Street Fighter V/Zeku/Strategy

General Strategy

Old

Old Zeku tends to be most effective when controlling the midrange with his long range pokes and unique projectiles.

Neutral

It's tempting to use H Koku (QCF + HK) to control space. But it's slow startup and recovery often skews the risk/reward of the move in your opponents favor. Also Old Zeku doesn't often find a chance to move back to a range where H koku is your only space control option. Instead, using a combination of L koku, M koku, cr.MP, cr.MK, and st.LK at the midrange tends to be more effective, as you have a wider variety of options to choose, all of which require less commitment than H koku. Cr.MP in particular is a standout poke, due to its good reach, frame advantage on block, and difficulty to whiff punish.

Bushin Gram Koku having a strike and a projectile hitbox is very useful in fireball wars as you can dissipate your opponent's fireball with the strike hitbox, then punish them with the projectile hitbox. Utilizing this technique is essential against characters like Guile and Sagat in order to keep up with with their strong fireball game. Also, while Zeku cannot create fireball traps like other characters, having your opponent block a far range M koku, then immediately using cr.MP will give you enough time to anti-air if they jump after blocking the M koku. The cr.MP will also stop an immediate forward dash from your opponent.

Young

While Young Zeku does excel with an offensive gameplan, he is versatile enough to also play more passively at times. Don't lock yourself into just one approach.

Neutral

Use Young Zeku's fast walkspeed and quick pokes to dictate the pace of neutral. You don't even need to fish for a confirm to start out. Just walking and good usage of st.LK, st.MK, and cr.MK can put your opponents on the backfoot. St.LK in particular is helpful because it's speed lets Young Zeku be very mobile while he's poking. Once you feel you've got control of neutral, then start looking for higher reward options like a confirm from st.HP, walking into st.MP range, or even doing a walk up throw.

Since most of Young Zeku's anti-air moves are lackluster, often the best anti-air is to simply not stand in a range where a jump is difficult to deal with. Also his fast walkspeed can allow Zeku to walk underneath crossup attempts and punish their landing frames.

Offense

Young Zeku's offensive pressure usually boils down to standard SFV offense: frame trap/throw/throw bait. The catch is that if Young Zeku is right, he gets very good reward no matter which decision he chose on offense. A frame trap with st.MP leads to a full combo with the st.MP xx st.HP TC, backthrow deals 160 damage, and a throw bait using a shimmy also gets a st.MP TC. St.HK can give an even larger reward on throw baits as well.

V-System

V-Reversal

12 frame strike reversal. Faster than most, making it good for getting out of pressure.

V-Skill 1

Zeku's VS1 is Fukuro/Tenpo Kari, its a basic strike that changes Zeku's form on hit. Old Zeku does a rising palm strike with Young Zeku does an advancing body blow. Both do decent damage and make for a good combo ender if you're looking to switch forms. You can combo into it as OZ from medium and heavy Teki, and as YZ from light and heavy Hozanto. There are some more niche ways to combo into it but these are the easiest. You're also able to swap which side you're on, making it a good comboe ender especially if you're cornered.

V-Skill 2

Zeku's VS2 is Kuchiyose. In old form, Zeku summons a bird that drops a firecracker. In young form, Zeku summons a weasel to run at and strike the opponent. The entire move takes incredibly long, with a whopping 54 frames of startup and 10 frames of recovery. However, you can avoid these 10 extra recovery frames by swapping forms. Old Zeku's bird takes incredibly long to get out. On top of the 54 frames of startup, you still have to wait for it to drop the firecracker, which is dependent on the distance it travels. You can alter its distance by holding back or holding forward upon releasing. Holding back makes it drop near Zeku, while holding forward makes it travel almost full screen, holding no direction makes it travel in between the two. On top of the long startup, it's relatively hard to get out in neutral because the bird disappears if you're hit at any point before the firecracker drops. Thankfully, you can cancel into VS2 from any Teki, although you'll still be relatively unsafe. If the firecracker connects, it causes a juggle state, letting you juggle any Teki, Koku, dp, or VT2 assuming you have enough time to use your preferred followup.

Young Zeku's weasel doesn't take as long to get out, making it much easier to get out and use as a potential approach option. Because of this, there isn't a ton of setup potential with it like Old Zeku. The weasel will disappear at any point if you get hit before it makes contact with the opponent. On hit, it causes a juggle state, letting you juggle any palm or run slide, assuming you have enough time for what version you want. You can cancel into VS2 from any Hozanto, but you'll still be relatively unsafe. Because of it's low amount of setup potential, using VS2 and switching forms is a great way to approach. You can use it to make your overhead safe at the right distance, or go for a crossup.

VS2 has a lot of potential and takes a lot of wit and setup knowledge to use. Use it if you're looking to make your Zeku completely viable.

V-Trigger 1

Zeku's VT1 is Bushinryu Shingegiko. It's 2 bars, and upon activating, it gives Zeku a command dash that allows him to do a Darkstalker's style chain combo. The dash has invulnerability properties including against projectiles. This ability makes it a strong anti-air tool or against opponents on the ground too. You do the dash by pressing HP+HK again, and you can perform the chain by simply pressing the normals you want to as if they were a cancel from weaker normals to stronger. The first attack off this VT1 dash allows you to cancel into a special move. So normals that were previously unable to cancel can at the expense of completing the VT1 string. You can end the chain combo by pressing HP+HK again to do a special finisher that cancels into critical art and is -2 on block. A critical art may also be tacked onto the end. It's best to utilize VT1 by getting a hit confirm into the dash and going for mediums and heavies for your chain only to avoid significant scaling. The damage output is not particularly high due to its safe use, stun output and hit confirm ability. Therefore it is best advised to take advantage of the VT01 install phase. VT1 is possible to be used twice in a match and if successful can tack on some good damage like many V-Triggers.

V-Trigger 2

Zeku's VT2 is Karura Tenzan. Upon activating, Zeku does an uppercut and changes forms. You'll get two uses out of it, with one of them being on activation. By holding forward, it can side switch too. It makes a great combo ender, as it can cancel from any of Zeku's specials. On hit, you can juggle into EX DP as OZ and EX run slide as YZ. One of the shining features of this VT is that it gives Young Zeku and very reliable anti air options. From frames 1-17 it has invincibility to projectiles, throws, and mid air attacks. This VT is much easier to use compared to VT1, but neither of his VTs are particularly strong, so choose whichever one you want.

Matchups

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Abigail

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Akira

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Akuma

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Alex

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Balrog

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Birdie

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Blanka

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Cammy

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Chun-Li

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Cody

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Dan

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Dhalsim

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Ed

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E. Honda

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Falke

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F.A.N.G

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G

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Gill

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Guile

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Ibuki

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Juri

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Kage

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Karin

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Ken

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Kolin

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Laura

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Lucia

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Luke

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M. Bison

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Menat

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Nash

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Necalli

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Oro

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Poison

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Rashid

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Rose

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R. Mika

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Ryu

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Sagat

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Sakura

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Seth

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Urien

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Vega

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Zangief

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Zeku (Old)

Zeku (Old)[No Data] [character page][(Old) match videos]

Zeku (Young)

Zeku (Young)[No Data] [character page][(Young) match videos]

External Resources

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