how to bob

Some good bob moves, applications. and the overall idea with bob.

so what is bob good at, what is he bad at, why use him etc?

pros:

very good range, some of the best in the game
good mobility/speed for a large character
easy execution/consistent combos
tools for nearly every situation
strong harassment lows that force tough decisions
above average wall game
good counter hit game, generally not very unsafe

cons:

bad true high crush game (but has several high evasive moves)
usually relies on a counter hit or whiff punish to launch, his mid 50/50 options tend not to be super rewarding on hit or are slow, but are (fairly) safe as a tradeoff. and his best counter hit tools are not very fast. (df+2 is i15, standing 4 is i13 with stubby range)
not especially tricky, requires strong fundamentals at high level
average combo damage midscreen
doesn't build plus frames on block well (his strings often have delayable followups to compensate for this, but aside from 1, he has to rely on slow while running moves to build actual plus frames on block)


use bob if you want a simple powerful character with lots of versatility.

Punishes:

10f: 112 (max damage leaves you +3), 14 (less damage leaves u at +5 instead of), 21 (+5 less damage than 14)
12f: f+2, 3 (-15) good range, wall splats, same move since t6. launch punishable. high mid.
13f: b22, mid high does less than f+2, 3 but leaves you at +8 and forces stand on hit, very strong option.
14f: df+12 (-10) also does less than f+2 3, it's +6 on hit now, and the 2nd hit does not ch stun anymore. d1+2 21 (-16 and ends in a high) if you microdash you get a guaranteed b+3 for at least 55 damage...this should actually be your go to if you can land it, much less range than f+2 3 though.
15f: uf+4, which is a high, near the wall use f+2 3 for a more reliable splat.
16f: uf+1+2, 4_1+2 your go to punish on really long pushbacky negative mids like deathfist or heihachi ff+2 the 4 followup no longer wallsplats as of 5.0 and now does the much less useful "wall crush". It also pushes back much further midscreen, really limiting its utility, it still ch launches but...absurdly risky.it's high so it can be ducked and launched. the 1+2 followup is mid but launch punishable, slightly more damage though & knockdown, required for wallsplat now too.
18f: db+1+2 evasive high launcher that advances forward. not a true high crush and slow, but his fastest mid launcher from standing. (punishes asuka b+3) good to punish moves that recover crouching.
19f: cd+2 bob shoryuken, very unsafe on block, but high damage potential, good whiff punisher in certain situations.
20f:uf+3, huge hitbox, but a bit high, can go over some very low profile moves -13, slow as hell. punish blocked rage arts with this usually.
20f(?) rage art df+1+2 i believe its around 20f startup.

ws punish:

11f: ws4 good move, pretty good range, and plus frames, generic but very useful. recently buffed to 20 damage, sparks on hit.
14f: ws21, this is a great ws punisher as its huge damage for 14 frames, the hitbox is extremely evasive and it hits very very low, very very launch punishable but one of the best ws punishes in the game.

slide/extremely low move punish:

b+2, off of slides you can get a full combo, this is your go to move to deal with annoying ass stances like xiaoyu aop, eddy relax, leo's d+1+2 etc...very important move! b+2, d+3 4 s! ff+3, d+2 3, b+3 (42)

ws4 works too, and now that it does more damage, probably optimal. ws21 can also pick up slides.

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good moves in neutral:

1: one of the best jabs in the game still, 1, d+4 or 1 df+1/b+2 etc is still very strong. use this to test waters and poke...but be careful as it's high obviously, leaving it very vulnerable if used at the wrong time. + on block like most jabs. 1 4 and 1 2 are also good variations to use sparingly. because 1 4 on hit is +5 and df+2 is 15 frames and launches on ch, it is a good basic frame trap on hit. it will beat and launch any interrupt that is 10f or slower, and trades and launches jabs, be careful of power crushes though. 12 (1+2) is a way to end the string with a -12 counter hit bait mid that grants a combo on ch. use that sparingly, but it is powerful against overeager opponents. *21 is good too leaves you at +5 on hit as well but does less damage than 14, but does have a followup 4 that has some use against ancy opponents, it's safe, knocks down, and sometimes will trade with jabs in bobs favor for significant damage, but can be stepped and launched, use this very sparingly. (2)14 is ncc and guarantees b+3, you can semi hit confirm this as well. giving this variation some real use.

b+2: this is a great move 13f mid (bob's fastest) with an extremely low hitbox, which can be used to deal with a wide variety of low stances and sliding moves that other characters tend to have more trouble with. it has fairly good tracking as well. b+2 2 the 2nd hit is high, and good players will duck so it cannot be abused, but it is a natural combo on hit with very high frame advantage (+8) that also forces stand on hit. the frame advantage is so high you get a free mixup and players will guess duck as throws and lows are very good for bob here. you can use a variety of bob's safe frame adv mids to discourage this. b+224 the 4 is mid and only -9 which is safe, and the 4 follow up to that is high but ncc. a good pressure string with an obvious weakness, so don't abuse it, still good sometimes though. b+2, then doing another mid poke is good at higher levels. b+2 is slightly negative on block, but if they are trying to twitch duck the followup, b+2, b+2 again is powerful.

df+2: very solid 15f counter hit launcher with some high evasion frames (not a true high crush) primarily used to smack people for trying to jab you/be over aggressive with highs...safe on block, pretty big hitbox and some slight tracking vs ssl. good to use when you're at frame advantage (nice from 14 on hit, which is +5) for a generally low risk high reward counter hit setup. but also will hit people in some unexpected situations, one of bob's best keepout tools.

df+1: weakside tracking 14f mid with 2 followups to punish attempts to interrupt, very low hitbox, slightly negative on block, the 2 followup is punishable at -10 but quite plus on hit. df2 is another easy check, but look to steal turns with this as most people will respect the frames. the 1+2 followup, while ncc and guarantees a gu3 on normal hit, leaves you grounded and vulnerable don't overuse either followup.. great at the wall. also because people generally wont want to always try to attack after this move, pressure series with df+1, 1, df+1, db+3, 1 d+4 etc become very threatening and good.

cd(crouch dash, as in f, neutral, d, df)+1: decently fast high launcher with a good hitbox, -5 on block, evasive against highs. bob's "electric". one of bobs go to mid range moves, excellent whiff punisher for moves that recover standing. keep in mind its a high though, so don't try to use it on moves that recover crouching or against chars spamming low stances (ling, eddy etc). on block, movement is a great option. cd2 and ff2 comprise a lot of bob's mid range threat. cd1 whiff recovery was increased in 5.0 but it's still not a ton. use this move liberally but do not whiff it or play into high crushes.

d+2 1: an i15 mid mid string which has been recently buffed to be safe (as it was before t7). a useful advancing poke to gain small frames on hit, and can even be used as keep out to hit them trying to advance on you. the 22 followup is quite unsafe but the last 2hits are ncc meaning if they try to interrupt/punish just d+2 1 early they will be hit, but only if you do not delay the hits. if delayed at all a 10f move will option select any continuation. d+2 hits low and really far away, an amazing move. use the followups very sparingly for maximum effect.

uf+1+2, 4_1+2: 16f high crush then tech jump move with exceptional range that can be used to bully, punish high attempts from a distance, wall splat, whiff punish etc. this move is still good, mostly as a long range block punish/whiff punish, specifically near the wall, but now the 1+2 variation sees the most value. see the punish section for more notes, wall crush
 on the 4 followup was a significant nerf to this move. bal gimmicks from it are not recommended, as they are exceptionally interruptible and bob can just be launched even by things that don't launch crouchers during bal.

cd+4, 1+2: this is bob's hellsweep, it is launch punishable on block (both hits), so you can't be predictable with it, however it does knockdown. in season 4 the knockdown sends them way further, which is generally worse for pressure if it hits. however the first hit is now a counter hit launcher, but requires you to forego the followup. no one likes to be hit by hellsweeps, but the new changes make this move a bit more situational, as the situation after hitting one isn't quite as strong generally. still, it has good tracking, and once the 4 is out it is a bit evasive against highs. however the cd animation itself is still very vulnerable, and you are considered standing so things like generic df+2's will launch you. a great move if it hits, a terrible move in any situation it does not hit. less is more, but sometimes more is more too.

d+1: a good move that has been buffed to be completely safe again, and more advantageous on normal hit. its a mid that hits on the ground with a big hitbox and knocks down on counter hit, fc d+4 is the easy followup, tap up to crouch cancel into b+3 for max guaranteed damage. it also forces crouch on people who do block it. can be used as a kind of iffy keepout tool, or better as a safe ground hitting mid for oki that is much faster than his other options (or much safer, b3 is -15).

ff+2: solid advancing mid hitting move that also hits moving grounded opponents but whiffs on do nothing, knocks down and is safe with very good range and decent tracking, don't let this move whiff. be careful overusing it on block as well against knowledgeable opponents, it's -8 with lower pushback than it seems when used at anything less than tip range, if used at tip range it becomes much more dangerous to whiff. if it hits near the wall (but too far to splat), d3+4 is guaranteed.

db+1+2: it's not that fast at 18f, but is pretty evasive towards highs, although again, is not a true high crush. cd+1 is bob's primary whiff punisher since the launch buff, but still this move is good vs moves that recover crouching. and the evasion can surprise, but its -13 on block.

uf+3: this move...is very niche, at 20f it's one of the slowest hopkicks in the game, it's mid but has a very high hitbox so it actually tends to whiff over many lows. higher damage potential than db1+2 but a lot less reliable as a whiff punish, still there are situations where you need a real low crush and this is about all he's got.

uf+4: bob's new 15f launcher is a good move, it has some tracking to one side and has airborne frames later in its animation. the ease of input and speed made it a very solid whiff punisher, although it was clearly added to give bob a standing normal hit launch, it's a high though so you won't be using this as a hopkick. you can throw it out sometimes as long as you don't whiff it. uf+4 is also -9 on block so you lose your turn, so don't get too cheeky.
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good moves in mid/close range, moves that either evade pressure or apply it.

ss1+2: this move is amazing, you can use it offensively when you are at slight frame advantage or slight disadvantage and expect them to try to retaliate with a jab or something similar...it's highly evasive, including against highs but not a true high crush, safe & knocks down, and can even wallsplat at the right range. if they dont tech the knockdown you can run up and get a free b+3. one of bob's most abusable moves. forces crouch on block as well, doing b, f+1 after it's blocked will hit most ws retaliation attempts without above average range, be careful with this though, ssl and backdash are safer options.

db+3+4, 4: this move is amazing too..an unseeable low that while not super fast provides huge frame advantage on hit that generally allows you to continue your offense, best used up close when you have a high degree of frame advantage and they will generally be forced to block. this move makes people do things they don't want to do...one of your best offensive tools. ff+2,d+2 1, and b+1+2 are some of my favorite followups to force respect afterwards.

db+3, this move is great, bob's best low poke. it has pretty good tracking but absolutely no evasion, but it's unseeable with decent range. due to the speed though people will flinch duck it often, and you should be looking to mix up dash mids at similar timing. it's better up close in similar situations to db+3+4, but as a lower risk/lower reward option. it now knocks down on counter hit for a guaranteed b+3, which is amazing considering the oki you get from grounded b+3 hits. it hits grounded quite consistently as well and is bob's best ground hitting low by far, and is only -12 on block and +2 on hit. people don't like to be hit by this move, or frame adv standing lows in general, +2 is not a strong offensive situation for you, especially at range, but see what they do. most decent players will look to move after being hit by it, and another db3 will hit them for trying and encourage interruption attempts which you can then look to punish.


cd+1+2(hold): this move is a solid mid option from crouch dash and should be used in tandem with cd 4 for a solid mid/low mixup, it is safe on block unlike the non held version, and the delay will catch flinchers trying to flash duck the cd 4. this is bob's main wall bounce move & is quite strong at the wall to catch duckers off of crouchdash mixups. people WILL try to duck bob at the wall because the reward is super high for just one correctly read hellsweep or db3+44, use this to punish them hard for trying.

cd+3 4: it's -11 on block mid launcher (which is good!) but it's easily steppable/floatable so you cant use it mindlessly, but you get a 60+ damage combo on hit (cd+3 4 s! dash cd+1, df+1, b+22, d+23, b+3) i wouldn't recommend using cd+3 2 much, if they duck you will 100% get launched and it does not jail, raw cd+3 tends to beat os attempts against both followups.

ff3+4: i've come to really like this move as a niche mid option from cd, it gives a guaranteed b3 on normal hit for 46 damage but not only is it safe, it's actually 0s on block, which means you can play a simple jab or sidestep mixup even on block to beat people trying to press against it. the slight delay tends to hit flinchy duckers in the same way cd1+2 hold can.

db+4: a slow low poke but is only -12 on block and bob's only reliable high crush from standing aside from the very risky d3. semi reactable as well so it can't be overused. you usually shouldn't finish the string, except to kill on an opponent looking to low block into immediate ws punish.

ff+1+2: your combo throw, it's a 1+2 break, not much more to say, you get a 46-58 or so combo from it (max damage is petty difficult), nothing spectacular but still useful.

f+1+2: bob's power crush, this move has improved a lot since it was introduced. it is now only -13 on block (down from more than -15, it used to be like a shoulder bash), and still evasive against highs (not a true crush)/wall splats. people truly hate this move, and it is a good move for sure, but like all random unsafe moves, ymmv. good to represent but not overuse.

b+12 is an i18 mid mid nc that gives good frame advantage on hit while being safe on block, the weird animation/delay between the hits often catches ancy players with the 2nd hit, a strong mid check option, but ends your offense on block. you can use this as a low risk mid from crouch dash occasionally, but there are arguably better options. like many bob moves, totally usable but doesn't have a huge niche of its own.

*note some of the neutral moves are also good up close, such as df+1, b+2, and 1 variations

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moves to use at the wall

bob's wall game is good, he can maintain the threat of a wall splat from a good distance, and he has some solid tech catch/ground hitting options, as well as a knockdown low in hellsweep.

uf+1+2, 1+2 is something you should always look for, to whiff punish very good wallsplat move. because of how dangerous this move becomes, at the wall, even raw uf1+2 can be good occasionally, people absolutely will respect the followups here.

ss+1+2 can splat at certain angles

ff+2 is another safe mid splat, as mentioned, if hit hits close to the wall but not close enough to wallsplat and they are face down feet away, d+3+4 is guaranteed within range.

db+3 is your low risk low

hellsweep should be your primary high risk low, but the reward is often not worth the risk, keep this in mind.

up close db+3+4 4 is a strong high risk harassment tool you can do anything you want if it hits. delay timing 5050's are often very strong here.

fc df, d, df 1+2 (belly blow throw) will also wallsplat off a 1+2 break, useful. and easy to input from a cd, good to threaten with and it surprises people, even if it doesn't wallsplat it leaves you fairly plus.

d+3+4 is an amazing move that has (nearly) guaranteed tech catch setups, hits on the ground, and at certain ranges can even resplat itself. it's VERY unsafe on block, but at max range can be difficult to punish due to pushback. use this if they stay on the ground. it resets into the same situation and does significant damage, even though it's launch punishable on block it will force techs.

cd1+2 (hold) will wall bounce and also and catch people trying to block hellsweep.

f+1+2 can be useful as a read defensively/preemptively to wallsplat but be careful, it's often too slow to beat checks at heavy negative frames.

f+2 3 is your 12f punisher and also wallsplats, use it when they try to desperation hopkick and you block it. and also as a whiff punisher if you're within range.


bob has other useful moves too...most of his moves have some use or another, but you pretty much can win with just these. most of his strings or moves i didn't list are quite unsafe or have little practical use.