Beginner's Guide

Introduction

Guilty Gear -Strive- (GGST) is a 2D fighting game by Arc System Works. Compared to previous Guilty Gear titles, controls were streamlined to be more accessible to newcomers while preserving deep gameplay for advanced players. This guide covers the essential systems and tips to get you started.

Basic Controls and Attack Buttons

GGST uses five attack buttons:

Button	Abbreviation	Purpose
Punch	P	Fast pokes and combo starters
Kick	K	Low attacks, fast moves
Slash	S	Main damage source, combo filler
Heavy Slash	HS	High damage, knockdown
Dust	D	Special attacks, Dust Attack

Close-range S is written as "c.S" and far-range S as "f.S" — these are different moves for most characters.

Tension Gauge

The Tension Gauge is the yellow bar at the bottom of the screen (0–100).

How to build it:

• Moving forward, dashing, and aggressive play increases Tension
• Retreating and running away builds it slowly

Primary uses:

• Roman Cancel (RC): costs 50%
• Overdrive (powered-up special): costs 50%

Tension builds naturally through active offense.

Roman Cancel (RC)

RC is the most important system in GGST. Press P+K+S+HS simultaneously (or your RC button) while spending 50 Tension. On activation, time slows around your character, giving you a window to prepare your next action.

There are four types depending on when you activate:

Red RC

Activated immediately after landing a hit or throw. The slow effect lasts longest, making it the primary tool for extending combos and increasing damage.

Yellow RC

Activated after a blocked move. Cancels recovery on blocked attacks and allows you to continue your offense.

Purple RC

Activated while a move is whiffing. Use it to recover from whiffs and adjust positioning safely.

Blue RC

Activated just before receiving an attack. Lets you dodge through the attack and immediately counterattack — an advanced technique.

Beginners: start by practicing Red RC to extend combos. That alone will significantly increase your damage output.

Burst

The Burst Gauge (activated with P+K+S+HS) is your escape tool for breaking out of combos.

• Psych Burst (Blue Burst): Once per round, with full invincibility. Use it to escape long combo strings — ideally in the later part of a combo, not at the start, as an early burst is easy to avoid.
• Gold Burst: Instantly fills your Tension to 100. Hitting the opponent creates a massive advantage.

The Burst Gauge regenerates over time and from taking damage.

R.I.S.C. Gauge

The small red bar below the health meter. It fills when you block attacks. When full, the next hit you take will automatically be treated as a Counter Hit — granting your opponent extra damage and combo opportunities.

If your opponent's R.I.S.C. is full, be aggressive. If yours is full, be careful.

Wall Break

Knocking an opponent into the corner and dealing enough damage will break the wall. After a Wall Break, an extended follow-up combo is guaranteed for massive damage.

• Always aim for Wall Break combos when in the corner
• Wall Break combos are round-defining moments; learn at least one route for your character

Guard and Faultless Defense

Standing Guard: Blocks high and mid attacks (hold back) Crouching Guard: Blocks low attacks (hold down-back) Faultless Defense (FD): Hold P+K while guarding. Costs Tension but pushes the opponent back and prevents Guard Crush. Essential when cornered.

Throws cannot be blocked. Throw escapes only work against normal throws (not command grabs).

Recommended Beginner Characters

Sol Badguy — Rushdown

The game's protagonist, used in the tutorial. Simple commands with powerful close-range pressure. A ground-traveling fireball (Gun Flame) lets you control space while you close the gap — a great way to learn the fundamentals.

Ky Kiske — Balance

The classic balanced beginner character. Effective at any range, making him ideal for learning the game's core systems. His lightning projectile and sword techniques give him tools for every situation.

Giovanna — Rushdown

Simple move set with high close-range damage. No projectiles or complex systems to manage — just get in and attack. Perfect for players who want to learn offense without worrying about neutral complexity.

May — Balance

Long reach and a dolphin summon special make May approachable. Relatively simple commands and a power-based gameplan that works well at beginner levels.

Early Practice Priorities

1. Minimize jumping — Anti-air tools are strong in GGST. Random jumping gets you killed.
2. Distinguish 2K and 2S — 2K is a low poke; 2S is a mid-range poke. Use them for different ranges.
3. Use 6P as anti-air — Most characters' 6P has upper-body invincibility. Use it to counter jump-ins.
4. Practice Red RC in combos — Even simple RC extensions significantly boost your damage.
5. Learn a Wall Break combo — Wall Breaks often decide rounds. One solid corner combo is enough to start.