Chun-Li FAQ - Guide for Street Fighter 3: Third Strike

  Street Fighter III: Third Strike - Chun-Li FAQ by BillyKane 
v.1.2                         

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This document is copyright 2001 Nadir Sellam a.k.a. BillyKane. I will 
not tolerate any use of the information it contains without with my 
permission. If you use it without my permission, I will take you to 
the court, I will win, and you will lose lots of money. Think about 
it. Writing a FAQ takes time. If you want to use part of this FAQ on 
your site, please ask for my permission by email at 
[email protected]. I don't care if you're familiar with the law 
or not, you copy my work you're going to pay, especially if you try to 
make profit off of it. That's the way it is. Knowledge is priceless.
-End of disclaimer-

This FAQ could be described as a "Beginner to expert Chun-Li FAQ". It 
covers all the ground on this character, I think. Since Chun-Li isn't 
a combo-oriented character, this FAQ will focus on strategy. I will 
list the different combos she has, though. If you want a character 
that needs to use combos, stop playing Chun-Li and try Ibuki, Ken, 
Yun or Dudley. What makes this guide different from the two others 
already up on the site? It is in-depth and is based on my long 
experience with the game. However, this is my first FAQ and I might 
make some mistakes. Give me some feedback at [email protected] 
if you want.

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Map:

1 Introduction
1.1 Who is Chun-Li?
1.2 Why should I use her?
1.3 Legend

2 Chun-Li's moves
2.1 Normal moves
2.2 Special moves
2.3 Super moves
2.4 Chun-Li's air game
2.5 Chun's poking game
2.6 Chunner's anti-poking game

3 Combos
3.1 Combo rules
3.2 Normal combos
3.3 "Specific situation" combos (Skill Smith)

4 In-depth strategies
4.1 Precisions on Chun-Li's air game
4.2 What are her best follow-ups after a parry?
4.3 How to charge your meter quickly?
4.4 "Run-away Chun-Li"
4.5 The "Chun-Li press": and offensive way of using Chun-Li?
4.6 Properties of the down-forward HK
4.7 Kara-throwing

5 How should I use her against the computer?

6 General advice
6.1 Defensive game
6.2 Versus character help

7 Extras
7.1 Chun-Li's outfits
7.2 Chun's pre-fight intros
7.3 Her victory poses
7.3 Chun-Li's win quotes
7.4 Arcade mode speech translation
7.5 Chun-Li's ending

8 Credits


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A bit of history:

Version 0.1: 07/8th/2001-I wrote the Super Arts section, the 
kara-throwing section, and the "general advice".

Version 0.2: 07/9th/2001-I added the normal and special moves 
sections.

Version 0.3: 07/10th/2001-I completed the "press", "poking", and 
"air game" sections.

Version 0.4: 07/11th/2001-I only worked on combos, and on her 
personal info.

Submitted on: 07/13th/2001-I did some editing, the margin was too 
large and the format wasn't good. I changed the ASCII art.

Edited on : 07/14th/2001-I had it proofread and changed the format.

Version 0.4 posted on 07/15th/2001 after a small delay.

Version 0.5: 07/16th/2001-I worked a lot taking into consideration 
chunli89 and SlimX's comments. Added an "Anti-poking game" section, a 
"Run-away Chun-Li" section, and added some comments to the normal moves 
and Houyokusen descriptions, and a versus Urien paragraph. Added a few 
combos.

Version 0.6: 07/16th/2001-Fixed the typos and improved the line breaks.

Version 0.7: 07/17th/2001-Added some kara-throw advice and more versus 
help.

Version 0.8: 07/18th/2001-Got some advice from Shadowgeist. Added tons 
of stuff everywhere, especially in "versus" advice. Created the 
"defensive game advice" section. Corrected mistakes on the Japanese 
voices translations, thanks to SlimX.

Version 0.9: 07/24th/2001-I finished the "versus" strategies. It still 
needs some work though. I added a new "build meter" strat from SlimX 
(with the Houyokusen) and a combo from JMar.

Version 1: 07/26th/2001-I added some information provided by KDTC, 
sorted the combos (but not by difficulty, I'm lazy =), and wrote the 
"tier description" which looks like a hate-mail magnet, but oh well.

Version 1.1: 07/28th/2001-I added the Skill Smith combos I got from 
chunli89. 

Version 1.2: 07/30th/2001-I added the damage for all the moves and combos, 
and the "properties of the down-forward + HK" section.

Coming soon:

_More "defensive game advice"


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1 Introduction

1.1 Who is Chun-Li?

Her name means Spring Beauty in Mandarin.

She is a Chinese Interpol agent/female kung-fu fighter who entered the 
Street Fighter 2 tourney to kill Bison/Vega and avenge her father. 
After achieving her goal, she took a break from fighting.

She has only been introduced to the Street Fighter 3 series in this 
episode as a fan-favorite. She is arguably the hero of the game (the 
artworks are all centered around her). In Third Strike, she decides to 
fight again because she's looking for a Chinese little girl who has 
been kidnapped. She is suspecting Urien and Gill.

Personal info:

Height: 5.5 ft
Weight: ? lbs
Blood type: A

Three sizes:

B: 2.8 ft
W: 1.9 ft
H: 2.9 ft


1.2 Why should I use her?

Because she is hot. =)

Seriously, because she's a very good character that takes skills 
to use, contrary to what some people say. There are many Chun-Li 
players out there, but it's hard to play her without being 
predictable. She is by far the best character in the game in my 
opinion, because she's got speed, damage, stamina, safe moves and 
good counters. However, you need to have a firm grasp of the engine 
to play a good Chun-Li.

She is not necessarily the most fun character to use, but she gets 
the job done. Chun-Li is becoming more and more popular, but she's 
still far from being used as much as the shotokans: she's also a very 
good character to counter them. The good thing is that you can learn 
how to be decent with her in a short amount of time. If you stick with 
her and try to use the advice given in this FAQ, I guarantee you that 
your Chun-Li game will improve very fast. However, remember to try 
and find your own tactics once you can use her efficiently. The 
best way to surprise your opponents is to develop your own fighting 
style.


1.3 Legend

    up backwards     up    up forward

                  \  |  /
    backwards    --  o  --   forward          LP    MP   HP
                  /  |  \                     LK    MK   HK

    down backwards  down  down forward

P = Any punch button
K = Any kick button
PP = Any two punch buttons
KK = Any two kick buttons
XX = Super cancel

qcf = quarter circle forward
qcf X2 = double quarter circle forward
hcf = half circle forward
hcb = half circle backwards

LP = Light punch (or Jab)
MP = Middle punch (or Strong)
HP = High punch (or Fierce)
LK = Light kick (or Short)
MK = Middle kick (or Forward)
HK = High kick (or Roundhouse)

Basics:

Walk: forward or backwards
Crouch: down
Block: backwards
Dash: forward X2 or backwardsX2
Jump: up or up/forward or up/backwards
Super Jump: down, up
Regular throw: LP + LK
Universal Overhead: MP + MK
Taunt: HP + HK
Parry: tap forward (read theHY's "parrying FAQ" for more information)
Low parrying: Tap down
Red parry: Block, then parry

All the damage information is based on Ryu's stamina.


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2 Chun-Li's moves

2.1 Normal moves

Note: Remember that any crouching hit deals 25% more damage than a 
standing hit. This is another reason to abuse Chun-Li's MK. =)

Standing LP:
-----------
Damage: Close LP: 1.2% Far LP: 2.5%  
-----------
Efficiency: 30%

A very quick punch that has no special properties. I personally don't 
see many reasons to use this move since Chun-Li's other normal moves 
are pretty fast as well. But if you need to jab for some reason (to 
break a trap -e.g. Makoto's or Q's-, to pressure your opponent, or stop 
the SA that don't have invincible start-up), this is great.


Low LP: 
------
Damage: 1.2%
------
Efficiency: 35%

Basically the same as the standing LP, except it hits low. =)
This is a bit better because you can use it in mix-ups, and do 
"combos" by repeatedly pressing it.


Standing MP:
-----------
Damage: 8.6%
-----------
Efficiency: 30%

It is comboable into some moves, but you shouldn't be using this move 
much because its priority is not very good. The good thing is that it 
comes out pretty fast and has good recovery so you can use it as an 
anti-air. I usually consider it as a "close poke", but keep in mind that 
she has other pokes that are much better.

 
Back + MP: 
---------
Damage: 8.6%
---------
Efficiency: 40%

The double slap: it doesn't get much more humiliating than this move. 
This move is a lot more effective than it looks: mainly because you 
can cancel it into Super Arts. You can also stop its animation after 
the first slap and cancel it into a Kikouken. However, try not to use 
this as a "jump-in parry follow-up". Most of the time, it will whiff, 
leaving you open. This move should be used on the ground only.


Low MP:
------
Damage: 8%
------
Efficiency: 55%

It has very good priority, contrary to what the character's 
posture seems to show. It is a good move to use for mix-ups because 
it comes out very fast. When up close, use this move and Low MK to 
be less predictable.


Standing HP:
-----------
Damage: 9.9%
-----------
Efficiency: 95%

Chun-Li's best normal move and maybe the best normal move in the 
game. This move has a VERY good priority and sick range: it beats 
almost everything! This should be your main poking tool because 
its recovery is safe. Just try not to be too predictable as it's 
not that hard to parry.


Back + HP:
---------
Damage: 11.7%
---------
Efficiency: 70 %

An excellent "meter charge" move, and it's very safe. Abuse this 
move, even when you're far from your opponent. As mentioned in the 
anti-air section, it can be used as an anti-air under certain 
conditions. Can be used as an "anti-poke" (see particular section). 
It has very good priority, too.


Low HP:
------
Damage: 9.9%
------
Efficiency: 50%

A good combo starter, since the hit stun is long. It comes out 
pretty fast so you can use it quite often in your mix-up game. 
Not as good as her low MK though.


Standing LK:
-----------
Damage: 3.1%
-----------
Efficiency: 60%

A kick to the legs: it comes out VERY fast, making it Chun-li's 
best pressure move. You can try to use it in a similar way to 
Ibuki's trap, but remember not to mash the kick buttons and not 
to go too fast: you're taking the risk of going into the Lightning 
Kicks animation by doing that. If you stick to two straight LKs 
only before using another move, it shouldn't happen. This move 
should be blocked/parried high.


Low LK:
------
Damage: 1.2%
------
Efficiency: 55%

This move looks like nothing special, but it makes Chun-Li even 
deadlier because it makes her mix-up arsenal complete. You can 
simply use her standing LK and her low LK to confuse your opponent 
actually. In most situations, you can connect 2 LKs. Use this move 
to make your opponent block low, and then use the Universal 
Overhead/LK Hazanshou/(kara) throw.


Close standing MK:
-----------------
Damage: 8.6% (6.8%-1.2%-0.6%)
-----------------
Efficiency: 30%

A pressure move, Chun-Li lifts her leg very high and if you keep 
pressing, she goes into a series of kicks to the face. For some 
reason, I never seem to use this move. It looks like a good 
pressure move, but it is somewhat useless to me because of the 
way I play Chun-Li.


Far standing MK:
---------------
Damage: 8%
---------------
Efficiency: 45 %

Chun-Li's main anti-air move (see anti-air section). Apart from 
that, it doesn't have any interesting properties. It will whiff 
most of the time if you use it up-close. But keep it mind that 
this is Chun-Li's best kara-throw starter.


Forward + MK:
------------
Damage: 6.8%
------------
Efficiency: 45 %

This is an excellent pressure move. Not only it pushes your opponent 
away but also it gets you closer to him, which is something you 
usually don't want to do when playing Chun-Li. Excellent when you
want to irritate your opponent or when he is low on life though: 
"forward + MK, EX Lightning Kicks" (it doesn't connect but chips 
some life).


Low MK:
-------
Damage: 8%
-------
Efficiency: 85%

Chun-Li's second best move, mainly because it is easily linkable 
into supers and it is a good pressure with a nice priority. Each 
time you hit with this, it's a free SA, so abuse it. =)


Close Standing HK:
-----------------
Damage: 10.5%
-----------------
Efficiency: 40%

Chun-Li does a strong knee kick to her opponent's face. This is 
definitely not her best move, though. It is quite slow and has 
slow recovery as well. I would recommend using her low HK over 
this. The only interesting way to connect this I'm aware of is 
"Jump-in HK or HP, close standing HK": it does good damage and an 
incredible amount of stun, but your Jump-in HK/HP will often be 
parried against good players. It can also be super jump cancelled 
(just like Oro's close MP or Ibuki's close HK) making it good for 
confusion. If you are using the "press technique" describe in the 
section 4.2, throw in a close HK, super jump cancel and attack on 
the way down.


Far Standing HK/Forward + HK:
----------------------------
Damage: 10.5%
----------------------------
Efficiency: 45%

A very fast hop kick pressure move with nice range. You can use 
this while trying to pressure (see the "Chun-Li press" section) 
and puch your opponent toward the corner. It can also be used 
as a throw tick. Do a fast low attack (a low LK for instance) to 
keep your opponent nervous about the "low MK XX Houyokusen" trick. 
Then press Forward + HK (should whiff over their head), then throw. 
Usually the opponent is expecting to block/parry another low poke 
and doesn't see the throw coming. It is very fast but doesn't work 
against Hugo and Q.


Low HK:
------
Damage: 9.9%
------
Efficiency 60%

Contrary to what it seems, this move must be parried high (few 
players know this). This move is one of Chun-Li's best moves: it 
is fast a deals decent damage, and it is a decent anti-air.


Low-forward HK:
--------------
Damage: 9.9%
--------------
Efficiency: 75%

It's a weird flying kick move, which surprises almost everybody the 
first time they see it. It is an excellent confusion attack. It works 
wonders against human opponents because they don't know how to 
block/parry it. Against the computer it's pretty useless, though. For 
your information, it must be blocked/parried high.


Head stomp (air down + MK above your opponent):
----------------------------------------------
Damage: 4.3%
----------------------------------------------
Efficiency: 50%

A frustrating move for turtles... You can get several hits from it 
when he/she's in the corner. It's a good move against people who 
can anticipate your overheads. However, it leaves you wide open when 
it whiffs or when it's blocked, which is the reason why I personally 
don't use it much.


Wall jump (jump on top of the border of the screen, then jump 
------------------------------------------------------------- 
in the other direction): 
----------------------- 
Efficiency: 15%

What used to be a very good asset in the original Street Fighter 2 is 
not what it used to be anymore. It is still a nice addition to her 
arsenal and can be used to confuse/avoid contact with your opponent.


Her universal overhead (MP + MK):
---------------------------------
Damage: 3.1%
---------------------------------
Efficiency: 35%

It is not very good compared to others and gets out-prioritized by 
most moves. Chun-Li can play a good mix-up game without using this, 
and if you really want an overhead you can use the LK Hazanshou. The 
good thing about the universal overhead is that if it hits near or 
below the knee of your opponent, you can connect a Houyokusen 
(=SAII).


Her regular throw (LP + LK):
----------------------------
Damage: Ground: 10.5 Air: 6.8%
----------------------------
Efficiency: 80%

Given the importance of throws in Third Strike, this is obviously 
one of her best moves. Use it against turtles who stay in the corner 
or when an opponent is jumping over you. It has three versions 
depending on the direction you're holding while performing the throw, 
but contrary to most characters, all three are very similar:


_Neutral: Chun-Li grabs her opponent by the chest, takes a step forward 
to have more power and throws him/her half a screen further.

_Forward: Same as neutral.

_Backwards: Same as neutral, except that she throws the opponent 
backwards.


Her taunts (HP + HK):
--------------------

She has four different versions:

1) She yawns and bends her back.

2) She yawns and rubs her neck.

3) She yawns and cracks her neck (but you can't hear it for some reason).

4) She just yawns.

You get a bonus when you taunt and each taunt gives you a different 
bonus. You can taunt up to 3 times!

1) Attack and defense increase

2) Defense increase

3) Attack increase

4) Stun recovery rate increase

The problem is that there is no way to choose which taunt you want Chun 
to perform. So in practical play, these bonuses are almost useless.

During her taunts, she sometimes says one of these two sentences:

_"Sono tedo?", which means "Is that your best" in Japanese.
_"Sore dake?", which means "Is that all?" in Japanese.


2.2 Special moves

It is common knowledge that Chun-Li's special moves really aren't that 
great. But don't worry, her normal moves more than make up for it. You 
will have to abuse her normal moves if you want be become a better Chun 
player.


Kikouken: hcf + P
------------------
Damage: 3.7%
------------------
Efficiency: 20%

Ugh, this is probably the worst fireball in the whole game. It's a lot 
worse than the Shoto's and Urien's fireballs. Don't try to use this to 
play keep away, it simply doesn't work. Only use this in combos if you 
want to look flashy, or when playing mind games. The LP version travels 
almost full screen, the MP version is half screen, and the HP version is 
very short -think Dan or Ryo's fireball-. You can cancel this into Super 
Arts if you want to look cool, but don't forget the damage reduction 
system. An interesting use of the Kikouken is that you can use it as a 
shield to get up close. For instance, jump toward your opponent (not too 
close though) and throw a LP Kikouken as a protection. If your opponent 
jumps, then he just lost his position, you can try to dash-in and combo. 
If he parries it, immediately dash-in and throw or use her low MK. If he 
blocks then you can get up close and start your mix-ups. It can be a nice 
surprise attack (it's true that most Chun-Li players don't use it). To 
put it simply, this move is not a good way to hurt your opponent but it 
can be used to create interesting set-ups. 

EX Kikouken: hcf + PP
----------------------
Damage: 6.8%
----------------------
Efficiency: 15%

It does the same damage as the regular version,so I can't recommend 
using this move. You probably won't be able to use it outside of 
combos anyway. Like the regular version, you can cancel it into supers. 
It only takes one hit to parry, so don't use it much. However, since 
it's slow and never dissipates, you can throw it from full screen and 
then follow it as a pressure technique. 


Spinning Bird Kick: charge down, up + K
---------------------------------------
Damage: LK: 11.1% MK: 14.2% HK: 16.7%
---------------------------------------
Efficiency: 30%

Good move to chip away your opponent's life but you should really 
avoid using it again good human players: most characters can avoid 
it by simply crouching and the biggest characters can throw out 
either at the start-up or at the end of the move. It is interesting 
to note that this move gives lots of super energy. It works wonders 
against the Computer though. It is also a good but risky way of 
traveling from one part of the screen to the other.

EX Spinning Bird Kick: charge down, up + KK
-------------------------------------------
Damage: 17.9%
-------------------------------------------
Efficiency: 60%

Much better. A good anti-air special, not too easy to parry when 
you're not used to it. Its priority is a bit weird: you have to 
time it perfectly against certain moves (the shoto's air HK for 
instance). It recovers very fast, much faster than the normal 
version. Most Chun-Li players overlook this move, but it can be 
efficient in high-level play. 

Hazanshou: hcb + K
------------------
Damage: LK: 8.6% MK: 9.9% HK: 10.5%
------------------
Efficiency: 40%

This move is better than it looks, mainly because it has overhead 
properties. If you use it occasionally and as a surprise move, it's 
not too bad. Stick to the LK version and use it when you're close, 
though, because it is parry bait. However, you can use it when you 
"want" your opponent to parry, and then throw out a Kikoushou for 
instance.

EX Hazanshou: hcb + KK
----------------------
Damage: 14.2%
----------------------
Efficiency: 15%

If you're going to use the Hazanshou, don't use this version. And 
keep in mind that it doesn't go forward, think of it as a weaker 
version of the Tensei Ranka. Honestly, I've misused this many times. 
Now, I only use it as a wake-up move when my opponent is low on life.

Lightning Kicks: press K repeatedly
-----------------------------------
Damage: LK: 11.1% MK: 11.7% HK: 14.2%
-----------------------------------
Efficiency: 35%

This is not as useful as it was in the original SF2, mainly 
because of the start-up lag. It's still a good pressure move if 
you can find an opportunity to "buffer" the first kick button 
presses. For instance, jump toward your opponent (or in his back) 
and start pressing any kick button repeatedly before you land. You 
can also use it as a wake-up move, or use it right after a Spinning 
Bird Kick. You can also use it when crouching. The HK version comes 
out a lot faster. But it is not that hard to parry as it seems 
(jumping-in makes parrying it easier), and it lets you vulnerable 
to fireballs/SA with invincibility frames. I personally don't use 
it much for these reasons.

EX Lightning Kicks: press KK repeatedly
---------------------------------------
Damage: 11.1%
--------------------------------------- 
Efficiency: 40%

You should use it exactly in the same way as the regular version: 
don't try to walk towards your opponent and use this move 
because the first kicks you need to start the move are likely 
to push him/her out of range. It has more priority than the 
regular version, though. This is a very good move to chip your 
opponent's life away, and more than anything, it's the best move 
of the game to beat your high-score on the SUV bonus stage.


2.3 Super Arts

You probably already know that Third Strike only lets you pick one 
Super Art out of three, which is why you should choose it wisely. 
All of them are useful in different situations, but it appears that 
they are not equally as good.

SAI: Kikoushou
---------------
Pure damage: 30%

Number of hits: 20
                   
Super bar:  1

Skill level: beginner/intermediate

This is the most used SA by beginners, probably because it looks 
very cool and it looks much more powerful than most other Supers 
in the game. =)
I used to pick this one all the time when learning how to use 
Chun-Li at first because I felt safe with it: it's a powered 
version of her Alpha Kikoushou and I'm very familiar with it. 
I also looks very similar to her Kikoushou from the "versus" 
series. This SA is obviously a good choice for beginners, or for 
the players people who play a very defensive Chunster. But it is 
rarely seen on high level competition.

Advantages:

It does a fairly good amount of damage if you can get a  close 
hit. The problem is that most players won't make mistakes so 
huge that you will be able to punish them in close range.

It is easy to use in combos, you can cancel it from 
her:      _low MK 
          _low HP 
          _Kikouken (qcf+P)
          _back + MP
          _close MK (3 hits)
          _back + HP
          _close back/forward + HK (the flying kick)

It is a very good punishing move due to its range. You can 
easily chip your opponents to death using this move.

It is very fast, and has one of the best priorities in the whole 
game. Of course, it will nullify fireballs and the likes. You 
can even use it as a surprise wake-up move. As long as you're 
facing your opponent and he's up close, it is safe.

It's insanely hard to parry: actually, this is probably the 
hardest move to parry in the whole game. Not only you have to 
start parrying the SA before it comes out (as with every 
point-blank super) but you have to continue parrying at a fast 
speed for 20 hits. Your opponent probably won't be patient 
enough, hehe.

It pushes your opponent away even when blocked. This means that 
they won't have many counter solutions in case you miss your 
Kikoushou. Of course, you shouldn't miss it in the first place, 
but if you do, the only thing your opponent can counter with is 
a fireball special/super, a rushing normal/special/super, or a 
dash-in normal. It sounds like it's a lot, but it's still better 
than being totally open.

You can use it after a successful air hit: your opponent will 
bounce and most of the Kikoushou hits will connect. You can use 
this technique after hitting an opponent in the air with any 
move except the air throw, the jumping down + HP and the jumping 
HK. I personally recommend using weak attacks, the don't make 
your opponent bounce as much so the super art will do more 
damage. This is a safe way to connect this super art, but it 
does less damage.

It is a very good anti-air: even though you will rarely be able 
to connect all the hit -or else you're taking a huge risk- you 
will probably connect enough to do decent damage. Given Chun-Li's 
lack of a really effective anti-air, this can be very useful 
especially against characters who have a dive move (e.g. Akuma, 
Yun, Yang, Necro, Twelve). However, it's better to use it 
against deep jump-ins, that way you can connect most of the hits.
Sometimes, the Kikoushou will make your opponent bouncer and 
he/she can block the rest of the super. You don't want that to 
happen.

The super bar is rather small, so you can charge it quite 
quickly. To get tips on how to charge your bar quickly, read the 
paragraph 2.3.

Drawbacks:

You can only charge one super. This is annoying because it 
creates many situations of "hit or miss" and doesn't give you the 
opportunity to use many EX moves. As a matter of fact, Kikou Shou 
Chun-Lis are quite predictable.

If the super whiffs, you're in BIG trouble. Sometimes when you 
use it as a wake-up or as a punishing move it can go in the wrong 
way. The main rule with this super is to know what you're doing.

Apparently it seems to be easy to get thrown out of this super. 
This point was brought to my attention by Shadowgeist from the 
gamefaqs.com boards. The reason for this is because the Kikoushou 
animation starts with Chun-Li charging energy with her arms.

It is not the Houyokusen. =)

SAII: Houyokusen
----------------
Pure damage: 33%

Number of hits: 17

Super bar:  2

Skill level: intermediate/expert

This is by far her best Super Art, and the most used in 
tournaments. I have even heard of tournaments in which this SA 
was forbidden because it is too strong. Actually, it is not much 
the move itself but the facility with which you can link it that 
makes it a deadly weapon. In my opinion, this is the best SA in 
the game. Period.

Advantages:

It is Chun-Li's most damaging SA (slightly better than the Kikou 
Shou).

You get 2 super bars (so you still have the possibility to use EX 
moves, especially the EX Spinning Bird Kick)

It travels the screen very fast, which makes it an extremely 
good attack to punish mistakes -a missed Shoryuken, for instance- 
but keep in mind that you won't have many opportunities to use it 
as such on high level play. But don't worry, it is not its best 
use anyway.

It is hard to parry, even when not in a combo. Actually, it is 
quite hard to get the first hit because it's much faster than 
it looks. Once you manage to parry the first hit, the rest is 
not that hard. However, if you miss the Houyokusen -which 
shouldn't happen-, any skilled opponent can just parry the last 
hit of the super, which is very easy. Try to not miss this super 
or you're dead meat.

It has a rather long invicibility frame at start-up which means 
that you can pass through fireballs. This is a very nice trick 
and many players aren't aware of it: just wait until the fireball 
is close. The good thing is that you don't necessarily need to 
pull off the super as soon as you "feel" the invicibility frame 
coming, since most Ryu/Ken/Akuma players won't block after 
throwing a fireball (and you know there are many shotokans out 
there). Just keep in mind that the invincibility frame is rather 
long compared to other supers but lasts less than one second. So 
don't try the super just when you see the fireball coming, you 
will waste it. This should only be used occasionally as a surprise 
attack, and remember that you can't pass through Urien's Metallic 
Sphere.

This super can also punish blocked fireballs (from the shotos) 
or sag hit fireballs -within jumping distance-. This is especially 
useful if your opponents abuse thier Low MK - Fireball combo.
 
It is comboable from most of Chun-Li's pokes: this is the most 
important aspect, and it's the reason why she is so feared in 
arcades. This is the way this SA should be use, especially since 
the damage reduction isn't big as long as you only use one normal 
attack to start the combo. You can link her SAII from 
the: _low MK
     _back  MP
     _back  HP
     _low HP
     _close back/forward + HK (the flying 
kick)                                                                                
           
     _kikouken (qcf +P)
     _EX kikouken (qcf + PP)

But you will ONLY need her low MK to win. Why? Simply because it's 
one of the best normal moves in the game: it's fast and hits low, 
but more than anything its hit stun time is longand it has a great 
number of frames. You can cut the animation of this move at any 
moment to start the SA: usually you have to finish the motion of 
the super exactly at the end of the normal move. I have no idea of 
why Capcom did that, but it gives Chun-Li an edge over most other 
fighters, as if she wasn't already powerful enough. If you want to 
win as many fights as possible, simply abuse Chun-Li's 
"low MK - Houyokusen" trick. Even though it is already famous 
everywhere, most players don't have very good low parrying skills, 
and this move is faster than it looks like. Mix up your attacks and 
you'll frustrate many players. This is the way Chun-Li is used in 
tournaments, and this is the way the Japanese top-players use her 
as well.

If you have trouble pulling off the super motion, remember that 
there are mainly two ways of getting this trick to work: either you 
throw the MK and then do the qcf X2 + K motion, or you buffer the 
first qcf DURING the MK, and then you do another qcf +K during the 
hit stun animation. It sounds complicated in theory, but trust me, 
any player can do it: I even managed to get it to work on the 
Dreamcast's regular controller, even though I despise this thing and 
never use it. But of course, it is more likely to work if you're 
playing with an arcade stick. The top Japanese players have been 
reported to do the super motion EVERY time they stick out the low MK. 
While this technique can appear as exhausting in the long run, it is 
extremely efficient: they can wait and see if the MK hits. If it does, 
they just need to press any Kick button again and the super connects. 
I like to keep pressing the MK button when I'm buffering for some 
reason. I usually press HK to start the super.

But there's more: you can cancel a super jump at the end of the super, 
which adds up to the damage already inflicted by the Houyokusen. You 
need to cancel the super jump motion (down, up) during Chun-li's last 
kick. I remember having trouble to pull this off at first, which is 
why I recommend to do the super jump motion all the way through the 
super: it makes you look dumb, but it works every time.

Once you've cancelled the super jump motion, you have many 
opportunities. The best one is to use Chun's target combo 
(air HP, HP) because it will hit every time if you learn the 
timing. You can also do "down + MK, HK" but be aware of the fact 
that the HK won't hit constantly. It does the same damage, though. 

Drawbacks:

However, this super has a very long lag time if missed. If your 
opponent blocks and has a super in stock, you're dead. This is 
another good reason to use the low MK trick.

This SA doesn't have good priority. It can be stopped after its 
initial invincibility frame by most normal attacks. This means 
that you shouldn't just use it out of the blue thinking that 
your opponent won't be able to counter/out-prioritize it.

If you have the Dreamcast version of the game, you can learn how to 
cancel the Houyokusen from her low MK in training. This is the key 
to becoming a dangerous Chun player.

SAIII: Tensei Ranka
-------------------
Pure damage: 23%

Number of hits: 9 (varies from 1 to 9 when used as an anti-air, but 
most of the time it's 5)

Power bar:  3

Skill level: button masher =)

I see this Super Art as the antithesis of the Houyokusen: it is 
by far Chun-Li's worst SA. I almost NEVER see anyone use it because 
it's hard to find actual uses for it. I'm all for variety, but 
honestly, why use this when her two other SAs are among the best in 
the game? I'm starting to think that Capcom gave her this SA to 
prevent her from being even stronger... =)

Advantages:

It can be used as an anti-air. I suppose this is what the developers 
had in mind when they created it.

You get 3 small super bars, which means that you can use EX moves and 
charge your bar very quickly.

You can try to use it as a wake-up move because the last hit is an 
overhead. But that's definitely a waste of a super, and the damage 
is very poor. Besides, this isn't going to work against experienced 
players.

Drawbacks:

It is not that great of an anti-air. If you're lucky, you might 
connect the whole 9 hits, but you're more likely to only get 5, 
or sometimes it will even whiff. Either way, the damage is 
ridiculous, and not worth taking the risk of using it as an 
anti-air. Compare that with the damage you get from 
"parrying - Kikou Shou". Discouraging, huh? =)

It is not as comboable as the Houyokusen. What I mean by this point 
is that this SA should be easily comboable, since it does so little 
damage. But it isn't the case. What's even worse: can you imagine the 
damage this move does when included in a combo? Besides, you can only 
cancel this Super Art 
from the: _low MK
          _back MP
          _down HP
          _back HP
          _MP (but most of the time only 1 hit will connect)
          _down/forward HK (the flying kick -only 1 hit connects-)
          _kikouken (qcf +P)
          _EX kikouken (qcf+PP)

It is easy to parry, even used as an anti-air. It basically takes 
only three parries to parry the whole 9 hits. Any decent player 
will be able to parry it in my opinion.

The damage is too small. Well, this is self-explanatory. Sure, it 
could be argued that it is normal since you have 3 power bars: but 
the number of times the Tensei Ranka will hit is so small that it 
can't be considered as a balanced Super Art.

Chun-Li's EX Hazanshou is almost as good as the Tensei Ranka and has 
the same properties. Why choose it as a super when all Chun players 
have access to this move?


2.4 Chun-Li' air game:

Chain combo: Air HP, HP

Use this chain combo as much as possible, because the timing to parry 
it is not easy.

You can occasionally use her Head Stomp (air down + MK when above your 
opponent), especially against turtles. It is quite risky, though.

Her air HP has very good priority (very good if you can anticipate air 
moves, such as Akuma's air fireball). Her air Down + HP is her best 
combo starter, but it is hard to land on experienced players as it is 
easy to parry.

Priority of her air MK: use it as a late jump-in attack, that makes it 
harder to parry. Why is it such a good attack? Well, first off, it 
has priority over most normal moves. Secondly, it comes out very fast,
which is good for surprise attacks (mix air MKs and "blank jump 
parries"). It looks exactly like her air LK, but it does -almost- 
twice more damage. If you decide to jump-in, which is something you 
should rarely do when using this character, this is a good attack to 
use.

Air throw: this is definitely an important part of Chun-Li's arsenal. 
She is one of the few characters in the game to have such a move (with 
Oro and Ibuki). It is performed by using the same throw move as on the 
ground (LP+LK), but in the air. Some players consider this move cheap: 
my advice would be not to listen to them. If it's in the game, it's in 
the game, right? =)
Use it when you're fighting an opponent that seems to spend a lot of 
time in the air (Oros, Twelves and Ibukis can be annoying like that).


2.5 Chun's poking game:

Her normal moves have a very good priority, which is why a good player 
will use her defensively but still keep pressuring his opponent. What 
you want to do is find a way to break his defense.

Most of her moves work very well as counters: the most obvious example 
is her standing HP. It will out-prioritize most of the other moves 
(including specials) in the game. Actually, you could finish the
arcade mode using this move only. I frustrated many players with her 
standing HP: the main reason being its sick range. It doesn't matter 
if it doesn't hit, your opponent won't have time to counter since it 
has almost no lag time. It is a very good "charge meter" move, too. 
Don't forget to abuse this move when using Chun-Li's superior poking 
game!


2.4 Chunner's anti-poking game:

Here is a tactic I wasn't aware of until SlimX told me about it
on the gameFAQs.com boards:

There is a useful technique that combines the "Back + HP XX Houyokusen" 
super cancel. If you hit Back + HP (and it whiffs) and immediately 
perform the super command, the super won't come out because Chun is 
still in the Back + HP recovery frame. However, if your opponents 
throws out a poke -which is definitely not a rare sight in this game-, 
the Back + HP will beat it out most of the time and since the Back + HP 
hit, the super will come out and combo. It's a great anti-poking tactic. 
It also works when your opponent is dashing forward to throw and runs 
into the Back + HP. As long as you're far enough away that the 
Back + HP doesn't actually hit them if they don't attack, you're 
fine.

This is great since Chun-Li is a great poking character: you can now 
poke your opponent to death and "counter" his/her pokes? What more 
could you possibly want? =)


---------------------------------------------------------------------------


3 Combos

3.1 Combo rules

All these combos were done with default System Direction settings 
on Ryu. If you find out that one of these combos doesn't work or if you 
feel that I've left out an important combo, please let me know by email. 
The most useful combos are followed by *. Don't forget that the longest 
combos are not always the best in this game because of the damage 
reduction system (especially when using Tensei Ranka, which does 
little damage).

It is a well-known fact that jump-ins are harder to connect in high-level 
play. You can perform any of these combos without the initial jump-in, of 
course (be creative! dash-in, or under jump-ins to start combos; you can 
even use some of them after a clean ground parry).

Note: Any Kikouken can be replace by an EX Kikouken if you have enough 
meter.


3.2 Normal combos

Standing MP XX Houyokusen (=SAII) XX super jump HP, HP (or other follow-ups) *
-20 hits, 40.7%-
Standing MP XX Kikoushou (=SAI) -21 hits, 35.8%-
Standing MP, Kikouken XX Kikoushou (=SAI) -18 hits, 22.8%-

Back + MP, Kikouken -2 hits, 8.6%-3hits, 11.7%-
Back + MP XX Kikoushou (=SAI) -24 hits, 36.4%-
Back + MP XX Houyokusen (=SAII) XX super jump HP, HP (or other follow ups) *
-21 hits, 38.9%-
Back + MP XX Tensei Ranka (=SAIII) -11 hits, 29.6%-
Back + MP, Kikouken XX Kikou Shou (=SAI) * -21 hits, 29.6%-
Back + MP, Kikouken XX Houyokusen (=SAII) XX super jump HP, HP 
(or down + MK, HK) -22 hits, 34.6%-
Back + MP, Kikouken XX Tensei Ranka (=SAIII) -12 hits, 26.5%-

Jump-in down + HP, standing HP -good stun- * -2hits, 18.5-
Jump-in down + HP, close standing HK -good stun- * -2 hits, 19.1%-
Jump-in down + HP, standing LK (keep pressing LK) -4 hits, 18.5%-
Jump-in down + HP, low HP, EX Spinning Bird Kick * -7 hits, 32.1%-
Jump-in down + HP, back + HP, EX Spinning Bird Kick * -7 hits, 33.3%-
Jump-in down + HP, low HP, LK Spinning Bird Kick * -6 hits, 27.2%-
Jump-in down + HP, low HP, MK Spinning Bird Kick * -8 hits, 28.4%-
Jump-in down + HP, low MK, LK Spinning Bird Kick -6 hits, 26.5%-
Jump-in down + HP, low MK, MK Spinning Bird Kick -8 hits, 28.4%-
Jump-in down + HP, low MK XX Houyokusen (=SAII) XX super jump HP, HP 
(or other follow-ups) * -21 hits, 46.3%-
Jump-in down + HP XX Kikoushou (=SAI) -21 hits, 35.2%-
Jump-in down + HP, low LP XX Kikoushou (=SAI) -22 hits, 36.4%-
Jump-in down + HP XX Houyokusen (=SAII) XX super jump HP, HP 
(or other follow-ups) * -20 hits, 38.9%-
Jump-in down + HP XX Tensei Ranka (=SAIII) -10 hits, 30.9%-
Jump-in down + HP, low HP XX Tensei Ranka (=SAIII) -11 hits, 27%-
Jump-in down + HP, Kikouken XX Tensei Ranka (=SAIII) -11 hits, 27.8%-
Jump-in down + HP, back + MP XX Kikoushou (=SAI) -23 hits, 38.9%-
Jump-in down + HP, back + HP XX Kikoushou (=SAI) -22 hits, 35.2%-
Jump-in down + HP, back + HP XX Tensei Ranka (=SAIII) -11 hits, 38.3%-
Jump-in down + HP, back + MP, Kikouken XX Kikoushou (=SAI) -24 hits, 31.5%-
Jump-in down + HP, back + HP, Kikouken XX Kikoushou (=SAI) -23 hits, 32,7%-
Jump-in down + HP, low HP, Kikouken -3 hits, 21.6%-
Jump-in down + HP, low HP XX Kikoushou (=SAI) -22 hits, 39.5%-
Jump-in down + HP, low HP, Kikouken XX Kikoushou (=SAI) * -23 hits, 38.9%-

Back + HP XX Houyokusen (=SAII) XX super jump HP, HP (or other follow-ups) *
-20 hits, 40.7%-
Back + HP XX Kikou Shou (=SAI) -18 hits, 35.2%-
Back + HP, Kikouken XX Kikoushou (=SAI) * -22 hits, 33.9%-
Back + HP XX Tensei Ranka (=SAIII) -10 hits, 29.6%-

Low HP XX Kikoushou (=SAI) -21 hits, 35.2%-
Low HP XX Houyokusen (=SAII) XX super jump HP, HP (or other follow-ups) 
-20 hits, 32.1%-
Low HP XX Tensei Ranka (=SAIII) -10 hits, 30.9%-
Low HP, Kikouken XX Kikoushou (=SAI) -20 hits, 30.9%-
Low HP, Kikouken XX Houyokusen (=SAII) XX super jump HP, HP (or other 
follow-ups) -21 hits, 35.8%-

Close standing MK XX Kikoushou (=SAI) -23 hits, 31.5%-

Low MK XX Kikoushou (=SAI) * -19 hits, 33.9%-
Low MK XX Tensei Ranka (=SAIII) -10 hits, 30.2%-
Low MK XX Houyokusen (=SAII) XX super jump HP, HP (or other follow-ups) *
-20 hits, 41.3%-
Low MK, Kikouken XX Kikoushou (=SAI) -20 hits, 23.4%-
(In the corner) Low MK, Kikouken XX Tensei Ranka (=SAIII) -11 hits, 22.8%-

Jump-in MK, close standing HK * -2 hits, 18.5%-
Jump-in MK XX Kikoushou (=SAI) * -19 hits, 33.9%-
Jump-in MK XX Houyokusen (=SAIII) XX super jump HP, HP (or other follow-ups) *
-20 hits, 41.3%-
Jump-in MK XX Tensei Ranka (=SAIII) -10 hits, 30.2%-

Jump-in HK, Close HK (good stun) * -2 hits, 19.1%-
Jump-in HK XX Kikoushou (=SAI) -21 hits, 28.4%-
Jump-in HK XX Houyokusen (=SAII) XX super jump HP, HP (or other follow-ups)
-20 hits, 40.1%-
Jump-in HK XX Tensei Ranka (=SAIII) -10 hits, 30.9%-
Jump-in HK, low LP, Kikoushou (=SAI) -22 hits, 36.4%-
Jump-in HK, low HP, Kikouken -3 hits, 21.6%-
Jump-in HK, low HP XX Kikoushou (=SAI) -22 hits, 39.5%-
Jump-in HK, low HP, Kikouken XX Kikoushou (=SAI) * -23 hits, 42%-
Jump-in HK, low MK XX Kikoushou (=SAI) -22 hits, 40.1%-
Jump-in HK, Low HP XX Houyokusen (=SAII) XX super jump HP, HP (or other 
follow-ups) -21 hits, 44.4%-
Jump-in HK, low MK XX Houyokusen (=SAII) XX super jump HP, HP (or other 
follow-ups) -21 hits, 45.1%-
Jump-in HK, low MK, Kikouken XX Kikoushou (=SAI) -23 hits, 42,7%-
Jump-in HK, low HP, Kikouken XX Houyokusen (=SAII) XX super jump HP, HP (or 
other follow-ups) -22 hits, 42%-

Close down-forward HK, low MK -2 hits, 17.3%-
Close down-forward HK, low HK -2 hits, 18.5%-
Close down-forward HK, back + HP -2 hits, 19.7%-
Close down-forward HK, Lightning Kicks -2 hits, 11.7%- -JMar-
Close down-forward HK, low MK XX Houyokusen (=SAII) XX super jump HP, HP 
(or other follow-ups) * -21 hits, 46.3%- -SlimX-
Close down-forward HK, low MK XX Kikoushou (=SAI) * -18 hits, 37.6%-
Close down-forward HK, back + HP XX Houyokusen (=SAII) XX super jump HP, HP 
(or other follow-ups) -21 hits, 45.7%-
Close down-forward HK, back + HP XX Kikoushou (=SAI) -19 hits, 38.8%-
Close down-forward HK, back + HP, Kikouken XX Kikoushou (=SAI) -17 hits, 35.8%-
Close down-forward HK XX Kikoushou (=SAI) -21 hits, 35.2%-
Close down-forward HK XX Houyokusen (=SA2) XX super jump HP, HP 
(or down + MK, HK) * -20 hits, 39.5%-

Kikouken XX Houyokusen (=SAII) XX super jump HP, HP (or other follows-ups) *
-20 hits, 29%-
Kikouken XX Kikoushou (=SAI) -21 hits, 24.7%-
(In the corner) Kikouken XX Tensei Ranka (=SAIII) -10 hits, 16%-


3.3 "Specific situation" combos (Skill Smith)

This section is dedicated to stun/Hugo/Q combos. These are basically 
useless in serious play, and are definitely not worth learning except 
maybe if you are playing with special system direction settings (but 
then again, why would you be reading this FAQ if you were? =). You 
can think of these as exhibition combos, because you will probably 
need to try them in training mode. However, they do look very flashy.
It is fun to try them when you are bored! =)

Note: I have not been able to try out all these combos yet.

1)Versus Q, in the corner:

_Jump-in HK, low HP, EX Spinning Bird Kick, EX Lightning Kicks


2)Versus Hugo, in the corner:
 
_jump-in down + HP, Back + MP, EX Lightning Kicks XX Houyokusen (=SAII)
 
Note: after the Houyokusen, hugo will bounce off the wall and not 
all the hits of the super art will connect. 

3)Versus Hugo nearly stunned, in the corner:
 
_Close standing HK, LP, LP, LK XX Kikoushou (=SAI)
 
Note: the stun meter requirement is crucial for most of Skill Smith' 
combos. While your opponent is stunned, your normal attacks will not 
"flip" your opponent onto their feet. This enables further juggle 
and creates some interesting combo opportunities. Your opponent must 
not be fully stunned or the first hit will reset your opponent's 
stun bar. This means that before the juggles take place, you must 
somehow stun your opponent using one or more hit. in this combo, 
the standing HK stuns hugo competely thus the following LPs and 
the other juggles connect. 

4)Versus Hugo nearly stunned, in the corner:
 
_Jump-in HK, low HP, LP XX Houyokusen (=SAII) XX super jump, air LK, 
jumping LP, jumping LK
 
Note: You must connnect the first jumping LK from the super jump. 
Chun-Li will land before Hugo: jump again, LP. Chun-Li will land 
before Hugo again, jump and LK. 

5)Versus Q nearly stunned, in the corner:

_EX Kikouken, super jump-in HK, Back + HP, Kikouken XX Houyokusen 
(=SAII), Houyokusen (=SAII) XX super jump, air down + MK

Note: Q is fully stunned after the first Houyokusen (=SAII), 
therefore the second one will connect.

6)Versus Q nearly stunned, in the corner:
 
_LK Hazanshou, standing HK, universal overhead, LP XX Kikoushou (=SAI)
 
Note: Q is stunned after the LK Hazanshou. Unlike combo #3, standing 
HK is not used for stunning Q, it's the juggle starter. The universal 
overhead barely hits Q and the LP is used to keep Q in the air for the 
Kikoshou (=SAI) to connect. 

7)Versus Hugo nearly stunned, in the corner:
 
_EX kikoken, jump-in down + HP, Back + MP (1-hit only), Kikouken XX 
Houyokusen (=SAII) XX super jump, air LK, jumping LP, jumping LK
 
Note: Hugo is stunned after the Houyokusen (=SAII) is completed. 
The "air LK, jumping LK, jumping LK" works in the same fashion as 
in combo #4.

8)Versus Makoto, in YOUR corner: 

_Down-forward HK, forward + MK XX Kikoushou (=SAI)
 
Note: The down-forward HK flips chunli over makoto and pins makoto 
against the corner. 

9)Versus Hugo nearly stunned, in the corner:
 
_Jump-in down + HP, low HP, low LP XX Houyokusen (=SAII) XX super jump, 
air MP, air HK 

Note: Hugo is stunned after the low HP. After the air MP, Chun-li will 
land before Hugo. Jump again, and hit him with HK. 

10)Versus Hugo nearly stunned, in the corner:
 
_Close standing HK, super jump, low MK, low MK, low MK, standing HK XX 
Kikoushou (=SAI) 

Note: This combo is VERY hard to connect. Hugo is stunned after 
the standing HK. Then you must cancel the jump and the down + MK 
(head stomp) will hit hugo on his forehead. You can connect 3 
head stomps. Then Chun-Li will land behind hugo, connect the HK and 
the Kikoushou (=SAI). One more thing, the second standing HK will 
turn Hugo facing the opposite direction thus creating more recovery 
time. This uses same principle as comboing akuma's Raging Demon off 
his far standing roundhouse. 

11)Versus hugo, in the corner: 

_Jump-in roundhouse, Lightning Kicks XX Houyokusen (=SAII) XX super jump,
air LP, Jumping LP 

Note: the Jumping HK stuns hugo. Lightning Kicks pushes chunli away so 
not all hits will connect, but the Houyokusen (=SAII) will fully connect.

Thanks again to chunli89 for the translation of the videos!


---------------------------------------------------------------------------


4. In-depth Chun-Li strategies

4.1 Precisions on Chun-Li's anti-air game

This is often described as Chun-Li's weakness, and it's true to an 
extent: Chun-Li has no reliable anti-air. You will have to work a 
lot on this aspect of the game to be less vulnerable to jump-in 
attacks, which are often combo starters.

Skill level: beginner

Her Back + MK is her best regular anti-air move. However, it is 
really not that safe. You have to time it perfectly, and it doesn't 
have much priority. I see many Chun players abusing this move, and 
that's a mistake: it is also very easy to parry. 

You can also occasionally use her standing MP, which is a decent 
anti-air. As mentioned by KDTC, you can combo it into a kikouken: 
just remember to vary the speed of the projectile (LP, MP, HP and 
EX) to stuff up your opponent's timing.

Skill level: intermediate

Her EX Spinning Bird Kick can be a very good anti-air. Most players 
will be surprised by it and will mess up on the parry. However, it 
is up to you to decide whether or not you want to use your power bar...

Her low HK has anti-air properties, strangely enough (it doesn't look 
like it should hit). I use this move more often than her Back + MK 
because it's faster, and a bit harder to parry. But you have to keep 
in mind that this move should be parried high, which means that this 
anti-air is not really that hard to parry.

Skill level: expert

This is a technique that works very well against top-level players 
who can parry everything you throw at them. Just wait for them to 
jump -don't go backwards, so that they're right in front of you-
and press HP. This move is not a very good anti-air, I know. But 
it should hit every time, and get parried most of the time. Before 
it gets parried/during the parrying frame, mash the kick buttons to
cancel a Lightning Kicks special. Now this is already a lot harder 
to parry, and most players won't see it coming. If you're playing 
against very good players who can parry this kind of multi-hit moves, 
forget about Chun-Li's anti-air and read the next section.

Dash-in as an anti-air:

Chun-Li's dash is fast enough to let you dash under your opponent 
if you can anticipate a jump-in. You still need to perform the dash 
quite soon, before they have attained the top of their jump. Most 
players will try to block if you dash under their jump-in, so you can 
either throw or mix-up. This tactic works great against beginner Akuma 
players whose game often revolves around throwing air fireballs. The 
delay on the fireball gives you more time to imput the dash motion.

Parrying as an anti-air:

You read it right: Chun-Li's most reliable anti-air technique is 
still the good old parry system. This is why I personally think 
that saying that playing Chun-Li requires no skill is nonsense. 
If you want to be competitive, you need to get better at parrying, 
and you will only get better by experiencing more.

Most beginners/decent players will attack with a clean hit when they 
jump-in, which is very easy to parry. Once you can parry this, you 
have an edge over your opponent (see the nest section).

However, the better players will try to jump-in using multi-hit attacks 
(e.g. Ryu's air MP, MP chain combo), which are much harder to parry. 
The only thing you can do is learn how to parry them by using the 
Dreamcast game's training mode.


4.2 What are her best follow-ups after a parry?

The normal you should use the most after a clean parry is obviously 
her HP, for reasons mentioned earlier. Contrary to most character's 
HPs, it will connect almost everytime. This is one of the reasons 
Chun-Li seems to be played better defensively: she can deal good 
damage after parries. 

Her Back + HP is also a very good follow-up because it leaves your 
opponent out of range and allows for quick damage.

You can also "parry - Low MK - Houyokusen (=SAII)" if you're 
confident enough.

Otherwise, if you have the possibility 
to use a SA after a parry, don't hesitate. =)
The Kikou Shou will connect almost all the time and the Houyokusen 
will connect as well except if the move parried is a jump-in.


4.3 How to charge your super bar quickly?

This is a very important aspect of the game, and Chun-Li has 
the possibility to charge up her super bar more quickly than 
most characters mainly due to the speed and the safe recovery of 
her normal moves. Now that we've seen how good her first two SAs 
are, it should be easy for you to understand that if you can charge 
up at least once super bar quickly, you can totally change the face 
of a fight.

Her best moves regarding this are her standing HP, her back + HP 
and her jumping (straight) HK. They are all abusing by Chun players 
around the world, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't use them. =)

Chun-Li's back + HP has very surprising properties, to say the least. 
First off, its range is a lot bigger than it looks. Many offensive 
players often get caught by this, because it's very fast -more than 
the standing fierce-. It is very hard (almost impossible) to parry when 
used right. Stick it out when you're retreating, or when your opponent 
is getting too aggressive. Besides these advantages, it can also be a 
very confusing move for your opponents: when it hits, you can start 
being offensive again by canceling a Kikouken or a Super Art from it.

Use her standing HP as both a poke and a "meter charger" move. Out 
of this list, it is the only one that can have an real offensive use. 
It has insane range and a very good recovery. Just don't use it as 
a charge meter move from far away, her Back + HP is much better for 
that.

I didn't know her jumping (straight) HK had this kind of properties 
until recently, when I saw a video of Sabin during the Houston tourney: 
the best way to use this is to stand about half a screen away from
your opponent and wait for him to try to attack. Not only this move 
has very good range, but also it is fast, does good damage, and hits 
both ways. If you can manage to get a few to connect, your super bar 
will charge up very fast.

SlimX suggested to use the super jump cancel at the end of the 
Houyokusen (=SAII) as a way to gain some time to build meter. Indeed, 
the HP, HP follow-up only takes off less than 2% (= 3 points in 
training mode) of your opponent's energy bar... Why not just super 
cancel a jump backward -to the other side of the screen- and try to 
build up your meter? You can do one attack during the jump and have 
time for at least 3 safe Back + HPs: you can recover a third of your 
super meter that way. You can even do more if your opponent doesn't 
have a fast fireball/rush-type move. Just keep in mind that using this 
tactic won't give you a good grade (because of the whiffed moves). But 
in tournament play, it's perfect. 

You can even taunt instead of charging your meter if you're feeling 
cocky. =)


4.4 "Run-away Chun-Li"

As the title hints, this section will deal with Chunner's 
run-away tactics. Thanks to her overall speed, she can avoid her 
opponent very easily: playing against a run-away Chun-Li can be 
extremely frustrating. Take advantage of this and force your opponent 
to attack and make mistakes!

This is the only real use of Chun-Li's wall jump (jump on the wall, 
and "bounce" in another direction); even though it is rarely useful, 
it can be used while trying to build meter or run out the clock. But 
you will need to be in control of the fight to use this move properly. 
Also keep in mind that Oro can take you by surprise with his double- 
jump.

Chun-Li's dash is quite fast, covers a long distance, and has fast 
recovery. To avoid contact with your opponent, keep dashing forward 
or backwards, especially when your opponent jumps. This tactic often 
confuses players who are not totally used to the engine yet.

A "run-away Chun" might want to use the (EX) Kikouken from full screen 
and wait for the opponent, then use dashes or wall jumps to avoid him 
when he comes up close. Just beware of projectile Super Arts if you 
decide to use the Kikouken (e.g. a Shinkuu Hadoken will nullify the 
Kikouken and then hit you because of the long recovery).


4.5 The Chun-Li press: an offensive way of playing Chun-Li?

TheHY from the gameFAQs.com board brought my attention to a way 
to play Chun-Li offensively that works wonders against turtles 
and named it the "Chun-Li press" -watch out for characters with 
high-priority moves, though-:

Walk towards the opponent, repeatedly throwing out LK, but try 
and up the timing on them. Mix this up with occasional forward + MK 
or low MK, and if they crouch, forward + HK/universal 
overhead/occasional LK Hazanshou. Remember to constantly walk forward, 
keeping in the foes' face. When they block and you're close, go for 
the throw. If they flinch, super (preferably Kikoushou in this case). 
This technique is mainly based around fast pokes to find the flaw 
in your opponent's defense. When you are low on life or when time 
is running out, this is a very good tactic. Even though Chun is 
best when played in a defensive fashion, any good player must 
know how to pressure with her and not rely only on defense and 
parrying.

An original way of using the Houyokusen (=SAII) but still pressure 
your opponent suggested by SlimX (again...) is to super cancel a 
jump toward at the end of the super, hit your opponent with a weaker 
attack instead of the "HP, HP", such as a jumping MK that won't 
knock them down unless they're stunned, and then use the 
down-forward HK just as you land. If they block low or the wrong 
way, you can get a couple more hits and you can even cancel another 
Houyokusen (=SAII) if you have enough meter. Even if the 
down-forward + HK is blocked, it is very unlikely that it will be 
parried. However, you must be aware of the fact that this super 
pushes your opponent in the corner about 80% of the time. In this 
case, the down-forward + HK, will whiff and leave you open. Try to 
see and judge if it will connect before taking any unnecessary risks.

You can also follow up the super jump with a jumping MK, then dash 
forward -to end up behind your opponent- and keep the pressure on. 
If you're in the corner (which, as we've just seen, happens often), 
you can land and immediately low MK again. If it hits, link it into 
another Houyokusen. Chun-Li has a pseudo 100% combo that uses this 
principal.


4.6 Properties of the down-forward HK

Chun-Li has that weird diagonal kick which is very good to surprise 
people, and that many beginners pull off by mistake, making them 
even more annoying to fight. _ combo. Don't give him opportunities to parry neither 
because he'll probably follow-up with a "Low HP, EX Heabutt, 
HK Tackle or(Metallic Sphere XX) Temporal Thunder", and that HURTS. 
Remember that you can pass through the Metallic Sphere with the 
Houyokusen (=SAII), but the projectile is so slow that you have to do 
the super when it is right on top of you, usually removing any chance 
of hitting Urien out of his recovery. Usually, the Houyokusen starts 
to pass through the Sphere (often beginning to hit Urien) but when the 
invincibility runs out, the Sphere is still overlapping Chun-Li and 
she's out of the super. Charge your meter and hope that he does a mistake, 
then do "Low MK XX Houyokusen". Don't forget to tech roll (press down 
when you fall down) if he is using Aegis Reflector (=SAIII), it can 
help.

Ken: He can also be tough, especially if your opponent abuses the 
cross-up combo. This time you should probably try to be more 
offensive since Ken's mix-ups are likely to hit you if you just try to 
block. Use Chun's anti-air techniques and use blank jumps to lure 
you opponent into Shoryukens. Once you have parried a Shoryuken, you 
can safely retaliate with a Super Art (Kikou Shou,=SAI, works well) or a 
combo. Just don't let him develop his game. Don't jump too much 
because of the Air Hurricane Kick. Learn how to recognize his pokes 
and parry them.

Akuma: This is usually a pretty easy match-up for Chun-Li, unless 
you are fighting against a very smart player. Dash a lot and try to 
scare your opponent by low pokes. Mix-up your game and use the 
Houyokusen. You can safely poke against Akuma because of his low 
stamina: even if only a few of your pokes connects, you've almost 
won the fight. Play in a similar way as against Ken if your 
opponent is smart. Parry or dash under air fireballs, and kara-throw.

Remy: He CAN be tough if your opponent is one of these guys who sit 
all day long wait for you to jump in. If you have decent parrying skills 
though, you can parry his special moves quite easily. Watch out for 
the occasional EX Cold Blue Kick (I recommend blocking it), and poke 
a lot. When you jump-in, always be prepared to parry a multi-hit attack. 
If you block his crouching roundhouse, just parry the second hit (low).

Necro: He's a good anti-Chun-Li character because he can keep her 
to a distance. Learn to parry his anti-airs and play more defensively 
when your opponent has a super bar charged. The best solution is to 
poke like crazy: the more he sticks out his limbs, the more chances the 
poke has to hit. As usual, her standing HP is a weapon of choice. Remember 
to stay out of the corner since he can use his Magnetic Storm (=SAI) out 
of his throw.

Ibuki: She should not be a big issue, mainly because Chun-Li has 
much more stamina and damage potential. To win the fight, your opponent 
has to make virtually no mistake. Stay on the defensive and wait for the 
opening. Your opponent will probably be scared of your low MK, so don't 
be afraid to use overheads. You can meet Ibuki in the air and out-priori-
-tize her with a Jumping MK. (Kara-) Throw a lot.

Elena: She should not be much of a problem with you. You can poke her 
all day long with HP and wait for her to make a mistake. Don't let 
her start pressuring you and develop her mix-up game. Learn how to parry 
the Rhino Horn and punish. If your opponent is trying to throw and has a 
full super bar with SAII, chances are that he's trying to find an 
opportunity to heal. Go to the opposite corner of the screen and whiff a 
HP to make your opponent try the super, and then use the Houyokusen. =)
Try to block high most of the time because her most damaging combos start 
with low MP.

Makoto: She can be pretty annoying when used right... Try to be defensive 
especially if your opponent is using the Abare Tosanami (=SAII) because 
its follow-ups can be very painful. Poke, poke and poke. Jump-in and parry 
her anti-airs. Try not to get caught in her trap... So you must avoid 
getting too close, you don't want her to connect her Karakusa too often. 
Watch out for her Seichuusen Godanzuki (=SAI) because it comes out fast and 
deals a lot of damage. Basically, remember Makoto can dish major damage and 
stun in a short period of time.

Alex: Alex usually suffers a lot against Chun-Li. Try to push him in the 
corner, where he is not effective. Watch out for the Stungun Headbutt 
(=SAIII) as a wake-up or when you jump in. He can also use the Hyper Bomb 
(=SAI) after a parry or after the Spinning Bird Kick. When you poke with 
the low MK, remember Alex can use his Headstomp (overhead). Keep poking 
high and low and don't let him attack. If he starts playing mind games 
with the "MK - LP Flash Chop", try to parry the MK or throw.

Yang: Smart Yang players will mix-up their game a lot. Watch out for the 
Forward + MK overhead. He can poke you to death with his (EX) Mantis Slash, 
too, and his normal pokes have high priority. However, Yang doesn't have 
any real way to deal damage in a short amount of time, contrary to Yun. You 
can use to your advantage: zone, and try to catch him with your pokes. Keep 
him at a distance, don't let him pressure you. The EX Spinning Bird Kick 
works well against Yang, especially used as a wake-up. You don't have much 
to fear from his Super Arts: his Raishin Mahaken (=SAI) is easy to parry 
unless included in a combo, his Sei-ei Bu (=SAIII) doesn't deal much damage 
and is impossible to combo into, and his Tenshin Senkyuutai (=SAII) is mainly 
used for EX moves.

Twelve: He should not be a threat for you. His low stamina and his 
inability to deal much damage makes it an easy opponent for Chun-Li.
Watch out for his anti-air (parry them), and his normal throw. His dive 
move is easy to parry, and the only Super Arts you should fear are 
X.F.L.A.T. (big damage, but if you play defensively it shouldn't hit you) 
and X.C.O.P.Y., obviously. You don't want to fight against a powered-up 
Chun-Li. =) 
If your opponent uses X.C.O.P.Y., run away until the Super is over and 
use a Super when he's morphing back.

Dudley: He can be quite annoying, but if you keep in mind that low MKs can 
stop many of his attacks, you should be fine. Don't get into a "poke war" 
with him, he is just too good at it. His MK, HK, HP chain can be annoying 
and some players use it as an anti-air. Fear the Corkscrew Blow, it is 
very fast and has almost no recovery time. Try to mix-up your game and use 
the down/forward HK a lot.

Sean: He is not a very good character, but an experienced Sean player can 
be tricky to beat. You can easily parry most of his moves, but he can use 
mind games involving the basketball taunt or the Sean Tackle. Don't forget 
his roll, it can be annoying whem used right. Don't underestimate the Sean 
Hadou, even though it is only one parry it can be comboed easily. Most 
players use his other 2 super arts, though. Just try not to get caught when 
your opponent's bar is full. You can easily parry the Hyper Tornado if it 
is not comboed (just one parry) but remember it has an invincibility start 
-up.

Chun-Li: This is a tough fight, obviously... If you've mastered all the skills
contained in this FAQ, you should be alright. Chun vs Chun is mainly a battle 
of pokes. Stick to the best ones (HP, Back + HP) and use overheads so that 
your opponent can't connect the low MK. Do not jump too much because you 
have nothing over your opponent in the air. You need to play smart and dash 
a lot. The press technique is recommended.

Tiers description (versus Chun-Li):

Tier 1:

Chun-Li
Yun
Ryu
Oro
Ken
Dudley
Yang

Tier 2:

Urien
Necro
Akuma
Hugo
Elena
Q
Makoto
Ibuki
Remy
Alex

Tier 3:

Sean
Twelve

Note: This is only a personal opinion on tiers -against Chun-Li- based on 
the character's natural strentgh. This is not my opinion on the Third Strike 
tiers in general (only against Chun-Li) and it implies that both players 
have equal skill, which is obviously impossible in reality. Another thing 
you have to keep in mind is that Third Strike is a well-balanced game, 
mainly because of the parry feature. This chart is based on the character's 
normal, special, and super moves, their (kara-)throw range, the quality of 
their pokes, their parry follow-ups, their stamina, their damage potential,
and finally if they can or not develop their game against a good Chun-Li. 
This is just meant to be an indication on what kind of fight you should be 
expecting when you are fighting a good player, please do not take it 
litteraly.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------


7. Extras:

7.1 Chun-Li's outfits

You get a different outfit depending on the button you press to 
select her on the character select screen. If you have finished 
the game with her at least once (and have saved it on your VMU) 
you have access to 6 new colors:

LP _ Regular color, SF2 Chun-Li with the blue dress
MP _ Green dress
HP _ Dark blue dress
LK _ Navy blue dress (similar to her HP outfit)
MK _ Black dress
HK _ Red dress
LP + MK + HP _ Gray dress with normal stockings

After finishing the game:

Start + LP _ Light blue dress with purple stockings (my favorite =)
Start + MP _ Black dress with gray stockings
Start + HP _ Red dress with red stockings
Start + LK _ Pink dress with pink stockings (Bubblegum Chun!)
Start + MK _ Gray dress with gray stockings
Start + HK _ her outfit is totally black


7.2 Chun-Li's pre-fight intros

She walks toward her opponent and salutes him/her saying "Iku wa 
yo" (="here I go") in Japanese.
She walks toward her opponent and salutes him/her saying "Junbi wa
ii?" (= "Are you ready?" in Japanese).
She walks toward her opponent and says "Kore wa honto no tsuyosa yo"
(="This is true strenght" in Japanese).
She walks toward her opponent and salutes him/her saying "Zhu Ni 
Hao Yun" (= "Good luck" in Mandarin).


7.3 Chun's victory poses

She crosses her arms and says something in Japanese.
She jumps and laughs, and then says "Yatta!" (= "I did it" in Japanese).
She crosses her arms and says "Xie xie" (= "Thank you" in Mandarin).
She crosses her arms and says "Tameraiba make yo" (= "If you 
hesitate, you lose").


7.4 Chun's win quotes

"Am I still the strongest woman in the world? Tell me!"
"It's been much too long since I've been in a fair fight"
"No, I've never throw any of my bracelets away. Why do you ask?"
"You haven't seen my best yet! Please let me show you!"
"You'd be great if you found a better reason to fight!"
"Put some though into your actions and you'll eliminate your regrets"
"Hey, leave me alone! I'm a fighter, not a news reporter!"
"Power is useless without skill and speed!"


7.5 Arcade mode translation speech

Mid-boss speech before fighting Urien:

Chun-Li: "I don't know what your scheme is... But I can't let 
you harm small children!"

Chun=Li: "Where is that girl?"

Urien: "How could you ask to see me for such a trifle thing? 
You must be a fool!"

Urien: "I'll give you the girl, but you must entertain me in return."

Urien: "Your legendary legs are said to have destroy "that 
organization.""

Urien: "Let me find out for myself, if the rumors about 
you are true..."


7.6 Chun-Li's ending

*In a street crowded with cops and police cars:
"_Miss!
_You're going to be ok now..."

It's been six months since then... When I held the girl, the girl whose 
life I saved. I finally realized what my true "fight" should be...

For my Mother country, that my father tried to protect...
  
For all the warm-hearted people I met throughout the world...
 
*In her dojo, with many children:

_To teach the meaning of true strength and beauty to these kids... 
That is the purpose of my life, and my future. I'll use my fist to 
create our tomorrow!

*Chun-Li and her students are all doing kicks*
       _Yaaah!!


---------------------------------------------------------------------------


8 Credits:

To Kao Megura: For all his FAQs on the site and especially his Third 
Strike FAQ. You're missed, man.

To Skill Smith: For the "special conditions" combos.

To SlimX: For his hard work to keep the gameFAQs.com Third Strike board 
clean and interesting, for giving me so much feedback (Houyokusen 
follow-ups, anti-poking techniques, comments on the Back + HP, 
Close + HK, Forward + HK, runaway/build meter Houyoku, and reminding me 
of the jump wall), and being a cool IRC peep.

To chunli89: For her imput on Kikouken strategies, and her translation 
of the Skill Smith combos. Thanks again! 

To Shadowgeist: For commenting on so much stuff that I can't name 
it all -Kikoushou, priority issues, "versus help" against almost 
all the characters-, and reminding me of some details I didn't mention 
(option defense select, SBK giving lots of Super energy, an extra 
color, extra crouching damage...). Good stuff.

To TheHY: For his efforts on the gameFAQs Third Strike board board and 
for coming up with the "Chun-Li press" concept.

To KDTC: For reminding me that Houyokusen is guaranteed after a sack 
hit hadouken, mentioning the close standing MK XX Kikoushou combo, 
and the anti-air properties of the standing MP.

To TrueWarrior: For his "Speech translation FAQ", it helped me a 
lot since I can't read Japanese.

To Ryo Yamazaki, Chip , samson, yota2001, CAPCOMSNKVISCOSAMMY... : 
For bearing with my "cheap" Chun-Li tactics and being cool and skilled 
opponents. Wait until I come back from the US to give you guys a 
lesson! =P

To MeesterYuk: For proving the Houyokusen parrying rumor wrong and
telling me about it! =)

To JMar: For mentioning the down-forward - Lighting Kicks combo, even 
though I can't recommend it. =)

To totalstuff: For hosting this FAQ and my reviews on his site, 
igamingnetwork.tripod.com. Best site EVA!

To miffo, OrochiJin, NickEvil, MCJess and Vegita: for proofreading this 
FAQ and helping me on the formatting. 

To All my peeps from the boards -NickEvil, Geohound Omega, HustleKong, 
MCJess, Crispin Evil, Nevermind Me/Mao, totalstuff, FighterX, Andy7878, 
Twinkie, softoutlaw, Mr. Bump, KANE79, 6Bit, rpgrobert, hoag1, miffo, 
lobo, NoMeRoN, Jack Torrance, WTFer, D0NKEY K0NG, Rick, Roufuss, Skinny 
Puppy, DigDat0, Momac*, Zohar Metatron, KindredWarr, ChainsawRaccoon, 
Akira from PSO, XwShaynewX, Gudeath, thefigurehead, OrochiJin, dreamon, 
YoungForrest, ninjakid, Punkguy, Dillinger, xtreme, umgogo, Lantis, lukav, 
MeesterYuk, shaolin stylez, kal-el, chunli89, Space Ace, Terry Bogard, 
Crimson Fury, Mr. Angry, pepper2000, Project Jiek, DFisher34, bobfish, 
AkumaZ, Annihilated, cliveboy, Vegita, srwilson, JazzieD, Vegita, GDBlood, 
NeoGamer, Cormega, Adanis, GalFord, Zigfried, Gunblade, MLai, Forman, 
Rebirth Gamer, CJones, Huricanne Higashi, GlucoseJoe, ShinATproof, 
DanKetch, Solid Snake, Czigga, gwings, Tones, Super Android, NekkiBasara, 
Lebowski, DRVO...- and I'm missing some: For making me want to stay on the 
boards and write this FAQ.

To CjayC: For being a cool person -most people don't 
realize the work- and not rejecting my FAQ. =)

To gamefaqs.com and CheatCodes.com: For being cool places.

To Shoryuken.com: For being a great place for info. I first got the option 
select defense and kara-throw information from them.

To Capcom and SNK: For making the best fighters.

To Sega: For making the DC.

Vive la France! =)

This document is copyright 2001 Nadir Sellam a.k.a. BillyKane.