001. STREET FIGHTER 4 - M. BISON - INTRO & STRATEGY

NORMAL MOVES | SPECIAL MOVES | COMBOS | MATCH UP NOTES & VIDEOS

OVERVIEW

• One of more mobile characters in the game. Can move across the screen very fast.
• Amazing set of normals. Use standing roundhouse and standing forward as much as you can!
• Low damage output holds him back from being "Sagat-tier".
• Has trouble dealing with jump-ins as he has no reliable anti-air.
• Can only combo into ultra through a LVL2 Focus and j.mpx2.
• Extremely strong wake-up game. Has many options to punish his opponent.
• EX-Scissors go through projectiles, making it dangerous for fireball characters to play their "game".
• Has a teleport which adds to his mobility.
• Without meter he has a hard time dealing with wakeup games.

RESOURCES

M. BISON SUPER GUIDE - 1UP.COM MYCHEATS

M. BISON FORUM - SHORYUKEN.COM

M. BISON FRAME DATA - SHORYUKEN.COM

002. STREET FIGHTER 4 - M. BISON - NORMAL MOVES

 JAB (LIGHT) PUNCH

• Bison's light punch is decent. Its uses are for starting combos or tick throws. The link timing is easier than crouching light kick, so although combos from crouching light punches are weaker, they come out easier. Also, using a crouching light punch on a block string is safer because the block advantage is 2 with a recovery of 6, whereas crouching light kick has 0 block advantage with a recovery of 7.
  

STRONG (MEDIUM) PUNCH

• Neutral jumping medium punch has no real use, but it's funny move (he looks like a flying bananna). Angled jump medium punch (aka Hell Attack) is sets his opponents up for an ultra or a ex psycho crusher. If you use only the first part, you can land and use a normal like standing roundhouse for weird mixup strategies. Crouching medium punch has more range than his crouching medium kick and can be used to set Bison up for a scissor kick.

FIERCE (HARD) PUNCH

• An angled jump with hard punch is situational, but it deals slightly more damage than a jumping roundhouse (10 more). Use it to deal more damage on stunned opponents or to avoid certain anti-air specials (Honda's sumo splash can sometimes eat this). Standing hard punch is used when Opponent's whiff a big move and you have no meter or ultra. Simply hard punch your opponent after their whiff and psycho crusher them or, if you want position, use hard punch, crouching light kick, scissor kick. Crouching hard punch is also situational. It lowers Bison's hitbox so some air attacks will miss him. As a result, this becomes an interesting anti-air that, with practice, becomes useful in application.

SHORT (LIGHT) KICK

• The main light kick to use is crouching light kick. It hit lows, it hits fast (takes 3 frames to come out, just like Balrog's crouching light punch) and it is the main connector into Bison's scissor kick.

FORWARD (MEDIUM) KICK

• Far standing medium kick is a good poking tool. The range is long and if you stick it out it can stuff things in mid-motion. Mainly, you use this where standing roundhouse whiffs. For example, if your opponent is prone to using crouching hard kick, standing hard kick will whiff as a punish. You might not have charge (or the reaction), so simply standing medium kick. This kick also can stuff fireballs at the appropriate range, and if used effectively, there is little breathing room in a footsie battle.

ROUNDHOUSE (HARD) KICK

• This is the spacing tool to use. It can function as a good anti-air, a preemptive anti-air (if they jump back on wakeup), a punisher (if there's no charge), and a good baiting tool. For example, in applications as a bait, walk up to an opponent after knocking him down and then dash back to bait a shoryuken and punish with hard kick. Also, because hard kick can whiff crouching opponents, count on opponents trying to react to hard kick on whiff and use scissor kick (to beat the low).

003. STREET FIGHTER 4 - M. BISON - SPECIAL MOVES

CLICK FOR FULL SIZE

PSYCHO CRUSHER

CHARGE BACK, FORWARD + PUNCH

SCISSOR KICK

CHARGE BACK, FORWARD + KICK

• Light kick version is safe on block.

HEADSTOMP

CHARGE DOWN, UP + KICK

• After initial hit, either right of left will guide bison in the air.
• Press punch after initial hit for follow up attack.
• EX version is great anti-air.

DEVILS REVERSE

CHARGE DOWN, UP + PUNCH ~ PUNCH

PSYCHO WARP

BEHIND
FORWARD, DOWN, DOWN-FORWARD + THREE PUNCHES

FRONT
FORWARD, DOWN, DOWN-FORWARD + THREE KICKS

RETREAT (MID)
BACK, DOWN, DOWN-BACK+ THREE PUNCHES
 

RETREAT (FAR)
BACK, DOWN, DOWN-BACK + THREE KICKS

SUPER

KNEE PRESS NIGHTMARE

CHARGE BACK, FORWARD, BACK, FORWARD + KICK

ULTRA

NIGHTMARE BOOSTER

CHARGE BACK, FORWARD, BACK, FORWARD + THREE KICKS

004. STREET FIGHTER 4 - M. BISON - COMBOS

MASTER GUIDE COMBOS

• Jump in mk, cr.lp close standing lp, cr.mk, cancel into psycho crusher or hk scissor kicks
• Cr.mp, cancel into hk scissor kicks
• Cr.lk x3, cancel into lp psycho crusher
• Commersault skull diver, cr.mp, far standing mk
• Anti-air jumping MP, MP, ultra
• Focus attack (level 2), dash (into cr.mp, cr.mk, cancel into hp psycho crusher) or ultra
• Jump in hp, standing close hp, cancel into hk scissor kick (1 hit), cancel to super
• Jump in hp, standing close hp, cr. lk, cancel scissor kick.
• Cr. lp, st. lp, st.lk, cr.mk, cancel into hk scissor kick (this move combo gives you charge, meaning you can walk up and do it--as long as you are holding from the start of the combo to the finish).

005. STREET FIGHTER 4 - M. BISON - MATCH UPS

Choose a character to view match up notes and videos.

VS.VS.VS.VS.VS.

VS.VS.VS.VS.VS.

VS.VS.VS.VS.VS.

VS.VS.VS.VS.VS.

VS.VS.VS.VS.VS.

ABEL | AKUMA | BALROG | BLANKA | C. VIPER | CAMMY | CHUN-LI | DAN | DHALSIM | FEI-LONG |  E.HONDA | EL FUERTE | GEN | GOUKEN | GUILE | KEN | M. BISON | ROSE | RUFUS | RYU | SAGAT | SAKURA |  SETH | VEGA | ZANGIEF

vs. Dictator (Bison)

• This matchup revolves around momentum and scissor kick pressure.
• Remember, after a light kick scissor kick, you are neutral on block, this essentially means that whoever throws out the first move will hit (assuming you both throw out a move). With this knowledge, mixing up your scissor kick pressure with ex scissor kick, crouching light kick, or standing roudhouse are good options.
• To prevent another Bison player from using his scissor kick, throw hard kick out. Even if it whiffs, it's hard to punish. By throwing it out, sometimes you can stop Bison players from throwing out too many scissor kicks.
• Save meter on your wakeup. Use teleport to get out of pressure. Meter in this matchup is better used for fakes (ex devil reverse) or focus attack dash canceling.

vs. Blanka

• Blanka's horizontal ball can be punished with any scissor kick on block.
  
• If you don't have charge, at certain distances, Blanka's horizontal ball can be punished with crouching hard kick (slide).
• For the most part, don't cross Blanka up on wakeup. His electricty and upball will beat your attempts.
• Scissor kick pressure and its mixups are key in this matchup. Know the distance of crouching light kick (where it can beat eletricity) and force Blanka to act by breaking his guard with tick throws.
  

vs. Abel

• Pressure Abel with standing roundhouse.
• Your options on his wakeup are crouching light kick, meaty scissor kick, throw, hard kick, and headstomp (or just neutral jump hard kick). Crouching light kick is for continued blocking pressure. Meaty scissor kick beats his attempts to grab you. Your throw beats his roll. Hard kick beats his jump back. Headstomp beats throw. 
• If Abel does his mixup with his Change of Direction (and you block) just teleport out.

vs. Ryu

• The most important part about this matchup is figuring out what kind of Ryu you're facing. If the Ryu player uses a lot of shoryukens on his wakeup, back dash and hard kick him. If you do this enough times, then you lead the player into thinking shoryuken is never safe. This is when you can do a 180 and go for tick throws or further pressure with scissor kick.
• Utilize ex scissor kick and know its max range to punish Ryu's fireball. Knockdowns are important.
• Devil reverse and headstomp are good tools at first, but as Ryus (and other players) get more advanced, this becomes less and less effective. Try not to use them much because the mixup lacks consistency.
• Utilize standing medium kick pressure to prevent Ryu from throwing fireballs and do your best to get Ryu into the corner where your footsies dominate over Ryu.

vs. Ken

• Ken's kara throw mixups are powerful against most characters, but if you ever feel too pressured, simply spam teleport to get out of it.
• If you get hit by Ken's ex tornado kick, it's usually best to use ex psycho crusher to get out of his mixup (he can throw, shoryuken, or use a normal move to continue pressure). Ex psycho crusher beats two of those options, but once he starts wising up and using shoryuken, simply block.
• Most of the Ryu strategies apply to Ken. Get him into the corner and use superior footsies.

vs. Chun Li

• At the very beginning of the first round, neither of you have meter, but this is your cue to rush down Chun Li before she gets it. When she has one bar, she can break your mixup game, but otherwise, do your best to bait her ex spinning bird kicks.
• Chun Li has a poor anti-air game, so as long as you keep on top of her, you can pressure her into the corner and deal damage.
• On her wakeup, mix it up between neutral jumping fierce, throw, block, meaty scissor kick, head stomp, and standing hard kick.
• Save meter for focus attack dash canceling and ex psycho crusher. There's no real use for it outside of that. 
• Any pressure that Chun Li has should be escaped through a teleport. Her hazanshu gives her advantage on block,  so if you stick something out, she will counter hit most of the time.

vs. Dhalsim

• First, understand that against any good Dhalsim player, you are always going to take a hit before getting in on him. Don't fret about taking damage, because once you're in, you will win. Bison has the easiest time on staying on a Dhalsim because his moves all travel.
• Bison's crouching roundhouse can beat Dhalsim's standing fierce. Just throwing it out randomly here and there will benefit you really well.
• Focus attack and absorbing a hit to get in is also important. Get in on Dhalsim and utilize stand roundhouse a lot. Dhalsim doesn't really have an answer to it.
• When you knock Dhalsim down, always do a meaty move. Dhalsim has no good wakeup game, only teleport. If he teleports you can simply dash in and continue the pressure.

vs. Zangief

• This matchup has evolved a lot with time. Initially, it was all about building meter at the begining in preparation of a knock down. Most of the matchup would revolve around Bison running away and trying to deal his damage slowly. Now, the matchup is all about spacing and standing roundhouse.
• Standing hard kick beats Zangief's lariat on whiff AND on startup. This means you win if you throw it out earlier than his lariat or later. If you do it in between then you get hit, so this is about your reaction as well as your pressure.
• Neutral Jumping hard kick will beat most of Zangief's jump attacks. Stay at least one Zangief apart from him to have enough time to judge what he's going to do.
• If Zangief ever pressures you with a block string, there is almost NEVER a reason why you shouldn't be trying to get out with teleport. Teleport evades his combo or a tick throw. The only time you wouldn't do it is when you're in the corner or if you think he's going to try to greenhand, whiff, then throw you.
• Always maintain the distance of one Zangief apart. This makes it hard for him to get in on you as well as makes it easy for you to react. This distance also makes it so if he tries to greenhand you, it will hit you. On block or hit, a normal greenhand is negative, so you can simply throw him. This will pressure Zangief into doing something risky to knock you down like ex greenhand, so keep yourself random so he will never know.
• If you feel unsure if your standing hard kick will punish Zangief's lariat. Use standing far hard punch.

vs. Rose

• Against Rose, space correctly and jump accordingly to punish her fireballs with hard punch, hard kick, and medium kick.
• Once Rose has meter, be very careful about jumping in on her.
• Rose lacks reliable wakeup options. For the most part, abuse crouching light kick and combo it into scissor kick or use it as a tick throw.
• Work on putting Rose into the corner. When you have her there, abuse standing hard kick and standing medium kick.

vs. C. Viper

• Against Viper, standing hard kick can beat a lot of her shenanigans as long as you space it correctly. Back dash on her wakeup to bait her anti-air special and hard kick. Always wait for the response in case she wants to use ex flame kick.
• Flame kick loses to standing hard kick with the right distance.
• Rush Viper down when she doesn't have meter. This severely limits her wakeup options. Also, this is when you are going to get most of your damage. Back off accordingly when momentum is off.
• If a Viper is spamming her projectile, you can (although it is risky) do a punch teleport (forward teleport), and then headstomp her. The notation is down forward, down, downfoward + three punches. This allows you to keep your charge.

vs. El Fuerte

• El Fuerte has a lot of trouble playing his knockdown game on Bison. Bison's escapes are teleport, ex psycho crusher, devils reverse, and crouching hard kick (slide). For the most part, use teleport to save meter, but if the El Fuerte delays his run (to predict the teleport), ex psycho crusher.
• Once you have a lead, sit on it. Fuerte should be the one working to win this match.
• Use a meaty crouching light kick and standing hard kick to prevent most of Fuerte's wakeup options. Once Fuerte has his ultra, use meaty moves with small recovery, so you won't eat the ultra.
• If a Fuerte lands his infinite on you, use teleport to escape. The timing is strict, so sometimes Fuerte's players mess this up.

vs. Akuma

• Akuma has a good keep away game, but Bison has many ways to get in.
• Although at higher levels, headstomp and devils reverse mixup are pretty risky, the reward against Akuma is incredibly high (he has low life), so using this is fine at times.
• Once Akuma is in the corner, back dash in case he shoryukens or teleports out. If he teleports out, punish with a standing hard kick.
• If you feel comftorable with a defensive Bison, that is fine. Getting a lead and sittting on it, especially when Akuma has his ultra, works.
• To fight against Akuma's fireball pressure, either work yourself in and standing medium kick pressure or forward teleport headstomp him (covered in Viper area for notation).
• If an Akuma is standing hard kick happy, stick out meaty, standing hard kicks to catch him.

vs. Rufus

• At the beginning, rush Rufus down when he has no meter.
• If a Rufus is abusing his dive kick, a properly-timed headstomp WILL stop it and get you out of pressure (and the corner).
• Space yourself well with standing hard kick. It stops a lot of Rufus's air options and will keep him out.
• When Rufus has ultra meter, do your best to NOT jump. For the most part, you shouldn't be jumping against Rufus.

vs. Sagat

• This matchup is essentially the battle of the hard kicks. Bison's hard kick doesn't hit as hard, but it is faster. Use it as meaty's against Sagat or throw it out after Sagat whiffs a tiger knee or standing hard kick as a punish.
• Be very patient in this matchup. All it takes it one tiger uppercut to lose your lead. Get a lead and sit on it. Evading fireballs with Bison is easy. Jump, duck, or devils reverse. However, if you choose to use devils reverse, don't go past midscreen, otherwise he can forward hard kick you and combo into his ultra.
• Crouching hard kick (slide) can go under high tiger shots.
• Sagat is a big target, so this is one of the matchups where jumping hard kick is a very reliable cross up. Mix this up with medium kick and throw.

vs. Vega

• Vega's walldive attacks can be punished with standing hard kick.
• If you are unsure where Vega's walldive attack will hit, crouching hard kick (slide) to get out of there or teleport.
• If a Vega is using his flips a lot, simply walk up and standing hard kick or slide and hard kick. Bison can be creative on his way to cover distance. You can even time a scissor kick or ex psycho crusher.
• Against Vega, always use meaty attacks on his wakeup. He has no reliable wakeup options because Bison's moveset allows him to pressure his backflip escapes.

vs. E. Honda

• You can punish Honda's non ex-headbutts with scissor kick (use medium scissor kick).
• Play this matchup slowly. It's not supposed to be fancy. Use cross up medium kick a lot to ruin his charge.
• Do not jump in on Honda when he has meter. In fact, if you do jump in on him, it should almost always be a crossup. Jumping hard punch can beat his ex headbutt at times (if a move hits his back, it will knock him out of it).
• Jump back medium punch, medium punch can beat out Honda's anti-air. Use it as a wakeup option against Honda or as an escape.

vs. Guile

• This is a very difficult matchup for Bison, but the goal is very clear. Put Guile into the corner and put him there. If you play this matchup too safe, you won't win. You have to take risks because Guile has all the tools to beat your moveset. Crouching fierce can beat headstomp. Ex scissor kick cannot punish a light punch sonic boom reliably because of sonic boom's recovery. You have to find a pattern against Guile and find ways to punish. Walk and block a lot. You need to put Guile into the corner to stand a chance.
• Guile's crouching hard kick is rarely used by good Guiles. If a Guile does spam it, simply focus attack (absorb the first hit) dash in and throw him into the corner.
• Use focus attack when you think Guile will throw a sonic boom and dash immediately to throw him. If you see the focus attack animation (where Bison crosses his arms), you are taking too long.
• Medium kick pressure Guile a lot to stop his sonic booms.
• When you do a block string against Guile, mix it up with throws and awkwardly timed moves into scissor kick (so if he thinks you are going to throw, he will whiff and eat the move). For example, crouching light punch, standing light punch, standing light kick, wait, crouching medium kick, scissor kick.
• Once you knock Guile down, stay on tof him. You need to pressure Guile as much as you can while you can.

vs. Cammy

• Cammy's damage comes from her mixups via meter. When Cammy has meter, do not go for consecutive scissor kicks. Instead, you are better off being patient and punishing her risks. Turtle in this matchup.
• A good trick against Cammy players is to crouching light kick twice, then wait. If the Cammy player decides to use her cannon spike, then punish accordingly. Mix this up with throws, but for the most part, be very careful with tick throwing in this matchup. Use it sparingly, then when your opponent thinks you don't throw much, use them a lot on their wakeup or in your block string.
• Watch for empty jumps with Cammy. When Cammy players have meter, they like to crossup empty jump cannon spike.
• If you are feeling pressure by a Cammy block string, teleport out. The worst you will get hurt is from her spiral arrow (her horizontal special move).

vs. Feilong

• Feilong doesn't have reliable ways to combo into his ultra, so your choice of going defensive or offensive in this matchup is purely preference.
• Use meaty standing hard kick if you feel a Feilong might try his rekkas.
• Ex headstomp will beat Feilong's anti-air special (flame kick) on his wakeup. Mixing this up with throw and meaty crouching light kick will give you plenty of pressure.
• Meter isn't incredibly important in this matchup, so you can a few more tricks like fake ex devils reverse and throw or crossup ex psycho crusher (use ex in case you mess up the timing on his wakeup, so you are far away).

vs. Gouken

• Gouken lacks strong normals so cautiously get in against Gouken's fireballs and then apply pressure with your normals. Make him hate standing roundhouse.
• Once Gouken is in the corner, be awkward. Don't always throw out meaty moves, so you can bait a parry and throw. Gouken doesn't have a good air hurricane kick, so he can't easily get out.
• Because Gouken doesn't have good normals, if a Gouken starts pressuring you with normals and has ultra meter, he's likely going for a tick throw. Tech the tick throw or simply dash back out of his pressure and standing roundhouse to keep your distance.
• Empty jump throw Gouken to make his parry option unreliable. Jumping fierce, standing fierce, crouching light kick, scissor kick as a block string works well against Gouken because he doesn't have a shoryuken, so he can't punish the gap between the two fierce/hard punches.

vs. Sakura

• Sakura does not have a reliable anti-air. Feel free to cross her up on her wakeup.
• Do not back dash on Sakura's wakeup. Her shoryuken travels horizontally, so it will catch you. Instead neutral jump roundhouse as a bait instead.
• Sakura's crouching hard punch is a good anti-air. Use jumping hard punch (spaced correctly) to beat it.
• Sakura's fireball is rather slow, so if you use ex scissor kick as a punish, be sure to be close, otherwise you will get hit by the fireball, or worse, you will go through the fireball at an incorrect distance and Sakura will block it.

vs. Gen

• Gen's walldive can be annoying, but they are slow, so you can ex headstomp him, back dash hard kick, ex psycho crusher, and jump hard kick him.
• Gen's damage is low, so you shouldn't worry too much about repercussions. Get in on Gen and deal damage. If you are the one applying the pressure, Gen won't be able to apply tricks.
• Avoid Gen's crossup by teleporting or ex psycho crusher.
• Scissor kick with standing hard kick to keep Gen from jumping out of the corner.

vs. Seth

• Bison has ways to get in on Seth, so his sonic boom zoning isn't as powerful. In fact, the recovery of his sonic boom isn't like Guile, so ex scissor kick is reliable.
• If you corner a Seth, use ex headstomp to stop him from escaping. Because Seth's life is really low, it is unlikely the Seth player will choose to use his shoryuken (if he does it early, it will beat your headstomp).
• Seth's long limbs can keep you away, but use focus attack (absorb) and dash in to close in on Seth. Crouching roundhouse will beat his forward fierce.
• If Seth teleports behind you, jab or standing hard kick him. Make Seth scared of standing hard kick.

vs. Dan

• Dan's ultra can be focus attack. Absorb the ultra, let go, and punish with your own ultra.
• Pressure Dan on his wakeup always. His shoryuken is horrible, so stay about half a bison apart, so it whiffs and then hard kick him on his wakeup.
• Feel free to build meter in this round. He can't punish you with his fireball. Don't use headstomp to punish his fireballs however because it is unlikely a Dan is using fireballs to zone from full screen. It's more to build meter. He will be looking for a punish.