 If you have a good image for this article, please upload it at Special:Upload |
- For the similarly-named status used in Street Fighter Alpha 3, see Guard Crush.
The Guard Break (Hard Attack in Japan), is a type of attack exclusive to the Street Fighter EX series.
| Appearance | Function | Input |
|---|---|---|
| Street Fighter EX Street Fighter EX2 |
Guard Break |  + of the same strength
|
| Street Fighter EX3 | Surprise Blow |  +
|
Description[]
Executed by pressing two punch and kick buttons of the same level (i.e. light punch and light kick), the user executes a guard-crushing attack that costs one level of a filled Super Combo Gauge. An opponent hit by this move will be temporarily stunned and vulnerable to further damage, and true to its name it cannot be blocked. Landing a Guard Break on an airborne foe will launch them up in the air with a notable floating effect.
Each Guard Break attack is considered a unique attack, and is listed as such in the command lists. Several Guard Break moves are based on other pre-existing unique attacks and special attacks from other games. For example, Ryu's is the Collarbone Breaker, Ken's is the Inazuma Kick, Chun-Li's is the Sen'enshu and Sakura's is the Flower Kick.
Street Fighter EX2 introduced the Cancel Break, which allows special attacks and Super Combos to be canceled into a Guard Break. If the Cancel Break is comboed into and hits, it will knock the opponent down as a balance which however may be able to setup for either deft juggles or wakeup pressure. Unlike in the prior installment, blocking a Guard Break instead reduces the hitstun by a notable amount, making a raw hit often more rewarding.
In Street Fighter EX3, the Guard Break is replaced with the Surprise Blow, which functions similarly via similar special effects, only it no longer has a meter cost, can be blocked standing, and only stuns crouching opponents, essentially being an universal overhead. It also counts as a special move as it inflicts chip damage if blocked.
This mechanic is similar to the Focus Attack of the Street Fighter IV games, and may have been a precursor.