Zangief

ザンギエフ

Zangief — 대책

Key Info

  • Command grab character
    • 63214789P (Screw Piledriver / SPD) — at close range
    • 63214K (Borscht Dynamite) — at close range
    • 63214K (Borscht Dynamite) — at long range (different property)
    • (In air, close range) 63214789K (Aerial Russian Slam)
  • Anti-air normal at 12F startup: LPMPHP (OD Double Lariat)
  • SA1 Final Atomic Buster (236236K): jump-read super — does not hit grounded opponents, safe to ignore on oki
  • SA2 Cyclone Lariat (236236P): 18F startup, projectile invincible — low oki value, safe to ignore
  • SA3 Bolshoi Storm Buster: startup equivalent to -3F — hits even if you press a button or do nothing, as long as you are in throw range. Input back-step or jump in advance to escape
  • Plus-on-block move: 6HP

Neutral Game (Focus Points)

  • Look for Drive Impact on his HP — if you are watching closely it is doable, so create time to go for it when he keeps mashing HP. If Drive Impact feels too risky, place a c.MK or similar to stuff the HP instead
  • Against 63214789P (SPD): neutral jump, forward jump, or back-step — never back-jump
    • Back-jump does not give you a punish
    • Neutral jump risks getting anti-aired if he is watching
    • Back-step is lowest risk, but 6HP can hit you during his pressure sequences — be careful
    • Switching between neutral jump and forward jump based on distance is key
  • Go for crossup jumps — LPMPHP (Double Lariat) is weak to crossup trajectories, making crossup attacks very effective
    • Because startup is 12F, also mix in empty jumps
  • Zangief has no OD reversal and SA2 is slow — keep up offensive pressure on his wakeup
    • Idling risks a reversal SPD punishing your hesitation
    • Keep attacking to drain his Drive Gauge

PP (Double Lariat)

Used as anti-air and combo ender.

Frame data:

  • PP (Double Lariat): 15F startup / Zangief -12F on block / +27F on hit
  • LPMPHP (OD Double Lariat): 12F startup / Zangief -11F on block / +38F on hit

Recommended Counter

Double Lariat is Zangief's only blockable special. On block, PP version is -12F and OD version is -11F — punish at every strength. Note that command grabs (SPD etc.) cannot be blocked.

Recommended Counter

  • In neutral: crossup attempts do not get anti-aired by Lariat — a crossup-angle attack is extremely strong pressure
    • Because startup is not fast, also keep empty jump in your toolkit
  • After PP on hit:
    • Back-rise makes his oki nearly nonexistent
      • HP and 2HK reach but are not buried as meaties
      • If you see Drive Rush, fastest mash or Drive Impact is the easy answer
      • Zangief knows this and may Drive Rush → forward jump instead
      • Recommended: fastest 2HK mash + keep eyes on the jump for anti-air

The video below records:

  • Drive Rush → forward jump
  • Drive Rush → HP (recorded at max range)
  • Drive Rush → (hold) HP
  • After LPMPHP (OD Lariat) on hit:
    • Back-rise puts you outside SPD range
    • Even on back-rise, 6HP, HP, and 2HK all land as meaties
    • Compared to regular PP, he can bury advantageous strikes — it becomes a real guessing game
      • Zangief is in a strong position here — good spot to burn OD reversal

Warning

  • After PP on hit — fastest 2HK mash:
    • Loses to a delayed 6MK, but 6MK does not bury and back-stepping makes it whiff
    • If Zangief shows the delayed 6MK option, start whiff-punishing his 6MK

63214789P (Screw Piledriver / SPD)

As a prerequisite: when you read the SPD, never back-jump. Some characters can punish with a normal even after back-jumping — if your character can, back-jump is fine.

For characters whose normals do not reach after back-jump: escape with a forward jump or back-step when you read it. The ideal is a back-step that does not get anti-aired by his reaction.

  • 63214789LP: low damage / short range
  • 63214789MP: standard
  • 63214789HP: high damage / wide range
  • 63214789PP (OD SPD): high damage / wide range

Recommended Counter

Frame advantage on hit:

  • 63214789LP: +30F
  • 63214789MP: +28F
  • 63214789HP: +28F
  • 63214789PP: +28F

Oki options after SPD:

  • Drive Rush → LK: meaty, but needs Cancel Rush to convert into a combo
    • From there he has multiple branches — responding to all of them in real time is unrealistic
      • Block string: Drive Rush → MP
      • Mash-crush: Drive Rush → 6HP
      • Command grab: 63214789P
    • If you see LK land, Drive Reversal has very high expected value — go for it
      • He mainly uses this when he has 5–6 Drive bars — check his gauge
    • The video records:
      • Drive Rush → 2HK
      • Drive Rush → LK → Cancel Rush → MP (block string)
  • Drive Rush → 2HK: meaty, but Drive Impact is guaranteed. Due to spacing, active frames cannot be buried — always -9F on block. Punish with a long-range 9F-or-faster move
  • Drive Rush → 2MK: meaty but no combo follow-up — just approaching
  • Drive Rush → 6HK: overhead option; Drive Impact is guaranteed on block; -5F on block but no punish due to distance
    • After 63214789LP: 5F gap — fastest 4F mash wins
    • After all other SPD strengths: 7F gap — fastest 6F mash gives you reward
  • After 63214789LP:
    • Not buried; also whiffs if you walk back
    • If he is only using buried strikes, fuzzy jump is possible — try it
    • The video records:
      • Drive Rush → 2HK
      • Drive Rush → LK → Cancel Rush → MP
      • Drive Rush → 63214789P

Warning

  • Drive Rush → delayed MP:
    • Used frequently because it handles fuzzy options and leaves Zangief at advantage afterward
      • Also beats the fuzzy jump described above for SPD counterplay
    • When he shows this option, switch to fastest mash to take your reward
  • Drive Rush → delayed 6MK:
    • Has a low-profile property that causes fastest c.MK mash to get Punish Countered
    • Also beats fuzzy options
    • When he shows this, switch to fastest mash — the delay timing is Zangief's feel for when to use each strength, so read the situation

(Air, close range) 63214789K (Aerial Russian Slam)

Air command grab. Zangief is +19F on hit. The situation is not very strong — no oki without Drive Rush. If he uses Drive Rush, any invincible move with 7F or fewer startup is guaranteed.

  • 63214789K (Aerial Russian Slam)
  • 63214789KK (OD Aerial Russian Slam): combo follow-up version / high damage

Recommended Counter

  • Confirm the Drive Rush and activate an invincible move with 7F or fewer startup and good horizontal range
    • Research what confirms for your character
      • Juri SA1
      • Manon SA2

Warning

  • Short-range OD reversals get whiffed by 2LP or HP

63214K (Borscht Dynamite / Vanishing Flat)

Properties change by version and range.

Strong situation — 63214789P (SPD) and 6MK are both buried.

  • Close range 63214K: side-switch / Zangief +26F
  • Close range 63214KK (OD): side-switch / Zangief +27F
  • Long range 63214K: Zangief +29F
  • Long range 63214KK (OD): Zangief +29F

Recommended Counter

Unlike after SPD, the situation here is very strong for Zangief:

  • Even with Drive Rush, invincible reversal is not guaranteed
  • SPD buries as meaty
  • Strike options also bury as meaty

This is a true guessing game — read well and commit.

6MK

Sustained active frames give Zangief plus frames on contact.

After blocking, check the spacing and determine who has the frame advantage. Unlike other characters, there is no screen-shake indicator when Zangief is at advantage — build your feel through matchup experience.

2LP, 2LK, LP (Light normals)

Zangief's light normal tools.

Recommended Counter

Light normal cancel sequences like 2LK→2LP are block strings. After thinking you blocked a 2LP, 2LK, or LP, mash your 4F normal even if it looks awkward.

  • Mash 4F: since it is a block string, your 4F normal only counter hits if Zangief follows with SPD or Cancel Rush

Warning

Zangief can delay the repeated button presses in his light cancel sequence to crush your mash attempts. When he does that, there is a gap — respond with Just Parry to put risk on him.

6HP (Headbutt)

Zangief is +4F after the block. From there the mixup is SPD (63214789HP) vs 3MP vs 6HP. Maximizing your reward when you win the Headbutt guessing game is extremely important.

Recommended Counter

  • After eating the Headbutt:
    • The main mixup options are SPD (63214789P), 3MP, and 6HP
      • Back-step: 6HP→6HP will hit you
      • Neutral jump: risks getting anti-aired by LPMPHP (OD Double Lariat)
      • Back-jump: risks giving reward to SA1 Final Atomic Buster (236236K)
    • If you read SPD or 6HP, forward jump is the play — hard for Zangief to put risk on
  • After Drive Rush → 6HP:
    • Forward jump is also recommended here
      • If the HP version connects, you can take it as a hit and escape
      • For other strike options, it is a block string so the jump does not leak
      • SPD is avoided
      • The video records:
        • 6HP
        • 63214789HP (SPD Heavy)
        • 3MP

Normal Throws

He has many throw inputs but only LPLK and 3LPLK need close attention.

  • LPLK (forward throw): +22F on hit / corner oki available
  • 4LPLK (back throw): +8F on hit / close spacing means SPD buries if you do not rise immediately
  • 6LPLK: +10F on hit / spacing pushes you out so nothing buries
  • 3LPLK: +28F on hit / Drive Rush oki available
  • 1LPLK: +9F on hit
  • 2LPLK: +9F on hit

Recommended Counter

  • After LPLK or 3LPLK on hit: mix up between quick-rise and back-rise as a guessing game
  • After any other throw on hit: if he uses Drive Rush an invincible reversal is guaranteed — always take back-rise
    • Not taking back-rise generally strengthens his oki options considerably

SA3 Bolshoi Storm Buster

Startup equivalent to -3F. It hits whether you press a button, move, or do nothing — as long as you are in throw range it connects. The counters are: meaty with a throw-invincible normal, or a meaty jump-in with an escape input buffered.

Recommended Counter

  • On oki:
    • Attack with a move that has throw invincibility as a meaty
  • On meaty jump-in:
    • Buffer up or back-step when your jump attack would connect
    • With that buffer in place, if Zangief activates SA3 you will clear it