The private military contractor and mixed martial artist, Luke, returns in Street Fighter 6 ready to scrap. A mid-range, normal-type fighter that first debuted in the final DLC for Street Fighter 5, Luke is a well-rounded brawler with a diverse skill set that can adapt to almost any situation. As the main protagonist and head coach in the World Tour mode of Street Fighter 6, Luke is ready to take the spotlight and beat down any fighter who gets in his way.
With such a versatile kit, there are a lot of tactics that can be used with Luke - this guide will cover the best strategies and combos to dominate the streets.
Strategies for Luke
When playing as Luke, players will want to focus on an attack pattern of chasing down and staying on top of enemies, utilizing his many grappling moves to maintain control of the situation.
- Control the start with Sand Blast. When at mid-range, players should seek to control the fight with the Sand Blast ability, countering any enemy projectiles or lateral movements. This is a great way to open a window to close the gap to the enemy fighter.
- Counter aerials with Rising Uppercut. Luke can stop and negate damage from incoming jump attacks with Rising Uppercut, throwing the enemy off their momentum and allowing him to press the assault.
- Grab when possible. Luke's throws, DDT, and Pale Rider are some of his best damaging abilities that keep the enemy in range for follow-up combos.
- Stay aggressive. Luke's unique attacks are fairly simple to input, with great recovery time and cancel capabilities on most. Once players have control of the momentum in the fight, keep unleashing damage until the enemy is down for good.
Luke's Move List
With 22 unique abilities (excluding Common Moves) in his move set and the capability to drastically change certain special moves by holding the final input or alternating between the Light, Medium, and Heavy input gives Luke a lot of tricks to turn the fight to his advantage.
Move | Description | Type |
Vulcan Blast | Unleash a flurry of Sand Blasts | Special Art 1 |
Eraser | A powerful punching combo that sends enemies flying | Special Art 2 |
Pale Rider | Charge the opponent, tackle them, and pummel them with a series of punches. Can be used to dodge projectiles | Special Art 3 |
Sand Blast | Send a shockwave of pressure directly forward | Special Move |
Fatal Shot | Fires a second shockwave following and Overdrive Sand Blast | Special Move |
Flash Knuckle | A chargeable punch that can be performed in alternate ways using the Light, Medium, and Heavy input variants. Release the input at the perfect time for an improved effect | Special Move |
DDT | Can be performed after landing the first hit of an Overdrive Flash Knuckle. Grab the opponent and slam them to the ground | Special Move |
Aerial Flash Knuckle | An aerial version of Flash Knuckle that has an alternate effect when holding the input. Can be used to charge an enemy or switch sides | Special Move |
Avenger | Duck low and charge forward. Can be used with Overdrive for an armor effect | Special Move |
No Chaser | A tackle performed from Avenger that can close the distance to the enemy | Special Move |
Impaler | An overhead kick performed from Avenger that cannot be blocked crouching | Special Move |
Rising Uppercut | A skyward uppercut that can counter aerial attacks. Negates incoming aerial damage | Special Move |
Slam Dunk | An aerial downward punch that slams the enemy to the ground directly in front of Luke. Must be performed from an Overdrive Rising Uppercut | Special Move |
Rawhide | An overhead hammer punch that cannot be blocked while crouching | Unique Attack |
Suppressor | A quick back step, followed by a body shot. Can be canceled into special moves | Unique Attack |
Outlaw Kick | A powerful high kick that can strike jumping opponents | Unique Attack |
Double Impact | A forward-moving punching combo. Can be canceled into special moves. | Unique Attack |
Triple Impact | A fast punching combo that can be canceled into special moves | Unique Attack |
Nose Breaker | Kick low, then headbutt the opponent | Unique Attack |
Snapback Combo | A powerful succession of forward-moving punches | Unique Attack |
Sweeper | Grab and lift the enemy, then slam them to the ground | Throw |
Scrapper | Grab the enemy and knee them in the face. Switch sides, then send them back with another knee strike | Throw |
Luke's Best Combos
Luke's best combo attacks will focus on rushing down opponents and staying on top of them, taking advantage of the special moves in his arsenal that lock enemies or knock them down without knocking them back to follow up with additional damage.
Basic Combo: Suppressor + Flash Knuckle Strike
Classic Controls | Modern Controls |
Back + Heavy Punch, Down, Down-Back, Back + Punch | Back + Heavy Attack, Back + Special Attack |
Lock the opponent with a quick body shot, then can cancel into a Flash Knuckle Strike. Hold and release the input at the perfect time for an improved effect.
Intermediate Combo: Triple Impact + Overdrive Rising Uppercut + Slam Dunk
Classic Controls | Modern Controls |
Light Punch, Medium Punch, Heavy Punch, Forward, Down, Down-Forward + Punch + Punch, Punch + Punch | Light Attack, Light Attack, Light Attack, Assist + Forward + Special Attack, Special Attack |
A powerful close-range punching combo that locks the opponent in range for a follow-up combo. Open with a Triple Impact, canceling into an Overdrive Rising Uppercut. Quickly repeat the punch inputs to slam the enemy down directly in front of Luke.
Advanced Combo: Double Impact + Sand Blast + Avenger + Impaler + Drive Impact + Pale Rider
Classic Controls | Modern Controls |
Forward + Heavy Punch, Heavy Punch, Down, Down-Forward, Forward + Punch, Down, Down-Forward, Forward + Kick, Kick, Heavy Punch + Heavy Kick, Down, Down-Forward, Forward, Down, Down-Forward, Forward + Kick | Forward + Heavy Attack, Heavy Attack, Special Attack, Down + Special Attack, Down + Attack, Drive Impact, Down + Special Attack + Heavy Attack |
An epic combo that requires impeccable timing in exchange for delivering huge damage. This combo is best performed when the enemy is trapped in the corner but will be successful as long as the enemy is pushed at least halfway from the center.
Close in on the enemy and open with a Double Impact canceled into Sand Blast. Immediately begin the Avenger dash, and time Impaler to land right as the enemy is recovering. Launch a Drive Impact aiming to land as the enemy is recovering and before they have the opportunity to grab. Finally, as the enemy bounces off the corner, charge in and tackle them with Pale Rider. This combo can be finished with any of Luke's Special Arts if the special gauge is limited.
Tips for Winning as Luke
Players who seek to master Luke will want to get familiar with defending against mid and long-range attacks and utilizing his many dashes to quickly close the gap with the enemy.
- Use your armor. Luke is one of the few fighters that have access to armor effects, which can temporarily make him immune to damage and allow how to set up a powerful counter-attack.
- Learn to control mid-range. Luke is outranged by most other fighters in the game, leaving him susceptible to zoning strategies. Being able to keep enemies at bay in the mid-range and open the opportunity to dash in is critical to success as Luke.
- Timing is key. Luke's Flash Knuckle ability is not only powerful but allows massive control due to its multiple attack patterns. Learn when to use the light, medium, or heavy Flash Knuckle, combined with when to release the ability at the perfect time for amplified damage.
How to Counter Luke
While Luke is a formidable opponent in close and mid-range, he has almost no long-range damage. Fighters that can consistently zone Luke and deal high damage while staying out of his range will be able to make quick and easy work of his health bar. Fighters like JP, Guile, and Dhalsim will have the easiest time keeping Luke at bay with their long-range attacks.
Street Fighter 6 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
