How to Beat Luke in Street Fighter 6
Luke is un-arguably top tier in Street Fighter 6 – his kit is incredibly solid, and unfortunately for those trying to beat him, he doesn’t have many obvious weaknesses or counters. Taking over for Ryu as the face of the new generation of Street Fighter, he is designed very similarly in that he is well rounded, and excels in fundamental gameplay without relying on gimmicks.
Luke’s basic game plan can vary between footsies, zoning, fishing for Whiff punishes, and an all out offensive attack plan. Therefore, it’s even more important than usual to pick up on your opponents specific habits. If something you are doing is crushing the opponent Luke. Be prepared for him to completely change his fighting style.
There are, however, many common habits Luke players have that can be exploited by the knowledge of how to counter them.
The following guide will help you formulate a game plan when facing Luke and will often catch Luke players off guard who are used to getting away with unsafe attack options that their opponents are simply unprepared to punish.
These are some of Luke’s most common threats to you as well as some of your biggest opportunities to land high damage punishes.
Sand Blast
Sand Blast is the fastest fireball in the game. Due to its speed, Sand Blast can be difficult to react to and can be used to whiff punish. You should always try to parry his projectiles since Luke has no immediate follow-up attacks or frame traps. Sometimes the great speed can actually be helpful with perfect parries because by the time you react the projectile is already making contact.
Note: Because Heavy Sand Blast goes almost full screen and Light Sand Blast only travels a few feet, Light can be used to bait parries and get you to waste Drive Gauge.
OD Sand Blast is an incredibly strong zoning tool, and has the option to use a 3rd Drive bar to add a 2nd shot. It travels full screen lightning fast. Watch out for this attack when in neutral with low health or in burnout. Luke’s will often try to close out the round from a distance with OD Sand Blast.
Punishes:
As with most projectiles, Drive Impact can be used to Punish Counter, but needs to be done in anticipation to the Sand Blast. Trying to DI on reaction gives Luke enough time to reverse DI. OD Sand Blast allows Luke to recover in time to DI. Be careful of this bait.
Jumping over a Sand Blast also has to be a hard read to get a punish. If you jump after Sand Blast has started, Luke will AA you.
Knowledge Checks
Crouching medium kick → Shoulder target combo
Cr mk→mp is unsafe on block and gives you many punish options. On hit Luke forces you into a strike/grab mixup. You can delay grab tech to beat grab and poke string. Luke can of course bait this option with a back dash or jump over your whiffed grab. You can punish these in anticipation with a strike or Anti-air.
Standing LP → MP → HP target combo
The most important attack to know how to deal with is Luke’s Standing light punch target combo. If the Luke player sees you don’t know: prepare to be spammed. The startup is very fast, has good range, and can combo into all three of his supers.
Most common options on block:
- LP → MP → HP into light Sand Blast block strings if you block crouching. Always stand block.
- Heavy Flash knuckle moves Luke backwards and will cause some reversals to whiff.
- Charged Heavy Flash Knuckle puts Luke at +4 on block. This means you are forced into a strike/grab mix-up.
- Sand Blast and Heavy Flash Knuckle leaves a gap for you to use an invincible reversal or DI.
- OD Sand Blast, (mentioned above) beats DI. Additionally, if Luke has lvl 3 Super Art available he can cancel Flash Knuckle on reaction to your DI.
- Early DI beats target combo, but just a little late and 3rd hit comes out and armor breaks.
- Target combo by itself without canceling into Sand Blast or Flash Knuckle is -14 on block. Luke players only do nothing on block to bait DI.
Video
4 possible outcomes when Drive Impacting a blocked Standing Light Punch Target Combo
- Safest options are to wait a few frames and react to Luke doing nothing with fast poke into combo. DI react to Luke charging Heavy Flash Knuckle (Invincible reversal if he has LVL 3 SA). Worst case scenario with blocking is having to deal with the strike/grab mixup and tick throws.
Avenger
If you ever see Luke juggling you then whiffs an Avenger, his shoulder tackle move, he recovers early enough to meaty you. Don’t fall for the bait and get caught pressing buttons. This is an Oki set up, and you need to attempt to read his wake-up mixup.
Super Arts
- Luke’s lvl 1 Super Art is hands down the best lvl 1 in the entire game. It is not projectile invincible, but if he uses it early enough his first couple projectiles will cancel out your projectile then you get hit by the rest. Be careful projectile spamming Luke! It has incredible range, and can punish your spaced jump-ins and Neutral jumps.
- Lvl 2 can be used as an invincible AA. Has a generous hitbox so be extra careful jumping on a Luke with lvl 2 available.
- Lvl 3 is completely invincible on startup as Luke lunges forward.
Can also be used as an anti air, but less common due to slow start up and smaller hitbox.
All of his Supers are extremely punishable on block.
Burnout
Luke is very good in burnout. If he has Supers available, DI is essentially just as risky as if he had Drive Gauge since all 3 SA levels beat DI. Luke also has many high damage combos that do not rely on Drive Gauge, so you need to continue to play relatively safe as normal or you will eat huge damage for going too aggressive while trying to capitalize on his burnout state.
- Watch out for Aerial Flash Knuckle which can be used as a jump out of the corner tool for Luke.
Plus on Block Attacks
- Crouching Medium Punch +1
- Charged heavy flash knuckle +4
Unsafe Habits
Ending a block string with Heavy Flash Knuckle
- Luke’s will sometimes opt to end block strings with Heavy Flash Knuckle because most of his attacks are minus on block. If his opponents continue blocking, Heavy Flash Knuckle puts Luke into advantage on block.
In this clip, Samurai (defending Luke) could have Drive Impacted on reaction to seeing his opponent charging the Flash Knuckle, and Bonchan would be unable to respond with DI or lvl 3 since he only had lvl 1 available. Instead he gets heavily punished for blocking it.
- If Luke doesn’t have Lvl 3 SA. ALWAYS DI his Flash Knuckle
Cr Mk x Sand Blast
If you see Luke repeatedly choose this option and not hit confirming, just DI immediately after blocking the crouching Medium Kick, or in anticipation to the kick. Luke has to immediately cancel the kick for DI to come out, otherwise he is stuck in the animation.
Easiest Whiff punishes
Two common pokes that both have significant recovery time:
- Standing Heavy Punch
- Crouching Medium Kick
Heavy Punch is a common long range poke option for Luke and has good combo follow up options. HP is super unsafe on Whiff. Same can be said for cr mk. Both are easily Whiff punished, so dedicate some time to footsies against Luke to train your reaction against these moves.
