CvS2: Vega - Advanced Strats and Tactics

Decided to update the thread since it’s been a while and everyone uses A-Vega now.

Good Pokes: c.MP, c.MK, c.HP, RC LP Rolling Attack

Anti-Airs: S.HK, C.HP, jump back j.HP

Anti-Crossup: jump back j.HP

Best Grooves: A, C, P/N/K, S.

Whiff punishers:

  • In general: c.MP, c.HP, c.HK
  • Blocked Blanka Ball: c.HP, c.HK
  • Blocked Direct Lightning: c.HK
  • Blocked Psycho Crusher: c.HP
  • Blocked Cannon Spike: c.HP or Red Impact
  • Blocked Headbutt: c.MP (depends on range)

B&B: c.LK, Rolling Attack

Wake-up: RC Rolling Attack, RC Wall Dive (while in corner)

Favorable matchups:

  • Shotos
  • Sagat
  • Non-RC Blanka
  • Chun-Li (C-Groove)

Coin-toss matchups:

  • Rolento
  • Hibiki

Bad matchups:

  • Bison
  • Eagle
  • RC Blanka

Knockdown Mixups:
Roll > c.LK, HP Rolling Attack/RC HP Rolling Attack

I’ll go into the C-Vega vs. Chun-Li matchup if enough people ask about it. Also, I’ll add more stuff if anyone gives me info.

P-groove vega is really dope, just watch makoto (P-kyo/vega/r2 cammy) play. empty short jump, crouching lk, standing lp x 1/2, red impact is badass.

and i read in one of buk’s old threads that empty short jump crouching lk, standing lp, fp rolling claw combos against blanka.

Yeah, Makoto’s Red Impact setup is crazy. I’ve only pulled it off once in an actual battle since the timing is sooo tight.

The way I’ve seen him do it most of the time is:

Empty Jump > C.LK > S.LK > Red Impact

The timing between the C.LK and S.LK is easier than the two S.LP. And in the midst of that craziness, you have to keep your charge. I’ll be practicing this a little more once my stick comes in. :cool:

I guess no one plays Vega anymore. :frowning:

hmmmmm, most of the time i’ve seen the setup i described. but it’s the same difference. i just like to do 2 standing lp’s to make SURE i have my charge. then just HOLD standing lp and whip out the motion really quick. not too bad with a little practice, but you gotta have a stick.

vega with short jump is too good. short jump roundhouse is practically unpunishable on reaction because it’s so damn fast.

best non-super combo is jumping roundhouse, crouching mk (seriously).

you can use standing mk to stuff low pokes because it has a good amount of priority.

i dunno, vega is a pretty simple character. bait whiffs and punish. and watch makoto and ricky to get some little vega tricks and solid gameplay strategy.

Oh yeah, you can also add a PPP/KKK Backflip after the J.HK > C.MK for mixup purposes. It’s enough time to keep charge and punish a whiff.

S.MK is also good as a meaty attack. Great for baiting wakeups.

This is one of my personal favorites against tall characters like Sagat:

Fierce Rolling Attack > Red Impact

Completely catches your oppenent off guard since they’ll try to hit you back when you do the rolling attack. They have to be really looking for this to even see it coming. Neat little parlor trick of you ask me.

Short Jump > J.HK

I’d say this is probably gonna be your main offensive move in short jump grooves. It’s great as it stuffs a LOT of poke attempts and has the bonus of going over fireballs and other projectiles. Well, maybe not really high stuff like a high Tiger Shot or Todo’s wave fireball. It makes getting in SO much easier though. It’s sure to annoy the hell out of anybody on top of his great runaway game.

Vega vs sagat

You can low jump over a low tiger at max ducking mp range on reaction. And if you’re charged then you can rol claw on reaction. No projectiles for sagat.

Vega vs sagat

Yeah, that’s how I usually deal with Sagat. Max range C.MP is great for C.HP whores with Sagat. Oh, and up close S.LK does great for when you’re close.

Yup. usually i just stay at max til they start getting antsy and rolling in. This bad news for vega so when you’re close just use s.lk and c.mkhe’ll wannna get back to his poking range usually. Then the game resets. P vega just makes this even worse. Long live Vega

Corner Trap

I just started using this a few days ago. Seems to work really well on shotos, but I don’t know about the rest of the cast.

Once you get your oppenent to the corner, stay with in max range C.MK and poke away with that and C.MP. If they try to jump out, Flip Kick or an early J.HP should do nicely. Obviously, if they try to roll, just throw them out of it and get them back in the corner. For RC happy people, try and bait it out and if you’re sitting on bar, Red Impact that shit. If not, jump straight up and J.HK as you land.

Here’s an anti safe-fall tactic. I’ve also seen it used as an anti wake-up against people with crappy or no wake-ups. After a knockdown, use Vega’s rolling attack. LP version for the safe-fall and HP version for the wake-up. It does decent chip damage, but don’t abuse it. It’s one of those things you do like once or twice.

i wouldn’t really recommend doing standing mk as a meaty attack when your opponent wakes up. if blocked, vega is at -4, which is a sufficient time to insert a quick combo starting with a crouching jab or short, or a fast medium. which will most likely lead to a knockdown, and vega doesn’t do well when he’s knocked down…

do fierce rolling claw into red impact if you REALLY want to waste your meter. any decent opponent will know that vega can’t be hit after a blocked rolling claw. it leaves him at +/-0 if you want to get technical. so they’ll just sit there and laugh when you waste your super.

now something like fierce rolling claw, walk back a little bit, standing jab, THEN red impact is a little better, because your opponent will be so happy they’re at a close range that once they realize you’re not going to do a red impact, they’ll try to punish the standing jab. ouch

ggpo

Yeah, I got a bunch of those little Red Impact traps that I came up with. I’ve caught some really good players with these traps which makes Vega more dangerous that he already is. I seriously think no one plays him anymore which is really a shame. Vega has a lot more going for him that people believe; with or without his bad matchups.

How many hitting frames does vega’s standing mk have? And what is the block stun? Is it possible to turn the -4 into a 0 or positive number if you time it right? Like how eagle’s close s.rh can be like -1 instead of whatever it usually is…

Also what is the frame data on vegas s.roundhouse?

Vega v. Bison

Is there no hope for Vega in this match? I have to turtle/runaway like crazy cuz of a potential (and lethal) guard crush. The only this that seems to work for me are J.HP/J.LK to stop random ass Psycho Crushers and max-distance C.MK. Any help?

I dont have a problem in this match on the basic level. The poke game is pretty much in vega’s favor. Im gonna assume bison’s c.mp, c.hp, s.mk, and s.hk all trade favorably or beat vega’s main pokes. The prob is bison cant throw these out at random against vega cuz he’ll be punished easily. Bison trying to play footsies walking back and forth is not scary at all cuz he loses his charge then theres nothing to worry about besides custom if he has it. I have no fear of bison unless he has that custom. And S-Bion is annoying kind of. Unless the bison player is just better than you I dont see how vega has to struggle,. Especially p vega

Vega v. Blanka

The only real problem matches I have with this is against an RC electricity-happy Blanka. I basically get fucked when I’m cornered cuz it takes away to actually hit back and triangle jump out of there. But by that time, I’m already dead or low on life. :mad:

I was told that you can do a standing jab , standing fierce puch cancel into red impact is it possiable?

I don’t think S.LP is even comboable into a S.HP. Hell, I don’t even think you can cancel a S.HP into Red Impact. Anyone with the frame data book can probably confirm this.