Street Fighter V brings the fan favorite franchise back for another round of kicking ass and taking names. It can very well be your ass getting kicked when the round starts if you don’t know how to defend yourself, though. Knowing how to dish out the pain is definitely part of the equation, but you need to know how not to receive it too.
That’s where blocking comes in and it takes a bit more finesse to pull off in Street Fighter V. While you will be able to negate any damage, blocking often comes in exchange of your position on the screen. There are three types of blocks in Street Fighter V: Standing Blocks, Crouching Blocks, and, for some fighters, your V-System ability (M. Punch + M. Kick). Each one is useful for a different situation.
The standing block is used to negate incoming high and medium damage, as well as aerial attacks. Simply tap back before an attack connects. Alternatively, you can hold back to continuously block in order to be extra safe. This will cause you to walk backwards, of course, potentially putting you out of range. This may not be such a big deal to someone like Dhalsim, but Mika is like a fish out of water when trying to fight a ranged battle.
Crouching Blocks do not cause you to move back, but they are only useful against projectiles and low attacks. A high attack will still damage you and an aerial attack will knock you on your butt. It does prevent you from being swept by a low kick, though. This is great as those can prove to be quite detrimental.
Some characters have an extra ace up their sleeves that allows them to block all incoming damage and leave their opponents wide open. One example of this is Ryu’s Mind’s Eye. With perfect timing, this ability allows him to shrug off attacks including powerful projectiles. He can then punish the opponent who tried to test out a new move on him.
These are your blocking methods in Street Fighter V. Memorize them, practice them, and use them to punish all those who challenge you.
