Necro's Ultimate Chip Damage Guide for Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike

In the high-stakes, down-to-the-wire encounters of Street Fighter 3: Third Strike, every single point of damage can mean the difference between a glorious victory and a crushing defeat. When your opponent is clinging to their last sliver of health, understanding how to effectively and safely apply chip damage with Necro becomes an essential skill. This guide delves into the specifics of Necro's chip damage capabilities, helping you secure those crucial rounds.

Necro's Chip Damage Fundamentals

Before we break down specific moves, it's important to understand a core principle: chip damage in 3rd Strike primarily comes from special moves and Super Arts when they are blocked by the opponent.

Normals and Command Normals: Not Your Chip Tools

Let's get this out of the way first: Necro's standard normal attacks (like punches and kicks) and command normals (like his b.MP or f.HP) inflict zero chip damage when blocked. While essential for combos, pressure, and footsies, they won't help you whittle down a blocking opponent's health bar directly.

Special Moves: Necro's Primary Chip Damage Engine

Necro's arsenal of special moves is where his chip damage potential truly shines. As a general rule, each hit of a blocked special move will deal 1 point of chip damage. However, the number of hits, and therefore the total chip damage, varies significantly between specials and their strengths.

Denji Blast (Electric Shock)

Necro's go-to projectile offers varying levels of chip based on strength:

• LP Denji Blast: 1 hit (1 point of chip damage)
• MP Denji Blast: 2 hits (2 points of chip damage)
• HP Denji Blast: 3 hits (3 points of chip damage)

An interesting quirk: even if the MP or HP Denji Blast doesn't fully connect as a combo on certain characters (for example, HP Denji only hitting once on a character like Yun if not blocked), the blocked chip damage will still correspond to the maximum number of hits listed above. So, an HP Denji that would only combo for 1 hit on Yun will still inflict 3 points of chip damage if Yun blocks it. This makes stronger Denji Blasts reliable for chip, regardless of their on-hit properties against specific characters.

Tornado Hook

Necro's advancing drill attack also provides multi-hit chip opportunities:

• LP Hook: 2 hits (2 points of chip damage)
• MP Hook: 2 hits (2 points of chip damage)
• HP Hook: 3 hits (3 points of chip damage)
• EX Tornado Hook: 5 hits (5 points of chip damage)

While MP Hook deals the same chip damage as LP Hook, its slower startup generally makes LP Hook the more efficient choice for quick chip attempts. MP Hook might be considered if you need to cover a slightly larger distance for the chip, but it remains a situational pick primarily for this purpose.

Flying Viper

This swift aerial dive offers consistent, albeit lower, chip damage:

• LP/MP/HP Flying Viper: 1 hit (1 point of chip damage)
• EX Flying Viper: 2 hits (2 points of chip damage)

Rising Cobra (Snake Uppercut)

A reliable anti-air and reversal, also contributing to chip:

• LK/MK/HK Rising Cobra: 1 hit (1 point of chip damage)
• EX Rising Cobra: 2 hits (2 points of chip damage)

Snake Fang: The Chip Damage Anomaly

Here's a crucial exception every Necro player must know: Snake Fang (Necro's command grab) deals 0 chip damage. Yes, zero. Unlike his other special moves, this one won't help you in chip-out situations, so don't rely on it for that last pixel of damage against a blocking opponent! Consider this your friendly PSA.

Super Arts: Unleashing Necro's Maximum Chip Pressure

Necro's Super Arts significantly up the ante when it comes to chip damage, offering powerful ways to close out a round.

SA1 - Magnetic Storm

Necro's multi-hitting grab Super Art is consistent in its damage application:

• Magnetic Storm deals 1 point of damage per hit, regardless of whether the opponent blocks the initial activation (if applicable) or is caught by the active vortex. While primarily a combo ender or a high-risk/high-reward offensive tool, its numerous hits can contribute significantly to chip if the opponent is forced to block parts of it, especially in an already low-health situation.

SA3 - Electric Snake

Necro's full-screen projectile Super Art, Electric Snake, has more nuanced chip damage properties:

• The chip damage inflicted by a blocked Electric Snake depends on two main factors: the distance the projectile travels before hitting the opponent and the opponent's character.
• Character Specifics: It's a well-known aspect of 3rd Strike that certain characters take more chip damage from SA3 (e.g., Akuma is notorious for this), while others take less (e.g., Hugo).
• Distance Factor: This is more subtle. There appear to be distinct damage thresholds based on travel distance.
  • If Electric Snake travels a shorter distance (e.g., roughly less than the space covered by two blocked standing Medium Kicks from Necro), it will deal less chip damage.
  • If it travels that approximate distance or further, it tends to inflict its maximum potential chip damage for that specific character.
  • The difference can be 1 or 2 points of chip damage, which can be critical.
• Practicality: It's strategically rare for an opponent to willingly stand still and block a full-screen Electric Snake if they have other options (jump, parry, move). Therefore, while its maximum chip potential is high, realizing it often depends on specific setups, hard reads, or forcing the opponent into a no-win blocking situation.

Conclusion: Chip Your Way to Clutch Victories!

Understanding and effectively utilizing Necro's chip damage capabilities is a vital component of mastering this unique and versatile character in Street Fighter 3: Third Strike. By strategically applying pressure with his special moves – particularly Denji Blasts and Tornado Hooks – and knowing when to unleash a Super Art for that final push, you can consistently whittle down your opponent's health and secure those hard-fought, nail-biting victories. Now go forth, apply that pressure, and chip your way to the top!