Read First
Fire Notation
H refers to Firing. Simply put, if you see H, it's representing an input of ]H[.
Fire can only be input by releasing 
.
This is usually notated by ]H[, but because pressing H is not linked to anything besides Cancel Aim, H will be used to solely to represent when to release the button and fire Happy Chaos' gun.
If unsure of when you should be pressing and holding , normals preceding the inputs are a common location, but it will vary by person.
- 2H Always refers to Cancel Aim.
Additional Notation
H will often occur after the motion input of a move but before the button press. This is to due to Fire lacking hitstop allowing you to cancel immediately into special moves and give an idea of the best practices for using cancels out of and into Steady Aim
Guard-Startup-RecoveryTotal 18Advantage-.
When allowed to fully 'charge' Steady AimGuard-Startup-RecoveryTotal 18Advantage- gains additional damage and vertical launch height. This type of shot from 214S is referred to as a 'Clean Hit' or abbreviated as 'CL'.
22P (N) - Refers to reloading exactly N bullets (e.g. 22P (1) notates canceling reload right after the first bullet is loaded).
At the Ready is commonly shortened to 'ATR', and Steady Aim is commonly shortened to 'SA'.
Beginner
Using ATR to link 2D
5D H 2D
Familiarizing yourself with with how Happy Chaos' gun mechanics work is vital to playing the character well. We start simple, HC's gun doesn't have to follow the usual timing and ordering restrictions of other character's moves and specials, it can be fired at any time. This is both a blessing and a curse to playing HC as it means you can do pretty much anything that is possible with-in the system mechanics, but it also means you have to really practice and know the timings for when to shoot.
Combo Maker #
PC: 73392
PS:
2S > 66 H H 2D
Happy Chaos's gun can also be used to confirm into knockdowns from practically any range, this is done by keeping the opponent in hitstun with multiple consecutive ATR shots while approaching, either with dashes, dash cancels, air dashes, whatever gets you into the range you need.
NOTE : This doesn't neccesarily have to be done from a normal, another common use of this is neutral, or double jumping around a cursed opponent and whiff punishing with an ATR gunshot.
Combo Maker #
PC: 73393
PS:
... > 214K > H > c.S > 2D > ...
Confirm / Pressure Extender after crossing up with roll.
Fire can be done after frame 16 of roll but on block will leave a 4F gap before c.S.
Combo Maker #
PC: 73396
PS:
While all of these are still possible to do in the game and could theoretically be useful the Season 3 Patch change which causes opponents to gain burst on wall splat / slump has caused this technique to be less essential to HC's gameplan and I would no longer recommend learning this as early.
[c.S > 6K > H + 66] xN
If an opponent is combo'd all the way to the wall without ever being launched they are put into a special state called a Wall Slump, a particularly long lasting animation that drops your opponent onto the floor in front of you with no unique options allowing for brutal set-play opportunities. This is achieved by looping the simple structure of
c.S > 6K > Shoot and Dash, until the opponent reaches the wall. Any part of this can wall-slump so it is important to be prepared to cancel and have a general estimate of wall HP in your head. For what to do when wall sticking the opponent see the bonus level at the end of the section.
Combo Maker #
PC: 73395
PS:
c.S > 6K > H + 66 > c.S > 2D
Sometimes you'll start an ATR loop a little prematurely and notice you don't have the resources required to take 'em all the way to the wall, if you do realize in time you can cancel into a 2D at any time to get a Hard Knockdown, and the opportunity to recover resources.
Combo Maker #
PC: 73394
PS:
2K / 5K > H + 66 > [c.S > 6K > H + 66] xN
If starting from 5K you can dash cancel to make it easier, but using a different timing.
Possible from pretty much any button but these are 2 of the most common, and were frequently used to start wall slump loops before the Winter 2022 Patch.
Combo Maker #
PC: 73395
PS:
Wallslump Mix
Wallslump > 214P > 22P (3) > c.S > ...
A successfull wallslump allows for Happy Chaos to recover both resoureces and still meaty with c.S. This allows you leave your opponent stuck taking full resource corner mix until they either jump, backdash or you choose to break the wall.
With 50% Meter you can skip the reload and break the wall by doing Focus into Deus Ex Machina instead, this is a decent option once the opponent has reached 50% meter and is able to threaten metered wake-up options.
The following mix is designed to most easily loop back into a wallslump after the first has been achieved. If successful you have time to recover resources during the wall slump animation before doing it again.
c.S jc (9) H, H > 2K > H > c.S > ...
If both Shots are timed correctly this will be a true string.
Combo Maker #
PC:
PS:
c.S jc (9) H, H > dl j.44 > j.S > H > c.S > ...
Air Backdash reduces the difference in timings of high and low option making this unfuzzyable.
If both Shots are timed correctly this will be a true string.
Combo Maker #
PC:
PS:
Intermediate
Steady Aim Clean Hit Special Cancels
214S > H~2P (CL)
The Foundation of a well rounded Happy Chaos relies of being able to cancel specials into and out of gun shots. One of the most common you'll encounter is the Steady Aim Clean Hit Reload Cancel, as it allows you to easily achieve bullet neutral or very minorly bullet negative combo routing.
Practicing this motion is the first step to being able to do the 2F link and its related non perfected forms.
Combo Maker #
PC: 73400
PS:
CH > [214S ~ H~2P (CL)] x2 > 214S ~ H~6P (CL) > 214P
A simple burst safe Counter Hit route that shows the ability of HC to confirm a high level Counter Hit directly into a Steady Aim Clean Hit. CH combos can be optimized much better than this but this serves as a good starting point and way to practice using SA CL reload cancels as well as showing the importance of ending combos with the resource recovery you can, in this case dropping an opponent from a decent distance to allow you time to throw a curse and focus before they recover.
Combo Maker #
PC: 73401
PS:
(c.S / 5K / 2K) > 2D > 236S > 6K > 214S ~ H~2P (CL) > 66 c.S > 6S > 214S ~ H~4P
A basic mid-screen Combo to get started with Happy Chaos. This combo can be optimized and modified a lot from this, but is a simple and reliable route that will at minimum launch the opponent full screen, and usually wallbreak if followed with a Deus Ex Machina.
Utilizes 2 Parts of HC's Combo structures 236S > 6K and Dash Cancels, feel free to add in Gun Stows and Gun Repulls once you get more comfortable with Happy Chaos.
Combo Maker #
PC: 73402
PS:
... > 214S ~ H~2P (CL), 632146S
On wallstick if cancelling from a Gunshot you have time to focus and wallbreak with Deus ex Machina for a hard knockdown. This is usually what you want to do if you ever get a wallstick with 50% meter. Note : Wallstick != Wallslumps, abuse your wall slumps when you can.
Combo Maker #
PC: 73405
PS:
5P > 236S > 6K > 214S ~ H~2P (CL) > 66 c.S > 6K > 236S > 66~H > 5K~dc~H > c.S > 6S > 214P > 6S
Basic Wall to Wall combo off one of the worst starters you can get, just to show how efficiently HC can combo if given enough resources and skill. This isn't optimal and what is optimal can flucuate depending on the resources you have and what kind of Oki you want. Once more comfortable try incoroporating gun pulls and gun repulls into your wall to wall.
Combo Maker #
PC: 73407
PS:
Gun Stows
c.S > 6K > 236S 66 + H > c.S > 6K~2H > 236S > ...
Combo and Pressure tool. Allows for very low bullets routes as well as allowing you to have access to 236S for staying Plus without gun shots. Watch good players to see how they utilize 236S if you want to know more.
Combo Maker #
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Advanced
The 2F Link
All special-cancellable normals > 214 H S > H~2P (CL)
If done perfectly the gap between the ATR shot and the Steady Aim clean hit will have 2F of leniency.
- If SA CL CH Sol 5K the input are frame perfect.
- If SA CL Trades with Sol 5K you're one frame slow.
- If Sol 5K hits you're more than one frame slow.
Combo Maker #
PC: 73409
PS:
2D > 214 H S > H~2P (CL) > 66 6K > 214S ~ H~2P (CL) > 66 c.S / 5K > 6S > 214S > H~4P
Launching the opponent off the ground means you're no longer strictly abiding by the hitstun, and as long as you are able to keep them in their air they will still be able to be combo'd. This eliminates the need to hit the 2F link, but it is the ideal form for using ATR > SA cancels. This route doesn't quite go wall to wall, you'll want to route in a gun pull too and generally using routes that start with 236S instead of 2 gunshots.
Combo Maker #
PC:
PS:
2S > 214 H S > H~2P (CL) > 66 6K > 214S ~ H~2P (CL) > 66 c.S / 5K > 6S > 214S > H~4P
One of the single best techniques you can learn on HC. Learning how to properly use the 2F link allows you to Full Combo off every normal, and serves as the foundation for SA Pressure. This is a very difficult technique to execute with high reliability as both of the button presses are 'free floating', but the only timing that is important to get down is...
The Release of H right before the input of S for 214S and then waiting 19F to release H once more.
Combo Maker #
PC:
PS:
Zoning
[214S ~ H~2P (CL) ]xN
Repeat until out of concentration, cancelling into Super Focus instead of reloading will allow you to refill concentration and continue the guard crush loop.
This has been more or less nerfed pretty much every single patch to be less effective, but it is still a tool you have access to. Zoning people out with this should not be the cornerstone of your gameplan, but also don't forget about it.
Combo Maker #
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Gun Stow
c.S > 6K > H 66 > c.S~2H > 2366S
Like Level 13 but you add a dash after every Gun Stow, before Kara-Cancelling it into the Gun Pull. Can be input in whatever way is most comfortable for you, using the Dash Macro is usually recommended.
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BRC
c.S ~ dc 66BRC > c.S > 22P (2-3) > c.S
Can also be done with a jump cancel BRC that stays grounded.
- Reload 2 is a true string.
- Reload 3 is a frame trap.
Combo Maker #
PC:
PS:
c.S ~ dc 66BRC > 2P > 214S+[H] ~ ]H[~4P (CL)
An alternative to using Super Focus than allows you avoid the long penalty attached to overdrives.
Leaves you +6 on block after Focus if done correctly.
- Super Focus has a 460F (7 2⁄3 seconds) Meter Penalty duration.
- BRC only has a 120F (2 seconds) Meter Penalty duration.
Combo Maker #
PC:
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Expert
BRC Mix
