Guile Tactic and Battle Strategy Guide
Written by: Joel Nealy – 5/11/09
Website: www.GDMWorldwide.com
Email: Jnealy@gmail.com
Xbox Live: JerseyFame

Main: Guile (Alternate Costume #2 with Red Jacket)
Alternate: E. Honda, Bison, Sakura, Gouken

Normal Trials: Completed with all characters
Hard Trials: Completed with Guile, Bison, Sakura, Dan

Acknowledgements:

Before I begin this tutorial, I want to thank every opponent I have ever faced.  Learning to deal with your tactics has made me so much better at using Guile. Seriously, thank you.

Background:

This tutorial is not designed to teach you how to play Street Fighter or how to do sonic booms. This is not a tutorial to teach you charging techniques, I recommend you visit GilleyBaba on youtube to learn those.  This tutorial is designed to take a knowledgeable players game to a more competitive level with Guile.  The current issues that Guile users are facing are the inability to compete with crossups and spamming of projectiles from higher tier characters. Some Guile players are feeling cheated because flash kick is a liability and Guile’s super move has a difficult motion that isn’t very tactical.  The players are basically feeling a strong disadvantage when using Guile in competitive play. 


Resolution:
I have put together a list of tested battle tactics that not only give a sense of confidence when playing Guile play but also help to evolve your strategy from a turtle and counter game to a more aggressive swift playing style.   This is the evolution of the man with two moves.

LETS BEGIN!!!!

Section 1: Relevant Moves and purposes:
Guiles Jab
This is the main combo starter for Guile and can be used effectively in a number of ways.

#1 It’s a combo starter
#2 It shuts down some attacks that have long start ups.
#3 You can follow it with some much stronger moves.

Using it like a pro:
The jab is obviously Guiles main weapon….if you have ever played Guile, you will find yourself tossing jabs often. The key is to not be predictable.  I find that throwing two jabs and dashing forward for the throw is major in this game. Opponents expect jabs in threes and fours, when you mix up your flurrys like this you can almost easily score a throw. Try it and watch as your opponents become fearful of your grapple and will adapt with throws of their own. The result will be a tech throw escape. So ruin their gameplan by double jabbing and then low sweeping. When you train your opponent to fear the throw after the double jab, you mentally weaken their defense since they will release their guard to tech your expected throw, this strategy will lead to more openings and chances for you to attack.

Guiles forward + medium kick
A distance closer and swift counter attack. It can be used to confound eager opponents who are not yet accustomed to respecting Guiles attack options. It also clears you from low attacks for a brief period.

Using it like a pro:
This move can be used to close the grey area between you and your foe. At times,  a smart opponent will cause a stalemate and briefly halt the action  by crab blocking (low blocking and waiting) just out of range of any of your normal moves.  When you gain advantage in a fight, some opponents will concede and wait for you to open yourself for a counter attack.  This is good!! It means you have the advantage and your opponent is momentarily confused on what to do next so they basically stop attacking and say “your move”.  Don’t feed into that too much. Shotokan players will use this to steal an uppercut combo opportunity.  They are hoping you get “silly fingers” and throw a sonic boom or low double sweep just to keep the action going.  Instead try a rolling sobat or forward medium kick. This will cause block stun and excite your opponents’ instinct to counter because the moves has the appearance of being punishable. It’s not really that punishable! You can almost always safely return to your guard without worry. It’s a very safe move if it connects.
This move can stop a hurricane kick mid air if you see it coming. It can halt a tiger shot or hadouken because it strikes faster than the start up for the attack. It also looks damn cool. Don’t abuse it, find the right situation and use it. This can stop crab blocking because it brings you closer and out of the “grey area” range so you can begin to jab and sonic boom trap all over again.
This move will take you a few bouts to master. Training is one thing but against a live opponent you need to be confident when using this move. It will take experience and courage to use it correctly.

Reverse kick the close forward + roundhouse kick
This move, often called the “upside down kick”, is useful in spur of the moment situations where your opponent is crowding you and going for the footsies game. An example would be the low kick to low medium kick to hadouken combo that often causes major damage and confusion when an inexperienced Guile player instinctively turns to the low double leg sweep to create space and block stun. 

Using it like a pro:
In this game the low double sweep is super punishable. You can eat a super move in between the sweeps, and many opponents I face are aware that you don’t have to block both of the sweeps. So they often take the opportunity to do a special move right after they block the first sweep. I even punish other Guiles in mirror matches and flash kick them in between the sweeps. Don’t be victims of tendency; instead toss an upside down kick. This move will clear you of the low kick that is most likely coming your way and allow you time to toss a jab or flash kick if you charge while the move is in action. It’s a cool looking move and does heavy damage relative to what Guile can deal out. Guile isn’t very strong as far as damage goes but his ability to attack in chains is what makes his low damage tolerable. The downside is, you need skill and reflexes to CONSTANTLY capitalize on your opponents openings. Good luck.




Crouching fierce punch
Guile does a standing high uppercut which serves as a high priority anti air attack.

Using it like a pro:
If you are reading this Strategy Guide, there is a good chance you noticed that flash kick fails in some close jump in situations. You may find yourself trading damage or getting shut down all together. This is because Guiles normal flash kick has few if no invincibility frames on start up and you can be kicked or punched out of the move.  The EX version has 2 invincibility frames I believe and even still your opponents can stuff it, a great example is the Rufus corner trap. If he does an EX messiah kick your flash kick will get shut down and you will get your face bashed in for 5 hits and then a finish.  Instead of relying so heavily on flash kick I suggest you wean yourself off of it and start using the crouching fierce. It works best when an opponent has scored a knockdown on you and they want to go for a deep jump in to chain into a combo. This move will shut them down. It is very effective against Sagat and Zangiefs who want to close distance and get in your face. I greet them with a sonic boom after I knock them out of the air with this move. It temporarily ceases their attack pattern and allows you time to think of your next move.  This move is not 100 % reliable and Shoto characters will jump kick you out of it occasionally if you try to use it too late. Guile has to stand on his feet to deliver the blow so if you wait too long to launch it you will get punished. Be bold and toss it out there, you will be rewarded for your bravery.

Air Throw
Jump + Low Punch +Low Kick. This move has mega priority and can even throw Blanka out of his Super Move if done correctly. Consult GilleyBaba’s reversal videos on youtube to see the timing. It’s amazing.

Using it like a pro:
Unfortunately Guile shouts “Damnit!” when you whiff this move. So if you leap in the air and go for it and your opponent is out of range, when you shout “damnit!” they know you are open to be attacked. So be a smart player and use it in do or die situations only…you will come out victorious 7 of 10 times if you do it with the proper timing. It doesn’t hurt like it used to in Street Fighter 2 but it’s a damn good move that frustrates your opponent and forces them to play a ground game with you. That’s exactly what you want. No one can box with Guile.  Except for Zangief and Rufus that is…those guys can really hurt Guile when they get in close.
I set this move up with a slow sonic boom. As my opponent leaps over it I immediately jump and initiate the air throw. We meet in mid air and I basically grab them out of the sky and backbreak them (or toss them if you press forward and throw).  I have mastered this game of cat and mouse…it’s basically mind over matter. Some opponents will get wise to it and immediately jump kick, this is easily punishable…instead of air throwing them like they expect…don’t jump at all and flash kick them or crouching fierce them, they won’t be able to hurt you because they kicked so early to defend against your air throw and they basically land into an attack of your choice.  This will also take battle tested patience and execution.
Good luck, this will make you exponentially more difficult to defeat.

Sonic Boom
Charge back then forward+Punch, this will cause Guile to launch his patented projectile.

Using it like a pro:
Obviously it’s a good opening move. Since its obvious, don’t you think your opponents know you are going to do that? Don’t open rounds with this move. You leave yourself open to get hurricane kicked in the mouth. Save yourself the instant loss of advantage by low blocking to start rounds against Ryu and Ken. I will explain why later.  I like to use the sonic boom as a spacer. I throw them at two different speeds. Slow and Fast…never medium since it’s almost as fast as the hard punch version and basically doesn’t fool anyone. They will hop over it like it’s the hard punch version. The slow version causes timing issues and a lot of the time your opponent will jump right on it. I make sure that when I knock my opponent down I throw a sonic boom to hit them on the wake up. The timing is strict. If you throw it too soon they will wake up and super move through it and basically crush you. Chun li is exceptional at this. You must choose between slow or fast based on the distance they land when they are knocked down. Chuck it so that they wake up right into it and have to block. Those that try to leap quickly over it will be hit and you get free damage. This also ruins their initiative. Some opponents get knocked down and rage at you like a bull to retaliate. This makes them cease advancing for a second and confounds their approach giving you a neutral situation instead of a quick paced retaliation counter situation. You want the round to move at your pace. When you get an ex bar you can throw an EX boom, which is the fastest projectile in the game (faster than tiger shot).  Don’t be over anxious and waste it. As soon as you get an EX bar your opponent expects you to throw one. Instead continue with the slow booms and watch your opponent mistime their jumps. This basically turns control over to you since they will have to be patient and dodge or block because they are unsure when you will unleash the EX boom. Usually you can land your EX boom because they are never ready when you finally decide to throw it. Best special move you have, use it wisely.

Flash Kick (Razor Kick if you are old school)
Charge down then up +kick. Guile will backflip so quickly he leaves a draft of turbulence following his trailing foot that quickly strikes an unwary opponent.

Using it like a pro:
Ok, this is a touchy subject. A ton of Guile users complain that this move has been unfairly nerfed (tactically weakened). I say, I agree…but in all fairness if flash kick was Street Fighter 2 awesome, the characters in Street Fighter 4, with their semi - realistic physics, could not handle the move at all. This would make you virtually unattackable…hence Capcom had a choice:
NERF the move or allow Guile to have an invincible defense.
I believe Capcom chose to nerf the move. Unfortunately this made Guile very vulnerable…and ruined a playing style that Guile veterans have been practicing since 1992. Don’t complain guys!! Just rise to the challenge. You now have to be excellent to win with Guile in competitive play…because you are playing with a handicap.

Like I mentioned earlier Shoto's expect you to open rounds with a sonic boom. So they open rounds with hurricane kick, which will float over sonic boom and connect with your chin leaving you at a disadvantage as soon as the round starts. Instead open rounds with this flash kick. Just low+back block and when you see them start the hurricane kick release your flash. It has priority. On a side note I let them float over me completely until they pass behind me and then I flash kick thim in the pants. It’s funny. Keeps me loose. Haha.
Small arc Jump in situations call for an EX flash because of its invincibility frames...but if you don't have an EX prepare to trade or get stuffed when the opponent has a short jump in arc. The long jump in arc will make them vulnerable to you; the short arc holds imposes an angular disadvantage that never existed before. Don't complain, accept it and move on. Use the normal version as a punisher not a shield. Use the EX version as a shield AND a punisher. You will learn the range with time but reflexes will make you flash kick in situations where you expect it to work. It will take time to adjust to this change in gameplay. Once you do, you will notice you take a lot less damage. Good luck.

Back Knuckle
Pressing forward+fierce punch causes Guile to take a pivot step that creates the momentum for a horizontal back handed fist attack. This move is extremely fast with good range.

Using it like a pro: 
Back knuckle has many tactical purposes. It works as a punisher; due to its range you can punish whiffed attacks from a decent range.  It can be chained to follow sonic booms dealing a painful two hit combo. It can be used in a submission game (corner trap win opportunity). The moves executes so quickly it can stuff desperate retaliations before they start, (within reason, super moves will hit you out of this) allowing you to keep your opponent confined to the corner. You can also open rounds with it. A very good move with range, be liberal with it, be smart as well.

Target Combo
Pressing down+medium kick à forward+medium punch delivers a quick two hit combo that not only stings for decent damage, but also leaves opponents confused in panic as to which direction to block.

Using it like a pro:
You will not find yourself walking up to opponents and initiating this combo.  That’s not how this move works. Guiles medium low kick is pretty sluggish so using this combo like your main weapon will lead to lots of counterattacks and damaging special moves depleting your life bar. Instead use it strategically, almost like a bridge, into your more dangerous attack moves.  I personally like to use it on my opponents wake up. Deception is the name of the game. You don’t want your intent to be obvious when you use this move. Instead I like to low jab into it or dash into it. You want to get the low medium kick to make contact. Once it does, the block stun will leave your opponent helpless to counter the next attack. The next attack is the key. Guile will do a deliberate overhead punch that is unblockable low.  Due to your opponent being forced to block low, to defend against the previous medium kick, they will have to think fast and stand to block the second attack, or accept the punishment of the overhead punch. This is a game I’m always willing to play, I will then mixup my intent and sometimes not complete the combo, but opt for a low attack to follow the crouch medium kick. The opponent will stand expecting the overhead punch and leave themselves open for a low sweep. It’s a momentum changer and can be quite confusing for opponents unable to shake their habit of always blocking low. This is essential to my ground game and it should be a big part of yours as well.  Don’t be scared, use this aggressively.

Throwing
Guile throw game is important. A throw can execute just as quickly as a jab. No need for a deep explanation here. Just go for it. A lot! Trust me your opponent is going to attempt to throw you. Count the tech escapes you get and see for yourself how many times your opponent had the same idea as you. Throwing is important, but it has to be natural. Don’t force throws, when it feels right, go for it. That’s the right time.

Moves that require further testing for relevancy:
Guile kick  (df+ RoundHouse Kick)
Standing medium kick
Standing medium punch

I win without using these moves, so I don’t want to praise their value until I find a purpose for using them.  It doesn’t seem to matter that I neglect these moves because I still win without them. By the way, I never use knee bazooka. Ever.


Section 2: Situational Tactics
Now that you have an idea of how to use your different moves, let's talk about situations that can be difficult for Guile to handle.

THE CROSSUP TRAP

Your opponent endlessly leaps over your head using the far hitbox behind your head as his target, you take loads of damage and/or get dizzy.  You lose close rounds or get destroyed by this tactic.

Resolution and counter strategy

Do NOT try and focus attack out of this...it will most likely fail.  (unless you dash cancel after absorbing the first hit, otherwise they will hit you again and nullify your focus.)

Do NOT flash kick out of this situation! I tried waiting until Guile would turn around and then flash kick it worked 3 out of 10 times.  Not acceptable when a tournament bid is on the line or in a do or die online situation for battle points or championship points.

Do psychic block.
A psychic block, as I like to call it, is when you walk towards an attack because you know the attack is meant to strike behind you. It gives you the appearance of being psychic because you walked towards an attack only to automatically block, because when the crossup happens you are moving backwards instead of forwards relative to the position of your opponent. Sounds confusing, but its obvious.

Do dash escape.
To dash escape...just take advantage of your opponents eagerness to cross you up. Tap forward twice quickly while your opponent tries to leap over you and Guile will hop forward out of danger and out of reach. It is very smart and puts you back on the offensive with some space to spare.
 I found both of these tactics to be safe. The block strategy can lead to some kara throws and chip damage setups. Practice and combine each to reduce your vulnerability to crossups. Eventually, you will be so aggressive with Guile that your opponents will abandon trying to cross you up. They won’t want to get that close.

THE PROJECTILE TRAP
It’s not cheap…it’s annoying.
Your opponent will retreat to a corner and begin throwing constant projectiles. This is a time tested strategy that I have FINALLY gained the patience to overcome.

Resolution and counter strategy

Do NOT try and duke it out. You cannot win a fire fight. Even if you charge buffer, or do the sonic boom technique described by Youtubes’s GilleyBaba to speed up charge times, you will still fall behind in a firefight.

Do NOT try to be a gymnast and hop over them until you get to your opponent. This makes you an easy target for some serious damage. Most of the time, you play right into your opponents hands. Remember, this isn’t a game of chance, the person playing against you is trying their best to get you into a vulnerable situation so that they can capitalize…make it difficult for them to find your openings and you will see your wins with Guile increase steadily. I find that using knee bazooka to launch me forward is a negative at times. The amount of frames it takes for Guile to recover from this move will leave you open against a stream of projectiles. I don’t recommend it at all.

DO focus dash through them.
Charge a focus attack, absorb the projectile and immediately tap forward twice. This will cause Guile to almost “teleport” through the stream of projectiles. This takes moderate skill and precise fingers. It’s easy to mistime your dashes and run right into the next projectile, you will not only lose the life from the previous projectile, you will take on the damage of the next one as well.  Doing it correctly will close distance between you and your opponent allowing you to get to the “grey area” I mentioned above. Use the move set I mentioned above to close in on your target once you have gotten there.

Do walk forward.
Block and advance. This is my counter of choice. I have abandoned leaping over projectiles, due to Ryu’s uppercut to super combo set up. After getting nailed with it enough times I decided to remove that mistake from my matches. Now I hang in there with very difficult Ryu players and win often. The life you lose when getting hit by that setup basically forfeits the match, so don’t let it happen! Instead, walk forward; block the projectile and the advance again.  You will be surprised by how much distance you can close like this. Mix in some safe jumps and some dash cancels and people will never projectile spam you again. When playing Akumas, I dash forward instead of walking forward allowing his aerial hadoukens to pass right above Guile’s flattop. Tiger shots are faster than Hadoukens and make the marching forward strategy a little more difficult. Just be patient and don’t be predictable by jumping into a counter attack. Block, walk forward, safe jump and dash cancel your way towards your opponent. Practicing all these moves will make the reflex to do each stronger and then you will just naturally close down distance when someone tries to play keep away with you.  Just make sure to capitalize once you have closed down that distance and make them pay for using the most annoying tactic known to Street Fighter…The Spam.

THE RUFUS TRAP
To win consistently you need to know what you are up against, until you know that, you cannot be ready for what’s coming your way.  One of the most devastating traps I have encountered is The Rufus Trap.  It isn’t impossible to counter, but by the time you usually figure out what you need to do to escape it, you have taken too much damage to continue and win the match.
Rufus takes damage well, and is extremely hard to dizzy. So even though you launched a volley of attacks at him, landing some severe combos, he will still advance on you.  Rufus players know that all they need to do is get this trap started and the round is most likely theirs.  The key is stopping the problem before it starts. To do that you need to understand what’s happening to you.
Rufus traps are based on one of his Hard Trial Combos.  Rufus players will usually do this combo in its original form or a variation of it. You can watch the Gamestop Tournament Finals on Youtube to see this trap in action.

#1 Rufus will leap

#2 Do falcon kick, bringing him down on your head at a sharp angle

#3 He will link into Standing Fierce Punch

#4 He will cancel into Galactic Tornado

After this he can….

#1 Execute his super move

#2 Do a messiah kick

#3 Start all over again from the beginning.

Resolution and counter strategy

BLOCK.
You cannot punish the Falcon Kick so get it out of your head. It’s a chain. You cannot interrupt it. The moves are designed to follow each other. There is nothing you can do to interrupt this chain. Trying to punish the falcon kick is usually what opens people up to get hammered by the rest of the combo.
So I suggest you block the first three parts and after you block the first three parts. Block AGAIN!!!!
Trying to punish the galactic tornado(3rd part of combo) with anything besides an EX flash kick is foolish. Honestly you need to be defensive minded until you SEE an opening. Trying to PREDICT an opening will disappoint you. Rufus’ Ex Messiah Kick will knock you out of your EX flash kick and your supermove!!! So Flash Kick at your own risk.
If you can be patient enough to block all of this and then they launch the messiah kick to follow the Galactic Tornado, here is your chance. Before they launch the follow up to the messiah kick, which will be 1 of 3 things. A backflip, a low sweep, or an overhead kick.  The startup for one of these gives you time to counter.  Flash kick them here. Your opponent will be at your mercy for a short period of time. You can rush him down or space yourself for an attack of your choice. Just be patient….please be patient. Getting overexcited will just allow your opponent to restart this same combo.

Jab
You can jab him out of Falcon Kick. It must be at the right angle and the right spacing. But, it is possible to jab him out of Falcon kick. You basically shut down the combo before it starts.
The end.

Air Throw
As soon as Rufus takes off to leap in the air to initiate Falcon Kick, you can air throw him and chuck him right out of that combo before it starts. This usually frustrates Rufus players and when they try something different, all their weaknesses are exposed and you can capitalize on them at will.
Your second opportunity to air throw will come at the messiah kick portion of the trap. You can throw Rufus out of this if you quickly jump and air throw after the first part of messiah kick. This is an awesome momentum changer. Yes, it’s risky but so is just standing there.


Sonic Boom

Just space Rufus with it, launch slow ones so that his Falcon kick will land right on it. When he stumbles be opportunistic and jump in on Rufus. His sitting anti air attack is good. But if you time your jump ins correctly he is vulnerable to you and at disadvantage. Just keep your eyes on his EX bars and avoid EX Messiah Kick. Be bold and don’t be a target. Stop the problem before it starts, when it starts be patient and capitalize when you can. Do not allow him to land the hits. Block everything. If he wants to throw you fine. That’s way less damage than the entire combo.  It’s an annoying strategy and honestly, Falcon kick should not be that safe. But I don’t have any influence on changing his game mechanics…I just deal with it.
Good luck, this is a tough one.

I’m sure there are more difficult situations to deal with but those are going to become minor once you start applying the techniques in this Guide.  You will find that the above mentioned techniques are eternal. Feel free to write your own personal matchup notes. I have included some notes from fellow Guile player Larry Fulgencio at the end of this Guide.

Section 3: Useful Combos

Aerial Combos
Guile’s jump in game is a little different and has less range than you may be used to.  I don’t find jumping in on opponents to be very wise. Proper timing and spacing will be  a key element to a successful jump in combo.

Jumping RoundHouse Kick --> Standing Fierce Punch --> Sonic Boom
This combo gets oohs and aahs from spectators due to its brutality, but can also lead to you getting destroyed for jumping in so recklessly. So I usually do this to opponents that I have dizzied or to opponents who don’t have high priority anti air options. It’s a showboat combo, to be honest, so there won’t be many situations where you get to use it. Advanced players feast on jump ins, so they basically want you to go for this “home run” of a combo. Be careful. Throw slow sonic booms and jump in after them. Catch your opponent on a wake up, with a well timed deep jump in. Punish whiffed supers and the like. Just don’t be obvious and eager to pull it.

Some people cannot pull the sonic boom off at the end of this combo.  That stems from pressing forward by accident during this combo. Guile can charge at any point in time, so when you jump in immediately press and hold back while still in the air,  land the roundhouse kick in the air then do standing fierce punch while still holding back, as soon as the fierce punch connects you finally press forward and punch. This will take practice so go to the trials and crank them out.

Jumping RoundHouse Kick --> crouching medium punch -->Flash kick
This is another combo that requires charging while in the air. As soon as you jump forward hold down, land the jumping roundhouse, then land a crouching medium punch, instantly press up and kick to finish with a flash kick. The flash kick input must be very quick or you won’t finish the combo. This combo hurts and also garners oohs and aahs. It’s just as unsafe as the previous combo, but it comes with a huge payoff in damage done. I like to do this combo, but I find the previous combo more satisfying, they both score about the same amount of damage, so pick your poison.

Ground Combos
The ground is where most of your gameplay will take place. So get used to starting combos from here. These combos are touch n go, you will work them into your game slowly and with a pace. Going for them isn’t the key, it’s finding the opening and starting them. Finishing them is up to your skill.

Jab --> jab -->jab -->fierce punch
Easy. Guile can link up to four low attacks without a hassle, adding the fierce punch into the mix is the trouble. Press it too soon, nothing comes out. Press it in the wrong direction and it won’t combo. You do not want to press forward and fierce, that will cause a back knuckle. You want to press back and fierce. Guile will do a straight right hand that will conclude a combo of decent value. Don’t mash buttons, be precise and breathe. You can abbreviate this combo, so that its only two jabs or one. Just finish with the power punch, that’s the whole point.

Down+ jab-->down+ jab-->sonic boom-->down+ Jab  and so on and so on
Technically this combo could lead to a number of things, the only combos I’m listing are the ones I rely on. Watching GilleyBaba’s Guile combo vid shows us you could combo this into oblivion. There is a downside. It’s difficult to chain these past 4 hits on command and it almost does no harm. I use this to start a flurry of different assaults. You could chain this into down+medium punch --> flash kick for instance, or Focus Dash Cancel into an instant replay of the same thing. Guile has ridiculous combo potential, but don’t die trying to explore it. Instead, play the numbers, stick and move. Keep your combos short and go for the high damage moves. A fifteen hit combo isn’t cool when it doesn’t hurt your opponent. Remember that.

Down + medium punch-->flash kick
This is my favorite! Especially against an opponent with exceptional defense. If they are only open for one strike at a time, why not turn that opening into a damaging two hit? Instead of just flash kicking to punish mistakes, add the crouching medium before it. The damage is above average for Guile and when you use EX Flash kick you get a 3 hit combo for the effort of a 1 hit. This one is money.
Play enough with Guile and these combos will become automatic. Soon you will do bits and pieces of them here and there. Sometimes you will get to land entire combos. When you are playing like that, you are on your way to consistent success with Guile. Good luck.

Super and Ultra Combos
Relying on these moves will backfire, but trusting yourself to use it when necessary will work in your favor.  If you are up in the round and you want to superfinish your opponent and you are “playing” for the super finish. You are in for a rude awakening. You might get stuffed or whiff all together. You should have continued doing what you were doing in the first place and the round would have been yours.  The only time I will pull a super is in desperation or for “revenge”. Otherwise, I’m fine just kicking butt with Guiles other moves. Trust me, that super move will be the death of you, if you rely on it for help. Just practice and trust you can do it. Period. When it lands, it will be even sweeter.

Section 4: Shin Guile

Master Yourself.
I have a quote on my gaming profile that says.
“You cannot master Guile, you must master yourself.”

You need to keep a cool head at all times. You need to be automatic with your counters. You need to punish everything. You need to defend yourself well and you need to play a mixed game of offense and defense.  To do all this is taxing and very technical. If you are like me, you enjoy that.  I rate Guile as an advanced players character. A beginner can get a basic handle on Sagat,Ryu or Ken and have moderate success until they play someone experienced. Guile will not have that beginners luck success. He gets beaten a lot and if you don’t have a handle on his capabilities you will get dominated, sometimes by noobs. This is true.
This is where a new gameplay style comes into play.  A normal match for me involves a game of cat and mouse. The difference is, I am not the mouse. I am the cat and all I want to do is close down distance so that I can get my hands on my opponent.  When I first started playing this game, I would get annoyed at constantly facing Akuma, Sagat, Ken and Ryu. Now, I get excited when people pick them, because I feel like this is a perfect chance to seek and destroy.  I have no apprehension in my game. I know all of my moves and how to use them and I just “let my hands go”.  You will be surprised as to how many opponents I technically dismantle with the moves I outlined earlier. 

I lose of course. Yet my record is at a strong 59.9% with 1200+ wins in 1900+ games. Most of those losses came early in my journey to Main Guile correctly. Now I win consistently and when I lose it’s because I got outplayed, not because I fell for some trickery or got “raped” by someone abusing game mechanics.  The fact of the matter is I am the aggressor, and my defense is solid because I am prepared. I also cut down “grey area” time and keep the action going. Always closing in, always stalking. I demoralize by taking the air away…I frighten by punishing with Guile’s money combos…I confuse by moving patiently but consistently and not being predictable.

I never ever play like a loser…

When my stamina is low and I am close to a KO, I continue to play as if the round belongs to me…I continue to stalk and counter attack.  The opponent usually exposes all their weaknesses when they are close to a win, they get very eager and start making mistakes. That’s when I am most effective. I steal wins all the time. Otherwise I am dominating the match, and when I lose it’s almost never a blowout.  When I do get blown out (i.e. The RUFUS TRAP), it’s obvious what my errors were and I am prepared the next time. Spectators watching you play Guile will be very impressed and won’t get bored because you will be so busy fighting. When you become a tornado of moves moving about the screen I call this “Shin Guile”.  My opponents have other names for it, but I won’t repeat them here, lol.

I hope this Strategy Guide helped you on your journey to understand and use Guile effectively; he is a joy to play and one of the deepest characters in Street Fighter 4.
Thanks and Good Luck.
//----------------------------------------------------------end---------------------

If you have questions about anything is this Guide feel free to contact me at Jnealy@gmail.com
Any redistribution for this manuscript without permission from the author is a copyright violation of GDM Worldwide.
Cheers to Capcom for reinventing the greatest fighting game ever…for the fourth time!

***Additional Notes***
Larry Fulgencio asked if he could contribute to this Guide and sent me some character specific notes on how to handle particular matchups. Enjoy.

Vs. Online Abel
Change of Direction – Deadly move, keep your distance with Sonic Booms
Wheel Kick – Flash Kick will take care of this. Use an LK Flash Kick to allow yourself to recover incase Abel does a tech recover.
Marceaux Roll – THROW HIM OUT OF IT or you can throw a Sonic Boom to force him to do that
Tornado Throw – Usually followed by a Marceaux Roll. If in close jump back to avoid a Tornado Throw, you may however, risk getting Wheel Kicked.
 
Abel’s gameplay requires a lot of close-in combat. Tornado Throw, Sky Fall Grab, and Change of direction are examples of close-in combat. Sky Fall Grab of course is Anti-Air but can be linked with his D+HP. Keep your distance so you can anticipate the Wheel Kick and Marceaux Roll are coming towards you. From there, you can capitalize with a Throw, Flash Kick, or even Flash Explosion.
 
Vs. Online Akuma
Dive Kick – Old school Guile’s tend to crouch block and counterattack. A quick LP will stop this attempt.
Hurricane Kick – Beware that a short hurricane kick can be linked into a Shoryuken.
Demon Flip – Tricky because of the different moves that he can do. D+HP will knock him out of the air.
Fireballs (All) – These dreaded fireballs, use Guile’s speed to dash in under the air Fireballs. The horizontal fireballs can easily be avoided with correct timing.
 
MOST Akuma’s play keepaway by throwing insane amounts of fireballs on ground and in the air. To avoid getting cheese’d your instinct is to go forward. After lots of experience with fireball spammers, it later becomes easy to avoid these. As you get closer to him beware of the Shoryuken wake up move, and counter attack. Experienced Akuma’s tend to teleport to the other side and continue playing keepaway. EX Sonic Boom’s will usually take care of the air fireballs and make contact as Akuma lands. Cross-Ups, Akuma has a great cross-up game and if timed correctly, you may never get out. To avoid getting crossed up, avoid the fireball’s until you are around half screen’s distance. At this point  throw a Sonic Boom and attempt to capitalize and turn into the aggressor. Raging Demons are never a problem if you don’t receive a Level 2/3 Focus Attack. Simply jump over, up, or back to avoid this as soon as you see’s Akuma’s animation frames start up.
 
Vs. Online Balrog (Boxer)
Buffalo Head – This is a move that requires a lot of avoiding and anticipation. Keep your distance so you don’t get headbutted.
 
Balrog, like Guile is a charge character. You usually don’t have to anticipate his dashing attacks. You do however need to anticipate whether he is going over head or hitting you low. You will not have this problem if you zone correctly with Sonic Booms. Do not spam this because a good Balrog will find a way to cross you up into death. Beware of the low hit block strings, followed by a Buffalo Head, avoid doing a Sonic Boom after the last low hit before the Buffalo Head because it will go right through and knock you into the air. You may also get juggled with an experienced Balrog. Zoning with Sonic Booms and capitalizing when in close will result in a Guile victory. Balrog’s love to keep their charge so at any given moment they can counter attack. Make them lose their charge by back throwing and switching sides.
 
Vs. Online Blanka
Beast Slide – If you jump away from one, if done a second time, it will make contact.
 
Do not jump in on Blanka at the beginning of the round, you might get rolled on. The worst thing that can happen if you block low is if Blanka did the Backstep Roll which will make contact if blocked low. If you do see it coming, you have enough time to block high. If a Vertical Roll is done you can meet that beast in the air and slam him back down to Earth. Or just meet him on the way down, and throw or Flash Kick. Some Blanka’s know what to expect and try to refrain from using such moves. An aggressive Blanka likes to jump and Hop to the other side, either to do a cross up or simply just eat your neck. Blanka’s cross-up involves a jump-in attack followed by a low attack, to electricity. If blocked it usually comes with a Beast Slide. Like mentioned above, a Beast Slide is way too quick because although short, it travels fast, and does not take many frames to start up and end. If blocked, Blanka has enough time to recover to counter attack with some roll. To defeat Blanka, zone him with Sonic Booms, counter Backstep Roll with EX Sonic Boom or if you manage to block it, meet him in the air and throw him. If you'd like, you can throw a LP Sonic Boom hoping that Blanka will do a Barrel Roll and recover and fall back on it. I think that's pretty funny.
 
Vs. Online Cammy
 
Cammy online isn’t much of problem with Guile.  Cannon Drill can be countered with a Flash Kick. If you don’t time your Flash Kick right, it could be followed with a Cannon Spike. You don’t have much time from when the attack is blocked to when she lands on the ground. In that time, a Flash Kick is effective. Spinning Back Fist and a Hooligan can easily be read and countered with a Flash Kick. This match should be a cake walk because of the lack of moves and versatility with Cammy, especially because she has no projectiles. Its imperative that you throw Sonic Booms to zone, but ensure that you immediately hold your charge to prepare for a Flash Kick, because an EX Spinning Back Fist or EX Hooligan will go right through your Sonic Boom. Your tools to defeat Cammy are Flash Kicks and Throws. You can pretty much play Old School Guile to defeat Cammy.
 
Vs. Online Chun Li
 
Overhead Flip Kick – Careful not to turtle against Chun Li, this move will always get you.
Flip Cross Up Kick – Used quite a lot, to avoid from taking damage from this move, ZONE ZONE ZONE!
 
Kikoken doesn’t travel to be fast enough to be listed as a “Move To Watch Out For”. Chun Li is very versatile and has a lot of moves of destruction (hence the 100 LB thighs x2). Her lightning kicks can juggle the opponent if timed correctly. D+MK can be linked to Kikoken and Super. There’s nothing to it, just zone yourself and attack when necessary. She poses a big threat in the right hands, and mainly its because of the two moves listed above. They are very effective against turtlers. Avoid turtling, and play on the aggressive, her super and ultra startup frames give you enough time to block and counter. Guile’s easiest combo is the jump in with HP or HK, D/B+MP, Sonic Boom or Flash Kick.  After knocking her down DO NOT jump in simply because she may perform an EX Spinning Bird Kick which will allow her to recover quickly and be right up on you as you get up.
 
Vs. Online C. Viper
Vs. Online Dan
 
DESTROY!!!
 
Vs. Online Dhalsim
Yoga Teleport – Although does no damage, makes up for Dhalsim’s lack of speed and can lead into some deadly combos.
 
Dhalsim likes to keep distance using the long arms and long legs. Sonic Booms and trading hits using D+HK will put you in for the win simply because of Dhalsim’s stamina, don’t trade too many hits because Guile has a horrible stun rating. Other than that, Dhalsim plays with a pattern of ZONE POKES, meaning his long stretchy arms, keep you away but does less damage if not blocked. Now if he teleports next to you and performs combo’s, he’s as good as any player.

Vs. Online Gen

Gen can simply juggle you around like he owns a circus with his style. Gen's jump can easily jump over fireballs, knock, and juggle. This can be repeated till you are defeated. Gen is so versatile, although weak in power, he has a lot of tools in his arsenal. Simple attacks may not do a lot damage but can easily be linked into ultra's/super's/special moves. Gen's ground game isn't as strong as others which forces him to become airborne. Guile's air throw should be used as much as possible. Guile's weak priority with his Flash Kick force you to perform other moves because of Gen's jumping pokes. Usually if you attempt to counter Flash Kick's with Gen, you will most of the time trade hits. Gen has a quite a few effective anti-air moves. His Ultra in the Crane Stance, air kicks, and at the right distance - his Rapid Slap. Take care of Gen using air throws after a slow sonic boom to force Gen to jump. A common combo they like to do is jump with MK to HP Rapid Slap. His wall kick can leave you in the air for a little bit and then juggled with a LK or LP to Rapid Slap. Be careful. If a Gen player decides to use an Oga, jump back and air throw. You best game here is a ground game. Throw as many LP Sonic Booms as you can and force him to jump, once he starts to figure it out, you can hold B+MK and counter Gen's jump in over your Sonic Boom.

 

Vs. Online Gouken

Air Fireball - Gouken charges his fireball one way, but it may confuse you depending on which way he's gonna throw it.

 

Vertical Hurricane Kick – Devastating anti-air move. As Guile attempts to jump in and this move is performed, he’ll kick Guile in the air and juggle him.

 

Running Palm – Can be juggled following an EX Running Palm.

 

Counter – Avoid jumping in, most online users do not use the Low counter for some reason.

 

Gouken isn’t too tough, he has his fireballs and can be charged by holding down a button. As you immediately see a charge, throw an EX Sonic Boom, if you are fast enough, you will get both hits, if not you will at least get one. If they anticipate your jump he will throw a diagonal fireball and knock you out of the air. Counter can be used for a jump in which can thrash you across the screen. His back throw doesn’t do any damage at all but you can be juggled with a full on Ultra or hurricane kick. Because the back throw doesn’t do any damage, you will receive the full effect of the Ultra. You may have read about the more hits you perform in a combo, the less damage it does. Keep it a ground game but beware of that counter. I haven’t seen or tried it but if you attempt to Focus Attack and he tries to counter, I believe it will go through. It hasn’t been tested and I will verify it later, but that would be something I would try. You really don’t have to worry about his dive kick or demon flip. His dive kick isn’t as bad as Rufus’ and the Demon Flip can easily be countered with just about anything. Just don’t stand and attempt to block because you can be thrown or hit low.

 

Vs. Online Guile
This is for the inexperienced Guile (opponent) player. You can tell by your opponent "turtling" and flash kicking as an anti-air. Do not fall into this trap. Throw LP Sonic Booms and approach Guile attempting to throw. If the Guile is turtling, Guile will not have enough time to Flash Kick you. You can alternatively perform a F+MP (overhead punch) to steal a poke and 90% of the time, the opponent gets confused on whether or not you will follow up HIGH or LOW. This is your decision. If your opponent however throws a Sonic Boom right before he gets hit to counteract, go ahead and perform a double sweep OR jump-in with the attempt to perform Guile's BnB combo (Jumping HK, D+MP x Flash Kick). If your LP Sonic Boom is countered with another Sonic Boom from a far distance, your opponent will have time to block. Avoid jumping in because Guile's charge recovery time is VERY forgiving, he will have enough time to perform a flash kick. Your opponents double sweep can be countered with a LK Flash Kick after the first kick. If timed right, you will not be touched. If your timing is wrong, you will trade hits. This is also a great opportunity to perform a LK Flash Kick x Double Flash, or even Flash Explosion. Stick to a ground game against Guile and please avoid the HK Flash Kick. A blocked Flash Kick is nicely countered with probably an EX Flash Kick or your Ultra/Super

 
Vs. Online Ken
Shoryuken - Usually done on wake-up or as an anti-air. Avoid jumping in if you are not throwing a Sonic Boom to follow. Guile's Jump is easily read and can be countered easily with his Ultra or a Shoryuken
 
Hurricane Kick - DO NOT ATTEMPT TO AIR THROW WHILE THIS MOVE IS DONE IN THE AIR. You will get knocked on your back. Avoid throwing a Sonic Boom at the beginning of the match cause this move will go right through it and get you in the face. If this move is performed and you are blocking low, it will go over you and can be countered with a flash kick. Personally, I like to jab him out of it and wait for a wake-up shoryuken. A missed/blocked shoryuken is beautiful cause it allows you many options to throw, sonic boom, flash kick, or even HP then Focus Attack.
 
Hadouken - I feel that this isn't as powerful as Ryu's and should be treated with caution. Avoid spamming and ABSORBING this move. The more they throw and the more you absorb it will quickly diminish your health if attacked while health recovery is in progress.
 
Ken is a formidable character in the right hands. One of the most common characters used in the game. Although he has only 3 moves, they are devastating in the right hands. Take Guile and punish him accordingly by avoiding the fireball spam and cross ups. You can avoid cross ups by taking a hit while jumping away. Experienced cross up players tend to follow and jump toward you, you can jump forward and air throw or wait till you can flash kick. I dont have much information on avoiding cross up because now I dont allow it to happen to describe such things. Keep your distance, block shoryuken's, and that nasty combo hitting you low followed with a hadou should and can be avoided by Guile's BnB combo following the frame after the hadou is thrown.
 
Vs. Online M. Bison
HA! I use him so this shouldn't be too bad.
 
Block Strings followed by a Scissor Kick/Headstomp/Devil's Reverse - Bison has a nice block string to where he can hit LP a couple times, followed by a Scissor Kick/Headstomp/Devil’s Reverse. His block strings can also be followed by a tick throw. Maintain distance or trade hits during the LP’s.

Headstomp – The move that is most widely used and abused. A Headstomp has priority over a jumping opponent, and moves quickly enough to counter a Sonic Boom. You will trade hits or get stuffed by a headstomp if you attempt to counter with a Flash Kick. Avoid this by jumping back and performing an air throw. Same goes for Devil’s Reverse.

 

Psycho Crusher – Can be stopped with a Sonic Boom or Flash Kick. It isn’t used much except if you are in the air. I rarely see it performed from a standing position.

 

Because the Headstomp and Devil’s Reverse is widely used. You can counter it with an air throw, if you DON’T press LP+LK when you are at its highest peak, you will miss and land, once you miss, hold D and right before Bison gets you with the finishing attack, perform a Flash Kick to counter. Do not let Bison get close to you, keep a zoning game with Sonic Booms, if Bison decides to teleport closer to you, block low and get ready to Flash Kick as he reappears. Sonic Booms wills force him to Headstomp or Teleport in which you can easily counter. Bison’s slide is not a problem because the recovery time is not good at all, in which you can go ahead and perform D+HK or Flash Kick or Double Flash or even D+MP xx Flash Kick xx Double Flash. Bison is a pretty difficult opponent, but knowing how their moves work in what situations will give you the upper hand.

 

Vs. Online Rose

Soul Throw – Anti Air move against jump-ins, avoid and stick to a ground game.

 

I’ve seen a pretty nasty combo with her that defeated a cross-up happy Ryu with ease when the game first came out. She avoids jump-ins by doing a short slide pretty similar to Dhalsim’s. Couple crouching attacks then a Soul Spiral, but it was so consistent Ryu got defeated. Now onto Guile, avoid a jump-in attack because this combo will get ya. DO NOT throw an HP Sonic Boom cause it could be reflected just as a fast. Do not throw EX Sonic Booms at full screen’s distance either, it will cancel out and you have just wasted ¼ of your super meter. She’s quick and I will admit that she’s a difficult character to beat with an advanced user playing. Use lots of mixups with Guile. LP Sonic Boom, follow and before she can reflect, jump up and perform Guile’s BnB combo. If you have no fear, throw an LP Sonic Boom and before it hits, Rolling Sobat (F+MK), Double Sweep (D+HK), if blocked, FLASH KICK! You can change the Double Sweep to a Target Combo.

 

Vs. Online Rufus – Joel took care of that

 

Vs. Online Ryu

A Ryu player in general will SRK you while you jump in and throw a Red Hadou/Super/Ultra (pick your poison). They will Hadou-spam you in which you can avoid simply by jumping forward (and over the hadou) until you are at about half screen’s distance. If they throw another one, they will anticipate a jump-in and SRK you. Avoid this simply by jumping straight up because the Ryu may attempt an SRK after a Hadou. You may want to worry about being close to Ryu because his throw is forgiving and for some odd reason, has one of the longest reach distance. I can be maybe 2 steps away and still get thrown. Ryu has a good tick throw. With Guile, there isn’t much Guile based strategies to defeat Ryu, in my opinion. You have to beat Ryu, generally. Meaning, Hop over fireballs, avoid jump-ins, use FADC’s, tick throws, avoid Guile’s Ultra/Super because it will leave you in the air to get punished. Ryu’s F+MP and F+HP is something to worry about simply because it can be linked with other moves.

 

Personally, I like to hop over fireballs, throw a couple LP Sonic Booms (occasionally), trip Ryu with a double sweep, and approach him as he gets up making him think I will throw him and instead jump right over just in time before he does and SRK and throw him around the screen. I use a lot of Guile’s Target Combo (D+MK, F+MP) then follow up with another double sweep. When in close, I trade hits if a Hadou is attempted by doing a flash kick. F+HP after a F+MK or LP Sonic Boom usually hits cause they want to block low. Ryu’s ground combo that hits a Crouching MK, Couple Jabs, and a Hadou really cant be avoided except by stopping it before it starts. You can try to jump over and you might be able to attack him as he finishes a Hadou. Fun to play against cause its challenging.

 

Vs. Online Sagat

Tiger Low’s and High’s can be avoided – High’s can be avoided by ducking and the Low’s can easily be jumped over. I get confused on the EX Tiger shots because it seems as if there isn’t much change to its color. Beware of these. Tiger Knee’s can be blocked and countered with a Flash Kick. You want to avoid blocking high when Sagat is up close cause a crouching MK can link into a Tiger Knee. Guile is obviously faster than Sagat so use that your advantage by throwing Sonic Booms, do not, I repeat, do not attempt to get into a fireball battle cause you will get hit eventually, you can only charge so much even though its forgiving. You can avoid his Tiger Uppercut by throwing an LP Sonic Boom and performing a jump-in, just as it hits/blocks, and perform Guile’s BnB combo. It will take a lot to defeat Sagat since his stamina is so FREAKING HIGH! With enough pokes and his Target Combo will allow you to defeat him with ease. F+MP is your best friend against this guy. Do not attempt to jump in on Sagat unless a Sonic Boom is thrown or he just finished throwing a Tiger Shot. Sagat’s Ultra is devastating, it usually gets me 50% of the time because his Ultra doesn’t have many startup frames to get the first hit and will get you most of the time on a jump in.

 

Vs. Online Sakura

[Joel, please input your thoughts on here. I haven’t lost to a Sakura even when I don’t try.]

 

Vs. Online Seth

As you can see in the Online Ranking, Seth is used by the top players in SFIV. He has many juggles and all I can say is that you should treat any online Seth as you would on Arcade mode on the Hardest Difficulty. Advanced players are usually up there in the ranks already and it may be rare to face him in an Online Match. With your 2 moves and his million moves, proceed with caution even though his Stamina is one of the worst in the game. Seth likes to zone you with his Dhalsim-like arms. His Fuerte Wall Jump is something to watch out for because I’ve experienced a 8+ hit combo that drained 1/3 of my life. Tandem Engine sucks you in giving you an opportunity if timed right, to perform a Flash Kick to stop whatever is coming. When I play against Seth, I avoid Flash Kicks, unless Seth makes the mistake of spamming the D+HP (long arms) and I would have enough slack to Flash Kick his arms. Good Luck!

 

Vs. Online Vega

Anytime he is up in the air going towards you, jump back and Air throw. Everything else should be cake. Not much against Vega. [Joel, please input your thoughts on here. I haven’t lost horribly to a Vega.]

 

Vs. Online Zangief

I love playing against this guy. Most experienced Zangief’s will do Green Hand’s to approach you to compensate for his lack of jumping and dashing speed. If this occurs, jump back and as you land perform a normal block string and jump-in and attack or if your “ballsy” walk up and throw him hoping you don’t get SPD. Half the time you may get countered with a Lariat. Zangief’s gameplay is close. There is no “if’s”, “and’s”, or “but’s”. He can do no damage to you from afar. Keep you distance with Sonic Booms and follow, usually he will attempt to Lariat as to not receive chip damage, punish him for even attempting this by performing a double sweep, at Zangief’s hand’s distance of the Lariat. If the first doesn’t trip him, the second one will if done early enough. He cannot be air thrown out of his splash, but if it so happens that you are able to block it, block low because Zangief’s tick’s and poke’s will get you in about 3-4 hits in a row. Believe or not, Zangief does have a cross up that he can mix up and fool you straight into a Spinning Pile Driver.