« Learning The Other Side Of The Coin: Rushdown vs. Turtling »

Thanks to Ryan from Gootecks.com for writing this up. We plan to have more of these articles that will help you up your game in the coming weeks and months, so stay tuned!

Think about whether you play a rushdown or turtling style. Then think about how much you know about both. Chances are you are much better at one or the other, but there are situations where it would be to your advantage to play the style you are weaker with.

Let's say you play a rushdown style such as Alex Valle or Pyrolee. You probably know all kinds of things such as correct poking distances for the attacks you're using, what their options are in any given situation, how to make them whiff throws/moves, etc. But do you also know similar tactics for turtling such as when to sit on a lead, the mental fortitude to not hit a button for 5-10 seconds at a time and what pokes are best for keeping them out?

By improving your skills at the style you're weaker at, you'll be a more rounded player who is able to adapt to more situations easier, as well as win more because you'll either be able to survive longer or do more damage more effectively.

Taking Mental Inventory
Figure out which style of player you are. Are you more of a turtle or do you favor rushdowns. Watch some videos of yourself if you have them or just ask a few of the guys you play with regularly if you're not sure. See which method has been most effective for you so far and then decide to learn the opposite style this week.

Use Your Second Rounds
When you go play this week, practice the style you're going to pick up during all of your second rounds if you win the first round, no matter who you're playing against. This way you get to practice almost risk free because you still have your third round if you lose. Just make sure to try and get your meter back for third round.

Work On One Tactic Per Session
Think about your character or watch a video to better understand his turtling/rushdown options. Once you have a mental list of things you need to work on, pick one to work on during your next session. For example, I really need to learn how to do Balrog's Headbutt -> Ultra in Street Fighter 4 because I haven't mastered the timing yet. So next time I play (tomorrow), that's what I'm going to work on during all of my second rounds. I'm going to try to land as many Headbutts as possible as well as Focus as much as possible so that I have Ultra meter when the time comes.

What are some ways you learn new styles and habits? Post them in the comments!

Update on Monday, November 3, 2008 at 9:21AM by haunts

Great write up, Ryan!

So from my own experiences I've found getting a feel for both styles is paramount. I started playing Street Fighter (Third Strike) competitively about 6 years ago and started off with Makoto who is primarily a rushdown character as most people know. There was a time where you could dominate with even basic strategy with her, but as time went on I found I could not be as reckless because people knew what to expect.

From there I really had to think how to change my game so I could still compete with intermediate and top players. This line of thinking that you went over is what really helped me. I realized I didnt have to be constantly rushing down, I could give it out in doses and run the rest of the time. When I took time to slow down a bit and actually wait and see what my opponent was doing it helped me a lot.  You will find if you slow down a bit and keep and eye on what your opponent is throwing out you can start to punish on reaction which is something that can turn the tide of a fight in an instant.

One thought I have, is it seems a lot of top tier characters are designed to be very strong in both areas. For instance when I play Ken, I feel I can sit back and play defensively for as long as I need to, but when I need to do some damage he has very little trouble rushing down most of the cast.  Justin Wong touched on this in one of your podcasts as well, saying that Sagat is so strong in SFIV because he can play both defensively and offensively better than the rest of the cast more or less.

Lastly, the difference for me between good days at the arcade and bad days at the arcade is going there with something in mind to practice. I feel I do much better when I am focused on learning and trying to up my game rather than just showing up and seeing what happens.