Zangief
Ideal Team Position: Anchor
Zangief is the archetypical grappler, on a brave quest to press forward towards his enemy with a large body and above-average health bar so that he can get close enough to slam them into the ground with devastating command throws. As the years have passed, he has learned new methods of attack to supplement his wrestling ways, adding a plethora of strikes and movement options that can bring him closer to the opponent quickly as well as deliver hit-based combos should the situation call for it. In Street Fighter x Tekken, Zangief benefits greatly from the Cross Rush system, using his fast, long-reaching crouching jab to link into devastating combos to bring his partner in for full damage. Furthermore, his SPD upon successful completion lands the opponent in a hard knockdown a perfect distance away for Zangief to easily react to whatever the opponent tries to do next. If they stand still, Zangief can continue his advance. If they try to roll forward, they’re just far enough away where Zangief can easily react with a normal throw to kill their red health and place them in yet another hard knockdown position. Despite all of this, he still struggles with closing large gaps of distance in a reasonable amount of time, and this weakness can prove fatal thanks to how important clock management is in this game. When looking to play Zangief, let his partner make his way in and then set up a situation where Zangief doesn’t have to travel as far to press forward and make the opponent play his game.
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
|
+HP DP has a long block stun allowing for safe tag cancels +Aerial Tatsu can act as a quasi-dive kick for further offense. Additionally, it comes out quickly and can win as an air-to-air, giving Sakura more combo opportunities. It is also +13 on block. +Close normals execute quickly, allowing her to take advantage of her frame advantageous moves to press offense + j.MP has high priority and causes a juggle state on regular hit, too for combos. Great air to air normal. +Far HK has great range and is a good tool to beat crouching medium kicks +the P followup to Sakura Otoshi (dp+K) can be +5 on block, and causes ground bounce on hit. +Long range on EX DP |
-Lacking on defense as her best anti-air, cr.HP, can be crossed up easily -Fireball has almost no zoning capabilities -Has trouble keeping opponents out -Main reversal, her EX DP, has a 12-frame startup and is easy to make whiff thanks to a very low hitbox. -Lacks reliable offensive tools, relying primarily on jabs |
Moves
Normal Attacks
+ + + + 
+ + 
+ 
+ + + + + 
/ 
+ / + / + / + / + / +
Unique Attacks
+ 
vs airborne crossup
+ vs airborne crossup
+ or 
vs airborne 
+ Throws
or 
+ + 
+ + Special Moves
+ 
+ 
on vs airborne 
knocks opponent
knocks opponent
"Running Bear Grab"
+ 
gains
on and + gains
on and Super Combo
+
Move Analysis
Normal Moves
N/A
Unique Attacks
N/A
Normal Throws
N/A
Special Moves
N/A
Super Combos
N/A
The Basics
N/A
Advanced Strategy
N/A
Combos
Bread and Butters
- cl.MP, st.MP~st.HP~HP_HK
(0bar, xrush, close, hard)
- cl.HP, st. LK x dp+HP
(0bar, close, medium)
Hit Confirm Combos
* cr.LP xx cr.LP xx st.LK~st.MK~st.HP~HP_HK
(0bar, xrush, easy)
Post-launch Combos =
- cl.HP, st.LK xx dp+P
(0bar, medium)
- cl.MP, st.MP, st.MK~st.HK
(0bar, easy)
- cl.HP, cl.MP, cl.MP xx dp+P
(0bar, corner, hard)
- cl.MP, cl.MP, cl.MP xx KKK (or PPP)
(0bar, corner, easy)
Advanced Combos
- cl.HP, st.LK xx dp+PP, cr.HP, st.LK xx dp+P
(1bar, close, hard)
- cl.HP, st.LK xx dp+PP, cr.MK, cl.MP, cl.MP xx KKK (or PPP)
(1bar, close, corner, medium)
- cl.HP, st.LK xx dp+PP, cr.MK, cl.MK, st.MK~st.HK
(1bar, close, medium)
Combos Into Supers
- N/A
