Guile has been part of the Street Fighter franchise since Street Fighter II, the REAL start of the series. He’s been a largely consistent face in the franchise, despite it seeming like he might bow out of the roster through the likes of the Street Fighter Alpha series, the Street Fighter III series (alongside several legacy characters), and Street Fighter V for a short time. But he always has a just cause worth fighting for, which explains why he’s returned again.
Guile is also notable through how similar he remains over multiple installments, keeping the Sonic Boom and Flash Kick as his main, and sometimes only, Special techniques. But he’s never identical across those multiple installments. He’s come with several changes that distinguish him from his prior selves in Street Fighter 6.
10. Sonic Hurricane Flash Kick Special (11 Hits)
Start at 1:15
Guile is one of the best characters in Street Fighter 6 as of this writing, but he’s not easy to get down, let alone master. Let’s start with an easier combo that’s moderately damaging and shows his potential.
This combo links together a bunch of normal attacks, but also includes a Level 1 Super Art, Sonic Hurricane, to enhance it. Several of Guile’s moves can link to each other, increasing his juggle potential.
The combo will do 11 hits by the end, with most coming from the Sonic Hurricane. It will do a total of 3250 HP of damage, solid for a lower-end combo.
By the end, this combo will show just how good Guile is with damage, even with a shorter combo. But don’t underestimate the work it requires to get down. Using Guile’s combos, even a short one like this, requires knowing when to charge attacks and knowing what can be used to defend yourself while charging for specific motions. Get easier combos down first before attempting the harder stuff.
How to perform:
- Start with a crouching medium punch that will link to a crouching light punch.
- Then perform the hard punch version of the Level 1 Super Art, Sonic Hurricane (hold back for two seconds to charge, then press forward, back, forward and hard punch), and perform an EX Flash Kick (charge down two seconds, then up and two kick buttons) to finish it.
9. EX Flash Kick Corner Combo (6 Hits)
Start at 2:10
Guile has some mean corner combos. But it will help to learn a smaller one to get ready for the more complicated ones.
With several characters, it will be a little tough to determine just what they can do after using a Drive Impact on a corner opponent. Not so with Guile, who has an easier Chain Combo made specifically for this task, thanks to two hard kicks that go great together.
This isn’t a big combo in terms of its size, at only six hits. But don’t neglect the easy 2980 HP this will take from the opponent through minimal effort.
There’s knowing the execution for getting this combo down. But it’s another factor to know the slightly-tight timing involved for the final EX Flash Kick juggle. It has to be executed just when Guile hits the ground after performing the first standard Flash Kick. Don’t neglect taking some time to practice it.
How to perform:
- Start by using a Drive Impact on the opponent in the corner.
- As they’re crumpling, perform the Phantom Cutter chain combo with a crouching hard kick and down-forward + hard kick in succession.
- Then, Special move cancel with the Flash Kick. As Guile lands, perform the EX Flash Kick to continue the juggle and finish the combo.
8. Light Punch Crossfire Somersault Finish (13 Hits)
Start at 0:40
Mastering Guile also requires getting down how and when to perform his Super Art 3, and the motions for Super Cancelling into it. This is nowhere near as easy as it sounds, thanks to the unique motion Guile has for performing it.
Start with an easier combo to learn how and when to perform it, one that begins with light punches that combo into a Flash Kick. The Flash Kick is the best Special move to use to Super Cancel into this Super Art. It’s really the only one, considering the small amount of moves Guile has.
The combo will do 13 hits by the end of it, with most m coming from the Super Art itself. There won’t be much damage scaling thanks to how short this combo is, the reason why it takes a great 4090 HP of damage. That’s one-third of the health bar from even a high health opponent like Zangief.
Before undertaking the combo, though, it’s worth practicing with Guile’s Super Art 3 by itself to get the motion down. Guile is, and will always be, a charge character, and that also goes for his Super Arts. He’s not an easy character to play, but that’s justified through how much damage he does.
How to perform:
- This combo begins with two light punches that will be cancelled with a hard kick Flash Kick.
- Then, Super Cancel into Super Art 3, Somersault Finish (hold back to charge for two seconds, then press forward, back, forward and any kick button) for the literal combo finish.
7. Drive Impact Sonic Hurricane Combo (12 Hits)
Start at 4:43
Learning Guile also means maximizing damage off what to do after landing a Drive Impact Punish Counter, the kind of Drive Impact that will land as a counterattack from the opponent. It’s, of course, never a good idea to watch the opponent crumple without properly punishing them.
This combo isn’t long, and the meter burn isn’t excessive. But it’s still damaging, and requires a little practice. It’s a good idea to get all of Guile’s common Chain Combos down.
The combo will do 12 hits by the end of it, with most hits coming from the use of a Level 1 Super Art. It will do a total of 3740 HP of damage, about one-third of the health of an average HP fighter.
It’s again a good idea to nail down all the easier combos Guile has in his repertoire, though they’re hardly easy to execute per se. Like one of the combos above, nailing down when to land that final EX Flash Kick is the toughest part, especially when Guile and the opponent are outside the corner.
How to perform:
- Start with a Drive Impact Punish Counter, one that counterattacks another opponent’s normal attack or their Drive Impact.
- After it lands, perform the Recoil Cannon target combo by pressing medium punch and back + hard punch.
- You should be charging the Sonic Hurricane during the second Recoil Cannon attack, preparing to execute the hard punch version.
- Then, finish with an EX Flash Kick after that ends.
6. Drive Rush Flash Kick Finish (5 Hits)
Start at 5:45
In a sure sign of how good Guile is: The character has plenty of unimpressive-looking combos. But these become impressive upon seeing how much HP they shed.
This is the first combo on the list to include a Drive Rush Cancel, which Guile can use to extend his combos for more impressive damage. They’re necessary for a character who doesn’t have many moves, and only one of them works well as a combo finisher. That’s made up for with the damage he can do with even his normal attacks.
This combo will only produce five hits, and doesn’t burn any of the Super meter. But it’s remarkable how it still does 3236 HP of damage to the opponent, nearly one-third of their health with minimal meter usage.
The combo defines Guile as the quintessential boring-but-practical character, with a lot of combos that don’t look impressive upon seeing them in action. But they do serious damage. There’s a reason why he places so high on the tier lists.
How to perform:
- Start with a standing hard punch that works as a Punish Counter (a counterattack or to capitalize on a punishment opportunity).
- Then, Drive Rush Cancel into forward + hard punch, and link it to a standing medium punch and a subsequent crouching medium punch.
- (The crouching medium punch is when you should start charging.)
- Then, finish with a hard kick Flash Kick.
5. Solid Puncher Flash Kick Finish (19 Hits)
Start at 6:48
All that said, Guile does have combos that look impressive and are very stringy. Several of them are linked to his Level 2 Super Art, the Sonic Puncher.
Unlike Guile’s other two Super Arts, which are straightforward Super Combos, Guile’s second Super Art gives him the ability to throw multiple Sonic Breaks. This can be triggered in the middle of a combo, but it’s a bit easier to do this at the start of one. That’s “a bit” because you have to actually land the projectiles after activating it. This combo provides an example to do so.
The combo will do a total of 19 hits by the end, with the Sonic Puncher’s Sonic Breaks contributing to around six of those. It will take a total of 3859 HP from the opponent. Another damaging combo despite only using a bit more meter compared to the last one.
Unlike the last one, though, this one will take practice. Get down the tempo for throwing the Sonic Breaks; don’t just mash the punch button like a maniac. Also practice when to Drive Rush after the third Sonic Break to continue the meatier hits in the combo.
How to perform:
- This is a long one. Bear with me here. Start the combo with a standing hard punch, and then Super Cancel into the Solid Puncher Super Art (quarter-circle back twice and any punch button).
- Then, continue with a standing medium punch and link it with a crouching medium punch that’s Special move cancelled into a light punch Sonic Boom and three light punch Sonic Breaks.
- Then, Drive Rush Cancel after the third one into the Spinning Back Knuckle (forward + hard punch), link this to a standing medium punch, then a crouching medium punch, a light punch Sonic Boom, and three light punch Sonic Breaks.
- Then, Drive Cancel after the third one again into another Spinning Back Knuckle, which is linked to the Double Shot target combo (crouching medium punch twice), and Special move cancel into the hard kick Flash Kick. Everybody got that?
4. Corner Crossfire Somersault Finish (18 Hits)
Start at 8:10
Guile doesn’t have as many options to go all out like other characters can, and the few he has are very hard to execute. This one is another example.
This combo can only be done in the corner, and requires link combos, chain combo attacks, and Drive Rushing in the middle of it. It ends with the Level 3 Super Art, for a string of attacks that will do massive damage.
The combo does a total of 18 hits, ten coming from the Super Art. It does a 5277 HP of damage to the opponent, more than half the health of the average fighter. That’s good damage, but don’t forget the work it requires.
There’s a reason why this list is in the order it’s in. The experience from those previous combos will give you an easier time executing this one, in Training Mode and especially during a live match, the latter being the one that really matters. It will still take plenty of practice, particularly with perfectly executing Sonic Booms in the middle of combos and learning how to link attacks after a Drive Rush Cancel.
How to perform:
- Start the combo with a standing hard punch, and then Drive Rush Cancel into a forward + medium kick attack that links to a standing medium punch and a crouching medium punch into a light punch Sonic Boom.
- Then, press back + hard punch while the opponent is still stunned, and special move cancel into another light punch Sonic Boom.
- Then, perform a standing hard kick that’s Super Cancelled into the Level 3 Super Art, Crossfire Somersault.
3. Loop Crossfire Somersault Finish (34 Hits)
Starts at 0:04
Guile was known for having some extremely good looping combos during the beta testing periods forStreet Fighter 6. Fortunately, he still has some in the final game. Others were simply too good for him to keep.
This combo feels like it goes on forever, but it serves two purposes. Not only is it very damaging, it will also show your opponents and the entire online world just how good you are with Guile. It will seem to them that you’re the expert.
This combo will do a massive 34 hits, for a total of 6882 HP of damage. That’s well over half the HP of even high health opponents like Zangief.
The combo uses the Critical Art version of Super Art 3, Crossfire Somersault, only accessible when a character -- Guile in this case -- has only a quarter of their health remaining. This is the time to go for punishing opportunities to turn a match around when you’re in a pinch. Heck, you’ll deserve to turn it around if you master a combo like this.
How to perform:
- The opponent will need to be in the corner for all of this to connect.
- Start with a standing hard punch that works as a Punish Counter, one highly likely to happen while the opponent is desperately trying to get out of the corner.
- Then, link this to a crouching medium punch and a light punch Sonic Boom, and another crouching medium punch and a light punch Sonic Boom.
- Then, use a down/forward + hard kick attack that’s Drive Cancelled into two linked crouching medium punches and a light punch Sonic Boom, and follow-up with a crouching light punch into another light punch Sonic Boom, and another crouching medium punch into a light punch Sonic Boom.
- Then, use a down/forward + hard kick attack that’s Drive Cancelled into another loop, and two crouching linked medium punches into a light punch Sonic Boom.
- Continue with a crouching light punch into another light punch Sonic Boom, and a crouching medium punch into another light punch Sonic Boom.
- Then, press back + hard punch and cancel with another light punch Sonic Boom.
- Then, press forward + hard kick while charging for the Somersault Finish Critical Art, and then execute it as a Super Cancel. See? Wasn’t that easy? Of course.
2. Solid Puncher Loop (54 Hits)
Start at 0:46
If you saw the last combo and thought 34 hits wasn’t long enough, boy is there another one for you. This one goes even harder on the flashiness, though it’s not the most damaging in Guile’s repertoire.
This combo is all about the Solid Puncher Loops, which combines Sonic Breaks (the miniature Sonic Booms from Guile’s Second Super Art) with Drive Rushes. This will make the opponent feel like they’re trapped forever, though you’d better hope they don’t rage quit in the process if you’re playing online.
The combo will do a massive 54 hits by the end. 5442 HP of damage will be shaved from the opponent in the process, good for a combo that doesn’t use the Level 3 Super Art.
But make no mistake: This is another combo that’s ridiculously hard to execute, and will require a LOT of practice. It involves intricately figuring out which of Guile's normals are the right and optimal ones to use to continue the combo and maintain the flow. That’s not even getting into the timing and dexterity involved.
How to perform:
- The combo begins with a Drive Rush into the Rolling Sobat executed with forward + medium kick.
- Then, continue with a standing medium punch that links into a crouching medium punch and a light punch Sonic Boom.
- Then perform a forward + hard kick attack that’s Super Cancelled into the Level 2 Super Art trigger, Solid Puncher.
- From here, perform the Spinning Back Knuckle with a forward + hard punch motion, which will link to a crouching light punch and a standing light kick into a series of eight Sonic Blades, though remember that there’s a delay between the fifth and sixth attack.
- Then, Drive Rush into the Knee Bazooka by pressing back + light kick, and continue with two crouching light punch attacks into a light punch Sonic Boom.
- Then perform a crouching medium punch while the opponent is still stunned into another light punch Sonic Boom.
- Then, perform the Burning Straight attack with back + hard punch.
- Now, Drive Rush again into a standing hard kick, a low medium punch, and a light punch Sonic Boom, and another low medium punch into a light punch Sonic Boom, and another back + hard punch into a light punch Sonic Boom.
- Then, use a standing hard kick that’s Super Cancelled into another Solid Puncher trigger.
- Now, Drive Rush again into two crouching medium punches into a light punch Sonic Boom.
- This is followed up with a crouching light punch into another light punch Sonic Boom.
- Then, use another crouching medium punch into a light punch Sonic Boom, and another back + hard punch into five Sonic Blades.
- Now, perform the final Drive Rush Cancel into a crouching light punch that links to a crouching medium punch and a light punch Sonic Boom.
- Follow this with another crouching medium punch into a light punch Sonic Boom.
- Then use back + hard punch and use the last three Sonic Blades, and finish this long combo off with a standing hard kick. Very simple stuff.
1. Ultimate Crossfire Somersault Loop (33 Hits)
Starts at 1:17
The final combo on this list is the longest one Guile can logically do that ends with the Level 3 Critical Art, using the entirety of both meters in the process.
This combo is similar to the last one in terms of the loops Guile is capable of, though this one ends with the Critical Art instead of using multiple Sonic Blades after the Solid Puncher is triggered. It’s again worth noting that the Critical Art can only be used after Guile only has a quarter of his health left, and is far more powerful than the Super Art.
The combo will do 33 hits by the end, for a total of 6418 HP of damage. That’s more than half the health of even a high HP character.
This isn’t the most damaging combo on this list, but there’s a good reason why it’s at the top here. It’s the longest combo Guile can do with the Super Art/Critical Art finish that actually shaves a good chunk of the opponent’s health. This means it’s also the longest one he can do that doesn’t end with damage scaling making the Critical Art finish a pointless endeavor.
How to perform:
- Get those notes out again for this one.
- This combo also must be used when the opponent is in the corner.
- Start with a Drive Rush into a standing hard kick that links to a crouching medium punch into a light punch Sonic Boom, and another crouching medium punch into a light punch Sonic Boom, and perform a down-forward + hard kick attack while they’re still stunned.
- Then, Drive Cancel into the Knee Bazooka with back + light kick that will link into two crouching light punches into a light punch Sonic Boom, and another crouching medium punch into a light punch Sonic Boom, with another down-forward + hard kick attack capping this part off.
- Now, Drive Rush again into two linked crouching medium punches and a light punch Sonic Boom, a crouching light punch into a light punch Sonic Boom, a crouching medium punch into a light punch Sonic Boom, and a Burning Straight attack with back + hard punch into another light punch Sonic Boom.
- Then, use a standing hard kick and finish with the Level 3 Critical Art, Crossfire Somersault.
Let’s not kid anyone here: This is a LOT. You may never have the chance to pull this off in a real live match, but this will help you get the loops and Guile’s move set as a whole down. Just cross your fingers and hope they don’t get nerfed too heavily when the next balance patch rolls around.
