Offensive Style

The offensive style involves trying to do a lot of things in very short time. These players are a jumble of movement in the screen. Specially when paired with a fast character (Vega or el Fuerte come to mind).

Their strategy involves using overwhemenly force and speed to dazzle an opponent. You can see these players playing short but interconnected combos so that even chipping dammage can be significant. They will trade a punch or a kick for them to start a even more aggresive combo. Usually impatient, they will keep pressure on zoning (a lot of fireballs), and will use all their EX combos as they get filled.

Their biggest advantage is their speed and pressure. Most of the time when one is handshaking (the first 10 or 15 seconds of the game) will not have time but to start a defensive run. They will win by sheer pressure, as they keep chipping and hitting their opponent. Offensive players play a "close" game, where there isn't much distance between them and their opponent. Even if retreating they will try to score a hit (or at least a chip). Offensive player favors a style where the other player gets offensive since then the other player opens itself up for being hit big. Once an offensive player connects, it becomes harder to break away since they are a jumble of punches and kicks.


On the other hand, offensive players left a lot of opportunities open for counters and/or opening moves. They are not so evident just because of the speed that they execute all of it (the window for the counter is still there just harder to see and to act upon it). If you manage to defend correctly for a couple of seconds (more than that and you get exposed to throwing offensives) you will be able to see openings on their strategy:

- For aerial and sweeps, shoryukens
- For hurricane kicks, crouched strong punch
- For any of Blanka ball charges, repeated light punches (and then sweep as he lands)
- For Vega's aerial attacks, jump w/Hurricane kick

Defending from an offensive player is usually problematic. An offensive player will have a mixture of standing and crouching attacks. And they will add defense breakers (like the overhead medium puch from Ryu, or Abels overhead kick) into the mix. So to defeat an offensive player it usually requires an ironclad defense so that you can look for openings. If you can't achieve it, then the offensive players just keeps piling up damage, and you become too emotionally frazzled to find weaknesses. Also holes in the offensive opponent are mostly visible after a couple of good blocks.

The reason why offensive players win (against fair players) is that their opponents have a good-but-not-great defense (They need 5 or 6 connects per game to win). And they are almost guaranteed the first one just because of the "Surprise" factor. To add to that they compound the psychological effect that you're always getting "hit" or might get hit (it really counts), which makes the defensive player make more mistakes.

A telltale sign of these players is their openings. Always fast, and always to hit (no standard fireballs). For example they will open with hurricane kicks, Blanka's spinning attack, Abel's upper leg attack, Sagat's tiger knee. Also, they will inevitably (in their massive offensive rally) will try and connect ultras as soon as their are available (which can be expected and use as counter)

Going offensive in another offensive player can be done but is also a risky gamble. It becomes as gears in a clock. If the first offensive player manage to connect, chances are that he will keep connecting. Ditto for the second player. It also depends on their opening moves (some opening moves are meant to be counter for other opening moves, think Blanka's low slide). Essentially this style is very well favored online since it yields a good deal of results for 1/2 of their opponents.

Even so, a purely offensive player can't climb up the ladder forever as eventually the crop of good defensive players show up (ditto for defensive players). But a mixture of character is what is required. A well-balanced player can be both offensive and defensive, just chooses the appropiate time when to be one.