= :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: CONVENTIONS ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: =

Learn the essential Guilty Gear Strive conventions! Understand button inputs, move notations, hit levels, and command formats to dominate the battlefield.

Alright, so you wanna get into Guilty Gear Strive? Awesome! Before we dive into the flashy combos and epic battles, we gotta cover some basics. Think of this like learning the alphabet before you can write a novel. It's all about understanding the language of the game, so you don't get lost when I start telling you how to pull off those sick moves.

We're gonna break down all the symbols and shorthand you'll see in guides and move lists. It might seem like a lot at first, but trust me, once you get it, it all clicks. We'll cover everything from basic button commands to more complex directional inputs and special move notations. Getting this down will make learning characters and strategies way easier, so let's get started!

The Basics: Commands

First up, the buttons themselves. You'll see these letters used all the time:

• P stands for Punch
• K stands for Kick
• S stands for Slash
• HS stands for Heavy Slash (sometimes you'll just see 'H' instead, it means the same thing!)

Then there are the directions:

• f means Forward
• b means Back
• u means Up
• d means Down

And when you combine directions, things get a little more specific:

• d/f means Down-Forward (tapping that direction)
• d/b means Down-Back
• u/f means Up-Forward
• u/b means Up-Back

Special Input Notations

Now for the fancy stuff that makes special moves happen:

• QCF: Quarter Circle Forward. Think of it like drawing a quarter circle on your controller, starting from down, going to down-forward, and ending at forward. (d, d/f, f)
• QCB: Quarter Circle Back. Same idea, but backwards. (d, d/b, b)
• HCF: Half Circle Forward. A bigger sweep, from back to down-back, down, down-forward, to forward. (b, d/b, d, d/f, f)
• HCB: Half Circle Back. The opposite sweep. (f, d/f, d, d/b, b)
• DP: Dragon Punch motion. This is that classic fighting game input: forward, down, down-forward. (f, d, d/f)
• RDP: Reverse Dragon Punch. The opposite direction: back, down, down-forward. (b, d, d/f)
• CB: Charge Back. You hold back for a bit, then tap down-back or up-back.
• CD: Charge Down. You hold down for a bit, then tap down-back or down-forward.

You'll also see abbreviations for special cancels:

• RC: Roman Cancel. This is a super important mechanic for extending combos or escaping pressure.
• JC: Jump Cancel. Lets you cancel out of certain moves by jumping.

Putting It All Together: More Notations

These symbols help us chain moves together:

• +: Means you press both buttons at the same time. Like P+K.
• ~: Means one move happens immediately after the other.
• /: Means you can use either button listed. Like S/HS.
• =: Indicates the next part of a sequence.
• ANY: Press any button.
• ALL: Press all four main buttons (P+K+S+HS) at once.

Special Move Comments

Sometimes you'll see extra letters after a move. These give you extra info:

• FL: Floats the opponent. Great for starting air combos!
• KB: Knocks the opponent back. Good for creating space.
• RF: Floats if Roman Cancelled. A combo extender!
• DF: Dust Floats. A specific type of float.
• #: Means there's a note about this move further down. Always check these!

Hit Levels: Blocking Smart

Understanding hit levels is crucial for both offense and defense:

• h (High): You block this by holding back. You can also crouch under it.
• m (Mid): Block by holding back or down-back.
• l (Low): Block by holding down-back. These will hit opponents who are standing and blocking.
• o (Overhead): These hit opponents who are crouching. You gotta block them standing.

Remember, these levels are for when the opponent is on the ground. Things change in the air!

Move List Format

When you look at a character's move list, you'll see it laid out like this:

Move Name — The name of the attack.

Command — How to do it, using all the notation we just learned.

Lev. — The hit level (h, m, l, o).

Min/Max DMG — The damage range. Usually shows the lowest damage (vs. a character like Chipp) and the highest (vs. a character like Potemkin).

Com. — Comments! This is where you'll find info on whether a move can be Jump Cancelled (O in basic attacks) or Roman Cancelled (O in special attacks). X means it can't.

— Sometimes you'll see a star here, meaning you need to check the notes.

Button Layouts

Finally, just so you know how controllers are usually set up:

• Dreamcast Style: P and S are on the top row, K and HS on the bottom.
• Arcade Style: K, S, HS on the top row, P below them.

Got all that? Don't sweat it if it doesn't all stick immediately. The more you play and read guides, the more natural it'll become. Now you're ready to actually start learning some moves!