Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo/O. Zangief

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Move Analysis

Normal Moves

O.Zangief's normals are decent, nothing with outstanding priority, but in contrast they do more damage than most characters normals. He does not has many normals with cancel properties.

Ground Normals

• Close Standing Jab:

Damage	14/12
Stun	0-5
Stun Timer	40
Chain Cancel	Yes
Special Cancel	Yes
Frame Count		2	2	2	2	4	4	5
Simplified		2	6		15

O.Zangief does a knife hand strike from above his head until towards. O.Gief's version isnt as good as N.Gief's, but it can still be considered a viable anti air. The first active animation have the Special Cancel property and the next have the Chain Cancel property. You can also tick this into anything but against half the cast it will simply whiff if they are crouch blocking. Here is the list of characters you can tick if they are crouching: Balrog(Boxer), DeeJay, Dhalsim, FeiLong, Honda, Sagat, T.Hawk, Vega(Claw) and Zangief.

• Far Standing Jab:

Damage	14
Stun	0-5
Stun Timer	40
Chain Cancel	Yes
Special Cancel	Yes
Frame Count		2	4	5

O.Zangief performs a fast straight punch that can be canceled into itself. This happens to be very damaging Jab, and it even does the strong sound when it hits. Unlike most characters' rapid fire Jabs, Gief's st.Jab should not be used to beat advance moves like Blanka's rolls or Honda's Headbutt. This move really comes into play though when facing Dhalsim and Balrog(Boxer). Against Boxer you will use it to beat his Low Rushes (which is basically your only decent option), it can also beat Cammy's Cannon Drills and Hawk's Condor Dive from specific ranges and also trade unfavorably with Bison(dictator)'s Scissor Kicks. It does beat his standing Forward kick, though, from the right range. It is also a very nice ticking move, it allows you to tick from very far (e.g., it allows you to tick Dhalsim while being safe from his BS throw range). Unfortunately, against the majority of the cast, this move will just whiff if they are crouching. Here's the list of characters you can tick if they're crouch blocking: Balrog(Boxer), Dhalsim, Sagat, T.Hawk and Zangief.

• Crouching Jab:

Damage	6
Stun	0-5
Stun Timer	40
Chain Cancel	Yes
Special Cancel	Yes
Frame Count		3	5

Crouching spear hand strike. The move does very low damage, but it is your most important ticking move and can also be used into combos such as cr.Jab (n times) linked into st.Short or cr.RH. It can beat a lot of different moves like Honda's Headbutt and HHS, Blanka's crouching Fierce slide, super and rolls (against his rolls it is better to use kick Lariat, and beating his super is not a good idea, unless blocking would get you killed), Bison(dictator) Scissor Kicks and some normals.

• Close/Far Standing Strong:

Damage	21
Stun	5-11
Stun Timer	60
Chain Cancel	No
Special Cancel	No
Frame Count		2	2	3	5
Simplified		4		3	5

Relatively fast straight punch. Doing it close or far will result in the exact same move, which is a horizontal knife hand strike. This attack is very important in combos: almost any decent combo will use this normal. Other than combos, there is not much use for it, since the hitboxes are quite similar to those of the standing Jab, the damage is not much greater but the recovery is. It can also be more easily stuffed before becoming active due to premature projected hitboxes.

• Crouching Strong:

Damage	21
Stun	5-11
Stun Timer	60
Chain Cancel	No
Special Cancel	No
Frame Count		3	3	8	4	5
Simplified		6		8	9

A crouching straight punch that hits around the stomach, with moderate recovery. It can be used used as a poke, in trade situations and to beat some moves. Sometimes I use it to tick into Suplex after a Fierce splash cross-up: it can be effective because it is a strange use for this move, your opponent can be surprised by this and fail to react accordingly. Do not overuse this tactic, though, as it is easy to be reversed.

• Close/Far Standing Fierce:

Damage	26
Stun	10-16
Stun Timer	80
Chain Cancel	No
Special Cancel	No
Frame Count		3	3	6	10	8	6	5
Simplified		6		6	29

A powerful straight punch with long recovery. Doing it close or far will result in the exactly same move. Has a nice damage/dizzy potential but can not be properly used in combos. The only decent use I can think for this is if you're going for a trade, as you can not reliably beat something using this.

• Crouching Fierce:

Damage	26
Stun	10-15
Stun Timer	80
Chain Cancel	No
Special Cancel	No
Frame Count		3	3	8	10	13
Simplified		6		8	23

Another crouching straight punch that hits around the stomach, but with much longer recovery than cr.Strong punch. It works decently as anti-air at certain ranges, it is good in trade situations and to beat some other moves. It is good against Hawk's and Fei Long's j.Jab, Vega's (claw) dive (depending on the spacing), Ryu/Ken's tatsus and Honda's HHS by anticipation.

• Close Standing Short:

Damage	16
Stun	0-5
Stun Timer	40
Chain Cancel	No
Special Cancel	No
Frame Count		3	2	2	8	4	1
Simplified		7			8	5

Zangief's knee bash. Used to tick into suplex, it is risky, though, because it is somewhat slow and you can not mix it up, if the opponent sees it coming he can easily reversal.

• Far Standing Short:

Damage	16
Stun	0-5
Stun Timer	40
Chain Cancel	No
Special Cancel	No
Frame Count		2	2	5
Simplified		4		5

O.Zangief performs a low kick. Your best standing tick for sure. You can also mix between tick SPD or linked sweep to give your opponent extra trouble when trying to reverse. Watch out for reversal tatsus or upkicks when using this against a knocked down opponent.

• Crouching Short:

Damage	16
Stun	0-5
Stun Timer	40
Chain Cancel	No
Special Cancel	Yes
Frame Count		3	4	7

Fast crouching side kick with poor priority. Has Special Cancel properties, which allows you to combo a Lariat after it, but cr.Fwrd is better for this. You can also cancel an running grab out of it, which will usually connect but doesn't do much damage.

• Close Standing Forward:

Damage	21
Stun	5-11
Stun Timer	60
Chain Cancel	No
Special Cancel	No
Frame Count		3	3	4	4	5
Simplified		6		4	9

Does not have any specific use that I can think of. It can be used as a tick into suplex, but its start-up makes it unreliable.

• Far Standing Forward:

Damage	21
Stun	5-11
Stun Timer	60
Chain Cancel	No
Special Cancel	No
Frame Count		3	3	4	4	5
Simplified		6		4	9

Semi-circular middle kick. O.Gief's version does not has good range as N.Gief's but still can be used as a poke. It is, on the other hand, a viable option for antiair from specific ranges.

• Crouching Forward:

Damage	21
Stun	5-11
Stun Timer	60
Chain Cancel	No
Special Cancel	Yes
Frame Count		3	6	9

Crouching side kick. Better damage and priority than cr.Short, but longer recovery. It has Special Cancel properties just like cr.Short so you can cancel into Lariat or Running Bear Grab. Cross-up Fierce spash, cr.Forward into kick Lariat is particularly hot. It can also be used as a tick into SPD and suplex, but you have better options for these.

• Close Standing Roundhouse:

Damage	26+4
Stun	10-16/1-7
Stun Timer	80/70
Chain Cancel	No
Special Cancel	No
Frame Count		2	2	2	3	6	8
Simplified		9				6	8

Damage	26+4
Stun	10-16/1-7
Stun Timer	80/70
Chain Cancel	No
Special Cancel	No
Frame Count		8	10	8	5
Simplified		31

Weird butterfly kick that hits twice. It is a quite useless move. It can hit twice from close range and it is the most damaging normal you have, but it has long start-up and recovery. The second hit has a decent anti-air priority, but the situations where you can use it like that are limited and the use is often shadowed by cl.Jab.

• Far Standing Roundhouse:

Damage	26
Stun	10-15
Stun Timer	80
Chain Cancel	No
Special Cancel	No
Frame Count		4	8	11

O.Zangief performs a high side kick. O.Gief's version of this move is pretty bad, the only use i can think for it is to fake (whiff) into a SPD.

• Crouching Roundhouse:

Damage	26
Stun	6-10
Stun Timer	130
Chain Cancel	No
Special Cancel	No
Frame Count		4	8	12	1
Simplified		4	8	13

Zangief's sweep kick. Animates the same as Zangief's other crouching kicks, but with longer recovery. This is a pretty awesome move, with good recovery for a RH sweep and deceptive reach. It can be linked into well, comes out relatively fast, does good damage, has decent recovery, not to say the precious knockdown which can lead into ticking mix ups or safe jumps. This move is very important in tick mix-ups, together with far standing Short: both can be used to punished the enemy for standing up, which is often necessary for inputting invulnerable reversal moves. Always going for the SPD from max range can get predictable, so this is one of the possible mix-ups one can do.

Aerial Normals

• Neutral Jumping Jab:

Damage	15
Stun	1-7
Stun Timer	40
Frame Count		2	3	8	∞
Simplified		2	11		∞

Totally outprioritized by the Strong and Fierce versions since it has the same frames but worse priority and damage.

• Diagonal Jumping Jab:

Damage	16
Stun	1-7
Stun Timer	40
Frame Count		2	3	8	∞
Simplified		2	11		∞

Somewhat outprioritized by the Strong version. It has better air-to-ground priority by 1 or 2 pixels but the damage and range is a lot worse.

• Neutral Jumping Strong:

Damage	19
Stun	1-7
Stun Timer	40
Frame Count		2	3	8	∞
Simplified		2	11		∞

Totally outprioritized by the Fierce version since it has the same frames but worse priority and damage.

• Diagonal Jumping Strong:

Damage	19
Stun	6-11
Stun Timer	50
Frame Count		2	3	8	∞
Simplified		2	11		∞

It is your main air to air option. It is not that great at it but it can beat some moves like Blanka's j.Strong, for example.

• Neutral Jumping Fierce:

Damage	26
Stun	10-16
Stun Timer	60
Frame Count		2	3	8	∞
Simplified		2	11		∞

Your best straight jump move. Has very good priority, enough to even beat Vega's dive and does a pretty good damage.

• Diagonal Jumping Fierce:

Damage	26
Stun	11-17
Stun Timer	60
Frame Count		1	3	3	7
Simplified		7			7

Damage	26
Stun	11-17
Stun Timer	60
Frame Count		3	3	∞
Simplified		∞

Your main air to ground attack, great for jumping over fireballs and for surprise jumps. Can also be used to tick into SPD.

• Neutral Jumping Short:

Damage	16
Stun	1-7
Stun Timer	40
Frame Count		3	∞

It is the only neutral jumping move that stays active till you land, but still I do not see much use in it...

• Diagonal Jumping Short:

Damage	16
Stun	1-7
Stun Timer	40
Frame Count		3	16	8	6	4	∞
Simplified		3	16	∞

Your main air ticking move. If your opponent starts to reversal these tick attempts (I mean after blocking this move) then you can mix it up with the Forward version (and even with the Roundhouse version) to disturb his reversal timing.

• Neutral Jumping Forward:

Damage	19
Stun	6-11
Stun Timer	50
Frame Count		3	16	8	6	4	∞
Simplified		3	16	∞

No specific use.

• Diagonal Jumping Forward:

Damage	19
Stun	6-11
Stun Timer	50
Frame Count		3	16	8	6	4	∞
Simplified		3	16	∞

An Ok move. It can be used for air ticking just like dj.shrt.

NOTE: You can use this move (and dj.shrt too) as a instant overhead!

Yeah, thats right, Gief has a instant overhead which can kill someone with 3 to 5 pixels of life, depending on which button you pressed and which character you are facing (heavy characters can suffer 1 pixel less damage in that situation). I recommend pianoing the 2 kick buttons to make it easier to time, they both have the same start-up time and active hitbox, the only difference is the damage. Unfortunatelly, against small characters like Cammy for example its very hard to time it right, even if you piano it.

• Neutral Jumping Roundhouse:

Damage	26
Stun	11-17
Stun Timer	60
Frame Count		3	8	8	6	4	∞
Simplified		3	8	∞

The best neutral jump kick, has decent priority and long reach, can beat some stuff and does decent damage. It will mostly be used if you predict a jump from your opponent.

• Diagonal Jumping Roundhouse:

Damage	26
Stun	11-17
Stun Timer	60
Frame Count		3	8	8	6	4	∞
Simplified		3	8	∞

A good trade move or when whiffing it on purpose to do a SPD exactly when you land.

--Born2SPD

Command Normals

• Headbutt/Stomach Crunch: (Jump straight up, ↖/↑/↗ + Strong/Fierce)
• Strong Version:

Damage	23
Stun	21-26
Stun Timer	100
Frame Count		3	8	∞

• Fierce Version:

Damage	28
Stun	21-26
Stun Timer	100
Frame Count		3	6	∞

Gief does a sort of headbutt thing. In the Japanese version it's often an instant dizzy, but in the American version it got nerfed, so it's not very useful. The Fierce version has better priority and does more damage but has less attacking frames.

• Chest Splash: (Diagonal jump, ↙/↓/↘ + Fierce)

Damage	22
Stun	11-17
Stun Timer	60
Frame Count		5	∞

The best cross-up in the game, this thing can trade or even beat reversal shoryukens if done after a crossup, has great dizzy potential and its a great start for crossup combos/ticking.

• Knee Drop: (Diagonal jump, ↙/↓/↘ + Short/Forward)
• Short Version:

Damage	17
Stun	?
Stun Timer	40
Frame Count		5	∞

• Forward Version:

Damage	20
Stun	1-7
Stun Timer	40
Frame Count		7	18	6	∞
Simplified		7	18	∞

If done with the Short button, its your main tick into super option. Isn't good to beat other moves since the Forward version is much better at it. Also its you move of choice when safejumping. If done with forward, it will have a lot better air to ground priority but less active frames. Can beat a lot of low kicks, and beat some anti air moves as well since it has a very good priority.

--Born2SPD
--UltraDavid

Normal Throws

As the prototypical grappler, Gief has the most normal throws in the game and even a couple of the best in his strong and roundhouse throws. That said, because of his excellent command grabs, his normal throws go mostly unused. It's important to note that while Gief's SPD has the biggest throw range in the game his normals throws lose in range to E.Honda's, Blanka's and Dhalsim's normal throws. Being more specific, Gief actually has more range on the normal throws than these characters i listed, but gief has less Range advantage (difference between throw box and throwable box).

• Pile Driver: (←/→ + Strong)

Damage	32(+4)
Stun	7-13
Stun Timer	100
Range (from axis)	69
Range advantage	24

Zangief sits on the opponent's head, opponent always stays in front of Zangief. Sets up a crossup fierce splash when unteched. Zangief's most commonly-used normal throw.

• Iron Claw: (←/→ + Fierce)

Damage	? + ?*n
Stun	0
Stun Timer	0
Range (from axis)	69
Range advantage	24

Gief does, I don't know, something to the opponent's face for multiple hits.

• Brain Buster: (←/→ + Forward)

Damage	32(+4)
Stun	7-13
Stun Timer	100
Range (from axis)	69
Range advantage	24

Zangief throws the opponent over his head, opponent always ends up behind him. Not as useful as strong because the opponent is thrown too far for a splash, but if Gief is in the corner and you want the opponent cornered, here ya go.

• Kamitsuki a.k.a. Bite: (←/→ + Roundhouse)

Damage	? + ?*n
Stun	0
Stun Timer	0
Range (from axis)	69
Range advantage	24

Gief bites the opponent for multiple hits. For a normal throw this does great damage, and it would be awesome for any other character, but again, if you're going to grab, the command grabs are the ways to go.

NOTE: There's some crossup trickery involving this grab:

Against the shotos, you can crossup them by simply walking if they're on "your" corner (by your i mean that if you're the Player 1 this will only work on the P1 side/if you're player 2 this will only work in the P2 side, strange but thats how it works).
Against E.Honda and Vega(Claw) this also works independent of the corner you're facing.
Against Cammy and ChunLi this also works but make sure she is close but NOT in the corner. If they're in the corner a weak tick can give you the correct spacing.
I may be wrong, but from my tests, if you mash for more damage then you unfortunately may not be able to crossup. After you successfully crossup your opponent the best options would be a kick lariat or a combo that ends with a knockdown. I like to do cr.frwrd xx kick lariat, its easy, does a good damage and a full knockdown, i do not recommend tick-throw attempt because a combo is guaranteed damage in that situation, unless your opponent is familiar with the situation which i doubt, at least in the first times you use this trick.

• Stomach Claw: (↙/↓/↘ + Strong/Fierce)

Damage	? + ?*n
Stun	0
Stun Timer	0
Range (from axis)	69
Range advantage	24

Crouching version of the fierce throw. This sometimes comes out when you want a crouching strong poke, and that's fine because the throw does more damage, but it's rarely used on purpose. What is so great about this grab is that you do it while crouching, which can save your ass from a lot of different mixups with ease.

• Deadly Driver: (Gief and opponent in air, ↖/↙/←/→/↘/↗ + Strong/Fierce)

Damage	42(+2)
Stun	7-13
Stun Timer	100
Range (from axis)	61
Range advantage	16

Zangief throws the opponent down in the direction pressed. Does more damage than the kick air throw but the follow-up game is weaker.

• Leg Throw: (Gief and opponent in air, ↖/↙/←/→/↘/↗ + Forward/Roundhouse)

Damage	34(+2)
Stun	7-13
Stun Timer	100
Range (from axis)	61
Range advantage	16

Zangief tosses over his head in the direction pressed. This is the better air throw because it leaves the opponent closer, but it's still very rarely used.

--Born2SPD
--UltraDavid

Special Moves

• Spinning Pile Driver or just SPD: (360 + P)

Damage (Jab)	36
Damage (Strng)	39
Damage (Frc)	43
Stun	7-13
Stun Timer	100
Range (from axis)	111	Frame Count (Jab)	5	5	16	3	3
Range advantage	66	Simplified (Jab)	32
		Frame Count (Strng)	5	5	18	3	3
		Simplified (Strng)	34
		Frame Count (Frc)	5	5	20	3	3
		Simplified (Frc)	36

A command throw with great range that does good damage; this is Zangief's most important move. Zangief attempts a throw and after that remains stuck on an animation so that he can not block or move. The Jab version does the worst damage and Fierce does the highest, although it does not vary all that much. All versions have the same range. If done after a tick, the opponent can only escape by doing a reversal-timed instantly-invincible attack, like a dragon punch, or a move that puts the character in the air, like Blanka's rolling attack.

NOTE: SPD can have multiple active frames, but you must earn them!

YBH affirms that SPD has 11 active frames but thats not true. The only guaranteed active frame you will ever have with a SPD is the first one (before the animation starts). You can earn more active frames on SPD by pressing/releasing the punch button while in the whiff animation, but only during the leniency time(or the rest of it, since you will probably press the punch button some frames after the last input). When you input all the directions needed for a special move, after the last direction is pressed you will have 13 frames to input the punch/kick button to actually get the special move. What happens with SPD (and other command grabs as well like T.Hawk's Typhoon and E.Honda's Oicho) is that if the game detects a punch press/release while in the move's leniency time, it will register again for the command throw, so you will have multiple frames, but again, you must earn them, its not automatic.

• Atomic Suplex: (Close, 360 + K)
• Short Version:

Damage	20+26
Stun	7-13
Stun Timer	100
Range (from axis)	66
Range advantage	21

• Forward Version:

Damage	20+27
Stun	7-13
Stun Timer	100
Range (from axis)	69
Range advantage	24

• Roundhouse Version:

Damage	20+29
Stun	7-13
Stun Timer	100
Range (from axis)	83
Range advantage	38

This command throw is more damaging than SPD, but its range is much smaller. If you are right up close, go for this for more guaranteed damage. If done after a tick, the opponent can only escape by doing a reversal-timed instantly-invincible/airborne attack. If the grab attempt is not successful, this move turns into the Flying Power Bomb, also known as the Running Bear Grab. Something worth mentioning is that the Rh version is Gief's only command grab which can throw as crossup before turning, see that the yellow box extends after the pushbox's back by some pixels.

• Flying Power Bomb a.k.a. Running Bear Grab: (Far, 360 + K)
• Startup + Active:

Damage	29
Stun	7-13
Stun Timer	100
Range (from axis)	66
Range advantage	21
Frame Count (Shrt)		10	3	4	4	4	1
Simplified (Shrt)		10	16
Frame Count (Frwrd)		12	3	4	4	4	1
Simplified (Frwrd)		12	16
Frame Count (Rh)		14	3	4	4	4	1
Simplified (Rh)		14	16

• Whiff:

Super Meter	5
Frame Count (Shrt)		5	5	16	3	3
Simplified (Shrt)		32
Frame Count (Frwrd)		5	5	18	3	3
Simplified (Frwrd)		34
Frame Count (Rh)		5	5	20	3	3
Simplified (Rh)		36

Zangief runs a certain distance, and if he gets close enough, he grabs the opponent. This does less damage than SPD and SPD's range is only a little smaller than this move's max running range, but it's still useful in some match-ups and in surprise situations. All versions have the same range. The startup time means the opponent can jump or even hit Gief out of it with a normal.

• Double Lariat a.k.a. Punch Lariat: (Jab + Strong + Fierce)

Damage	27
Stun	9-15
Stun Timer	100
Frame Count		1	6	5	5	5	5	5

Damage	27
Stun	9-15
Stun Timer	100
Frame Count		5	5	5	5	5	3

Gief spins around with hands a-flailing, with mid body invulnerability. The attack range increases with each spin. This move goes through any projectile that is not a Low Tiger shot, and also through some supers and most high- and mid- level normals. The active hitbox extends to only one of Gief's hands, so although the hand with the hitbox beats just about every non-invincible move in its range (Zangief's arm is fully invincible), the chance of that happening is a little less than 50%; as a result, while the Lariat can beat things like Honda's headbutt, it does so only occasionally.

• Quick Double Lariat a.k.a. Kick Lariat: (Short + Forward + Roundhouse)

Damage	27
Stun	9-15
Stun Timer	100
Frame Count		1	6	5	5	5	5	5

Damage	27
Stun	9-15
Stun Timer	100
Frame Count		5	5	1
Simplified		5	6

Like the punch Lariat, but this one has a shorter duration and range and doesn't move laterally as far. Unlike N.Gief's version of this move, it has the same lower vulnerability hitbox as the punch lariat, which does not allow you to spin though Sagat's Low Tiger shots. In my opinion, O.Zangief vs O.Sagat is the worst matchup in the whole game, it is 1 - 9 or even 0.5 - 9.5, if you don't abuse O.Gief's Reversal Suplex bug.

--Born2SPD
--UltraDavid