アレックス

Alex — Counter-Guide

Key Info

Infighter leaning toward a grappler
- Command grab 63214P at close range is the main mix-up tool
Active-frame overhead with no combo
- 6HP — 22F startup
Defense
- 623LK — 6F startup, airborne invincibility
- 623KK — 10F startup, airborne invincibility
- SA3 236236K — 9F startup, strike/throw invincible
- SA2 214214P — 13F startup, strike/throw/projectile invincible
- SA1 236236P — 12F startup, fully invincible
Moves that are plus on guard
- 236HP
  - +2F
- 2PP→HP
  - +3F
- 2PP→HP (Heavy Lariat Charged)
  - +3F
- HP(Charged) (Standing Heavy Punch Charged)
  - +2F
- HK(Charged) (Standing Heavy Kick Charged)
  - +2F

Neutral Play (Mindset)

Prioritize perfect parry
- Command grab and normal throw situations after hit are not favorable
- More opportunities for perfect parry as a reversal option compared to other characters
Don't let him get close
- Alex is extremely strong at close range with the command grab / strike mix-up
- The basic plan is to maintain mid-to-long range and prevent him from touching you with poking normals
- Maintaining spacing with HP and HK at sweep distance is the goal
Watch out for 2PP→MK
- An overhead drop attack from the air — if you're late with anti-air you'll be put into oki (wakeup pressure)
- Use grounded anti-air or walk forward to bait and punish the whiff

Power Bomb

Alex's signature command grab. Startup and reach differ by strength.

(Close range) 63214LP
- 9F startup, long reach
- +15F on hit
(Close range) 63214MP
- 7F startup, medium reach
- +15F on hit
(Close range) 63214HP
- 5F startup, short reach (about the same as normal throw)
- +15F on hit
(Close range) 63214PP
- 5F startup, reach between L and M versions
- Higher damage
- +15F on hit

Recommended Counter

+15F on hit. Distance is created, so carelessly pressing buttons will get counter-hit by HK or HP.

As a first option: Neutral jump or back jump is good against cancel rush oki (wakeup pressure). Cancel rush offense continuation isn't strong in any option — check your character's tools and gauge situation to decide.

On neutral jump
- You can fish for return against his charged HK and HP

The fastest HP and MK can catch a neutral jump, so recognize it as a mix-up.

Depending on character, you can fish for return on fastest HP.
Fastest HP has an 8-frame gap, so place your character's long-reach normal.

On back jump
- Even his fastest HP won't reach — very effective

If he reads your neutral jump or back jump and goes for anti-air
- In that case Alex needs to extend his cancel rush, so fastest mash is very effective

Don't just silently guard his charged HP or charged HK.

Prowler Stance

Activated with down + two punches simultaneously. Guarding becomes impossible, but numerous follow-up moves become available.

Main follow-ups:

2PP→LP — 4F startup
- Rapid-fire cancellable, +1F for Alex on guard
- Cancellable into various follow-ups from frame 15
2PP→MP — 7F startup
- Launches opponent, used as anti-air too
- -6F for Alex on guard — punishable
2PP→HP — 12F startup
- +3F for Alex on guard, charged version +5F with armor
2PP→LK
- Movement tech, actionable from frame 21
2PP→MK — 30F startup
- Overhead stomp, +2F for Alex on guard
2PP→HK — 11F startup
- Low attack, can extend to 2nd hit
- -17F for Alex on guard — big punish available
2PP→LPLK — 5F startup
- Grab against standing opponents, crouching avoids it
2PP→2LPLK — 21F startup
- Grab variant that also hits crouching opponents, airborne attribute

Recommended Counter

Flash Axe / Flash Chop

Alex's striking move with properties that change by strength.

236LP — 13F startup
- -4F for Alex on guard
- Excellent poke buffer input
236MP — 17F startup
- Slower startup than 236LP but longer reach
- -6F for Alex on guard — punishable
236HP
- 26F startup, +2F for Alex on guard
236PP — 15F startup
- -4F for Alex on guard

Recommended Counter

236LP is -4F on guard, but the distance is too far for a punish
- Drive Impact doesn't confirm either — only perfect parry is the counter
- Aim for a perfect parry on the 2LK→2LP→2LP→236LP sequence
- Without perfect parry, you'll keep eating 236LP buffer inputs, so commit to it

236MP is -6F on guard, but the distance is too far for a punish
- Aim for a perfect parry on the 2MP→236MP sequence
- Drive Impact doesn't confirm either — only perfect parry is the counter
- Without perfect parry, you'll keep eating 236MP buffer inputs, so commit to it

236HP on guard leaves Alex at +2F
- You'll often guard this from HP(Charged) into 236HP — the distance is usually too far for a command grab
- Aim for a perfect parry on the MP part of HP→236HP→MP
- Importantly, also aim for a perfect parry on the 236HP itself
- The basic plan is to create a block string, but delaying to stuff mash is also possible

Aerial Knee Smash

Alex's anti-air special (Aerial Knee Smash). All strengths have airborne/aerial projectile invincibility and won't hit grounded opponents.

623LK — 6F startup
- 1–10F airborne invincibility, 1200 damage
- Fast startup — excellent as an instant anti-air
- +29F on hit
623MK — 8F startup
- 1–16F airborne invincibility, 1400 damage
- Longer active frames than L, wider anti-air range
- +29F on hit
623HK — 14F startup
- 1–21F airborne invincibility, 1500 damage
- -42F if guarded — big punish available
- +29F on hit
623KK — 10F startup
- 1–17F airborne invincibility, 1700 damage
- -46F if guarded — big punish available

Air Stampede

Overhead stomp from the air. 30F startup, +2F for Alex on guard. On hit, bounces the opponent and allows follow-up or transitions directly to oki (wakeup pressure).

Recommended Counter

Neutral

Special anti-air moves will often get baited by 2PP→LK. Grounded normals anti-air will also get beaten by 2PP→MK, so it's not realistic.

However, 2PP→MK has strong downward reach but weak horizontal reach. The recommended response is: 2PP confirm → forward jump → crossup attack

Of course, anti-air may still connect sometimes, but the risk is lower than trying an anti-air carelessly.

If you're afraid of anti-air, 2PP confirm → back-step is good. The whiff of 2PP→MK is fully punishable.

After guarding

If you've guarded 2PP→MK, Alex is at +2F. Don't mash carelessly.

After guarding, back-step / neutral jump / back jump are all recommended. After guarding Alex's 2PP→MK, he cannot land two consecutive light attacks. So the only option to threaten your back-step or neutral jump is LP→236LP — very low risk on your end.

When Alex tries to get return from a back-step, his option is MP→HP — but if you jump, it whiffs and you get punish return.

To summarize the mix-up here:

Neutral jump
- Wins against his command grab options
- Loses to LP→236LP
- Wins against MP→HP
- Loses to his jump read (623HK anti-air)
Back jump
- Draws against his command grab options
- Loses to LP→236LP
- Wins against MP→HP
- Loses to his jump read (236236K anti-air)
Back-step
- Wins against his command grab options
- Loses to MP→HP
- Loses to LP→236LP

Target Combo — no punish available

Alex's target combo with no punish window. No punish available — on hit, Alex transitions to his strong oki (wakeup pressure).

Recommended Counter

Only perfect parry is effective, so accept that and aim for it. This target combo has no Drive Impact confirm on the full extension, and the second hit is a mash-stopper — commit to perfect parry.

Arm Lock / Forward Throw

+28F on hit. Distance is created — carelessly mashing can mean getting counter-hit by a charged HK.

Recommended Counter

Mash-stopping actions after his throw:

Cancel rush → HK
- Point-blank +2F
Cancel rush → MP
- +4F in throw range

Assuming cancel rush → HK as the default: Back-roll → guard strike → back jump is a very stable option. The situation is similar to after 2PP→MK on guard — his second light attack won't reach.

If he tries to improve from this situation, Alex will charge his HK. In that case, place a neutral jump and aim for return.