• How to play
• Character Guides
• Trophies and Unlock Guide
• Resources and Credits
• [ Korean ]  [ More in Korean]
• [ Italian ]
• [ Japanese ????? ] [ ????????? ] [  ?????? ] [ ?? -Movie ]
• There are some French and Italian character guides, just check the character pages.

How to play KOF

When you want to do more than combos, when you want to know you are not hitting them, or why they are hitting you, it’s time to study, before you can become a master!  There are many things that are not obvious, and many things that players are not taking advantage of, which keeps the top players on top.  Reap the rewards of reading by checking out these guides and videos before reading up on your character!  Knowledge is power.

• System & Notation
• General & Advanced Tech
• Execution
• Extra Tech
• Frame Data
• Guide and Hitboxes Video List and Hitbox Viewer plugin for STEAM kofxiv
• Punish Guide
• Throwing reversals
• Characters
• Trophies
• More resources & credits

Notation

Original text by Coliflowerz

P = Punch
K = Kick
A = LP = Light Punch (Square)
B = LK = Light Kick (X)
C = HP = Heavy Punch (Triangle)
D = HK = Heavy Kick (Circle)
st. = standing
cl. = close
cr. = crouching
j. = jumping
b, d, f = back, down, forward respectively
[n] = hold n direction for at least half a second
qcf = quarter circle forward (d, df, f)
qcb = quarter circle back (d, db, b)
hcf = half circle forward (b, db, d, df, f)
hcb = half circle back (f, df, d, db, b)
dp = dragon punch (f, d, df)
rdp = reverse dragon punch (b, d, db)
xx = cancel
arrow = do immediately after unless specified
– = follow up
(n) = cancel after nth hit of the move

System Tutorials

This video starts from the very beginning, what you see on the screen, how the bars and timer work.

Now let’s talk about the power meter (sometimes referred to simply as “bar”).

• Check the [System Notation] first before we get in depth about it!  Now we’ll look at how the game actually works, and what you should be doing as a player.  There are timestamps below, which if you click, will fast forward to that explanation.

0:14 Explaining character tiers, balance and implications of choosing a character for beginners.
03:45 Movement (jumps, 10:00 rolls, 12:38 Command movements)
19:40 Blocking
22:01 Defending
27:45 Anti airing, space control and positioning

0:45 Run and run cancelling
2:08 Rolls, guard cancelled rolls, Blowbacks and guard cancelled blowbacks
7:47 Meter limit, meter building, extra meter on ko/loss
12:36 Max gauge raw activation, button cancelled max gauge, ex move sin max and ex moves cost
18:34 Max mode meter overall count
20:33 Rush auto combos
23:35 Counter hits
24:41 Otgs (off the ground), running charge, running grabs
29:20 What costs what (meter cost)
31:37 Stamina values, health recovery on opponent ko/loss

Info on life bar recovery on KO depending on time:

The clock at default is set at 60 ticks which is 90 real time seconds. If a player wins a round, they will regain certain amounts of health depending on when they knock out the opponent.

42+ ticks = 300 health
41 to 30 ticks = 250 health
29 to 18 ticks = 150 health
17 to 0 or timeout = 100 health

0:52 Differencies between hard and soft knockdown
1:35 Different possibilities of attacks in kof
2:30 Setting up mixups and dealing with defence
6:28 Explaining how everything has a counter, layer of depth in the metagame
8:00 The importance of conversions(hitconfirming) and optimized combos
10:43 Space control, offensive space control and counters
16:52 – 30:02 hard knockdowns, safe jumps and option select
31:00 Blowbacks in neutral possible uses, recognizing fake strings, whiff punishes
34:50 Getting good fast: practicing hitconfirm and optimizing combos (openers high/low) depending on bars / situation
44:30 Command grabs, blowing up safejumps with them, armored command grabs and counters
47:00 A mention of depth organized by lasagna layers (quoting infernoKong)
48:30 Guard Roll cancelling through high recovery strings to punish

Now that you’ve gone through the basics, there are more particular things to study.  Keep going!

• Go Back to Top to see more

Characters

Alice	Athena	Angel
Andy	Antonov	Bandeiras
Billy	Benimaru	Blue Mary
Chang
Chin	Choi	Clark
Daimon	Gang-il	Geese
Heidern
Hein	Iori	Joe
K’	Kensou	King
Kim	Kukri	Kula
Dinosaur	Kyo	Leona
Love Heart	Luong	Mai
Mature	Maxima	Meitenkun
Mian	Mui Mui	Najd
Nakoruru
Nelson	Oswald
Ralf	Ramon
Robert	Rock	Ryo
Shun’Ei	Sylvie	Terry
Tung	Vanessa	Verse
Vice	Whip	Xanadu
Yamazaki	Yuri	Zarina

Secret Illustrations 

Team Dragons: Ryo, Mui Mui, Kensou
Team Tigers: Ramon, Joe, Robert
Team Old Masters: Tung, Gang Il, Chin
Team Beautiful Hair: Nakoruru, Athena, Kula
Team Tung’s Disciples: Terry, Geese, Shun’ei
Team Lucky 7’s: Mui Mui, Love Heart, Alice
Team Birds: Zarina, Nakoruru, King of Dinosaurs
Team Mysterious Newcomers: Hein, Kukri, Luong
Team NESTs Girls: Sylvie, Kula, Angel
Team Ninjas: Andy, Mai, Bandeiras

 

THE KING OF FIGHTERS All trophies acquired.	1.25% ULTRA RARE
Aspirations [TUTORIAL] Clear all subjects.	50.11% COMMON
The Birth of a Legend [STORY] Clear for the first time.	73.37% COMMON
Living Legend [STORY] Clear at computer level 5 with no continues.	5.71% VERY RARE
Onward to the Next Legend [STORY] Clear using all teams (including boss and mid-boss).	5.93% VERY RARE
Hmph… An expected outcome! [STORY] Acquire rank S or above at the victory screen.	80.03% COMMON
Yay! Perfect! [STORY] Acquire rank SS at the victory screen.	68.49% COMMON
Power of the Champion [STORY] Defeat the mid-boss.	74.14% COMMON
Sealed Power [STORY] Defeat the final boss.	73.39% COMMON
Perfect winner! Win 10 matches with a perfect.	33.32% UNCOMMON
Straight to the finish! Win 10 matches without losing a round.	60.90% COMMON
Wow! Perform 50 SUPER SPECIAL MOVES finishes.	20.10% UNCOMMON
That settled it! Perform 50 MAX SUPER SPECIAL MOVES finishes.	11.69% RARE
One hit! One kill! Perform 50 CLIMAX SUPER SPECIAL MOVES finishes.	8.29% VERY RARE
Combo Attacker Perform 50 SUPER CANCELS.	25.06% UNCOMMON
Graceful Attacker Perform 50 ADVANCED CANCELS.	4.96% ULTRA RARE
Ferocious Offense Perform 50 CLIMAX CANCELS.	4.51% ULTRA RARE
Weep! Scream! And DIE! Perform 50 Rush attacks.	48.41% UNCOMMON
Student [TRAINING] Enter training mode for the first time.	90.44% COMMON
Title Collector Unlock all titles.	13.07% RARE
Item Collector Unlock all items.	3.90% ULTRA RARE
Welcome to My Museum Unlock all gallery items.	2.93% ULTRA RARE
Synchronize your watches at 16:35. [MISSION] Clear Time Attack for the first time.	21.98% UNCOMMON
Mission Complete! [MISSION] Clear Time Attack within 4:00.00.	11.01% RARE
When you look up at the moon, remember this. [MISSION] Knock 1 person out in Survival.	34.02% UNCOMMON
Mukuro, Lurking in the Moonlight [MISSION] Knock 30 or more people out in Survival.	14.29% RARE
You’re tough, aren’t you! [MISSION] Clear 1 trial.	63.55% COMMON
Special talent agent!! [MISSION] Clear 100 trials.	20.20% UNCOMMON
International KOF League Room Creation Board Member Create 10 rooms.	15.09% RARE
Everybody’s out to get me… [FREE MATCH] Play SINGLE VS for the first time.	23.53% UNCOMMON
A BEAST OF PREY [FREE MATCH] Play SINGLE VS 50 times.	6.71% VERY RARE
I can handle this… by myself. [FREE MATCH] Play SINGLE VS 100 times.	5.16% VERY RARE
Comrade [FREE MATCH] Play PARTY VS for the first time.	21.73% UNCOMMON
Reliable Being [FREE MATCH] Play PARTY VS 50 times.	6.43% VERY RARE
Unshakable Trust [FREE MATCH] Play PARTY VS 100 times.	4.33% ULTRA RARE
Teamwork [FREE MATCH] Play TEAM VS for the first time.	41.23% UNCOMMON
Here We Go, Partner [FREE MATCH] Play TEAM VS 50 times.	12.47% RARE
Old Bond [FREE MATCH] Play TEAM VS 100 times.	7.88% VERY RARE
Sweet Taste of Victory [RANKED MATCH] Win for the first time.	30.01% UNCOMMON
Hey, Mr. #1 in Japan! [RANKED MATCH] Win 50 times.	5.96% VERY RARE
No One Is Better Than Me [RANKED MATCH] Win 100 times.	3.75% ULTRA RARE
Full-Fledged Reach Rank 11 or higher.	12.34% RARE
Peak Performance [RANKED MATCH] Win 5 consecutive matches.	13.74% RARE
Now… no one can stop me [RANKED MATCH] Win 10 consecutive matches.	8.76% VERY RARE
Kyokugen Style Dojo Online Branch [ONLINE TRAINING] Train with another player.	17.35% RARE
Hehe, fired up? [FIGHTING LIST] Receive your first FIGHT BONUS.	19.50% RARE
Arch-Rivals by Blood Finish 10 versus battles.	29.69% UNCOMMON
A Good Match Share your first replay.	13.92% RARE

---

• • • Bread and Butter Combos Google Doc

    • Feedback / Bugs Report

    • Tier Lists 

    • Frame Data Google Doc 

---

Credits

Frame Data

dmmbrage *

Guides

• Grimulus
• Yulia
• Wauhti
• Coliflowerz
  
• Inferno Kong
• Prince Thabet
• Gilstolemyride
• Raf Ah
• Trulyamiracle
• Chris Ax
• Juicebox
• & Gunsmith (the admin)

Additional Movelist transcription:

Khalill Marsh

General Writing, Admin & Everything else:

Alan Francois

Interactions and Special Illustrations:

Jermaine Flanders

Trophies data:

PSN Profiles

* Frame Data: These guides will use data from dmmbrage, but Atma, Ahmed Sule, & Outlaw Nightmare should be credited and thanked for their work on this extremely laborious and tedious work.