Street Fighter 6 has plenty of returning characters, as any new fighting game installment would. Similarly remarkable are its new characters, with the game having eight of them at this point (including Luke and downloadable content character A.K.I.). One of the most intriguing among them is Manon, a French judo expert who happens to be a fashion icon, and fights with grace and elegance.
Sure, it’s a pity that “grace and elegance” aren’t enough to carry her beyond being smack-dab in the middle of the tier list, if not lower. She’s okay, clearly lacking a few more moves that could make her fully tick -- sadly exhibiting Big Street Fighter V Energy. But she’s fun to play and has cool combos, even if the latter aren’t her focus.
10. Medium Punch Dégagé Finish (7 Hits)
Stars at 5:32
Manon doesn’t have many long combo strings on her own. Using the combos she has requires taking advantage of the Drive meter for them, particularly the Drive Rush and Drive Cancel functions. Let’s start with a lower one.
Manon’s standing medium punch is a solid combo starter, for anyone good with hit confirming. She’s a character that notably doesn’t have many Super Cancellable normal attacks or target combos, which makes it best to learn hit confirms. Do that first before tackling these combos.
This is one of Manon’s more basic combos that uses nearly all the Drive meter and none of the Super meter, a great one for anyone in the process of getting Manon down. That is, getting her functions down outside of constantly baiting the opponent for a Manège Doré command throw. This 7-hit combo will do 2664 HP of damage by the end, a little under a quarter of the opponent’s health. That’s not too bad considering the Super meter being saved.
It's again worth emphasizing that this is a basic on-the-road-to-mastery combo. It won’t prove to anyone that the player is a force to be feared with Manon, though again, part of that involves how good they can be at baiting the opponent into a command throw. This is the kind of combo that should be learned before jumping headfirst into a Big Girl combo.
This combo can be started with a standing medium punch, crouching medium punch, or a standing medium kick. Either one should be Drive-cancelled into a back + hard punch motion that’s Super-cancelled into a Renversé twirl and a quick light kick Grand Fouetté. Follow this with an EX Rond-point and a medium kick Dégagé to finish the combo.
9. Hard Punch Pas de Deux Finish (14 Hits)
Starts at 7:00
Manon needs the corner to pull off some of her best combo strings, and it’s no surprise that her best damage comes from using the Level 3 Super Art to finish the combo.
Manon’s back + hard punch is one of her best normal attacks, which works a good combo starter that’s Super Cancellable and a quick attack to use after a Drive Rush. The damage is solid too. The only drawback is the poor range, but that’s fine for corner usage.
This combo will nearly burn all of Manon’s resources. It uses the entirety of the Super meter for the finish, though the Drive gauge usage is mainly for the EX attacks. This makes the combo an easier one among Manon’s longer and stringier combos. It will do a total for 4865 HP by the end, and leave the opponent in the corner for more mix-ups if it doesn’t KO them.
It’s also a combo worth using because, well, look at it. Manon exudes style, and this is a fun one to observe, execute, and intimidate the opponent. This combo will help the player get Manon’s juggle potential down, and show the opponent on the other side of the internet (for anyone not lucky enough to get into local matches) that the player means business with her.
This combo starts in the corner with Manon’s back + hard punch, which is Super-cancelled into an EX Rond-point, and then another EX Rond-point for the juggle. Then, Drive Rush into another back + hard punch and Super Cancel into a Renversé. When the grabbing part of the Renversé connects, quickly Super Cancel this into a Level 3 Super Art, Pas de Deux.
8. Mid-Screen Special Bread-and-Butter Combo (7 Hits)
Starts at 18:27
When playing Manon, it’s worth knowing how good her close-to-mid-range game is. Beyond using the command throw, several of her best combos can be started from this position.
One is a combo that uses multiple specials. These take advantage of her juggle properties, and just how good she is at close range thanks to her long legs and reach. Several of her combos can be chained into one another when the player is willing to burn meter.
This combo won’t burn any of the Super meter, thanks to the opponent being knocked too far for any of them to land. But it will burn most of the Drive meter, and speaks to how solid Manon’s damage is without using it. The combo will do 2664 HP of damage by the end of it, and knock the opponent closer to the corner.
Beyond this combo being fun to execute and look at, and it being practical, this will help the player learn how to manage spacing with Manon. It’s also another combo that will teach the player that they shouldn’t be stingy with resources. Whether this involves the Drive or Super meters, don’t hesitate to burn it all when the situation calls for it. If this combo doesn’t KO the opponent, it will back them into a corner for further mix-ups.
The combo starts with a standing medium punch, which is quickly Drive-cancelled into a back + hard punch attack that’s Super-cancelled into a Renversé twirl and a Grand Fouetté kick. Then, follow it up with an EX Rond-point and finish with a medium kick Dégagé.
7. Mid-Screen Étoile Finish (6-10 Hits)
Starts at 18:10
It’s not necessary to burn the Super meter during these combos, and simply take advantage of the Drive meter. But sometimes you want to. You feel the need to.
This explains the Mid-Screen Étoile Finish. This combo is similar to the bread-and-butter combo above, which will nearly tank the entire Drive meter but will preserve the Super meter. This one, however, uses a chunk of the Super meter to maximize damage potential.
Perhaps you’re getting the impression after all of these that Manon is not a combo-heavy character, and you’d be right. The few she has, however, do good damage. It’s best to end this combo with the level 2 Super Art, Étoile, if you have the meter, though the Level 1 variant, Arabesque, works here too. It will do 3502 HP of damage by the end with the use of the Level 2 Super Art.
Manon’s combos are basic and practical, and this one is close to that outside a bit of the meter burn needed. Manon is not good at long range, but don’t hesitate to take advantage of how great she can be used at mid-range thanks to her long legs and attacks. Her Level 1 and Level 2 Super Arts have just the range needed for this combo, with the latter having the added bonus of quick start-up time.
This combo starts with a standing medium punch, which is Drive-cancelled into a low medium punch and back + hard punch link, the last hit of which is Super-cancelled into an EX Rond-point. Then, execute either the Level 1 or Level 2 Super Art to finish the combo. Again, go for Level 2, Étoile, if you have the meter.
6. Corner Punish Étoile Finish (12 Hits)
Starts at 3:56
Manon is great with combos in the corner, as mentioned above. Some of them are also good at carrying the opponent to the corner. This makes it a great place to punish the opponent whenever they get desperate and want to escape.
A corner punish like this combo will do the trick, and teach the opponent how vicious Manon can be in this portion of the fighting arena. Manon has a series of meatier attacks, but it’s not always easy to land them on a neutral opponent or in a combo. This marks a rare opportunity for her to use the Renversé twirl outside the middle of a combo, and use it twice, at that.
Several of Manon’s moves are risky, too, but this combo involves punishing the opponent for their risky behavior. This also means the damage involved will be spectacular. The combo, with the meaty hits and juggles, will do 4200 HP of damage to the opponent.
Another remarkable aspect of this combo is how it gives the Manon player the tools to style on the opponent without burning too much of the meter. Using too much meter would be a style-over-substance strategy, thanks to damage scaling taking a good chunk out of the potential. It again must be mentioned that the ability to use Renversé outside the middle of a combo makes this worth it alone.
After the opponent performs a massive attack that whiffs and leaves them open, start the punish with the Renversé twirl and a Grand Fouetté kick, then use a back + hard punch attack, which is Super-cancelled into another Renversé twirl and Grand Fouetté kick before they hit the ground. Then, hit them with an EX Rond-point while they’re in the air, and a follow-up medium kick Dégagé, and finish with Super Art 2, Étoile.
5. Drive Impact Corner Renversé Medal Gain (6 Hits)
Starts at 3:00
Let’s be clear here: This is not the most impressive-looking and sounding combo. It’s only six hits, and doesn’t use any of the Super meter. But this gets into the heart of another important element with how Manon works, while also getting some good damage.
Playing Manon well involves heavily baiting the opponent into using the Manège Doré command throw. It can’t be used in combos, but it’s powerful enough on its own. Even better: By using it and the Renversé grab, Manon will gain medals that will make the command throw more powerful. The power will, in fact, reach a point where it’s better to use that instead of combos.
First, though, the player needs to get there. It’s good that the Renversé can be used in the middle of combos. This one will burn about half of the Drive meter and use none of the Super meter, but will still take a solid 2178 HP of damage despite that.
In addition to the damage from future command throws, Medal Gain combos are important for the ability to psyche out the opponent. Mind games are a big part of Manon’s repertoire (might as well use a word derived from the French language here), and the opponent will start looking for opportunities to not get thrown. That’s when Manon, and the player by extension, will have to bait them into punishment opportunities.
This combo in particular starts after the player lands a blocked Drive Impact in the corner, which will crumple the opponent. As they’re falling, continue with a Drive Rush and a quick back + hard punch press, and Super Cancel into an EX Rond-point. As the opponent is falling, Drive Rush again into a back + hard punch press and finish with the Renversé.
4. Drive Impact Clash Renversé Medal Gain (7 Hits)
Stars at 2:29
In addition to corner combos where it’s possible to land a Renversé to finish the string and gain a Medal, it’s possible to use one outside that part of the arena. A Manon player should be working to gain Medals, thanks to just how powerful her command throw will become after their numbers increase.
It can be too difficult to bait the opponent into the command throw to build Medals, or nail them with a Renversé when just throwing the technique out there. It can often be much easier to do in the middle of a combo string to finish it off. This will also work for a good knockdown, and potentially push the opponent to the corner for further mix-up opportunities.
This is a short combo, but it does a good deal of damage thanks to how it starts with a Drive Impact Clash. This is when a player counters an opponent using a Drive Impact with one of their own -- the old switcheroo… maybe. It will do 2912 HP of damage by the end, solid for a combo that won’t use the entirety of the Drive meter and won’t use any Super meter.
To emphasize just how important Medals are for building Manon’s command throw damage: There’s no point to doing this combo at all if the Medal gain is above level 3. The damage scaling will reduce the combo damage to the point that simply using a command throw will be the better alternative. The video demonstrates how using a Drive Impact Clash and performing a command throw with five Medals will do a total of 3920 HP of damage, a little more than one-third of the opponent’s health. Medals, notably, carry over between rounds.
This combo in particular begins with a Drive Impact Clash, when one character inputs a Drive Impact right after the opponent does it, and the former lands theirs. Then, wait about half a second and perform a Drive Rush into a back + hard punch attack and Super Cancel into a hard kick Rond-point. Then, Drive Rush into a quick low medium punch that’s Super-cancelled into a hard punch Renversé for the finish.
3. Light Combo Confirm Into Étoile (15 Hits)
Starts at 3:14
Manon is great in the corner. The corner itself also presents opportunities for her to go for big combos while burning all the Drive meter, sending her into a burnout state. But the results are worth it.
Manon has a small number of ways to start larger combos, but the light punch and light kick confirms are often ignored because it’s not easy to initiate a string off of them. Even in this video itself, tournament player Idom dropped this combo twice before successfully executing it. But this is a great one for damage and styling on the opponent.
This combo makes for semi-heavy usage of Manon’s extremely useful back + hard punch attack (it appears in every combo on this list, notably). But it’s also the kind that should only be done after the player hasmastered her juggles and knows when to Drive Rush. By the end, it will take 3902 HP of damage.
The cool aspect of this combo is how it has both style and substance. It’s a slick and stylish combo that shows how hard the player has worked with Manon in the lab, and will show the opponent that they’re at least close to mastering her. It’s stylish, powerful, AND practical, all wrapped in one package.
The combo starts with a low light kick and low light punch in the corner, which is Super-cancelled into an EX Rond-point. Follow this up with another EX Rond-point to continue the juggle. Then, Drive Rush into a back + hard punch, and Drive Cancel into another back + hard punch and Super Cancel into a medium kick Dégagé. Then, finish with the Level 2 Super Art, Étoile.
2. Pas de Deux Max Damage Combo Beta (17 Hits)
Starts at 3:49
Now that the small-fry combos are out of the way with the comparative warm-ups above, it’s time to get to the Big Girl combos: The maximum damage combos that involve Manon spending it all.
“Spending it all” in this case involves using the entirety of the Drive and Super bars to go for as much damage as possible at once, when Manon has both fully stocked. When playing any fighting game at a high level, the best idea is to maximize the damage a character is capable of. Take advantage of all opportunities.
Performing this is especially necessary when Manon’s health is low. When a character’s vitality is drained to 25-percent or below, their Critical Art unlocks, a considerably more damaging and stylish version of Super Art 3. This combo does a whopping 6095 HP of damage, easily more than half of even the strongest opponent’s HP.
This combo not only involves spending all the meter that Manon has in stock when both are maxed out, it’s tough to execute. But it’s stylish, the kind a player who’s mastered Manon can eventually pull off with finesse. It helps that it’s very damaging, and will KO a character if their health is below the halfway point -- even Zangief. It’s the ultimate comeback opportunity when a Manon player is in peril and needs to strike back hard.
This combo starts with a hard kick Dégagé that punishes an opponent’s attack, then link it to a standing light punch that’s Drive-cancelled into a quick low medium punch, a standing back + hard punch that’s Super-cancelled with an EX Dégagé. While the opponent is stunned, perform a standing light punch, then Drive Cancel it into a back + hard punch, then link a low medium punch and a standing light kick that’s Super-cancelled with a light kick Rond-point. After the first hit of the Rond-point connects, Super Cancel into the Level 3 Critical Art, Pas de Deux, to finish it off.
1. Pas de Deux Max Damage Complete Combo (16 Hits)
Starts at 4:15
The best combo Manon currently has in her repertoire is another maximum damage one that involves spending it all. This one is a bit more situational, but will do even more damage than the previous one by the end.
The previous combo is a bit more practical. But there will come an opportunity when an opponent will try for a reversal in the corner to escape a dangerous part of the arena, particularly when they’re aware of how vicious Manon can be there. This is a time to show them precisely what they feared, and how formidable the player is with her by this point.
Don’t be fooled by this combo doing fewer hits than the previous one by the end. It’s a slightly tougher combo to pull off thanks to the precise inputs required for the Drive Rushes and Drive Cancels required for the mid-combo juggles. But the player using Manon will be rewarded with higher damage, to the tune of 6192 HP.
This is yet another style and substance combo, one that looks sublime but will also do plenty of damage by the end. Just because a high-level combo is situational doesn’t mean it isn’t practical. That said, it’s the kind that should be practiced in the Training mode to get the timing down, and should be executed after all the other combos have been mastered.
After an opponent’s technique is blocked or whiffs in the corner, punish with a Drive Rush and quick standing hard kick. While they’re stunned, continue with the ever-trusty back + hard punch and Super Cancel into an EX Rond-point. Then, continue with another EX Rond-point while the opponent is still in the air. Continue the combo with a Drive Rush into a back + hard punch as the opponent is falling, and Drive Cancel into a down-forward Hard Punch command and Super Cancel into a Renversé spin. Just as the grab during the spin connects, Super Cancel into the Level 3 Critical Art, Pas de Deux, for the finish.
