SvC Chaos: SNK Vs Capcom/Rockman Zero

Overview

Combos

Matchups

Strategy

Misc.

ロックマンゼロ, Rockman Zero
Category	Sub-Boss
Playstyle	Setplay Zoner
Difficulty	Very Difficult
Max Mode Needed?	Much Stronger With It
Tier Placement	God Tier (SS)
Standing Hitbox	Short
Crouching Hitbox	Tiny
Defense Modifier	255
Wall Jump	Yes

Introduction

Rockman Zero, or just Zero, is the iteration of Zero that stars in the GBA series of the same name, canonically after the Mega Man X series developed by Capcom. Making his official fighting game debut in SVC, Zero's history of perpetual top-tier privilege started here, and he's arguably stronger here than in any other game he's known for. With an infinite, powerful setplay, a wide variety of tools, amazing frame data, fantastic mobility, privileged buttons, a great Exceed, high-damage combos, a small frame, and so much more, his flaws are basically trivial. Whatever SNK was doing, they really outdid themselves with how good they made Zero here. Do keep in mind, however, that without automatically relying entirely on his infinite, Zero is the hardest character in the game to play well with the amount of knowledge you need on matchups, setplay, and how to best utilize everything he has on offer. However, the grind absolutely pays off.

How to select Rockman Zero (Outside of Super Plus)

• You want to play as Zero? On the Character Select screen, do these inputs before the timer reaches 10:

• (Hold Start) Up, Right(2x), Left(2x), Down, Up(3x), Right, Press Any Button

• Numpad Notation: 8664428886

• Console Method: Hold R1/RT above Ryu.

Strengths

Weaknesses

Great Movement: While not technically the fastest character in the game, Zero's walk, dash, and jump speeds all make moving around and repositioning himself incredibly easy. Add to that his massive super jumps and wall jumps and he's very difficult to pin down. Insane Frame Data: Several of Zero's attacks have shockingly fast startup, some as fast as 2f. His special moves are also quite fast themselves, making it easy for him to constantly pester the opponent or play aggressively. The cherry on top is that many of his attacks are safe and difficult (if possible at all) to punish with GCFS. Small Hurtbox: Zero's standing hurtbox is a little taller than standing Choi but the same height as Athena. While this does not make him the shortest character in the game, it's enough to duck under quite a few attacks by just standing, skewing matchups that have to work around this in his favor. Projectile Low-Profiling: Zero's small hurtbox sometimes allows him to simply walk under non-grounded projectiles, and even if he can't his df+D slide guarantees that he'll be able to low-profile and punish such zoning attempts against him. Infinite and TOD Combos: With proper execution and the right setup, Zero can easily kill in a single combo. His infinite also works as an air-to-air juggle starter, making one bad jump against him enough to end the whole round. While Zero is relatively known for his infinite in this game, it's not even the best part of his kit. OTG Potential: Zero is one of the few characters in SVC with a move that hits OTG, and on top of his OTG move being fast there's no downside to using it. This essentially means Zero gets free extra damage after every knockdown, and Zero has many easy ways of scoring knockdowns. Setup Potential with Cyber-Elves: Zero's Cyber-Elf summons give him access to a ton of utility that most characters in SVC could only dream of, including one of the game's only sources of healing, an enemy transformation effect that leads to lots of guaranteed damage if successful, and extra sources of neutral control. Uniquely Powerful Exceed: As if being amazing by default wasn't enough, Zero's Exceed is an unblockable grounded projectile that can be done as a meaty setup that, on hit, heals Zero while providing a significant buff to his damage, defense, and overall movement speed. In other words, he becomes even more broken. Has Everything: Setplay, corner traps, frame traps, anti-airs, unjumpable setups, unblockable setups, zoning, rushdown, projectiles, fast buttons, offensive and defensive tools, good combos, an infinite, solid supers; if you can think of it, chances are Zero has it and is also very good at it. Has a Warning Message Against Any Boss Character: This game may have been a contractual obligation, but SNK refused to let the fan service slide. A small but notable cherry on top to make some matchups feel more epic.

Tied Lowest Health and Damage: Zero isn't necessarily a glass cannon, but he is tied with others for the weakest defense modifier in the game, making mistakes more costly for him. Furthermore, while he has plenty of tools to control the pace of the match, his general damage output from BnBs is very low. This makes Zero very reliant on his setplay off of knockdowns to secure wins. Cyber-Elf Limit: With the exception of the pufferfish Cyber-Elf, Zero can only summon 3 Cyber-Elves throughout the entire match. This makes it impossible to use all 4 in a single match, and more importantly it makes any use of a Cyber-Elf extremely costly if they end up providing no value. While he does not rely on them completely, Zero still gets massive setplay benefits from summoning them at the right time. Projectile Does Zero Chip Damage: Pun intended. Jokes aside, Zero's main projectile (236A/C) is more of a utility move for space control than a proper zoning tool due to its low damage and complete lack of chip damage on block. Weird Exceed: Despite all the amazing properties of Zero's Exceed, it has two notable downsides: it deals the lowest damage of any Exceed in the game by a significant margin to compensate for its other effects, and the duration of the buffs it gives is surprisingly short. This means that maximizing the potential of Zero's Exceed requires it to be used in a completely different way from any other Exceed in the game, which is easier said than done. Reliant on Setplay: If you're not doing setplay with Zero, you're not utilizing him to the fullest. To compensate for his lackluster damage and Cyber-Elf limitations, Zero has to get creative with the countless ways he can keep the opponent locked down. This is the core of what makes Zero's learning curve so high. SVC's Hardest Character: Relying solely on Zero's infinite is a fool's errand due to the setup and consistency required to land it in SVC's unique pacing. Zero is God Tier on paper for a reason, but getting there requires a deep understanding of SVC's mechanics, matchups, and various quirks that other top-tier characters don't need as extensively to get results. Extremely Polarizing: For all that he's capable of in SVC, Zero cannot be played like a standard character and expect to be successful. Failing to use all of his tools in conjunction with each other properly will inevitably make him feel inconsistent and far less dominant than his potential suggests. On the other hand, a perfectly-executed Zero will probably cause you to lose friends who have to deal with his iron grip on neutral.

SVC Chaos: SNK VS Capcom Frame Data Glossary
Damage	How much damage the attack does. This takes into account no defense modifiers, so the damage assumes a 0% damage modifier, or in other words the average defense modifier of 223 against characters like Kyo and Ryu. Note: Damage is a little inconsistent. Example: Geese cl.A deals 5 damage. Against Zero, sometimes it does 5 pixels of damage to his life bar, other times it does 4 pixels. Against Ryu, cl.A does 4 pixels of damage, other times it does 3 pixels of damage. This info comes from the Enterbrain Mook, but most likely this is the cause of damage modifiers skewing the damage slightly, thus making it a bit inconsistent. Damage values listed are pulled from the SVC Chaos Enterbrain Mook, save Athena, Red Arremer, Serious Mr. Karate and Shin Akuma. It is listed because it's an official source for this info, just keep in mind damage is not 1-to-1 due to varying health values and screwy ways the game calculates damage anyways. There will be a question mark next to the four mentioned characters because it's only a guess as to what the actual damage values are (until health and damage are better understood), since they were never gathered in the Mook. Unfortunately, when doing attacks, the numbers dealt in damage do not match up with the mook. As an example, Geese's cl.C does 16 damage according to the mook, but against characters like Zero, it only does 14-15 damage, and very rarely it does 16 damage. Against Ryu, it does 12-13 damage at most. But against Orochi Iori, it also does 14-15 damage, and very rarely it does 16 damage. The mook does not explain how the numbers are obtained either, or against who they're tested against, if anyone. In other words, how these numbers were obtained if not through data mining is a mystery in itself, but it can be best assumed it was against 255 defense modifier characters, and at the max damage possible. Lastly, moves like Geese cl.D, though it says 10x2 for the damage, which is true, damage scaling reduces total damage on the second hit. Max Mode also reduces damage dealt by roughly half at most.
Counter Damage	How much damage the attack does on a counter hit, or when it connects with an opponent while they're performing an attack. Counter damage values listed are pulled from the SVC Chaos Enterbrain Mook, save Athena, Red Arremer, Serious Mr. Karate and Shin Akuma.
Guard	Where the attack hits, and thus where it must be blocked. Mids can be blocked standing and crouching Overheads must be blocked standing Lows must be blocked crouching Unblockable cannot be blocked Throws break through block up-close
Guard Crush	How much guard meter damage the attack does to the green Guard Gauge.
Stun	How many points of stun the attack adds to the opponent's invisible Stun Gauge.
Meter	How much meter is gained for performing/landing the attack. Special moves earn meter both when activated and when they connect with the opponent, whether it hits them or they block it.
Cancel	The type of cancel the attack can perform. Any - All cancel types work Ch - Chain cancel; it can chain into other attacks (mostly just lights) Self - Can chain only into itself Cmd - Command cancel; can cancel into command normals Sp - Special cancel; can cancel into special moves, and almost always this means super cancels are possible too Su - Super cancel; can cancel into super moves Free - Free cancel; can be cancelled in Max Mode by other special moves or super moves Written only for special moves as all normals can be Free Cancelled, so writing it in for every move would be redundant X - Cannot be cancelled, either outside of Max Mode or that it cannot be cancelled at all
Startup	How many frames it takes before the move becomes 'active' or has a hitbox. The SVC Chaos wiki uses classic startup notation, which does not include the first active frame. A move with 3 startup becomes active on frame 4. Super and Exceed startup will calculate both the frames before and after the super flash animation as such: X+Y, with X being the startup frames before the flash animation and Y being the startup frames after the flash animation. The startup will not take into account the frames of the flash animation itself where time freezes and the opponent player cannot act. Super flashes last 28 frames, whereas Exceed flashes last 27 frames. Because there is currently no way to view throw boxes, it is assumed that throws/command grabs are at most 0-1 frames of startup. Truthfully, we don't actually know though.
Active	How many frames a move remains active (can hurt opponents) for. Consecutive sets of active frames on a multi-hit move are separated by a comma. (Example: 3, 4 - The attack has its first hitbox for 3 frames, then the second hitbox for 4 frames) If there is a gap between sets of active frames, the gap is denoted by a number in parentheses. (Example: 3, (2), 4 - The attack is active for 3 frames, then is not active for the next two frames, followed by being active again for 4 frames.) Throw boxes are not visible either through dipswitches or the hitbox viewer so it's only a guess how active throws and command grabs are, but it's probably one active frame at most. This also applies to hitbox images - they will still show the push and hurtboxes of characters but outside of that, unfortunately there is no way to depict the throw boxes at the moment.
Recovery	How many frames it takes for a move to finish after it's been active.
Total	The total number of frames the attack lasts on screen for. This adds up the startup, active, and recovery frames into one number.
Hit/Block Adv	These are frame advantage values when the attack hits or is blocked. If the number is positive, then the move will end before the defender can act again. If the number is negative, the defender will be able to act before the attacker and maybe even punish. SKD refers to a soft knockdown, or a knockdown you can tech roll out of. HKD refers to a hard knockdown, one that you cannot tech roll out of. All frame advantages assume Ryu as the opponent. If there are variable wakeup times, it is currently unknown info. Also assume that on soft knockdowns, the frame advantage is when the opponent does not tech roll. If needed, a second frame advantage will be added next to it for when they do tech roll. Frame advantages of projectiles assumes the opponent is point blank range. Any farther and this obviously changes and/or doesn't matter. Block advantage assumes no use of Guard Cancel Front Step. For one, it obviously decreases the attacker's frame advantage significantly. When the defender uses GCFS is also a variable factor so you cannot provide a hard answer as to what the frame advantage is after GCFS, as well as how soon they cancel GCFS into an attack. Generally speaking, just assume the block advantage minus the active frames of GCFS (18 frames), and that's a rough estimate of the frame advantage when GCFS is performed. Do keep in mind that GCFS technically has a slight delay when the dash is performed even if you register the input as early as possible. This doesn't really matter in most cases, since the attacker will automatically be quite minus after most attacks. It would only matter in situations where the attacker can punish GCFS attempts like with throws or multi-hit attacks, but even then, that's because the attacker canceled the blocked attack into another attack that the frame advantage of the blocked attack after GCFS no longer matters in that situation. All that matters, then, is the attack is cancelable at all.
Invulnerability	Indicates whether there's any frames of invulnerability during the attack.

Move List

Normal Moves

Close Normals

cl.A

Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
-	-	Mid	-	-	-	-	3	4	7	14	+1	-1	-
Has the same properties as the far version, but Zero does a punch. Good to begin Light Attack chains.

cl.B

Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
-	-	Mid	-	-	-	-	4	4	11	19	-3	-5	-
The Far and the Close versions are the same. Zero does a stab with his Triple Rod, which despite the name, is a spear that hits only once. Can be normal canceled.

cl.C

Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
-	-	Mid	-	-	-	-	7	4	17	28	-1	-3	-
A punch. Can be canceled, and it's a little good in combos, though cl.D is arguably better.

cl.D

Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
-	-	Mid	-	-	-	-	5	9	15	29	-4	-6	-
A simple knee. Better than the cl.C above. Can be normal canceled, and only that.

Far Normals

st.A

Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
-	-	Mid	-	-	-	-	4	3	9	16	+0	-2	-
A slash with the Z-Sword. Can be chained into itself, can be normal canceled, and can even chain into other moves.

st.B

Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
-	-	Mid	-	-	-	-	4	4	11	19	-3	-5	-
The Far and the Close versions are the same. Zero does a stab with his Triple Rod, which despite the name, is a spear that hits only once. Can be normal canceled.

st.C

Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
-	-	Mid	-	-	-	-	6	2	25	33	-7	-9	-
Zero's longest poke. Very fast, almost safe on block if you hit with the tip of the slash, but cannot be normal canceled.

st.D

Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
-	-	Mid	-	-	-	-	7	5	14	26	+1	-1	-
Another move to use as a poke. Like the move above, cannot be normal canceled, but Zero will move a little forward while he performs the kick.

Crouch Normals

cr.A

Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
-	-	Mid	-	-	-	-	2	4	5	11	+3	+1	-
A very fast punch that's nice to use in Light Attack chains. It can be chained into itself up to 4 times (at least against Ryu). Can be normal canceled.

cr.B

Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
-	-	Low	-	-	-	-	4	4	11	19	-3	-5	-
A low hitting kick. It can be chained into itself (2-4 hits chained into each other for a combo), can be chained with other Light normals, and can be normal canceled.

cr.C

Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
-	-	Mid	-	-	-	-	4	3, 7	22	36	-12	-14	-
An anti-air. Very fast, and can be normal canceled.

cr.D

Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
-	-	Mid	-	-	-	-	4	6	15	25	SKD	-3	-
A stab with Zero's Triple Rod. It knocks down, and can be greatly used as a fast, long-reaching low poke.

Jumping Normals

(n)j.A

Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
-	-	Overhead	-	-	-	-	5	4	-	-	-	-	-
Neutral/Diagonal Jumping Attack The Diagonal and the Neutral versions are the same. One of Zero's best normal air-to-air moves. It has one of the best horizontal range of his air normals, and use only like an air-to-air, it won't help Zero on his combos.

nj.B

Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
-	-	Overhead	-	-	-	-	7	8	-	-	-	-	-
Neutral Jumping Attack A stab with the Triple Rod, and has the same reach as the j.A. Nothing new with this move.

j.B

Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
-	-	Overhead	-	-	-	-	7	8	-	-	-	-	-
Diagonal Jumping Attack A stab aiming down with the Triple Rod, but only does one hit. Can be used as a jump-in.

(n)j.C

Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
-	-	Overhead	-	-	-	-	5	[2, (1),]x4	-	-	-	-	-
Neutral/Diagonal Jumping Attack Can potentially hit twice as it crosses up, but difficult to pull off The Diagonal and the Neutral versions are the same. Zero's best jumping normal if you like crossup combos(It's like Choi's j.C, including the fact that you can hardly combo if the normal does only one hit). It's the best jumping attack to use in neutral jump combos too.

nj.D

Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
-	-	Overhead	-	-	-	-	11	3	-	-	-	-	-
Neutral Jumping Attack The air normal with the best reach. Use it only for air-to-air purposes. It's very hard to combo with it too.

j.D

Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
-	-	Overhead	-	-	-	-	9	4	-	-	-	-	-
Diagonal Jumping Attack A stab aiming down with the Triple Rod. It's like j.B, but better.

Command Normals

Jump Kahou Zuki
j.2B

Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
-	-	Mid	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
This move is like... Chun-Li's d+B in this game? I mean, it has even the bounce property... I don't know if you can use this in the match, because Zero has better air options. You can do any air move after Zero bounces too.

Jouhou Zuki
b.B

Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
-	-	Mid	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Another move with the Triple Rod(You already know). It can be mostly used as an anti-air, or to hit tall characters. Watch out for the angle of the move, it can whiff against some jump-ins from your opponent(It can be better used against neutral jump-ins).

3-Dan Zuki
f.B x3

Version	Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
1st Rekka	-	-	Mid	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
This is a 3-hit move with the Triple Rod. Can be used on combos to get a distance from your opponent. The first hit can be normal canceled(And can combo into the "Sliding" move in Max Mode in any hit).
Version	Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
2nd Rekka	-	-	Mid	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Version	Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
3rd Rekka	-	-	Mid	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Naname Shitazuki
df.B

Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
-	-	Mid	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
This move isn't that useful. For normal combos, it lacks reach. But it can hit as an OTG(On/Off the ground), which can give one more hit for your combos(If your opponent hasn't do a recovery roll, I mean). Use this if you're doing combos in the corner.

Sliding
df.D

Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
-	-	Mid	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
It's like a normal slide, but really fast. You can easily do an OTG after this move(Zero will be very near from the opponent). This move can pass under "floating" projectiles too.

Throws

Throw

Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
24	24	Throw	0	0	0	X	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Throw

Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
24	24	Throw	0	0	0	X	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Guard Cancel Blowback
on Block

Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
0	0	Mid	0	0	0	X	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Special Moves

'Important note regarding Zero's cyber elves: You can use Zero's Cyber-Elves only 3 times in the whole match. You can have only one Cyber-Elf in the screen. If you summon a cyber elf while one is already active, the previous one will disappear.

Buster Shot
(Jump) qcf A

Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
-	-	Mid	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Zero fires one bullet with his Z-Buster. It can be small, but it can be dangerous, because it can be used in the air(It's mainly used in the air to stop jumpers, like Demitri's air fireball). It can be pretty spammable from far away too, because it has good recovery(But watch out for some characters that can punish it). It doesn't do any damage if blocked too.

Charge Shot
(Jump) qcf C

Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
-	-	Mid	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
After the input, Zero will begin his charging animation(I think it has a green/blue color). After some time(2-3 seconds), Zero's charge color will be yellow, and after you release the C button, Zero will fire a more damaging Buster Shot. Zero can freely move and attack while he's charging. Oh, and you can juggle your opponent with this move too(Which is a little good). It will do damage if blocked, unlike the normal version. It can defeat some Super projectiles too. (Notes about Zero's charging moves: While you're charging a move, you can't charge another move, and if Zero is hit while he's charging, he will lose the charge. If you release the button while his charging animation is green/blue, nothing will come out, and Zero will lose the charge.)

Zed Saber
(Jump) hcf B

Version	Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
Ground	-	-	Mid	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
This move is very different while done in the ground or in the air. While on ground, Zero will do a slash with his Z-Saber, and won't even knockdown your opponent, but it can be max canceled into almost anything Zero has, which can lead you to some good combos. While used in the air, this move will do a hard knockdown on your opponent(No matter where he/she is), and will hit as an overhead move(Unlike most air Command/Special moves).
Version	Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
Air	-	-	Mid	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Charge Zed Saber
(Jump) hcf D

Version	Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
Ground	-	-	Mid	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Version	Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
Air	-	-	Mid	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Like the Buster Shot, this move can be charged too. After you release the D button, Zero will do a slash with his Z-Saber, but what his your opponent is that wave that comes out of it. The wave can negate normal projectiles too, and like the Buster Shot, this move will put your opponent in a juggle state. Strangely enough, this move can be normal canceled into part of Zero's arsenal. In the air, it's the same thing. It's said that this move(And the normal version) has some autoguard frames, but I'm not sure about that.

Triple Saber
qcb A x3

Version	Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
1st Rekka	-	-	Mid	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Version	Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
2nd Rekka	-	-	Mid	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Version	Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
3rd Rekka	-	-	Mid	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Triple Saber
qcb C x3

Version	Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
1st Rekka	-	-	Mid	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Version	Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
2nd Rekka	-	-	Mid	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Version	Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
3rd Rekka	-	-	Mid	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
This move is used(And must be used) on combos only. The damage isn't something incredible, but it still helps. C version will make him do his slash animations for a longer time(Which helps on Max Mode combos, because you'll have more time to cancel the hits). Any hit can be max canceled too.

Shield Boomerang
qcb K

Version	Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
qcb B	-	-	Mid	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Version	Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
qcb D	-	-	Mid	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
This move isn't that useful. It can hit your opponent, but not an standing one. More used as an anti-air move(A little risky, but you can try anyway) or to negate normal/Super projectiles.

Triple Rod
(Jump) dp B

Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
-	-	Mid	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Zero will start slashing with his Triple Rod, but it will do more than 3 hits this time(8 hits on the ground, now in the air... Up to 10 hits). There are some interesting features about the ground and the air versions. What? Am I hearding thigs? Somebody said "Infinites" in my ear... Strange.

Charge Triple Rod
(Jump) dp D

Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
-	-	Mid	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Nothing special. It will only do more hits and damage. It won't knock your opponent down in the ground version, so... No juggle properties on the ground version. But you can use as a starter for the air infinite(If you need more hits).

Irregular Hunt
f~hcf P

Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
-	-	Mid	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Zero will fire 3 shots upwards. The 3 shots cannot hit your opponent(Because they aren't the attack), but after the shots "get out" of the screen, an enemy from the Megaman Zero games fall down. There are some different types of enemies, for example: One of them can eletrocute your opponent, other can do more damage, etc. After Zero fires the 3 shots, he can freely move and attack. This move can help you to start pos-stun combos. The button pressed will determine where the shots will go(And where Zero's enemy will fall). It's said that there are up to 8-9 types of enemies, but I'm not sure about that.

Healing Cyber Elf
[b]~f A

Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
-	-	Mid	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
A Cyber-Elf will restore a little amount of Zero's health. It will follow Zero.

Battery Cyber Elf
[b]~f B

Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
-	-	Mid	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
A Cyber-Elf will stay for a little time, or until it connects with any projectile(If the projectile connects with it, Zero will gain 1 level of meter, and if the projectile has more than 1 hit, Zero can take the damage, so make sure you block if the Cyber-Elf absorbs a Super Move). It will follow Zero.

Archer Cyber Elf
[b]~f C

Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
-	-	Mid	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
A Cyber-Elf will fire some arrows/stings, but a little randomly(Let's say that the Cyber-Elf doesn't have a good sight). Can help on your combos(If you're against a tall character, it can be a great help). It will follow Zero.

Transformation Cyber Elf
[b]~f D

Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
-	-	Mid	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
A Cyber-Elf will run in the opponent's direction. If it connects with him/her, and if the opponent hasn't blocked it(It can be blocked, and won't do any chip damage), he/she will turn on the same Cyber-Elf for a little time. Your opponent can only walk, jump, and crouch. After certain attacks, your opponent will come back to his normal form. This Cyber-Elf hits low too(And can help on some combos, or you can even make some unblockable strategies). I could even bug the practice mode with this thing. It will run alone, don't follow Zero.

Cyber Elf (Bakudan Setchi)
[d]~u P/K

Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
-	-	Mid	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
It's a... Blowfish? Well... The button will determine where the Blowfish will appear. The A version will make the Blowfish appear in the side of Zero's head, and the D version will make it appear near from the health gauges. You can use it to stop jumpers, or to do some corner setups for your opponent. Can be used on combos too. The Blowfish won't follow Zero.

Super Moves

Spiral Shot
qcf x2 P

Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
Varies	Varies	Mid	0	0	0	X	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
This super has four levels of charge to it, the first level being Zero fires immediately and the remaining three levels depending on how long you charge up for. Damage for each level respectively: 38 / (30x5) / (32x5) / (34x5) Counter damage for each level respectively: 38 / 30 / 32 / 34 You can fire the charged shot by either letting go of the held button, or by pressing the other punch button not currently being held. Simple move to use. You can hold the button pressed to add some damage(He will even do the charge animation, and the charged version can do up to 5 hits). If your opponent jumps, you can use this move as an anti-air(You can even hold the button to wait for him/her to jump). Can be used in some combos.

Ultimate Saber (Dash)
qcb~hcf B

Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
0+(3x10)+38	0, 3, 38	Mid	0	0	0	X	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Zero's underused Super. You can use this move on most of Zero's combos. There's no difference between the two versions after they hit too. There are some possible combos that you'll need to use this(Not the other one) version to make this combo work, but the version below is just better anyway.

Ultimate Saber (Sliding)
qcb~hcf D

Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
0+(3x10)+38	0, 3, 38	Low	0	0	0	X	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
This version is the best. It hits low, can be used in most of Zero's combos, and even has more reach than the move above(Oh, and the fact that it pass under "floating" projectiles is a little good, huh? How can I know that? He'll do his slide animation after the flash). Good to use on Zero's resets too.

Exceed

Cyber Elf Force

Damage	Counter Dmg	Guard	G. Crush	Stun	Meter	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	Total	Hit Adv	Block Adv	Invulnerability
0+36	0, 36	Unblockable	0	0	0	X	4+17	Varies (~35 up to roughly 63)	8 (after Active ends)	29+Active	HKD (+3)	X	Full invul only if Exceed connects
Restores 45 points of health for Zero. Zero's very useful Exceed. It won't do THAT damage compared to other Exceeds, but it's unblockable, and will help Zero in his game. How? After the Exceed hits, many Cyber-Elves will appear in the screen. While they appear, your opponent will be stunned for a little time, and Zero's health will recover by a decent bit. Oh, and he'll glow pink too. What does it mean? Nothing. Zero will just receive speed, damage, and defense(The game's timer will receive kind of slow down too, but your opponent's speed won't) for a little time. Good to use as a meaty too(It's unblockable. Remember that: If you see any opponent "sleeping" in the ground, you can do a meaty Exceed to get free speed, health, damage, and defense). This move cannot be chained with Zero's normals(But you can still cancel his Light attacks into this Exceed).

Strategy

Basic Strategy

Zero's gameplan

Yeah, Zero is a technical character. If you want to play him just to do infinites, all right, be cheap, that's in Zero's rules. But if you really want to learn him(Or don't like infinites), get ready, you'll need to think while playing. Zero has many anti-air moves in his arsenal, so you'll need to know when you'll use each of them(For example: his b+B can be better against neutral jumps, and his one of the best against diagonal jump-ins). You can do an air fireball just to make the jumpers wary of it(But don't abuse it). His combos(Without considering his infinites) won't do that much damage(Outside of Max Mode) when compared to other combos(Not infinites), but you can still do some damage(Most of his normal combos cannot do more than one bar, but they are good anyway). His Supers are his source of damage, and can be used only with strategy(Or in combos), so use them when you need. His Exceed will help him in his game too, and the best way to use it is as a meaty(You'll do some more damage to your opponent, and even boost Zero's stats, just remember you can only do it once). Other good things in Zero's arsenal are the Cyber-Elves, if you know how they work, Zero can be almost invincible! Zero's combo potential in Max Mode is impressive as well.

Advanced Strategy

Zero's Resets
Zero can do resets like any other character with moves with juggle propeties. His charging Buster Shot can juggle your opponent, leading to more damage in some combos.

Try something like this:

(Corner only) Charge qcf+C, cr.B(2-3x)/cl.D, (Fire the shot, and while your opponent is in the air) f.D, (While your opponent is in the ground) QCF, HCB+D

That's the reset combo. The cr.B/cl.D are just good options: cr.B for a low starter, and cl.D for more damage. (Note: You can't use the cl./cr.C because you'll be charging the button.)

Combos

SVC Chaos: SNK VS Capcom Quick Combo Notation Guide

cl. = close normal st. = standing/far normal cr. = crouching normal f.; etc. = forward direction (NOT far) X = any button CH = counter hit , = Used to separate attacks in the combo / = Separates different options for the combo (mainly different starters or enders that are possible) Unless otherwise stated (such as it's a link or you need to delay the attack), assume this is a chain/cancel. Example: cr.B, cr.A, dp A ; cr.B chains into cr.A, then cr.A cancels into dp A [b]~f = Indicates to charge back (or downback), then press forwards for the given special move ( ) = Parentheses used to indicate the attack(s) within the parentheses are optional to add to the combo (C) = Indicates a free cancel, aka a cancel only possible in Max Mode (SC) = Indicates a super cancel via free canceling in Max Mode (1) = Used to indicate how many hits of the attack should connect (or less than) before continuing with the combo Example: cl.C(1), hcb P means that only one hit of cl.C should be performed before moving on to do hcb P, not more than one hit [ ] = Used to distinguish combo loops or combo starters/etc. in case a certain attack is only possible after specific options xN = Repeat the given loop for as many times as either possible or as many times as you wish May change to numpad notation much later down the road.

BnB Combos

BnB Combos

Combo	Position	Damage	Stun	Difficulty	Notes
(f~hcf P, j.X,) cr.B x1-2, cr.A, qcb P x3, (OTG df.B, meaty Exceed)	TBA	TBA	TBA	TBA	Good combo with a low starter. Nothing very special in this combo, except for the very low damage. You can use this combo as one of his BnBs. If you want more damage, you can do a cr./cl.C, or even his cl.D. Note about the optional things: It should be better to know how to use them in combos, like for example: the f, HCF+P is better when your opponent is stunned, and the OTG + Meaty Exceed can be useless if your opponent does a recovery roll. You'll need to know these variants to do more damage in Zero's combos.
(f~hcf P, j.X,) cr.B x1-3, qcb~hcf K (Corner only - OTG df.B, meaty Exceed)	TBA	TBA	TBA	TBA	A variation of the above, but with more damage. The Super used will not change the combo.
(Corner only, anti-air jumping opponent) j.dp B xN	TBA	TBA	TBA	TBA	This is Zero's infinite. The timing of the attacks can be hard; you'll need to jump almost every time. There are video references you can use as well.
(Both players in opposite corners) Charge qcf C, qcf x2 P	TBA	TBA	TBA	TBA	Long range combo. Really good and easy to do, but hard to land in a real match. Learn if you want.
[b]~f D, cross-up j.C, cr.B x1-2, qcb P / qcf A, (Cyber-Elf hit)	TBA	TBA	TBA	TBA	A setup for the running Cyber-Elf. Really good to use as a wakeup mixup, or even while they're stunned. You'll have 3 chances to use this combo, so don't even try to mess the combo up.
[CD grab, walk a little forward, OTG df.B, walk a little forward,]xN	TBA	TBA	TBA	TBA	NOT a real infinite. Another one of Zero's infinite loops, but much easier than the air DP one. The hits connect with each other, but your opponent can still escape from the combo. If your opponent doesn't know how to throw escape - and they will, you won the match. The best way to land this infinite is after a GCFS if they somehow don't know how to throw escape.

Max Mode Combos

Max Mode Combos

Combo	Position	Damage	Stun	Difficulty	Notes
(j.X,) cr./cl.A/cl.B, [(C)qcb P x2, (C)hcf B,]x2, (SC)qcf x2 P	TBA	TBA	TBA	TBA	A combo to practice. You can't add the other optional things because the Super will send your opponent far away, albeit possible in the corner. The Light attacks are better in this combo due to the "push" your opponent will get as opposed to Heavy attacks. The combo will work better with a jumping crossup. The Supercancel in the last part isn't that hard, just do another QCF and press a punch. The HCF after the input will help you with it. For the version used on the QCB+P, the combo will work with any of them, but it was easier with the C version. You'll have more time to cancel the move, because it's slower, and will combo anyway.