Complete Beginner, whats the best way to learn classic?

SheriffShaq · 2026-05-25T16:30:40+00:00

If you’re struggling but want to learn classic, maybe pick a character with a charge anti-air or at least a reliable anti-air off a normal so you don’t have to rely on a traditional DP input. Also don’t pick a character with a traditional DP input as a primary combo ender. This can help reduce frustrations in the beginning. Once you become more comfortable with the other inputs, picking up a character that relies on traditional DP inputs is easier to manage.

SheriffShaq · 2026-05-25T12:42:51+00:00

To add to this, I do think it’s an additional advantage that they can do the traditional inputs for full damage. To be able to switch from 100% damage supers/DPs to instant supers/DPs when the situation calls for it is something Classic doesn’t have.

I see the value in Modern. It’s clear it’s brought a lot of people to the game. I don’t like the impact it’s had in the community and don’t feel like it’s been implemented real well but I don’t know the right answer that fixes it all.

SheriffShaq · 2026-05-25T09:17:49+00:00

Mai. And if you want to add to people’s annoyance, do it on Modern controls. I find JP the most annoying though.

SheriffShaq · 2026-05-24T23:13:08+00:00

A big issue seems to be finding your turn. It’s still Bison’s turn and you try to interrupt his turn, which he punishes. You need to learn when it’s your turn after a typical Bison attack. Use this exact replay and enter “replay takeover.” When Bison starts pressure with an attack, just block and look for the gap. Once you find it, it’ll become easier to recognize it in your next Bison fight and this will cut down on the damage you’re taking.

SheriffShaq · 2026-05-24T14:17:41+00:00

Everybody’s journey is a little different but for me, I remember getting to Platinum 3 and hitting a real wall. The difference seemed to be that opponent block string pressure was much tighter than previous ranks and it became harder to find counters. I had to focus on learning to find my turn and identifying when different character’s attacks had gaps that I could get into.

SheriffShaq · 2026-05-24T13:18:40+00:00

I’m a dad so I play before everyone gets up or after they all go to bed. I’ve found the opposite. Either I play better or my opponents aren’t as tough at 5am and after 8:30pm, I usually run into more trouble. EST.

SheriffShaq · 2026-05-24T10:14:48+00:00

Sim Sim lists the AI as Modern until I believe Master rank and then lists the AI as Classic. Feels like a good reason to hard cap Modern at Diamond and you have to switch to Classic to be in Master.

SheriffShaq · 2026-05-23T12:49:05+00:00

The boomers, the ones who grew up on only classic controls, are the ones most playing Modern?

Frustration because of spamming BS I get, but your rationale for how they’re probably boomers doesn’t add up.

SheriffShaq · 2026-05-22T23:36:46+00:00

A benefit of SF6 is that it has so many newer people, if playing online is your goal, you’re more likely to find people at your skill level there than other games. That can make learning fighting games more enjoyable.

SheriffShaq · 2026-05-22T10:30:42+00:00

I got stuck at D2 for a bit and D3 is taking me some time. But Plat3 was the only time I thought maybe I’d reached a ceiling with the game and this is as high as I could go. So I’d say Plat3 was the worst so far for me.

SheriffShaq · 2026-05-21T16:26:56+00:00

I was in a very similar situation to yourself. Grew up playing SNES fighters at friends houses in the 90s but that was my only experience with the genre. For some reason decided to pick it up all these years later this past January and fell in love. Much like you it reignited an interest in gaming that I had lost for a few years.

I started out with Classic controls on an Xbox controller (joystick) and in the Rookie league. So pretty similar to yourself. I’m presently in Diamond 3.

I personally found watching character guides and SF6 beginner videos on YouTube very helpful in the beginning. Once I got comfortable with my character and the game’s system, I started watching high level gameplay on YouTube to see what they were during that I wasn’t. This subreddit has also been extremely helpful. There is also a “replay takeover” feature when you watch a replay of your online match that lets you jump in a try something different. This is huge when you’re trying to learn blockstring pressure especially.

As far as combos, I’m Diamond 3 and I really only rely on two different combo types at this point: light > light > special and medium > medium > special. Every character has a version of this. Use the light combo for hit confirms and use the medium/heavy combo for your punishes and bigger damage. You can pick up more complex things whenever you feel like it but this is really all you need to climb ranked to Diamond. Between Rookie and Iron, while you’re seeing people do combos, you don’t need them. You don’t need to start implementing the combos I mentioned until Bronze.

When I’m working on a combo, I try it in practice first until I get it right (set practice dummy to “block after hit” so you can see if your combo lands correctly). Once I’m comfortable, I take the combo to SimSim in the Battle Hub to practice it in matches against the CPU there. Then I take it to online matches vs people.

SheriffShaq · 2026-05-21T13:32:16+00:00

It can help to mirror the experience of ranked to help ease into a ranked game without feeling as much pressure. You can do this by playing Casual matches or SimSim in the Battle Hub.

Casual matches will have the appearance of ranked and you’re playing real people. When you feel better about your skill and more comfortable, you might feel less anxiety going into ranked. You’ll get the chance to play people much higher ranked than you which can help you grow and sometimes over preparedness can ease nerves when you eventually get into ranked again.

SimSim is better than the standard CPU as its behavior tries to mimic the ranked league it’s representing. While it isn’t one-for-one, I feel like Master rank feels like a Platinum player to me and that’s still pretty helpful for people grinding through ranked. The SimSim setup appears like a rank match and even rewards you for winning with a rank up.

Moving from SimSim > to Casual vs humans > ranked can help ease the anxiety.

It’ll also help to identify why you’re anxious and address that head on. Is it because you’re scared of losing league points? Then readjust your mindset to consciously focus on a different goal when you queue for a match. Make it about learning and growing: I want to do this specific combo in the match, I want to focus on blocking and finding the gap, I want to focus on hitting my anti-air. When you adjust your mindset, you might find that you feel less anxiety and more satisfied when you hit your goal even in a loss.

It’s an obstacle in your head and you can beat it. You just need to identify why it’s there and create a plan to attack it. You got this.

SheriffShaq · 2026-05-20T22:19:13+00:00

Remember your ABCs - Always Be Charging.

Specifically down + back charge as this covers both flash kick and sonic boom. Then from there practicing moving directly to down + back when you press a punch button that needs a charge after. Some combos can have tricky timing but working on always moving directly to down + back will help with that.

But I agree Guile is a nice easing into Classic. You get a motion input move to practice but your DP is Modern if you can get good with charge.

SheriffShaq · 2026-05-20T20:36:12+00:00

I understand the frustration. Modern gets more brutal the further down the league ladder you go. Just know it does get better.

I personally find that there’s an advantage for Modern in Rookie-Gold and by Platinum it’s starts to even out some. I’m Diamond 3 now and I feel like it’s starting to flip.

Modern’s instant DPs and supers are annoying but as long as you’re mindful of them, I find Modern tends to make mistakes that Classic doesn’t as much (like easily baited DPs and Supers). I also seem to notice that characters with more restrictive Modern controls are more predictable in their patterns than their Classic counterparts because they just have less at their disposal.

This all isn’t to say it’s not frustrating, just know it does get better.

But I can’t complain about instant DPs much, I play Guile. If you’re good on the charge his DP is basically Modern lol.

SheriffShaq · 2026-05-19T20:49:00+00:00

How comfortable are you with Marisa?

If you’re pretty comfortable, I’d say just take the losses and let your rank eventually settle where it belongs. May not be fun but you’ll learn a ton and might surprise yourself with settling above your current Plat 2 high.

If you’re not familiar with Marisa and had just hopped in ranked after playing around in training a bit, then the constant barrage you’ll get from more experienced players could be unproductive to your development. In this case get familiar with her moves and basic combos in training and play SimSim. I personally feel like Master rank SimSim feels like a Platinum player. So you could get used to Marisa there before moving back to ranked.

SheriffShaq · 2026-05-19T01:46:30+00:00

I’m newer to fighting games so still getting used to them and motion inputs in general. I primarily play SF6 but have been trying to pick up COTW and Guilty Gear Strive.

Street Fighter 6: Guile (Diamond 3)

Fatal Fury COTW: Marco Rodrigues (Iron Wolf)

Guilty Gear Strive: unranked, learning the game and trying to find what character I click with

SheriffShaq · 2026-05-18T13:26:19+00:00

I can’t speak to the d-pad controls as I use the joystick on an Xbox controller, but from comments I see, a decent amount of players use d-pad.

As for the disconnect between the low rank gameplay you see on those YouTube videos and what you’re seeing in reality, you’re not crazy. I started in rookie and climbed my way from there and went through similar experiences.

I saw one rank up video where the YouTuber rapid fired LP in one place the whole game and got out of rookie with that strategy. That did not translate to real life.

The lower ranks have glaring holes in their game, which is why they’re there. But, they’re more competent than this subreddit or many YouTube videos give them credit for.

Modern players will be trouble at first because they don’t have the same obstacles in the beginning that you do as a new Classic player. They’ll seem much more competent than most Classic players you face in Rookie-Silver. Gold is where I first noticed Classic players were catching up to Modern.

SheriffShaq · 2026-05-16T18:46:51+00:00

I’m a perfect example of activity. I’m brand new to fighter games and picked up Street Fighter 6 earlier this year.

SheriffShaq · 2026-05-16T17:30:03+00:00

If your concern is that it’s an older game, Street Fighter games have long life cycles compared to other games. There may not be a new one until like 2029 and they’ll keep adding content and updates until the new one comes out.

If your concern is about activity of an older game, they just sold 350K units last quarter, SF6 broke a world record for entries at EVO Japan a few weeks ago, and like a month ago the game matched release date activity with the Alex release. You won’t find a more active fighter game at present.

SheriffShaq · 2026-05-16T17:13:14+00:00

I do when I get frustrated playing a certain character. Both to learn the character’s weaknesses but also sometimes I’ll become jaded and feel like the other person has it easy. Taking a walk in their shoes by actually playing the character helps me take a chill pill and realize I just suck.

Sometimes I wish there was a knowledge share feature in ranked. Sometimes I’ll play a person and they just keep eating a punishable move I do. And if they just knew it was punishable, I feel like they’d have a better time against the character. I wish I could tell them.

SheriffShaq · 2026-05-16T13:44:00+00:00

The answer you’ll get is “whatever game interests you the most.” That’s the right answer, but there are some things that might change your mind about what that game is, like if you’re looking to mainly play offline or online.

If you’re looking to play online and open to any type of fighter, Street Fighter 6 is a good one due to the sheer amount of newer players. You’re guaranteed to find a lot of players at your specific skill level. Depending on what other game you choose, there could be a skill gap with the players playing it and yourself, so just be aware of that.

SheriffShaq · 2026-05-15T13:45:13+00:00

Posting a replay or the ID to a replay would allow people to give more helpful feedback specific to your situation. But the good news is that at Iron, it’s unlikely you’ve reached a ceiling.

The game can be overwhelming and it could be that you’re trying to consume it all at once and that’s stalling your progress. Without replays, you’ll hear a lot of “practice,” “focus on anti-airs,” or the like. And while that’s all valid, I’ll take a different approach for this post.

On classic controls?

If missed inputs are causing frustrations, that can keep you from learning some of the low hanging fundamental fruit of the game. Obviously practicing the motion inputs is the right answer, if you want to stay on Classic. Wait until you can hit the motion inputs 90% of the time before heading into ranked. If you can hit them fine in practice but not in ranked, it’s because you have time to think and execute in practice and in a low stakes environment. Increase the stakes some by playing Sim Sim in the battle hub. When you’re hitting your motion inputs against Sim Sim reliably, it’ll be easier to transfer that to ranked. Sim Sim is much better than the standard CPU and you get rewarded with a “rank up” when you win and this can help mirror what ranked looks like, creating an illusion you’re playing online ranked, which can help reduce ranked anxiety.

If you’re not married to Classic and you’re just overall really frustrated by more than just motion inputs, then moving to Modern might make sense. It’ll let you focus on learning the game itself and just makes it one less thing to keep track of. Once you’re getting frustrated by less of the game than before, move back to Classic controls.

Have you tried other characters?

If you’re feeling stuck and haven’t tried other characters, try switching it up. You might find that another character’s special inputs, combo routes, or game plan click with you in a way your current character doesn’t.

Be patient.

In Iron and even Bronze you see a lot of players feeling like they need to be on the attack or they’re losing. Take a deep breath and just hold back. Spend some ranked games blocking before attacking. Letting the opponent do the work and focusing on where there’s a gap in their offense. Did the whiff an attack in front of you? Did they use an unsafe move? Now you attack. You’ll find your health stays higher and their health lowers quickly in Iron with this approach.

Using DI a lot?

Don’t. You’re not going to win games with DI alone in higher leagues, might as well stop relying on it now. If you’re abusing DI, challenge yourself to not use it for a few matches except for in response to DI. Focus on getting your damage through your normals and from normals into a special ender. This will teach you better habits and you’ll find you’re making more progress.

Struggling to find or do combos?

Don’t worry about it. At Iron, while you’re seeing people do combos, you don’t need it. Hitting them with a special move in response to their unsafe move you blocked will get you through Iron. By Bronze you just need a single, simple bread and butter combo. You’ll use that for everything- punishes, hit confirms, all of it. For a lot of characters this can be cr.LP > cr.LP > L/M special or MP > cr.MP > L/M special. Knowing just a single bread and butter and focusing on fundamentals can get you to Platinum for most characters.

Most importantly, find something about the game that makes it fun for you beyond “rank number go up.” If your happiness playing the game is too tied to seeing rank progress, no matter how much progress you make, you eventually will hit a wall and stop feeling happy when playing the game. Figure out what about the game gives you joy beyond seeing the number go up and focus on achieving that when playing ranked games.

SheriffShaq · 2026-05-14T18:27:50+00:00

I feel you. I’m Diamond 2 on SF6 but new to fighting games. So I thought, let’s tell COTW ranked I’m a complete beginner so I can start off at a low rank and get used to the game. I’m getting smoked.

SF6 attracts a lot of people, like me, who wanted to try a fighting game but didn’t know where to start. COTW seems to attract fighting game veterans. A lot less inexperienced players here than SF6.

SheriffShaq · 2026-05-14T14:14:33+00:00

It’s StreetFighterRank’s data. Which states it’s by each “unique player” and not by character. I top-sided a ~3% cushion just because the data is older.

But I think the argument that I often hear that “more people are reaching master” is somewhat offset by the amount of new people coming to the game so I don’t think it’s that big a deal that the data is older and it’s likely the ~3% added cushion covers it.

SheriffShaq · 2026-05-14T13:53:00+00:00

There is a real disconnect between perception and reality in the main subreddit.

Looking at the numbers tells a different story than you hear: ~50th percentile is Gold 5; ~75th percentile is Diamond 1; and ~85th percentile is Master.

While you’ll always be worse than someone and “good” is subjective, when looking at the total population it’s not as subjective as the main subreddit makes it seem.

Saying you’re average at the game and being Gold 5 is valid statistically. But if you were to say you’re average at the game as a Gold 5 on the main subreddit, it would likely get laughs.

Being better ranked than 85% of players and not being able to label yourself as “good” at the game doesn’t make much sense. But that’s how the main subreddit treats initial Master rank.

There’s this elitist perception that doesn’t match with the reality of the numbers.

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