Introduction
Poor Claw.
Five years removed from Super Street Fighter II Turbo, Vega is still serving a suspended sentence.
Claw isn't good. In fact, he's tied with Zangief for dead last. In his race to the bottom, Vega has lost just about everything that made him so scary in Street Fighter II. I'd argue you could double his damage and he might still lose.
Claw runs a humble strike/throw game in a Street Fighter with OS Throw Tech and Triple Overhead Mixups. He can play a slippery ground game thanks to his walkspeed, but a charge requirement restricts his ranges and routes around his two best normals. Claw's sauciest combos are all gated behind EXCEL.
If you like to work for less, Claw's your guy. At least he's hot!
Gameplan
When the EX2+ faithful say the game would be worse without without EXCEL, they're probably talking about Claw. This game's Tier List bottoms out at "C" for a reason: Thanks to the game's system, you'll rarely lose on character select. Clean activations or good neutral can take you far, and Vega has potential for both.
2MK is an unassuming normal that singlehandedly saves Claw from the junkheap. Among footsie buttons in EX2+, it doesn't get much better than this. 2MK is fast, far, utterly lagless, and links to 2LP from nearly any range. Couple this with Scarlet Terror's short charge time, and Vega has a potent hitconfirm to Air Throw or EXCEL from his main poke in neutral.
Further away, 2HK "Slide" is a humble starter that shines whenever resources are in play. On a solid read, EXCEL Slide bullies zoners and gets the hard part of Claw's neutral over with. Otherwise, it's a good knockdown and has a tricky Super Cancel on block to catch mashers or just get away.
On defense Claw is best suited to to passive, observant play. 2HP and 5HK are decent Anti Airs, but the former is tremendously slow and the latter sacrifices down charge. Both can lose to jump in EXCEL.
Backflip, however, is awesome. In a game with pretty overwhelming vortex, KKK just lets Claw nope-the-fuck-out of pressure and get right back to his effective midrange gameplan. Unlike most of the cast, Claw doesn't have to hold EXCEL/Throw OS or most of EX2+'s devastating oki setups-- Just press 3 buttons, and he's outta there.
Rather than risking a Counter Hit or losing an Anti Air exchange to jump in EXCEL, Backflip is a comfortable option when you just don't have a read on your opponents tendencies-- And strange as it sounds, reads are what EX2 Claw is all about.
Movelist
Command Moves
Backslash: Press KKK
Throws
Wire Smash: When close, b / f + MP / HP
Whirlwind Suplex: In air, any direction but u + MP / HP
Special Moves
Rolling Crystal Flash: Charge b,f + P
Sky High Claw: Charge d,ub~uf + P
Advancing Wire: Charge d,ub~uf + K, move b / f...
Flying Barcelona Attack: ...then press P while in air during Advancing Wire
Izuna Drop: ...when close, any dir. but u + P in air during Advancing Wire
Attaching Claw: f,d,df + P
Super Combos
Ground Crystal Flash: Charge b,f,b,f + P
Scarlet Terror: Charge b,f,b,f + K
Sky High Illusion: Charge db,df,db,ub~uf + P
Meteor Combo
Advancing Wire SP: Charge db,df,db,ub~uf + K, move b / f...
Rolling Barcelona Attack: ...then press P while in air during Advancing Wire SP
Rolling Izuna Drop: ...when close, any dir. but u + P in air during Advancing Wire SP
Combos
Without Excel
- j.HP > cr.MK > cr.MP
- st.HK > cr.LP
- j.HK > st.HK XX Scarlet Terror > Air Throw (1 bar)
- j.HP > cr.MK > cr.MP XX Scarlet Terror > Air Throw (1 bar)
- j.HP > cr.MK > cr.MP XX Ground Crystal Flash XX Scarlet Terror (2 bar)
- cr.LP XX Rolling Crystal Flash SC Ground Crystal Flash (1 bar)
With Excel
- (Activate Excel) > cr.MK > cr.MP > cr.HP > st.MP > st.HP > Rolling Crystal Flash > (Excel Ends) SC Ground Crystal Flash (2 bar)
- (Air Excel Activate) > j.MK > j.HP > j.HK > st.HP > cr.HP > cr.HK > st.MK > st.HK > st.LP > (Excel Ends) > st.LP > st.HK (2 bar)
- (Excel Activate) > st.LP > st.MP > cr.HK > st.MK > st.HK > st.LP > cr.HK > st.LP > st.LP > st.LP > (Excel Ends) > st.LP > st.HK XX Scarlet Terror > Air Throw (2 bar)
