Heat is a resource granted to all characters at the start of each round which can be spent by the usage of Heat-related mechanics. During Heat:
- All attacks deal chip damage on block.
- Certain characters may gain new moves.
- Some moves gain extra properties, either strengthening it at the cost of consuming some of the Heat gauge or having a unique property that replenishes the Heat gauge when performed.
Mechanically speaking, there are 2 ways to begin usage of Heat (Heat Burst and Heat Engagers) and 2 ways to end it (Heat Smash and Heat Dash).
Activating Heat
Heat Burst
Done by inputting 2+3 or the Heat macro button without yet activating Heat in the round. It is a large, fast, tracking mid strike that has the armor of a powercrush while also having armor breaking properties.
Unlike other Heat moves that tend to be highly character specific, Heat Bursts are all i16, +1 on block and +2 on hit, with only a minor range difference between characters.
Heat Bursts consume a small amount of Heat on activation, giving you less of the bar to work with than a Heat Engager, and also do not grant back recoverable health. They can also be canceled by inputting a backdash (b,b) during the animation, leaving you in some recovery that is punishable at closer ranges.
Heat Engager
Done by landing specific attacks that are unique to each character. A Heat Engager can be anything from a poke to a punisher to a powercrush, and a character's available Engagers can help to define their playstyle.
Heat Engagers are always +17 on hit and put opponents into a forced guard state. Attacks can also still wallsplat and balcony break if the move has such properties, even after Heat is triggered, allowing for potential follow-ups into Heat Smash or Heat Dash.
Consuming Heat
Heat Smash
Done with the same input as Heat Burst. A powerful attack that consumes your Heat gauge to maintain plus frames, break armor, or mix the opponent up if your character has a Heat Smash that is a low.
Mid Heat Smashes are plus on block and have varying startups and tracking, while low ones are typically unsafe and potentially punishable. Though most characters only have a single Heat Smash, characters with stances sometimes have a unique extra one performed from said stance.
Heat Smashes heavily scale down in damage quite heavily if used during a combo and thus not preferred to end combos with over Heat Dash.
Heat Dash
When a Heat Engager is used while already in Heat and forward is held as the move connects with the opponent, your Heat bar is consumed and a Heat Dash is performed. This has ample utility in both pressure and combos, as it forces plus frames on block and unique combo extensions on hit.
Throws that are Heat Engagers cannot be used to Heat Dash. The frame data of each Heat Dash varies on hit, but on block they are universally +5g, +18w.
Extra Heat Smash Data
Startup speed
- i10: Jack-8
- i12: Zafina
- i13: Jun, Kuma
- i14: Law
- i15: Azucena, Jin, Dragunov, Panda, Leroy, Xiaoyu
- i16: Asuka, Bryan, Leo, Nina, Shaheen, Steve
- i17: King, Hwoarang
- i18: Claudio, Kazuya, Lars, Paul, Yoshimitsu, Devil Jin, Raven
- i20: Alisa, Feng, Lee, Victor
- i21: Reina
- i23: Lili
Low Heat Smashes on block
- Claudio: -14
- Jun (Genjutsu): -14
- Kazuya: -14
- Lee: -15
- Leo (KNK): -13
- Paul: -12
- Reina (Heaven's Wrath): -17
- Victor: -15
- Zafina (Scarecrow): -14
- Shaheen (Stealth Step): -14
- Lili BT: -8 (recovers BT)
Frame Data
Credit to @Foxhoundfl for compiling the following information:
| Character | Startup Frames | Hit Level | Tip Range | Damage | Frames on Block | Stance Transition | Forced Stance | Properties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jack | i10 | H,M,M | 2.6 | 52 | -9 | |||
| Zafina | i12 | H, SM | 2.4 | 51 | +3 | |||
| Jun | i13 | M | 3.2 | 50 | -6 | |||
| Kuma | i13 | M,M | 3.1 | 51 | +10g | |||
| Law | i14 | Mid | 2.7 | 50 | +11 | DSS | Forced | |
| Azucena | i15 | M,H,M | 2.6 | 53 | +6 | LIB | Forced | |
| Dragunov | i15 | M,M,M | 2.7 | 50 | +6 | |||
| Jin | i15 | M,H,M | 3.1 | 57 | +3 | FC | Choice | |
| Jin 2+3,4 | i15 | M,H,M | 3.1 | 48 | +9 | |||
| Leroy | i15 | M | 2.8 | 41 | +6 | HRM | Forced | |
| Panda | i15 | M,M | 2.5 | 44 | +7 | ROL +6, HBS +11g | Choice | |
| Xiaoyu | i15 | M | 2.6 | 50 | +5 | BT +9 | Choice | |
| Xiaoyu (BT) | i15 | M | 2.1 | 51 | +4 | HYP +19g | Choice | Leaves Opponent Standing |
| Bryan | i16 | All Mid | 2.1 | 44 | +9 | |||
| Asuka | i16 | All Mid | 2.9 | 50 | +10g | |||
| Steve | i16 | All Mid | 2.7 | 45 | +8 | LNH | Forced | |
| Leo | i16 | M,M,H | 2.6 | 50 | +8 | FC +16g | Choice | |
| Lili (BT) | i16 | L,M,M,M | 2.4 | 39 | -8 | BT | Forced | |
| Nina | i16 | M,H,H,H,H,M | 3 | 52 | +5 | FC +7 | Choice | |
| Shaheen | i16 | M,M | 2.7 | 50 | +6 | SNK | Forced | Forces Crouch |
| Steve (PAB) | i16 | All Mid | 2.5 | 45 | +8 | LNH | Forced | |
| Hwoarang | i17 | M,M,H | 2.6 | 51 | +11g | RFS | Forced | |
| King | i17 | M,M | 3.3 | 60 | +12g | JGR | Forced | |
| Lars | i18 | M,M | 3.1 | 55 | +8 | DEN +9 | Choice | |
| Kazuya | i18 | L,M,M,M | 2.5 | 43 | -14 | |||
| Claudio | i18 | L,M | 2 | 40 | -14 | |||
| Paul | i18 | L,M,M | Point Blank | 40 | -12 | |||
| Raven | i18 | All Mid | 3.1 | 55 | +14g | SZN | Forced | |
| Reina (WRA) | i18 | L,M,M | 2.5 | 40 | -17 | |||
| Yoshi | i18 | M,M,M,M | 2.8 | 51 | +4 | DGF +10g | Choice | |
| Devil Jin | i18-28f | M,H | 4.5 | 52 | +11g | CRO | Forced | |
| Zafina (SCR) | i19 | L,M | 2.5 | 30+Combo | -14 | Launches | ||
| Alisa | i20 | All Mid | 3.4 | 50 | +8 | BOT +10g | Choice | |
| Devil Jin (CRO) | i20 | H (!) | Point Blank | 39 | Unblockable | |||
| Feng | i20 | All Mid | 3.4 | 48 | +7 | STC +12g | Choice | |
| Jun (GEN) | i20 | L,M | 2.5 | 42 | -14 | |||
| Lee | i20 | L,M | 2.5 | 37 | -15 | |||
| Leo (KNK) | i20 | L,M,M | Point Blank | 35 | -13 | |||
| Victor | i20 | L,M | 2.3 | 39 | -15 | |||
| Shaheen (SNK) | i20 | L,M,M | Point Blank | 40 | -14 | |||
| Reina | i21 | M,M | 3.5 | 50 | +8 | WRA | Forced | |
| Lili | i23 | H,H,M,M | 3.1 | 55 | +9 | BT | Forced |
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