Jackie Chan in Fists of Fire/System (Basic)
Movement
Walking
Holding forward or back to walk is rarely used outside repositioning for corner juggles. Because walking is so slow and dashing is so powerful, this is rarely useful.
Dashing
The vast majority of all movement is done by tapping forward or back twice to initiate a dash. Compared to most fighting games, dashes in Fists of Fire are extremely non-committal.
- Forward dashes are generally fast, and can be cancelled at any point into an attack, throw, jump, stand block, or crouch block. With the abundance of normals that grant frame advantage, forward dashes are a strong mixup on their own. Dash cancelled normals can also lead to high-execution infinite combos with many characters.
- Back dashes are invincible from the first frame all the way to the end of recovery, making them a powerful option for defense and creating space. The only exception to this is Kim-Maree's backdash, which is much slower than usual and has 4 vulnerable recovery frames at the end. A second backdash cannot be input on the first frame after recovery, so it is impossible to chain perfectly timed backdashes to remain invincible forever.
Jumping
Jumps are slow and floaty, making them nearly worthless as an approach option for most characters. Characters like Kim and M. Lion, who have slightly faster jumps and strong downward-reaching air normals, can occasionally get away with a well spaced jump if the opponent doesn't have an invincible anti-air. Jumps can also be moderately effective against characters with weak or difficult anti-airs, like Sam or Dragonball Jackie.
Outside of low-level play, the best use for jumping is to jump backwards against an opponent that is knocked down in the corner, in order to predict their roll out of the corner. If timed correctly, this can lead to a very ambiguous crossup and may cause opponents to intentionally keep themselves cornered.
Combo System
Chains:
Normal attacks (standing, crouching, and jumping) can be chained on hit or block into other normals. A chain is performed by hitting the next button while the first attack is still connecting with the opponent.
In combo notation, chains are marked with a ">" between each hit.
Rules:
- Punches can be chained into kicks of the same strength, and vice versa
- LP > LK, LK > LP, HP > HK, and HK > HP are all valid
- Light normals can chain into heavy normals, but heavies cannot chain back into lights
- LP > HP, LP > HK, LK > HP, LK > HK are all valid
- Once you have used a normal in a chain, you can no longer chain back into the same strength of normal during the same string
- However, if you end the chain and continue the combo with a link, it is considered to be a new string
- LK > LP > LK is not a valid chain, but LK > LP, link LK > LP is valid
Self-chain: Light normals with this property can chain into themselves repeatedly on hit, block, or whiff; these are great for hitconfirming.
The timing is normally very lenient; followups can be input any time after the first active frame (including during hitstop/blockstop)
Self-chain (slow) means the chain must be delayed until the first light's recovery, resulting in slower chains and more pushback.
While whiffing self-chained light normals, the character will not turn around (especially common after attempting a left/right mixup).
- Example: 2LK > 5LP > 5HK
- (crouch LK, chained into stand LP, chained into stand HK)
- Example: 2LK x4 > 5LP > 5HP
- (crouch LK, self-chained into itself 4 times, then chained into stand LP, then stand HP)
- Incorrect Example: 2LK x3 > 2LP > 2LK
- (final 2LK will not chain because it was already used earlier)
- Incorrect Example: 2LK x3 > 2HP > 2LP
- (final 2LP will not chain because Heavy normals cannot chain into Light normals)
- (final 2LP will not chain because Heavy normals cannot chain into Light normals)
Moves with the No-Chain attribute (like Thorsten, Yeung, or M. Lion 2HK) cannot chain afterward.
Pushback: faster normals and faster self-chains will cause less pushback on hit/block.
This is because when a followup normal connects, all further pushback from the previous attack is cancelled and overwritten with the pushback of the new attack.
The more time that passes between hits, the more time pushback is allowed to take effect.
Links:
If a character has enough frame advantage, they could manually link a normal to begin a new chain.
Light normals often have enough frame advantage to forward dash in between them while still comboing.
In combo notation, links are denoted by a comma.
- Example: 2LK > 2LP x2, dash 2LK x2 > 2LP > 2HK
- the dash into 2LK was a manual link, so a new chain could begin
- the dash into 2LK was a manual link, so a new chain could begin
Special Cancels:
Some normals can have their hit/block animation cancelled into a special move or super.
Multi-hit normals are only cancellable on the 1st hit, making them weaker than single-hit cancellable moves.
In combo notation, special cancels are denotes by "xx".
- Example: 2HK xx 236HP
- crouching HK cancelled into 236HP special
- crouching HK cancelled into 236HP special
Command Normals:
Normal that require holding forward or back are called Command Normals.
All command normals are input with 6HP or 6HK, with the exception of Dragonball Jackie's Sobat Kick (6LK or 4LK).
Command normals can be chained into just like any other normal, but they cannot be chained out of. The general rule of alternating between Kick and Punch still applies.
Command normals cannot be cancelled into special moves or supers, but some have enough frame advantage to link afterward.
Every character has a universal overhead command normal, which is 6HK for every character besides Thorsten who use 6HP.
A few characters have a second command normal, generally used as a mid/long ranged poke. Only Dragonball Jackie has more than two command normals.
Autocombos:
Every character has two sequences of normals that result in a unique chain combo. Autocombos will come out regardless of whether the attacks whiff, hit, or are blocked.
Normal Autocombos are done by repeatedly pressing 5LP. These are generally worthless except at very low-level play where combos are otherwise difficult to come by.
Special Autocombos have a unique input for each character, and most can end in a knockdown. Refer to each character's wiki page for more details.
Despite their name, many of these strings are not true combos. No hit of an autocombo may be cancelled into a special move or super, and they can't be chained into other normals in the usual manner. If the starter is chained into (e.g. 2LP > 5LP), the starter cannot lead into an autocombo; this is most important to note for Sam and Yeung, who could otherwise make use of chains into their Special Autocombo starters.
Most autocombos have major flaws, as they tend to be comprised of attacks that whiff on crouchers, are unsafe on hit and block, or drop partway through the combo.
Sam and Dragonball Jackie are notable for having a Special Autocombo that can deal significant damage on standing opponents, leading to potential Touch of Death combos.
Yeung can also threaten a followup from her 2HK low poke, which if delayed properly can frame trap an opponent that tries to punish her.
Normal/Special Autocombos may also referred to as Normal Strings and Special Strings respectively.
Throws
Throws in Fists of Fire have 1 frame of startup, and cannot be teched or softened in any way. They do significant damage, knock down, and most can lead to juggles near the corner (or midscreen, for Admiral Jackie). The threat of a dash into throw is the basis for most offense in this game.
There is no whiff animation for a throw; instead, if it fails to connect, the button used for the throw input will come out instead. If a character has multiple throws, it may be worth choosing the one that whiffs a safer attack in case the opponent backdashes.
Kim-Maree and Dragonball Jackie have command throw specials (as well as a command throw Super for Kim). All the same rules apply to these, except that it is possible to buffer the command throw input with reversal timing. Nothing will happen if the buffered command throw doesn't connect, which makes them strong for attempted punishes.
Throw Immunity
The following table lists the throw-immunity period under various conditions. This immunity is intended to give defenders a reasonable chance to escape throw pressure. This immunity period applies even if the defender uses an attack during this time.
| Situation | Throw Immunity Period |
|---|---|
| Wakeup (Neutral/Roll) | 7f |
| After Hitstun | 5f |
| After Blockstun | 3f |
| Landing from Air Reset | 2f |
Note: Getup Attacks have their own separate invincibility properties, rather than adhering to this chart.
Juggles
A move that knocks the opponent into the air will put them into a juggle state where they can be hit again. This can be caused by a throw, special, or super that launches the opponent upward, or by hitting an airborne opponent with any attack that doesn't immediately knock down.
While in this juggle state, being hit again will cause the opponent to flip out and become invincible until they reach the ground, either by being knocked down or by landing on their feet from an air reset. Attempting to juggle a third time will be unsuccessful unless you are using the Boss version of the character which gets one extra juggle per combo. Kim-Maree's Air Throw does not consider these juggle properties -- she can always land it even if she no longer has the ability to juggle more attacks.
Juggling a character that is in a knocked-down state is much more lenient; they can even be juggled slightly after they hit the ground. When the opponent flips out of the air (such as after an anti-air normal), they must be juggled before their feet touch the ground. This makes it impossible to begin the juggle with low-hitting moves, like most 2LKs.
Multiple attacks that are chained together only count as one hit as far as juggles are concerned. So if a character anti-airs a jumping opponent with 2HP, this will have the same juggle effect as anti-airing with a chained 5LP > 5HP xx Special Move, assuming all the hits connect quickly enough. Moves with the "KD0" property automatically end a juggle sequence, even in rare instances where it is otherwise possible to continue juggling afterward.
Some moves, like Thorsten or M. Lion's throw, cause an effect known as "Backturn" -- this makes the opponent face the opposite direction, and requires them to turn around after landing from an air juggle. During this turnaround animation, backdashing is impossible, which makes them extremely vulnerable to throws. This scenario can also occur after any juggle that launches high enough to cross under the opponent.
Knockdowns
Many throws, special moves, and supers will put the opponent in a knockdown state when they connect. While knocked down, a mash indicator will appear that allows the player to mash buttons and directional inputs to wake up more quickly. A character on the ground can be hit by attacks with the OTG property for 25% of the normal damage; these also reset the opponent's stun to 0 (OTG = "On The Ground" or "Off The Ground"). After three consecutive OTG attacks, the downed player will immediately wake up.
Some attacks will cause the knockdown timer to immediately hit 0, leaving no time for OTG attacks as the opponent immediately rises. This property is referred to as "KD0", and also occurs in air normals that spike the opponent downward when used as an air-to-air. This can be used strategically to catch the opponent unaware if they expect the usual knockdown scenario.
Wakeup Directions
A knocked down character can wake up in 3 different directions: Neutral Rise, Forward Roll, and Back Roll, depending on which direction is held while rising. The Advanced System page lists the exact duration of each character's wakeup animations.
A forward roll can pass through the opponent and is useful for escaping the corner. It is usually the slowest wakeup option. If the opponent backdashes on reaction to the forward roll, it can create a very ambiguous left/right mixup, but invincible Getup Attacks can often thwart this mixup.
A back roll creates more separation, but puts you closer to your own corner. If you are already near the corner, you won't roll all the way back to the wall; instead, you will stop about 1 character-width away from the wall, which makes it possible for the opponent to dash in for an ambiguous left/right mixup. Because the backward momentum stops suddenly, it can be hard to visually distinguish a cornered back roll from a neutral wakeup.
A neutral rise happens when neither left nor right are held on wakeup. This is usually the fastest wakeup option, and can catch opponents by surprise if they were looking to react to a roll.
Getup Attacks
Each character has access to two invincible Getup Attacks. These attacks must be input with either LK or HK during the wakeup animation. There is a 16 frame window to input a getup attack, usually near the end of the wakeup animation. Most getup attacks are invincible until the end of startup, meaning they will trade with well-timed meaty attacks.
For the most part, Getup LK hits overhead and Getup HK hits low. Kim's are the opposite, with Getup HK hitting overhead and Getup LK being a high throw (since it only hits standing opponents, it is functionally similar to a low attack). Sam's Getup LK whiffs on crouching opponents, so he can't create a defensive mixup on his wakeup.
At higher levels of play, it is common for opponents to backdash right as the opponent wakes up, then dash in for a punish after the getup attack whiffs. Don't become overly reliant on these options, as it can lead to a quick round loss.
Pursuit Attacks
Input with Up+LP or Up+HP, the attacker jumps onto a downed opponent and deals damage. Continuing to rapidly mash buttons will increase the number of hits for the attacker, while the defender can mash to reduce the number of hits. This technique is rarely used at higher levels of play due to the risk of being countered.
Pursuit Attacks auto-track to the opponent's position at the time of the input, so if the opponent is still moving horizontally it can whiff. It can also whiff if the opponent wakes up before it makes contact; this happens frequently, as pursuit attacks are almost as slow as regular jumps. If a pursuit attack whiffs, the attacker will stagger slightly as they land, potentially opening themselves up to a punish. Admiral Jackie actually puts himself into a knockdown state instead of staggering, which may actually be a better outcome since OTG attacks do much less damage than a standard grounded punish.
Pursuit attacks technically deal stun damage, but because it hits OTG it immediately resets the opponent's stun value after hitting. The only exception is in the rare instance that a pursuit attack hits an opponent that has recovered from the knockdown state. This almost never happens, but theoretically a character like Sam could land a near-stun combo, then reset into an overhead Pursuit Attack for the stun.
Pursuit Counters
Hitting any 2 attack buttons will counter a pursuit attack right as it connects. The timing window is only 2 frames. This makes it difficult to time, but lenient enough that fast mashing can often lead to an accidental pursuit counter anyway. Note that the 2 buttons must be hit on the exact same frame, so hitting 3-4 button at a time makes it more likely to succeed. Countering does not prevent you from taking the pursuit attack's damage, so at very low health it is better to mash quickly to wake up before the pursuit attack hits you.
A successful counter will damage the opponent and launch them for a knockdown and a potential juggle. Admiral Jackie cannot juggle afterward, while Lau and Kim can only juggle if they throw the opponent into the corner. Pursuit counters are the reason that pursuit attacks are rarely used, as it is usually better to take a little OTG damage and push for a mixup rather than letting the opponent reclaim the momentum.
Reversals
Inputting a special move or super during the final 8 frames of hitstun, blockstun, or knockdown recovery will cause that move to come out with reversal timing -- meaning the attack will execute on the first possible frame after recovery. Taking advantage of this reversal window makes it easier to time punishes or interrupt pressure with fast/invincible moves.
After air resets, the reversal window is only 6 frames. When landing from an air juggle, there is one vulnerable landing frame where a reversal attack cannot come out, even if it is normally invincible. This means that the opponent can always land a meaty normal out of an air reset, and the only possible defensive options are to block, backdash, or time a frame-perfect defensive throw. If you are facing away from the opponent as you land (known as Backturned state), you cannot backdash until your 9 frame turning animation is complete, which makes it even harder to defend against air resets.
Weight
Characters in Fists of Fire have different weights, which effects how difficult it is to juggle them. Heavier characters will drop faster, making some combos impossible or more difficult. The Yeung OTG Infinite is a byproduct of the weight system, since Yeung is so light that an OTG attack will bounce her upward allowing for extra juggles.
The following table lists each character's weight, sorted by the number of frames it takes for a character to hit the ground after being hit by Lau's 623LP attack:
| Character | Air Frames | Weight Rank |
|---|---|---|
| M. Lion | 57 | S (Ultra Heavy) |
| Thorsten | 59 | A (Heavy) |
| Kim-Maree | 61 | A (Heavy) |
| Lau | 64 | B (Average) |
| Jackie Chan (all) | 64 | B (Average) |
| Sam | 67 | C (Light) |
| Yeung | 70 | D (Ultra Light) |
Super Meter
The Super meter is used only for performing Super attacks when filled up. Meter is built by using attacks (on whiff, block, or hit), and the opponent on the receiving end of these attacks builds some meter as well. In addition, there are two other ways to affect meter:
Meter Charge
Holding HP or HK will cause the character to enter a Dragonball Z-style energy charging animation where meter builds quickly. This is relatively safe to do from long range or on a knocked down opponent, as it only takes 5 frames to recover (7 frames for M. Lion and Dragonball Jackie). Getting hit while charging meter will result in a 12.5% counterhit damage increase.
To avoid whiffing a heavy button, it is possible to start charging HP or HK during the animation of a light normal or a backdash, which will begin the meter charge as soon as the initial animation ends. Each character fills their meter at different rates, but it generally takes 3-5 seconds to fill an entire gauge. The Advanced System page details the exact rate of meter building for each character. For characters like Lau and Thorsten who have very effective supers, running away and building meter is a viable strategy to force the opponent to try to approach.
Taunting
Performing a taunt with HP+HK causes a character to perform a short animation that drains some of the opponent's meter. Note that the 2 buttons must be hit on exactly the same frame, or else the attack button that was input first will come out. Getting hit while taunting results in a 12.5% counterhit damage increase.
A longer taunt animation leads to a greater amount of meter stolen from the opponent, at about 0.37% meter drained per frame. This animation cannot be cancelled in any way, so it is normally only used after a knockdown or a KO. If you have multiple options to KO an opponent at the end of a round, it can be a good idea to choose an attack that gives time to perform a taunt afterwards. For example, Drunk Jackie always has time to taunt after his 621P, but not after his Throw.
The duration and amount of meter drained by each character's taunt is as follows:
| Character Taunt | Meter Drain | Taunt Duration (Frames) |
|---|---|---|
| M. Lion | 40% | 109f |
| Admiral Jackie | 38.7% | 105f |
| Kim-Maree | 38.3% | 104f |
| Sam | 36.2% | 98f |
| Yeung | 35.8% | 97f |
| Lau | 27% | 73f |
| Drunk Jackie | 26.1% | 71f |
| Dragonball Jackie | 17.7% | 48f |
| Thorsten | 15.2% | 41f |
Stun
Strike and projectile attacks deal stun damage; throws and OTGs do not (though post-throw juggles can stun).
If enough stun damage accumulates in a short period of time, the opponent will fall over and become dizzy; they will then stand up, vulnerable to a free combo.
Mysterious Lion has the highest stun resistance (12800), followed by Thorsten (11520); everyone else has the same stun resistance (10240). Hitting a knocked down opponent with an OTG completely resets their stun, so it may be a better idea to skip OTGs altogether depending on how much damage it would do. This also explains why Yeung OTG infinites never result in a stun.
Mashing rapidly will shorten the dizzy animation, making it possible to escape if the next attack is not timed properly. Kim-Maree can escape her dizzy animation almost twice as fast as the average character, and M. Lion can escape about 50% faster. Once the dizzy animation ends, any new inputs will immediately come out, so in practice it is difficult to shake out of stun without accidentally jumping or whiffing an attack. All inputs are equal when it comes to mashing out of stun (unlike when mashing to wake up from a knockdown), with no extra benefit to hitting a button + direction simultaneously (although mashing both inputs + directions makes it easier to get new inputs on each frame).
Accumulated stun damage begins to decrease rapidly (at a rate of 26/frame) while a player is not in hitstun or knocked down. Because of this, most stuns occur from highly optimized combos, or an air reset into an immediate mixup. Notably, blockstun does not freeze the opponent's stun value, so there is no advantage to keeping a blocking opponent locked down with light normals if you want to stun them.
Stun output is not subject to the same combo scaling rules as Damage or Knockdown Time. In general, light attacks always deal the same amount of stun damage, while heavies and specials are slightly scaled (around 75-85%) unless it is the first hit of the combo.
Counterhits
An attack that connects during the startup, active frames, or recovery of an opponent's move is considered a counterhit. Counterhits do additional damage as follows:
- Hit during opponent's recovery: +12.5%
- Hit during opponent's active frames: +25%
- Hit during opponent's startup frames: +50%
When 2 attacks trade with each other, they are both considered counterhits and will generally apply the 25% damage boost to each side. Projectiles will skip straight to the "recovery" stage once the projectile has spawned. There are no other known properties of counterhits aside from the damage increase. Throws do not gain additional counterhit damage even if they connect during an opponent's attack. Meter Charge and Taunt count as recovery for the purpose of counterhits (+12.5% Damage).
Counterhits do not deal additional stun damage, but they do increase the hidden "knockdown timer" value (see Advanced System page).
