USF4 (1.04): Flying Power Bomb & The Alpha Greenhands

Classic Fighting Games Ultra Street Fighter IV
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New discoveries update: USF4 1.04

The reduced pushback of EXGH on hit is a buff!

Zangief can now perform even more superior grab options than before. Namely, Flying Power Bomb (FPB), regular throw and Atomic Suplex (AS)

*I originally thought it was a nerf against the opponent’s throw and 3 frame normals

This makes Atomic Suplex the safest command throw after EXGH’s +1 on hit. But most importantly, you get a better post positioning than SPD.

This also makes Zangief’s regular throw, the BEST throw to use. Safest risk vs reward, with superior post positioning to SPD.

Notes on the use and safety of EXGH-AS:

  • The recovery on AS is 45 frames, while HP SPD is 48, MP SPD is 50, LP SPD is 52 and EX SPD is 47

  • Even so, opponent’s can punish via neutral jump and back dash, just as easily as SPD. The benefit is the post positioning.

  • With the reduced pushback, Zangief is *almost point blank, and at +1, all AS will not convert to running bear grab, as the opponent is well within 1.0 range

  • If the opponent neutral jumps, back dashes or jumps back, you get the whiffed AS.

  • However, there was a slight discrepancy, which I found during testing.

  • I would get a point blank Running Bear Grab when they were still in hit stun, and then they would get grabbed IMMEDIATELY. I believe this to happen when you get perfect execution from EXGH-AS

  • Performing AS immediately after EXGH, I could never get whiffed AS, due to the opponent still being in block stun.

  • The opponent back dashing, jumping away, never resulted in a running bear grab, but only a whiffed AS. Yet if they just stand there, they get grabbed with the bear grab.

  • This leads me to believe, that there is a special version of the Running Bear Grab, that is activated at point blank, when the opponent is in block or hit stun.

  • Yet this running bear grab whiffs into AS, if they jump away or back dash, and you don’t get running bear grab.

  • Zangief doesn’t even take any steps forward.

  • I think this is the ONE frame start-up “Flying Power Bomb” from the wiki.

  • Before USF4, we could never achieve this grab, until now, with the reduced pushback on EXGH. We can’t get it from point blank blocked cr.LK into AS

  • I urge all Zangief’s to test for themselves. But if so, it makes setups from the Running Bear Grab a great possibility.

  • I will term this special grab, “Flying Power Bomb” as opposed to Running Bear Grab.

To achieve this safer form of EXGH-AS, the EXGH combo preceding it, must be kept short, about no more than 3 light attacks

Eg. SPD-MPGH: 5 Hits - cr.LP. cr.LP. st.LK xx EXGH-AS. You will not convert to RBG

Eg. SPD-MPGH: 6 Hits - cr.LP. cr.LP. cr.LP. st.LK xx EXGH-AS: You will convert to RBG if AS is executed immediately.

  • If you wait ONE frame, you will get AS. BUT, if they immediately neutral jump, back dash or jump back, you will convert to RBG.

What does this mean for Zangief?

Keep your hit confirms into EXGH shorter, eg, no more than 3 lights, so that post EXGH, you are in range for “Flying Power Bomb” or Zangief’s regular throw - the best risk/reward grab option (*not considering Ultra 1)

SPD-MPGH: 5 Hits - cr.LP. cr.LP. st.LK xx EXGH. You can regular grab
SPD-MPGH: 6 Hits - cr.LP. cr.LP. cr.LP. st.LK xx EXGH. You are too far for regular grab.

Next we have to examine setups for the Flying Power Bomb:

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The Flying Power Bomb (FPB):

The Flying Power Bomb is distinctively a different grabbing state to Atomic Suplex and Running Bear Grab (RBG). It is essentially the grapple portion of the RBG, without the walk and its whiffing animation is similar to AS. Testing has me convinced, that the special FPB, can only be achieved by keeping the opponent in hit or block stun for ONE frame before you grab them with FPB. Not sure how to explain it exactly with the 2 frames of throw invincibility after stun. But essentially you will be able to grab them on the very first frame they can be grabbed.

Here’s my theory on it’s mechanism, thus far, when you execute 360+K:
[list]
[] The game checks the opponent’s position, if outside 1.0 range, you get RBG
[] If you are in range of 1.0, the game checks to see if the opponent can be grabbed
[] If they can be grabbed, you get Atomic Suplex ALWAYS
[] If the opponent can not be grabbed, after that ONE frame, you convert to RBG
[] But because you are point blank to the opponent, you are close enough to trigger the grabbing part of RBG, bypass the running portion of the RBG and go straight into the FPB.
[] Because the FPB connects, I believe there is no whiffing animation for AS. What we are seeing is, the FPB whiff animation after 360+K converts to a point blank RBG
[/list]
The FPB can be replicated via these two setups: *Note: These are always ONE frame executions

  1. Immediate FPB after the closer EXGH alpha’s +1 on hit. If your off by ONE frame, you get AS.
  2. Knee Drop (D+LK in air around Ryu’s shoulders) timed to be +1 when you activate FPB. You can use other jump ins, but you have to know their timings

The frame advantage on a FPB knockdown is 72 frames. Essentially the best setup you can get - 2 frames more time and much closer than EX SPD. Post knockdown for Ultra 1 is 70 and EX SPD is also 70 frames.

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reserved…

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Interesting read. Keep it up !

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Interesting. Gotta test this out