ルーク
Luke — Counter-Guide
Key Info
- Overhead with no combo on active frames
- 6MP — no active-frame combo
- The move to watch on wakeup is (during OD Avenger) → K (OD Impaler)
- SA2 Eraser follow-up is possible on hit, so be careful at low health
- Defense options
- 6F startup OD invincible reversal: 623PP
- If you play Luke or Kimberly, avoid doing rush pressure after a throw
- 5F startup anti-air invincible: 623LP
- 236236P startup 6F, no projectile invincibility
- 214214P startup 5F, has projectile invincibility
- 236236K startup 10F
- 6F startup OD invincible reversal: 623PP
- Moves that are plus on block
- 2MP
- 214HP(Charged) (H Flash Knuckle Charged)
Neutral Play (Mindset)
- Drive Gauge management
- Luke has few confirm-into-knockdown combos and relies heavily on cancel rush
- His Drive Gauge recovery is poor and he is prone to burnout
- 236P can recover some gauge but Luke can't make it truly safe, making it riskier than other characters
- Therefore, it is recommended to use more strike-heavy oki to chip Luke's Drive Gauge
- Don't force stop his rush
- Luke's rush has excellent reach and speed — find time to watch for it each round
- If you plan to contest it, stop him at a range where you won't get hit by 4HP
- Use anti-air invincible moves to knock him out of jump-ins
- Trying to stop Luke's (Jumping) HP with a normal tends to get stuffed — use anti-air invincible moves instead
- (Jumping) HK also has a ridiculous hitbox, so learn how your character's anti-airs handle it
- Accept LPLK in midscreen
- After blocking an opening cr.MK cancel, the correct response to his throw option is to accept it
- Luke's situation after LPLK is bad, so unless you're in the corner, accept it
- The common losing pattern is reckless throw-teching and eating a 4HP tech-throw punish
- Use safe jump routes more often
- Luke's jab is 7F startup, so he cannot fuzzy cover a meaty-jump crossup
- Use attacks that require the opponent to react with a standing 4F move as your oki starter
- For Kimberly: forward heavy kick
- For Dhalsim: float → Yoga Teleport
- The universal option available to all characters is a safe jump, so use it actively in your oki
- Rush
- Hard to stop if you're not looking. If you're not watching, don't force a stop.
- If you're not watching, parry is the safe option to just take.
- To contest it, use a crouching LP or similar at close range.
- Trying to stop rush from long range gets you hit by 4HP — better to stay quiet
- Keep Luke from reaching his 4HP / H Flash Knuckle range and stop him there
- Maintain a distance closer than starting distance
Rising Uppercut
Luke's anti-air special move Startup and reach vary by strength
- 623LP
- 5F startup
- 623MP
- 6F startup
- 623HP
- 9F startup
- 623PP
- 6F startup invincible reversal
- Extremely good oki (wakeup pressure) situation
Recommended Counter
Both strengths are very useful — don't jump carelessly.
- 623PP
- Luke is +25F on hit
- One of the rare characters who can set up oki after an invincible hit
- If Luke uses rush he can set up oki, but choosing in-place recovery prevents a walking shimmy
- If you get hit, take in-place recovery
Avenger
Luke's advancing move Mainly used in setplay oki
Branches into the following two options:
- (During Avenger) → P (No Chaser)
- -16F on block for Luke
- (During Avenger) → K (Impaler)
- -22F on block for Luke
- (During OD Avenger) → P (OD Chaser)
- -6F on block for Luke
- (During OD Avenger) → K (OD Impaler)
- -3F on block for Luke
Recommended Counter
Since it is used in setplay after knockdown, you rarely see it outside of that context. However, if you block it outside of knockdown situations, everything except OD Impaler has a punish combo — keep that in mind.
L Flash Knuckle
Luke at +32F on hit Used as a combo ender
When you get hit, there is a 50/50 between in-place and back-roll recovery — understand the situation.
- In-place recovery
- Prevents walking shimmy when Luke uses rush
- Back-roll recovery
- No oki if Luke doesn't use rush
Recommended Counter
In midscreen, from Luke's perspective he doesn't want to give up the important oki, so he will rush to apply wakeup pressure. You want to prevent Luke's walking shimmy, so in-place recovery is the right call.
When you choose in-place recovery:
- If Luke uses rush, the expected value of OD invincible or delayed tech throw increases.
When you choose back-roll recovery:
- If Luke doesn't use rush, there is no oki.
M Flash Knuckle
Used as a just-combo from 2HP This just-combo is difficult for Luke to land consistently If Luke misses the just, Drive Impact is guaranteed — build the habit of pressing Drive Impact when you see the 214MP motion
Recommended Counter
Reacting to Drive Impact every time after 214MP is hard. Watch the 2HP motion that comes before 214MP and buffer your input then. Since raw 2HP is punishable on block, Luke must cancel into something — be ready.
Warning
236PP can beat your Drive Impact after you see 2HP, but the Drive Gauge cost is heavy and Luke rarely uses it — ignore it.
H Flash Knuckle
A special move cancellable from any normal The charged version on block gives Luke +4F Without charge it is -4F — punish with a light attack and go for a damaging combo
- LP → MP → HP → H Flash Knuckle (Triple Impact into H Flash Knuckle)
- Staying still will get you blocking H Flash Knuckle (Charged) giving Luke an advantage
- If you see Triple Impact, counter with a projectile-invincible SA
- HP → H Flash Knuckle
- If Luke doesn't have 236236K, mashing Drive Impact after the HP is effective
- HP cancel tends to be a block string and Drive Impact doesn't leak easily — buffering Drive Impact when you see the cancel motion is very strong
- The only thing that clearly beats Drive Impact is 236PP, and the gauge cost makes it hard for Luke to choose
Recommended Counter
Drive Impact on reaction is generally possible, but if 236236K is stocked, getting reversed leads to massive damage. In that case, fuzzy back jump is recommended.
- Fuzzy back jump
- 214HP: hits on frame 23 / 214HP: hits on frame 33
- Inputting a back jump between frames 23–33 lets you block 214HP while back jump attack can punish 214HP (timing dependent)
- Luke can also micro-delay H Flash Knuckle to read your fuzzy back jump
- When he does that, Drive Impact expected value increases — keep running the mix-up
- If you block it, start from a 4F confirm for your punish combo
Warning
Executing the above perfectly covers everything, but it is very difficult in an actual match and Luke may use a delayed 214HP.
In that case, know that even a raw back jump works. Luke gets 1000 damage if 214HP hits. Your back jump attack deals 3000 damage.
If 236236K is stocked he can cancel into it for big damage, but confirming the jump-in itself is extremely hard — don't worry about it.
Sand Blast
Luke's fast projectile
- 236LP
- Fast startup, short reach
- 236MP
- Performance between L and H
- 236HP
- Slow startup, long reach
- 236PP
- Can follow up with (After OD Sand Blast) → PP
Recovery is long and there are limited situations where it's safe, so it's mainly used via cancel from a normal.
- HP → 236P
- Luke's stable option for creating Drive Gauge advantage. Tip-range HP has no punish.
- Therefore: if you see the HP, buffer a wide-reaching invincible move; if that's difficult, parry is fine
- If you're cornered and getting locked in this block string, hold forward jump input — the HP → Sand Blast cancel can whiff on a jump and you get a guaranteed punish
Recommended Counter
- When cornered and stuck in cancel → 236P block strings
- Forward jump is effective
- Moves like HP hitting you airborne often result in a guaranteed punish
- When Sand Blast is frequent at midscreen
- Forward jump
- Luke can't make it a true safe fireball, so forward jump aggressively
- Perfect parry
- At close range, properly buffer a step or heavy attack after the parry
- Forward jump
Double Impact
There is a 5F gap between 6HP and the 6HP → 6HP follow-up, so a 4F attack can interrupt it.
Recommended Counter
- Fastest jab (crouching LP)
- Beats the 6HP → 6HP follow-up
- Aim for jab → medium punch for maximum return
Warning
More Luke players are going for perfect parry against your fastest jab.
Add throw to your options. Be careful — inputting throw too fast gets beaten by the 2nd-hit follow-up, so fuzzy your throw.
- Fuzzy throw
- Beats parry-pressing opponents with a fuzzy throw
- Input the throw at the timing you would block the 6HP → 6HP follow-up
The video below has the following recorded:
- 6HP → 6HP → 236MP
- 6HP → parry
Snapback Combo
Luke's medium punch Snapback Combo — if you block the first hit, every subsequent hit is -8F or worse, making them all punishable.
Recommended Counter
- When you see the 2nd hit of the Snapback Combo motion, spam an 8F-or-less move
- It is a block string so your move won't come out until the gap
Triple Impact
Luke's target combo (Triple Impact) He can cancel into various specials from this The 236P follow-up is fine to just block, but watch out for the 214HP mix-up pressure option.
Frame data after 236HP on crouching guard — +1F disadvantage
- 236LP
- Crouching guard: -8F
- Standing guard: -7F
- 236MP
- Crouching guard: -5F
- Standing guard: -4F
- 236HP
- Crouching guard: -2F
- Standing guard: -1F
Recommended Counter
- Drive Impact is valid, but be careful — 236PP or H Flash Knuckle → SA3 Pale Rider can reverse it.
- When you see LP → MP → HP, buffer a projectile-invincible SA or a wide-reaching OD invincible move.
- If the buffer worked but no SA came out, Luke chose 236LP — punish with an 8F move.
- Note: if your invincible move has no projectile invincibility and Luke threw out Sand Blast, you'll get hit.
- Depending on your character, if Luke chose H Flash Knuckle, the 214HP's retreat may cause your OD invincible to whiff — be aware.
Crouching Medium Punch
A normal that is +1F on block. Luke's 2MP block strings are as follows:
- 2MP → 2LP → 2MP → 236P
- 2MP → 2MP → 2MK → 236P
- 2MP → 2LP → 236P
Recommended Counter
A practical counter for those unsure when to mash:
- After guarding two normals, mash a light attack
- Against all three block strings above, placing a long-reaching 4F–5F normal leads to a counter hit combo
- Make sure your follow-up combo is ready
The video below has each of the following block strings recorded:
- 2MP → 2LP → 2MP → 236P
- 2MP → 2MP → 2MK → 236P
- 2MP → 2LP → 236P
Standing Heavy Kick
Long active frames — the final active frame gives Luke +1F on hit. If the screen shakes it indicates the deep hit. If it doesn't shake, it's +0F at best — mash.
HK is mainly used heavily in oki setplay, so learn the HK setplay and aim for perfect parries.
Recommended Counter
- Landing the final active frame outside of setplay is impossible for Luke
- When the deep hit connects and you see the screen shakes, that's the signal to mash on the very next frame
Forward Throw
Luke at +19F advantage — but in midscreen you can handle it favorably with the right response.
- In-place recovery: Luke can apply oki with a micro-walk
- LPLK is also meaty
- However, if Luke uses rush, OD invincible is guaranteed
- Back-roll recovery: oki is possible with rush
- Even if you confirm the rush, Luke can cancel with H Flash Knuckle or LPLK as an emergency stop
- Super Art counter is a risk against reversal SAs, so for a consistent option a fast OD invincible move is better
Recommended Counter
- Be aware it's a 50/50 and don't take back-roll out of habit
- Start with in-place recovery to preserve screen position, and respond to rush with OD invincible
- A 7F-or-less invincible reversal is guaranteed unless reversed with a super counter
- Even on back-roll, a long-reaching SA is still guaranteed — back-roll + activate SA is nearly a free win
Luke's SA1:
Manon's SA2:
Warning
- Back-roll recovery means OD invincible is NOT guaranteed
- 8F or slower invincible moves are NOT guaranteed
Back Throw
Luke at +14F advantage The situation after 4LPLK is not particularly strong
- Back-roll is the default in midscreen
- Even without any recovery, only HP or so can be meaty
- If you choose no recovery, OD invincible is guaranteed if you confirm rush
Recommended Counter
- Back-roll recovery is the default
- Distance is too far for oki
- In-place recovery is also fine
- A strike is meaty but throw is not — think of it as trading Drive Gauge for screen position
- Confirm rush, then use OD invincible
- In the corner, HK active frames can be meaty for +1F
- Good opportunity to aim for a perfect parry