Pokemon: Close Combat/Primeape

Archetype:	Rushdown
Health:	36
Endurance:	12
Walk Speed:	4.3/-3
Prejump Frames:	5
Fastest Attack:	5A (7f), 624B (4f)

Apes together strong.

Introduction

Primeape is known for its go-bananas hyper-aggressive rushdown game. Ape is an unstoppable force in neutral, with both strong mobility and advancing normals allowing it to work its way in while denying air approaches with its Fierce Upper. Once it's in, almost all of its normals along with its infamous Ape Rush contribute to its RPS-heavy playstyle, choking out endurance regeneration by opting for on-hit mixups instead of knockdowns. Ape is also capable of stealing rounds, as its already high damage is greatly increased on CH and its 5B has a unique comeback mechanic tied to it.

Getting in the opponent's zone is the key for Ape. It struggles against larger hitboxes and projectiles, although this can be mitigated with good play and an unhealthy amount of parries. Ape is also extremely fragile, and can't last very long in disadvantage state.

Primeape is a great pick for beginners and more experienced players alike, as its simple hot-blooded gameplay brings delight to most and defeat to the rest!

Playstyle

Primeape is a rushdown character that struggles at long range but forces very effective mix up close.

Pick if you like

Avoid if you dislike

Rushdown Rage: Ape can get in the opponent's face with its mobility and force effective RPS situations while denying endurance regeneration. Comeback Potential: Ape Rush becomes more powerful at lower health and combos into itself on counterhit, easily stealing games from unprepared opponents. High Damage: Primeape has high damage special finishers, which can become even stronger once it takes damage or gains meter for an OTG Furious Stomp. Stealthy Simian: Primeape's tiny frame makes it able to dodge many attacks that others can't.

Pocket-Sized Buttons: While fast with great frame data, Primeape's itty bitty normals make it difficult to challenge at midrange or keep threats at bay. Fast But Fragile: Primeape has some of the lowest health and endurance values in the game, increasing the risk of the options its chooses to close the distance. Low Safety: Ape is often slightly minus on block & has to go for hard reads with parry, leaving it wide open if the opponent doesn't swing.

Normals

5A	Damage Endurance Damage Guard Cancel Invul Property 1 0 Mid 5AA, 3A, Special - - Startup Active Recovery Advantage Cost Unique 7 3 14 -1 [0] - - Total: 23 Primeape swipes with their hand. Primeape's fastest button and most consistent combo starter Loops your Ape Rush pressure, beating defensive throws
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5AA

Damage Endurance Damage Guard Cancel Invul Property 1 0 Mid 3A, Special - - Startup Active Recovery Advantage Cost Unique 6 3 16 +4 [-2] - - Total: 24 Primeape swipes with their other hand. Combo filler allowing Primeape more time to confirm 5A Can be staggered into 5B for a frametrap (loses to parry), giving your pressure an additional RPS point Can string into 6B for damage or 3A for meter, or Ape can use the move's advantage to run on-hit RPS

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4A	Damage Endurance Damage Guard Cancel Invul Property 3 1 Mid Special Upper Body - Startup Active Recovery Advantage Cost Unique 10 10 14 +6 [0] - - Total: 33 Primeape kicks above their head. Go-to anti-air normal High hitstun allows for a one-hit confirm or pressure
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6A

Damage Endurance Damage Guard Cancel Invul Property 2, 2 1, 1 Mid Special, C-Cancel - - Startup Active Recovery Advantage Cost Unique 11, 12 5, 6 24 7 [-6] - - Total: 56 Primeape punches horizontally twice. Primeape's best standard horizontal poke, but has lots of recovery due to the second hit always coming out Links into 5A for longer ground combos Solid pressure normal due to its endurance damage and multiple cancel windows High reward CH starter, carrying CH to your specials Can be C-Cancelled for a surprising tick throw from what would normally be an uninterruptible blockstring

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2A	Damage Endurance Damage Guard Cancel Invul Property 3 1 Mid - - Knockdown (Air Hit) Startup Active Recovery Advantage Cost Unique 16 19 15 +3 [-9] - - Total: 49 Primeape launches forward with a kick. Incredible active frames makes this move much better when hit later into the animation Connecting from afar or as the opponent wakes up allows for pressure on block and combos on hit
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3A	Damage Endurance Damage Guard Cancel Invul Property 1 1 Low 28B - Sweep Startup Active Recovery Advantage Cost Unique 10 10 38 +40 [-26] - - Total: 53 Primeape delivers a sweeping kick. Standard combo ender off 5AA to build meter 5AA x 3A is good for catching up-back after Ape Rush 28B cancel can catch an opponent off-guard but is largely a knowledge/reaction check
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j5A	Damage Endurance Damage Guard Cancel Invul Property 3 1 High jB - - Startup Active Recovery Advantage Cost Unique 11 15 6 +20 [+17] - - Total: 31 Primeape performs a jumping kick. Primeape's go-to jump-in Can cancel into jB for additional high hits, or to combo from an air-to-air
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j8A	Damage Endurance Damage Guard Cancel Invul Property 4 2 High jB (Air Hit) - - Startup Active Recovery Advantage Cost Unique 9 18 6 +23 [+24] - - Total: 32 Primeape performs a jumping punch. Longer range horizontally and faster compared to j5A, albeit less reliable as an air-to-air
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Specials

Ape Rush 5B Unskippable cutscene on CH Unskippable cutscene on CH

Damage Endurance Damage Guard Cancel Invul Property (2 x 1-5), 1 (0 x 1-5), 1 Mid 624B - - Startup Active Recovery Advantage Cost Unique 12, 5 5, 10 22 +5 [-1] - - Total: 53 Primeape swings their arms while running forward. Scales off Primeape's current health, starting with 2 hits and gaining an additional hit at 17, 12, 7, and 2 HP In training mode, inputting 2D will cycle between the maximum health values for each level (36 -> 17 -> 12 and so on) Combos into normals on counterhit, leading to explosive damage if catching the opponent mid-strike Always -1 on block even if hit meaty The core of Primeape's pressure, leaving it in throw range and only slightly minus Parry beats defensive abare, throw beats parrying or blocking, and 5A/6A catches jumps or slower moves Once the opponent is conditioned not to mash, mix in 3A and instant jB for a high/low mixup

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Fierce Upper 6B	Damage Endurance Damage Guard Cancel Invul Property 3, 3 1, 1 Mid jB, C-Cancel (First Hit) Upper Body 10-30 Launch Startup Active Recovery Advantage Cost Unique 10 20 52 +54 [-47] - - Total: 81 Primeape launches skyward. Anti-air DP as well as Primeape's strongest meterless combo ender above 13 HP Combos into itself on counterhit Crucial metered combo tool when C-Cancelled
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Beat 'Em Up 2B Jumpscare. Jumpscare.

Damage Endurance Damage Guard Cancel Invul Property 8 - Unblockable (Throw) jB - Knockdown Startup Active Recovery Advantage Cost Unique 32 39 26 +28 - - Total: 96 Primeape leaps forward, landing in a cloud of violence on a successful landing. Can be aimed mid-flight Can be cancelled into jB mid-flight, meterlessly Punishing low/throw crush, even moreso with meter for 28B Can be sparingly used in neutral but can often be anti-aired Can be cancelled into during pressure, particularly effective against taller characters Low enough recovery to be unpunishable by standard jump-ins if you meaty with it

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Skull Pound jB

Damage Endurance Damage Guard Cancel Invul Property 5/3 4/2 High C-Cancel (landing) - Knockdown Startup Active Recovery Advantage Cost Unique 24 ∞ 33 +25 [-3] - - Total: 56 Primeape slams the ground with their fists. Halts air momentum, sending Primeape to the ground Incredibly quick overhead/throw bait when done immediately after jumping C-Cancel is plus on block, allowing Ape to continue its pressure after a successfully blocked overhead

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Hyper Moves

Skull Pound (Post-Uppercut) 6BB after Fierce Upper, Savage Upper or Rampage	Damage Endurance Damage Guard Cancel Invul Property 5/3 4/2 High - - Knockdown Startup Active Recovery Advantage Cost Unique 17 ∞ 33 +25 [-3] - - Total: 49 Primeape slams the ground with their fists after an uppercut. Makes Primeape's uppercuts safe on block Affected by combo scaling, and thus generally outclassed by 28B as an ender, though it gives better oki
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Savage Upper 623B EX Griddy. EX Griddy.	Damage Endurance Damage Guard Cancel Invul Property 5, 3 1, 1 Mid jB, C-Cancel (First Hit) Full (1-29) Launch Startup Active Recovery Advantage Cost Unique 10 21 51 +54 [-40] 1 - Total: 81 Primeape soars upwards, but cooler. Primeape's only reversal Allows for combos when the move lands late in its active frames, though this is not typically how the move is used
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Furious Stomp 28B Forbidden neutral skip with j8A Forbidden neutral skip with j8A

Damage Endurance Damage Guard Cancel Invul Property 5 - None (OTG Only) j5A, j8A, jB - - Startup Active Recovery Advantage Cost Unique 4 ∞ 11 +30 1 - Total: 14 Primeape stomps repeatedly on the head of the opponent. Only hits when the opponent is in knockdown state on the ground Tags 5 unscaled damage onto virtually any combo Prevents endurance regeneration from the knockdown if used quickly enough Notably combos out of throw, jB, and 2B Can combo off of 6B/623B if hit late enough; consistently links in the corner Command grab is preceded by a horizontal flip, allowing for a pseudo-dash jump to surprise the opponent in neutral Resets pressure and crosses shorter characters up when cancelled into air normals

Super

Rampage 624B

Damage Endurance Damage Guard Cancel Invul Property 2+1+1+2+2+1+1+3+3 1+0+0+1+1+0+1+1+1 Mid jB Full (1-55) Knockdown Startup Active Recovery Advantage Cost Unique 44 [-40 Super Freeze] 21 19 +55 [-25] 2 - Total: 83 Primeape beats their chest, then releases a flurry of punches that ends in an uppercut. Can be very strong in pressure, as it deals a lot of uninterruptable endurance damage (assuming the opponent does not have meter for burst) Combos when cancelled from 4A, 6A and 5B

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Universal Mechanics

Forward Throw 6C	Damage Endurance Damage Guard Cancel Invul Property 2 - Unblockable (Throw) 28B - Knockdown Startup Active Recovery Advantage Cost Unique 8 2 61 - - - Total: 70 Primeape lifts the opponent above their head and tosses them forward. Requires a meter to be stocked before the throw connects in order to cancel into 28B Cancelling into 28B causes the opponent to only regenerate 2 endurance
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Back Throw 4C

Damage Endurance Damage Guard Cancel Invul Property 2 - Unblockable (Throw) 28B - Knockdown Startup Active Recovery Advantage Cost Unique 8 2 61 - - - Total: 70 Primeape lifts the opponent above their head and tosses them backward. Requires a meter to be stocked before the throw connects in order to cancel into 28B Cancelling into 28B leaves Primeape on the same side of the opponent it was on before

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Parry C	Damage Endurance Damage Guard Cancel Invul Property 4 - - - - Launcher Startup Active Recovery Advantage Cost Unique - - - - - - Primeape delivers a swift uppercut.
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Guard Burst D or ABC during blockstun	Damage Endurance Damage Guard Cancel Invul Property - - Unblockable - Full Guard Burst Startup Active Recovery Advantage Cost Unique 9 16 (+15 Timestop) 69 (85 on whiff) +16 1 - Total: 100 Primeape flails wildly.
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Combos

Meterless BnBs

Combo into Sweep
5A5A x 3A

 >>  >>

3 Damage

Normal to Special Confirm
2A (4A/5A5A) x 6B

 >>  >>

12 Damage
OR

 >>  >>  >>

11 Damage
Note: 2A must connect close to the tip of its range, or as a meaty. In the corner, you can instead do 2A 6A x 6B for 13 damage.

Late Hit Ape Rush (Midscreen Only)
6A (extremely spaced) x 5B 5A5A x 3A/6B

 >>  >>  >>  >>

8 Damage
OR

 >>  >>  >>  >>

11 Damage
Note: 6A's second hit must connect at the absolute tip of its range, and Primeape must be healthy enough that 5B only has 2 hits.
In general, it's a good idea to try 5A after Ape Rush hits; even if it doesn't combo, it'll at least frametrap & allow you to start your pressure if they block.

Counterhit Combos
Note: Because 4A and 6A carry the Counterhit state over to 5B and 6B, both of the counterhit combos can begin with Counterhit 4A/6A x 5B/6B.

Counterhit 5B
ch.5B 6A 5A5A x 3A/5B/6B

 >>  >>  >>  >>

10-17 Damage
OR

 >>  >>  >>  >>

10-21 Damage
OR

 >>  >>

12-18 Damage
Note: Omit the 5A5A when ending with 6B above 17 health, or when ending with 5B at 17-13 health.

Counterhit 6B
ch.6B 4A x 6B

 >>  >>

15 Damage
Note: The 4A has to hit rather low for both hits of 6B to connect.

One Meter Combos

6B Into OTG (Guaranteed in Corner Only)
6A x 6B 28B

 >>  >>

16 Damage

C-Cancel Combos

C-Cancel Launcher Combo
6A x 6B cc j8A x jB

 >>  >>  >>  >>  >>

15 Damage

Close To Corner
6A x 6B cc j8A x 4A x 6B

 >>  >>  >>  >>  >>  >>

18 Damage

5B Juggle
6A x 6B cc j8A 4A x 5B 4A x 6B

 >>  >>  >>  >>  >>  >>  >>  >>

21-22 Damage
Note: Works at any amount of health, though if 5B has 3 or 6 hits you have to swap the second 4A for 5A, dealing 1 less damage.

Two Meter Combos

Ape Rush Super Cancel
6A x 5B x 624B

 >>  >>

19-24 Damage

C-Cancel into OTG Finisher
6A x 6B cc j8A x jB x 28B

 >>  >>  >>  >>  >>

20 Damage

C-Cancel Combos

Counterhit 6B into C-Cancel Loop
ch.4A (or 6A) x 6B x 6A x 6B cc j8A x 6A x 6B cc j8A 4A x 6B

 >>  >>  >>  >>  >>  >>  >>  >>  >>  >>  >>  >>  >>

27 Damage

Meter Dump Combos

Super Cancel into OTG
6A x 5B x 624B x 28B

 >>  >>  >>

Corner 6B cc Loop into OTG
6A x 6B cc j5A x 6A x 5B x 6A x 6B cc j8A x jB x 28B

 >>  >>  >>  >>  >>  >>  >>  >>  >>  >>  >>  >>  >>

Double 5B Juggle
It's time to get funky - DaZe
6A x 6B cc j5A x 6A x 5B x 6A x 6B cc j5A 6A x 5B x 6A x 6B x 28B

 >>  >>  >>  >>  >>  >>  >>  >>  >>  >>  >>  >>  >>  >>

 >>

Note: Timing is HARD, especially if you want both hits of the last 6B. Only works with 2 or 3-hit 5B.

Colors

A

B

C

D

E