Street Fighter 5 guide: Knockdowns

So you got hit. It happens. In Street Fighter 4, getting knocked down was a pretty bad thing. Because you were down for a set amount of time, the other player could make a zero-risk attack (the safe jump), and you just had to deal with it. This became the key point of the offense, but things are different in Street Fighter 5.

Recovery

On a knockdown, you can either hop right up, back away or remain on the floor. Even the way you stand back up is part of the guessing game.

Stand up in place by either holding down or tapping two punches. Roll back by holding back or tapping two kicks.

If you're hit with a crush counter sweep (a low hard kick), you cannot recover and the opponent can set you up as they please.

Reversals

And once you are flat on your back, what do you do about it? That old favorite, Online Ken, has already answered: "Shoryuken!" That brings us to reversals. When you see reversal on the screen, it's referring to a player who executed a move at the very first possible moment that they were able to move. Typically this is after standing up or after guarding.

Combine this with an invincible attack like an EX shoryuken, and you can bust through the enemy's offense as their attacks pass harmlessly through you. Of course, these powerful moves carry the great risk of predictability. (See our section on crush counters to see how risky things can get.)

Even putting aside knockdowns, reversal command throws can also be very useful when coming out of a block, for example.

Navigation

1. Intro
2. What am I trying to do in this game?
3. Controls
4. Basic movement
5. Basic attacks
6. The poke game
7. Knockdowns
8. Special moves
9. Control and execution
10. Combos
11. Counter and crush counter
12. Critical meter and critical arts
13. V-System
14. Stun gauge
15. Dealing damage and combos
16. Character select
17. Advanced techniques
18. Good buttons
19. What’s different in Street Fighter 5 Season 2?
20. This is just the beginning