The King of Fighters 2002 UM/EX Kensou

Movelist

Normals

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• cl.A/B/C/D are all cancellable
• cl.A/B chain into themselves
• cl.A chains into cl.B

Standing

• s.A/C are cancellable
• s.B is EX Kensou's furthest poke
• s.C is a two hit move that is cancellable on the 2nd hit. Has very decent range and usually connects both hits.

Crouching

• cr.A/B chain into themselves
• cr.A chains into cr.B
• cr.A/C are cancellable

Jumping

• j.B remains EX Kensou's best crossup tool
• j.C is also a good crossup on crouching opponents and can be quite ambiguous.
• j.D has a better hitbox than normal Kensou and is yet another crossup tool

Blowback

• standing and jumping CD both cause soft knockdown
• s.CD is whiff cancellable
• j.CD has a nice downward angle and can be effective as preemptive air-to-air or jump in attack.

Throws

Inch Blast - (b/f + C)

• causes hard knockdown

Psychic Slam - (b/f + D)

• causes soft knockdown

Command Moves

Tiger Takedown Punch - (f + A)

• EX Kensou slams his fists downward on the opponent. Hits overhead.
• can combo into it and it becomes special cancellable, but loses the overhead property
• could be used in a frame trap like: cl.C, f+A, pause hcb+p

Reverse Mass Kick - (f + B)

• EX Kensou performs a hop-like flying kick. Hits mid.
• can combo into it and it special cancellable on hit even when not comboed into
• can use it as an advancing move with anti-hop properties.
• lacks low body armor enough to be super effective at beating out lows.

Special Moves

Arrow Dash Blast - (qcb + A/C)

• EX Kensou dashes forward with a fist, hitting twice and causing soft knockdown.
• hits mid
• can be combo into
• A version goes half the screen to hit. C version goes full screen so could be used as a punisher from many distances
• both versions are negative on block, but C version is extremely negative
• Super cancellable

Dragon Drubbing - (dp + A/C) (C rapidly)

• EX Kensou flings fist after fist at the opponent ending in an upward double strike causing soft knockdown
• hits mid
• can be combo into
• C version can be rapidly pressed to achieve two extra hits
• both versions are pretty negative on block
• Super cancellable

Dragon Scale Tackle - (rdp + A/C)

• EX Kensou throws out a damaging back hand to the opponent
• both versions cause soft knockdown
• A version is stationary and 1 hit whereas C version EX Kensou dashes forward a bit and is two hits.
• cannot be comboed into
• both versions have upper body armor able to absorb a hit and continue the attack
• use can use the frame of armor to absorb a mid fireball like Athena's
• no armor to lows so can be hit out of it if opponent guesses right

Earth Dragon Fang Nibble - (hcf + A)

• EX Kensou launches himself at the opponent in a flurry of punches & kicks
• it is a grounded horizontal attack that hits mid
• causes soft knockdown
• can be comboed into
• pretty negative on block

Heaven Dragon Fang Nibble - (hcf + C)

• an upward diagonal kick hitting multiple times
• hits high so will whiff on crouching opponents
• can be comboed into
• situational anti-air

Arrow Kick - (qcf + B/D)

• EX Kensou plants his palm and smashes the opponent upward with a vertical kick
• hits twice and causes a soft knockdown
• on hit creates a juggle state where EX Kensou can follow up with lots of options or a reset
• unlike normal Kensou, can combo into this move. In the corner you can get more combo options into it
• the first part of the active frames of both versions will negate fireballs and continue to the upward kick
• not a very effective reversal or anti-air

Dragon Uppercut - (rpd + B/D)

• Kensou spins upward in a cyclone of kicks
• unlike normal Kensou you can't combo into them
• B version is faster and covers less vertical space
• C version moves Kensou forward a bit more and covers more vertical space
• both versions are unsafe on block
• B version is EX Kensou's go to reversal
• Super cancellable

Dragon Talon Tear - (qcb + A/C) in air

• Kensou strike diagonally downward with his fists.
• hits mid
• unlike normal Kensou can't be comboed into
• A version is faster
• C version has a longer pause before descending and hits for 1 more hit than A version
• both versions be tiger kneed (qcb,ub+p)
• both versions are negative on block another difference from normal Kensou

Desperation Moves

Dragon God Kick - (qcf, hcb + B)

• super version of his (hcf+A) move ending with an upward kick
• Hits mid
• soft knockdown
• can combo into it
• first hit of the super hits from 1/3 the screen away for punishing purposes
• great way to end a combo if you have stock

Dragon God Drubbing - (qcf, hcb + D)

• super version of his (hcf+C) move
• Hits pretty high, completely whiffs on low crouchers
• can combo into it
• connects from about 1/3 screen for punishing purposes

Super Dragon Fist - (qcf x 2 + A/C)

• EX Kensou clobbers his opponents with a super version of his (dp+A/C) moves
• unlike the special there is no difference between the two moves.
• hits mid
• causes hard knockdown
• can combo into it

Super Desperation Moves

Dragon God Drubbing - (qcf, hcb + BD)

• EX version of his qcf,hcb+D
• Hits pretty high, completely whiffs on low crouchers
• causes soft knockdown
• for punishing purposes it has the same range as his (qcf,hcb+D) super
• can combo into it
• great way to add damage to finish a match

HSDM

Arrow Dash Dragon Crunch - (qcf, b, f + AC)

• EX Kensou dashes fist first into the opponent and upon hitting unleashes a wave of energy through them
• causes hard knockdown
• will connect from full screen as a punish
• combos from most of his cancelable normals

Combos

2 stocks

• j.X, cl.A/cr.A, rdp+D(2), (SC) any DM (anywhere)
• (j.X, cl.A/cr.A) or cl.D, dp+C(6), (SC) qcf,hcb+D DM (anywhere)
• (j.X, cl.A/cr.A) or cl.D, qcb+A(1), (SC) any DM (anywhere)

( If you use cl.D, qcf,hcb+D whiffs if you aren't close enough to the corner. )

• cl.D, (delay) qcf+B, run, rdp+D(2), (SC) qcf,hcb+D DM (anywhere)
• cl.D, (delay) qcf+B, TK j.qcb+A, rdp+D(2), (SC) qcf,hcb+D DM (corner)
• (j.X, cl.A/cr.A) or cl.D, dp+C(6), (link) rdp+D(2), (SC) qcf,hcb+D DM (approaching corner)
• j.X, cl.D, BC run, cl.D/cl.A/cr.A, (dp+C(3), (C) rdp+D(2))x2, (C) dp+C(3~4), (SC) any DM (anywhere)
• j.X, cl.D, BC run, cl.D/cl.A/cr.A, (dp+C(3), (C) rdp+D(2))x2, (C) qcb+C(1), (SC) any DM (anywhere)
• j.X, cl.D, BC run, cl.A/cr.A, (rdp+D(2), (C) dp+C(3))x2, (C) rdp+D(2), (SC) any DM (anywhere)
• j.X, cl.D, BC run, cl.A/cr.A, rdp+D(2), (C) dp+C(3), (C) rdp+D(2), (C) dp+C(6), (link) rdp+D(2), (SC) qcf,hcb+D DM (approaching corner)

3 stocks

• (j.X, cl.A/cr.A/cl.D) or (cl.D, f+A), qcf,b,f+AC HSDM (anywhere)
• cl.D, (delay) qcf+K, (link) qcf,b,f+AC HSDM (anywhere)
• cl.D, (delay) qcf+B, TK j.qcb+A, (link) qcf,b,f+AC HSDM (corner)
• cl.D, f+A, qcf,hcb+BD SDM (corner)
• In 2 stocks max combo, replace DM by qcf,hcb+BD SDM
• In (anywhere) 2 stocks max combo, replace the last two moves by (C) qcf+K, (link) qcf,b,f+AC HSDM

4 stocks

• j.X, cl.A/cr.A, qcb+A(1)/rdp+D(2), (SC) qcf,hcb+BD SDM (anywhere)
• (j.X, cl.A/cr.A) or cl.D, dp+C(6), (SC) qcf,hcb+BD SDM (anywhere)
• cl.D, (delay) qcf+B, run, rdp+D(1), (SC) qcf,hcb+BD SDM (anywhere)
• (j.X, cl.A/cr.A) or cl.D, dp+C(6), (link) rdp+D(2), (SC) qcf,hcb+BD SDM (approaching corner)
• cl.D, qcb+A(1), (SC) qcf,hcb+BD SDM (corner)

5 stocks

• j.X, cl.D, BC run, cl.A/cr.A, (rdp+D(2), (C) dp+C(3))x2, (C) rdp+D(2), (C) dp+C(6), (link) rdp+D(2), (SC) qcf,hcb+BD DM (approaching corner)
• j.X, cl.D, BC run, cl.D/cl.A/cr.A, (dp+C(3), (C) rdp+D(2))x2, (C) dp+C(3~4), (C) qcf+B, TK j.qcb+A, (link) qcf,b,f+AC HSDM (approaching corner)

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Ex Kensou Master Class