Street Fighter EX Plus Alpha/Zangief

Introduction

In the rapidly evolving, two-man Street Fighter EX Metagame, Zangief might be just the hero we need.

Competitive SFEX is quickly becoming a setplay arms race. It was (re?)discovered earlier this year (2024) that any Super Move that caused a sideswitch could set up unblockable meaties. Early setups were so strong and counterplay so inconsistent-- EXA could've been the first Street Fighter game in history where it's players soft banned Ryu.

Now it's been a few months. Within EXA's small scene, most of the roster can consistently set up utterly evil two touch sequences. With a little lab time, the top tiers can take a round with one. Even with the game set to best of five rounds, EXA is becoming more explosive by the day.

Unless you're 'Gief.

The Basics

Street Fighter EX's coinflip character might be among the most balanced and honest there is. In what has seemingly become a real 3D game overnight, Zangief's Lariat beats every setup clean. Even when 'Gief wakes up BACKWARDS, Kara 2LK~PPP Option Selects a low profile normal and one of the fattest anti-airs in the game.

• By pressing three buttons, Zangief shoves that setplay nerd into a locker and drags SFEX back to reality. Despite having zero invulnerability, Lariat is easily a frontrunning anti-air in EXA.
• SPD doesn't have a whiff animation.
• Not everyone in SFEX has a Level 3 Super... Zangief does. Cosmic Buster is the most damaging move in the game.
• Super Stomping is Zangief's only other meter dump: A looping ranbu that can tick into 720 on block or be repped for gargantuan damage.

Moves List

Normals Moves

Iron Claw When close, b / f + MP / HP

German Suplex When close, b / f + MK / HK

Stomach Block When close, b / f + MK / HK from behind

Special Moves

Double Lariat b / f + PPP, or press PPP, move b / f

Quick Double Lariat b / f + KKK, or press KKK, move b / f

Spinning Piledriver When close, rotate 360 + P

Russian Suplex Rotate 360 + K

Flying Body Attack In air, d + HP

Super Moves

Super Stomping qcf,qcf + K

Chuudan qcb + K during Super Stomping

Final Atomic Buster When close, rotate 720 + P

Final Atomic Buster (Level 3) When close, rotate 720 + PPP at Level 3

Advanced Strategy

 1  Double Lariat
 2  Quick Double Lariat
 3  Russian Suplex
 4  Screw Piledriver
 5  Super Stomping
 6  Final Atomic Buster
 7  Final Atomic Buster (Level 3)
 8  Stomach Block
 9  c MP, c MK
10  Use a Double Lariat to hit Ryu as he throws fireballs.
11  Flying Body Attack, s LP, Double Lariat
12  Super Stomping, Final Atomic Buster
13  j HK, s LK, Quick Double Lariat
14  j HK, c MK, Super Stomping
15  Use the Screw Piledriver on Ryu while he is jumping and kicking
16  Super Stomping, Chuudan, s MK, Super Stomping

Match-Ups

Street Fighter EX Plus Alpha