Street Fighter 6’s revamped Blanka is not among the top picks of the main roster. However, his speedy moveset and surprising combos have been enough to keep him in the competition. Many professionalStreet Fighter 6players actually believe that Blanka is a versatile mid-range brawler who can dominate grounded and airborne combat. The only catch is that he’s a punishable fighter that shines only when the player can avoid whiffs.
To help fans get the hang of Blanka,this guide offers a detailed strategy, a list of combos, and a bunch of expert tips that can pave the way to mastering Blanka.
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Strategies for Blanka
As acharge character, Blanka requires players touse a sporadic mix of pokes and dashesto confuse opponents and enhance Special Moves. The goal is to avoid whiffs and punishments while gaining space and time to charge. His strategy should remain movement and surprise-oriented, and he should capitalize on sneaky combos.
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Blanka’s Move List
Common moves aside,Blanka has 24 commandsin his moveset. Of these, ten are Unique Attacks, eight are Special Moves, three areSuper Arts, and the rest are Throws. The following is a comprehensive list of his moveset, along with their respective inputs.
6MP
6MK
4MK
6HP
3HP
2PP
2PPP
2PPK
6KKK
4KKK
Any direction + punch (When performing a rolling-type special move)
5 or 6 LP,LK
4 LP,LK
LP,LK (jumping)
Throw
Best Combos for Blanka
The optimal sequence for Blanka ispush, follow, throw. After a hit-confirm, he must knock back the enemy with a pushback Unique Attack, chase them with a hop, dash, or Drive Rush, and finish them off with a rolling attack or acommand grab.
Because Blanka’sstanding and crouching mediums link to his Specials, it’s also a good idea to prioritize ground-to-air combinations that end with the Vertical Rolling Attack into Super Art Level 1 or 3.
Classic Controls
Modern Controls
Jumping medium kick + crouching medium kick + hold up, down kick
Medium + down medium + hold down Special
A foolproof combo for Blanka is a jumping medium kick, followed by a crouching medium kick into a Special Move. Using the Vertical Rolling Attack as the Special Move is recommended because the last normal in this sequence is a low attack. In other words, this move will automatically charge and be ready to use without needing to hold any buttons.
Light punch + Drive Rush + light punch + heavy punch + light punch + quarter-circle back punch, punch
Light + Drive Rush + light + heavy + light + Overdrive neutral Special
After a few crouching pokes, players can execute a standing combination of light and heavy attacks. To begin, they should land a standing heavy kick and light punch, followed by a Drive Rush into a standing light punch, heavy punch, and light punch before finishing off with a quarter-circle-back punch-punch (an Overdrive Electric Thunder).
(punish counter) heavy kick + light punch + Drive Rush + light punch + heavy kick + light punch + double quarter-circle forward kick
(punish counter) heavy + light + Drive Rush + heavy + light + heavy + light + down Special Heavy
For a 6,000-dmg combo, players should devastate the opponent with heavy punches and kicks after a punish counter. The combo should begin with a counter-hit standing heavy kick, followed by a standing light punch into a Drive Rush, and conclude with a standing light punch, heavy kick, and light punch into a double quarter-circle forward kick.
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Pros and Cons of Playing as Blanka
Despite beinga C-tier character, Blanka is a deadly mind-range fighter. His strengths includemobility, unpredictability, and aggression. However, he is also prone to whiffing and getting punished, especially when the opponent can read his moves and has basic matchup knowledge.
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Tips for Winning with Blanka
To succeed with Blanka, players mustbe mindful of their timing and speed. As many of Blanka’s regular attacks can leave him open to counterattacks, it is important to consider the frame advantages/disadvantages and utilize strategic footwork to minimize vulnerability.
Here are four more advanced tips for players seeking to main Blanka:
Hop After Each Combo
Because Blanka’s combo finishers are pushback-heavy, players are recommended tolink chained attacks with hops. A leaping maneuver, a dash, or a Drive Rush can bridge the gaps and allow for Okizeme, but beware that the enemy mightdo backward recoveriesand plan counterattacks once they read this strategy.
Feint with the Coward Crouch
Like Chun-Li, Blanka has a unique crouching stance that gives him two follow-up attacks, but players can alsotreat this position as bait, encouraging the opponent to go airborne. Once they are in the air, Blanka can perform his Wild Lift, which is a surprise launching attack.
Connect Blanka-Chan Doll with Super Art Level 1
The Shout of Earth, Blanka’s first Super Art, is an electrical smash that cancharge his projectiles uniquely. When a Blanka-Chan Doll is activated with this move, it leaps toward the enemy, often catching them off-guard. Combines these two attacks and hop toward the stunned enemy for a throw opportunity.
Do abackward taunt with Blankato get extra explosive dolls.
Use Super Art Level 2 to Cause a Burnout
The Lightning Beast buffs all attacks and enables Blanka to do Rolling Cannon from all rolling-type moves. With this buff, players can push a defensive opponent anddrain their Drive Gaugewhile they’re blocking.
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How to Counter Blanka
Blanka’s effective range is short and is prone to whiff punishment. Therefore, the best counters for him areRyu, Ken, and Manon, who can exploit his weakness. However, it’s also possible to counter a speed archetype like Blanka withlong-range fighters like Dhalsim, as they can maintain distance.
When playing against Blanka, the key is to read his moves and counter his strategy. Blanka’s slow startup and recovery leave him with no choice but to adopt a risky game plan. His opponent, therefore, should take advantage of this and focus on punishing his whiffs.
Street Fighter 6is available now for PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
