FRAME DATA TUTORIAL: By: www-galko

What *are* frames? Well, those versed in any sort of video game, a frame is basicaly what displays in a game. If a game is running at 60 FPS, that's 60 frames per second. In fighting games, frames are used in 60/s. This doesn't always count, as most fighting games have the game slow down when a move connects so the human brain can process if the move connected, but at least for Street Fighter V (Which is the basis game for this tutorial), it's measured in 60s per second.

Let's take Ryu's LP as a basis. There are 3 steps to learning the ins and outs of frame data, knowing the start-up, active, and recovery frames.

START UP: Start up frames are the frames that a move takes to segue into active frames.

ACTIVE FRAMES: The frames a move would connect and harm the opponent.

RECOVERY FRAMES: The frames a move takes to return the player back to their original position in order to perform another move. These can heavily vary based on whether a move misses, is blocked, or hits.

It's easy enough, right? So let's get into the data for Ryu's LP.

Ryu's LP has 4 start up frames, 3 active frames, and 6 recovery frames. So the total frames the move would take is 12 frames. I know what you're thinking, I'm dumb at math, but consider that the FIRST active frame of any move is ACTUALLY considered part of the start up. When a move has 4 start up, it actually has 3 start up, since it hits on frame 4. So the actual math you'd perform is 3 + 3 + 6 = 12. Pretty fast. BUT! This is if it MISSES. Let's say Ryu's attacking Ken with this, and Ryu connects. If Ken blocks, then the move is +2.

"+2? I thought this was only neutral numbers!"

Right! I forgot about that. A move's frames can be + or - based on what the move is, and this is a VERY important part of frame data. Basically, if a move is +2, that means Ryu has more time to perform another move than Ken does to try and counter it. Ryu has the frame advantage by 2 frames. Hence, Ryu's LP on block is +2.

However, if say, Ryu performs his close HP, then that move is -15 frames on block. That's REALLY bad for Ryu, since Ken has a 15 frame advantage on Ken. Ken has 15 frames to perform a move to counter Ryu's close HP.

If you're not following, essentially, + and - are determining whether or not you have the frame advantage after performing a specific move. If it's +, you have the frame advantage. If it's -, the opponent has the frame advantage, and that's, of course, really bad.

"Okay, I get. But how'd you get to +2?"

Well, every move has two principles based on it connecting called hitstun and blockstun.

Blockstun is self explanatory, the frames the opponent's stuck blocking if they're hit by a given attack.

Hitstun is also self explanatory, the frames the opponent's stunned if they're hit by a move.

The math on block is 10 - 8 = +2.

"How'd you get - 8?"

If a move connects, then the active frames and recovery frames are negated. Adding together the active frames frames **(a = 3)** and the recovery frames **(r = 6)**, adding the frame every move takes to connect **(always 1)** and subtracting it by the blockstun on the opponent **(b = 10)**, you get +2.

b - (a + r - 1) = +2

Ryu has 2 frames of advantage over Ken, but there's no move in the entire game or in many fighting games that's 2 frames, so the advantage here is pretty miniscule, and Ken is still blocking before Ryu can do anything.

If Ken failed to block that hit, the hitstun**(h = 13)** would be subtracted by the active and recovery frames , still always added together with the connecting frame, but since this is a bigger stun amount, Ryu has a bigger advantage!

13 - 8 = +5

h - (a + r - 1) = +5

Ryu can link *that* into another LP, since the start up for another LP is less than the amount of hitstun ken has on him. *So*, if a move's startup is less frames than the hitstun a given move leaves on an opponent, then you can combo *that* move into the move that you hit with initially thanks to the hitstun that move left on the opponent! Basic combo tech! Hoorah!

Any move that leaves you with the frame advantage on block is considered a **safe** move, as, obviously, it's safe to use regardless of whether the opponent is blocking or is hit. A move that's frames on block are -1/-2 are also safe, since there are not any moves at least in SFV that have a 2 frame startup.

You can use frame data to determine whether a move is safe, and what move punishes what move, which can be VERY useful in almost any fighting game. But you should also check if you want to punish people if a move has certain invincibilities, which can also determine whether a move is safe or unsafe. On a frame data chart, this is usually included in a side note. For instance, Ryu's HP Shoryuken is 1~4f invincible, and 5~16f lower body invincible. This means Ryu is invulenrable to normal attacks on frames 1 to 4, and the lower half of his body is invulenrable on frames 5~16. You don't have to memorize any of those numbers, but it makes punishing stuff like HP Shoryuken a lot easier, since you won't charge into an invincible Ryu anymore.