Zangief Uses His Head in This Street Fighter V Power Play!

Knowing the ins and outs of your character is vital to succeeding in fighting games at the highest level. Being aware of the properties of your character’s moves and how they interact with your opponent’s can be the difference between winning and losing. We see this a number of times in this matchup between two high-ranking players - a Zangief and a Urien.

Things don’t look too great for the Zangief player, Slaynman, as the opposing Urien seems to be completely in control of the round. At one point the Zangief player is down to the “magic pixel” of health, but doesn’t get knocked out due to his V-Skill, which allows him to absorb normal hits. The Zangief player is then able to mount a comeback, effectively utilizing his grabs, both regular and command to ultimately get the Urien player within close proximity to his stun. Then, Slaynman uses his head and get the job done.

Moves with certain animations, like throws, are able to pass through Urien’s V-Trigger I - the Aegis Reflector. However, players who pass through the wall will need to be cognisant of the projectile as they come out of their animation and back into a neutral state. Often, Urien players will attempt to mixup opponents who block the Aegis and their normal attacks by throwing their opponents, which will lead to a juggle opportunity from the Aegis. Some examples can be seen below, courtesy of YouTuber Rooflemonger:

The Zangief player anticipated the intentions of the Urien player, and managed to beat him to the punch with a back throw. Realizing the Aegis was in a precarious situation, the Zangief player (literally) used his noggin to knock the Aegis down, then used his EX Siberian Express to seal the deal. The Zangief player (whose voice can be heard in the clip above) is obviously relieved that he managed to make that comeback.

Zangief’s standing headbutt (performed by pressing back+Heavy Punch) is able to negate one hit of projectiles that come Zangief’s way. This tool is used by Zangief to maneuver through a projectile maze now that Zangief’s “Green Hand” is no longer an option. Aegis Reflector can withstand three hits before dissipating, and the Zangief player knew that he could use Zangief’s headbutt to account for two of the hits. Zangief’s EX Siberian Express has one hit of “super armor,” meaning Zangief is able to absorb a hit without being knocked out of the attack. Slaynman used the super armor to take the last hit of the Aegis, which completed his comeback.

For more Slaynman, visit his Twitch channel. For more on succeeding as a grappler, check out the “Life of a Low-Tier Hero” article on throws!