Rafeed Kahn (talk | contribs) |
Rafeed Kahn (talk | contribs) |
||
| Line 115: | Line 115: | ||
Meter Management: Shazam builds meter rather well. That said you have to manage it well. In my opinion don't bother ever considering super. 1 bar combos do more damage and the only real situtation would be killing someone as I believe Supers are unclashable. Save meter for combos and meter burn Atlas Torpedo. Combos will be put into the combo section later. The reason you want to use meter burn Atlas Torpedo occasionally is that postion it puts you in. From landing from Torpedo, you can either freely use interactable against most characters, or dash up as the opponent stays ground for a really long time. You can dash forward twice to corpse hop the opponent, leading to side to side mixups. If the round is down to the wire, throw a meter burned Bolt of Zeus HOWEVER only do so when you are sure that it is relatively safe. Meaning the opponent can't punish you hard for it or is forced to block it. The chip is ridiculous on the move and on hit it does hella damage. The added feature of hitting crouchers forces people to jump as that is the only way they can avoid. Provided they don't mistime the jump you can dash in or throw another bolt to mess with them. However do not begin to think Shazam can even begin to zone as that is far from the case do not expect to be a fireball character as you will lose badly for it. | Meter Management: Shazam builds meter rather well. That said you have to manage it well. In my opinion don't bother ever considering super. 1 bar combos do more damage and the only real situtation would be killing someone as I believe Supers are unclashable. Save meter for combos and meter burn Atlas Torpedo. Combos will be put into the combo section later. The reason you want to use meter burn Atlas Torpedo occasionally is that postion it puts you in. From landing from Torpedo, you can either freely use interactable against most characters, or dash up as the opponent stays ground for a really long time. You can dash forward twice to corpse hop the opponent, leading to side to side mixups. If the round is down to the wire, throw a meter burned Bolt of Zeus HOWEVER only do so when you are sure that it is relatively safe. Meaning the opponent can't punish you hard for it or is forced to block it. The chip is ridiculous on the move and on hit it does hella damage. The added feature of hitting crouchers forces people to jump as that is the only way they can avoid. Provided they don't mistime the jump you can dash in or throw another bolt to mess with them. However do not begin to think Shazam can even begin to zone as that is far from the case do not expect to be a fireball character as you will lose badly for it. | ||
Corner: 1,1,2->1,1,2->1,1,2->1,1,2xxAchilles' Clutch. The combo builds a lot of meter, keeps the opponent cornered, ends in a hardknockdown and is one of the easiest combos every. The key is timing which will be expanded later on. With trait the combo does 50-51% damage for just one 1 bar. Granted the combo is easily clashable, it still does not negate how easy and deadly it is. | |||
Not sure what else to put but I'll add stuff as I go along. Combos are pretty self explanatory and usually implement b3, jump in move, stand move or combo, finish with Herculean Might or Achilles' Clutch. Hitstun and space permitting. Combos will be expanded upon in the combo section. | Not sure what else to put but I'll add stuff as I go along. Combos are pretty self explanatory and usually implement b3, jump in move, stand move or combo, finish with Herculean Might or Achilles' Clutch. Hitstun and space permitting. Combos will be expanded upon in the combo section. | ||
Revision as of 22:00, 6 March 2014
Shazam
Unlike most foster children, Billy Batson couldn’t care less about finding a family. He just wants to turn eighteen and finally become an adult. While the boy’s compassionate and kind, he’s gotten used to protecting himself by staying emotionally distant from everybody. But that changes when he meets an ancient wizard who introduces him to one very powerful word.
Just by saying SHAZAM!, Billy is transformed into a magical flying adult superhero, one with the genius of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, the unbreakable will of Atlas, the lightning blasts of Zeus, the power of Achilles and the speed of Mercury. But gaining the power of the gods means inheriting their enemies too. With the abilities of the world’s mightiest mortal, Billy will have to struggle with magical threats as well as his own youthful naïveté. To truly tap into his power, this orphan who’s always kept people at arm’s length will have to learn what family really is.
In a nutshell
Strengths: 50/50 mixup. Good damage with meter. Teleports build meter really well. Good dashes, can dash out of certain strings. D2 can interrupt certain strings as well. Meter Burn projectile deals good chip and hits crouchers. Amazing command grab range and speed. Variety of high/low in Combos. Both teleports count as true wakeup, meaning they get full invincibility on startup when used as a wakeup attack. Wakeup teleports easily one of the best wakeups in game. Combos usually end in Hard Knockdown leading to further mixup and interactable shenanigans. Amazing crossup with j2. B2 hits overhead and has really good range, off the ground certain frames (avoids some low attacks if timed). Trait gives large boost to damage in combos. Trait deals huge chip damage. Trait activation easily done at end of combos. Huge corner damage with trait. (Personally a really fun character to play. SHAZAM!)
Weaknesses: Command throws are stance specific, recovery can be punished if opponent is in wrong stance. Gets zoned out easily. Projectile sub par normally, horrible startup for both normal and meter burn versions. B2 whiffs on nearby crouching characters. Combos are pretty timing specific with B3 which most of his higher damage combos rely on. High risk versus characters with certain wakeup moves, has to be very careful dealing with wakeups. Normals are comparatively weak with high startup hurting poking game. Hard time dealing with certain tactics in the air, has to be careful with timing d2. Damage without meter is mediocre or has to sacrifice positioning for damage. Super is garbage. Reliant on meter so has to be wary of clash system. Trait only affects his punching normals limiting combo potential. Corner combos weak without trait or has to sacrifice positioning for damage.
Character Info
Move List
Normal Moves
Combo Attacks
knockdown 3/4ths screen away speccancel
softknockdown half screen away
softknockdown 1/4th screen away
groundbounce speccancel
softknockdown
Jails softknockdown speccancel half screen away
m groundbounce h launch
brief stun on second hit speccancel
launch speccancel
Bounce Cancels
Character Power
Lasts 15 seconds
Takes 14 seconds to recharge
Throws
Special Moves
Alternate Command:
hcf + m
Atlas Torpedo
Alternate Command:
qcb + m
Bolt Of Zeus
Alternate Command: qcb f + l
Herculean Might
recovery can be jump cancelled as well
Alternate Command: qcb + l
Achilles' Clutch
adds a divekick that causes groundbounce
Alternate Command:
qcf + h
Alternate Command:
qcb + h
Super Move
Armored On hit, Shazam launches opponent into the sky with a haymaker and attacks with a flurry of punches finished with a smashing elbow. He then grabs the opponent as he/she flies downward, spinning them around before throwing them to the ground.
First hit: 10.00 then 4.75, 5.70, 6.65, 11.40
Move Analysis
TBW
S.T.A.R. Labs Mode
TBW
Strategy
Basic Strategy
Shazam is a 50/50 grappler. Meaning in spite of their amazing range and speed Herculean Might will whiff(not hit) on crouching and airborn characters who are not juggled(meaning he/she is in one of your combos). And Achille's Clutch will whiff on standing characters and juggled characters who too high in the air (do not even think about using it on airborn characters seriously why would that work? :P). Herculean Might can also be backdashed, meaning if opponent backdashes he/she will not be caught by Herculean Might. The point is that you cannot rely on throwing out those moves on a wild guess to hit your opponent for easy damage like Bane or Grundy. You have to base your choice on using the move by reading the opponent. Meaning if you know they cannot avoid Herculean Might, THEN you use it. For instance if they simply walking backwards or dashing forwards etc. We'll go more in depth later on.
Getting in: Use a combination of walking forward, dashes, teleports, and Atlas Torpedo (Psycho Crusher) to get in. In that order. Shazam's walk speed is decent so simply walking forward not only allows you to get in, but can prepare himself in case the opponent tries to throw out a move as well. His dashes are great for closing in the distance but the opponent can catch the recovery with a long range move. Same problem with his teleport but his teleports suffer from extended recovery and can be hit out of during startup. Finally the unreliable option is Atlas Torpedo, specifically on block. As a movement tool you may feel compelled to use Atlas Torpedo, but be wary. It has no invincibility so projectile characters can and will hit you out of it. The only thing I have found to avoid sometimes is Joker's Gunshot. On block majority of the cast can punish it, the safest you will be is to use it when you close to the opponent so you land far away from them which defeats the purpose of using it as a movement tool... The last option that may come to mind is of course b23 or Thundering Elbow or something like that. Do not use it. It is punishable someone mashing Light attack punishes you every time you do the 3. Test your opponent do the move and try to backdash to see if they punish it, if they do not punish b23. Abuse their stupidity and mash it to get in. Keep in mind that better players can and will punish you for doing it. If you rely on it for whatever reason do b2 and cancel into something to get you out of there either teleport or Atlast Torpedo.
Up Close: You have command grabs and lockdown normals. Use them. Keeping in mind the stances, use Herculean Might and Achille's Clutch appropriately. Not just for the damage but for the hard knockdown for a mixup opportunity.
Light Attacks: 1 is good punishing tool as it leads into 1,1,2 which punishes moves that leave the opponent rather close to you. It is lackluster as you cannot cancel into Herculean Might or Achilles' Clutch. Make the choice between Atlas Torpedo, Bolt of Zeus, or Trait. Atlas Torpedo gives you time to cancel into it and is possibly the max damage option off a midscreen 1,1,2. Bolt of Zeus is still decent damage but keeps you at a distance for certain matchups like Bane or Grundy where you want to some breathing room to maneuver. Canceling into Trait allows for a completely safe Trait activation as doing so after Torpedo or Bolt may allow the opponent to catch you on the slight recovery it has. The benefits of Trait outweigh the minimal damage you lose by canceling into it instead of Bolt or Torpedo. 1,2 string is mainly used for ending more advanced combos, for instance ones that burn 2 bars of meter. You can cancel into Bolt or Torpedo but no real use to it even in blockstrings as the gap between the string and cancel allows for a punish. The f/b 3 enders for that string are practically useless. There are better blockstrings and you land them on hit you had better opportunities for damage or setups. Do not bother using either string (1,2 f3 or 1,2b3). The two last strings you want to pay attention to are b1,2,3 and f1,2. b1,2,3 ends in a low and knockdown. Usually the opponent is too busy blocking high as they usually just expect sweep as the only low you use. While it is not cancelable it is has slightly better range than sweep, and is far safer than sweep on block or whiff. f1,2 is an overhead attack and the reason it is valuable is the range it covers. Basically when the opponent is too close to you and crouching, b2 will whiff. Well that is where f1,2 comes in and hits the opponent for small ground bounce and it is cancelable. f1,2 is also positive on block so you are safe from opponent punishing you if it were b2,3. It comes out relatively quickly even though the first hit is high. d1 is a great tool to use. On hit it is cancelable, granted if the opponent is ground the grabs whiff so your best option is to cancel into Torpedo. j1 is a decent air to air move. It stays active a long time and will sometimes crossup. However it is more of a preemptive move as it will lose to other char's air to airs and the crossup does not have enough hitstun to consistently combo.
Medium Attacks: 2 by itself makes for nice poking move, on hit it gets more fun as you cancel into practically everything. The real gem is 2,2. The string jails or locks the opponent in place in blockstun. The fun side is that should you cancel in Herculean Might or Achilles' Clutch the blockstun wears off and you get the opponent in an easy grab. They can of course crouch or stay standing so keep in mind their stance when you cancel. The opponent can backdash inbetween 2 and 2 but then all you have to do is cancel into Atlas Torpedo to punish the backdash. Torpedo also catches them crouching consequently, it is very convenient. On hit it knocks the opponent away but you can cancel into Atlas Torpedo or Herculean Might to catch them. You can also cancel into teleport for some shenanigans. b2,3 is amazing at first but loses its luster quickly. It is negative on block and will be punished by decent players, it completely misses crouching characters that are too close to you. b2 by itself is also pretty much telegraphed, your opponent can simply mash d1 to hit you out of it. However the plus side is that its hitbox is weirdly good. It hits Harley out of Tantrum stance and I believe avoids Black Adam's lightning strike as you are airborne for some time. It is still an overhead so opponents crouching at mid range must be wary and the second launches for an easy combo. d2 is Shazam's anti air. It is actually not that bad, properly times. It is very similar to Bane's granted their hitboxes vary in size. Often times if the opponent is above it will hit them and you get a free combo. Keep in mind that combos after it usually sub par damage without meter and mediocre damage with. Max without trait and just 1 bar gives you 30-32%. What it is very useful is to hit gaps inbetween strings. When the opponent has gaps in their strings try mashing d2 to hit them out of it and get a punish. j2 is amazing. Average damage but the beauty of it is in it's crossup capabilities. It crosses up really really well. The hitbox extends far back and hits the opponent really well on wakeup.
Strong Attacks: Combo filler and that is about it. Air/j3 can crossup at times but it is not reliable and you will get punished for relying on it. On hit j3 knocksdown but you land fast enough to follow up with st3 to combo etc. St3 has some decent block and hitstun as well as being cancelable. The issue is that the opponent recovers fasters that any cancelable move will hit. Anyone that you would use anyway. A gimmick to try is to throw the move and on hit cancel into trait which then leads to shenanigans. b3 is your go to combo after Herculean Might meter burned, the wallbounce and damage are what get Shazam to his 40% combos of which he has many and which usually lead to hard knockdown setting up the opponent for future combos. Raw b3 is also reportedly +2 on block but don't expect to be Batman jumping around a lot after a b3. Meter burn to stuff wakeups and add some extra damage for that anti clash setup when possible. f3 is a little more interesting, it is telegraphed meaning the opponent can and will see it coming from a mile away but the fun stuff happens with it's deceptive reach. It is also overhead so it can catch opponents who are crouching.
Meter Management: Shazam builds meter rather well. That said you have to manage it well. In my opinion don't bother ever considering super. 1 bar combos do more damage and the only real situtation would be killing someone as I believe Supers are unclashable. Save meter for combos and meter burn Atlas Torpedo. Combos will be put into the combo section later. The reason you want to use meter burn Atlas Torpedo occasionally is that postion it puts you in. From landing from Torpedo, you can either freely use interactable against most characters, or dash up as the opponent stays ground for a really long time. You can dash forward twice to corpse hop the opponent, leading to side to side mixups. If the round is down to the wire, throw a meter burned Bolt of Zeus HOWEVER only do so when you are sure that it is relatively safe. Meaning the opponent can't punish you hard for it or is forced to block it. The chip is ridiculous on the move and on hit it does hella damage. The added feature of hitting crouchers forces people to jump as that is the only way they can avoid. Provided they don't mistime the jump you can dash in or throw another bolt to mess with them. However do not begin to think Shazam can even begin to zone as that is far from the case do not expect to be a fireball character as you will lose badly for it.
Corner: 1,1,2->1,1,2->1,1,2->1,1,2xxAchilles' Clutch. The combo builds a lot of meter, keeps the opponent cornered, ends in a hardknockdown and is one of the easiest combos every. The key is timing which will be expanded later on. With trait the combo does 50-51% damage for just one 1 bar. Granted the combo is easily clashable, it still does not negate how easy and deadly it is.
Not sure what else to put but I'll add stuff as I go along. Combos are pretty self explanatory and usually implement b3, jump in move, stand move or combo, finish with Herculean Might or Achilles' Clutch. Hitstun and space permitting. Combos will be expanded upon in the combo section.
Advanced Strategy
Note: I am not a tournament level player, however the concepts I discuss I feel are more towards the advanced side and therefore put here. Nothing fancy, just maybe slightly more difficult.
Using Trait: If you end combos with a meter burn Atlas Torpedo, land a st3 on standing opponent block or hit, you should cancel into trait. There are no glaring downsides to Shazam's besides the usual cooldown and slight recovery. The punching moves being the only ones affected are debatable as a downside or necessary balancing. The chip damage you gain and the overall damage on hit boosts your combos by 6 to 10 percent. Corner damage skyrockets making the easy peasy 1,1,2 deadly. You gain some momentum in the mind games as well. Your opponent will second guess his offensive strategy as a costly mistake will lead to a highly damaging combo. Even on the defensive he has to deal with the increased chip damage. However the bonus only applies to punching moves so you should implement the punching strings more. You may lose the advantage of strings like f1,2 but 1,1,2 blocked is still safe at -1. Your b1,2,3 string still gains the chip and the low hit when they least expect it so there is that. Bottom line: Implement trait earlier in game and matches to gain some momentum. Use it too late and your combos risk getting clashed which will waste your trait.
Stage Management: Shazam is a grounded power character. The reason the grounded part is important is because he doesn't get access to fancy OTG shenanigans characters like Wonder Woman, Superman, and Black Adam get access to. That said he is still a power character. If it is an interactable Shazam can and should throw it. Aside from tools like Bat missiles and Jet engine fire on Watchtower, most objects will be thrown by Shazam. I don't know of any favorites but generally most stages work for Shazam. The reason this is advanced is not just how to use Interactables but WHEN to use them. Using them willy nilly will result in the opponent baiting you out and hitting you out of the animation. Generally opt for using one after a hard knockdown or basically at the end of a combo. However watchout for specific characters like Zod or Batgirl whose wakeup attacks always catch you when you use objects. When facing those characters you want to fake them out. Jump as if you will use the interactable but then don't press any buttons. If done just before they wakeup, the opponent is fooled into using a wakeup attack. You land faster and recover before their move can hit you and from that point you punish. Afterwards mix it up once they respect you not using interactables, use one to throw them off.
Tips and Tricks
TBW
Combos
Note: Under Construction as Damage will be added later on. Bread and Butter? Either that or just basic combos. 1 = light attack 2 = medium attack 3 = strong/hard attack xx = cancel into -> = link
No Meter 1,1,2xxBolt of Zeus 1,1,2xxAtlas Torpedo (1,1,2xxTrait/Teleport)
f1,2xxAchilles' Clutch (Note Achilles' Clutch will whiff if the opponent is hit too far away after the f1,2) f1,2xxHerculean Might (Herculean Might essentially guaranteed and leads to better meter burn combos)
b1,2 and 1,2 strings are interchangeable as they both end with a cancel to Bolt or Torpedo should you opt not to use the 3 enders. Try to avoid using because if you hit these you could have hit better combos starters unless you aim for b1,2,3 in footsie game.
f2,2xxHerculean Might (If you land f2,2 be sure to represent and yell SHAZAM seriously it is fun also Achilles' Clutch will whiff and the stun does not last long. Do not take it for granted)
f2,2,3 -> 1,1,2xxAtlas Torpedo (More consistent ender than Bolt of Zeus and best midscreen meterless damage without trait)
f2,2,3 (slight pause) Herculean Might or Achille's Clutch Canceling into either will result in the grab whiffing. You must link the grabs. The timing is tight so practice if you choose to implement this combo.
b2,3 -> 3xxHerculean Might (Decent Damage just remember the risk of b2,3 and not to get caught in abusing the move. Combo great for future meter burn combos combo harder to combo in laggy conditions)
b2,3 -> f2,2,3xxHerculean Might/Achille's Clutch (Here you can cancel into the grabs as the hitstun does not launch the opponent as high. Not super practical but looks flashy. Inconsistent on laggy connections)
b2,3 -> 2.2xxHerculean Might More consistent when dealing with laggy connections sacrifice of some damage though overall.
d1xxAtlas Torpedo (As d1 catches a lot of stuff it is a very easy combo for frame trap and abusing on opponent who habitually crouchblock)
No Meter Anti Air d2 combos are distance and seem be low damage combos as d2 I guess scales combos more? That said Shazam's anti air is still fairly decent and you should know these combos especially if you interrupt strings with d2.
d2-> 3xxHerculean Might This combo is range dependent, if the opponent is too far away when you hit the d2 the 3 will whiff. However it is fairly decent damage.
d2-> f2,2,3xxHerculean Might Much more consistent albeit some higher scaling.
d2 j2 3xx Herculean Might The j2 is distance dependent as well. Too far and it will either whiff or the opponent will fall out before you can get a combo going.
f/b3 Combos
Rare but on the off chance that you do get them.
Alternate Costumes
|
|
Unlocking
- Regime- 1 Armory Key in Hall of Justice Archives
- New 52- Complete every Shazam mission
Match Ups
TBW
Frame Data
| Move Name | Startup | Recovery | On Guard | On Hit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| God Punch | 8 | 17 | -2 | 2 |
| Knee Strike | 9 | 23 | 1 | 12 |
| Hook Kick | 12 | 27 | 3 | 5 |
| Hook Punch | 8 | 18 | -3 | 17 |
| Thundering Elbow | 20 | 25 | -11 | 39 |
| Power Cross | 30 | 27 | 7 | 54 |
| Roundhouse Kick | 10 | 19 | -2 | 20 |
| Hercules Uppercut | 16 | 28 | -5 | 5 |
| Mighty Slam | 29 | 28 | 7 | 62 |
| Low Jab | 6 | 15 | 2 | 13 |
| Lifting Cut | 9 | 16 | -3 | 60 |
| Sweeping Kick | 10 | 20 | -11 | 25 |
| Jumping Strike | 6 | 24 | -10 | 2 |
| Mercury Sidekick | 7 | 24 | -6 | 15 |
| Achilles' Fist | 10 | 24 | -2 | 53 |
| Forward Throw | 10 | 21 | - | - |
| Back Throw | 10 | 21 | - | - |
| One-Two Punch | 7 | 17 | 2 | 16 |
| Solomon's Wisdom | 9 | 24 | -2 | 7 |
| Hercules' Strength | 14 | 22 | -1 | 63 |
| Atlas' Stamina | 11 | 26 | 1 | 32 |
| Zeus' Power | 13 | 36 | -2 | 32 |
| Achilles' Courage | 15 | 22 | 3 | 37 |
| Mercury's Speed | 5 | 23 | -2 | 8 |
| Mighty Colossus | 8 | 38 | -6 | 6 |
| One-Two Kick | 18 | 25 | -9 | 25 |
| Mighty Charge | 12 | 40 | -9 | 52 |
| Mighty Force | 20 | 25 | -1 | 20 |
| Roaring Strike | 9 | 23 | 0 | 47 |
| Atlas Torpedo | 17 | 0 | -12 | 22 |
| Atlas Torpedo (Meter Burn) | 0 | 60 | - | 60 |
| Bolt Of Zeus | 26 | -162 | -6 | 1 |
| Bolt Of Zeus (Meter Burn) | 39 | -165 | 3 | 26 |
| Herculean Might | 11 | 17 | - | 25 |
| Herculean Might (Meter Burn) | 0 | 27 | - | 26 |
| Achilles' Clutch | 13 | 21 | - | 23 |
| Achilles' Clutch (Meter Burn) | 0 | 46 | - | 34 |
| Advancing Mercury Storm | 25 | 11 | - | - |
| Eluding Mercury Storm | 25 | 9 | - | - |
| The Power Of SHAZAM | 17 | 42 | -10 | 6 |
| Trait: Solomon's Judgement | 0 | 43 | - | - |