天"Only One Can Be The True Master of The Fist!"天: The NEW Akuma Match-up Thread

Classic Fighting Games Street Fighter x Tekken
41

Raven (Vanilla)

Raven(Done)

[details=Spoiler]Next Up Raven

OVERVIEW

Generally touted as arguably one of the most braindead characters in SF X Tekken next to Hugo and Heihachi, Raven is an absolute beast. It’s a surprise as to what Capcom did to him to make the guy so strong as a character. With some high damage potential very strong jab pressure up close complimented with a very long backdash and average health. Raven can be a tough one to take down.

Raven does suffer in the wake-up department though. Although he has some wake-up moves, they aren’t invincible on the first frame (minus his backdash and his teleport). His specials for the most part are not safe also. Some things to take advantage of in this uphill battle.

APPROACH TACTICS

TELEPORTING

Raven Players will use their teleports in order to get in and by pass your zoning. It has some ridiculous recovery on it and it also isn’t helped by the fact that the teleport tracks your current location. You’ll want to bait these out as much as you can during this match-up in order to win.

THROWING NINJA STARS

Raven’s projectiles are a little different from the rest of the cast as they can be thrown in the air horizontally (compared to Akuma’s which can only be thrown at an angle.) They can be used as both zoning tools and as a way to create offense.

NORMALS TO LOOK OUT FOR

st.LP

Raven’s st.LP packs some great frame advantage on block (about +4 I believe.) With jab pressure being a viable tactic in this game you can be sure that Raven is going to tap you mercilessly with these for days.

Something to note about Raven’s st.LP is that the further he is away from you, the greater the frame gap he leaves.

If he starts hitting you at around his elbow you can reversal DP him through the blockstun but this really does depend on the speed at which he does the move.

You can backdash out of the st.LP punishment though assuming you are midscreen. If you are in the corner without meter, then a teleport is arguably your better choice.

There also is the option to alpha counter him should you have the meter.

Far Standing HP

Just a notable one for the simple fact that this normal will put you in a crumple state on counter hit. So watch out if you see some Raven Players charging up so that they can get a free counter hit from you.

cr.MK

Raven’s cr.MK is his best normal for canceling into his specials. It has some decent range but it stays active for a little longer than most cr.MKs which you can use to your advantage.

Whiff punish it with a cr.HK sweep or a st.MK into a Cross Rush.

st.MK

One of two of Raven’s anti-airs. This anti-air tends to beat your regular jump ins even counter hitting you out of them.

He can’t special cancel this normal though so if he does counter hit you, he can’t really follow-up with it unless he tags out into his partner.

As an anti-air this move loses to your cross-ups and your up close jump-ins such as ones from your regular dive kick (down + MK) provided that you have the right spacing in mind.

cr.MP

Raven’s second anti-air and it is arguably Raven’s best anti-air of choice against your jump-ins as it not only lowers his hitbox but he can also special cancel this move afterwards.

Like his st.MK, this anti-air loses to your cross-ups as well as your up close jump-ins.

If you have some meter to spare you can also approach him with some EX Air Fireballs to put some pressure on him. These will stuff both of his anti-airs since they don’t have any invincibility.

UNIQUE ATTACKS / TEKKEN STRINGS

STORMBRINGER (Forward + MK > MK or HK)
A 2 hit kick string that can be blocked either standing or crouching.

Apart from looking a bit flashy, this move does go over your low attacks

This string is safe to your normals and DP but you can Reversal Demon both hits on block should he decide not to finish the string.

SKULL SMASHER SERIES
The Skull Smasher Series of strings are a set of strings that Raven can use to easily open you up and score some damage.
They take some time to get used to and practice against but with some practice you can react to the versions and punish accordingly.

SKULL SMASHER (Back + MK > LK)
A 2 hit kick string that can be blocked either standing or crouching.

There isn’t really much you can do on block against this string other than a Reversal Demon on block. This works for both hits of the string on block.

It does push Raven back a little though putting you back into your ideal footsie range.

SKULL SMASHER FEINT (Back + MK > MK)
A 2 hit kick string that ends in an overhead.

This is a string to watch out for against Raven as the second hit causes a ground bounce on hit. Allowing Raven to start his damaging combo game.

The overhead follow-up is unsafe on block to your st.LP into a Cross Rush though. You will have to walk a little bit forwards to get the st.LP to connect on block.

There also is the option to DP between the 1st and 2nd hits into your partner but don’t rely on it too much as the 1st hit on block is safe to your DP. So some Raven Players may just stop the string short.

SKULL SMASHER FEINT LOW (Back + MK > HK)
A 2 hit kick string that ends in a low.

This string is mixed up along with Raven’s Skull Smasher Feint String (Back + MK > MK) for a high/low mix-up against you.

The low is a little slower than the overhead option though so if you can see this coming you can raw launcher it (pretty strict timing), DP in between it or you can just block it and take your punish in the form of a st.LP into a Cross Rush.

For those who learn by the game sounds and audio, Raven makes the same noise every single time he does either the overhead or the low option. So you can listen to his shouts and then react accordingly.

SPECIALS

CROSSED NINJA STARS (QCF + Any Punch)
Raven throws his ninja stars at you.

This move has two main uses
[LIST]
[]To act as a zoning tool to keep you out
[]To act as a way for Raven to get in and apply his pressure.
[/LIST]
One thing to note about this move is that Raven cannot perform any moves after he does this move until he lands on the floor again.

As a zoning tool this move is pretty annoying to deal with due to the fact that it is really hard to hit Raven whilst he does this move assuming he jumps back.

Interestingly you can walk Raven to the edge of the stage and if he still insists on throwing these out, a Misogi on reaction will catch him whilst he is doing it assuming he jumps in the corner.

Raven Players tend to avoid corner situations though due to his not so great ‘Get Off Me’ moves.

As a pressure tool this move puts you in some decent blockstun on block and Raven Players from this point will either teleport in front of you or behind you using his Haze speical move and it is up to you to predict this and punish it.

Generally most Raven Players tend to go for the cross-up teleport just to check if you are blocking correctly but be aware of the frontal approach also.

If Raven just does this move on the ground you can EX Demon Flip over him and follow-up with either your Palm or your Throw Follow-up. The palm is preferable in case he tries to jump afterwards but you can use the throw if you think that he is going to block or you screw up your timing. You’ll want to Demon Flip the moment he draws his Ninja Stars from… wherever he keeps that stash of ninja stars.

The EX Version hits twice. It is mainly used in either the fireball war to throw you off or to extend his combos. Not much to mention here other than you will either see this move if you are being juggled to death or Raven gets a little bit too uncomfortable with your zoning.

HAZE (DP or Reverse DP Motion + All Punches or All Kicks)
A.K.A Raven’s Teleport

This is Raven’s main way to not only by pass your zoning but also create some space against you as a wake-up attack.

Depending on what Version he does, where Raven will end up can change.

DP Motion + All Punches

This version tracks only behind you from where you are currently are. It is advised that whilst zoning Raven that you keep your Air fireballs low to the ground so that if he does teleport behind you, you can punish him for it on his recovery with a DP into your partner.

Reverse DP Motion + All Punches

This version teleports Raven backwards further than his kick variants. It isn’t used as much when Raven has 2 bars or more as the motion overlaps with Raven’s Super Art. But you can expect to see it whilst Raven doesn’t have 2 bars or more.

You can Option Select a Demon from a regular jump in on his wake-up should he try to use this to get away from you. This will also catch his backdash as well as it will work with his other Kick Variant.

DP Motion + All Kicks

This version teleports Raven in front of you instead of behind you unlike his kick variant. Reactions will be key here during your zoning to be honest so that you can punish him during his recovery.

A good training exercise against both his front and behind teleport,is to set Raven to record and randomly teleport behind you whilst you are zoning him out and then get him to mash on LPs during his recovery. By doing this, you will get a feel for the recovery on his teleport and you will be able to find out how low you should do your air fireballs in order to be safe. It isn’t foolproof by any means but it is a start :slight_smile:

Reverse DP Motion + All Kicks

Same as his Reverse DP Motion + All Punches Version only it travels less distance so it is easier to punish.

One thing to mention about Raven’s teleport is that it is not very effective in corner situations as the versions track your current positions and/or teleport him backwards…straight back into the corner.

ALTER EGO (QCF + Any Kick)
Raven Shouts and then using his gadgets, launches an attack

Depending on what version Raven uses, the properties of this move can change.

The LK Version hits as a low attack

The MK Version hits as an overhead

The HK Version looks a little tricky at first but you can block it either standing or crouching.

It is important to note that all versions of this move are unsafe on block and this is a move that you should watch out for exclusively against Raven as it will lead to really strong punishes from you in the form of your st.HP, DP or Cross Rush into your partner for some extra damage.

The EX Versions of this move are similar to the regular versions only the EX Version of the HK Version causes a wall bounce on hit.

The EX Version of the MK Version is also a decent ‘Get Off Me’ move from Raven due to its invincibility on start-up. You’ll want to bait this out as much as possible against Raven by watching his meter as it’s his most viable way to get you off of him aside from his teleport.

WIND CROSS (QCB + Any Punch)
Raven runs in your face with his two kunais for a slash attack

This move has two uses:
[LIST]
[]As a Fireball Punisher
[]As a Combo Starter
[*]As a Mix-up Tool
[/LIST]
With the right timing, this move can go through your fireballs. Hence you’ll want to learn the range on this move so that you can get him whiff it if he tries to do it.

On whiff you can punish him with whatever you please. St.HP into a Solo Combo, Cross Rush or a Demon etc.

All versions travel the same distance making learning the range on this move not as bad as you may think.

As a Combo Starter, many a player who has been hit by Raven knows what this leads to MORE DAMAGE.

As a Mix-up Tool, this move can be followed up by pressing a punch button again for a cross-up

Simply block forwards for the intial move and then block the other way for the cross-up

Your best punish against this move on block is either your Demon if you have meter or you st.MK into a Cross Rush if you don’t have any meter. Depending on where he finishes, you may or may not have to walk forwards a bit before punishing him.

Something to note about this move is that, the further away he is from you when he starts this move, the closer he will be to you on his recovery assuming that he doesn’t perform the follow-up. If he does then he will be in the position that he started from.

The EX Version has another follow-up that misses on crouching opponents. So your best bet is to crouch block this move so that you can avoid the follow-up from the EX Version should he try to do it against you.

If you are even interested in blocking the EX Version then you should just block the in the other direction as if you were blocking the first hit of the move.

The EX Version is really punishable on block. Punish with a st.HP or if you have the right spacing, a Far Standing HK into a Solo Combo. You could also Cross Rush him into your partner, but start with a Heavy Normal for less damage scaling.

Raven can use the EX Version as a Reversal Attack but it isn’t invincible on the first frame to lets say a DP so you can stuff him on his wake-up as well as safejump him with a Regular Dive Kick (Down + MK) on his wake-up.

This is also Raven’s Charge Move and like any other character, Raven can do some Charge Cancels with this move, these are unsafe if you block the normal and he dashes forwards to your DP.

Raven can also use this move to bring in his partner as well. Punishing his partner on incoming can be a little confusing at first but with some practice it is doable. You can punish his partner on incoming with a st.HP into a full combo or a Cross Rush.

DOPPLEGANGER (QCF + All Punches)

Raven’s Super Art is just a ‘Super’ Version of his Wind Cross (QCB + Any Punch) special. It is a lot better at going through your fireballs due to its increased invincibility.

Outside of going through fireballs, expect Raven to use this just to finish you off when you don’t have a lot of health left.

ALL IN ALL

Momentum is the key word here against Raven. The more pressure you can put on him and the more that you can get him reversal happy via knocking him down, the better your chances are at defeating him.

His specials are pretty unsafe so you can punish him as I have mentioned above.

Also Raven’s gameplan can be a little linear at times. Sure he has those teleports and tricks but after a while it just becomes the same old stuff to be honest. So you can take advantage of that weakness. He only has two overheads, both of which are unsafe on block. So you can hold down-back for the most part against him.

Remember to backdash his st.LP pressure also.

Forcing Raven to the corner is another good way to defeat Raven as Raven doesn’t have a great answer to corner pressure which you can really abuse against him by keeping him in the corner and controlling the corner with your fireballs.

A strong footsie game by you is also another good way to defeat Raven as whilst Raven has some decent normals, your footsies are pretty strong against him. You can constantly keep on faking him out and screwing over his ranges using your cr.HK sweep or whiff punishing him with your st.MK / cr.MK.

If all else fails you can always pair up Akuma with a partner who has a better time against Raven :D[/details]

42

Rolento (Vanilla)

Rolento(Done)

[details=Spoiler]OVERVIEW
Rolento hasn’t been in an SF Game for years and now that he makes his return in SF X Tekken, he is as overplayed and still as crazy as ever. Rolento makes his transition well into this game due to his plethora of movement options and the breaking of the phrase ‘style over substance.’ Granted he isn’t flashy but he gets the job done with his patriot circle pressure, his knockdown mix-ups and of course those pokes.

Rolento has one big problem though and it is that his wake-up options aren’t the strongest despite his bunch of strengths. Also being a mainly melee based character he has to get in your face for the most part.

APPROACH TACTICS

HIS MOVEMENT VIA HIS SPECIALS

Rolento can move in up to 4 different directions these are:
[LIST]
[]Off the wall
[]Rolling backwards then attacking
[]Jumping backwards then attacking
[]Jumping on that stick of his
[/LIST]
These can be really annoying to counter at first and I hope that I can try to address the ways in which you can counter these options.

POKING WITH NORMALS

Rolento has a stick and some long reaching limbs and with these limbs he will poke and poke and poke you to death. To counteract this, his walk speed isn’t the fastest around. Hence, learning the range on his normals is one of the key ways of beating Rolento.

JUMPING

Rolento is a little odd in the jumping department due to that stick of his. He can alter his jump arc slightly using his stick and move in other directions, hence it is best to DP him the moment he is highest in the air in order to anti-air him properly.

NORMALS TO LOOK OUT FOR

St. / Cr. LP

The infamous ‘tap tap tap’ normals from Rolento are a pain but they can be countered by back dashing and/or teleporting out of it. You can also Alpha Counter him as well if you feel uncomfortable or you are cornered.

Cr.MK

Rolento has a long reaching cr.MK but its reach and the amount of time it is active for means that is easier to whiff punish than most normals in the game. Go for a cr.HK sweep if he whiffs this normal a little too much to score a knockdown.

Far Standing HP

Rolento’s Far Standing HP is his longest reaching normal on the ground. It reaches so far that if you are hit with the tip of this normal, he can’t launch you afterwards as he is too far to do so.

You’ll want to learn the range on this move alot as on whiff if you have some good reactions, you can jump in on him and score a free combo. Rolento players tend to use this as a ‘clear the space’ kind of move, just to show you who has the greater reach or if they become REALLY desperate to score a hit on you assuming they can’t open you up via other means.

There is also the option to cr.HK sweep him as well should you really master the range on this move if he whiffs it.

Far Standing MP

This is Rolento’s main anti-air of choice and it is a good one. It will stuff your jump ins clean if timed right.

As an anti-air this is weak to cross-up attacks and up close jump ins due to the fact that he moves forwards whilst doing the move.

He also can’t follow-up with it by himself as the move is not special cancellable. He will have to switch cancel into his partner in order to follow up with it and this is assuming the move even hits as a counter hit.

Far Standing MK

Rolento’s Far Standing MK is good long range kick against you. You’ll want to learn the range on this move so that you can whiff punish it with your cr.HK sweep or even your own Far Standing MK into a Cross Rush.

UNIQUE ATTACKS

TRICK ROD (Forward + MK)
Rolento stands on his stick whilst on the ground

This move is like a little counter to your low attacks. Rolento will use this if you get a little bit too low happy against him.

It doesn’t last very long though so getting him to whiff this is key so that you can punish him with a cr.MK or a cr.HK sweep for a knockdown

SPIKE ROD (Down + MK Whilst In The Air)
Rolento Bounces on his stick whilst in the air

This is where fighting against Rolento can be a little tricky (although I am probably sugarcoating this statement a little too much)

This move can alter Rolento’s jump arc making it quite annoying to anti-air him. You’ll want to anti-air him the moment he is at the highest point of his jump in order to beat him clean when he jumps at you therefore shutting this move down completely.

If Rolento does manage to get this move out, then he can go forwards or backwards, they both travel the same distance so it is good to learn this distance so that you can space yourself properly and punish him accordingly for it.

If Rolento goes forwards generally, he has two options:
[LIST]
[]Attack from the front with a J.MP
[]Cross you up with a J.MK
[/LIST]
You can react to this move with a cr.HP. You’ll want to do the cr.HP the moment he bounces off of the floor. You could score a counter hit from this allowing you to follow-up afterwards.

Rolento will mainly go backwards in order to bait out your DPs and anti-airs. He can’t really do much from the distance but it does give him an idea as to whether you are DPing or not. In this case he will tend to cross you up with a J.MK going forwards next time he does the move to make your DP whiff.

Of course there is idea of just flat out teleporting out of there if you don’t want to face the onslaught of mix-ups.

TRICK LANDING (All Kicks While Landing)
Rolento sticks his stick down on the floor whilst landing

This is just another way for Rolento to mix you up only its a bit easier to see coming as he has to be hitting the floor in order to perform it.

This move travels the same distance as his Spike Rod, so if you have got the range of his Spike Rod down, then you will be able to counter this move more effectively.

SPECIALS

STINGER (DP Motion + Any Kick > Any Punch)
Rolento Jumps Upwards and Shoots a Knife at a Downward Angle

The main purpose of this move is to act as a little zoning tool against you to keep you out. I say little as you can Demon Flip over this move and then Palm him for a full combo assuming he is airborne.

Rolento will signal this move by jumping and making a noise, during which he can only throw his knife. He can’t do any air to air normals so you won’t have to worry about being beaten air to air unless you are hit by the knife.

Depending on what version of this move Rolento uses, the distance that he jumps will change.

The LK Version jumps the lowest to the ground whereas the heavier versions allow him to jump higher off the ground.

The higher Rolento jumps off the ground, the longer the range of his knife throw.

The knife itself doesn’t have the durability to stop your fireballs so you can throw them and nulify the knife attack.

The EX Version jumps as high as the Heavy Version and instead shoots 3 knives instead of 1 like the regular versions. It is pretty difficult to catch all three of them with a regular fireball but the challenge is there though :).

Your best punish against this move is your Misogi. Simply perform it the moment he jumps off of the floor or if he tries to throw his knife and you will catch him on the way down from the move.

Your next best punish is your Demon Flip > Palm Follow-up. Although you’ll have to time this one a little bit. You’ll want to do it the moment he jumps in the air. If done correctly, you can either whiff him completely or hit him whilst he is in the air.

Either way it does lead to a free combo of your choice as you can punish him on the way down from the move.

MEKONG DELTA ATTACK (All Punches > Any Punch)
Rolento Jumps Backwards into a Ball and then rolls in your face.

This is one of Rolento’s ways of getting in your face. It is arguably one of his worst at full-screen to be honest.

Different Versions of this move allow Rolento to travel at different ranges.

The LP Version allows Rolento to travel half the screen.

The MP Version allows Rolento to travel a little bit more. If he does this from full-screen, he will be just outside the range of his cr.MK and Far Standing MK.

The HP Version allows Rolento to get right up close into your face.

The regular versions of this move do not go through your fireballs which limits its usefulness.

On the other hand the EX Version does and it is really telegraphed as well due to the flash from the EX move. So if he does this, then time your DP properly and punish him whilst he is doing the move.

There is also the option to block this move and take a Reversal Demon Punish too. This works also both the Regular and EX Versions

MEKONG DELTA AIR RAID (QCB + Any Punch > Any Punch)
Rolento rolls backwards and then jumps forwards with a strike from his stick.

The key thing to note about this move is that it is an overhead.

Different Versions allow Rolento to travel different distances with the LP Version travelling the least and the HP Version travelling the most.

Like his Mekong Delta Attack the Regular Versions of this move are not invincible to fireballs whereas the EX version is.

On block you can Reversal DP Rolento and Reversal Demon him also. This works for all versions of this move.

You can also anti air him too with a DP but you’ll have to be quick especially against the EX version as the anti-air can whiff.

MEKONG DELTA ESCAPE (QCB + Any Kick > Any Punch OR Any Kick)
Rolento Jumps on the wall

During this wall jump, Rolento can change his trajectory and he can perform any of his aerial normals during the wall jump.

The wall jump is a little slow, so if you aren’t throwing any fireballs and you can see this coming, air to air him out of it. This is arguably the best time to actually go air to air with Rolento due to the recovery from this move. You’ll want to air to air him the minute he bounces off of the wall.

The EX Version is slightly faster and invincible to projectiles and your physical attacks but you can still counter him in the same way as the regular versions.

You can also either decide to anti-air him or you can teleport out of there when he decides to do this move to safety

PATRIOT CIRCLE (QCF + Any Punch)
Rolento Spins his stick around. This move can be done 3 times in a sequence.

Ahh the annoying sound of this move. You’ll see this move alot if you are getting hit alot by Rolento.

The move is a Rekka Type move similar to Fei Long’s Rekkas from SF4.

The Rekkas become more and more unsafe the more he does.

The 1st Rekka on block can only be Reversal Demon Punished on block. It is used in conjunction with his cr.MK for a safe pressure string if you don’t have 2 bars.

The 2nd Rekka on block is DP punishable on block

The 3rd Rekka isn’t even a true block-string thus it can be interrupted with your normals and even your Misogi on block.

The EX Version is one big swing. It is Rolento main ‘Get off Me’ move apart from his super. You’ll want get him to whiff this move so that you can punish him during his recovery especially on his wake-up. Most Rolento Players tend to roll on their wake-ups due to his no so strong wake-up options.

There is option to also block the EX Version and take your punish in the form of a DP or a Reversal Demon.

PATRIOT SWEEPER (QCF + All Punches)

Rolento’s Super is an over the top version of his Patriot Circle move. It doesn’t pack alot of range but it does pack some invincibility.

Due to the Super’s poor range, its main use is in a combo to kill you.

On block this move acts like Rolento’s Patriot Circle only he is forced to finish all of his rekkas. You can DP him between the 2nd and Last Rekka.

It can also be used to chip you out due to its multitude of hits also. If you have the meter, Alpha Counter him.

On block you can punish the completed move with a st.HP, Cross Rush (Start with either LPs or MPs), Demon. Take your pick, Rolento is really open here so any punish will do depending on your current situation.

ALL IN ALL

Knockdowns are key in this match-up with Rolento here as he can be easily abused on wake-up by you. Make sure that you whiff punish his main poking normals with your cr.HK sweep and try to mix him up as much as possible if he decides to roll.

Try to zone Rolento out as much as possible to take advantage of the fact that he is a melee based character. Sure he has projectiles but his zoning outside of those projectiles isn’t very strong against you due to your demon flips. Meaning more often than not, he will be forced to come to you.

Also just because Rolento has mobility doesn’t mean you don’t too. Your demon flips can be good for getting around the place and screwing over his offense as well as your teleport to get you out of bad situations. Rolento doesn’t have great answers to your teleport unless you start getting too over reliant on it.

Make sure you punish his patriot circles accordingly as Rolento Players like to use them in pressure strings against you and not knowing how to punish these can lead to frustration which can lead to Rolento easily wiping you out due to your low health. So try not to get locked down by Rolento at all costs.[/details]

43

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44

Rufus
[spoiler=“Rufus”][/spoiler]

45

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46

Ryu (Vanilla)

Ryu(Done)

[details=Spoiler]OVERVIEW
The typical shoto battle. Although it has changed albeit slightly in Street Fighter X Tekken due to Ryu’s Donkey Kick and his cancelable sweep. Ryu lays on the hurt as well if you make a mistake. But with some patience and some good reads, the matchup is winnable.

APPROACH TACTICS

TATSUMAKI

Ryu will use his Tatsumaki to not only get across to you but also pass through your fireballs if you get too fireball happy. Duck it and Cr.HP him or Uppercut into your partner if you have the meter.

JUMPING

Like any other character in Street Fighter X Tekken, Ryu will also jump at you to start offense. Cr.HP if he is trying to cross you up with a cross up tatsumaki and DP him if he doesn’t. Provided your spacing is on point.

NORMALS TO LOOK OUT FOR

Cr.MK
Reverted back to how it was in SF4 before AE came and nerfed it. Learn its range and try to get him to whiff it so that you can Cr.HK sweep him or raw launcher him to punish it.

Cr.HK
Now special cancellable. Expect it to be used with his Donkey Kick for some safe pressure.

UNIQUE ATTACKS

COLLARBONE BREAKER (Forward + MP)
Ryu’s two hit overhead. Its now slightly more dangerous in this game. Whilst alone he can’t follow up with it, if he switch cancels, his partner can. Which can lead to a 300-400 damage combo depending on who is paired up with him.

On block this move is safe to your DP but it is Reversal Demon Punishable.

SOLAR PLEXUS STRIKE (Forward + HP)
A two hit strike that moves Ryu forward. Mainly useful in punishment situations but don’t be surprised if he wants to throw this out to throw you off in footsies. Its pretty bad on whiff so punish with a Cross Rush if necessary.

On block this move is only Reversal Demon punishable.

SPECIALS

HADOKEN (QCF + Any Punch)
Pretty much your standard projectile since SF was born. Ryu like you will be mixing up the speeds of his hadoken in fireball wars waiting for that moment to tatsu in your face.

If you have the bar you can EX Demon Flip over his fireballs and punish him for it (use the palm or the throw followup) on reaction.

This is also Ryu’s charge move and he will use this mix up his fireballs further but to also create pressure up close with Charge Dash Cancels. Which are unsafe on block so s.HP him if he tries to do so or DP him out of it.

The EX version hits twice, its something Ryu may throw in during fireball wars to throw you off your game or tag out safely. But with meter being so important, expect to see it less against Ryu Players who have good meter management.

SHORYUKEN (DP Motion + Any Punch)
Ryu’s uppercut tends to trade a bit more often against jump-ins now. Nevertheless it is still a good anti air. Ryu will use this either on wakeup to get you off of him or on hit you with it on block to call in his partner. The DP switch cancel IS NOT SAFE with Ryu. You can Light Punch his partner coming in or reversal DP into your partner if you have the meter catching both characters in the process.

The EX version is Ryu’s Shin Shoryuken. Although on block it just turns in to a regular uppercut with alot of invicibility and hits. The EX version of Ryu’s uppercut is arguably the best way to bring his partner in. Although it will cost him 2 bars. So watch his meter and keep an eye out for it if he wants to do it.

TATSUMAKI SEMPUKYAKU (QCB + Any Kick)
Ryu’s famous tornado whirlwind kick. Ryu will use this to get through your fireballs if you get too projectile happy.It will take you some good reads to bait this move out and punish it. If you block it standing it is relatively safe on block.

The EX version is mainly used as a combo extender in the corner. You won’t really see many Ryu Players throw this out unless he is hitting you in a combo even so if he does randomly and it whiffs. Take your free punish.

AIRBORNE TATSUMAKI SEMPUKYAKU (QCB + Any Kick Whilst In The Air)
The airborne version of Ryu’s Tatsu is mainly used to cross you up after a knockdown. Although Cross up Tatsu > Shinku Hadoken still hurts Akuma so be careful when Ryu has two bars.

JOUDAN SOKUTOGERI (A.K.A 'Donkey Kick) (HCF + Any Kick)
Ryu’s donkey kick is back in the world of SF albeit its alot better than what it was last time its slightly harder to punish than in 3rd Strike but its still do-able nonetheless.

The Light version of the kick is the fastest and is Cross Rush punishable on block. (Start with c.MK) you could also perform a solo combo from a c.MK too

The Medium version is slightly slower but still Cross Rush punishable on block (Start with c.MK) like the light one you could also perform a solo combo starting with c.MK.

The Heavy version is the slowest but it is safe to your LPs and your Demon.

The Heavy Version is the most notable version of the Donkey Kick as Ryu Players will use this by cancelling into it off of a c.MK or a c.HK sweep. As far as I know cr.MK into HK Donkey Kick is NOT a true blockstring. It can be DPed out of or even Misogied in between.

The EX version causes a wallbounce and is safe on block. But it is Demon Punishable. If you don’t have the meter however just block it and rejoice in the fact that Ryu has wasted meter for a little chip damage (unless he wants to chip you to death.)

Ryu Players like to use this move in blockstrings against you using his cr.MK and his cr.HK. Some of these blockstrings are not true blockstrings. They can be DPed/Misogied out of in between them.

Blockstrings with cr.MK
[LIST]
[]cr.MK into LK Joudan = True Block String
[]cr.MK into MK Joudan = NOT a True Block String
[]cr.MK into HK Joudan = NOT a True Block String
[/LIST]
Blockstrings with cr.HK
[LIST]
[]cr.HK into LK Joudan = True Block String
[]cr.HK into MK Joudan = True Block String
[]cr.HK into HK Joudan = NOT a True Block String
[/LIST]
All Blockstrings with Ryu’s EX Joudan are True Blockstrings

SHINKU HADOKEN (QCF + All Punches)
Shinku hadoken isn’t nearly as safe and fast to startup as it was in SF4 (The projectile itself still is relatively quick though). Punish it on block with whatever you please.
Ryu will use this either to inflict massive damage to you or to snag your partner when they come in via a raw tag.

The Shinku is also good in fireball wars against you so watch your fireballs and spacing when he has 2 bars.

ALL IN ALL
Shoto knowledge is key here. Read Ryu carefully to see what he does next and punish on reaction. Also bait out those DPs as they’ll lead to massive damage for Akuma.[/details]

47

Sagat (Vanilla)

Sagat(Done)

[details=Spoiler]OVERVIEW

The King makes his return into the world of SF and he has made quite a solid transition into the world of SF X Tekken. His great reach in his normals allows him to really take advantage of the chaning system and he can still zone pretty well due to the longer stages and his fireballs due to the lack of the focus attack system from SF4.

Sagat still has some problems with his mobility though which is made worse by the fact that he can’t zone as well as he could in SF4. Making him more reliant on his spacing and footsies to win fights. His damage also isn’t as great as it was in SF4 due to the removal of FADCs. A good comparison for SF X Tekken Sagat would be to say that he is kind of like his Vanilla SF4 counterpart. Only he doesn’t do as much damage as his old self.

APPROACH TACTICS

KARA MOVES

Sagat is pretty much infamous for his kara cancels. These allow him to punish jump ins that other characters would usually struggle to punish or to quickly get in on his opponent.

The most notable one for you is his Kara Tiger Knee. Which I will cover below.

ZONING YOU OUT

Sagat’s fireballs can be used to force you to start jumping at him so that he can uppercut you for free. Use your Red Fireballs to your advantage to try to beat his fireballs.

NORMALS TO LOOK OUT FOR

Far St.MK

Sagat’s Far St.MK is more dangerous than it used to be because of the chaining system. It’s a solid whiff punish against your cr.MK and your cr.HK sweep but it does take some time to recover on whiff so you’ll want to learn its range so that you can whiff punish it in footsies.

St.HK

Sagat’s st.HK is still that big old red hitbox it was in SF4.

The move hits twice and the second hit misses crouching opponents allowing you to whiff punish him with a st.MK into a Cross Rush or you even whiff punish with a cr.MP.if your spacing is on point.

Cr.MK

Sagat’s cr.MK has some decent range on it.

It is a low attack that stays active for quite a while in comparison to other cr.MKs (most notably yours) but this is a weakness in itselfa as you can raw launcher it if you can see it coming.

You can also whiff punish it with a cr.HK sweep or even a st.MK should you master the reach of this move.

UNIQUE ATTACKS

HEAVY TIGER ELBOW (Forward + HP)
Sagat slams his elbow downwards on top of your head.

This move hits as an overhead.

Sagat can’t follow-up with this move by himself but with the correct partner, he can. For instance, anyone with a 3 frame jab can come in and continue the combo.

On block you can only Reversal Demon this move.

LOW STEP KICK (Forward + LK)
Sagat takes a step forwards and clips your leg with a low kick.

This move by itself is pretty easy to block. Just block it low and don’t bother trying to punish it as it is safe on block to even your Reversal Demon.

Its main use though is in Sagat’s Kara Cancels.

For those who don’t know. A kara cancel can be performed by cancelling the start-up of one move into another. They are usually done through moves that move characters forwards along the ground. If it is done successfully, the character will perform the move afterwards with some increased reach on it using the forward momentum of the move.

Sagat can cancel kara cancel this move into his Specials and also his Cross Art as seen below.

For a good example of a use of this move, check out this clip here.

This cancel along with the fact that his Cross Art has massive reach on it and it is invincible makes it a really good anti-fireball tool against you

It is just pretty much a case of just learning the range on this move to be honest so that you can predict it in your zoning.

There are other examples of his Forward Step Kick (Forward + LK.) I’ll be covering these in the Specials section.

HIGH STEP KICK (Forward + HK)
Sagat steps forwards with a spinning kick

The main use of this move is in anti-air purpose as on the ground it misses crouching opponents.

If he does try this move randomly in your face, duck it and take your free punish in the form of a Far Standing HK into a Cross Rush or a Solo Combo depending on your spacing.

FAKE KICK (HK > HK (Just Frame) )
Sagat brings his leg up as if he is about to do a st.HK and then brings it back down again.

This move can be a dangerous tool against you as it is bait for you to try to whiff punish Sagat in footsie situations.

Sagat players tend to whiff their st.HKs quite a bit before doing the move thus making you whiff and allowing them to punish.

In my experience it has also been a little bit distracting especially when there is the threat of him just EX Tiger Kneeing me in the face whilst I try to zone him out so watch out for it.

SPECIALS

TIGER SHOT SERIES
The Tiger Shot Series is comprised of Sagat’s two main fireballs. The High Tiger Shot (QCF + Any Punch) and The Low Tiger Shot (QCF + Any Kick)

Sagat’s fireballs have been made slightly worse in this game. They start up a little slower and the recovery on them was made a little worse. Meaning they are easier to punish on reaction in comparison to SF4.

This isn’t helped by the fact that he can’t fake his fireballs like Poison and Ryu can to trick you as these moves are not Sagat’s Charge Move.

Hence you will generally find that with Sagat, he will be more focused on his spacing and pokes more than his fireballs. Especially against you: a character who can pretty much jump over his fireballs at will if you have a bar of meter stocked thanks to your EX Demon Flip.

HIGH TIGER SHOT (QCF + Any Punch)
Sagat’s High Fireball Attack

I apologize if this may sound patronizing but this is a high attack that misses crouching opponents. So duck it if you don’t want to recieve some chip damage.

Different versions of this move dictate the speed and the recovery of this move.

The LP Version travels the slowest and has the worst recovery. Good for catching you if you are too air fireball happy.

The MP Version is like a mix between the LP and HP Versions in terms of speed and recovery.

The HP Version is the fastest and it is the fastest to recover. It is good for keeping you in the corner for pressure.

The EX Version hits twice and travels at a set speed.

As meter is really important in this game, the EX Version isn’t thrown out as much because Switch Cancelling and EX Tiger Knee is generally where it is at for Sagat.

Sagat like you will be (or should be in your case) mixing up his fireballs and it is a good idea to get used to seeing the difference between his versions of his fireballs so that you can try to read his next move.

LOW TIGER SHOT (QCF + Any Kick)
Sagat’s Low Fireball Attack

Sagat’s Low Tiger is similar to his High Variant in terms of properties. The only difference here is that it hits lower to the ground: a nightmare for those with Special Steps but not really for you.

Like his High Tiger Shot, different versions change both the speed of the move and its recovery.

The LK Version is the slowest and the slowest to recover

The MK Version is a mix between the LK and HK Versions

The HK Version is the fastest of the two and recovers the fastest.

The EX Version hits twice and moves at a set speed.

Like his High Tiger Shot, his EX Low Tiger Shot isn’t thrown out as much as his Switch Cancel Potential as well as his EX Tiger Knee are a lot better options.

Like his High Tiger Shot, it is good practice to watch and recognise the different versions of his fireballs so that you can try to read his next move.

OVERALL
The Tiger Shot Series is a good series of fireballs against those who struggle against them but not for you.

You can easily negate and pass through his fireballs with either your own Red Fireball or by Demon Flipping in his face (EX or Non-EX.)

Hence Sagat will be more focused on his footsies and his spacing as they both have been improved in comparison to his fireballs against you.

TIGER UPPERCUT (DP Motion + Any Punch)
A.K.A Sagat’s DP move.

This move got a little better from SF4.

The LP Version of this move starts up in 4 frames instead of 5.

For anyone who isn’t very strong with their frame data this means that the cr.HK sweep into Regular Dive Kick (Down + MK) Safejump won’t work on Sagat on his wake-up unless you time it so that the Divekick hits him in his face or higher.

This move can be a pain versus Sagat as even if it trades, you almost always end up coming out worse off.

On block, all versions of this move hit once.

The rest of the versions start up in 5 frames or higher meaning they are easier to safe-jump than the LP Version

The EX Version is good in combos if it hits you. Otherwise just block it and punish it whilst he is coming down.

Like any other DP this move is horribly unsafe on block. Punish him with a s.HP into a Solo Combo or a Cross Rush on the way down. You’ll want to punish him the moment his feet touch the floor again otherwise you will put him in an SF4 style reset.

This is a move you’ll want to bait out as much as you can as Sagat Players tend to use the DP Switch Cancel which is unsafe on block to you. It’s more unsafe than Ryu’s ones.

You can st.HP his partner on incoming or you could just DP them on incoming. Both options will catch both characters should you time it right.

This is a move Sagat Players tend to Kara into quite a bit in order to stop your shallow jump ins. You’ll want to learn the range on this Kara so that you can get him to whiff it if he tries to do it against you.

Just for reference, a Kara’d HP Tiger Uppercut travels just over half-screen.

TIGER KNEE CRUSH (DP Motion + Any Kick)
Sagat jumps and thrusts his knee in your face.

This is Sagat’s main pressure tool against you.

Depending on how he spaces this move you can punish it in different ways.

All of Sagat’s regular versions of his Tiger Knee are unsafe on block if performed deep. The deep version is a two hit attack that is very unsafe on block. You can punish him with a st.HP into a Solo Combo or a Cross Rush.

The Shallow Version is the version where he hits you just about where he starts to hit the floor again. It is sort of a delayed hit in a way.

The LK Version travels the least distance. You can Reversal DP this move if it is done shallow.

The MK Version travels some more distance. It is safe to your stuff including your Reversal Demon if performed shallow.

The HK Version travels the most distance. You can either st.HP this into a Solo Combo or a Cross Rush or Reversal DP it if it is done shallow.

The HK Version also misses on crouching opponents making it less useful than his MK Version.

The EX Version is where it is at for Sagat here. It hits multiple times, is safe to your stuff including your Reversal Demon on block and it is little faster than the other versions.

If Kara’d the EX Version can get him in your face at almost full-screen distance. He only has to dash forwards once and then perform the move in order to get in your face. Hence you’ll have to watch his meter closely so that you can predict it whilst you are zoning him.

Overall you’ll want to learn the reach of these tiger knees so that you can get him to whiff them (especially the MK Version). They don’t go through your fireballs so that is a plus at least.

TIGER GENOCIDE (DP Motion + All Kicks)

Sagat’s super starts up pretty fast. It starts up in about the same time as your DP.

This move doesn’t go through your fireballs. Meaning its main use is in combos to finish you off when you are low on life.

As it starts up in the same time as your DP, if he does this randomly in your face you can EX DP him out of it.

ALL IN ALL

Reach and spacing is key here to beating Sagat as his moves vary in how safe they are depending on whether they are blocked either shallow or deep.

You do pretty well against him in the fireball war as you can bust through his fireballs with your Red Fireball and force him to start jumping at you.

More often than not, Sagat will be coming to you due to your stronger fireball game against him because of this.

Learn the reach and ranges on his normals, these are key to defeating him

Watch out for Tiger Knees also especially if he has meter as random EX Tiger Knee can be a little hard to react to at first but with some practice (and some negative edging) it is do-able.

Also try to bait out his uppercut especially in roll situations. That thing is horribly unsafe on block and it is pretty much Sagat’s main option against you when he is on the ropes.

Sagat doesn’t hit as hard as he used to due to the lack of FADCs from SF4. Hence he will be relying on his partner to make up for the rest of the damage. From there it is pretty much a question as to who he is paired up with.

Just be careful about screwing up in your zoning otherwise if he gets a jump and he has 2 or more bars, it can be game over for you pretty quickly[/details]

48

Steve
[spoiler=“Steve”][/spoiler]

49

Reserved

50

Toro
[spoiler=“Toro”][/spoiler]

51

Vega
[spoiler=“Vega”][/spoiler]

52

Reserved for Vega Part 2

53

Xiaoyu (Vanilla) Done By OZLeon

[details=Spoiler]Xiaoyu

OVERVIEW
A young girl with some tricky offense up close. One button press could lead to some serious damage and leave in another mixup. She doesn’t have the best of footsies and she’s usually an anchor character. However she does have her ways to get if you’re not aware.

APPROACH TACTICS
Xiaoyu has a floaty jump, so you should have no trouble anti airing her.

NORMALS TO LOOK OUT FOR

F+Mk

It’s an overhead, goes over lows, and allows her to go into a full combo afterwards. When she’s on top of you, don’t press crouching jabs , shorts, or crouch tech or the overhead will go over your normal give her a big combo. It’s pretty slow with 22 startup frames, so you can react to it pretty easily. If you block it she’ll have +3 frame advantage so don’t be pressing any buttons afterwards.

In footsies, she can use f+mk to go over your cr.mk and sweep. Far mp and far hp will stop it cold.

Far lp and Close lp

Basic jabs that give her good frame advantage on block and hit. She can do some stand jab pressure that’ll let her set up a high/low throw game.

Cr.lk and Cr.mk

Both are reall supbar pokes by themselves, but with F+mk, give her a high low game. They’re both pretty bad on block with cr.lk at -3 and cr.mk at -9. Most Xiaoyus will just cancel them into wave crest, which is safe on block being at -3 at quite a distance.

Far Mk

Moves her forward and leaves her at +1 on block and +5 on hit so don’t press any buttons afterwards. It has a slow 14 frame startup, so your pokes should beat it.

UNIQUE ATTACKS / TEKKEN STRINGS
She has none.:smiley:

SPECIALS

Storming Flower
It can eat one projectile hit so red fireball will beat it. Leads to a knockdown on hit. -6 on block so sweep can punish it.

Fortune
Moves Xiaoyu forward with a chop attack that puts her into Rain dance.+3 on hit and 0 on block. Can lead into Fortune 2nd hit which will lead into a knock down and is -3 on block. Fortune has a 25 startup frames so your pokes such as cr.mk and sweep will beat it in footsies.

Fortune Cookie
Similar to Fortune. Mostly used in combos. -7 on block so sweep or cr.mk can punish. Can lead into Fortune Cookie 2nd and then Fortune Cookie 3rd hit. 2nd hit is 0 on block and can lead into Rain Dance. 3rd hit -3 on block and leaves her in normal stance.

EX Fortune Cookie
Mostly used in combos. Can lead into a 2nd and 2rd hit like Fortune Cookie. On block 1st hit is -7, 2nd hit is 0 on block, and 3rd hit is -3 . 3rd hit will cause a wall bounce on hit.

Shooting Star
Her dive kick. Lk version takes her midscreen, hk takes her full screen, mk is somewhere in between, ex tracks. The normal versions will lead into a knock down on hit and gives her frame advantage on block. Ex version will cause a wall bounce and leaves her at -1 on block up close so raging demon can punish or start your own pressure. They’re used to get around fireballs and to get her close. The normal versions all pretty slow so jumping back with an attack will smack her out of the air or anti air her with shoryuken. Ex version has upper body invulnerability, gives her lower half has projectile invincibility, and is pretty fast. Block or avoid the ex version.

Hakkesho
Xiaoyu moves forward and performs a downward strike with both arms. Mostly used in combos. All versions are -6 so you can puinish with at least sweep.

Phoenix Stance
Xiaoyu goes into a low stance that avoid fireballs. She gets access to new special moves that will be listed below. However she can’t block in this stance.

Wave Crest
A quick elbow attack. Pushes her opponent out of range and can start up juggles. It’s -3 on block and has quite the push back so you really can’t punish it. Ex version has invincibility. Ex version is -3 on block as well.

Double Map Sweep
A double sweep that has to be blocked low. Can be used as part of her high low mixup up close. The normal versions lead into a knock down while the ex version can lead into a combo. Lk, mk, hk and ex versions are -2,- 4, -6, and -1 on block. Hk can be punished by sweep. Raging demon can punish all versions.

Flower Power
Xiaoyu perform a series of kicks depending on which button she pressed. Lk is 2 kicks, mk is 4 kicks, hk and ex are 6 kicks. Can be used to go over low attacks as it puts her airborne and be followed by a juggle. On block lk is -4, mk is -2, hk is 0, and ex is -4. A jab can punish lk and ex versions followed by a combo though it might be a little tough. Raging demon can punish all versions except hk.

Phoenix Talon
Xiaoyu does rising upkicks. They all have invincibility frames. Some Xiayuo players like to go into Phoenix stance, bait an attack since she can not block, and then use Phoenix Talon to beat the attack. Lk has a 5 frame startup while the rest have a 8 frame startup. On block, lk is -3, mk is -4, hk is -7, and ex is -3 but the last hits of the all versions can be avoided making it more unsafe. Punishing with a full combo can be tough since it can smack her into a aerial state where follow ups aren’t possible, and she recovers pretty fast once she lands. For a guaranteed punish, use a shoryuken.

RAIN DANCE STANCE

Xiaoyu turns her back to her opponent and also gives her access to new moves. She can’t block in this stance but she can still move around.

Mistrust

Xiayuo performs a kick that can relect fireballs back at you. Lk and ex reflects them directly at you, mk at a 45 degree angle, hk at a 80 degree angle. Ex version also has invincibility frames. All versions of mistrust are -2 on block so raging demon might be able to punish depending on close she was when she performed it. ON hit all versions can lead into Dark and Stormy.

Dark and Stormy
A 3 hitting attack. Mostly used in combos. Ex version however has armor to interrupt attacks. all versions of Dark and Stormy are -13 on block.

Turn of Fortune
A fan like attack that can end with Xiaoyu in Phoenix Stance. Ex version has armor frames that can be used to interrupt attacks. The normal version is -7 on block and the ex version is -13 on block.

California Roll
A roll that can lead into Cyclone Left. The stronger the button, the farther she goes. Can be used to close the distance or to prevent you from rolling. The ex version has strike invincibility.

Cyclone Left
Upkicks that can be done from California Roll. It crushes standing strike frames so use crouching moves to beat it.

Back Layout
An overhead flip attack that must be blocked high. With 28 frames of startup, it is easy to react to. Xiaoyu can cancel Back Layout to prevent you from beating it on startup. If it connects while you’re grounded, it’ll lead into a cinematic and smack you away from her. If it connects while you’re in the air, it’ll do less damage and knock you down. Normal version is - 6 on block and ex is -7 on block so you can jab into a full combo.

Hakkesho Combo
Xiaoyu’s super that looks similar to Hakkesho. It’s used for juggles, punishing slow moves, and reversal. Very unsafe on block so punish her hard.

ALL IN ALL
Xiaoyu is pretty easy to zone out with fireballs and your pokes and also because she has medicore pokes. She has a floaty jump so all of her jumps should be anti aired. If she tries to use f+mk to go over you low pokes, mix it up with st.mp or st.hp.

If she starts reflecting your fireballs with Mistrust, you can send a red fireball to beat out the reflected fireball, get closer so reflecting fireballs becomes tougher for her, change the timing of you fireball speeds, or use demon flip palm to punish Mistrust. However be aware she can reflect fireballs at a high angle to intercept your demon flip attempts.

If she uses Phoenix Stance to go under, use a sweep or a cr.mk chained into launcher. Be careful since she can always use Phoenix Talon to beat you attack. If she tries to use Phoenix Talon, mix up your attack timings or bait her. You cal also use air fireballs to force her to block or eat the damage.

Once she gets meter, she can use ex Shooting Star to punish your fireballs and go into a full combo. You can also jump back attack it, bait it by using a quick normal as a fake fireball such as st.lk or st.lp. Don’t worry about blocking the ex version since it leaves her at -1.

Xiaoyu can also use California Roll from Rain Dance Stance as a way to get in. Be careful since the ex version is strike invincible and can go though you can cross you up. She can also use Ex Dark and Stormy, Cyclone Left, and ex Mistrust to beat any counter attack. Safest bet is to block it out or teleport out.

If she gets you knocked down, be patient, don’t press buttons, block low and react to her overheads. Find the gaps in between her pressure and strike. You can also teleport out to reset the situation. Don’t get predictable with your teleports, since any good player will punish them.

Try not to jump at her since she has a good anti air with her sweep which can lead into a damaging combo. You can use divekicks, late air fireballs, and cross up tatsu to mess with her anti airs. Be aware that the Xiaoyu can always air to air you if you start getting predictable.

If you get her knocked down, you can pressure with cross ups, meaty air fireballs, dive kicks, cross up tatsu etc to harass her pretty easily since her wakeup options are either slow and/or cost meter. However she does have a good backdash. If she starts getting predictable with her backdash, meaty cl.hk or hk tatsu on her wakeup to catch her. Be careful since she can always use another wakeup option to beat this. [/details]
[/quote]

54

Reserved

55

Yoshimitsu Part 1 (Vanilla)
[LEFT][spoiler=“Yoshimitsu(Done)”][/spoiler][/LEFT]

56

Yoshimitsu Part 2 (Vanilla)
[spoiler=“YoshimitsuPart2”][/spoiler]

57

Zangief (V.2013)

Zangief(Done)

[details=Spoiler]OVERVIEW

The Red Cyclone makes his guaranteed appearance in SF X Tekken and he has come with a few tricks up his sleeve. With an armored charge move as well as some of the buffs he got to his command throws, Gief is quite a monster…up close that is.

He still holds the same weaknesses as his SF4 counterpart in the fact that he struggles against heavy zoning characters, this is made worse by the fact that the stages are longer and fireballs are a lot stronger in SF X Tekken due to the lack of the focus system from SF4 meaning it can be a little difficult for Gief to get through fireballs if someone is playing a very strong, solid zoning game.

Also to make matters worse, his wake-up options have been nerfed making him very suseptible to wake-up pressure after he is knocked down.

In V.2013, Zangief was mainly nerfed. His walk speed was toned down and the hurt box on his st.:mp: was lengthened. However, in the right hands, he still can be a threat.

APPROACH TACTICS

THE BANISHING FLAT (A.K.A The Green Hand)

Zangief’s Banishing Flat (commonly referred to as ‘Green Hand’) can be used to get through your fireballs should you get too fireball happy. He can absorb one hit of your fireball if he times it right. You’ll want to learn the range on this move so that you can predict it in your zoning.

ARMORED THROWS

The main danger against Zangief is his Armored Throws. These throws pack one hit of armor on them and they are another way for Gief to make his way in against you. They can also be used in footsie situations or up close to get you scared into attacking.

I’ll be covering ways to deal with this move below in the Specials section.

POKE WITH NORMALS

Zangief has some good footsies for a grappler specifically in his st.LK as well as other normals that move him forwards. Some of these normals will be covered in the Specials section.

NORMALS TO LOOK OUT FOR

Far St.:hk:

Zangief’s Far St.:hk: is a long range normal that whiffs on crouching opponents.

The normal also moves Zangief forwards along the ground allowing him to get into 360 range.

Some Zangief players like to make this normal whiff over your head so that they can 360 you afterwards. Just crouch under the move and punish it the moment it whiffs over your head with a Far st.HK into a Cross Rush to avoid the threat of being 360ed.

Far St.:lk:

Zangief’s Far St.:lk: is a very quick fast poke that can be used to bait you into trying to whiff punish him during footsies.

The normal does NOT hit low but it is really fast as mentioned before. Try to not fall for the bait in attempting to whiff punish this move in footsies instead play the game with him by whiffing a couple of your own normals such as your cr.MP to get him to fall for your bait.

If all else fails you can revert back to zoning the hell out of him.

Far St.:mp:

Zangief’s Far St.:mp: is another decently ranged poke that can be used against you. This poke is usually mixed up with his Far st.LK for whiff punishment against you.

Unlike his Far St.:lk: you can whiff punish this move with your cr.:hk: sweep provided you have some good reactions on your side as Zangief’s Far St.:mp: normal is pretty quick to recover.

J.:mk:

Zangief’s J.:mk: has a very good hit box on it. It reaches pretty far and can be mixed up with his Double Knee Drop (Down + :lk: During Angled Jump) for mixing you up (namely with the purpose of making your DP whiff.) Anti-air this with your cr.HP or DP it if you can see it coming.

UNIQUE ATTACKS

FLYING BODY ATTACK (Down + HP During Angled Jump)
Zangief uses his body to splash down and hit you.

This body splash is a little easier to deal with than Hugo’s one due to its decreased active frames. Zangief has to hit you with this move almost as if someone was to hit you with a late jump in attack otherwise, the move will whiff.

Anti-air this move as much as you can with your cr.:mp: or your :mp: DP to keep Zangief out. Zangief’s jump is a little floaty compared to other characters in SF X Tekken making him easier to anti-air than some others (namely Juri.)

DOUBLE KNEE DROP (Down + :lk: During Angled Jump)
Zangief jumps downwards with his knees.

This jump in can cross you up if Zangief times it right. If you aren’t sure as to which way to block, teleport out to safety.

This is again another jump in attack you should anti-air with your anti-airs.

Personally I prefer :mp: DP in this case as if it trades and you are left standing, you can walk up and do a st.:hp: into a :hp: DP into your partner for some extra damage. You can also use cr.:hp: but I find that in my experience it tends to trade a little bit against this move unless you do it around the moment he is about halfway through his jump.

HEADBUTT ( :up: + :mp: or :hp: During Vertical Jump)
Zangief jumps upwards coming down with a headbutt attack.

This move isn’t as useful as it was in SF4 because as far as I know, SF X Tekken doesn’t have a stun system. Probably because combos do so much damage.

It does ground bounce on counter hit though so be careful should you attempt to demon flip in his face as a means to get in.

LONG KICK ( :df: + :hk: )
Zangief does a very long range low kick attack.

This move looks like Zangief’s Cr.:hk: only it has more range.

The draw back to this move is that on whiff it is pretty punishable and it sticks out there for quite a long time making it easier to raw launcher on whiff in comparison to other moves in the game.

You’ll want to recognise the difference in reach between his Long Kick and his regular Cr.HK in order to whiff punish them in footsie situations.

SPECIALS

SPINNING PILEDRIVER ( :360: + :p: )
Zangief’s Signature Spinning Piledriver Move

Zangief’s Spinning Piledriver now has some more range than it did in SF4. Unfortunately for Gief it no longer starts up as quickly as it used to. The grab starts up in 5 frames now compared to 2 frames in SF4 meaning he can’t use it to punish your stuff as much as he used to anymore (unless he has 2 bars but we’ll get to that later.)

The range on this command throw is about just outside your cr.MK range. It is around 2 small squares on the training stage just for reference. This is concerning the LP Version which has the longest range but does the least damage (180)

Hence you will want to be careful about throwing out your normals around its range especially your cr.HK sweep or your st.MK.

The other versions do more damage but have less range to compensate for this. Although you will mainly want to look out for the LP Version the most.

The EX Version is invincible to your physical attacks but you can regular throw him out of it unlike his regular versions. It’s range is around the LP/MP Version. It also does the most damage out of all of the throws at 230. Definitely something you’ll want to avoid in this match-up.

BANISHING FLAT (A.K.A ‘The Green Hand’) ( :dp: + :p: )
Zangief turns around and shows his green hand.

This move can be pretty annoying to deal with especially during your fireball zoning as it can absorb one hit of your fireball and Zangief can get through and punish you during your recovery.

This doesn’t work against multi-hitting fireballs like ones from your Shakunetsu ( :hcb: + :mp: / :hp: )

Apart from that, learning the range on this move is key so that you can predict it during your zoning and you can punish it accordingly.

On block you can Reversal DP him and Reversal Demon Punish him as it’s -4 on block.

Although you will want to get him to whiff the move as you can get stronger punishes in the form of your Far Standing HK into a Solo Combo or a Cross Rush.

Also when zoning with Air Fireballs, keep them low to the ground as Gief can just Green Hand under them and punish you on the way down.

The EX Version goes through fireballs and ground bounces on standing opponents. It goes about half-screen just for reference so stay around 3/4 of the screen so that you can be safe from being fireball punished.

DOUBLE LARIAT ( :p: :p: :p: )
Zangief spins around making a very loud noise when doing so.

This move is invulnerable to your fireballs. Although it’s uses from full-screen are pretty limited.

Something to note about this move is that it does NOT have a have an attacking hit box behind it. This move does not hit behind Zangief.

Meaning if you can jump over Zangief when he does this move, then the move will not hit you. Allowing you to punish him however you please during on whiff. Cross Rush, Far St.HK into a Solo Combo, St.HP take your pick.

You can stuff this move as a wake-up option with your Regular Dive Kick (Down + MK) on Gief’s wake-up or with a Demon Flip > Divekick follow-up as well on his wake-up.

It is also important to know that your Demon Flip > Throw ( :df: + :k: > :lp:+:lk: ) will stuff this as a wake up option every time whether it’s on reversal or not.

QUICK DOUBLE LARIAT ( :k: :k: :k: )
The ‘Quick’ Version of Zangief’s Double Lariat

This is like his Double Lariat only it doesn’t last as long.

You will be able to tell the difference between the two by the noise Zangief makes when he does this move. He makes a different noise when he does a Quick Double Lariat compared to a Regular Double Lariat

Despite this version being slower it is invincible to lows whilst the move is active. Zangief players tend to use it as a way for them to by pass your low attacks either in footsie situations or on their wake-ups.

Although this move does suffer similar problems to his Double Lariat in the fact that it doesn’t hit behind Zangief.

In previous versions, Zangief used to be able to do block strings with his Quick Double Lariat only this is no longer possible as you can crouch under the whole move now.

You’ll want to punish Gief during this move as the recovery on it is pretty quick with a cr.HP into a Solo Combo or a Cross Rush on whiff.

If you block the move standing you can Reversal Demon Punish this move on block.

FLYING POWER BOMB (360 Motion + :k: Whilst Far From Opponent)
Zangief runs forwards for a throw, if he is successful, he will grab his opponent , jump and brutally throw them to the ground.

This move along with Zangief’s Atomic Suplex act as Zangief’s charge move.

This charge move as well as this move have one hit of armor on it making it a pain during your zoning.

During your zoning it is a good idea to keep your air fireballs low to the ground so that if he does the move you can recover in time to DP him out of it assuming you are close to him.

Whilst Zangief is running he will stop to perform the grab whilst you are near him so the best option for you is to neutral jump him if you can see this move coming so that you can punish him heavily on the way down with a neutral jump normal of your choice.

The EX Version does some more damage and it has some priority over your normals but not your DP.

ATOMIC SUPLEX ( :360: + :k: Whilst Close To Opponent)
Zangief goes behind his opponent to suplex them once and then again.

This move is similar to Zangief’s Flying Power Bomb only this move will only hit from up close.

It does more damage than his Flying Power Bomb and it also puts you in a really bad situation should you decide to roll. With the nerf to your teleport and rolls in V.2013, getting out of the situation can be difficult but not impossible.

Zangief Players like to use this move as a reversal to get you off of them especially if you are pressuring them with normals. Just neutral jump the move or jump over him to get him to whiff the move.

On whiff, punish him with a st.HP into a Solo Combo or a Cross Rush.

FINAL ATOMIC BUSTER ( :360: + :k: :k: :k: )

Zangief’s Super is pretty scary compared to other supers in the game. It is a zero frame grab similar to your Demon only with more damage but less range.

Zangief can use this to punish stuff like your overhead especially during roll situations should he successfully block it.

He can’t punish your st.:lp:s or your cr.:mp: on block though so if you can bait him into doing it by using these normals then that is always a plus.

ALL IN ALL

This is a match-up where you will want to keep your distance as Zangief is pretty strong up close especially when he has two bars for a super.

Zone him out accordingly using your fireballs and space yourself properly so that you can be safe to his approaches should he try them against you.

An example is getting his Green Hand to whiff so that you can whiff punish him with a Far St.:hk: (on block you can also Reversal DP this.)

Also try to punish any attempts Zangief uses to get in via rolling. In V.2013, you can get a free throw or a demon if he decides to do it. It’s something Zangief Players tend to do should they become too impatient.

Remember to neutral jump or jump over his Running 360 throws so that you can punish him on whiff.

Zangief’s wake-up isn’t the strongest as his lariat doesn’t hit behind him and your Demon Flip > Throw ( :dp: + :k: > :lp:+:lk: ) beats both versions of his lariat everytime. So you can really pressure him heavily on his wake-up. Just watch out for rolls and punish them with an ambigious J.:mk: or J.:lk: or just throw him away from you.

Try not to fall for st.:lk: bait in footsies. It is tempting to just cr.:hk: sweep him but that is really what Gief wants against you: to take his bait. You have the tools to force him to come to you in the form of fireballs so

Anti-air his jump ins at all costs. Zangief’s jump is pretty floaty so anti-airing him is a must. Just be aware of what anti-airs you should use at the right ranges as he can mix up his jump in attacks to throw you off.

Also Zangief players tend to rely on their partners to get him in there. So if you can severely damage Zangief’s partner and play a strong zoning game then you can really limit Zangief’s usefulness in the fight.[/details]

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