One of the most intimidating – and often much-maligned – methods of control in Street Fighter 6 is the dreaded Charge motion. So ubiquitous is this disdain, entire characters are immediately written off at the very whisper of them using this mechanic at all. Which is a real shame, since some of the most iconic characters in Street Fighter use them.
Everyone from Chun-Li, Guile, E. Honda, and even Deejay (to name a few) will demand you learn this odd mechanic, otherwise, you aren’t playing that character very well – or at all as is the more likely outcome. We are here to teach you how to do this movement, and why you should really give it a go. It’s not as bad as you might initially think.
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What Is A Charge Motion In Street Fighter 6
A Charge motion is denoted in a character’s Command List by a Yellow Arrow pointing in one direction followed by a white arrow in the opposite. These are very common in Street Fighter, but not all characters have them. For example, series poster boy Ryu doesn’t, but other regulars like Chun-Li have multiple.
You’ll notice when trying to do these motions that the attack is not coming out, and that’s because you are not performing the motion correctly.
How To Execute A Charge Motion
Charge motions require you to, well, Charge your attack before you can unleash it. Charging has no visual indicator, so you will need to have a pretty good internal clock to get the timing right. To charge, all you have to do is hold ‘Back’ for around half a second to a second (the exact timing seems to change based on Character and Move). Then press the opposite direction in time with the relevant Face Button.
For example, E. Honda can perform a Sumo Headbutt. To pull this off, hold Back for 0.5 seconds then press Forward+Punch. The motion itself can take a little while to really get to grips with, but after a few minutes, you should be able to land these techniques with a high level of reliability.
Different Types Of Charge Motions In Street Fighter 6
There are different kinds of Charge motions, however. In this instance, we are talking about Down Charging. Like a typical Charge motion, Down Charge requires you to hold Down for a while before pressing Jump+Face Button. An example would be Guile’s Flash Kick which requires Down Charge, Jump+Kick.
When Can You Charge?
The simplest answer to this would be – always. You can charge at any time, even during a combo. This is very important to note as this allows you to insert powerful Charge Specials into your combos by “hiding” your Charge motion.
Not only that, but you can Charge multiple attacks at the same time. Remember how Guile’s Flash Kick required a Down Charge to pull off? If you press Down Back on your controller you can Charge both your Back and Down Charge at the same time. What does this mean in-game? A Charge character is most dangerous when they are crouching. Sure you can’t move, but you are always ready to react to anything your opponent throws.
Disadvantages Of Charge Motions
The biggest downside to Charge is that the moment you let go of your Charge, it is lost. What does this mean in practice? Well, it means once you take a step forward, you are at your most vulnerable as all of your Charge Specials are disabled until you regain your Charge.
This can be taken advantage of by your opponent. You will often see them be more aggressive once you lose your charge, then revert to being more cautious the moment you start Charging again.
Best Characters To Learn Charge Motions With In Street Fighter 6
There are a lot of characters in Street Fighter 6 with Charge motions, however, some are better than others when it comes to learning the ropes. We would highly recommend a character like E. Honda if you are looking to cut your teeth. E. Honda is ideal because he is a pseudo-Charge character. Some of his moves require Charge, but not all of them.
This makes Honda more adaptable and less defensive than a pure Charger like Guile. That being said, Guile is also an excellent starting point as Guile is the face of Charge. Guile’s gameplan is very simple, he has excellent Normals, and his Charge attacks are some of the best for keeping distance and dealing with aerial engagements.
That’s all we have on Street Fighter 6 for now. Be sure to check out our other lists and guides for more Street Fighter content.
