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Taking Damage While Blocking
Street Fighter II

Taking Damage While Blocking

Learn how blocking works in Street Fighter II, including special move damage (2% health) and grab vulnerabilities.

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Learn how blocking works in Street Fighter II, including special move damage (2% health) and grab vulnerabilities.

Walkthrough
  1. 1
    Understand that normal attacks do no damage to your health bar while blocking, unless there is an opening in your defenses (e.g., exposing your legs while standing, or your head when blocking in a crouching stance).
  2. 2
    Note that hitting the head is difficult, as it can only be done from above with an aerial attack, and may still fail.
  3. 3
    Be aware that opponents can still grab you while you are blocking. Using a block to stop throw combos is ineffective.
  4. 4
    Retaliate with an attack rather than maintaining a defensive stance when an opponent is close.
  5. 5
    Recognize that damage from any special attack while blocking is significantly weaker, taking only 2% of your health with each hit, regardless of the specific move used.
  6. 6
    Be cautious, as AI opponents frequently use special moves, which can drain your health quickly if you are not careful, even with the reduced damage.
Tips
  • When blocking, prioritize retaliating with an attack instead of remaining defensive, especially against opponents who attempt throws.
  • Be mindful of your character's exposed areas (legs when standing, head when crouching) as these can be targeted even while blocking.
  • Remember that special moves, while dealing only 2% damage, can still deplete your health over time if spammed by the opponent.

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