Disclaimer: it's a not a golden rule to win, but just my thought about combos in the game.
The a combo is a sequence of hits that doesn't allow your opponent to block or retaliate (except for flash) because the opponent is staggered or in the air the whole time (so no dodge). Combo is crucial in the game, as it allows you to deal a lot of damage per second, and also increases the crit chance.
There is no information about data frames in KOF, so it is quite difficult to understand which hits stagger and which do not. The only thing here is experience, as well as understanding whether the enemy is in the air or not. In my understanding, combos should be used if:
1. The skills and attacks of the hero allow you to use them in conjunction - that is, combine one with the other. Almost all heroes have combo skills, with the exception of some, like Shingo, because his skills do not stagger the enemy.
2. All skills for combos rolled back in time. Sometimes it's better to wait in a block or dodge to land a combo link.
3. The enemy allows himself to combo - that is, he badly evades or puts a block.
4. Catching after a dodge is the vulnerable part of any roll. After the roll, there is a fraction of a second when the block does not work.
5. Remember a simple thing - you can start with a skill or a blow, but the blow is delivered faster than the skill.
I always use training to see how skills and punches work. Some heroes have hits that are thrown in a combo just one after another, but many have gaps in the combination of simple hits (for example, a hit throws the enemy in the air, and the character hits the ground - or vice versa). such gaps are needed to use skills to keep the enemy in a combo.
Therefore, to use combos, you need a lot of training. You need to try using skills with strikes and vice versa, combine them to understand which ones are better, which are worse. I am attaching two videos of my favorite combos from Lina. By the way, she has the fastest shots in the game. Lina is practically the top character for staggering with simple punches.
Lina combos rely on skill 2, that can keep opponent in air and pause in normal attack, when Lina move opponent to the air.
1. Start with skill 3, then combo with normal attack - then skill 2 - and finish skill 1.
2. Start with skill 1 - then normal attack - then skill 2 - then normal
attack - then skill 3
Let's combo!