Street Fighter IV Remix/Vega

Overview Combos Matchups Strategy

Introduction

Vega is a drag queen, but he gets made fun of by all the other queens because his idea of drag is just putting on a dorky mask.

This character's name is localized for the English release. For the purposes of this page, the names "Claw" and "Vega" are interchangeable.

Vega is an offensive powerhouse and a master-of-all with an appropriate tool for almost every situation. His special moves all fill a variety of uses in combos and anti-airs and offer great utility in neutral. His 236P special Madrid Claw allows him to pick up full combos from mid-range with his excellent normal pokes, and his 236K special Rolling Crystal Flash is an amazing tool in combo structure for easy damage. Vega's most defining trait is his oppressive offense, combining incredible damage with powerful resets and mixups to end the round in a matter of seconds. In combination with his dominating neutral presence, great normals, and one of the best ground dashes in the game, Vega is a menace to fight against on the ground.

Vega's air presence is arguably even more threatening, however, with some of the best air movement options in the game thanks to his command jump. Performed with any two punch buttons, Vega transfers his momentum into an aerial roll that he can perform a multitude of options out of, including crossups and an air throw. Vega can use this to easily clear right over any projectiles coming his way, as well as mix opponents up with its various options. In combination with his excellent meter build and usage of super, Vega is one of the most powerful and well-rounded characters in the entire game, with no specific detrimental weaknesses.

Strengths

Weaknesses

Amazing Damage: Vega's damage is some of the highest in the entire game, with very little execution required for great returns on investment. Additionally, while meter is helpful for his routes, none of his primary meterless routes require resources.
Fantastic Oki: Vega's mixup options are ludicrously good. Between his primary combo enders all causing hard knockdowns and his disgusting reset potential, Vega has all the tools you need to open your opponent up on a regular basis and force them to keep guessing for the round.
Movement: Vega has a multitude of extremely strong options for covering the screen space, including a forward dash that nearly goes fullscreen, an air-OK command jump, a walljump, and his iconic backflips. Vega can be threatening at nearly any range with these tools.
Great Reversals: Vega's options for escaping pressure are very useful, between his invincible 214KK Scarlet Terror and his 214PPP super, Splendid Claw. Both of these options work amazingly as anti-airs, adding to his ability to keep the opponent out.
Strong Normals: Vega's normals, on top of being incredibly large and advancing him forward, do a surprisingly high amount of damage on average for Remix standards. This increases the threat of approaching him on the ground, as any stray hit can lead into a deadly scenario.
Anti-Projectile: Between a projectile parry, amazing tools for clearing over fireballs, an invincible air-OK super with great reward on hit, and a high-priority beam super, Vega almost never has to concern himself with being zoned. At any point in time, he can (and very often will) change the momentum of the game completely with a single good read.

Mask Off: If Vega sustains too many multi-hit moves, his claw and mask will fall off, reducing his range and making him take more damage in exchange for a damage boost of his own. This isn't really that bad, but it feels weird to leave this empty for now.

Vega
[[File:\|center\|300px]]
Character Data
Health	1000
Chains	Command Normals
Walkspeed	{{{walkspeed}}}
Forward Dash Duration	X frames
Forward Dash Distance	{{{dashdistance}}}
Backdash Duration	X frames
Backdash Invuln	{{{backdashinvuln}}} frames
Unique Movement	Walljump

Normals

Standing Normals

5LP

Standing Light Punch
5LP

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
30	Mid	CMD, SP	0	60	0	+2	-1
Vega quickly swipes with his claw. Generic short-range standing light.

5MP

Standing Medium Punch
5MP

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
70	-	-	0	60	0	+3	-1
Vega performs an underhand swipe with his claw.

5HP

Standing Heavy Punch
5HP

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
90	-	-	0	60	0	+2	-5
Vega executes a claw swipe that moves him forward.

5LK

Standing Light Kick
5LK

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
40	-	-	0	60	0	+5	+2
Vega raises his knee for a short-lived strike.

5MK

Standing Medium Kick
5MK

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
70	-	-	0	60	0	+3	-1
Vega pokes his leg out to strike from a greater distance. Strong for poking, but superceded by other buttons.

5HK

Standing Heavy Kick
5HK

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
40, 100 (140)	-	-	0	60	0	-1, -3	-5, -6
Vega performs a two-hit roundhouse kick. Ludicrously high damage for a heavy normal, even by Remix standards. Amazing in juggles. Still quite slow, so not preferred for neutral.

Crouching Normals

2LP

Crouching Light Punch
2LP

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
30	-	-	0	60	0	+5	+2
Vega pokes at the opponent from crouching with his claw. Comically good hitbox

2MP

Crouching Medium Punch
2MP

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
60	-	-	0	60	0	-1	-5
Vega extends his arm to poke with his claw. Worse than crLP in almost every way except cancel options. Don't use.

2HP

Crouching Heavy Punch
2HP

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
85	-	-	0	60	0	-7	-10
An upwards stab with Vega's claw. Not worth it as an anti-air, and punishable on hit and block if you don't cancel it.

2LK

Crouching Light Kick
2LK

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
20	-	-	0	60	0	+3	-0
Vega performs a short poke with his foot.

2MK

Crouching Medium Kick
2MK

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
70	-	-	0	60	0	+6	+2
Vega extends his leg for a crouching attack. Vega's best low normal.

2HK

Crouching Heavy Kick
2HK

What

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
100	-	-	0	60	0	KD	-12~
Vega slides forward to sweep the opponent. Extremely long-reaching hitbox behind Vega. Can be spaced to be 0 at best, although -3 or -4 is more average. Ironically, despite its insane hitbox, this move doesn't actually cover all of Vega's foot.

Jumping Normals

j.LP

Jumping Light Punch
j.LP

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
50	-	-	0	60	0	~	~
Vega stabs horizontally in the air.

j.MP

Jumping Medium Punch
j.MP

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
80	-	-	0	60	0	~	~
Vega stabs at a downward angle while in the air. Can be used as an instant overhead against large characters (Hugo).

j.HP

Jumping Heavy Punch
j.HP

"shiiiiit i'm nice"

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
100	-	-	0	60	0	~	~
Vega pierces directly downward with his claw. One of Vega's best air buttons, primarily due to its exaggerated range and high hitstop. Can be used as an instant overhead on nearly all body types, though it's impossible to convert into a combo afterwards. Shockingly good air-to-air, although his other punch buttons may be preferred for this purpose. This button does a LOT for you, so it should be one of your primary tools in neutral when you're in the air.

j.LK

Jumping Light Kick
j.LK

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
40	-	-	0	60	0	~	~
Vega does a quick kick. Can be used as an instant overhead on tall characters (any jump direction).

j.MK

Jumping Medium Kick
j.MK

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
70	-	-	0	60	0	~	~
Vega pulls one of his legs back and kicks with the other. Strong as an air-to-air tool. Can cross up, and is generally one of Vega's best tools for doing so. However, the hitbox can be slightly deceiving, as it's a little smaller in practice than it really looks.

j.HK

Jumping Heavy Kick
j.HK

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
90	-	-	0	60	0	~	~
Vega kicks downwards with the heel of his boot. Also a great hitbox, though its downward angle makes it hard to air-to-air with. Can be used as an instant overhead.

Command Normals

6MP

Cosmic Heel
6MK

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
60	-	-	0	60	0	-4~	-8~
After rebounding off of his back heel, Vega kicks forward. Excellent for switching to the other side of the opponent after a knockdown. Its forward momentum makes it appealing to use in neutral, but can be punished on block if spaced improperly. You also get no hit confirm on hit, meaning you have to raw cancel into a special move.

6HK

Piece of Mercury
6HK

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
70	-	-	0	60	0	Groundbounce	+2
Vega lifts up his leg, then brings it down in a powerful axe kick. Vega's only standing overhead, and a great one at that. While arguably reactable, the situation afterwards is advantageous enough to push another mixup. Amazing reward on hit, considering Vega gets full combos after groundbounce. One of the primary tentpoles of Vega's offense, and enables his oppressive mixups after every knockdown or reset.

4KK

Backflips
4/5KK

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
N/A	-	-	0	60	0	N/A	N/A
Vega flips backwards a determinant amount of distance depending on the direction held. Keeping the input neutral will make Vega do a short backflip, while holding back will perform Vega's long backflip. Both flips are highly invincible, with a short period of vulnerable punish frames at the end of the animation. Be careful using this move to avoid fireballs or corner pressure, as Vega will often still be hit if the move is active enough.

j.4MK

Taco
j.4MK

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
70	-	-	0	60	0	~	~
Vega crosses up the opponent with a kick. An alternative to Vega's other crossup buttons that remains active until you reach the ground. The hitstun on this move is low, so converting from shallow jumps can be finicky. Reuses the hitbox and animation from Vega's j.LK, but inverted horizontally.

6KK

Evasion
6KK

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
N/A	-	-	0	60	0	N/A	N/A
Vega curls up into a ball and rolls forward for a short distance. This move has no hitbox and leaves you fully vulnerable for the duration, limiting its usage to movement in specific situations. It can also be used to cross the opponent up after a reset. Theoretically low profile, allowing you to bypass some fireballs if timed right.

Universal Mechanics

Forward Throw

Forward Throw
5LP+LK

File:SFIVR Vega FThrow.png

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
30	Mid	-	0	60	0	KD	-

Backward Throw

Backward Throw
4LP+LK

File:SFIVR Vega BThrow.png

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
30	Mid	-	0	60	0	KD	-

Alpha Counter

Alpha Counter
HP+HK

File:SFIVR Vega AC.png

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
30	Mid	-	0	60	0	KD	-

Special Moves

Madrid Claw

Madrid Claw
236P

LP	Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
LP	80	-	-	0	60	0	+2	-3
MP	Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
MP	80	-	-	0	60	0	+3	-80
HP	Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
HP	80	-	-	0	60	0	KD	-2
EX	Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
EX	80	-	-	0	60	0	+2	-5

Rolling Crystal Flash

Rolling Crystal Flash
236K

LK	Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
LK	60	-	-	0	60	0	+3	-6
MK	Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
MK	100	-	-	0	60	0	+5	-2
HK	Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
HK	120	-	-	0	60	0	+5	-2
EX	Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
EX	120	-	-	0	60	0	KD	-2

Scarlet Terror

Scarlet Terror
214K

LK	Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
LK	80	-	-	0	60	0	KD	- a lot
Test
MK	Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
MK	85	-	-	0	60	0	KD	- a lot
HK	Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
HK	90	-	-	0	60	0	KD	- a lot
EX	Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
EX	110	-	-	0	60	0	KD	- a lot

Remove Claw

Remove Claw
214P

LP	Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
LP	110	-	-	0	60	0	KD	-6
MP	Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
MP	110	-	-	0	60	0	KD	N/A
HP	Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
HP	Variable	-	-	0	60	0	N/A	N/A
EX	Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
EX	Variable	-	-	0	60	0	N/A	N/A

Barcelona Spin

Barcelona Spin
5PP

Uh oh.

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
N/A	-	-	0	60	0	N/A	N/A
Vega curls up into a ball and spins upwards. One of Vega's central movement tools and arguably his most defining attribute. Barcelona Spin (or colloquially known as "command jump") can be inputted both in the air and on the ground, particularly to great effect in the air as Vega remains actionable and retains his momentum. While Barcelona Spin can be followed up with a multitude of inputs, the startup of the jump makes it problematic to use quickly while grounded. This is an issue remedied by using the air version of Barcelona Spin, which has no startup and leaves all followups available to you. In combination with a walljump, Vega can travel an incredibly large distance of the screen while high enough that most anti-airs will whiff while trying to hit him. Can be used on the ground for buffering into Bloody High Claw. Strangely, while any directional input is accepted for Barcelona Spin, the command cannot be performed in the air with an upwards input. This is most likely to prevent Vega from gaining infinite height with his command jump, so be sure to input up-back or up-forward instead.

Barcelona Spin > Claw Attack

Barcelona Spin > Claw Attack
5PP > P

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
100	-	-	0	60	0	KD	+12~
Vega attacks with a falling claw attack, spreading his arms wide in the process. Yes, this is an overhead! The number of active frames on this move can create incredibly ambiguous crossups after a knockdown, creating oppressive looping pressure. Extremely strong as an air-to-air due to its massive hitbox. Due to the small hop that Vega performs after landing, this move is typically very safe even if blocked properly. Superceded by Izuna Drop for combo enders.

Barcelona Spin > Kick

Barcelona Spin > Kick
5PP > K

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
40	-	-	0	60	0	+17	+6~
Vega sticks his foot out from underneath him. A very fast alternative to Claw Attack. This followup can additionally cross up on the ground, although it's much more finicky about doing so. Despite its massive amount of plus frames on hit, the recovery frames afterward mean Vega never gets a combo afterwards.

Barcelona Spin > Diving Claw Attack

Barcelona Spin > Diving Claw Attack
5PP > 2P (far)

This move doesn't have an official name so I made it up

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
100	-	-	0	60	0	KD	-3
Vega dives with a great deal of downward momentum. Identical to Claw Attack, but with an added bonus of Vega quickly descending after the attack. In practice, Vega can use this move as a form of "fastfall", quickly inputting it in the air in order to quickly land on the ground with minor recovery frames. Like all of the Barcelona Spin followups, this move is extremely safe, even when spaced very poorly.

Barcelona Spin > Izuna Drop

Barcelona Spin > Izuna Drop
5PP > 2P (close)

Vega confirmed bi?

Damage	Guard	Cancel	Startup	Active	Recovery	On Hit	On Block
110	-	-	0	60	0	KD	N/A
Vega dives for a grab, snatching the opponent and suplexing them in the air. Vega can grab the opponent regardless of if they are grounded or in the air, making this a terrifying option to have to deal with. The grab hitbox on this move is only active for a very short time (technically consisting of the startup frames of Diving Claw Attack). Vega's primary meterless combo ender.