Street Fighter 6/Zangief/Strategy

Neutral

Overview

Zangief, like many other grapplers of his type, relies on a patient neutral game of walking and harassing the opponent in neutral with large pokes so that he can then get away with more committal neutral tools such as jump-ins, dashes, Drive Rush, and more. His threatening presence will often lead to opponents ceding ground to him, allowing Zangief to gradually push the opponent toward the corner. Once the opponent has been cornered, Zangief's mixup game becomes significantly more threatening thanks to the addition of Drive Impact wallsplat, increased combo damage, and dramatically improved okizeme.

Approaching the Opponent

One of the greatest challenges Zangief faces is in how he approaches the opponent. He's big, he's slow, and he's somewhat lacking in specialized tools. As a result, his most reliable approach option is to simply walk towards the opponent. While slow, walking poses the least risk and has the lowest opportunity cost, allowing Zangief to better counter anything opponents throw at him.

Other universal options are of great use to Zangief as well. While his jump and dash don't travel very far, they are still key tools to leverage to get in on the opponent. Use them sparingly to catch the opponent off guard. In addition, Drive Rush is quite useful in the midrange, allowing Zangief to threaten with his 5MP target combo or L SPD at range, building upon the opponent's mental stack. Drive Impact, while risky, is also useful against opponents who try and poke Zangief out.

Pokes

Zangief boasts a good variety of ground pokes, though none stand head-and-shoulders above the rest.

2LK, 2LP, 5LP are all solid, low-commitment pokes, with 2LK being the fastest, 5LP having the most range, and 2LP striking an excellent balance between the two. However, converting off of these at range often requires Drive Rush or a very risky buffered Double Lariat.

At midrange, Zangief's options are somewhat less potent, but useful nonetheless. 5LK and 2MP are both cancelable pokes with decent range, allowing Zangief to check grounded approaches and whiff punish the opponent. Between the two, 2MP is better at checking approaches due to its greater active frames and larger cancel window, while 5LK is a stronger whiff punish due to its faster speed, greater range, and low pushback. 5MP, 5MK, and 2MK are all rather large pokes with identical startup, but none are special cancelable, leaving them vulnerable to Drive Impact. 5MP has the shortest range but can lead into a target combo on counterhit, punish counter, or with Drive Rush. However, the follow-ups can whiff due to pushback and leave Zangief wide open to punishment. 2MK is not particularly notable outside of being a long-range low, letting Zangief check back walking opponents with a small chunk of damage or whiff punish at ranges where 5MP would fail. Finally, 5MK has the greatest range but is ultimately the least useful of the bunch.

At the end of midrange, Zangief has his 5HP and 2HK, both with considerable range. 5HP is quite slow, especially when charged, but is safe to throw out against a grounded opponent. The charged version is notable as it has upper-body armor and improved frame advantage on hit or block, allowing Zangief to armor through an opponent's buttons. 2HK serves a similar purpose to 2MK but with greater reach, reward, and risk.

Counterpokes

To compensate for his slow movement and below-average frame data, Zangief has a variety of counterpokes to check predictable opponents.

Against low pokes, he can utilize 6MK, 3HK, and 6HK to hop over them and punish for varying degrees of reward. 6HK and 3HK are risky to throw out as they are incredibly unsafe, but are quite rewarding on punish counter, especially in the corner. 6MK is a much safer alternative and can be spaced to be plus on block or link into another button on hit. It is also difficult to tell whether the 6MK will hit during its late active frames or whiff entirely, letting Zangief catch an unaware opponent off-guard with a whiffed 6MK into SPD.

Against upper-body pokes, Zangief has 5[HP] and Tundra Storm. 5[HP] is far and away the more useful of the two, allowing Zangief to armor through a single attack during its startup. The move can also be released prematurely to more easily punish attacks, but doing so ends the armor. Tundra Storm, on the other hand, is a unique counter that only works against grounded kick attacks that hit Zangief above the knees. While the parry is out relatively quickly, the horrendous total duration of the attack paired with its underwhelming reward on hit makes it an option that should rarely, if ever, be used.

For a high-risk, high-reward option, Zangief has Siberian Express (63124K), a long-range grab with two different versions. At the midrange, just under round start distance, Zangief will immediately rush forwards and grab the opponent. While ultimately reactable and extremely punishable on whiff, it can still catch an opponent off guard. The OD version is faster, but the yellow flash makes it easier to react to. From further out, the move changes drastically, gaining significantly increased startup in return for gaining a hit of super armor and increased range. The OD version has two hits of super armor and faster start up to the armor but both vervsions have a unique property where it reduces its startup if it armors through a strike (not a projectile!), making it more useful against Dhalsim in particular.

Against projectiles in particular, Zangief's Double Lariat (PP) and Cyclone Lariat (236236P) serve as powerful, albeit slow and risky, anti-fireball tools. Double Lariat and its OD version are faster, but have much shorter range. Between the two, OD Double Lariat is significantly better, as it boasts frame 1 projectile invulnerability instead of frame 5 invulnerability, and its faster startup makes it better at catching extended hurtboxes. Cyclone Lariat, however, has an enormous hitbox, making it far more reliable in the midrange. However, the slow input and start up makes it more challenging to use if not buffered, limiting its usability on reaction.

Whiff Punishment

While many of Zangief's pokes can also serve as whiff punishment tools, 5LK, 5MP, and 2HK are particularly notable. 5LK is the fastest and is special cancelable, allowing Zangief to combo into Double Lariat (PP) or its OD version on hit. Alternatively, he can cancel into Drive Rush for greater reward or a sneaky grab reset. 5MP has similar range to 5LK, but confirms into a target combo instead of a special cancel, making it less flexible but safer on a failed confirm. Finally, 2HK exists as Zangief's slow, long-range whiff punish with solid reward thanks to its excellent knockdown.

On top of his normals, Zangief's Screw Piledriver (360P), particularly the light and OD versions, make excellent whiff punishment tools due to their size, speed, and reward. While the 360 motion can be slow to input, Zangief can buffer the half circle and quickly input 8+P to have the move come out near instantly on reaction. This technique is risky since mistiming either the buffer or the 8 input can result in Zangief jumping in place, leaving him wide open.

Anti-Airs

Zangief has several solid anti-air options, though none are particularly fast. On the ground, Zangief has access to Double Lariat, 5HK, and 2HP check jump-ins. Double Lariat and its OD version are by far his most reliable anti-air thanks to the move's shrunken hurtboxes and air invincibility. While they are slow, give poor okizeme, and can struggle against crossups, they are ultimately quite solid options with a speedy input. To assist against crossups, Zangief can delay Lariat so he has time to change facing directions before startup. 5HK is the polar opposite of Double Lariat, being his high risk, high reward anti-air. It is still relatively slow and it lacks a disjoint, but it grants a much better knockdown and can even combo into OD Borscht Dynamite (j.360KK) at the right spacing. 2HP strikes a middle ground between the Lariat and 5HK, but with the added benefit of superior vertical range. Ultimately, however, the milquetoast nature of the move and its horrendous recovery result in it remaining a niche option.

His most unique anti-air option is Aerial Russian Slam (236236K), but its slow startup, slow input, and great height of its initial hitbox make it inconsistent. If buffered, it performs significantly better, but it remains a high risk, high reward option.

Air-to-Airs

If Zangief chooses to take to the skies, his option spread increases dramatically. j.LP and j.MP are useful for catching opponents roughly level with Zangief. j.LP is the faster of the two, but j.MP puts the opponent into a juggle state on counter hit, allowing Zangief to combo into a TK OD Borscht Dynamite (j.360KK) if he lands before the opponent. j.LK and j.MK hit below Zangief, making them solid options at catching crossup attempts. j.LK is faster, but j.MK is larger and more damaging. For his heavies, j.HK boasts incredible range while j.HP knocks down on air hit, granting consistent advantage. Finally, Flying Headbutt (j.8HP) covers directly above Zangief and combos into OD Borscht Dynamite (j.360KK), making it one of the most rewarding air-to-air options in the entire game, albeit a short-ranged one that can only be performed from a neutral jump. Overall, his spread of air-to-air normals is quite good.

More uniquely, Zangief has access to Borscht Dynamite (j.360K), a powerful air-to-air command grab. While slow to input, Borscht Dynamite does excellent damage and can be performed incredibly low to the ground, making TK Borscht Dynamite a solid option against deep jump-ins. The input can also be stored for up to 20 frames, allowing Zangief to input a half circle on the ground, jump, and then Borscht Dynamite an opponent at a greater speed than performing the 360 motion in the air. The two versions of the move grant largely identical reward, but the OD version deals 100 additional damage and boasts superior range.

Offense

Overview

As a grappler, Zangief's offensive structure is fairly simple: get in and quickly run a mixup. Due to his slow walk speed and lack of pressure extenders, Zangief struggles to stay in for very long, so it's crucial to make the most of his pressure once he gets in.

The Mixup

Zangief's primary mixup is strike vs normal throw vs command grab, with each option beating and losing to different defensive options. Zangief's frame traps are stable, but with variable reward depending on distance and screen positioning. Normal throw, particularly Spinebuster (3+LP+LK) is the second most stable option, losing outright to very little and with consistent reward. Finally, Zangief's command grabs are high risk, high reward maneuvers, with each command grab serving different purposes with different levels of risk and reward. Like most attacks, all lose to invincible reversals, but if Zangief baits a reversal with a shimmy, he can dish out incredible punishment. Below is a chart with a simplified overview of the mixup against different defensive options, assuming Zangief is at +2~+4 and within throw range:

Zangief's Option	vs Block	vs Mash	vs Throw Tech	vs Delay Throw Tech	vs Neutral Jump	vs Back Jump	vs Backdash	vs Perfect Parry	vs Reversal
Frame Trap	+/-	O	O	+/-	O	O	O	X	X
Normal Throw	O	O	=	=	O*	+	-/X	O	X
Screw Piledriver	O	O	O	O	X	X*	X	O	X
Russian Suplex	O	X	X	O/X	X	X*	X	O	X
Shimmy	=	-	O*	O*	O*	+	O*	O*	O*

O = Zangief hits the opponent outright
O* = Zangief can punish the opponent
+ = No hit/punish but Zangief is left at advantage
= = Equal advantage for both characters
- = No hit/punish but Zangief is left at disadvantage
X = Zangief gets punished
X* = Zangief can get punished depending on range/matchup
/ = Varies depending on timing or specific option chosen

Note that this table is not necessarily true for all situations as it can vary based on the screen position, reaction time, and game state. The table also doesn't cover unique defensive tools such as Marisa's Scutum (214K) or Blanka's Aerial Rolling Attack (j.[4]6P).

Frame Traps

Light Chains - 2LP (+1) and 5LP (+2) are plus on block, leading to easy frame trap setups.

2LP/2LK > 5LP - 1f gap, auto-timed by chaining, blows up everything except invincible reversals, leaves Gief plus and in range for another strike/throw mix.
5LP/2LP, 2LK > 2LP. mashed chain to 2LK is a true blockstring, but a delayed chain or link leaves a frame trap opening.
2LK > 2LK. Delay chain 2LK to leave a 3f gap
2LP > 2LP can be delayed so the second hit has a frame trap opening of 1 frame. Unknown whether this is intended or not.

6HP - Headbutt is +4 on block.

6HP, 2LK is a true blockstring
6HP, 5LK/5LP/3MP/2LP all frame trap 4f lights.
6HP, 2MP will trade with 4f lights. Depending on the normal and range, Zangief may be able to trade-combo 2LP afterward.
6HP, 360P will throw opponents out of the gap. MP SPD will always be in range after blocked headbutt.

Okizeme

Knockdown Advantage: All scenarios assume that opponent will Back Rise midscreen when possible, unless otherwise stated

Knockdown	KD Adv.	Oki/Notes
6LPLK (Forward Throw)	+10	Leaves Gief too far away for meaningful pressure
5LPLK (Neutral Throw)	+22 (+0 Held)	+0 after Forward Dash, can drive rush into meaty 5LK or SPD range. The held version gets increased damage, but gives no opportunity for oki
4LPLK (Back Throw)	+8	Gives Zangief an immediate strike/throw mixup if the opponent lands in the corner or does not back rise.
3LPLK (Crouching Forward Throw)	+33	Best oki of normal throws by far. +11 after Forward Dash. Midscreen, you can Drive Rush to throw loop the opponent if they back rise. On neutral rise or in the corner, you can throw loop without needing Drive Rush.
1LPLK (Crouching Back Throw)	+9	No oki possible due to distance
2LPLK (Crouching Throw)	+14	Can follow up with Drive Rush normals against a cornered opponent. Walk LP/MP SPD can whiff punish mashed normals used to check dash. Can be used instead of 4LPLK when side switching for maintaining spacing to reaction anti-air against forwards jump out of the corner.
2HK	HKD +32 HKD +45 (CH/PC)	On Counter-hit or Punish Counter, Zangief can safe jump any reversal with a brief 2f delay.
360+P (Screw Piledriver)	HKD +30 (LP) HKD +28 (M/H/OD)	After LP SPD, Gief has a 1f window to meaty DR~5LK at range.
j.360+P (Borscht Dynamite)	HKD +19	Zangief can Drive Rush into a spaced out button like 5MP or 5MK to threaten wakeup buttons, but cannot get true strike/throw oki
63214K (Close) (Russian Suplex)	HKD +26	Side-switches, immediate DR~6MK checks all non-invincible wakeup options while leaving Zangief plus enough to link into 3MP on hit and threaten HP SPD on block. Can also meaty with Drive Rush into LP/MP/OD SPD.
63214K (Far) (Siberian Express)	HKD +29	Keeps same side, can check wakeup attacks and jumps with DR~5MP and can space out and punish wakeup attacks with LP/OD SPD.
PP (Double Lariat)	HKD +25 ~ 57	+25 is for hitting 1st active frame against a grounded opponent. Later hits and airborne juggles give better frame advantage.
PPP (OD Double Lariat)	HKD +38 ~ 57	Frame advantage varies heavily based on how OD Lariat juggles the opponent. The later the second hit lands, the more advantageous Zangief is. For most combos, gives better oki than standard Lariat.
SA1 - 236236K (Aerial Russian Slam)	HKD +29	Similar oki to Siberian Express, can Drive Rush into 5MP/6MK or threaten with a max range LP SPD.
SA2 - 236236P (Cyclone Lariat)	HKD +5(+1)	Switches sides and leaves Zangief near max SPD range; immediate 2MK can trade with 4f normals and microwalk LP SPD can grab the opponent while whiff punishing fast buttons. Holding forward allows Zangief to keep the opponent cornered, but he recovers farther away with 4f worse advantage The held version launches opponents into a juggle state (refer to Lariat, j.360+P, or SA1 for relevant oki)
SA3/CA - 720+P (Bolshoi Storm Buster)	HKD +26	Too far away for any meaningful oki

Safe Jump setups:

PC Drive Impact, j8HP, Drive Rush, 5MK example Safe jump with j.MP is +11 on block, +14 on hit. Leaves Zangief in range for 6HP hit confirm and M.SPD. 4 frame normals, jump, and backdash all get punished by 6HP.

vs. Burnout

TO-DO

Drive Rush

When canceling a normal into Drive Rush on block and following it up with another normal, there may be an interruptible gap in the blockstring. The following table lists these blockstring gaps when performed at the fastest possible timing.

Gap Value	Meaning
0	True Blockstring (no gap) if input with fastest button timing; can still lose to Drive Reversal
1 to 4	Small blockstring gap; opponent can interrupt with an invincible reversal; a 4f gap can trade with 4f normal attack
5+	Large blockstring gap; opponent can interrupt without an invincible attack
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Drive Rush Cancel - Blockstring Gaps
	2LK	2LP	5LP/5LK/3MP	2MP	5MP/2MK/22MK	5MK	2HP/2HK	5HK	6MK/6HP	5HP/3HK	6HK	5[HP]
5LP~DR	0	2	3	4	5	7	9	10	11	13	21	29
5LK~DR	0	1	2	3	4	5	7	8	9	11	19	27
2LP~DR	3	5	6	7	8	9	11	12	13	15	23	31
2MP~DR	0	0	0	0	1	2	4	5	6	8	16	24
3MP~DR	0	0	0	0	0	1	3	4	5	7	15	23
6HP~DR	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	2	4	12	20
22MK~MK~MK~DR	0	0	1	2	3	4	6	7	8	10	18	26

The following table lists the general BnB combo routes when canceling a button into Drive Rush on hit.

Drive Rush Cancel - Combo Routes
Starter	Hit Adv.	Combo Route
5LP~DR	+6	2LP, 3MP > PP 2LP, 2MP > SA2
2LP~DR	+6	2LP, 3MP > PP 2LP, 2MP > SA2
5LP~DR	+7	5LP, 3MP > PP 5LP, 2MP > SA2
3MP~DR	+11	5MP, 2LP, 5LP > PP 5MP~MP~MP Less damage, more consistent from max range 2MP
2MP~DR	+12
22MK~MK~MK~DR	+14	6HP, 3MP > PP 5HK, 3MP > PP Slightly more damage, but 5HK whiffs on crouching
6HP~DR	+14

Defense

Overview

Zangief has a unique spread of defensive options, with large, reliable abare options and unusual reversal tools. Against spacing traps and shimmies, Zangief does rather well, but it is challenging to force an opponent off of him without massive resource investment.

Abare

Zangief's main abare normals are his 4f 2LK and his 6f 2LP. Both are incredibly large for their speed and make for solid, low-risk checks against opponents overextending their offense. Zangief must be careful when trying to confirm these normals into Double Lariat, however, since it can whiff at range and leave Zangief wide open for a massive punish.

At further ranges, Zangief's 5LP and 5LK serve as larger checks that allow Zangief to create some distance between himself and the opponent. 5LP is advantageous on hit but has significant pushback, preventing him from comboing into Double Lariat at range, while 5LK is even on hit to compensate for more reliable combos into Lariat.

In addition to his normals, Zangief boasts the most powerful abare tool in the entire game: Screw Piledriver (360P). Screw Piledriver, particularly the light and OD versions, have massive range with only 5f startup, and all versions of SPD lead to significant damage on hit. This combination of traits allows Zangief to contest offense and punish moves that no other character can. To compensate for these upsides, the motion input makes it difficult to perform under stagger pressure and Zangief is left wide open on whiff.

Reversals

In contrast to his abare, Zangief's reversal options leave much to be desired with one exception.

Zangief lacks any specials or OD specials with strike or throw invulnerability, and he's one of the few characters in the game without a reversal SA1. While Aerial Russian Slam (236236K) does have invulnerability, it cannot hit grounded opponents, making it a largely terrible defensive option. His SA2, Cyclone Lariat (236236P) is not much better, with an abysmal 18f startup that makes it easy to safely jab, even during pressure.

In contrast to his other Super Arts, Zangief's Bolshoi Storm Buster SA3 (720P) is an incredibly potent reversal. It has a fast 6f startup, solid range (just under L SPD range or equivalent range if its a CA), and deals massive damage. Most importantly, it is a command grab that hits instantly after the super freeze, so an opponent has to jump or backdash on prediction against the reversal, not just on reaction. As a result, it is the only invincible reversal in the game that beats shimmies. To compensate, Bolshoi Storm Buster's input cannot reasonably be performed without being buffered behind another action and is slower to perform under pressure compared to other super inputs. In addition, it is hilariously punishable on whiff with a whopping 123f of total duration, allowing opponents to easily set up punishes that they would not be able to get against other reversal supers.

Finally, Zangief has access to Jump-cancel SPD, a difficult technique that allows Zangief to cancel his prejump into a Screw Piledriver. This allows Zangief to dodge throws during his prejump frames and then cancel into SPD to punish the throw. While other characters can perform similar techniques, Zangief (and Lily) has the largest prejump cancel window at 5f and while beating shimmy attempts.

Anti-Airs

When put on the back foot on defense, Zangief often relies on different anti-air options than he does in neutral.

Most of his slower anti-airs such as 2HP, 5HK, and his air-to-airs aren't quite as viable on defense, but Double Lariat (PP) and its OD version remain indispensable thanks to their air invulnerability. In addition, 2MP and Hellstab (3MP) are valuable tools against a variety of airborne special moves such as Marisa's Phalanx (623P) and Ken's Dragonlash Kick (623K) due to their relatively fast startup and decent angle. Hellstab is slightly faster and hits slightly higher while 2MP has greater horizontal range. Both consistently combo into Double Lariat against these moves thanks to the Forced Knockdown state, and depending on spacing, either can combo into OD Borscht Dynamite (j.360KK).

Tundra Storm

Moves Countered by Tundra Storm (22HK)
Character	Normals	Specials	Drive Moves
A.K.I.	5MK, 5HK 6HK	2PP~K	DRev - whiffs (Zangief +1)
Blanka	5LK, 5MK, 5HK 4MK, 6MK	-	DI
Cammy	5LK, 5MK, 5HK 4HK, 6HK	236HK - 1st hit only 623K - Whiffs at farther ranges (Zangief +23, +27 OD)	DI DRev - whiffs (Zangief +1)
Chun-Li	5MK, 5HK Stance HK	236K 22LK / 22MK 22KK - Whiffs (Zangief +24)	DI DRev - 2nd hit punishes Zangief
Dee Jay	5MK, 5HK 6MK, 4HK	236K, 214K~LK, 214K~HK 214K~MK - OD version only countered at specific range	DI DRev - whiffs (Zangief +1)
Dhalsim	5LK, 5MK (close), 5HK 4MK, 4HK	-	-
Ed	-	-	-
E. Honda	5MK, 5HK 3HK	-	-
Guile	5MK (mid/far), 5HK 4LK, 4/6MK, 3HK 6HK - Farther ranges only; whiffs (Zangief +1)	[2]8K - Zangief is punished by 2nd hit of OD version - At max range, counter can whiff on LK/MK/OD versions - (Zangief +17 LK, +19 MK, +23 OD)	DI
Jamie	5MK, 5HK (not point blank) 2KK, 6MK, 6HK (not point blank)	623K - OD version whiffs (Zangief +32) 236K - At point blank, only LK version is countered	DRev - whiffs (Zangief +1)
JP	5MK, 5HK 6MK, 6HK	-	-
Juri	5HP, 5LK, 5MK, 5HK 6HP, 6MK, 4HK	214K, 236HK 623P - Zangief is punished by later hits of OD version	DI DRev - whiffs (Zangief +1)
Ken	5MK (not point blank), 5HK	236K, 236K~6MK, 236K~6HK, 236KK~6K~6K Run~MK, Run~HK 214K - LK version: only 1st hit	DRev - whiffs (Zangief +1)
Kimberly	5LK, 5MK, 5HK 4HK	214LK, 236K~LK, 236K~HK, 236K (close) 214MK/HK/KK - whiffs (Zangief +28 MK, +31 HK/OD)	DI
Lily	5LK, 5MK, 5HK	-	-
Luke	5MK, 5HK 4HK	-	-
Manon	5MK, 5HK 4MK	236K, 236P~K, 214HK 214KK - whiffs (Zangief -3)	DI
Marisa	5MK, 5HK 6HK	236K	-
Rashid	5LK, 5MK, 5HK 6HK	214P	DI DRev - whiffs (Zangief +1)
Ryu	5MK, 5HK 4HK, 6HK	236K	-
Zangief	5LK (not point blank), 5MK, 5HK 6MK, 6HK 3HK - whiffs (Zangief +16)	-	DRev - whiffs (Zangief +1)