Bafael SFV Alex

Flash chop: qcf punch
slash elbow: charge back, forward+kick
air knee smash: shoryuken+kick
air stampede (stomp): charge down, up+kick
head crush: charge down, up+punch
power bomb: hcb punch
sledgehammer: HP+HK while in trigger


Anti airs:

EX knee - appears to have upper body invincibility, works from really close or really far, knocks down, high damage, probably the best anti air alex has. Costs a bar, though.
f+HP - really good hitbox, works from surprisingly close and far, rarely seems to trade and often hits the opponent so high up you get a crush counter. From here you can easily juggle MK slash elbow (even into super) or EX elbow.
st. LP - fast, very tall hitbox, and pretty good anti crossup box. Leads to a nice fifty fifty after it works.
cr. HP - knocks down, tends to trade if you do it late or go under if you do it too close. Both hits juggle into LP flash chop (and then super, if you like) or EX knee. Note that EX knee does significantly more damage than LP chop.
LK knee - No invincibility here but really high damage and really fast startup. Quite rewarding on hit but requires decently quick reactions and loses to early air normals.
jump back LP - works as an anti air from closer range than his st. LP, but st. LP is almost always better.



!!!NOTE that Alex can get counter hit combos where other characters normally couldn't, such as punishes, by merit of his v-skill. As such, "counter hit only" combos will be all throughout this guide, denoted by "CH" starters.

Punish combos:

st. HP xx MP flash chop (162 damage, 285 stun) - Not very damaging but leaves you close and +3, so great for a mixup between alex's command grab and blockstrings. Good after jump in combos and when you don't have time to HP chop, but you can also do st. HP xx MK slash elbow for a bit more damage and a knockdown if you have charge. f+HP, LP xx LP chop does similar damage and more stun but loses the follow up mixup
HP chop xx backdrop (216, 375) - Can't follow a jump but does more damage than the previous meterless combo if you have time to get it out.  Note doing EX command grab adds 40~ damage and 50 stun which is not ususally worth it. Also note that this is almost always better than his 1 bar combos that don't start from HP chop.
cr. HP xx EX knee (234, 330) - Unlike most characters, it's absolutely worth it to spend a single bar in most alex combos, he gets a substantial increase in damage for his meter invested.
st. HP xx MP flash chop xx CA (442, 285) - super version. Again, if you have charge you can do MK slash elbow into super instead for 451 damage, 330 stun, a substantial improvement.

CH st. HP xx HP chop xx backdrop (301, 515) - Max damage meterless if you have a v-skill stocked. Note that it swaps sides. One bar options don't add substantial damage here, and super conversions just use MP chop or HK slash elbow into super.
CH st. HK, st. HP xx MP chop (253, 435) - Notably lower damage than the above combo but leads to a mixup, keeps the opponent on the same side, and builds v-meter. Note that you now ALWAYS have time to charge MK slash elbow if you'd prefer the extra 8 damage and knockdown to the mixup.
CH st. HK, st. HP xx MK slash elbow xx CA (506, 475) - when going into super, MK elbow is always preferred.


Punish combos USING V-trigger:

st. HP xx trigger, st. HP xx sledgehammer xx backdrop (302, 525) - I'm not aware of any way to add substantial damage to this combo using 1 bar.
st. HP xx trigger, st. HP xx sledgehammer xx MP chop xx CA (441, 465) - The damage is about the same as without trigger here, but in case you want the extra stun or are hit confirming from the trigger, this is the combo avenue to maximize damage.

CH st. HK, st. HP xx trigger, st. HP xx sledgehammer xx backdrop (370, 635) - you can swap st. HK for f+HP when HK is too slow.
CH st. HK, st. HP xx trigger, st. HP xx sledgehammer xx MP chop xx CA (515, 585)


Punish combos IN V-trigger:

st. HP xx sledgehammer xx backdrop (274, 485) - All combos here are the same as above minus the [st. HP xx trigger], but I'll write their damage values anyway.
st. HP xx sledgehammer xx MP chop xx CA (471, 405)

CH st. HK, st. HP xx sledgehammer xx backdrop (351, 610)
CH st. HK, st. HP xx sledgehammer xx MP chop xx CA (519, 540)


Crush counter punishes:

Alex's crush counter punishes are off f+HP and st. HK, and are mentioned elsewhere in the guide though I'll reproduce them below. Despite the fact that CH st. HP xx HP chop combos do slightly more damage than the equivalent meterless crush counter combo, crush counters build V-meter, keep screen position, end in resets when meterless, and do more damage if using any meter.

Note that after scoring a dizzy, these are some of alex's strongest enders.

CH st. HP xx HP chop xx backdrop (301, 515) - meterless max damage, not actually a crush counter
CH st. HK, st. HP xx MP chop (253, 435) - meterless setup
CH st. HK, st. HP xx MK slash elbow xx CA (506, 475) - super
CH st. HK, st. HP xx trigger, st. HP xx sledgehammer xx backdrop (370, 635) - trigger
CH st. HK, st. HP xx trigger, st. HP xx sledgehammer xx MP chop xx CA (515, 585) - trigger+super
CH st. HK, st. HP xx sledgehammer xx backdrop (351, 610) - already in trigger
CH st. HK, st. HP xx sledgehammer xx MP chop xx CA (519, 540) - already in trigger, super


Ranged Punishes:

st. HP starts all his ranged punish options. You don't get the mixup scenario of MP chop so MK slash elbow is marginally better.

st. HP xx MK elbow (171, 330)
st. HP xx trigger, st. HK xx sledgehammer xx backdrop (302, 525) - if you hit with a far st. HP, it hits slightly later than normal and allows a st. HK post trigger. This is important since at the ranges st. HP hits late, a second st. HP won't hit at all. You can react during the trigger freeze to where alex's st. HP connected with the opponent, letting you know whether the st. HK is possible.

CH st. HP xx HP chop xx backdrop (301, 515)
CH st. HP xx HK elbow, EX chop (318, 475) - the above combo seems to always work for range, but this one has much better corner carry and positioning

I don't show them off but all the normal conversions from st. HP still work.


Confirm combos:

st. MP, st. LP xx LP chop (143, 283) - cancelling to super does (388, 283) here
st. MP, st. LK xx EX chop (216, 323) - LK does a little more damage when both are comboing to flash chop
f+HP, st. LP xx LP chop (163, 333) - f+HP is +3 on block and hits crouching opponents. Cancelling to super does (408, 333)
f+HP, st. LK xx EX chop (236, 373)

CH st. MP, st. MP xx LP chop (182, 330) - You can also end in LK slash elbow, but you need a little prior charge since this combo doesn't inherently grant charge time.
CH st. MP, st. MP xx EX chop (246, 370)
CH st. MP, st. MP xx trigger, st. MP xx sledgehammer xx backdrop (286, 495) - a nice CH confirm. Cancelling to MP chop at the end then super does (431, 445)
CH st. MP, st. MP xx sledgehammer xx backdrop (288, 505) - for when you're already triggered.


Confirm combos (crush counter:)

All previously listed CH st.HK or f+HP combos. If you get really far connect, the best follow up is generally st. HP xx MK slash elbow (you have time to charge) unless you wanna do HP xx trigger instead, then just follow the above routes. You can also combo to power bomb too, which does a hair more damage but at much smaller ranges with worse okizeme.


Confirm combos (light normals):

cr. LK, st. LP xx LP flash chop (103, 253) - his cr. LK is low, the same speed as his other lights, and his normal conversions still work, so it's generally the ideal starter. Two jabs does barely more damage in a 4f punish scenario, though.
cr. LK, st. LP xx EX flash chop (167, 293)
cr. LK, st. LP xx LP chop xx CA (348, 253)

CH cr. LK, st. MP xx LP chop (134, 294) - skill/CH makes alex lows much more dangerous. EX conversion does 198 damage, super does 379.
CH st. LP, st. MP, st. LK xx EX chop (228, 370) - Max damage confirm from a CH light normal, but doesn't work from cr. LK because of pushback.
CH cr. LK, st. MP xx trigger, st. MP xx sledgehammer xx backdrop (238, 459) - Alex can also link cr. HP after trigger, but I can't find any combos that make it worth it. Consult the "confirm combo section of this guide for other things you can do off the st. MP xx trigger or st. MP xx sledgehammer if already in trigger.


corner stuff:

cr. HP, LK knee (207, 330) - New optimal meterless damage in corner
Alex cr. HP inherently links to non EX knee in the corner. That's mostly irrelevant except for this single CH only meterless juggle, from what I can tell.

CH st. HP xx HK slash elbow, cr. HP, LK knee (321, 515)


midair connect and juggles:

anti air slash elbow, CA - works on all versions, but can be picky. Anti air HK elbow can actually go to EX knee if you ever actually get that.

anti air cr. HP, LP chop (153, 285)
anti air cr. HP, EX knee (234, 330)
anti air cr. HP, LP chop xx CA (433, 285)
anti air sledgehammer, LK knee (197, 330)
anti air CC f+HP, MK slash elbow (177, 360) - you can react to the CC but using v-skill makes it so you always crush counter even if they empty jump.
anti air CC f+HP, MK slash elbow xx CA (457, 360)
anti air CC f+HP xx trigger, dash in cr. HP, HK knee (259, 440) - good damage and corner carry on this but it doesn't inherently confirm the crush counter without v-skill or DED OS.
anti air CC f+HP xx trigger, dash in cr. HP xx trigger, EX knee (320, 525)
anti air CC f+HP xx trigger, dash in cr. HP, LP chop xx CA (427, 405)
anti air CC f+HP, sledgehammer, LK knee (272, 475)


Other:

It's a bit risky but you can frame trap with slow chop cancels. If you get a counter hit chop, you can combo out of it.

If you get a counterhit or hard hit sledgehammer, you can cancel to HP chop then backdrop on reaction

Alex has some nice combos from fully charged sledgehammer if you get the guard break or a dizzy