Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite is finally here, and fighting game fans from all corners of the globe are getting in on the biggest comic book/video game crossover series there is. But newcomers and even Marvel veterans new to Infinite might need to take a step back and think about the basics.

　　Infinite’s new active switch mechanic and combos make for a new kind of experience, even for experienced Marvel players. Take these tips to heart and you’ll soon be raking in the wins in Ranked.

　　The Magic Combo

　　Learning combos is usually the most difficult part of fighters for most players, but in Infinite you’ve at least got one basic combo that works across the cast. Your Light Punch, Light Kick, Heavy Punch, Heavy Kick will always combo into one another - in that order. End the string in a crouched Heavy Punch and that’ll even launch for most characters.

　　Of course, this is the most basic combo possible - you’ll want to practice it and mix in some of your own flairs and special moves to do more damage. Once you’ve launched your opponent, you can press a button to jump and catch them (you can turn this off in settings and choose to jump manually - which pros recommend), at which point you can repeat the magic combo string again.

　　If that’s a bit too complicated for you, don’t worry, Marvel has a combo for you too. Mashing out Light Punch will result in an auto-combo, complete with Launcher and air combo. Of course, it won’t do that much damage - but that’s why you should learn to combo without it.

　　Get Moving

　　In Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite, moving fast is important - you either need to keep away from your opponent’s aggression, or you need to be the one dealing aggression, pretty much at all times. Luckily, most characters in the game have a dash, and it’s easily executable by pressing both punches - hold back to dash back, too.

　　In addition to that, you can crouch to cancel your dash, and then link another dash into that. Doing this quickly is known as wavedashing, and you can close distance incredibly quickly or even move away fast if in a pinch.

　　Some characters have air dashes too, helpful for aerial combos.

　　Best of Friends

　　Of course, a massive part of Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite is the Active Switch system, and you’ll need to make the most of this to both conserve health and maximise your combos.

　　When it comes to preserving health, like most tag games, you can recover a set amount of health by putting your character on the bench and Active Switching to your partner. By default, all you need to do is tap R1/RB.

　　When it comes to maximising combos, well, there are too many ways to extend combos using Active Switch to list. A good way for beginners to get used to it is by Active Switching after you use a Hyper Combo (this game’s name for a super), while they’re stuck taking damage you can have your partner beat and extra combo into them or even trigger a second Hyper Combo.

　　Another good idea is to Active Switch when you’ve been beating against your enemy’s guard and you become unsafe - the Active Switch has a hitbox, so you can become safe again immediately after.

　　You Need Stones

　　The Infinity Stones can completely change up the way you play Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite, and the best way to get used to them really is to just experiment with them, but depending on your playstyle and character selection you can really make up for some character weak points.

　　The Time Stone is a good example of this, as it offers a huge dash, which can help slower characters with shorter dashes - you can also use this in the air, giving so many characters lacking an air dash a valuable option. On top of all that, it goes through projectiles, too.

　　The Soul Stone is another handy one that can sap the health of enemies, but the Infinity Storm activation is even more interesting - it will bring both of your fighters onto the battlefield, even if your partner has been KO’d. This really can make all the difference and can send you from a tight situation to a safe victory.

　　The Bounce

　　Now that you know how to link some basic combos, it’s time extend those combos way further. There are three juggle points when characters bounce off the floor or walls, and you can link all three into a single combo.

　　First, when a character falls from the air and hits the ground, you’ll be able to hit them, and link that into a launcher and air combo. To hit them on the ground and start this combo, you’ll need to use an OTG, an off-the-ground move. Characters have different OTGs, and you’ll need to experiment to find them.

　　Next is another bounce on the floor, but this one is more violent. When comboing in the air, you can crash your foe to the floor - usually with a heavy kick. You’ll know you’ve got the right move because they hit the ground much more quickly than usual, and the bounce is quite obvious. You can easily combo into an Active Switch from here, among other things.

　　And finally is the wall bounce, the most obvious bounce, visually. Here your opponent will fly against the wall, and clearly bounce off, falling again mid-screen. Here you can easily pick them up again with a launcher, and air combo, or even go straight for a Hyper Combo.

　　Let us know whether these tips made you a better fighter in Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite.