usually tapping f or u will take you out of crouch.
, - Seperates inputs. It does not imply any timing for the input.
~ - Command following must be inputted immediately after the previous
command.
: - Just-frame input. The input following the ":" must be pressed during a
certain window or frame (which will be explained).
+ - Press simultaneously.
< - You may delay the following input.
[] - Inputs are optional.
( _ ) - Or. For example, (A_B). You may press either A or B.
() - Move is suppose to miss. Used in juggles.
low - A move that hits low.
mid - A move that hits middle.
high - A move that hits high.
CH - Counterhits(s). When a move interrupts another move.
JS - Juggle starter(s).
BT - Back turned towards opponent.
TC/TJ - Technically crouching/Technically jumping.
iWS - Instant WS. Performed d~(d/b_d/f)~n+desired input. Takes practice.
Whiff - A move that misses the opponent entirely.
Okizeme/Oki or Wake-up Game - Most Soul-Calibur-turned-Tekken players refer
to oki as wake-up. This term simply refers to the ground game. Whenever
someone says oki they mean a situation where one of the characters will
hit the ground at some point. The majority of the time it will be used
when a character is stationary on the ground and cannot techroll, but it
is not exclusive to that situation.
Poke or poking - This is what's usually called chip damage. A poke is when
you do one or a couple moves that take minor damage off of your
opponent's lifebar. Poking is a big part of Tekken because most JS are
too slow to be considered the only source of damage you get. You can't
expect to hit JS all the time.
Turtle - A playstyle in which a player mostly blocks and does evasive moves.
Not a lot of aggressive tactics.
Pitbull - A playstyle in which a player use quick strikes to keep you off-
balance while always attacking. This playstyle still uses evasive moves
but in a very aggressive manner.
2 - Right Punch
3 - Left Kick
4 - Right Kick
F or f - Forward, the direction your character is facing.
B or b - Back, the direction your character is not facing.
U or u - Up.
D or d - Down.
D/F or d/f - Down-forward, the diagonal between D and F.
D/B or d/b - Down-back, the diagonal between D and B.
U/F or u/f - Up-forward, the diagonal between U and F.
U/B or u/b - Up-back, the diagonal between U and B.
N - Neutral. No direction inputs are being pressed.
QCF - Quarter-circle forward. (d,d/f,f)
QCB - Quarter-circle back. (d,d/b,b)
HCF - Half-circle forward. (b,d/b,d,d/f,f)
HCB - Half-circle back. (f,d/f,d,d/b,b)
Capital letter difference - If a directional notation is in capital letters,
you must HOLD the direction instead of tapping it.
SS - Sidestep(s). Tap U~n or D~n.
SSR - Sidestep to your character's right.
SSL - Sidestep to your character's left.
SW - Sidewalk(s). Tap U~n or D~n and then press and hold the respective
direction after the character SS. (For example, after pressing U~n,
press and hold U when your character SS)
FC - Full crouch. Press and hold D or D/B.
WS - While standing. Usually includes a button input of some kind that should
be pressed while your character rises from a crouch.
WR - While running. Self-explanatory.
BD - Backdash(s). (b,b)
FD - Forwarddash(s). (f,f)
CD/WD - Crouchdash/Wavedash. Explained in next section.
cc - Crouch-cancel. Usually tapping f or u will take you out of crouch.
, - Seperates inputs. It does not imply any timing for the input.
~ - Command following must be inputted immediately after the previous
command.
: - Just-frame input. The input following the ":" must be pressed during a
certain window or frame (which will be explained).
+ - Press simultaneously.
< - You may delay the following input.
[] - Inputs are optional.
( _ ) - Or. For example, (A_B). You may press either A or B.
() - Move is suppose to miss. Used in juggles.
low - A move that hits low.
mid - A move that hits middle.
high - A move that hits high.
CH - Counterhits(s). When a move interrupts another move.
JS - Juggle starter(s).
BT - Back turned towards opponent.
TC/TJ - Technically crouching/Technically jumping.
iWS - Instant WS. Performed d~(d/b_d/f)~n+desired input. Takes practice.
Whiff - A move that misses the opponent entirely.
Okizeme/Oki or Wake-up Game - Most Soul-Calibur-turned-Tekken players refer
to oki as wake-up. This term simply refers to the ground game. Whenever
someone says oki they mean a situation where one of the characters will
hit the ground at some point. The majority of the time it will be used
when a character is stationary on the ground and cannot techroll, but it
is not exclusive to that situation.
Poke or poking - This is what's usually called chip damage. A poke is when
you do one or a couple moves that take minor damage off of your
opponent's lifebar. Poking is a big part of Tekken because most JS are
too slow to be considered the only source of damage you get. You can't
expect to hit JS all the time.
Turtle - A playstyle in which a player mostly blocks and does evasive moves.
Not a lot of aggressive tactics.
Pitbull - A playstyle in which a player use quick strikes to keep you off-
balance while always attacking. This playstyle still uses evasive moves
but in a very aggressive manner.
This is how the notations reflect on your regular pad, assuming you have default button configurations set on.
Spoiler: show
II. Movement
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This section is short because there's only a couple of movements that you
should know.
Spoiler: show
WD. This motion is only important for characters who have a CD. The CD motion
is performed f,n,d,d/f. Sort of like a Street Fighter uppercut. Characters
that have this motion are characters like Kazuya, Heihachi, Jin, King, etc.
A WD is simply a very fast repetition of CD. It's simple in theory but takes
a lot of practice to get down. It's performed by doing a CD, cancelling
with f and then performing another CD. So the notation would look something
this: f,n,d,d/f~f~f,n,d,d/f. The reason that this is important is because
you have to learn to see this motion from characters like Mishimas in order
to know what you should try to block, parry, etc. Learn to see this motion!
Backdash cancel. This is extremely important to all characters. A
BDC is when you perform a BD, cancel with d/b and then perform another one.
In order for this to be useful it HAS TO BE FAST. It was more valuable in
Tekken Tag Tournament because the BD in TTT went further and the cancel
happened faster. It's still incredibly useful in T5 but it's much more common
to be hit out of it than in TTT. The correct notation for a BDC would
be b~b~d/b~b~b~d/b... but I used to be a Mishima player and you can perform
this by doing a backwards WD which is easier for me. HOWEVER, that method
will NOT work with characters who have sways (i.e. Paul, Bryan, etc.) because
you will get a sway instead of a BD, thus it must be done with the correct
notation.
Sidestep cancel. This can be done a variety of ways, but the most common is
simply holding B. The idea is to stop yourself mid-SS. It's usually not
useful because if you cancel with B the cancel is usually too slow and you
will get hit anyway. It's still important to keep in mind because you can do
moves to cancel your SS.
Miscellaneous steps - There's a few characters who have their own little
unique steps that no one else can do. The first two that pop in my head are
Lei and Nina. Lei has what's called a Ha-Ha step and Nina what's called a
hayashida step. You'll encounter these from time to time.
is performed f,n,d,d/f. Sort of like a Street Fighter uppercut. Characters
that have this motion are characters like Kazuya, Heihachi, Jin, King, etc.
A WD is simply a very fast repetition of CD. It's simple in theory but takes
a lot of practice to get down. It's performed by doing a CD, cancelling
with f and then performing another CD. So the notation would look something
this: f,n,d,d/f~f~f,n,d,d/f. The reason that this is important is because
you have to learn to see this motion from characters like Mishimas in order
to know what you should try to block, parry, etc. Learn to see this motion!
Backdash cancel. This is extremely important to all characters. A
BDC is when you perform a BD, cancel with d/b and then perform another one.
In order for this to be useful it HAS TO BE FAST. It was more valuable in
Tekken Tag Tournament because the BD in TTT went further and the cancel
happened faster. It's still incredibly useful in T5 but it's much more common
to be hit out of it than in TTT. The correct notation for a BDC would
be b~b~d/b~b~b~d/b... but I used to be a Mishima player and you can perform
this by doing a backwards WD which is easier for me. HOWEVER, that method
will NOT work with characters who have sways (i.e. Paul, Bryan, etc.) because
you will get a sway instead of a BD, thus it must be done with the correct
notation.
Sidestep cancel. This can be done a variety of ways, but the most common is
simply holding B. The idea is to stop yourself mid-SS. It's usually not
useful because if you cancel with B the cancel is usually too slow and you
will get hit anyway. It's still important to keep in mind because you can do
moves to cancel your SS.
Miscellaneous steps - There's a few characters who have their own little
unique steps that no one else can do. The first two that pop in my head are
Lei and Nina. Lei has what's called a Ha-Ha step and Nina what's called a
hayashida step. You'll encounter these from time to time.
III. Frames and Buffering
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Spoiler: show
This is incredibly important to know. First thing, Tekken runs on 60 frames
per second. In other words, 60 frames (or screenshots, pictures, whatever)
are displayed in one second on your TV screen. You will need to know this for
two reasons. One, I will use it frequently to tell how fast a move comes out.
It's obvious to anyone who has played the game that when you press a button,
your move does not come out instantaneously. This is where frames come in.
Second, you will hear people refer to how many + or - frames you receive
after a move is blocked or you block a move. This is INCREDIBLY important
because this means that someone has an extra 1/60 (or more) of a second over
their opponent to execute a move. Tekken is not near as slow-paced as some
claim.
After a move is blocked, there is a recovery time. It's sort of a commonsense
type of thing, but it's still important. When a move is blocked,
both you and the opponent must wait for either the move or block animation,
respectively, to finish before you can input another command and expect a
move to come out.
However, there IS something called buffering. This isn't important to a lot
of characters, but with characters such as King, it's a vital part to their
game and you should familiarize yourself so you know what to expect. There's
three different types of buffering. One you input directional commands and
those commands stay in a "queue" of sorts and you can use those commands long
after they've first been inputted. A good example of this is Julia's Mad Axes
throw. Press QCB, wait a moment, SS and then press f+2. The throw should
still come out even though you not only waited to finish the final input but
you also SSed. The second type of buffering is when you input directional
commands during a move recovery and those inputs still go towards any inputs
that are pressed after the move has recovered. A prime example is King's
Giant Swing throw. If you perform u/f+1+2 and it is blocked, during the
recovery animation you can press f,b,d/b,d,d/f and then press f+1 when
King recovers and he will immediately come out with Giant Swing. It takes
timing, but it's very useful. Buffering, however, is MOVE SPECIFIC to both
the move you're trying to buffer and the move during which the buffer is
taking place. It's more a matter of the former than it is the latter, but
there are still moves that will not allow buffering while you recover. The
final type of buffer is input buffering. This is where you press and hold one
button and then press another and it registers as a combination of the two.
For example, press 1 with any character and do their normal jab. Continue to
hold 1 and then press 3. A 1+3 grab should come out.
When people say that something is "safe" they mean, depending on the context,
that either the move on block does not yield free hits. The same is true for
punishing but reverse. If someone says something is "punishable" it means
that the move guarantees free hits on block. Both of these terms do not have
to be used only when you are talking about moves being blocked. It can also
refer to situations where moves are whiffed or hit.
f you still have not grasped the concept of frames
and how important they are, Tiexandrea of Tekken Nation has formed a nice tutorial for dummies regarding frame data.
per second. In other words, 60 frames (or screenshots, pictures, whatever)
are displayed in one second on your TV screen. You will need to know this for
two reasons. One, I will use it frequently to tell how fast a move comes out.
It's obvious to anyone who has played the game that when you press a button,
your move does not come out instantaneously. This is where frames come in.
Second, you will hear people refer to how many + or - frames you receive
after a move is blocked or you block a move. This is INCREDIBLY important
because this means that someone has an extra 1/60 (or more) of a second over
their opponent to execute a move. Tekken is not near as slow-paced as some
claim.
After a move is blocked, there is a recovery time. It's sort of a commonsense
type of thing, but it's still important. When a move is blocked,
both you and the opponent must wait for either the move or block animation,
respectively, to finish before you can input another command and expect a
move to come out.
However, there IS something called buffering. This isn't important to a lot
of characters, but with characters such as King, it's a vital part to their
game and you should familiarize yourself so you know what to expect. There's
three different types of buffering. One you input directional commands and
those commands stay in a "queue" of sorts and you can use those commands long
after they've first been inputted. A good example of this is Julia's Mad Axes
throw. Press QCB, wait a moment, SS and then press f+2. The throw should
still come out even though you not only waited to finish the final input but
you also SSed. The second type of buffering is when you input directional
commands during a move recovery and those inputs still go towards any inputs
that are pressed after the move has recovered. A prime example is King's
Giant Swing throw. If you perform u/f+1+2 and it is blocked, during the
recovery animation you can press f,b,d/b,d,d/f and then press f+1 when
King recovers and he will immediately come out with Giant Swing. It takes
timing, but it's very useful. Buffering, however, is MOVE SPECIFIC to both
the move you're trying to buffer and the move during which the buffer is
taking place. It's more a matter of the former than it is the latter, but
there are still moves that will not allow buffering while you recover. The
final type of buffer is input buffering. This is where you press and hold one
button and then press another and it registers as a combination of the two.
For example, press 1 with any character and do their normal jab. Continue to
hold 1 and then press 3. A 1+3 grab should come out.
When people say that something is "safe" they mean, depending on the context,
that either the move on block does not yield free hits. The same is true for
punishing but reverse. If someone says something is "punishable" it means
that the move guarantees free hits on block. Both of these terms do not have
to be used only when you are talking about moves being blocked. It can also
refer to situations where moves are whiffed or hit.
f you still have not grasped the concept of frames
and how important they are, Tiexandrea of Tekken Nation has formed a nice tutorial for dummies regarding frame data.
IV. General Move Properties and the Crush System
_____________________________________________________________________________
Spoiler: show
When a move hits or is blocked, a number of different things can occur. I
will try to hit as many of them as possible. First are stuns.
Hit stuns are when a move hits you and your character is thrown into a stun
animation in which you cannot do anything like move, throw moves out or even
block. Grouping this into general categories, there are seven different
types of stuns (Just a note, I did take these groupings from
tekkenzaibatsu.com, credited at the bottom of this FAQ):
Double-over or fall-back stun - An example of these two stuns would be
Kazuya's CH WS+2 or WS+2, respectively. You are stunned for quite a long
time and there is usually enough time for a JS to hit. However, you can
press and hold F or tap f twice to break the stun.
Minor stun - Using Kazuya again, his d/f+1 is a minor stun. It does not lead
to extra hits and most do not. You are always in negative frames if hit.
Kneel stun - Again, Kazuya's f+4 on a crouching opponent is an example. Does
not always lead to extra hits, but can.
Crumple stun - Bryan's b+2,1. Usually a follow-up jab will start a juggle.
Crumple fall - Kuma's f+1+2. You slowly sink to a Face-up/Feet-
towards position on hit.
Crumple fall stun - Law's CH f+2~1. On CH, you slowly sink to a Face-down/
Feet-away position. Usually extra hits are possible.
Block stuns are also possible. A block stun occurs when you block a move and
their character goes into a stun animation that does not occur when the move
hits or misses. Law's d/b+4 or similiar lows on block are good examples. Extra hits are almost
always possible.
Moves that are blocked can also give something called a guard break. This is
when a character blocks a move and their recovery time seems incredibly long.
Usually one or both of their hands will fling into the air. Usually extra
hits are not possible but the majority of the time, the blocking character is
in negative frames. Law's DSS (d+1+2) 3+4 is a good example.
Stagger hits are also possible when a move hits. Usually your character will
grab a part of their body and take a couple steps back. Extra hits are
sometimes possible.
TC and TJ are things that occur often in more recent Tekken games.
TC is when you perform a move and your character is considered in a crouching position. The list of
moves which you can duck during a TC move varies but usually depends on the
how far along in the animation the move is when the opponent throws a high or
mid. Some moves can crouch only highs, some moves can only crouch highs
during a certain point in the move, some moves may even go under some mids.
TJ is the same idea except it usually does not go to the point that TC moves
do. Rarely will you see a TJ move jump a mid. Sometimes it will CRUSH the mid
but I cannot think of a case when a move can jump a mid. It's purpose is to
jump lows.
There are other blocking scenerios where a move may throw the blocker into a
crouching position or something like that, but they are too numerous and too
easy to miss because they're so subtle that it would be hard to cover them
all.
As stated earlier, the crush system affects whether or not certain move will
beat out others. Let's say there is a 17-frame high kick and a 21-frame low kick. The high move is four frames faster than the low move, but if the player with the low kick predicts the high kick at the right time with the 21-frame low move, that low kick will always beat out the high kick due to it's built-in properties which is to beat highs.
Generally speaking, most lows crush highs and most mids crush
lows, but most mids do not crush highs and vice versa. It all balances out in
the end. Ever gotten pissed off at previous Tekkens when you did a jumping
move and some stupid low jab hit you out of it? That's the purpose of the
crush system; to stop that.
Moves still have priority like they did in other Tekkens in that if moves hit
at the same time or within a couple frames of each other, one will have
priority and negate the other even though it might have been a few frames
slower.
will try to hit as many of them as possible. First are stuns.
Hit stuns are when a move hits you and your character is thrown into a stun
animation in which you cannot do anything like move, throw moves out or even
block. Grouping this into general categories, there are seven different
types of stuns (Just a note, I did take these groupings from
tekkenzaibatsu.com, credited at the bottom of this FAQ):
Double-over or fall-back stun - An example of these two stuns would be
Kazuya's CH WS+2 or WS+2, respectively. You are stunned for quite a long
time and there is usually enough time for a JS to hit. However, you can
press and hold F or tap f twice to break the stun.
Minor stun - Using Kazuya again, his d/f+1 is a minor stun. It does not lead
to extra hits and most do not. You are always in negative frames if hit.
Kneel stun - Again, Kazuya's f+4 on a crouching opponent is an example. Does
not always lead to extra hits, but can.
Crumple stun - Bryan's b+2,1. Usually a follow-up jab will start a juggle.
Crumple fall - Kuma's f+1+2. You slowly sink to a Face-up/Feet-
towards position on hit.
Crumple fall stun - Law's CH f+2~1. On CH, you slowly sink to a Face-down/
Feet-away position. Usually extra hits are possible.
Block stuns are also possible. A block stun occurs when you block a move and
their character goes into a stun animation that does not occur when the move
hits or misses. Law's d/b+4 or similiar lows on block are good examples. Extra hits are almost
always possible.
Moves that are blocked can also give something called a guard break. This is
when a character blocks a move and their recovery time seems incredibly long.
Usually one or both of their hands will fling into the air. Usually extra
hits are not possible but the majority of the time, the blocking character is
in negative frames. Law's DSS (d+1+2) 3+4 is a good example.
Stagger hits are also possible when a move hits. Usually your character will
grab a part of their body and take a couple steps back. Extra hits are
sometimes possible.
TC and TJ are things that occur often in more recent Tekken games.
TC is when you perform a move and your character is considered in a crouching position. The list of
moves which you can duck during a TC move varies but usually depends on the
how far along in the animation the move is when the opponent throws a high or
mid. Some moves can crouch only highs, some moves can only crouch highs
during a certain point in the move, some moves may even go under some mids.
TJ is the same idea except it usually does not go to the point that TC moves
do. Rarely will you see a TJ move jump a mid. Sometimes it will CRUSH the mid
but I cannot think of a case when a move can jump a mid. It's purpose is to
jump lows.
There are other blocking scenerios where a move may throw the blocker into a
crouching position or something like that, but they are too numerous and too
easy to miss because they're so subtle that it would be hard to cover them
all.
As stated earlier, the crush system affects whether or not certain move will
beat out others. Let's say there is a 17-frame high kick and a 21-frame low kick. The high move is four frames faster than the low move, but if the player with the low kick predicts the high kick at the right time with the 21-frame low move, that low kick will always beat out the high kick due to it's built-in properties which is to beat highs.
Generally speaking, most lows crush highs and most mids crush
lows, but most mids do not crush highs and vice versa. It all balances out in
the end. Ever gotten pissed off at previous Tekkens when you did a jumping
move and some stupid low jab hit you out of it? That's the purpose of the
crush system; to stop that.
Moves still have priority like they did in other Tekkens in that if moves hit
at the same time or within a couple frames of each other, one will have
priority and negate the other even though it might have been a few frames
slower.
V. Grabs, Parries, Reversals, etc.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Spoiler: show
Grabs - There are 4 types of grabs in this game. A regular high, a crouch
grab, a ground grab and an air grab. Everyone has at least three
different regular high grabs. A select few have the other three types.
With the rare exception, the majority of those three types can't be
broken.
All high grabs have 3 breaks. 1, 2 or 1+2. The break depends on the
animation of the grab. In general, whatever side the input for the grab
is will be the break. For example, everyone's generic 2+4 grab is a 2
break. However, to be more specific, whatever arm leads during the
animation of the grab is what side you should break. So, if the right
arm leads, the break is 2. If the left arm leads, the break is 1. If
neither arm leads, the break is 1+2.
Side grabs are a little different. They can still be broken, but you
have to break whatever side they are throwing you. So, if they grab your
right side, break 2 and vice versa. Back grabs cannot be broken.
There is a new feature in Tekken 5 called "Advancing Grabs." This only
applies to normal 1+3 or 2+4 grabs. It does not change any properties of
the grab, but if you press f simultaneously with the grab, your
character will take an extra step forward while grabbing. This increases
the range of basic grabs considerable. Rarely will you see anyone doing
a normal grab that is not advancing.
It's a pure guessing game, but if you have troubles breaking throws,
learn to mash something, ANYTHING, when you see a throw. It's better
than nothing and definately a good place to start. You'll eventually see
set-ups for certain grabs and break accordingly, but all in good time.
The breaking system also applies to chain-grabs, though some parts of
some chains cannot be broken.
Ultimate Tackle - The ultimate tackle is when character tackles the other to
the ground and begins pummeling them with jabs. There's a few different
things that a character can do when on top.
Jabs - You can do up to six jabs, stopping at whichever one you'd like.
You can start with 1 or 2 and simply alternate between the two.
When you hit jab number four, you can switch the order and do the
same side twice.
Arm break - Press 1+2 before any jabs or after three and you will do a
cross arm lock. Not all characters can do this.
Getting out of the tackle - Pressing the opposite punch of the attacker
during a certain time will counter the tacklers punch and your
character will shove the tackler off. If they do a cross arm lock,
press 1+2,2,2,2,2,2 and you'll reverse the arm lock and you will be
left standing while your would-be tackler is now on the ground.
Character exceptions - There are a few exceptions to the rule. The first
is Yoshimitsu. He CANNOT do anything but a sword stab. That's it.
Second is Marduk. He has his own special tackle, so if you want to
know what he can do, look in the movelist. Third is Nina and King.
Both have special leg breaks they can do which can still be broken
but instead of 1+2,2,2,2,2,2, the break is 1+2,1,1,1,1,1. Lastly is
Paul. He has his own special mounted tackle grab that cannot be
broken. The only way to get out of it is to reverse the first jab,
which is why you'll see any good player mash 1 if they get tackled
by Paul.
Parries and Reversals - This is extremely character specific, but most have
one or the other.
Reversals - There's a few characters that when you press b+(1+3_2+4),
they will make a little counter motion with their arms. If it's
timed with a mid or high attack, they will reverse the attack and
inflict good damage on the opponent.
Special reversals - Some characters, such as Marduk, have unique
reversal that only they have. Using Marduk, he has two seperate
reversals. One for highs and one for mids.
Chickens - A chicken is a reverse of a reverse. You do a chicken by
pressing f+(1+3_2+4) during a reverse of your move. You must press
f+ the grab of whatever side the limb being reversed is on. So, if
you throw out a 1 jab and it gets reversed, you press f+1+3 during
the reverse. For multiple button presses, it corresponds to the
limb. So, Law's f+1+2 is both a 1+2 input but he uses his right arm
and that's the one that gets reversed, so you must chicken with
f+2+4. Some characters cannot be chickened, such as King. His
reversals are for kicks and right punches and cannot be chickened.
Parries - Some characters, like Law or Ling, do not do reversals but
instead do parries. Parries cannot be chickened or broken. Some
lead to extra, free hits, like Law's. Others simply toss the limb
aside, giving the character an edge in momentum. Jin's parry would be a great example.
Low parries - Pressing d/f during an opponent's low attack will result
in your character throwing their limb aside. Every character gets
some free hit off of a low parry. Most characters get juggles.
Depending on what kind of move you parry determines how fast they
recover. Generally speaking, low left kicks give the slowest
recovery. Some lows cannot be low parried.
Juggles - Pretty simple. If you hit your opponent and they float in the air,
it's possible to get extra hits in that they can do nothing about but
take. A move that launches the opponent is called a juggle starter or
launcher.
grab, a ground grab and an air grab. Everyone has at least three
different regular high grabs. A select few have the other three types.
With the rare exception, the majority of those three types can't be
broken.
All high grabs have 3 breaks. 1, 2 or 1+2. The break depends on the
animation of the grab. In general, whatever side the input for the grab
is will be the break. For example, everyone's generic 2+4 grab is a 2
break. However, to be more specific, whatever arm leads during the
animation of the grab is what side you should break. So, if the right
arm leads, the break is 2. If the left arm leads, the break is 1. If
neither arm leads, the break is 1+2.
Side grabs are a little different. They can still be broken, but you
have to break whatever side they are throwing you. So, if they grab your
right side, break 2 and vice versa. Back grabs cannot be broken.
There is a new feature in Tekken 5 called "Advancing Grabs." This only
applies to normal 1+3 or 2+4 grabs. It does not change any properties of
the grab, but if you press f simultaneously with the grab, your
character will take an extra step forward while grabbing. This increases
the range of basic grabs considerable. Rarely will you see anyone doing
a normal grab that is not advancing.
It's a pure guessing game, but if you have troubles breaking throws,
learn to mash something, ANYTHING, when you see a throw. It's better
than nothing and definately a good place to start. You'll eventually see
set-ups for certain grabs and break accordingly, but all in good time.
The breaking system also applies to chain-grabs, though some parts of
some chains cannot be broken.
Ultimate Tackle - The ultimate tackle is when character tackles the other to
the ground and begins pummeling them with jabs. There's a few different
things that a character can do when on top.
Jabs - You can do up to six jabs, stopping at whichever one you'd like.
You can start with 1 or 2 and simply alternate between the two.
When you hit jab number four, you can switch the order and do the
same side twice.
Arm break - Press 1+2 before any jabs or after three and you will do a
cross arm lock. Not all characters can do this.
Getting out of the tackle - Pressing the opposite punch of the attacker
during a certain time will counter the tacklers punch and your
character will shove the tackler off. If they do a cross arm lock,
press 1+2,2,2,2,2,2 and you'll reverse the arm lock and you will be
left standing while your would-be tackler is now on the ground.
Character exceptions - There are a few exceptions to the rule. The first
is Yoshimitsu. He CANNOT do anything but a sword stab. That's it.
Second is Marduk. He has his own special tackle, so if you want to
know what he can do, look in the movelist. Third is Nina and King.
Both have special leg breaks they can do which can still be broken
but instead of 1+2,2,2,2,2,2, the break is 1+2,1,1,1,1,1. Lastly is
Paul. He has his own special mounted tackle grab that cannot be
broken. The only way to get out of it is to reverse the first jab,
which is why you'll see any good player mash 1 if they get tackled
by Paul.
Parries and Reversals - This is extremely character specific, but most have
one or the other.
Reversals - There's a few characters that when you press b+(1+3_2+4),
they will make a little counter motion with their arms. If it's
timed with a mid or high attack, they will reverse the attack and
inflict good damage on the opponent.
Special reversals - Some characters, such as Marduk, have unique
reversal that only they have. Using Marduk, he has two seperate
reversals. One for highs and one for mids.
Chickens - A chicken is a reverse of a reverse. You do a chicken by
pressing f+(1+3_2+4) during a reverse of your move. You must press
f+ the grab of whatever side the limb being reversed is on. So, if
you throw out a 1 jab and it gets reversed, you press f+1+3 during
the reverse. For multiple button presses, it corresponds to the
limb. So, Law's f+1+2 is both a 1+2 input but he uses his right arm
and that's the one that gets reversed, so you must chicken with
f+2+4. Some characters cannot be chickened, such as King. His
reversals are for kicks and right punches and cannot be chickened.
Parries - Some characters, like Law or Ling, do not do reversals but
instead do parries. Parries cannot be chickened or broken. Some
lead to extra, free hits, like Law's. Others simply toss the limb
aside, giving the character an edge in momentum. Jin's parry would be a great example.
Low parries - Pressing d/f during an opponent's low attack will result
in your character throwing their limb aside. Every character gets
some free hit off of a low parry. Most characters get juggles.
Depending on what kind of move you parry determines how fast they
recover. Generally speaking, low left kicks give the slowest
recovery. Some lows cannot be low parried.
Juggles - Pretty simple. If you hit your opponent and they float in the air,
it's possible to get extra hits in that they can do nothing about but
take. A move that launches the opponent is called a juggle starter or
launcher.
VI. Walls and Techrolling
_____________________________________________________________________________
Spoiler: show
Techrolling - Simple concept. When you hit the ground, albeit from a
juggle or off of a wall, if you press any button, you will roll into the
foreground or background. If you press a punch, you will tech roll into the
background; if you press a kick, you'll roll into the foreground. You can
also hit f or b when you hit the ground. B will send you rolling backwards, f
will make you do a spring-up kick or a pop-up if you land on your stomach.
There are such things as slamdowns and air-stuns, however. A slowdown does
just that... slams you to the ground. If this happens, you cannot techroll or
do any of the options listed above. Air-stuns act in the same manner, however
you are not slammed down but stunned in the air and unable to techroll once
you hit the ground. Important to know in some situations because sometimes
these will lead to extra hits.
If you sit on the ground for a moment, you have some more options. One is
simply press U and you will stand straight up. If you press a punch, you will
roll right or left, depending on which punch you press. If you press 3 or 4,
you will do either a low or mid knockdown kick, respectively. You can also
do a spring-up by pressing b,b+3+4. Some characters have special spring-ups
where they spin as well and are left BT. If you press f or b and allow your
character to do a roll, then press f+1+2, they will dive at the opponent.
The dives can only be done if you land Face-up/Feet-towards. There are
exceptions where a character cannot do one and does the other or can't do
anything, whatever.
*************
Walls - First, and most importantly for any of you Tekken 4 players out
there, there's no wall-tech. If you hit the wall, you are staying there until
you hit the ground. Once you hit the ground, though, you can techroll or do
anything discussed in the above section, depending on how you land.
There are three types of wall splats. The first two are high and low.
Obviously, if you get a high wall splat, more damage is guaranteed. The third
type is a side wall splat where the opponent is left in a standing stun that
looks almost like they were nailed in the side and are about to faint.
Usually, just jabbing someone in this position will start a juggle.
juggle or off of a wall, if you press any button, you will roll into the
foreground or background. If you press a punch, you will tech roll into the
background; if you press a kick, you'll roll into the foreground. You can
also hit f or b when you hit the ground. B will send you rolling backwards, f
will make you do a spring-up kick or a pop-up if you land on your stomach.
There are such things as slamdowns and air-stuns, however. A slowdown does
just that... slams you to the ground. If this happens, you cannot techroll or
do any of the options listed above. Air-stuns act in the same manner, however
you are not slammed down but stunned in the air and unable to techroll once
you hit the ground. Important to know in some situations because sometimes
these will lead to extra hits.
If you sit on the ground for a moment, you have some more options. One is
simply press U and you will stand straight up. If you press a punch, you will
roll right or left, depending on which punch you press. If you press 3 or 4,
you will do either a low or mid knockdown kick, respectively. You can also
do a spring-up by pressing b,b+3+4. Some characters have special spring-ups
where they spin as well and are left BT. If you press f or b and allow your
character to do a roll, then press f+1+2, they will dive at the opponent.
The dives can only be done if you land Face-up/Feet-towards. There are
exceptions where a character cannot do one and does the other or can't do
anything, whatever.
*************
Walls - First, and most importantly for any of you Tekken 4 players out
there, there's no wall-tech. If you hit the wall, you are staying there until
you hit the ground. Once you hit the ground, though, you can techroll or do
anything discussed in the above section, depending on how you land.
There are three types of wall splats. The first two are high and low.
Obviously, if you get a high wall splat, more damage is guaranteed. The third
type is a side wall splat where the opponent is left in a standing stun that
looks almost like they were nailed in the side and are about to faint.
Usually, just jabbing someone in this position will start a juggle.
VII. Random Information
_____________________________________________________________________________
Spoiler: show
Ki Charge - This is when you press all four buttons at the same time and you
do a power-up and your hands glow red. When this happens everything you
throw out will register as a CH, whether it is or not. However, you
cannot block and if they hit YOU it's registered as a CH.
Running attacks - Everyone has the same basic running moves: f,f,f (which
starts a run)+(3_4_1+2). f,f,f+3 is a jumping kick that gives +10 on
block. f,f,f+4 is a slide that trips the opponent. And f,f,f+1+2 is a
running head dive. This is just generally speaking. Some characters will
do their own little thing, like King does a stronger version of his
d+3+4 instead of the generic f,f,f+4 slide.
do a power-up and your hands glow red. When this happens everything you
throw out will register as a CH, whether it is or not. However, you
cannot block and if they hit YOU it's registered as a CH.
Running attacks - Everyone has the same basic running moves: f,f,f (which
starts a run)+(3_4_1+2). f,f,f+3 is a jumping kick that gives +10 on
block. f,f,f+4 is a slide that trips the opponent. And f,f,f+1+2 is a
running head dive. This is just generally speaking. Some characters will
do their own little thing, like King does a stronger version of his
d+3+4 instead of the generic f,f,f+4 slide.
VIII. Tier Rankings and Misconceptions
_____________________________________________________________________________
Spoiler: show
Much like with any fighting game, Tekken's character roster is divided into tiers which is a list -or a loose guide of sort- of who's better and who's not. While characters' positioning in this list can greatly vary in each game, their placements aare based on "theory-fighting." In other words, the tiers are created by looking at character match-ups on paper as well as tournament results.
Tiers usually shift a lot throughout the lifetime of a game, especially in the middle of it. All things considered, though, every character in the game can win. It's that simple. If you're good enough at the game, you can beat anyone WITH anyone. There have been great players in the past that have taken low-tier characters to the top before. The only reason tiers exist are to show who has the easiest time winning.
Tiers usually shift a lot throughout the lifetime of a game, especially in the middle of it. All things considered, though, every character in the game can win. It's that simple. If you're good enough at the game, you can beat anyone WITH anyone. There have been great players in the past that have taken low-tier characters to the top before. The only reason tiers exist are to show who has the easiest time winning.
IX. Tag Techniques
Spoiler: show
In Tag your character can switch to another character whenever s/he's not being attacked to recover health.This is done by pressing 5, which is usually mapped to a shoulder button on a pad or another button next to 2 on the Arcade button layouts.
The tag-out can be interrupted though if attacked accordingly and can lead to a K.O. in certain scenarios e.g. tagging out at the wall in Tag 2 and both characters get hit, with the retreating character's health running out during the process.
There are two types of health in Tekken Tag games. Red health -which does not mean "Rage" here- is a portion of damage your character can recover while tagged out. This is the kind of damage your character will always have unless stated otherwise. But as you take damage, there is also some health you cannot recover. This is called permanent damage which is visually illustrated as black portions on your character's health bar.
The red health, while recoverable, contributes to your character's K.O. just as much as the black health does... which brings us to the next Tag-exclusive gameplay mechanic.
To further consolidate the concept of 2-on-2 fighting, you can use both of your characters to do damage on your opponents.
Tag-Out Combo
How to do: Simply connect your launcher and then press 5.
What it is: If your character has a launcher, you can almost certainly tag your character out with the launcher and let your second character come in and do the formalities of kicking teeths in. Most launchers have this feature, but select few do not, e.g. Devil Jin's ws+2 [TAG2].
Benefits: The character on the receiving end will only receive permanent damage. If the character is not receiving it, it's not a true combo, meaning the opponent could've escaped from it.
Drawbacks: Wait, there are drawbacks in this? I suppose the risk of getting punished by a blocked launcher is still there and it takes a while before you get used to this... but other than that, there probably is no other drawbacks to this technique.
Tag Crash
How to do: If your partner's got Netsu and your on-point character is laying down or in a position to Ukemi, hold 2+5.
What it is: Ever wanted to save your best friend from further annihilation? Tag 2's Tag Crash is the answer to your problems! Your partner performs a superman dive which is completely invincible during the animation and forces the opponent into blockstun if connected.
Benefits: It's completely safe and quite an effective way to tag out at walls.
Drawbacks: The drawback is the equivalent to your partner character's amount of red health that is lost through this action.
Tag Throws
How to do: The universal one is done by pressing 2+5. Specific throws and team combinations have different inputs and properties.
What it is: It's what you expect it to be, double the smackdown. Your characters will switch places while pulling all sorts of painful methods to the opponent.
Benefits: Another safe way to switch characters.
Drawbacks: It can be broken - 2 for the universal 2+5 one. Other, normal throw break commands apply if faced with a unique Tag Throw e.g. 1+2 if Kazuya attempts to do a ff+1+2~5 Tag Throw on you. Should a Tag Throw get broken there will be no tag-out.
Tag Assault
How to do: The universal version is done by pressing 1+2+5 or press 5 right after a move that has Bound properties, then proceed to character specific moves or just hold 5 for an automatic filler.
What it is: The Assist system of Tekken Tag Tournament 2. Bound an opponent and should you press 5 your second character will appear alongside your on-point character. Your second character can do one move or string, but not both. Some characters like Steve can bypass this restriction with stances and transitions in strings to them for even greater damage.
During this the control shifts to your second character and as soon as the second character is done playing around the controls will switch back to your on-point character. Use this in combination of Tag-Out launchers for maximum damage.
Something to note, the universal TA move leads straight to a Tag Assault period on hit
Benefits: With the right partners you can have better wall carry, create tech traps and do serious damage at walls.
Drawbacks: As soon as the second character connects an attack, the opponent's second character receives Netsu.
Your second character's red health will also diminish and the combos prior triggering a Tag Assault must be short enough for this technique to be (the most) effective. The damage output with TA is debatable.
The tag-out can be interrupted though if attacked accordingly and can lead to a K.O. in certain scenarios e.g. tagging out at the wall in Tag 2 and both characters get hit, with the retreating character's health running out during the process.
There are two types of health in Tekken Tag games. Red health -which does not mean "Rage" here- is a portion of damage your character can recover while tagged out. This is the kind of damage your character will always have unless stated otherwise. But as you take damage, there is also some health you cannot recover. This is called permanent damage which is visually illustrated as black portions on your character's health bar.
The red health, while recoverable, contributes to your character's K.O. just as much as the black health does... which brings us to the next Tag-exclusive gameplay mechanic.
To further consolidate the concept of 2-on-2 fighting, you can use both of your characters to do damage on your opponents.
Tag-Out Combo
How to do: Simply connect your launcher and then press 5.
What it is: If your character has a launcher, you can almost certainly tag your character out with the launcher and let your second character come in and do the formalities of kicking teeths in. Most launchers have this feature, but select few do not, e.g. Devil Jin's ws+2 [TAG2].
Benefits: The character on the receiving end will only receive permanent damage. If the character is not receiving it, it's not a true combo, meaning the opponent could've escaped from it.
Drawbacks: Wait, there are drawbacks in this? I suppose the risk of getting punished by a blocked launcher is still there and it takes a while before you get used to this... but other than that, there probably is no other drawbacks to this technique.
Tag Crash
How to do: If your partner's got Netsu and your on-point character is laying down or in a position to Ukemi, hold 2+5.
What it is: Ever wanted to save your best friend from further annihilation? Tag 2's Tag Crash is the answer to your problems! Your partner performs a superman dive which is completely invincible during the animation and forces the opponent into blockstun if connected.
Benefits: It's completely safe and quite an effective way to tag out at walls.
Drawbacks: The drawback is the equivalent to your partner character's amount of red health that is lost through this action.
Tag Throws
How to do: The universal one is done by pressing 2+5. Specific throws and team combinations have different inputs and properties.
What it is: It's what you expect it to be, double the smackdown. Your characters will switch places while pulling all sorts of painful methods to the opponent.
Benefits: Another safe way to switch characters.
Drawbacks: It can be broken - 2 for the universal 2+5 one. Other, normal throw break commands apply if faced with a unique Tag Throw e.g. 1+2 if Kazuya attempts to do a ff+1+2~5 Tag Throw on you. Should a Tag Throw get broken there will be no tag-out.
Tag Assault
How to do: The universal version is done by pressing 1+2+5 or press 5 right after a move that has Bound properties, then proceed to character specific moves or just hold 5 for an automatic filler.
What it is: The Assist system of Tekken Tag Tournament 2. Bound an opponent and should you press 5 your second character will appear alongside your on-point character. Your second character can do one move or string, but not both. Some characters like Steve can bypass this restriction with stances and transitions in strings to them for even greater damage.
During this the control shifts to your second character and as soon as the second character is done playing around the controls will switch back to your on-point character. Use this in combination of Tag-Out launchers for maximum damage.
Something to note, the universal TA move leads straight to a Tag Assault period on hit
Benefits: With the right partners you can have better wall carry, create tech traps and do serious damage at walls.
Drawbacks: As soon as the second character connects an attack, the opponent's second character receives Netsu.
Your second character's red health will also diminish and the combos prior triggering a Tag Assault must be short enough for this technique to be (the most) effective. The damage output with TA is debatable.
