Cammy is a top tier character in basically every version of Street Fighter 4 that she’s in. Many have felt the wrath of Cammy players as they encounter her at tournaments and online. She was also one of the most requested characters when it came to Street Fighter 5, so it’s no surprise that Cammy was announced early on. After getting our hands on the character, we can confirm that she has retained a lot of what made her exceptional in Street Fighter 4, but she also has a few new techniques up her sleeves (if she had sleeves).
The new system mechanics in Street Fighter 5 may slow down Cammy dominance a little bit. However, after our early look at the character, she seems to hold her own against the rest of the cast, while not dominating over any of the characters. Let’s take a closer look at what Cammy has to offer at this early stage of the game.
Special Moves
Cammy’s special moves in Street Fighter 5 should feel very familiar to long-time Cammy players. Her Spiral Arrow drill kick, Cannon Spike Dragon Punch-like kick and Cannon Strike dive kick have all returned and work in essentially the same manner as they have in the past. She also retains her Hooligan Combination which has seen some changes from previous versions of the character.
The new version of the Hooligan Combination is a half-circle forward motion instead of the previous notation that used the upward diagonals to execute the attack. You can also use the Hooligan to cross over a downed opponent, or go right through them if you’re close enough. The attack at the end of the Hooligan Combination will auto-correct to ensure it always attacks in the right direction. This can make Cammy very deceptive in the right hands.
V-Trigger
Cammy’s V-Trigger ability gives her a gauge that slowly depletes over time. While the V-Trigger is active her special moves are faster and have slightly altered properties. For example, her Spiral Arrow will pass through the opponent, making it more difficult to punish if it’s blocked, and allowing Cammy to follow it with a few more hits if the Spiral Arrow connects.
Every time you use a special move whole V-Trigger is active, it drains a fair amount of the meter. While you shouldn’t feel rushed into using Cammy’s special moves as soon as you activate V-Trigger, you need to make them count. You can get about two or three special moves off before V-Trigger expires, depending on how soon you use the first special move. However, the meter drains at a slow pace when you’re not using special moves. Once you activate, take your time and setup your attacks so they have a high probability of hitting.
Critical Art
Cammy’s Critical Art is fairly straightforward. You can combo into the Cross Stinger Assault for solid damage, but Cammy gets a lot of leverage from her EX special moves, so you won’t have a full super meter all that often. Still, if you find yourself with a full meter and can end the round with a hit-confirm into the Cross Stinger Assault, the damage is certainly nothing to scoff at.
We’ll have more on Street Fighter 5 as we head to the Evolution Fighting Game Championship this weekend. In the meantime, be sure to check out our other SF5 articles on Birdie, Ryu and more!
