Capcom’s Street Fighter 6 offers a plethora of new mechanics for players to sink their teeth into. Along with your usual assortment of Special Moves, combos and Super Arts, there’s the Drive System. It can be a bit daunting, but very rewarding once you begin to grasp it all. Let’s look at 11 tips and tricks you should know when starting.
Also, there are numerous in-game tutorials and training tools to help learn everything, from the basics to advanced techniques. Spend enough time with them and try out the different practice routines in Training Mode to refine your gameplay, whether it’s using anti-airs, escaping throws, etc.
Find Your Fighter
This one seems obvious. The game tells you which characters are easier to pick up than others, their effective range and their play styles. However, it’s more about determining which play style suits you best or which works best in a given situation. Do you want to specialize in grappling, combos or some variation of the same? Do you want a long-range character, a zoner or someone else?
It’s worth noting that even if you find a character that fits a specific role, their play style may not be for you. For instance: If you’re a grappler who vibes with Zangief, Manon and her Medal system mechanics may not necessarily work for you. Spend time on each fighter’s Character Guide to learn more about them and whether they’re a good fit.
Venture Outside Your Comfort Zone
It’s fun to pick up a character, master their intricacies, and perfect your inputs and combos. However, it’s also a good idea to try something completely different. If you like quick characters, try rolling with Marisa and unleashing powerful punches and quick counter-jabs that can floor opponents, even if she’s slower. That philosophy extends to fighters who seem to be of the same calibre. Even if you’re sick of playing Ryu, don’t be afraid to give Luke a try. His combination of projectiles, punch-heavy combos and Overdrives could provide a breath of fresh air.
Ditch Modern Controls
Modern Controls can be fun but move away from them as soon as possible. They offer far less control on combos, and some Special Moves also aren’t accessible in the same. Also, since the assisted combos are always the same, your opponent will quickly anticipate your next move. If that weren’t enough, you deal less damage with Modern Controls to offset Special Moves not requiring complex inputs. They’re ideal for those just getting into the genre, and who want to see what each fighter is capable of. However, the sooner you can ditch them, the better.
Frames and Hitboxes
Frames and hitboxes are two things you must become acutely familiar with in any fighting game. How many start-up frames does a Special Move have, and how long does it take to recover? Both are relevant – more start-up frames mean more openings to be interrupted. Longer recovery on whiffing or having an attack blocked means you’re left open for longer periods. To illustrate both, enable the Frame Meter in Training, as it will helpfully display all the frames that the action requires. Hit boxes require more practice, but are essential when learning about the range and effective area of your attack.
Learn the Best Wakeups
Wakeups are powerful. These attacks, usually anti-air, can be performed when getting up after being knocked down. Some are very good at shifting the momentum or can catch an opponent off guard when they think the match is won. Learning the best wakeups for each character is key, though some – like Juri, Cammy, Ryu, Guile and Chun-Li – are better than others.
Bread and Butter Combos
Whether you’re cutting your teeth in Combo Trials or spending time in practice, you need those bread-and-butter combos, regardless of the fighter. Bread and butter combos are the go-to combos that you can pull off without a moment’s hesitation. They could be simple or complex – the most important thing is being able to execute in a given situation.
For instance, if a bread-and-butter combo relies on completely depleting your Drive Gauge, you have to survive during the Burnout phase. Keep an opponent at bay while you recover using projectile attacks like Luke’s Sand Blast, Ryu’s Hadouken or anti-airs. Still, it’s also good to have some basic combos to fall back on.
Benefits of Burnout
This leads to a follow-up point – Burnout can be good. If an opponent is low on health, using the last of your Drive Gauge on an Overdrive to take them down is a good strategy. You can also catch them off guard with a Drive Impact – if it lands, they’ll either go down, or you’ll get an opportunity for some free damage. Just remember – during Burnout, you’re easier to stun, so don’t get cornered by the opponent.
Drive Rush
You could dash to an opponent and close the distance, potentially eating damage in the process. Or you could Drive Rush, performed by dashing after a Drive Parry or a cancellable Normal Attack. The former consumes one bar, while the latter takes three Drive Gauge bars. It’s pretty good for closing the distance and performing a quick attack, which can transition into a throw. However, cancelling a Normal Attack into a Drive Rush keeps a combo going, inflicting major damage. Use this in conjunction with Overdrives to lay some serious hurt on an opponent. Of course, it can lead to Burnout much quicker, so you’ll need to manage that effectively.
Countering Drive Impact
During battles, it can seem like Drive Impact is too strong to deal with, but there are quite a few counters. First, if you deal enough damage, you can break through the move’s super armor, though this can vary based on the attacks (and some characters). You can also initiate your own Drive Impact – if performed right after, the opponent will miss, and you’ll connect, causing them to become stunned. There is a small window right after your opponent begins their Drive Impact, so it does require some timing. Finally, since Drive Impact has some start-up frames before landing, you could perform a throw, completely negating your opponent’s move while dealing decent damage.
Battle Hub – Switching Modern and Classic Controls
When you first enter Battle Hub, you’ll probably notice that your fighters all use Modern Controls. This can occur even if you go into the Options and set Classic Controls as the default on the Player 1 or Player 2 side of a match. Battle Hub has its own settings for each character, so press Square or X on the PlayStation or Xbox controller, R1 or Right Bumper to the Character tab and then navigate to the character screen. Select a fighter and set their control type. You can also do this by pressing Square or X before a fight when challenging someone – this lets you change the character and configure settings for each.
World Tour Tips
I’ve previously stated that World Tour is on the weaker side next to the rest of the game. Nevertheless, it can be a fun diversion with decent cosmetics for your avatar. Since the AI isn’t great, it’s worth taking on tougher opponents early to get some easy XP. This lets you acquire skills quicker, earn some money to purchase decent gear, and more.
Don’t waste too much time fighting every lower-level opponent after a point unless you want their items. Quickly level a specific Master if you want their Super Art or to have them assist in battle. Just set them as your Style, and then get into fights.
Stop by some vendors and pick up consumables to reduce incoming damage in fights. Using a new consumable will override the previous effect, so keep that in mind. Also, keep an eye out for any permanent upgrades that increase the strength of attacks, even if they cost thousands of Zenny.