Street Fighter 6's second DLC adds the treacherously toxic A.K.I. To the roster. A student of the assassin F.A.N.G., A.K.I. Brings a wretched martial arts style to the fight, with slippery movement techniques and poisonous claws that can slowly whittle away at her opponent's life. Uncover her terrible tricks and tactics with this guide on how to play A.K.I.
Street Fighter 6: How to Play Ryu (Move List, Combos, Tips & More)
Ever pursuing his martial arts studies, Ryu returns to Street Fighter 6.
Strategies for A.K.I.
The second DLC character in Street Fighter 6, A.K.I is a long-range, tricky-type fighter who uses poisoned claws and snake kung fu to eviscerate her enemies. A.K.I.'s poison can be triggered by several of her special moves as well as her super arts, which will proceed to damage enemies for a set amount over a period of time. She is also an incredible mobile fighter, with several movement techniques that can provide players the opportunity to quickly change the range of the fight while sneaking several strikes into the fray. Some basic strategies for playing A.K.I. Include:
- Control the speed of the fight. A.K.I. Has an incredible variety of attacks when it comes to attack startup and execution speed - combine slower sweeping attacks with rapid, swift strikes in a single combo to keep enemies on the defensive.
- Slither and Slide. Snake Step and Sinister Slide give A.K.I unique movement and counterattack opportunities. Become a master of all variations and follow-ups from these special moves to keep enemies on their toes.
- Evasion is the best offense. One of A.K.I.'s best damage tools is her poison, which stays active on enemies until she is damaged. Lean on the evasive special moves in her arsenal when enemies are poisoned to increase the damage over time inflicted.
A.K.I. Move List
A.K.I. Has one of the shorter move lists, with only 22 individual attacks (common moves excluded). While A.K.I. May not have a wide variety of Unique Attacks or Throws, she has a wide variety of unique interactions when chaining special moves that can cause additional damage and leave enemies poisoned.
|
Move |
Description |
Type |
|
Deadly Implication |
Duck low, dodging high and mid-attacks, kicking enemies into the air and trapping them in a poisonous bubble |
Super Art 1 |
|
Tainted Talons |
Strike forward with several talons, leaving a pool of poison behind. Distance can be changed with directional inputs. |
Super Art 2 |
|
Claws of Ya Zi |
A vicious pressure point strike that injects enemies with poison and causing an internal detonation |
Super Art 3 |
|
Nightshade Pulse |
Sends forward a poisonous bubble |
Special Move |
|
Nightshade Chaser |
Extends a talon forward to burst the Nightshade Pulse bubble, increasing bubble explosion range |
Special Move |
|
Orchid Spring |
Strike the ground to create a pool of poison that lingers |
Special Move |
|
Toxic Wreath |
A slashing combo that creates a poisonous bubble on startup then pops the bubble |
Special Move |
|
Serpent Lash |
Extends talons forward, poisoning enemies if struck |
Special Move |
|
Cruel Fate |
Leap forward while rapidly striking downward, distance can be increased with input |
Special Move |
|
Snake Step |
A ground-based dash that can be altered with input |
Special Move |
|
Sinister Slide |
A slithering technique that can be followed up be several different attacks |
Special Move |
|
Venomous Fang |
A rapid forward strike that can be performed from Sinister Slide. Will cause poison if enemies are hit |
Special Move |
|
Heel Strike |
A quick set of spinning kicks that can be performed from Sinister Slide |
Special Move |
|
Entrapment |
A constricting grab that crushes opponents, knocking them down |
Special Move |
|
Pu Lao |
A sweeping overhead strike that cannot be blocked crouching |
Unique Attack |
|
Chi Wen |
A lunging strike that can be canceled into Super Arts |
Unique Attack |
|
Qiu Niu |
A pair of forward kicks with rapid recovery time |
Unique Attack |
|
Gong Fu |
A downward aerial strike |
Unique Attack |
|
Hun Dun |
Rapid forward strikes that can cancel into special moves |
Unique Attack |
|
Qiong Qi |
A long-reaching set of spinning strikes that poisons opponents on hit |
Unique Attack |
|
Whisper |
Grab the enemy by the arm, sweep the leg, and flip them backward to the ground |
Throw |
|
Gluttony |
Grab your opponent, switch sides with them, and strike them to the ground with a powerful thrust attack |
Throw |
Combos
A.K.I.'s most effective combos will focus on effectively activating her poison damage on her opposing fighter. More advanced combos will incorporate her movement techniques and take advantage of moves in her kit that open with evasive maneuvers or a counterattack.
Basic Combo: Hun Dun + Toxic Wreath
|
Classic Controls |
Modern Controls |
|
Forward + Light Punch, Forward + Light Punch, Down, Down-Back, Back + Heavy Punch |
Light Attack, Light Attack, Down, Down-Back, Back + Heavy Attack |
Strike the enemy with a rapid onslaught of slashing strikes, creating and popping a poison bubble during the last few strikes. Very effective when needing to create space or if the enemy is trapped in the corner.
Intermediate Combo: Nightshade Pulse + Nightshade Chaser + Sinister Slide + Venomous Fang
|
Classic Controls |
Modern Controls |
|
Down, Down-Back, Back + Light Punch, Forward + Punch, Down + Punch + Punch, Punch |
Back + Special Attack, Forward + Attack, Down + Medium Attack + Heavy Attack, Back + Attack |
Send a poison bubble flying toward the enemy and pop it with a talon directly in front of them. Start to slide and immediately launch into a forward strike, pouncing on the enemy before they can recover from the talon strike.
Advanced Combo: Overdrive Serpent Lash + Pressure Point Chi Wen + Low Heavy Punch + Sinister Slide + Entrapment + Tainted Talons
|
Classic Controls |
Modern Controls |
|
Down, Down-Forward, Forward + Punch + Punch, Forward + Heavy Punch, Down + Heavy Punch, Down + Punch + Punch, Light Punch + Light Kick, Down, Down-Back, Back, Down, Down-Back, Back + Punch |
Forward + Special Attack + Assist, Down - Forward + Heavy Attack, Down + Medium Attack + Heavy Attack, Back + Attack, |
Send a pair of talons forward, hooking the enemy and pulling A.K.I to them. Execute Chi Wen at the perfect moment (right as A.K.I.'s feet touch the floor) to unleash an upgraded version of the attack that has A.K.I. Bend sideways and target the pressure points of her enemy, staggering them momentarily. Sweep the legs with a low punch, and while the enemy is recovering initiate a slide and immediately transition into a submission hold. As the enemy recovers, use Tainted Talons to rain pointy, poisonous peril.
Tips for Winning with A.K.I.
A.K.I. Is an incredibly powerful and fast tricky fighter who can quickly change the range, height, and speed of any fight. Players who are looking to master this fighter will want to learn to use the various inputs for her special attacks to be able to fight in any area on the screen. In addition, her evasive and counterattack capabilities are crucial for mitigating incoming damage, throwing enemies off tempo, and maximizing damage output from poison effects.
Some advanced tips for playing A.K.I. Include:
- Master all hidden interactions. A.K.I. Has special interactions that can occur when specific special moves connect or combination inputs are timed perfectly. The effects of these interactions can include increased damage, poison, stagger, or knockdown effects.
- Learn to Super Counter. A.K.I. Has Super Arts that can be used as effective evasion or counterattack tools. Being able to quickly react and input these Super Arts can negate huge amounts of incoming damage and flip the momentum of the fight.
Countering A.K.I.
A.K.I. Has a lot of tricks up her sleeve, and with such a unique move set topped with poison effects, she can be a hard fighter to tackle. Luke is an excellent counter-pick when fighting against A.K.I., takedown grappling attacks can grab and counter a majority of A.K.I.'s unique, special, and super moves, while his rush and mid-range attacks allow him to stay aggressive regardless of what range A.K.I. Wants to fight from. Other fighters with grappling and rushing abilities like Marissa and Blanka can also be great counter-picks.
Players can also combat A.K.I. With a tricky-type fighter like Rashid that can keep up with A.K.I.s movement techniques with Side Flip or Arabian Cyclone. Being able to quickly re-engage the fight will diminish A.K.I.s movement and range strength, while also allowing rapid removal of poison effects.
Street Fighter 6 is available now on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox.