ZANGIEF AKA Gief, Beef, Charlie Brown (Good grief!) Contents: 1. Introduction 2. Normal Moves Analysis 3. Command Moves Analysis 4. Special Move Analysis 5. Super Analysis 6. Combos 7. Gambits 8. Mega Zangief 9. VS 10. Good Partners and helpers for Zang 11. Zangief in a nutshell 12. Miscellaneous Zangief is one of the more avoided characters in the game Marvel Vs Capcom, primarily because the nearly everybody in the game is overpowered (except for him), besides, there are lots of boring scrubs who’ve stuck to pixies throughout the entire crossover series. This FAQ is meant to help the few people who are tired of the pixies and CapComs get used to using the most enjoyable to use character in Marvel Vs Capcom. Before you read this FAQ, please keep in mind a few things. 1. This FAQ was written by me with no intention to profit monetary wise. If I hear of it being sold by anybody, I’m going to be very pissed and I, um, will hate you very much. Scary, huh? 2. Marvel vs Capcom, Zangief and all Capcom characters are registered trademarks of Capcom. Ditto Marvel characters to Marvel. I have absolutely no affiliation with the above two companies. If you do decide to be a heartless bastard and sell my FAQ (I flatter myself, don’t I?) you will have to answer to them. Legend This is a list of the jargon I will be using in this FAQ. Buttons: P- Any punch K- Any kick LP- light punch MP- middle punch HP- heavy punch LK- light kick MK- middle kick HK- heavy kick PPP- Two or all three punches together, both are fine KKK- Two or all kicks together Joystick Commands: (numbers refer to computer keypad)(assuming player is on right, reverse if on left) dp-623 fb-236 rdp-421 270- Turn the joystick in a 270 degree motion starting from anywhere, ending anywhere in a fluid motion. An example- 6321478. The essential Zangief motion. MASTER IT! hct-41236 Miscellaneous: j. (as a prefix)- Jump towards your opponent and perform the attack c. (as a prefix)- crouch and perform the attack sj.(as a prefix)- perform a super jump towards your opponent and perform the attack. (air)- move may be performed in the air /- buffer into, in other words, to cancel the previous attack by performing the motion of the next one. >- follow up with Normal Moves The only of Zang’s moves worth doing constantly are his HP and HK. The rest suffer from poor range and damage and he can always use his command moves and special moves to gain priority. Since Zang is not Mr. Combo Lord, the LP, MP, LK and MK wouldn’t see much action except in air combos. LP- Zang does a weakish jab. Has poor damage, range and comboility. MP- Zang does a chop. Ho hum. The crouching version is his launcher but should not be used as an anti-air like other launchers because it stretches out from his body. HP- Zang does a straight punch. Good damage but suffers from lag time and poor recovery. It usually better to cancel it with the BP. LK- A short range kick. MK- A kick similar to the light version. The crouching version is an okay poke because of it’s range but this is MvC, not SF3 so and pixies can still punish you while you’re recovering. HK- Zang does a roundhouse kick that does 2 hits when close. This move has good range an can be used as an air defence. When close, it lifts the opponent slightly allowing you to inflict more damage. More on this later. Command Moves These are the most useful yet ignored part of Zangief’s arsenal. In general, they allow him to set up his combos and slams and even allow Zangief to quite literally get the drop on his opponents... 1. Swan dive- jump then 2+HP Basically, Zangief does a swan dive, his chest spread liberally. This move has great priority (but loses to anti-airs and launchers). This moves biggest asset is the fact that it causes the opponent to reel but does not knock him far from Zang. Sets up most of his combos. 2.Knee dive- jump then 2+MK Zang stretches both knees out. Similar to the swan dive, this is another combo starter. The only difference is that it leaves Zang even closer to the opponent but requires a little more accuracy to connect. 3.Elbow drop- 6+MP Zang suddenly has his body take a horizontal position and stretches his elbow out before dropping down. Unlike the earlier 2, this does not set up anything. Its main use is to suprise the opponent for a quick hit. It has a start up delay. This fakes most people out who will dash to attack Zang and get soundly elbowed instead. In the air, it is ok to ‘get the drop’ on the opponent. It’s damage is quite pathetic though, and even though it pushes the opponent away and is relatively safe, pixies can dash while Zang is recovering and you can kiss half you life bar good bye... This move’s biggest use is it’s psychological value. Knock and opponent with it at least twice in a row and I you’ll get them so paranoid, they’ll be leaving themselves by blocking constantly or attempting to anti-air you (which you can block and counter...right?) Special Moves Spinning Piledriver(SPD)(air)- 270+p This is the MOST lethal attack in Zangief’s arsenal. A special throw, Zang performs a piledriver which spins and takes off one fifth of your opponents life. This move has been significantly weakened since MSF but its range has been somewhat increased. Can be tech hit out off but I’ve yet to meet an opponent who can do it 100% of the time. The lighter punches will result in faster SPD’s but less damage and vice versa. Use this move as a counter attack, a combo ender and a ‘serves you right for getting close to me’ attack. Spinning Lariat(SL)(air)- PPP or KKK Zang spins around, his fists outstreched. This is another Zangief essential as it gives him priority and a is an excellent counter attack. Punch version is slower and lasts longer. Kick version is faster, ends faster and does not leave Zangs legs vulnerable which the punch version does. In, the kick version knocks the opponent very high up allowing for some serious combos. Do not overuse this move or you’ll be kissed by a beam super. Use as an anti-air only. Banishing Punch(BP)- DP+P Also a Zang essential, Zangief spin so that his back faces the opponent his hand spinning along with him, catching green fire. This moves cancels all Zangs normal attacks and leaves him safe, even when blocked. It might be possible for a REALLY good pixie player to dash and combo you but chances are you’ll block in time and punish him, more on punishing later. This move ticks into his SPD and FAB and even when it connects, leaves the opponent stunned just enough for you to pull an FAB or SPD just as they come out of block stun. Avoidable but hard to do so. Lighter punches will have a punch that comes out faster but inflicts less damage and reel time. Vice versa applies. The Flying Grab(FG)- DP+K Zangief floats upwards. Heavy kick at a 45 degree and has good range. Light kicks goes almost vertically upwards and has short range. If his overides his opponent, as in his body, or at least his arm superimposes the opponent, his grabs the opponent and performs his punch air-slam. This move suffers from poor priority. A single heavy slash by Strider will leave Zang reeling. Can be used to get Zang closer to the enemy and is relatively safe if used that way. If you want to use it as and anti- air, it will only work against those who use light attacks and Ryu players who jump and throw fireballs and rarely anything else. Use it very carefully. Running Bear Grab(RBG)- HCF+K Zangief lumbers forward and if he touches the opponent will perform a powerbomb. If it connects close, he will do a flying suplex before the powerbomb. This moves activates the super armour. This moves serves two purposes. Firstly as and SPD substitute if you haven’t got the 270 yet, less grab range than the SPD though. Secondly, it serves as a...a...um... walking unblockable attack, which is just what it is. Which means, you use it just as your opponent is going to leave himself open to you. The best example for this use is just after you connect his HK close. This lifts the opponent slightly of the ground and if you follow with a RBG, you grab him just as he lands. Of course the FAB would be better... Performs this from far and get whacked big time. You deserve to be.... SUPERS These supers use those little bars at the bottom of your side of the screen which say charge up as the fight proceeds. You start with one. Unlike other character’s, Zang’s supers are not cheese fests and don’t allow you to eat half your opponent’s life in a combo (a real combo anyway) or after launching your opponent. They must be setup properly. So don’t flail for a super the moment the opponent comes into range... The Final Atomic Buster(FAB)(1 level of meter)- 270+PPP Zangief lumbers forward like in the RBG. If the get within SPD range, his grabs the opponent, performs 2 suplexes, a light SPD, then throws the opponent up and jumps after him, coming down with a final SPD. This move is THE super of the game. Once you get the 270, you can cancel into the move easily and grab the poor sucka. It takes of 30% odd life on the lowest settings. As with the RBG and the SPD, you cannot such flail the moment you opponent comes within range and hope to grab. Set it up with a tick, grab ‘em just as they stop reeling or just as the opponent is in your face. Continuously rotating the controller after the grab connects causes Zang to turn red, inflicting around 5 more % of damage but looks so undignified. Combing your hair as Zang slams the opponent silly is so much better... Can you tell I just luv this super? Iron Body(IB)(1 level)- RDP+LK Activating this super causes Zang to taunt. Just as the taunt ends Zang’s flesh turns to iron and blood vessels to wires. Heart to engine and you get the general idea. In this mode, Zang gains a new special, new super and loses one of each in return. He is now Mega Zangief (MZ). In this mode Zang cannot block but gets Mega armour. This means hitting him will not cause him to reel but slows him down slightly. Moves do considerably less damage on him and spazz supers (Final Justice, Max Spider) don’t get beyond the first hit. He is much slower, jumps slightly lower, and if Zang’s dash was bad, this guy’s is a virtual death trap for himself. Needless to say beams supers and the like are totally devastating to him. DO NOT PLAY HIM LIKE YOU WOULD ZANGIEF!!! See the tactics section on how to play him effectively. He loses the BP and the UAB but gains the Siberian blast and blizzard. Do the motion to change to normal Zang again at the cost of another level. Oh yes, if you get hit while morphing into MZ and the taunt gets interrupted, you do not morph. However, since MZ does not reel, this does not apply when switching back to normal Zang. Siberian Blast(SB)- HCF+P Zang huffs and puffs and blows out a blast of flame suspiciously resembling Dhalsim’s Yoga Flame in the crossover series but is blue in colour. If it hits, it will juggle 2- 3 times. Damage is ok and is used to whack beams super fellows from a far and play keep away (but why would want to do that with the SPD?). Will trade hits with jump-in and since you have armour, you come of better (but why would you want to do that with the SPD?). Its use is rather specialized (Wolvie teleporting away from you? Wolvie constantly throwing fierces to knock you away? Anticipate a beam super?) thus it must not be overused. Sometimes, it is more of a liability than a help since it’s similiar motion and poor detection by the machine will result in you pulling it off instead of the SPD occasionally and will result in major damage to you if the opponent avoids it since they can you a running dash to combo you without being hit, jump behind you and.... You get the general idea. I’m not saying this move suxs, it doesn’t but must be used carefully. Siberian Blizzard(SBZ)(1 level)- 270+KKK Zang does a vertical spinning lariat setting the opponent on blue flames. Has a vacuum effect and is not unlike Ken’s shinryuken. Ho hum. It is a semi-effective air defense though and is comboable and since Zang lands first after it... More in the gambits section. Ultra Atomic Buster(UAB)(3 Levels)- 270+KKK This move can only be done in normal Zang mode for the simple reason that in MZ mode he does the Blizzard. When I first heard that Zang would be getting a level 3 super, I was so excited. The UAB, however is a sad disappointment. Zang reaches out directly in front of him. If he grabs, he does a power bomb, 2 suplexes then a SPD. It takes of a disappointing 60% life considering it’s poor range and the 3 levels it eats. Damage can be increased the same way you do for an FAB. Generally, avoid in real competition and use it only for impressing scrubs... Team Supers(2 levels)- QCF+P+K Like Captain America, Zangief has 2 different team supers. When he is called in or when he starts the teams super more than 1/2 a screen away from the opponent, he does the Super Lariat, which cannot be done normally but is created for the team super for the sake of fairness (Imagine Zang FABing the opponent while he is blocking a Shinkuu). This move is okayish and does good chipping damage but unless it’s a desperate fight where chipping counts it’s much more worth your 2 levels to do the double final atomic buster(DFAB). This comes to effect when Zang is the one starting the super and he is close to the opponent. Zangief walks forward, his partner coming from the opposite side. If they connect they perform a single piledriver that super jumps and takes off 50% of the opponents life. Unlike the RBG or FAB the DFAB moves reasonable fast and can be used to counter blocked Maximum Spiders, and blocked ground-based attacks which have reasonable recovery time. Use it with reasonable disgression. For example, don’t try to DFAB a Wolverine with a super meter or you’ll be eating a Berserker Barrage X, EVEN if you’ve just blocked a c.HK. Also keep in mind that IF successful, Zang will switch after slamming the opponent. This is a good safe way to switch safely. The DFAB does more damage if you’ve got stronger teammates. COMBOS (more to come) Zang is not exactly Mr. Combo Machine but a simple 5 hitter takes of a lot considering he is the 2nd strongest character in the game next to Hulk. Easy Combos 1.jpin 2+HP or 2+MK> c.MP (launch)> j.LP> j.MP> j.HP 2.jpin 2+HP or 2+MK> c.HP/ BP 3. MP/ SL 4. RH (close, 2 hit)> Light FG/ Siberian Blizzard Intermediate Combos 1. jpin 2+HP or 2+MK> c.MP (launch)> j.LP> j.MK> SL (kick version)> you land before opponent, as he comes down, RH (2 hits)> Light FG or Siberian Blizzard 2. jpin 2+HP or 2+MK> c.MP (launch)/ Siberian Blast 3. jpin 2+HP or 2+MK> c.MP (launch)> j.LP> j.MK> j.light SPD This combo is short does ok damage but is darn hard to connect. I’ve only done it once but ending with a HP SPD. According to Banshee, using a j.LK instead of a j.LP makes the SPD much easier to connect. Also, this is the only ‘true’ combo as far as I know that will land an SPD. As you can see, Zangief’s combos are pretty much the same. This, does not mean he must be predictable to land good damage. Most players will find themselves relying on Zangs wide range of gambits to win... Gambits Here are mainly the ways to attack Zangief as well as dealing out the most damage per sortie you make. Juming in and Tagging That Slam: Zangief can be played very offensively, especially with the aerial command moves. Jumping in for combos is simply the most damaging and a very affective way to play with him. When jumping in, remember his “Big Three” and know when to use them. The j.HP does incredible damge but pushes the opponents away quite a bit so is best used against big guys like Hulk. Conversely, the diving knee lets you get the most out of any opening you get on pixies. The swan dive is a good balance betwwen the two and also has good priority for ariel duos. If you found Zang’s combos pretty short and lacking in damage, it’s because it’s usually quite easy to tag and FAB, SPD or RBG at the end of them. For example, after doing the 2nd ‘easy’ combo listed in the FAQ, pulling of an FAB or SPD will usually connect just as opponent comes out of reel time since they wouldn’t jump after being whacked and attempt a counter attack. You can setup such slams easily if you’ve got the 270 master. For example, c.HP/ FAB will usually connect, grabbing the opponent out of block stun. The ending combos with the BP will also allow you to tick into the SPD and FAB if blocked, grabbing ‘em just as they get out of block stun. Doing this constantly will make you a very dangerous because of the sheer damage you do. Creativity helps. Besides those mentioned above ,try these: 1. RH(2 hit)/ FAB or RBG. Here, Zang reaches them just as they land. 2. (With MZ) Siberian Blizzard when the opponents in the corner> you land first> FAB/ RBG as they fall. This has been confirmed by Banshee. The Flying Turtle: As the name suggest, you play an aerial defensive game which you will be used to employ against you Ryu clones and Capcoms who try to play keep away. Jump forward, and block their anti-air. Once you land you can do a few things: 1. FAB, RBG or DFAB. Strictly only if the opponent used an anti- air which left him wide open like the heavy DP. Otherwise, forget it unless you want to whiff or in the worse cases get whacked. 2. The BP. This is your best choice. The BP covers good distance. If you are not that close, it’s advisable to use the fierce punch or forget about it. The point of the BP is to gain distance safely and to allow you to tick into a SPD or FAB. Thus, try to make sure it connects, even if blocked since an opponent not in blockstun can combo half your life off while you’re recovering. 3. Taunt. Purely for psychological purpose. This will force the opponent to come out of his shell. Also note that unless you’re fighting a good opponent, you’ll probably eat a quick dash-in combo so use with disgression. 4. Switch out. This is a tactic listed on Marvel Vs Capcom, The Site. However, all red life your partner has disappears immediately. The damage done is pathetic, and you can’t combo anything of it, so watch it... The Slammin’ Turtle: This gambit is basically used against pixies. When you block an opponent combo and leave him open in front of you, IMMEDIATELY pull of an SPD of FAB. Example, Wolverine dasheses in for a crouching zig-zag, you block all hits and pull the 270 and hit P just after you block his c.HK. Geddit? You should cancel your block stun and grab the recovering opponent. Dangerous but effective, this is hard to pull of with 100% efficiency but can be very unnerving for an opponent. Keep in mind that Urosburos makes Strider neigh invulnerable and Wolvies can cancel out of their recovery time anytime they are on the ground with the Barrage X. For this purpose, do not use RGB as it has poorer grab range. If you need breathing space, the SL will knock opponents away. Make sure it hits though (i.e. use it on jumping attacking opponents). Again, if the opponent’s combo leaves him quite far from you, use the BP to get close and tick. If you cannot do this, just push block then BP into SPD. Another variationis to push block as they start their combo allowing you to BP and punish them just as their combo ends. The Wake Up Call: When you’ve got the opponent on the ground (e.g. SL with opponent in corner, after an SPD) you might want to consider occasionally trying a wake up slam. Basically, you just do a RBG or FAB and time it so that you reach the opponent just as he gets up. It IS escapable even when you’ve timed it very well but if say an opponent tries to jump away a well-timed one, his feet will suddenly feel like molasses and he’s nailed ala Cyber Gouki’s infamous Shining Gou Shock. This is especially good against rollers since they can be slammed. Most people, however can escape this with a well times quick super (e.g Barrage X, Rush Drill, Shinshoryuken). Even better is that you can wake them up with a tick like the BP and slam them. Generally, playing with Zangief only one of the above mentioned gambits will result in death. It would take good coordination of the 4 to get a convincing win over the harder opponents. Switching between an aerial turtle and aerial killer is a good idea since characters like Chun, Capcom and Warmachine will try to launch you and kill off half your life. Master the SPD motion and canceling you Hps with the BP and then into an SPD to do maximum damage, both when ticking and when punishing. Also, bear in mind that there are occasions where switching to MZ might just be the best alternative... Mega Zangief The most important thing is to think of MZ as what he is, a super who gives Zang added flexibility. He is not a character in his own right and should not played like one. But do not keep on switching between the 2 like an idiot. Remember, you only have ONE lifebar... The Iron Body- Getting the Iron Body means you should play like you have one and continuously advance (by super jumping) and going for SPDs and FABs and interrupting combos with SPDs. You must keep in mind that this is the only true way to play with MZ. Do not overuse the SB. I’ve explained it’s uses already and using it any other way is simply inefficient and Zang will come out the worse in terms of damage. The Lariat is used to knock away character who play mid range keep away (i.e Wolverine), not an anti-air (you simply SPD the opponent when he lands. Also remember that the SPD does not do the damage it used to be and you must interrupt combos quickly if you want to come out the better. You can also consider interrupting combos with the SBZ for good damage since they can ‘push’ the FAB away. Character you should not do the Iron Body when fighting are obvious- Megaman, Morrigan and suprisingly, Strider. VS I haven’t played against good players of many characters so I’ll just list the major ones. Ryu- There are many types of Ryu’s. The combos kings who dash in for combos constantly, the turtles who throw fireballs and anti- air constantly, and the comboing turtles who launch you the moment you jump at them. The first type will be constantly dashing in try to launch you. Just block and use the BP to tick into SPD when they leave themselves open. A good Ryu can keep the pressure by mixing overheads, sweeps and constantly dashing in with shorts. You can try using the light BP or you can try jumping vertically as they dash. They will try to launch you. Just air-block. If Ryu stops attacking and walks towards you, throw him or get ready to tech. The turtles can be defeated using the Flying Turtle method. FG can also be used to get close. Watch out though since it leaves you vulnerable. Comboing turtles are similiar to their scrubbier counter parts except getting launched can be very painful. Turning into MZ can work well against all three but watch out for the Shinkuus and try to reach them in one super jump. Gouki mode and Ken mode are generally faster but aren’t very much different. Super jump over air-fireballers and Swan dive them. Also, the Reppa means he can punish even a BP so play carefully. Wolverine- Play him like you would a combo happy Ryu. Except that you have to really watch out for when he starts walking towards you to throw. ‘Good’ Wolverines (really ultimate losers) can eat up half your life the moment you let them connect a short. If you’re turtling low, they can also suddenly do a regular jump then dive into a Fatal Claw so be prepared to slam the punches and SL him. In all, play a slamming turtle but counter only when he’s open. Also, the push block will be an invaluable ability since you can push him away and BP him. If given the chance, use the flying turtle. It’s always better to be on the offensive. Switching to MZ is fine but do it only after knocking him down (most Wolvies like to jump in so SL and morph with impunity). Also watch out so that the flame doesn’t come out at the wrong time or he can crouch combo you without getting singed. Once in MZ mode, jump in like crazy and deal with the Barrage X with the SBZ or an FAB! Just don’t let down or you wouldn’t damage him enough to break even. Spiderman- This one is a cinch. Two words, Iron Body. Spidey can only do two things. 1. Try to continuously jump and hope to keep you away with the web ball. No problem, just keep jumping with the fierce. Whack him if he air dashes. 2. Attempt to use his normal attacks long range to keep you at bay with lots of ticking attacks. Just use the lariat or better still, the SBZ when he attacks. SPD and FAB should work since they have excellent grab rage (2- 3 inches) though you must have good timing since a good Spidey can combo you without getting in front of you. DO NOT DO THE RBG. 3. Crawler Assault. SL, SB or SBZ. ‘Nuff said. Strider Hiryu- Basically, play him like you would Wolvie except for a few differences. Firstly, his sword gives him good range and priority so the SL is not too effective against jump-in. The flying turtle works well since all Striders will try to launch you and his launcher takes a bit of recovery and does not knock you very far. DO NOT TURN INTO MEGA ZANGIEF! The SB does not stop the Legion and Urosburos... Just use normal Zang. Strider, like Wolvie does not often leave himself open very much. Punish him when he does. Hulk- Zang’s easiest. Just mix between offensive jumping and offensive turtling (watch for his launcher... he recovers slowly from it and if you air- block it, FAB him!!). Due to his size, it’s very easy to follow even a jumping fierce with a combo into SPD or FAB. If he takes to the sky’s, you j.FP should beat him since his attacks are primarily for air to ground. Don’t let him combo you or you might eat a Gamma Quake. He can’t if you keep him on the defence anyway, heh, heh. Tick, combo, tick and victory is yours. Morrigan/ Lillith- Tricky. She can play offensive and super turtle. Play her, er, deal with her like you would Ryu in Ken or Gouki mode. Turning into MZ should work but again try to reach her in one jump and she can’t Soul Laser you. If she tries the air fireballs, deal with her the same way you would Spidey. She’s got a trickier air-dash but that shouldn’t be a problem. Super jump the Eternal Slumber. Captain Chee, er, Commando- Capcom players go either for combos or turtling. Much like very specialized Ryu players. Against the first, play defensively. If they go for the launcher, block (believe me, you don’t want to be launched) and go straight for the FAB since Capcom’s launcher leaves him vulnerable. If he goes for a ground combo, push block then punish the minute he is open. Same goes for Cap Corridor ground combos which are safe but can be punished with BP’s. Against turtlers, use the flying turtle. Corridor recovery is longer than it seems. Don’t even think of going full offensive. I haven’t tried yet but theoretically, MZ should be very effective against this guy. Just keep going in for the SPD. Gambit- Again, similiar to Ryu. Except you don’t want to be tripped since Gambit has got a million ways to otg you. You could go all out on the offence but watch out for the launcher. Also, his kinetic cards do lots of damage to MZ so you might want to take to do a double take before switching. Don’t allow yourself to get thrown since he can otg you after that. Jin- Jin’s biggest strength is his priority. Good Jin players will constantly be keeping the pressure on you hoping to catch you with a Blodia punch combo. If he foot drills you, push block. This should also last to push against the Dynamite that a decent Jin player will tag at the end, allowing you to catch him with his pants down. Literally. If he tries to barrage you with his jump attacks, you could play slammin’ turtle which should work because of his recovery. SL will at least trade hits and give you some breathing space. Most important, don’t allow him to constantly pressure you. Push, SL, SPD when you’ve got the chance. MZ would work pretty well. Jump straight at him. If he tries to cheese you with the Vulcan, walk in. You wouldn’t take much damage, and the moment he is out of the mech, FAB him. Zangief- Ooohh, this is VERY fun. All I can say is play offensive like you would against Hulk. Have fun trying to tick each other. In the end, he who can mix Flying Turtle and Mr. Offensive the best will come in victorious. If you have two MZs... Heh, heh. Megaman/ Roll- MM has no seriously good anti-air so you can play offensive. Watch out for the Hyper MM though. Do not play turtle. Your jump- ins REALLY can bank on the length (or lack of it) of his limbs by playing offensive. His height means that wake up FABs can catch him quite easily (watch out for Rush Drill). Contrary to popular belief, morphing to MZ is not necessary a death wish but watch out for the drill. FG to get out of it’s way if you have to. Roll is just an easier MM with a better anti- air which does next to zilch damage. Venom/ Red Venom- Nice big fellow. Play offensive like you would against Zang but throw in the air block occasionally ‘cos his ACs hurt. His aerial moves have good priority but your FP will beat him if he takes to the air. Don’t flail with the SL since you’ll just be inviting a web coffin. Punish the Venom Fang with the BP tick. Again, MZ works well. SL the Venom Fang or FAB him at the end of it. Jump in and attack continuously for Red Venom. You j.FP should trade with his launcher, but only if timed properly (i.e- released when closed). Warmachine- Play him like you would Capcom when it comes to turtling. You don’t want to get launched. SL the diving knee. If he throws Smart bombs first, push block and suddenly his ‘safe’ jump-in wouldn’t be very safe when you cancel the block with a SL. When you anticipate a soldier beam, jump in and punish him. MZ IS SUICIDAL. Chun-Li/ Shadow Lady- Very dangerous. Your hardest fight (she seems to be that way for everybody doesn’t she?). Your best bet is the Flying Turtle. BP into SPD when you land. DO NOT JUMP IN TO ATTACK UNLESS SHE’S OPEN. Against a decent Chun player, this will allow her to eat half your life. Don’t turtle, she can overhead and throw you with impunity, and since she has got two supers that otg so you wouldn’t want to get knocked down. If the opponent throws the infinity, you can either wait for it to end then fight trying to not get caught in it or you can play another machine, letting the bas**** rot and play against the computer his whole life. The Thousand Burst Kick acts as a long range Reppa, so you don’t want to doing things that will leave you open, even from far (e.g SLing from far, pulling a c.RH for no good reason...) Her Bubble super means MZ will just die against her. You also wouldn’t want to use the FG to get near her with normal Zang. Ditto Shadow Lady. Captain America- Play him like you would get against Ryu except with a few differences. Cap’s got both priority and speed. His launcher is not too effective as an anti-air so it wouldn’t hurt to mix up offense and Flying Turtle especially since the Stars and Stripes leaves him open for a quick c.HP/ BP combo into an SPD. MZ should be okay, just super jump when he does the Hyper Charging Stars and SL or SBZ the Hyper Stars and Stripes. Block his dash in combos since he can tag a super at the end of it then punish ala Slammin Turtle. Helpers and Teammates for Zang Teammates: Captain America: My favourite! I call them Hands Across the Iron Curtain since they represent two total different ideologies across the Atlantic. Anyway, Both of these guys are VERY strong, which means your opponent will be taking lots of damage no matter which member you are using. Cap also has the keep away capabilities Zang lacks and their DFAB just kills. Also, Cap can combo supers making him extremely dangerous if you know how to use him. War- Machine: Again, War- Machine’s keep away abilities compliment Zang’s close range ones. Also, I you know how to play WM properly (i.e. Combo Machine) you can also use him to do some serious damage while Zangs rests, especially since he can combo the Destroyer. Chun- Li: Chun Li has speed, and priority, making her an excellent teammate for anybody. The only problem is that she is too easy to use and stands along, even above the likes of Wolverine and Strider as the cheapass pixies of the game. Megaman and Captain Commando should also be good teammates for Zangief but I haven’t tried them with Zangief before, I think. Still, you could try. Characters to avoid: Jin and Roll. These 2 are generally, like Zangief and take extra effort to play well with. So unless you have confidence in your skills with them (i.e. can combo the Blodia Punch and Rush Drill consistently) avoid them. Helpers: Generally, the best helpers for Zangief are those who barrage their opponent over a short period of time. These are the best examples. In order of best to okay- Unknown Soldier, Lou, Saki, Michelle Hart and Arthur. These guys allow you to trap the enemy as they constantly barrage him, giving you some breathing space. Also, can you say FAB while they are blocking... The codes to access them can be obtained at Marvel vs Capcom, The Site, its address is at the end of this FAQ. Of couse evergreens such as Colossus, Juggie and such are still good but since Zang does not have the means to whack the opponent while theyare being hit by them (except in the corner) they just aren’t as useful as they would be for other characters. And generally people with projectiles. Zangief in a Nutshell Launcher- c.MP Ground Magic- None, so buffer to do combos Air Magic- Stronger S.Jump Magic- Stronger Throws- HP (air), MP* Grabs- HK Dash- PPP+ Forward or 66. Zangs dash is exceedingly slow. It’s only saving grace is that he will have the opponent in a hold if he connects during the dash. The hold can be followed with any of his normal slams. Cute but impractical. *The MP throw throws the guy way up. When he comes down, he can block, and thus can be slammed. Pulling of an FAB here would connect most of the time. Even harder for opponents to escape when you are MZ. Ending- Zangief walks up to Blodia (Jin’s mech) who looks like he has no driver controlling him. Zang- Hey Red Robot, Wanna fight? Blodia- ... Zang- (Switches to MZ) Grrrr... I’m the Red Cyclone! (Approaches Blodia). Screen shows a globe with a mushroom cloud sticking out... Miscellaneous Honorable Mention: Migs- If you didn’t get this FAQ at his page, his is simply one of the better MvC Sites out there, Marvel Vs Capcom, the Site run by its ever friendly webmaster, Migs Rustia. Most of my combos were taken from there. Thanks Migs. The guys at Mig’s message board, especially Banshee and Kei who gave me little bits of advice on the board. MvC FAQ writers. In case you didn’t realise, a lot of my anti- character strats are tactics I concieved to deal with the anti- Zang strats you write your FAQs! And of course you if you actually spent that 100th of the amount of time I used to create this FAQ during my exam period! (Hint) Sites worth your time: Marvel Vs Capcom: The Site- As mentioned above, this page is great. www.geocities.com/Area51/Vault/5027/index.html The Game Faqs Archive, many very useful FAQs, www.gamefaqs.com The Arcade Games Page. A great page on arcade games in general. Currently, its webmaster, Lancer is busy with the real world, so no updates. Nevertheless, still a great page. http://home1.pacific.net.sg/~lancer This FAQ is proudly made in Singapore and written by sCruB. I can be reached at cklcjjjm@cyberway.com.sg or better yet at Mig’s board.