The King of Fighters '98 UMFE/Chris

Introduction

Chris is a tricky rushdown character with a lot of movement options. Chris has some of the fastest movement in the game alongside access to teleports, a slide, a divekick, and some forward-moving attacks that let him move around the screen really well. On offense he has access to good low confirms, a pretty safe but slow overhead, an invincible jumping command grab, and a nice crossup. On defense he does have access to a DP; it is pretty slow, but he can also use his jumping command grab defensively. His supers are also good, one being great for punishes and the other one being an invincible reversal. Chris does not have many tools to fight at long range, but due to his excellent movement that is not a big problem for him.

Changes from Previous Versions

98 to 98UM

Normals:

• cl.C has 3 frames less recovery

• df+B has a bigger hurtbox on Chris's torso, projectiles that are Psycho Ball height and lower can't be passed under with it

• Increased damage on j.D

• Removed j.CD's first hitbox

Specials:

• hcb+A now knocks down

• dp+P startup increased by 6 frames, and recovery is 3 frames shorter.

Supers:

• qcbx2+K now connects well against airborne opponents

98UM to 98UMFE

Specials:

• qcf+D has less recovery

Normal Moves

Close

• cl. A: same as st.A
• cl. B: Cancelable. Not Chainable.
• cl. C: A nice fast close heavy. The second hit hits quite high up so it can catch people trying to jump out of close range. One of his main combo tools. Very unsafe if not cancelled. Cancelable.
• cl. D: A high hitting kick. Special but not command normal cancelable.

Stand

• st. A: an anti hop tool due to it's speed and priority. whiffs on short crouchers. Cancelable. Chainable.
• st. B: a great midrange poke since it has good speed, range, can stop hops and will hit crouchers. Not cancelable. Not Chainable.
• st. C: a slow but long range two hitting punch. The first hit can be useful as it hits crouchers and can be combod from. Very unsafe on block and whiff. Cancelable on first hit.
• st. D: an anti air kick.

Crouch

• cr. A: a standard cr.A. A staple combo tool for Chris. Cancelable. Chainable.
• cr. B: The main low combo starter. Has good range for a cr.B making it good for blockstrings and mixups. Not cancelable. Chainable.
• cr. C: an uppercut with two parts. Very fast startup making it great for point blank punishes. It has great priority on the first hit making it an excellent close range poke as well. The second hit has a good hitbox for anti airs. Cancelable on first hit.
• cr. D: A sweep with good range but quite a lot of recovery. Hits slightly upwards so can catch some moves that other sweeps might whiff. Can be used to low profile some projectiles.

Jump

• j. A: Chris's best air to air normal as it hits fairly high up with good active frames and loads of priority.
• j. B: Chris's longest reaching air normal with good active frames. It can be used for jumpins or as a jump back air to air because of it's long reach.
• neutral j.B: an air to air move that hits at a higher spot than any of his other jumping normals.
• j. C: an okay jumpin or air to air normal. It has a lot of priority and hits a bit lower than j.A but it deals more damage.
• j. D: Chris's best jumpin normal. It has a low amount of active frames but has a great hitbox jumpins and crossups.

Blowback

• st. CD: Long startup but it has low invul from frame 1.
• j. CD: Good downwards hitbox at his feet making it a solid jump in for pressure. Quite long startup so it's susceptible to air to airs.

Throws

Step Turn: b/f+C (close)

• regular throw, techable. Chris steps on the opponents body and then sends them flying away with a backflip. Causes soft knockdown.

Aerial Drop: b/f+D (close)

• regular throw, techable. Chris throws the opponent behind him making them land with a backturned hard knockdown.

Command Moves

Spinning Array: f+A

• Chris slams the opponent with a two handed swing.

• It's cancellable both when done raw and when comboed into.

• combos from both lights and heavies making it part of Chris's primary combos.

• unsafe on block so try to confirm into it.

Reverse Anchor Kick: f+B

• Chris does an overhead flip kicks with two parts.

• when done raw the first part hits mid and the second part hits overhead but the move is not cancelable.

• when cancelled into the move loses it's overhead property but the second hit becomes cancelable.

• useful as a poke as a poke and overhead as it's quite safe due to the pushback combined with Chris's stepping back animation after the kick.

• can also be used as a safer combo option compared to f+A, though the tradeoff is that it leads to less damage.

Carry Off Kick: df+B

• Chris slides on the ground with a kick.

• hits low

• can low profile high flying projectiles like Takumas or Ex Roberts.

• can be a bit unsafe at point blank but becomes safer the further out from the opponent you hit.

Special Moves

Sliding Touch: qcf+A/C

• Chris does a punch while sliding forwards.

• the A version combos from heavies and his f+A command normal. The C version is too slow to combo.

• A version is a decent combo option but not as good as hcb+A.

• Since the C version can't combo and it having terrible recovery it's not really a good move to use, though it could be used for some frametraps.

• The A version is also very negative on block.

• causes soft knockdown on hit.

Hunting Air Blast: dp+B/D

• Chris does a somersault kick into the air.

• B version has very little startup invul and though the D version has active frame invul it also has a gap in it's startup invul making it lose to very active meaties when used as a reversal.

• both versions have long startup so they're not good for reaction anti airing either. but they can work as preemptive anti airs.

• very unsafe on block.

Shooting Dancer Thrust: hcb+A/C

• Chris dashes forwards and delivers a two hit attack.

• The A version does a mid strike into a low that knocks down.

• The C versions does two mid strikes that don't knock down but it deals more damage than the A version.

• Chris's primary combo special as it's fast and combos from heavies and his f+A command normal.

• both versions slightly negative on block but still fairly safe due to the pushback.

Shooting Dancer Step: hcb+B/D

• Chris dashes forwards and does a strike into a vaulting kick.

• the two hits of the attack won't combo leaving a gap that can be punished.

• On block the B version sends Chris flying forwards while the D version sends him backwards.

• both versions are punishable on block.

• can be cancelled into Chris's j.qcf+K after the hits are done.

• the second hit causes a hard knockdown on hit.

Gliding Stomp: qcf+B/D (in air)

• Chris does an aerial divekick.

• B version goes almost straight down and the D versions goes down at more of an angle.

• B version has to be done at full jump height for it to connect. The D version can be done from a hop and still hit the opponent.

• useful for chaning up your jumping trajectory to mess with the opponents anti airing.

• causes soft knockdown on hit.

• both versions are negative on block.

Scramble Dash: qcf+B/D

• Chris dashes forwards at fast speed making it seem like he teleports.

• The A version goes straight forwards along the ground and the D version goes into the air a bit.

• good to use for extra mobility as this move can get you in close very fast.

• can also be good to use during blockstrings for some side switching shenanigans.

• B version has upper body invul during the dash but it does have punishable recovery. It can always be hit with lows.

• D version will go over lows but has no upper body invincibility making it harder to use. It also has punishable recovery.

Direction Change: dp+A/C Chris does a flip and attempts to grab the opponent.

• On hit Chris has time to follow up with a full combo.

• has long startup but it has invul frames during it that last almost until the grab but not quite so the opponent can hit him out of it if they time their attack well.

• Chris's best choice for a meterless reversal.

• Cannot grab airborne opponents so it can be reacted to with a hop and get a full punish on Chris.

• can be a good move to sneak in during blockstrings to check if the opponent is ready for it or not.

Desperation Moves

Twister Driver: qcbx2+B/D

• Chris does a series of somersault kicks into the air.

• Chris's only real invul reversal.

• can be comboed into from lights and heavies.

• Punishable on block.

• MAX version has more invul and does more damage.

Chain Slide Touch: qcfx2+A/C

• Chris does a series of fast strikes while moving forwards.

• Has very fast startup so it's a good punishing move.

• can combo from lights and heavies easily and does more damage than his other super making it his best choice for combos.

• Max version does more hits and more damage.

Combos

General Notes

• In any metered combo, replace qcfx2+A with qcfx2+AC if you have the resources.

Meterless

Low

cr.B, cr.A, f+A, hcb+A

Mid/Jump-In

(j.X), cl.C, f+A, hcb+A

Can be combo-ed after a jump-in.

Other

dp+P, cl.C, f+A, hcb+A

With Meter

Low

cr.B, cr.A, f+A, qcfx2+A

Mid/Jump-In

(j.X), cl.C, f+A, qcfx2+A

Other

dp+P, cl.C, f+A, qcfx2+A

With Quick MAX

Low

cr.B, cr.A, ABC, cl.C, f+A, hcb+A

Videos

King of Fighters 98 UM FE: Chris Guide by Mash It Out