Introduction
Anna Williams is an oppressive, well-rounded character with a devastating 50/50 mix-up game, strong pokes, and great lockdown tools. Anna’s main gameplay is to overwhelm the opponent with her offensive pokes and pressure, while also making them guess with her numerous 50/50 launchers. Anna has many plus-frame moves, which can lock down her opponents for even more oppressive gameplay. She can also initiate high damage with the addition of her new "Hammer Chance (HAM)” stance, which is cancellable, providing Anna with less risk while maintaining the oppression.
Anna is notorious for her FC mixup, where she retains her well-known FC DF2 low launcher, her WS2 mid launcher, and a new FC DF1 heat-engaging mid. She also receives a new Pleasure Time (TOM) stance that can only be initiated on hit with DB2, WS1,2, and HAM 2,2. Pleasure Time gives her much safer mix-ups, while still keeping her damage and oppression. Pleasure Time can also be cancelled by holding DB, or by transitioning to CJM through TOM 3 to initiate more mind games. Anna received a debuff mechanic that lets her shoot her bazooka and debuffs the opponent. This debuff allows her to enable chip damage on all of her moves without using heat. Anna’s sidestepping is also considered to be above average, being able to step more moves than the average character.
Throughout the beginning of Season 3, Anna received nerfs to her damage, followups on hit and CH, tracking, and frame advantage. Anna especially received nerfs to her FC mixups: FC DF2 no longer has decent tracking to the left, and FC DF1 is now -12 on block. These changes make Anna more committal in FC, as the opponent now can step Anna to the left without worrying about getting hit by her low sweep. However, Anna's Hammer Chance and Pleasure Time stance remain almost the same, leaving her gameplan almost the same as in Season 2. Anna is the perfect character to play if you want someone fast-paced and aggressive with stance cancel techniques while also having some high-risk/high-reward embedded in their gameplan.
Combos
DF2QCF1 → UF2 → HAM 2,1 → B4 → HAM 2,2 → TOM3 → CJM UF3 → DB2 → TOM2
WS24 → UF2 → HAM 2,1 → B4 → HAM 2,2 → TOM 3 → CJM UF3 → DB2 → 2
DB3 | FC DF2 | QCF2,1 | Low ParryWS3 → D3,3 → B4 → DB → UF2 → HAM 2,1 → WR3,2
ROLL 4 | UF4QCF1 → D4,1 → B4 → DB → UF2 → HAM 2,2 → TOM 3 → CJM UF3 → DB2 → TOM 2
CH QCF1QCF1 → UF3 → QCF1 → D4,1 → B4 → HAM 2,2 → TOM 3 → CJM UF3 → DB2 → TOM 2
Beginner Combos
DF2 | WS22,2 → HAM 2,1 → B4 → HAM 2,2 → TOM 3 → CJM 2,1
FF4D4,1 → B4 → HAM 2,2 → TOM3 → CJM2,1
UF4 | CH QCF1DF3,2 → HAM 2,1 → B4 → HAM 2,2 → TOM3 → dash CJM2,1 → F3 → HAM 2,1
CH ROLL 3WS3 → CJM UF4 → B4 → HAM 2,1 → UF2 → HAM 1
Notable Moves
Anna's homing guard break. It is i16, +1 on block and +9 on hit. While the move itself doesn't do any damage, it sets Anna up for many opportunities to create pressure and give Anna a chance to go on the offensive. On CH, 1+2 becomes +14, which guarantees any i14 or faster move, including heat smash. 1+2 can be transitioned to TOM stance and becomes +3 on block. On CH, it will become +8 and give a guaranteed TOM 1 and TOM 2. CH 1+2 becomes very useful by the wall in the neutral or when transitioning to TOM stance, as the opponent can get wallsplatted by the bazooka shots, or by her 3+4 and F2,3. It is great to use when locking down the opponent, catching their sidesteps, interrupting aggressive opponents, and can even be considered one of Anna's most important moves.mi16~18+1 oB+9 oH+14 oCH
One of Anna's mid options from FC and CJM. It is a low-crushing mid and 0 on block, but linear and fairly slow, being i23. However, when in heat, it has two bazooka shot extensions that can either leave Anna +4 on block and debuff (UF3,1) or leave Anna -1 on block with great pushback and more damage (UF3,2). Both extension wallsplat and are guaranteed if the first hit lands. UF3 can be a great tool to use as a mix-up with FC DF2, and is considered a safer alternative to WS2 and FC DF1, depending on the opponent. UF3 is deemed an overall better option because it cannot be punished on block, gives decent damage, and guarantees stomp (D3+4) on hit. UF3 also wallsplats. Because UF3 is also 0 on block, Anna can either continue her pressure or play more patiently. UF3, however, is slower and more linear than WS2 and FC DF1, and can be reactable when mixing with FC DF2. The UF3 vs. FC DF1 vs. WS2 debate becomes important depending on the opponent's playstyle; if the opponent steps, if they can react to slower moves, and how effective their punishes are. UF3 is generally considered to be the safest, albeit slowest and most linear option out of the three.mi23~24+0 oB+27d oH
One of Anna's mid options from FC. It is an i16 mid launcher, tracks to Anna's left side, and is -13 on block. It is Anna's riskiest mid from FC but gives her the highest reward and most damage. It is useful when holding FC and forcing the opponent to guess. WS2 can be sidewalked both sides during most interactions. However, when Anna performs HAM1+2 or HAM2,1,2 and performs WS2 immediately after, WS2 will then catch those who sidewalk left AND right. When blocked, Anna becomes prone to being punished by characters with more rewarding i13 or quicker punishes. Out of the three mid options from FC, it is the only one that does not wallsplat. The UF3 vs. FC DF1 vs. WS2 debate becomes important depending on the opponent's playstyle; if the opponent steps, if they can react to slower moves, and how effective their punishes are. WS2 is considered to be the riskiest with the highest reward, giving her very good damage when comparing with FC DF1 and UF3.mi16~17-13 oB+27a (+17) oH
One of Anna's mid options from FC. It is an i20 heat-engaging mid that had the frames nerfed in Season 3. It is now -12 on block, but continues to have great tracking to her right. It wall splats and can heat dash on hit. It has the exact same frames as her FC DF2 low launcher, making it a true mixup. FC DF1 is a better alternative to WS2 and UF3 because it becomes much safer after using it as a heat dash, which leaves her +5 on block. Technically, this is considered the only mid from FC that becomes + on block, at the cost of her losing her heat. If the opponent guesses wrong, however, Anna can heat dash and combo from it, giving her decent damage and possibly closing out rounds. It can also be used to catch opponents stepping to the right and ducking. FC DF1 becomes riskier to use if the opponent has a strong i12 or faster punish. The UF3 vs. FC DF1 vs. WS2 debate becomes important depending on the opponent's playstyle; if the opponent steps, if they can react to slower moves, and how effective their punishes are. FC DF1 is a medium-risk/medium-reward option, not giving her the most reward by itself, but becoming much safer and more rewarding when used as a heat dash.mi20-12 oB+21d (+11) oH
Anna's fastest low. It is i16 that is +5 on hit and forces crouch. On CH, it gives a knockdown with a guaranteed stomp (D3+4). It is unreactable, damaging, and has strong tracking properties to her right side. However, it is -15 on block and can cause her to be launched by any character with an i15 or faster WS punish. DF4 is a great low poke to use because of its quickness and tracking to her right side. Because it is +5 on hit, she can continue her pressure with plethora of quick pokes and overwhelm the opponent. Although it is risky, it can be mixed with DB4, as DB4 is only 1f slower, but only -13 on block. They also have similar animations, and both track right, which can throw off the opponent. The opponent will also have to guess between DF4 or Anna's mid pokes, such as DF1,2, D2, or even DF2. The move only becomes less viable when the opponent steps to the left or blocks the low.Li16~17-15 oB+5c oH+25d oCH
Anna's 11f WS move that automatically transitions to her CJM stance on hit or on block. It is -3 on block, +8 on hit. On block, Anna is exposed to being hit, but can use CJM 4 to catch opponents trying to punish her with anything apart from lows. On hit, she gets a guaranteed mixup from CJM or can transition to Hammer Chance by doing F3. Because she is so + on hit, the opponent is almost unable to step or interrupt her in CJM. On counter hit, she becomes +12, giving her a guaranteed CJM 2,1 i10 heat engager that wallsplats, or her CJM 3,2, i12 mid-mid that becomes more damaging in heat. This is a great move to use when punishing any move that is at least 11f, while also initiating a mixup. It is also great to interrupt aggressive opponents by doing an instant WS input. mi11~12-3 oB+8 oH+12 oCH
Anna's signature high elbow. It is +1 on block and +3 on hit, launches the opponent on CH, and also has a blue spark input for more damage. It has strong tracking to Anna's left side and can be done in FC, which further strengthens Anna's FC mixups. Because Anna is weak to the left in FC, QCF1 can catch those who step and interrupt, while minimizing her risk. It also covers decent range and has above-average whiff recovery, which can help her close the gap. However, frequent use of QCF1 can make Anna incredibly predictable, and it being +1 on block and +3 on hit means she can still be challenged if Anna decides to do a slower followup. This move is a slower, more rewarding alternative to 2 jab, as it is usually used to catch opponents who play aggressively. Because it is an elbow, it is unparryable by most of the cast. hi13~17+1~+5 oB+3~+7 oH+47a (+37) oCH
Anna's mid option from her HAM stance. While it is a slower mid option compared to her other moves in Hammer Chance, being i18, it crushes high moves, wall splats, and has strong tracking properties, catching characters with strong sidesteps and practically being a homing move. It is +6 on hit and -12 on block, but has enough pushback and leaves her in crouch. This means that characters without an i12 mid can effectively punish it. This move can be used to mix the opponent with HAM 3 as they have similar frames and animations, and are both moves with strong tracking. It can also be a much safer mid alternative to HAM 2,1,2 and HAM 2,2, albeit with less reward. However, it can be risky to use against characters with strong i12 mids and can be punished with crouch grabs, including Azucena's and Jack's D1+3. This can shift her balance between her risk/reward and make it unviable in certain matchups.m,mi18~19 i4~6-12 oB+6 oH
Anna's mid-mid heat engager. It is -7 on block, can wallsplat in the neutral, can floor splat in combos, and can initiate a combo after a heat dash. It is linear, but the opponent must fully step it and cannot interrupt it, otherwise they will get caught. If the opponent blocks the first hit, they are unable to step the second hit, and must guess between FF3,2 and Anna's low option, FF3,3. Characters with strong parries, such as Jin and Leroy, can parry and launch the second hit of F,F3,2, and the majority of the roster can interrupt between the hits with a power crush. However, Anna can use FF3,3 to catch opponents who challenge her, and on CH, the second hit of F,F3,3 can get a guaranteed WS3, WS4, or WS1,2 follow-up. Against a player with proper knowledge against Anna, FF3,2 and her low option can be fuzzy guarded. However, FF3,2 is safe and can be mixed with FF2 instead of FF3,3 to avoid getting punished.m, Mi15-7 oB+20d oH
Anna's mid-mid QCF launcher. It guarantees a tornado on normal hit and can initiate a combo. It is -16 on block with little pushback, and can be launch punished by the majority of the roster. However, it covers a great amount of range and can be a good whiff punisher. It can also be slightly delayed and can transition to CJM by holding Back. QCF2,1 CJM becomes +2 on hit and -13 on block. It also has strong tracking properties to the right. It is especially useful when punishing those with very unsafe moves that have good pushback, such as Paul's QCF2, Law's WS2, and Heihachi's FF2. QCF2,1 can also be done from crouch, giving Anna another option to mix up her opponent from FC. It is also a double-elbow move, meaning that it cannot be parried by most characters.m, mi16-16 oB+67a (+51) oH
Anna's low-high from CJM stance. It guarantees both hits if the first hit lands. It is i15, +7 on hit, -7 on block, and high crushes. If the opponent blocks the first hit, the second hit will automatically whiff, and Anna will get launched. CJM D3,3 also cannot be delayed. However, if the opponent tries to step, only the first hit will whiff to the left, while the second hit will track both sides. Anna can also only perform the first hit, CJM D3, for a much safer option, albeit for a much less satisying reward. CJM D3 is 0 on hit, -11 on block, and steppable to the left, therefore only being susceptible to i11 WS punishes. This can be useful against opponents who do not have a rewarding i11 WS punish or if Anna wants to minimize her risk. Anna can also choose to continue her pressure or play patient after doing CJM D3, as it is 0 on hit and leaves her in crouch. This string has a similar importance as her other key moves, in that it establishes a mind game: Anna can commit to the string if the opponent tries to step it, or if she wants to resort to more damage and be left very + on hit to continue her offense. If Anna wants to minimize her risk at the cost of reward, she can only perform CJM D3 and only worry about getting stepped to the left or having the move blocked and punished with an i11 WS move. If she hits the opponent with CJM D3, she can then establish a mixup through FC, or block opponents who wish to interrupt.L, hi15-7 oB+7 oH
Anna's mid option from her CJM stance. It is i17, +2 on block, +8 on hit, forces crouch, and tracks to her right. On CH, it knocks down and gives a guaranteed stomp (D3+4). It is useful against opponents who are aggressive and choose to challenge Anna while her and the opponent are both in crouch. It is also useful against characters who step right. It can also initiate an FC mixup against more patient opponents, as both her and the opponent are left in crouch with Anna being at a slight frame advantage.Mi17~18+2c oB+8c oH+23d oCH
Anna's high option from CJM stance. It is i11, 0 on block, +9 on hit, and has decent whiff recovery. On CH, it becomes +14 and gives a guaranteed followup on anything that is i14 or faster. On trade, Anna can get a guaranteed QCF2,1, as it becomes +17. However, it has poor tracking to the right, and can be stepped left. However, if Anna slightly delays CJM 1, it can hit opponents stepping left. Because it is 0 on block, Anna can choose to continue pressure or play patiently, depending on the opponent. It is unreactable and can be mixed up with her plethora of fast mids from CJM or her CJM D3,3. Anna can also continue her pressure on hit, as she is incredibly + has many fast pokes to catch opponents who choose to step or interrupt.hi11~12+0 oB+7 oH+14 oCH
Anna's high-mid, heat-engaging string from CJM stance. It is i10, and -11 on block. It tracks to Anna's right side, wallsplats on hit, and can be slightly delayed. Anna can choose to finish the string or just do CJM 2. CJM 2 is -11 on block and 0 on hit. In Season 3, it has lost its heat dash combo property and now only knocks down for guaranteed followup. It continues to be a useful tool to catch opponents who mash when Anna is in CJM. It can be a good trap when performing moves that transition to CJM, such as D4,1 CJM and DF1,2,3 CJM. However, because it is unsafe, it is less viable when against patient opponents with good defense.h, mi10-11 oB+24a (+19) oH
HAM2,1,2 and HAM2,2 are Anna's mid options from her Hammer Chance stance. HAM2 is her fastest mid from Hammer Chance, being i15, +3 on hit, and -9 on block. By itself, HAM2 is her least rewarding mid, but becomes incredibly more rewarding when using her extensions: HAM 2,1,2 is her mid-high-mid extension that is all guaranteed on normal hit. The second hit can wall splat for a wall combo. It is -3 on block but can be ducked. The third hit is +2 on block and can floor break. HAM 2,2 is Anna's mid-mid extension that is -14 on block, but on hit, gives a guaranteed followup in TOM stance. Both hits have incredible range and similar damage, but can be side walked to the right. They are considered a true mixup, as if the opponent doesn't step right, they must guess between holding HAM2,1,2, which leaves Anna + and in crouch, or risk ducking and getting hit by HAM2,2. This string can also be mixed with HAM3 and HAM4. Conditioning the opponent with these moves will force them to avoid stepping and stay locked down, giving Anna the opportunity to use HAM2 and its extensions to mix the opponent.Anna's high-high homing move. It is an i13, jailing string that is safe on block at -9, and +5 on hit. It is useful as an i13 punish and by catching opponents with good movement, such as Lili and Alisa. It also has decent range and is her most damaging i13 move. h, hi13~14-9 oB+5 oH
Anna's only low from sidestep. It is i20, 0 on hit, high crushes, and leaves Anna in crouch. On CH, it is +14, but does not give Anna any followups. It is a useful move against characters who have i13 WS launchers, or i13 punishers that can wallsplat or floor break. The majority of Anna's lows are at least -13, which makes this move much more important depending on the opponent. It reduces Anna's overall risk while also creating an opportunity for Anna to initiate an FC mixup or play patient. She can also mixup the opponent when she sidesteps by doing SS3 or her risky but more rewarding mid sidestep, SS1+2.Li20~21-12 oB+0 oH+14g oCH
Anna's mid option from sidestep. It is i21, +4 on block, +8 on hit, and forces the opponent in crouch. On CH, it knocks down, giving Anna a guaranteed stomp (OTG. D3+4). This move can also trap most characters who choose to step left after blocking it. Anna can use DF1,2 to catch those who step left after SS3. This conditions the opponent to step the other way, which then gives Anna the opportunity to do B2,2. This move can be mixed up with SS2, as both moves have similar frames. However, this move is linear and can be stepped both ways.Mi21~23+4c oB+8c oH+25d oCH
Anna's mid homing move that is i19, -9 on block, and +11 on hit. On hit, it auto transitions to HAM. It is also much more + and wallsplats on CH. Because it is very + on hit, the opponent is unable to step most of her moves from HAM. It is a great keepout tool for Anna, while also providing offense, pressure, and mixup potential when hitting. However, it is quite slow compared to her other homing moves and she loses her turn when it is blocked. mi19~21-9 oB+11g oH+17g oCH
Knowledge Checks
Anna players can throw out the high extension of DF1,2 as it is delayable, tracks, and wallsplats. It can be ducked and launched, but cannot be stepped.m, h, hi13~14-5 oB+20a (+11) oH
The third hit is -11 on block, but is considered safe because of the pushback. The second hit can also be delayed. On CH, the first and second hit are guaranteed The second and third hit can be stepped both ways. The second hit can also be ducked and launched.m, h, Mi14-11~+1 oB+9a (-1) oH
The third hit of this string can be delayed. If it catches aggressive opponents, 4 becomes guaranteed on CH, launching the opponent. The last hit can be ducked and launched with a WS launcher.h, h, h, hi10+4 oB+32a (+22) oH
The overhead swing leaves Anna only +2 on block and left in crouch. The second hit can be ducked and the string itself can be stepped to the right. Some characters can interrupt between the second and third hit with a parry or power crush.m, h, Mi15~16+2c oB+17a (+7) oH
This low, high, mid string leaves Anna -3 on block and can give her a launcher on third hit if it counter hits. It can high crush and everything is guaranteed if 3 is a counter hit. However, ducking the second hit can let the opponent launch Anna. The third hit is also parryable.L, h, m16-3 oB+5c oH+21a oCH
This is a mid, high, mid string that is all guaranteed on CH. The first hit is -2 on block. The second hit is -11 on block and can be ducked. The third hit is -12 on block and can be delayed.m, h, mi16~17-12 oB+20a (+15) oH+29d (+21) oCH
anna
