Arjun is a big, slow fighter, but his combos are not complicated. Most of his damage comes from three habits. He opens with a jumping Heavy Punch or a heavy kick string. He uses Cruel Shoulder and Indomitable Defense as combo enders. He also has generous cancels into his Super Arts. The routes below run from a two-hit beginner confirm to a corner Punish Counter that uses Divine Pillar, and every input is written in numeric notation.
Quick answer: In Training Mode, start with 9HP > 2HP > 623MP. Then learn MK-HK XX any Super and 2LK > 2LP > 2LP XX any Super before you add Drive Rush or Divine Pillar routes.
How to read Arjun combo notation
Directions use the number pad layout. 5 is neutral, 2 is down, 6 is forward and 4 is back, so a fireball motion is 236. Buttons are shortened to LP, MP and HP for punches and LK, MK and HK for kicks. PP or KK means the OD version of a special.
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| XX | Cancel into the next move |
| > or . | Link or next hit |
| + | Press at the same time |
| ~ or – | Follow-up input |
| ( ) | Whiffed move |
| DR / DRC | Drive Rush / Drive Rush Cancel |
| DI | Drive Impact |
| PC | Punish Counter |
| P / K | Any punch / any kick |
Arjun’s specials show up throughout these routes. Cruel Shoulder is the lunging shoulder tackle. Divine Pillar (214K) raises a pillar of earth. Indomitable Defense (22HK) is his armored counter stance, and Moral Breakdown is its punch follow-up. Arm of Justice (236P) is the winding punch, and you press 6P during it for the extra hit.
Cruel Shoulder is written as both 623MP and 263MP in community routes. Check which input is correct in your game’s command list before you build muscle memory.
Arjun combo list by difficulty
| Route | Inputs | Starter | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic jump-in | 9HP > 2HP > 623MP | Jumping HP | Easy |
| Light confirm | 2LK > 2LP > 2LP XX Super | Crouching LK | Easy |
| Heavy kick super | MK-HK XX Super | Standing MK | Easy |
| Pillar crossup | 214K > 9HP > 2HP XX 263MP > 22HK-P | Divine Pillar setup | Medium |
| Double Drive Rush | 6HP XX DR MP > MK XX DR 6HP XX 236HP+6P XX Level 3 Super | Forward HP | Hard |
| Corner Punish Counter | HK-HP PC (hold) XX 214KK > 263HP > 22HK-P > Super | HK-HP on PC | Hard |
Arjun jump-in combos
Jumping Heavy Punch is the most reliable way to start damage with Arjun. It has 10F startup and stays active from frame 10 to 15. It also crosses up, so it hits even when Arjun jumps over the opponent’s head. If it hits an opponent in the air, it slams them down. It deals 800 damage, and Arjun recovers in 3F after landing.
9HP > 2HP > 623MP
Jump in with Heavy Punch, land a crouching Heavy Punch, and finish with Cruel Shoulder. You don’t need a Divine Pillar on screen for this to work. If a pillar is already active when the shoulder connects, you get an extra hit. That makes it the best first route to learn, because it works anywhere and doesn’t need meter.
214K > 9HP > 2HP XX 263MP > 22HK-P
This version places a Divine Pillar first. Throw out the pillar, cross up with jumping Heavy Punch, then land crouching Heavy Punch and cancel into Cruel Shoulder. Because the shoulder connects with an active pillar, Arjun gets Justice Beyond, where he grabs the pillar and swings it at the opponent. Finish with Indomitable Defense and its Moral Breakdown follow-up.
Jumping Heavy Kick (10F startup, active frames 10 to 16, 900 damage) is a mid attack that can’t be blocked crouching. It also causes a slam knockdown. Use it when your opponent has learned to crouch-block the crossup.
Arjun Super Art cancel combos
Both meter-spending confirms work with all three Super Arts. Pick the one your meter allows. You still need to know how each one behaves, because two of them are invincible reversals and all three are very unsafe if blocked.
- MK-HK XX Super: link Medium Kick into Heavy Kick, then cancel the Heavy Kick. This deals strong damage from mid range.
- 2LK > 2LP > 2LP XX Super: hit-confirm off crouching Light Kick. If the hits don’t connect, stop before the Super and keep up your pressure.
| Super Art | Startup / invincibility | Damage | On block |
|---|---|---|---|
| SA1 Howling Destruction | Strike and throw invincible 1–8F | 30% minimum floor | -46F |
| SA2 Instant Oblivion | 9F startup, fully invincible 1–12F | 3000 | -41F |
| SA3 Yaksha’s Order | 13F startup, fully invincible 1–15F | 4000 | -41F |
| CA Yaksha’s Order | 13F startup, fully invincible 1–15F | 4500 | -41F |
When Arjun is at 25% health or less, Yaksha’s Order becomes a Critical Art and takes the place of SA3. Instant Oblivion sends the opponent airborne, away from Arjun, opening the way for Divine Pillar. Keep Level 2 meter available to maintain pressure after the combo. Howling Destruction has a projectile property and is active on frames 8 through 69.
Arjun Drive Rush combo for maximum damage
The double Drive Rush route is 6HP XX DR MP > MK XX DR 6HP XX 236HP+6P XX Level 3 Super. It costs a lot of Drive Gauge and needs clean timing, but it does the most damage of any midscreen route here. Break it into parts and practice each one in order.
The OD and regular Arm of Justice follow-ups have identical frame data. OD adds 15% combo scaling in addition to the 10% starter scaling, making the regular version the better choice in a long route. Without the Super, the follow-up is +1F on block, leaving Arjun able to act first when it is blocked.
Arjun corner Punish Counter combo
In the corner, a Punish Counter HK-HP leads into HK-HP PC (hold) XX 214KK > 263HP > 22HK-P > any Super. The OD Divine Pillar is important here. It starts in 20F instead of the regular 25F, so the pillar comes up in time to catch the opponent. Cruel Shoulder then hits the pillar and the opponent, Indomitable Defense with Moral Breakdown adds another hit, and the Super ends the combo.
Which Super can follow the pillar depends on its version: Divine Pillar’s L, M and H forms cancel into SA3, whereas OD cancels into SA2. Breathing Shockwave uses those same cancel options. The pillar applies 20% starter scaling and 20% combo scaling, reducing the damage of the route-ending Super compared with using it raw.
Divine Pillar costs Arjun 5000 Drive Gauge when blocked, so avoid throwing it out carelessly just to fish for this setup.
Indomitable Defense and recoverable damage in Arjun combos
Several routes end in 22HK-P, which matters more than it looks. Indomitable Defense starts in 3F, stays active from frame 3 to 28, and gives Arjun Super Armor that most moves can’t break. Holding the button extends the stance. Moral Breakdown can come out from frame 26 of the hold. Arjun can walk forward and back during the stance, so you can adjust your spacing before the follow-up.
| Move | Startup | Damage | On block |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indomitable Defense | 3F | 1500 | -3F |
| Moral Breakdown | 28F | 1500 | +3F |
| Ghastly Interrogation | 8F | 1800 vs. recoverable damage | Command throw |
| OD Ghastly Interrogation | 26F | 2200 (2400 vs. recoverable) | Command throw |
Moral Breakdown is classified as a projectile and has OD-level clash strength. Blocking it causes recoverable damage, while a clean hit inflicts full damage. This relates to Arjun’s Yogic Breathing mechanic: blocked Super Arts and several specials leave grey recoverable damage on the opponent’s health bar. That health returns unless Arjun lands another hit before it regenerates. Ghastly Interrogation deals increased damage while recoverable damage remains, making it an effective follow-up to blocked pressure.
Against a Burnout opponent, think before you end pressure with a blocked move. A blocked Indomitable Defense gives a Burnout opponent 3000 Drive Gauge, and a blocked Moral Breakdown gives them 5000. Blocked Supers give even more: 5000 for SA2, 7500 for SA3 and 10000 for the Critical Art. In practice, only cancel into a Super when you know the starter hit, and use the -3F Indomitable Defense or +3F Moral Breakdown endings when you want to keep your turn without handing back meter.
