Tekken 7’s lifespan may be coming to an end, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t playable anymore. There’s still so much that can be done within the game, thanks to its relatively active player base. With a few dozen characters available with hundreds of moves and combos for each one, one can still discover new tricks and tips.
Tips are from a player with more than 300-400 hours in Tekken 7.
Table of Contents
Know each stage
Knowing the stage doesn’t simply mean knowing how big it is, but knowing how to utilize it for combos. Some stages will have no walls; others will not have breakable floors. It is important to know how well your fighter does in each specific map and area. A lot of characters, for example, benefit from the walls, and once they are taken away, they do a bit less damage.
Using each stage to your advantage can help turn the tides of a match. Perfectly utilizing a floor break by using an attack that smashes your opponent to the ground can extend a combo. On some stages, you can even do multiple wall breaks if you’ve mastered wall carrying (bringing your opponent to the other side of the stage) enough.
Pick ONE Main First 
In Tekken 7, there are different kinds of fighting styles, from the basic karate of Jin Kazama to the insane robot attacks of Alisa Bosconovitch. Each character has an insane amount of moves, with quite a lot having hundreds of options. It is up to the player on how they want to use these different moves, so it may be a little overwhelming trying to learn 500 moves at once from different characters.
If you are able to master a single character, by that point, you know the basics. Everyone is good at something, from the infuriatingly powerful grabs of King to the jack-of-all-trades style of Leo. Not a single character plays like another, except for the bears, so try to learn one character’s unique moveset before anything else.
Get Creative With Combos
The majority of moves in the game can extend your combo, so don’t go doubting that one weak move compared to that other powerful hit. You can extend your combo with the right moves, and if you get your opponent to a wall, then it will be worth it. Some moves may not seem immediately useful, but spend enough time with your character to learn just how to incorporate it to get an optimal combo. The easiest combo is almost never the most powerful, so don’t be afraid to experiment.
Learn Movement
Movement is key in fighting games, especially in Tekken. Sidestepping at the exact right moment can put you right behind your enemy and allow you to deal a lot of damage with either a good combo or a throw. Also important is spacing yourself from your opponent, and capitalizing on any whiffs or missed attacks while making sure that you don’t miss any yourself.
Know each character’s moves
This may seem contradictory with picking one main, but knowing each character is different from mastering a single one. For all you know, that attack your enemy is doing may not be over, and just when you think it is, you’ll get hit by a follow-up you didn’t see coming. The phrase “Know your enemy” applies in Tekken, and it could save your match.
Landing an optimal combo can turn the match around, and being able to know when to launch an enemy is important. Every character has different launchers, and it is always up to the player what to do next. Figuring out what attacks can be strung together to deal major damage can land a win. Understanding when to attack and when to block is important in dealing with damage. Speaking of damage…
Poking
Poking is the Tekken term for dealing a bit of damage without going into a full combo. Sure, a launcher would be nice, but it might just get blocked unless your opponent is reckless, so doing a quick two-hit combo would be nice. Constant poking can whittle your opponent’s health down bit-by-bit.
If you poke enough, you may not even realize that your opponent is only a few hits away from defeat. One of the biggest tips I can give is that you don’t have to hit every major optimal combo in one round sometimes; you just have to play smart and quick and avoid leaving yourself too open to any attacks.
Parrying vs Blocking
There is only one universal parry, the low parry, done with the d,f (down, forward) input, but quite a few characters have their own parries that can turn the tide of battle. DLC character Leroy was infamous for being overpowered, which included his powerful parries, and the aforementioned regular characters Jin and Leo have powerful parries of their own that allow combos and deal damage, respectively. Not every single attack has to be blocked, so use it wisely. Blocking is useful in landing some poke attacks or quick launchers if your enemy’s attack leaves them open.
One may have the incentive to always use the parry, but it is best used when you know just the move that your enemy is going to use. Using an example from real matches I’ve played, Kazuya has a combo with a delayed final attack, so using Leo’s b,1+3/2+4 parry (back and either grab input at once for a parry), I can deal a bit of damage and knock the enemy down. This is just one example of what can be done with parrying.
Know What Rage Attack to Use
Everyone has their own unique Rage Art and Rage Drive attacks, and they each help in their own situations. The Rage Art is a special attack that deals quite a lot of damage on its own, but if blocked, it will usually leave you open to a combo. It is best used if you know you are about to be attacked so that while the enemy’s attack still hits, you’ll deal just enough damage to either defeat them or bring them to critical health. With Rage Art, it is about the timing.
The Rage Drive, on the other hand, is only an attack, and while it may not do as much damage as a Rage Art, it can usually extend combos or carry your opponent to a wall, in the case of Alisa and Leo. Others like Lucky Chloe can deal major damage if timed right. These Rage Drives are usually the better options largely for being much safer options compared to the Rage Art while sometimes also allowing you to deal damage if you use it right.
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