Street Fighter V/Zeku/Strategy

Overview

Combos

Strategy & Counters

Match Footage

Game Data

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General Strategy

Old

Old Zeku tends to be most effective when controlling the midrange with his long range pokes and unique projectiles.

• Neutral

It's tempting to use H Koku (QCF + HK) to control space. But it's slow startup and recovery often skews the risk/reward of the move in your opponents favor. Also Old Zeku doesn't often find a chance to move back to a range where H koku is your only space control option. Instead, using a combination of L koku, M koku, cr.MP, cr.MK, and st.LK at the midrange tends to be more effective, as you have a wider variety of options to choose, all of which require less commitment than H koku. Cr.MP in particular is a standout poke, due to its good reach, frame advantage on block, and difficulty to whiff punish.

Bushin Gram Koku having a strike and a projectile hitbox is very useful in fireball wars as you can dissipate your opponent's fireball with the strike hitbox, then punish them with the projectile hitbox. Utilizing this technique is essential against characters like Guile and Sagat in order to keep up with with their strong fireball game. Also, while Zeku cannot create fireball traps like other characters, having your opponent block a far range M koku, then immediately using cr.MP will give you enough time to anti-air if they jump after blocking the M koku. The cr.MP will also stop an immediate forward dash from your opponent.

Young

While Young Zeku does excel with an offensive gameplan, he is versatile enough to also play more passively at times. Don't lock yourself into just one approach.

• Neutral

Use Young Zeku's fast walkspeed and quick pokes to dictate the pace of neutral. You don't even need to fish for a confirm to start out. Just walking and good usage of st.LK, st.MK, and cr.MK can put your opponents on the backfoot. St.LK in particular is helpful because it's speed lets Young Zeku be very mobile while he's poking. Once you feel you've got control of neutral, then start looking for higher reward options like a confirm from st.HP, walking into st.MP range, or even doing a walk up throw.

Since most of Young Zeku's anti-air moves are lackluster, often the best anti-air is to simply not stand in a range where a jump is difficult to deal with. Also his fast walkspeed can allow Zeku to walk underneath crossup attempts and punish their landing frames.

• Offense

Young Zeku's offensive pressure usually boils down to standard SFV offense: frame trap/throw/throw bait. The catch is that if Young Zeku is right, he gets very good reward no matter which decision he chose on offense. A frame trap with st.MP leads to a full combo with the st.MP xx st.HP TC, backthrow deals 160 damage, and a throw bait using a shimmy also gets a st.MP TC. St.HK can give an even larger reward on throw baits as well.

V-System

V-Reversal

12 frame strike reversal. Faster than most, making it good for getting out of pressure.

V-Skill 1

Zeku's VS1 is Fukuro/Tenpo Kari, its a basic strike that changes Zeku's form on hit. Old Zeku does a rising palm strike with Young Zeku does an advancing body blow. Both do decent damage and make for a good combo ender if you're looking to switch forms. You can combo into it as OZ from medium and heavy Teki, and as YZ from light and heavy Hozanto. There are some more niche ways to combo into it but these are the easiest. You're also able to swap which side you're on, making it a good comboe ender especially if you're cornered.

V-Skill 2

Zeku's VS2 is Kuchiyose. In old form, Zeku summons a bird that drops a firecracker. In young form, Zeku summons a weasel to run at and strike the opponent. The entire move takes incredibly long, with a whopping 54 frames of startup and 10 frames of recovery. However, you can avoid these 10 extra recovery frames by swapping forms. Old Zeku's bird takes incredibly long to get out. On top of the 54 frames of startup, you still have to wait for it to drop the firecracker, which is dependent on the distance it travels. You can alter its distance by holding back or holding forward upon releasing. Holding back makes it drop near Zeku, while holding forward makes it travel almost full screen, holding no direction makes it travel in between the two. On top of the long startup, it's relatively hard to get out in neutral because the bird disappears if you're hit at any point before the firecracker drops. Thankfully, you can cancel into VS2 from any Teki, although you'll still be relatively unsafe. If the firecracker connects, it causes a juggle state, letting you juggle any Teki, Koku, dp, or VT2 assuming you have enough time to use your preferred followup.

Young Zeku's weasel doesn't take as long to get out, making it much easier to get out and use as a potential approach option. Because of this, there isn't a ton of setup potential with it like Old Zeku. The weasel will disappear at any point if you get hit before it makes contact with the opponent. On hit, it causes a juggle state, letting you juggle any palm or run slide, assuming you have enough time for what version you want. You can cancel into VS2 from any Hozanto, but you'll still be relatively unsafe. Because of it's low amount of setup potential, using VS2 and switching forms is a great way to approach. You can use it to make your overhead safe at the right distance, or go for a crossup.

VS2 has a lot of potential and takes a lot of wit and setup knowledge to use. Use it if you're looking to make your Zeku completely viable.

V-Trigger 1

Zeku's VT1 is Bushinryu Shingegiko. It's 2 bars, and upon activating, it gives Zeku a command dash that allows him to do a Darkstalker's style chain combo. The dash has invulnerability properties including against projectiles. This ability makes it a strong anti-air tool or against opponents on the ground too. You do the dash by pressing HP+HK again, and you can perform the chain by simply pressing the normals you want to as if they were a cancel from weaker normals to stronger. The first attack off this VT1 dash allows you to cancel into a special move. So normals that were previously unable to cancel can at the expense of completing the VT1 string. You can end the chain combo by pressing HP+HK again to do a special finisher that cancels into critical art and is -2 on block. A critical art may also be tacked onto the end. It's best to utilize VT1 by getting a hit confirm into the dash and going for mediums and heavies for your chain only to avoid significant scaling. The damage output is not particularly high due to its safe use, stun output and hit confirm ability. Therefore it is best advised to take advantage of the VT01 install phase. VT1 is possible to be used twice in a match and if successful can tack on some good damage like many V-Triggers.

V-Trigger 2

Zeku's VT2 is Karura Tenzan. It's 2 bars and does not have a regular activation. On activation Zeku performs a DP style move and the V-Bar becomes a timer. Zeku can use the DP style move a second time, which depletes the entire timer. This 2nd use of the V-Trigger is slightly slower than the 1st use. On hit Zeku transforms from one form into the other. The Move itself is invincible to air attacks, projectiles, and throws. These invincible properties combined with the move's impressive reach make it well suited for countering many moves. It's a strong anti-air, fireball punish in certain matchups, and it can counter a command grab in a pinch. Zeku can cancel most of his special moves into VT2 to add extra damage on the end of most of his combo routes. Additionally the landing frames of VT2 can be canceled into either EX DP, or EX run slide depending on which form you're in.

Matchups

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Abigail

Abigail (6 - 4) [character page][match videos]
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V-System

This is where Zeku’s v-system choices become most useful.

• VT1:

Abigail gains the ability to charge his HP normals, at full charge they cause a guard break on block. Use V-Shift at the proper timing to evade and punish each HP normal. When timed correctly, you’ll block an early release and V-Shift the full charge. Each version of Abigail’s HP has a different full charge timing, so practice against each of them in training mode. VT1 is useful here because of it’s invincibility on frame 3. You can time the VT1 dash at the same timing as a V-Shift, and you’ll dash through the HP and get a punish opportunity.

• VT2:

Abigail gains a new special move that he can charge into a guard break on block. This move has a LOT of armor, the only guaranteed ways to interrupt it are with a throw or CA. Use a properly timed V-Shift into V-Shift break to evade and get a punish opportunity. The *V-Shift Break is essential here, because just a regular v-shift won’t evade the entire attack. Abigail will armor the V-Shift Break, but Zeku will recover first and get a punish opportunity.

• VS1:

Most of the info on VS1 is covered in the “Offense” section. Abigail might use this in neutral occasionally to parry a fireball or to parry a weasel from Zeku’s VS2. At far range Abigail cannot get a punish from these. Be careful about him parrying weasel, as the parry can catch you if you’re too close to him.

• VS2:

The infamous rolling tire. Young Zeku is better at keeping Abigail from calling the tire, Old Zeku is better at preventing Abigail from approaching behind the tire once it’s out. To prevent Abigail from calling the tire, react to his VS2 animation with run slide as Young Zeku, or H/EX koku as Old Zeku if you’re in range. Sometimes a bushin flip attack can reach Abigail in time as well. If Abigail successfully gets out the tire, try and switch to Old Zeku and call the mid range bird bomb if you have time. The 4 hits of the bomb explosion will hit Abigail out of his command run, so the bomb controls good space in this situation. EX teki is also a great wall to put out as the 3 hits will hit Abigail out of command run, and the high angle will catch Abigail’s run overhead.

If Abigail lands an EX Abi Punch in the corner and calls the tire. Good luck. Take the command grab if you have to health the spare.

Akira

Akira[No Data] [character page][match videos]

Akuma

Akuma[No Data] [character page][match videos]

Alex

Alex[No Data] [character page][match videos]

Balrog

Balrog[No Data] [character page][match videos]

Birdie

Birdie[No Data] [character page][match videos]

Blanka

Blanka[No Data] [character page][match videos]

Cammy

Cammy[No Data] [character page][match videos]

Chun-Li

Chun-Li[No Data] [character page][match videos]

Cody

Cody[No Data] [character page][match videos]

Dan

Dan[No Data] [character page][match videos]

Dhalsim

Dhalsim[No Data] [character page][match videos]

Ed

Ed[No Data] [character page][match videos]

E. Honda

E.Honda[No Data] [character page][match videos]

Falke

Falke[No Data] [character page][match videos]

F.A.N.G

F.A.N.G[No Data] [character page][match videos]

G

G[No Data] [character page][match videos]

Gill

Gill[No Data] [character page][match videos]

Guile

Guile[No Data] [character page][match videos]

Ibuki

Ibuki[No Data] [character page][match videos]

Juri

Juri[No Data] [character page][match videos]

Kage

Kage[No Data] [character page][match videos]

Karin

Karin[No Data] [character page][match videos]

Ken

Ken[No Data] [character page][match videos]

Kolin

Kolin[No Data] [character page][match videos]

Laura

Laura[No Data] [character page][match videos]

Lucia

Lucia[No Data] [character page][match videos]

Luke

Luke[No Data] [character page][match videos]

M. Bison

M.Bison[No Data] [character page][match videos]

Menat

Menat[No Data] [character page][match videos]

Nash

Nash[No Data] [character page][match videos]

Necalli

Necalli[No Data] [character page][match videos]

Oro

Oro[No Data] [character page][match videos]

Poison

Poison[No Data] [character page][match videos]

Rashid

Rashid[No Data] [character page][match videos]

Rose

Rose[No Data] [character page][match videos]

R. Mika

R.Mika[No Data] [character page][match videos]

Ryu

Ryu[No Data] [character page][match videos]

Sagat

Sagat[No Data] [character page][match videos]

Sakura

Sakura[No Data] [character page][match videos]

Seth

Seth[No Data] [character page][match videos]

Urien

Urien[No Data] [character page][match videos]

Vega

Vega[No Data] [character page][match videos]

Zangief

Zangief[No Data] [character page][match videos]

Zeku (Old)

Zeku (Old)[No Data] [character page][(Old) match videos]

Zeku (Young)

Zeku (Young)[No Data] [character page][(Young) match videos]

External Resources

• Shoryuken's Rising up Series - BnB combo guide
• Hatson's Zeku Oki and Tech Guide