How to Read Frame Data (What Cancel Means)

This is a guide that will explain the different parts of frame data (especially how cancel works) Hopefully by reading this guide you will better understand this games systems becoming a better player. Learning how to create combos and what can punish well and what is punishable. If you have any suggestions for improvements, things to be added, or what have you, just let me know. This is my first guide so don't expect perfection, but I'll accept solid criticism.

Introduction

This guide was made by me after seeing a question about frame data in the forums. I never really looked into it too much, and when I did I found that while most of it was easy to understand, the meaning of the 'cancel' number wasn't obvious at first glance. I did testing and wanted to share this results of it. I figured I might as well give a brief overview of the entire frame data system to help those who need it while I'm at it.

I did all my research with (Cryomancer) Sub-zero because he is a character I play, and he has some slow specials perfect for testing if something will or won't combo. If I made any mistakes or if there is something I missed let me know, but hopefully I will be thorough and accurate throughout this guide.

Navigating the Menu

Move list has 4 pages:
-Basics are solitary attacks and attacks that start combo strings.
-Kombos show combo strings, attacks that can be chained together by pressing the inputs shown
-Special moves show special moves usually requiring two directional inputs followed by a attack button (There are exceptions)
-Finishers show the various fatalities, brutalities and faction kills you have aquired.

In the Kombos list the frame data represents the last hit in the string, so you need to find the first attack in Basics if you want to know the startup of the string.

In the menu you are able to 'mark' different attacks, strings, and specials. This is useful if you are trying to learn a new character because you are able to practice their moves without having to keep checking the menu.

Not really much else to say. Felt like I had to mention that bit about seeing the different frame data on parts of the string though.

Types of Frames

A frame is pretty much a unit of time in fighting games. Since the game is running in 60 fps (in a perfect world) each frame is .01666...etc seconds.

Each move has three types of frames:




-Startup frames are the frames that happen before the attack actually a connects, so higher frames means the attack will come out slower. Quicker startup moves are good for punishes (Simply put hitting your opponent during their recover frames)

-Active frames are the amount of frames that actually have a hitbox which means it's what you hurt your opponent with and what causes hit/block stun. Most moves will only have a couple.

-Recover frames are how long you can't do anthing after hitting (or whiffing) a move. it is very closely related how much that move can be punished (especially whiff punished; where you get punished for actually missing an attack)

Advantage

After successfully connecting with the active frames of your attack you opponent will suffer hitstun or blockstun if they were blocking. Stun can be thought of as recovery frames that you suffer after being attacked. While you can't directly see this number it is given to you in the very useful form of advantage.




Advantage is the difference in th enemies stun frames compared to your recovery frames, so since sub-zeros back 1,2 is -5 on block the opponent has 20 blockstun frames, and the combo can only be punished by the fastest of attacks (I'm pretty sure 5 frame startup is literally the fastest attack in MKX)

Cancels

Cancels is stopping moves early with a special move. Only certain moves can do this, and it is very important in performing combos. If the move has a zero in the cancel spot you cannot cancel. If it does have a number than that number represents how many total frames into the move you start the special move (Okay before you tell me I'm wrong read the next section)

To determine if you can cancel your combo string on hit or block you have a little math to do. (or just experiment with cancelable moves if you prefer)




First add up all the frames (startup, active, recover) of the attack. In the case above:

11+4+25=40 total frames

Next find the difference of the total frames and the cancel frame.

40-18=22

Now since that number is the amount of recover frames you are cancelling, you gain that much advantage, so add this number to adv (block to find blockstrings/frametraps, hit for combos)

22+20=42

This particular string is a great combo starter for damage, so many chain this into ice ball which is ideal, but it's even able to cancel in sub-zero's slowest special move, (in cryomancer) Frost Hammer.



Look at the inputs


There really is no reason to do this though, but it shows what you can do.

More Cancel demonstrations (PROOF vs. CANCEL+ADV)

If using the well known cancel plus advantage,
this




Should not be able to cancel into this






(7+16=23<30)





However it does using my math

(9+2+31=42)

42-16=26

26+7=33>30

It sucessfully combos into Ice ball. You should really go for back 1,2 much more damage, but this is a proof of my theory.

[Armoured Jester]

What ever happened to games where you just punch the other guy?

[Roh]

good

[Snowy]

Beautiful guide. It seems will help me a lot unleashing large combos.

[Florelit]

Can you please make an example with cybernatic Kano grenade combos? Cant get your math working in that case.

[VanArchon]

One thing though, I do believe that it's not just recovery frames being cancelled, but also some active frames as well depending on the kombo. Take for example Mileena's (piercing) Chain Hands kombo. ->X, Y, Start-up 12, Active 9, Recover 26, Hit Adv 11, Cancel 28. Assuming the numbers are correct, since cancel > recover, then you're also cancelling 2 active frames, which bears out when I perform the kombo, if I cancel into Ball Roll, depending on the timing of it, Chain Hands either scores 3 hits or 4 (and you will see the animation get interrupted too before she scores the last hit). I do not believe this affects the overall math at all, and is probably only a consideration for kombos with a higher active frame count, but it could potentially affect damage output in some manner.

[Tettsui]

This was just what I was looking for!
Saw the numbers in the move list and couldn't quite figure out what they meant.

The part with the cancels is still a little confusing because of the conflicting opinions of diffrent people and some have justified arguments.
And, me being a nub in the matter of frame data, I don't know what to fully believe :9

[JOYJOY(Owl_lwO)]

My questions have vanished by your guide.
It is possible to enhance my guide.
Thanks.

[t2elsewhere]

Secondly, the only frames that can be canceled are the recovery frames, so the start-up and recovery frames do not factor into whether the special will chain. The only frames that matter are the number of canceled frames (recovery) + the hit advantage, and whether that number is greater than the startup frames for the special. So to cancel Frosty into Ice Ball, the math would be more like:

31 + 7 = 38

38 > 30

Now the thing that causes problems for any theory is that many of us have found slight mistakes in the frame data listed in game. There are sometimes errors of plus or minus 5 frames on certain attacks, so some things won't work no matter what. However, I've seen the most consistancy with this theory when applied to multiple characters.

[t2elsewhere]

I think you're close with Cancels, but I think it works a little differently. I've looked at your method with Cassie, and there are some things that "should" cancel with your math, but they don't. I did a little investigating, and this is what I came up with:

Firstly, I think the cancel frames are simply a count of the number of frames (from the very first startup frame) in which you can cancel an attack. If an attack has cancel frames at all, you can cancel it into anything. But the cancel frames do not determine whether or not the special will actually fit in the string.. just whether it's possible to cancel the recovery frames for the first attack.

[haatash]

Thanks for all the support; I'm glad this guide is helping you guys.