SvC Chaos: SNK Vs Capcom/Dhalsim

Introduction

This is Dhalsim, a classic character from the Street Fighter series. He can stretch his arms and legs, can teleport and even shoot fire from his mouth, which makes him a great character if you like keepaway strategies. He isn't that easy for begginers(He never was easy on any game), due to his technical gameplay, so if you're a beginner in SvC, it should be better if you choose another character(If you just want to analyse him here, you can stay). Now for his Good and Bad things.

Dhalsim's Good and Bad Things:

Good Things:

• Can do great long range attacks in the battle(Especially a good part of his normals);
• Has decent projectiles(If you used him in any other game, you'll know them);
• Has useful Supers(Very useful);
• Has a very good walking speed compared to some characters in this game;
• His Yoga Drill can be Super canceled;
• The Yoga Flame is safe on block;
• Has many Command Moves to use(I think only Demitri has more Command Moves than him);
• Can easily control his position in the air;
• Can do teleports(In the ground and in the air);
• Can slide(And punish in some cases) under "floating" projectiles;
• Can combo with his Exceed on the corner.

Bad Things:

• He is one of the hardest(If not the hardest) character to learn in this game;
• He isn't very combo friendly(He can do long-range combos, and Super Cancel the Yoga Drill, but his other combo options aren't that big);
• Has a very bad jump(Because what he will do after a jump can be very predictable);
• His close range options are very poor here;
• Has no close animations for his normals(You'll have to use his Command Moves to get them);
• Some normals/Command Moves have bad startup;
• His Exceed can only work on close range(A long-range character with a short-range Exceed. Thank you, SNK);

Moves List

Normal Moves

Sim's arsenal of normals is very limited, which is very bad for him(Remember that he have only one animation for his standing normals). Oh, I forgot something. With the jump attacks, he is limited too(He only have one animation for any button pressed, unlike the other characters in this game).

s.LP - A very close and quick... Kind of chop. It could be used as an anti-air in his early games, and in this game this isn't different. Can chain into ifself and with his crouching counterpart(And only them). Can be normal canceled too.
s.LK - A very slow kick(Compared to other s.LKs, it is very slow). It can look like, but no, it doesn't hit low. Cannot be normal canceled too. Good as a poke only.
s.HP - A great poke. The range on this normal is very nice too(It is his ground move with the most reach), which can lead him to long range(Or even fullscreen) combos, like QCF+LP, Dash, s.HP(More details on that will be on his combos section). Cannot be normal canceled.
s.HK - Simple move. Was one of his anti-airs in the early SF games(Because it aims upwards), and it can still be used like that. Whiffs on most of the crouching characters in the cast.

j.LP - Nothing very special with this move. Can be used as a wakeup attack for those characters without reliable anti-air(Like Dictador).
j.LK - Nice reach. It's okay to use it as an air-to-air. Only that.
j.HP - It's like the j.LK, but has more damage, and(Obviously) is a punch.
j.HK - It's a... s.HK in the air? Okay... Use it when the opponent is above you while you're jumping.

cr.LP - Very nice to use. Can be used in simple combos with the s.LP. Can be normal canceled.
cr.LK - A little fast on the startup, but slow on the recovery. That's what makes this move a bad move to use. Cannot be used as part of a chain(Which is bad), but can be normal canceled.
cr.HP - This move is good. It's Dhalsim's most damaging cancelable normal too. You can use it on punish situations(It's not that hard to combo with it, but don't worry, he has other options for that).
cr.HK - Has the same animation as the cr.LK, but a little slower... And knocks down. Sadly, Dhalsim isn't Athena in this game(Athena can link her s.LP with her cr.HP, which has the same animation as her cr.LP/LK).

Command Normals

Shutou Chop

• b+LP - This... Kind of chop was Sim's cl.MP on his early games, and here, it was toned down. This move cannot hit most of the standing characters too, but it's very useful as an anti-air(Don't worry about the reach when you use it). Can be normal canceled too(Cannot be canceled into other Command Moves), so if you use it as an anti-air, the opponent will reset, and you can prepare something for him/her block, like a QCF+P, or even a HCB+P.

Low Kick

• b+LK - It's like his s.LK, but with less reach(Yeah, I know, reach isn't a problem for Dhalsim, but he has close range moves). The name of the move says:"Low Kick", but it doesn't hit low(Like his s.LK). This move can be used in his Light Attack combos too(I said, you had to use Command Moves to get the close versions of his attacks), but only as a finisher, like: cr.LP, s.LP, b+LK. This move can be normal canceled too(I couldn't cancel it into ohter Command Moves).

Yoga Headbutt''

• b+HP - Oh, I remember this move... His classic cl.HP is here! It can be normal cancelable on the first hit(And MAX cancelable on the second hit), and can even be followed up after the second hit, which is very nice for Dhalsim, but watch out for those GFCs, it will be dangerous for Sim if the opponent blocks it. Learn to use this move on punish situations.

Yoga Knee Kick

• b+HK - Simple move. Just a cancelable knee. It's like the heatbutt above, but worse. It's very hard to combo with it too.

Zoom Punch

• df+P - This move is very interesting. The LP and the HP versions are very different from each other. (LP version) Nice poke. Very fast and very safe(Due to the recovery of the move). It can look like, but it doesn't hits like a low move, sadly. Can be MAX canceled only. (HP version) A very predictable move. It's slower than the LP version on the startup(The recovery is almost the same in each version after the attack frames), but hits low, and does 3 hits. Any hit can be MAX canceled only.
  

(Note:I don't know if the name "Zoom Punch" is a reference to JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, because I remember very well when Will A. Zepelli was doing this move in the series. In this short video, you'll see(Or already saw) a guy streching his arm, like Dhalsim in this move. And this isn't the first reference to JoJo's in the SNK world. Remember Benimaru from KoF? His classic design is a reference to Polnareff, a character in the JoJo series.)

Sliding

• df+K - This is Dhalsim's classic slide. Like the move above, the move have differences between the two versions. (LK version) Very quick, can be comboed with ease after any cancelable normal(And even after his projectile in some cases). Can be canceled in MAXIMUM Mode only. (HK version) This move is dangerous on block, watch out when you use it. It has almost all of the same properties as the LK version(This move is slower than that version), but has more reach(He will slide for a longer time too), does more damage, and knocks down. You can use it with the classic strategy of "Passing under projectiles with my Slide". You can pass, or even punish your opponent's projectile.

Jump Side Punch

• b+LP (In the air) - Oh... A jump attack... Well, like his normals, there's no difference in the move/animation while doing Neutral/Diagonal jumps(With the other jump Command Moves, this rule will be used too). Now for the move. A simple air-to-air move, but aiming in front of him. Can be useful, but you can use the other moves if you prefer the range.

Jump Punch

• b+HP (In the air) - A jump-in. He has better options for that(I'm not sure if he has good options in this game for a jump-in).

Jump Mae Geri

• b+K (In the air) - Sim's best jump-in attack. You can easily combo after it, but how can you land it if Sim's jump will not help you? Okay... The only difference between the two versions is the damage, so use the HK version only.

Drill Zutsuki

• d+HP (In the air) - You, probably, remember this classic move. You can easily punish some projectiles with it(If the opponent tries to use a projectile while you're jumping(To make you fall on it), but cannot be Super canceled, unlike the move below. You can control Sim's air game with this move.

Drill Kick

• d+HK (In the air) - Another classic move. Very fast, can help to make you land faster on the ground, and more, it can be Super canceled into any of his air Supers, which can lead you to some incredible damage(You'll see something about that in the combos section).

Move Kick

• tap f, f(Do a normal dash), HK - A really... Strange move... First, it's a move to be used while you're dashing, which is really rare here. Second, it's like a s.HK(And can be used like it). Third, you cannot use it after a GCF. If you want to use, go ahead, if you don't want, okay.

Special Moves

Yoga Fire

• QCF+P - This is Dhalsim's classic projectile. It doesn't knocks down(Unlike in his old versions), the recovery is pretty good, and the opponent will be stunned in a little time after it hits, so you can followup it(Don't worry about where you are, Dhalsim can followup it). The button pressed will determine the speed of the projectile.

Yoga Flame

• HCB+P - Another classic move, and very interesting to use here. Why? It's 100% safe on block(In any version). You can try to do a meaty Yoga Flame on the opponent's wakeup when you can(Or even everytime if the opponent... Likes to be knocked down, I mean, you can punish easily with Dhalsim's main knockdown moves: The cr.HK, this move, the move below, and the HK slide). If you get a counter hit on the corner, you can follow it up with some moves, including itself(More details will be on his combos section). It can negate normal projectiles too. The button pressed will determine how many frames Dhalsim will be breathing fire(HP version makes him breathe longer).

Yoga Blast

• HCB+K - Like a Yoga Flame, but aiming up(Like an anti-air). It can negate normal projectiles, like Akuma's air fireball. Like the Yoga Flame, you can juggle the opponent in the corner with this move(But the followup will be easier to do than in the Yoga Flame) if you get a counter hit, and the button pressed will determine how many frames he will be breathing fire(Exactly like the Yoga Flame). It will whiff on most of the standing characters too, so don't even think about pressing a kick button when the opponent is standing(Even if the opponent is a big character).

Yoga Teleport (Forward)

• DP+PP/KK (In the ground or in the air) - A very useful move(Along with the Backward version). It's very nice to use, because you can use it in the air too. The main use of this Special Move in this game is to run away from the corners(Or even from your opponent if you like runaway strategies), to move in the air(Dhalsim can be controled easily in the air), or even to punish reversal DPs on the opponent's wakeup(After a Yoga Teleport in the air, you can do any air normal/Command Move, and even crossup the opponent when he/she is in the corner, like in SFV. I'll say more about that later). The buttons pressed will determine where Dhalsim will land(The KK version will make him go further than in the PP version), so watch out if you miss the versions.

Yoga Teleport (Backward)

• rDP+PP/KK (In the ground or in the air) - Same properties as the move above(Obviously), but Dhalsim will move backwards.

Super Moves

Sim's Supers are very useful to him in the offensive and in the defensive, so don't forget them while you're playing.

Yoga Inferno

• QCF(2x)+P - This move is classic, and it's Dhalsim's best anti-air(It can even be one of the best anti-airs in the game), and is very bad to use in combos(But you can do some possible ones in the corner). It's very hard to jump over it, so if you like to save meter, you can prepare this move to use when the opponent jumps. You can use this move to punish too. Dhalsim has some invincibility frames on the startup of this Super.

Yoga Drill Zutsuki

• QCF(2x)+LK (In the air only) - Very nice to use. Dhalsim will perform a multi-hit Drill Suzuki, and it can do up to 7-9 hits(That was what I got). It can be used to Super cancel the Drill Kick(d+HK in the air), and combo after it. You can juggle your opponent in the corner after this Super(More details will be in the combos section).

Yoga Drill Kick

• QCF(2x)+HK (In the air only) - Very nice too. Dhalsim will perform a multi-hit Drill Kick. It can do up to 10 hits, and after the 10th hit, the opponent will be knocked down(If the Super do less than 10 hits, the opponent will not be knocked down). Like the Super above, this can be used to Super cancel the Drill Kick(And you can combo with it too), but unlike the other Super, it cannot juggle the opponent in the corner. Oh, and remember: For this move, and the Super above, the bigger the opponent is, the more hits he/she can get.

Exceed

Yoga Legend (Yoga Headbutt version)

• QCF(2x)+LK - Well... His two Exceeds have the same hit animation(It's his b+LP Command Move, but can hit every character) and startup, but the finisher is different. After the hit, Dhalsim will do an... Air combo? Like if he is in MvC? Uhh.. Okay... The Exceed's first hit is the launcher... The reach isn't that good too(He is a long-range char, and if you think about the b+LP's animation...). For this button, he will finish with the Headbutt(That command move with two hits, but he will do only one hit, and knockdown the opponent). The damage of this Exceed isn't that good when compared to the other Exceeds in the game. Why? Damage(It doesn't even do one bar of damage, like most of the Exceeds in the game). Yeah, I know, some Exceeds(Like Zero's) don't do THAT damage, but they can help in the character's gameplay(In Zero's case, the Exceed is unblockable, will recover his health, and increase his speed for a little time), but what Dhalsim can do with this Exceed? An unsafe anti-air that can be used only once? No. The best way to use it is on combos(Yeah, you can combo with this Exceed). More details about that will be on his combos section.

Yoga Legend (Drill Kick version)

• QCF(2x)+HK - Same as the above, but Dhalsim will finish with a multi-hit Drill Kick. It can be used to combo, like the above(The first animation is the same, remember?). The damage is kind of the same as the Exceed above(So just do the cooler Exceed in your opinion).

The Basics

Here, you'll know a little more about Dhalsim. You can use nearly anything here in your matches.

Dhalsim's gameplan
Dhalsim isn't an easy character to use, but can be really annoying on the right hands. And those hands can be yours. You just need to practice his long(and close)-range strategies. Something interesting about Dhalsim is that you can use him in the way you like(He can be a rushdown char, a runaway char, a ground game char, a jumper, and many others, it's up to you to choose his best style. You can even mix some of them and create your own style, which is great). I think I can explain some of them here.

• Rushdown - This is one of the most used styles with Dhalsim. Mainly because he can push his opponent to the corner very easily(And because it's a more offensive style). You can be saying: "Dhalsim doesn't have a good walking speed in this game to be a rushdown char." Well... This is true, but we aren't talking about speed. We're talking about Dhalsim, and Dhalsim = reach. You can use your projectiles too(You can even combo if they hit the opponent in the ground, no matter where you are, and they are really fast too), just to push him. You can jump to do some of his corner combos with the Drill Kick(They are really nice on the corner) on the wakeup(You don't really need to do the Super cancel, you just need to aim on the opponent's legs to make it safe). Oh, and the crossup in the corner... I'll talk about it, don't worry.
• Runaway/Keepaway - His runaway strategies are very nice, and you probably know why. Against some characters, you can spam(and mix) your fireballs freely. If you need to run, just do a Teleport(Don't miss the version), or even the Drill Zutsuki(It's very good to runaway with it). If the opponent jumps, you just need to use his QCF(2x)+P anti-air, which can even be useful in the wakeup. His long-range normals will help him, no matter what you think. Moves like his s.HP, and his s.HK(And some others) can help him in your journey to be a good runaway Dhalsim player. His HCB+K/P Special Moves are very good to anti-air too if you don't have meter, but you'll need to time well. If you're with trouble, just do a GCF/CD counter and you can recover your space. Remember: Don't get stuck in the corners, this is what you'll need to think almost everytime.
• Ground game - Well... This is very simple to use. It's just a more defensive game. You just need to make your opponent think: "Damn, I can't jump anymore.", and you won the match. You don't need to think that you can't press up too(The directional is in there for you). You don't need to be fullscreen away to use this too(You can move back and forward as you want, you just need to prepare yourself for the opponent's jump). Spam and mix your fireballs, and combo with them if you want to. If the opponent jumps, you'll need to think about: "Which anti-air can I use against him/her?" You have his Super to use(It's his best anti-air), but if you don't have meter, what can you do? Dhalsim have some options with his normals/Command/Special Moves, but they can be very risky against some characters. The best you can use is the HCB+K, but... If that move isn't helping you, you can just do a GCF+any grab after his/her jump attack. Oh, and remember: If you need to punish, do damage, and if you're needing damage, do it with some of his damaging combos(You'll see some of them later).
• Jumper - Yeah, the jumper, the hardest to use. This is a nice offensive/defensive style, which is nice. His air normals have so much reach, and you don't even need to worry about anti-airs, because you have an air teleport in your side(Your main gameplan here is to control your air position). Oh, and like in the "Ground game" strats above, you don't need to think about "I need to be in the air everytime, right?" No. You can need some of his ground strategies, because the opponent can predict your next move sometimes(Dhalsim is a predictable character in the air), so watch out. The best part of being a jumper is that you can land his Drill Kick combos where you want, and anytime. Now, choose one, or two, or even all of them, practice, and good luck in your matches.

Crossuping the opponent in the corner with Sim
This is a great, and simple strategy. To make this work, the opponent needs to be a little away from the corner(I mean, you'll need a space between the opponent and the corner of the screen). Do any knockdown move in your opponent while he/she is in the corner(No matter who is the opponent's char, just knock him/her down, and now, you'll need that space). Just jump and do a Yoga teleport(Do the KK version), and after that, do any of his air Supers/Moves. The opponent will need to block to the other side, like a normal crossup, and you can get the damage(If the opponent knows what a crossup is, that will be very bad for you, so don't try to do it everytime, okay?)

Quick Air Supers
This section is very normal for almost all of the characters with air Supers/Special Moves. I'll use Akuma's air fireball as an example. The input is (While you're in the air) QCF+P, and the ground fireball has the same input, but obviously, it can only be done in the ground. So what if we try the ground fireball, but adding a jump before you press P? Like QCF, any jump directional(It should be better if you use uf)+P. He will use a fireball when he's very near from the ground, and this works with his Super air fireball too, which has almost the same input as Dhalsim's Supers(In Akuma's case, you'll need to press a punch button). Now, just try this input: QCF(2x), uf(Or any other jump button)+any kick(The Supers are different). After the input, you can get a quick(And very surprising) Super for the opponent. He/she can even get hit, or be forced to block it, which can help you sometimes.

Some Combos (Without MAXIMUM Mode)
Dhalsim isn't that combo friendly(I mean, he can do combos, but they aren't that easy to land, which is a big problem for him). I'll put here some useful ones. If you know some more, add them below.

1- [Jump Attack/QCF+LP in the corner](Very risky to add a jump attack on his combos, but you can anyway) cr.LP, s.LP, df+HK

A very simple link to use with Dhalsim. The damage isn't that good, but it's okay, you just don't care about that, because you're Dhalsim.

2- QCF+LP, Dash/walk a little forward, s.HP/df+LP

Very interesting to do if you like long reach combos. You can use this to do meaty long-range combos on the opponent(And to do safe guard damage on the opponent).

3- b+HP, (Cancel the first hit) QCF+HP, df+HK

Simple link(Yeah, Sim likes to link moves). If you're having trouble with canceling the first hit of the b+HP, you can just do b+HP(Hitting with the 2 hits), df+HK. This works too.

4- [Jump Attack/QCF+LP on the corner] s.LP, df+LP

For this combo, you'll need to watch out. For what? The df+LP can whiff depending of how the s.LP hits your opponent. If you want to make this combo work, you'll have to make the s.LP hit the opponent with the tip of Dhalsim's hand.

5- Jump, d+HK, QCF(2x)+HK

Very simple, and damaging combo. The Drill Kick can be Super Canceled in this game, which can make this combo a very easy one. It's very easy to land it too. And, with the Drill Kick Super, the bigger the character, the bigger is the damage, remember that. Oh, and you can try to use it with that crossup strategy too(Remember? Teleports and stuff... If not, just scroll up). There is something interesting about this move too. After the teleport, you'll do a d+HK, and cancel it. Strangely enough, the d+HK can be MAX canceled only, and I don't know why...

6- (Corner only) Jump, d+HK, QCF(2x)+LK, (any) Exceed

Simple to do, because it's like the combo number 4, but with more damage. It's one of Dhalsim's most damaging combos too(If not the most damaging one). If you don't have the Exceed, just hit the opponent with any normal/Command Move(He/she will be reseted, so plan on what you will do after the reset). Having trouble with the Exceed? I can help you. When you're going to use the Drill Kick, aim on the opponent's legs, and then cancel it on the Super(You'll have more time to do the Exceed's input now).