ZANGIEF =========================================================================== Game: Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes Zangief Character Guide FAQ V.1.5, updated on 7/26/00 by Daniel (PhatDan81) Finch dan@finch.com Unpublished work Copyright 2000 Daniel D. Finch =========================================================================== CONTENTS I. Background II. Legend III. Regular Moves IV. Special Moves V. Supers VI. Combos VII. General Strategy VIII. Misc. Stuff IX. Legal Stuff =========================================================================== I. BACKGROUND =========================================================================== Who is Zangief? Zangief is a wrestler from Russia. He was first introduced in the Street Fighter II series as a competitor in the tournament. He's also appeared in all the Street Fighter Alpha Games (except the first one) and all the VS. series games. He is known mainly for his high-powered grabs and his Spinning Clothesline attack. He is the innovator of the Spinning Pile Driver. He got the idea for this when he was picked up by a cyclone and spun around. Another thing he's known for is wrestling bears for fun, which is why he has so many scars on his body. Ever since Street Fighter II, he's been an underdog and a very unique character. =========================================================================== II. LEGEND =========================================================================== ------------------------------------------ ABBREVIATIONS U Up D Down B Backward F Forward S Standing C Crouching J Jump/Jumping SJ Super Jump/Jumping 360 Rotate Joystick Once P Punch K Kick AC Air Combo A1 Assist 1 A2 Assist 2 THC Team Hyper Combo LP Light Punch Jab MP Medium Punch Strong HP Hard/Heavy Punch Fierce LK Light Kick Short MK Medium Kick Forward HK Heavy/Hard Kick Roundhouse ------------------------------------------- BASIC COMMANDS LP+LK Calls in second partner HP+HK Calls in third partner A1 Calls in second partner to attack A2 Calls in third partner to attack Snapback D, DF, F + A (one level), an attack that forces opponent out if it hits Variable Counter B, DB, D + A (one level; while blocking) tags in partner and causes partner to automatically attack Crossover Combination A1 + A2 (one to three levels) All three characters come in and do a specific super. The two secondary characters then step out after they do their supers. If this is done when the super meter is at level two, then the primary character and only one secondary character do supers. If the meter is at level one, then only the primary character does a super. =========================================================================== III. REGULAR MOVES =========================================================================== ------------------------------------------- PUNCHES ------------------------------------------- JAB 1. Standing A basic standing jab, it's a little slower than most other jabs, but it's still a good attack for starting combos. This can combo into a Spinning Pile Driver. 2. Backward (Elbow Drop, ground version) Zangief falls forward, holding his elbow out, knocking the opponent down when it hits. It doesn't combo off anything and it doesn't combo into anything. I don't really recommend using this. The start-up and recovery delays on it are not very good. 3. Crouching Same as the standing version, this is also used to start combos. I'm not sure if this also combos into a Spinning Pile Driver. 4. Jumping Same as the crouching version, this is used for starting air combos. 5. Down (in air; Elbow Drop, air version) This is the air version of his elbow drop. It's much more useful than the ground version, but it still has the same recovery delay as the ground version. Use this as a surprise attack or to punish a character while they are doing a beam super. ------------------------------------------- STRONG 1. Standing Zangief holds his hand out and does a sideways swipe. Use it as a combo filler. This combos into some of his special moves. 2. Crouching This is Zangief's primary launcher attack. He does an uppercut while crouching. It has pretty decent range. In this game, you can now combo into it, which can make it easier to connect. 3. Jumping Zangief does a downward swipe with his arm. This is used as an AC filler and to combo into AC finishers. ------------------------------------------- FIERCE 1. Standing Zangief takes a step forward and extends his arm out. It has good range and it does good damage. It also combos into some special moves. The other good thing about this move is that even opponents with super armor will get stunned if it hits them. The bad thing about this move is that some smaller opponents can crouch under it and it has a slow start-up and recovery. Always cancel into a special move after doing this move. 2. Crouching Same as the standing version, this version has a little less range though. Otherwise it has the same priorities as the standing version. This move hits both crouching and standing opponents so use it against opponents who like to crouch under the standing version. 3. Jumping Zangief extends his arm out downward at about a 45-degree angle. This is used as an AC finisher. It can also be used as a jump-in attack. 4. Forward (in air) While in the air, Zangief positions his body parallel to the ground and extends his arm straight out. This is used for aerial confrontations or as an AC finisher. 5. Down (in air, Siberian Splash) While in the air, Zangief again positions his body parallel to the ground, but this time he holds his hands out, doing a belly-flop. This can be used for aerial confrontations when the opponent is below you. This can also be used as an AC finisher, but it's mainly used as a jump-in attack. Be careful about using this move because it will lose out to launchers, vertical supers and dragon punches. ------------------------------------------- KICKS ------------------------------------------- SHORT 1. Standing A basic standing LK, Zangief does a shin kick. It has poor range and is used either for poking or starting combos. It comes out faster than his jabs. 2. Crouching A basic low LK, it has slightly better range than the standing version. It comes out just as fast and pretty much has the same priorities as the standing version. 3. Jumping Zangief basically swings his leg straight out. It doesn't have very good range but it comes out pretty fast. Use this to start air combos. 4. Down (in air; Knee Drop) Zangief points his knees downward and uses them to attack his opponent. This has the same priorities and weaknesses as his Siberian Splash, except this has a less horizontal range and will beat out some launchers. ------------------------------------------- FORWARD 1. Standing Zangief swings his leg straight out. It has the same priorities as his S.Strong, but has better range. 2. Crouching A basic low MK, it has about the same range as the standing version and also has the same priorities as the standing version. 3. Jumping Same thing as his J.Short, except he uses his other leg, plus this has better range and does more damage. Use this as an AC filler and to combo into an AC finisher. ------------------------------------------- ROUNDHOUSE 1. Standing Zangief falls backward while swinging his legs upward. This has pretty good range. It hits twice and acts as a mini-launcher. If it connects you can jump afterwards and do a Spinning Pile Driver. It can also set him up for your super of choice. The start-up and recovery are a little slow. Use this as an anti-air attack. 2. Crouching This is Zangief's sweep attack. It has above average range and is easy to combo into. 3. Jumping Zangief positions his body parallel to the ground and extends both legs straight out. It has good range and should be used as an AC finisher or for aerial confrontations. It comes out faster than his J.F.Fierce. =========================================================================== IV. SPECIAL MOVES =========================================================================== A (*) means that the move can be done in air at any time. A (h) means that the move can be cancelled into a super only if it does not connect while the move is being performed. A (H) means that the move can be cancelled into a super while it is being performed. A (N) means that the move cannot be done in air in Mega Zangief mode. A (I) means that the move can only be done in Mega Zangief mode. A (R) means that the move cannot be done in Mega Zangief mode. UPWARD THROW D, DB, B + LP This is basically Zangief's strong throw from the first MVC and from the Street Fighter Alpha Series. In this game Capcom has made it a command attack, since there's no medium punch button in this game. It still has the same priority as it did in the other VS games. GLOWING FIST (H)(R) F, D, DF + P Zangief does a quick spin and then hits the opponent with the back of his fist. His fist is also glowing and it will neutralize fireballs. Use this in combos and also to travel forward. Otherwise, it's a joke of a move if not used properly. AERIAL RUSSIAN SLAM F, D, DF + K Zangief jumps forward slowly and if the opponent is in his path, he will grab them and throw them to the floor. If the opponent doesn't get grabbed, Zangief will fall back down to the ground. The grab that he does cannot be blocked, but can be (or at least used to be) tech-hit out of. After the peak of the jump, Zangief will be able to attack on the way down. Use this mainly to travel forward and do jump-in attacks. The upward part is very unreliable to connect and the opponent has to be at a specific point. Also keep in mind that on the upward part, Zangief is vulnerable to attacks, so be careful about when you use this move. The kick button used determines how far forward he jumps. The short version causes him to jump at about a 70-degree angle and the roundhouse version causes him to jump at a 45-degree angle. When Zangief's in Iron Body mode, he travels even shorter. Don't use this move in Mega Zangief mode. SIBERIAN BLAST (H)(I) D, DF, F + P Mega Zangief does a Yoga-Flame-like move, except he breathes out cold air and not fire. If it connects, it juggles the opponent(s). Use this to neutralize beams and fireballs and for jump-in attacks. If the opponent tries to get really close to you while you're recovering from this, do a Spinning Pile Driver or Final Atomic Buster while they're trying to combo you. SPINNING CLOTHESLINE (H)(N) 2P It's one of Zangief's classic moves. He extends his arms out in opposite directions then spins around. In this game, the priority of this move has been improved. It now has a juggling effect, hitting multiple times. It still goes through fireballs too. It can now be comboed into also. It will also cancel into his Final Atomic Buster and Siberian Blizzard. Comboing this into a Final Atomic Buster is not guaranteed. See Section VII to find out more. Be careful about using this move because you leave yourself open to sweep attacks. SPINNING LARIAT (H)(N) 2K Zangief does a quicker and less-damaging version of his Spinning Clothesline. This move is very easy to combo into, but has lost its priority in air combos. It also hits once and then knocks the opponent away, so it won't combo into any supers. This version also doesn't go through fireballs. Use this move as an AC finisher. Stick with the punch version on the ground. The good thing about this version is that you're not open to sweep attacks. FLYING POWER BOMB (h) B, DB, D, DF, F + K Zangief slowly dashes forward holding his arms out and when he gets to his opponent he grabs them and jumps up and then slams them. It does decent damage and it combos nicely off a S.Roundhouse. If you start the move when the opponent is right next to you, Zangief will do a suplex, then do a flying power bomb, inflicting more damage. Zangief has super armor while doing this move, so it will take more than just jabs to knock him out of this. Also keep is mind that Zangief is very vulnerable to many attacks while he's dashing forward, so use it as a surprise move or as a mistake punisher. SPINNING PILE DRIVER (*)(h) 360 + P It's another one of Zangief's classic moves. He grabs the opponent, jumps up in the air, spins around while traveling through the air, then slams his opponent to the ground. It's unblockable and it has short range, however Capcom has decided to make the move more damaging. Rotate the joystick while the move is going on to make it do as much damage as possible. If it misses, he will be holding his arms out, unable to do anything for a second. Make sure that you're very close to the opponent when you do this move. This move is even more dangerous in Mega Zangief mode because he can't be knocked out of it. =========================================================================== V. SUPERS (HYPER COMBOS) =========================================================================== In this game, Zangief has lost his Double Final Atomic Buster for some reason I can't imagine. However he has gained more ways of comboing into his Final Atomic Buster, which kinda makes up for it. Plus, he can easily combo into his Hyper Lariat. MEGA ZANGIEF MODE B, D, DB + LK (one level) Zangief taunts and his skin turns to iron. While he's in this mode, he can't be launched, stunned or knocked down. The purpose of this is to do Spinning Pile Drivers and Final Atomic Busters and stopping at nothing to do them. While doing any move, you cannot be knocked out of it, so take advantage of that. Also be aware that you cannot block at all. If you want tips on how to play in Mega Zangief mode, see Section VII (General Strategy). FINAL ATOMIC BUSTER 360 + 2P (one level) This is one of the few supers in the game that cannot be blocked. Zangief slowly dashes forward, attempting to grab his opponent. When he does, he does two suplexes, then finishes off with a Spinning Pile Driver. It still does massive amounts of damage. You can rotate the joystick while he's doing the pile driver to make it do more damage. The redder he gets, the more damage the final slam will do. The priority of this super has improved since you can now cancel into this off of a Spinning Clothesline, Glowing Fist or Siberian Blast. He has super armor the whole time when he's dashing forward trying to grab his opponent. Use this only in combos or to punish mistakes. Throwing this out at random means eating a super or a nasty combo. HYPER LARIAT/CROSSOVER COMBINATION A1 + A2 (one to three levels) Zangief travels forward doing a series of Spinning Clotheslines. It's easy to do and it works well with beam supers and rushing supers. You can only do it as a team super, which kinda sucks. If you want to do the super with just Zangief, press both assist buttons when your super meter is at level one. Make sure it connects, because Zangief taunts after he does the super, which leaves him open for attack. SIBERIAN BLIZZARD (I) 360 + 2K (one level) Zangief does a vertical version of his Hyper Lariat. He travels straight up while doing a Spinning Clothesline. This beats out any non-projectile attacks, even Hulk's Gamma Crush! This combos off his launchers or off a Spinning Clothesline. If you connect it in the corner, you can follow up with a Spinning Pile Driver or Final Atomic Buster afterwards. Watch out for its recovery time though. ULTRA FINAL ATOMIC BUSTER (R) 360 + 2K (three levels) This is the granddaddy of all slam supers. Zangief does a more powerful version of his Final Atomic Buster. In this one he does two flying suplexes, then one giant Spinning Pile Driver. Just like the Final Atomic Buster, you can rotate the Joystick to make the final slam do more damage. The thing that sucks is that during the start-up, Zangief just stands still trying to grab his opponent. If you do manage to get it to connect, the amount of damage it will do is very rewarding. Capcom has increased the amount of damage this does, making it even more damaging. =========================================================================== V. COMBOS =========================================================================== ------------------------------------------- MAGIC SERIES Ground Light to Medium or Light to Heavy Jumping Light to Medium or Light to Heavy Super Jumping Stronger ------------------------------------------- Launchers C.Strong/DF.Fierce, S.Roundhouse (2nd hit, mini-launcher) Strikes None Knockdown C.Roundhouse Snapback S.Fierce AC Finishers SJ.Fierce, SJ.F.Fierce, Siberian Splash, SJ.Roundhouse, Spinning Lariat, jab Spinning Pile Driver, Fierce Air Throw, Roundhouse Air Throw Assists/Crossover Counter _ Crossover Combination A Spinning Clothesline \ B Flying Power Bomb |- Hyper Lariat C Aerial Russian Slam _/ All combos listed here may begin with a jump-in attack. J.Fierce may be replaced with a Siberian Splash or a knee drop attack (J.D.Short). S.Short may be replaced with C.Short. S.Forward may be replaced with C.Forward. S.Fierce may be replaced with C.Fierce--against small characters, replace S.Fierce with C.Fierce. Zangief should always start combos with a jump-in attack, unless of course your opponent is already standing right next to you. 1. S.Jab, Spinning Pile Driver 2. S.Jab, Snapback 3. S.Jab, S.Fierce, Glowing Fist 4. S.Jab, S.Fierce, Glowing Fist, Spinning Pile Driver 5. S.Jab, S.Fierce, Snapback 6. S.Jab, S.Fierce, Siberian Blast 7. S.Jab, S.Fierce, Spinning Clothesline 8. S.Short, S.Forward, Spinning Clothesline 9. S.Short, S.Forward, Snapback 10. S.Roundhouse, jump (Spinning Pile Driver) 11. S.Roundhouse, Siberian Blast 12. S.Roundhouse, Flying Power Bomb 13. S.Roundhouse, Spinning Clothesline 14. J.Fierce, C.Short, C.Strong, SJ.(Jab, Forward, [AC Finisher]) 15. C.Short, C.Strong, Siberian Blizzard 16. S.Jab, S.Fierce, Glowing Fist, Final Atomic Buster 17. S.Jab, S.Fierce, Glowing Fist, Ultra Final Atomic Buster 18. Air Spinning Lariat, S.Roundhouse, Spinning Pile Driver 19. Air Spinning Lariat, S.Roundhouse, Final Atomic Buster 20. In Corner: S.Fierce, Siberian Blast, Final Atomic Buster 21. In Corner: S.Fierce, Spinning Clothesline, Siberian Blizzard 22. S.Roundhouse, Final Atomic Buster 23. Siberian Blast, C.Short, C.Strong, Siberian Blizzard 23. S.Roundhouse, Siberian Blizzard 24. S.Short, S.Forward, Hyper Lariat/Crossover Combination 25. S.Short, S.Forward, Spinning Clothesline, Siberian Blizzard 26. S.Roundhouse, Spinning Clothesline, Siberian Blizzard 27. Tag in, Snapback 28. Tag in, Siberian Blast 29. In Corner: Siberian Splash, S.Jab, S.Strong, Spinning Clothesline, Siberian Blizzard, Spinning Pile Driver 30. In Corner: Siberian Splash, S.Jab, S.Strong, Spinning Clothesline, Siberian Blizzard, Final Atomic Buster 31. In Corner: Tag in, Siberian Blast 32. In Corner: Tag in, Siberian Blast, Final Atomic Buster 33. In Corner: Tag in, Spinning Clothesline, Siberian Blizzard, Spinning Pile Driver 34. In Corner: Tag in, Spinning Clothesline, Siberian Blizzard, Final Atomic Buster 35. In Corner: Tag in, C.Jab, C.Strong, SJ.(Jab, Forward, [AC Finisher]) ------------------------------------------- COMBO TREE Thanks to 3pwood (mayfield_john@hotmail.com) for this concept. This is basically a tree of what attacks combo into other attacks. Keep in mind that this does not list every possibility. It is basically to give you an idea of what attacks to do according to the attacks you start with. START S.Roundhouse J.Fierce, Siberian Splash, Knee Drop | | | | | ---------------------------------------- | | | | | | | | | Spinning S.Jab/S.Short C.Jab/C.Short | Pile Driver | | | | |__________ | ------------------------------- | | | | | | | S/C.Fierce S.Strong Spinning | _________| | | Pile Driver | | |------------------->| | | --------------------- Spinning __________________| | | | Clothesline | | | | | | | Glowing Siberian | | | Fist Blast---->Siberian | | | | Blizzard | | | | | |--->Spinning | | | Pile Driver, | -------------------------- ->Final Atomic<-------------- | | Buster, | | Ultra Final C.Strong C.Roundhouse Atomic Buster | | SJ.Jab SJ.Forward [AC Finisher] ------------------------------------------- TEAM HYPER COMBOS Zangief's supers are mainly made for starting THC's. Final Atomic Buster can be used as a filler for some supers, but he has a very limited choice. Final Atomic Buster can be a setup for almost any super in the game. If you find any possibilities as far as THC's go and it's not listed here, e-mail me and I'll put it up. I'll give you credit for it as well. 1: first partner's super, 2: second partner's super, 3: third partner's super A. 1. (Zangief) Final Atomic Buster 2. ANY SUPER except Time Flip 3. Third partner's super B. 1. In corner: (Mega Zangief) Siberian Blizzard, Final Atomic Buster 2. ANY SUPER except Time Flip 3. Third partner's super C. 1. First partner's super 2. Hyper Charging Star, Crawler Assault, Gamma Crush, Gamma Quake, Shinkuu-Tatsumaki Senpuu Kyaku, Venom Web, Royal Flush (up close), Fatal Claw, Berserker Barage X or Weapon X 3. (Zangief) Final Atomic Buster D. 1. Hyper Charging Star, Crawler Assault, Gamma Crush, Gamma Quake, Shinkuu-Tatsumaki Senpuu Kyaku, Venom Web, Royal Flush (up close), Fatal Claw, Berserker Barage X or Weapon X 2. (Zangief) Final Atomic Buster 3. ANY SUPER except Time Flip E. 1. (Mega Zangief) Siberian Blizzard 2. Any vertical super, Blodia Vulcan, Royal Flush, Magnetic Shock Wave, Super Optic Blast, Fatal Claw, Maximum Spider or Venom Web 3. Third partner's super Below are some very painful team-ups for THC's. Use Zangief, Hulk and Captain America in that order. 1. Start with a Final Atomic Buster. 2. On the last slam, cancel into a Gamma Crush. 3. Upon the last hit from the Gamma Crush, cancel into any of Captain America's supers. With the same team, make Captain America your first partner and Zangief your third partner. 1. Start with a Final Justice (you may use Hyper Stars & Stripes or Hyper Charging Star instead if in the corner). 2. On the last slam or hit, cancel into a Gamma Crush. 3. Upon the last hit of the Gamma Crush, cancel into a Final Atomic Buster. Use Zangief, Ryu and Jin in that order. 1. Start with Final Atomic Buster. 2. On the last slam, cancel into a Shinkuu-Tatsumaki Senpuu Kyaku. 3. Cancel into a Blodia Punch or Saotome Cyclone. You must time it correctly right after the Final Atomic Buster or Ryu's super will miss. Here's some THC possibilites that I received from JPlatt (tetsuo1@home.net). Use Zangief, Captain America and Iron Man in that order. 1. Do a Final Atomic Buster using Zangief. 2. On the last slam, cancel into a Final Justice. 3. On the last slam of Final Justice, cancel into a Proton Cannon (War Machine's Proton Cannon won't work in this setup). You can replace Final Justice with Hyper Stars & Stripes. =========================================================================== VII. GENERAL STRATEGY =========================================================================== Zangief is a counter-attacker. The only way he can win battles is by getting close to his opponents. Getting to your opponent may be the problem. His dash doesn't do well because it's so slow. Use Glowing Fist or Aerial Russian Slam to get close to your opponent, or simply just super jump. Any opponent feels intimidated when Zangief's right up next to them. When you get up close, mix up your jabs, shorts, launcher attack and glowing fists. If you're right next to your opponent do a Spinning Pile Driver immediately. The only time Zangief should be doing air combos is if his super meter isn't charged up high enough. In this game, Zangief can no longer do his air combo to Spinning Lariat to S.Roundhouse to Final Atomic Buster combo. One thing to be aware of also is that his Spinning Pile Driver does just as much damage as his air combos. Your main focus should be on connecting Spinning Pile Drivers and Final Atomic Busters as much as possible. Zangief's Spinning Pile Driver can be comboed into in the air but it is very difficult. If you want to win using Zangief, you need to learn how to do the 360 motion on the joystick. It's actually a 270 motion, but it's safer to do the full 360 motion. If you don't know how to do it effectively, then you're probably not going to win. If you don't want to learn the 360 motion then you should really think about choosing another character. Once you have learned how to do the 360 motion effectively and on how to get near your opponent, you should be OK. Below is a list of scenarios of when to do his Spinning Pile Driver: 1. You see your opponent jumping your way. Jump straight up then do a Spinning Pile Driver. 2. You're at mid-range and your opponent just threw a fireball. Jump over the fireball, then do a Spinning Pile Driver. 3. Your opponent blocked or crouched under a S.Fierce. Cancel immediately into a Spinning Pile Driver. 4. You just hit your opponent with a S.Jab. Cancel immediately into a Spinning Pile Driver. 5. You're in mid-air and you see your opponent jumping your way. Right as he gets near you, do a Spinning Pile Driver. This requires precise timing, but you should get used to it. 6. You just blocked a jump-in attack. Right after you block the attack, do the 360 motion and as soon as they land, you should be in the process of grabbing them. 7. You just blocked an attack and your opponent is right next to you or has landed right next to you, unable to do anything. Do a Spinning Pile Driver. 8. You just super jumped over a beam super. As soon as you land behind the opponent do a Spinning Pile Driver. 9. You just did a Spinning Pile Driver, Final Atomic Buster or knocked down your opponent and they rolled. As soon as they finish rolling and they stand up right next to you, do a Spinning Pile Driver. 10. You're lying on the ground and your opponent is foolishly standing right next to you. As soon as you get up, do a Spinning Pile Driver. 11. You're in Mega Zangief mode and your opponent is in the process of starting up a super right next to you--or they're in the process of doing a rushing super. Do a Spinning Pile Driver. Some of these will take a little practicing, but you'll certainly be a very dangerous opponent once you've mastered how to use a Spinning Pile Driver effectively. In Scenarios 2 and 7 through 11, you can replace Spinning Pile Driver with Final Atomic Buster or Ultra Final Atomic Buster. If you find a scenario where you should do a Spinning Pile Driver and it's not listed here, e-mail me and I'll add it on. I'll give you credit for it as well. Zangief's supers do large amounts of damage. They all can also be comboed into. Final Atomic Buster should be used as much as possible. It can be comboed into and does very good damage. Use it to punish mistakes or combo it off of a Spinning Clothesline, Glowing Fist or Siberian Blast. Canceling Spinning Clothesline into Final Atomic Buster is not guaranteed. Your opponent has a split second to counter before getting grabbed. However, as Mega Zangief you have a much better chance of landing it off of a Spinning Clotesline. Hyper Lariat should only be used in combos because of its bad recovery. You can also use it on an opponent who has next to nothing left on their life bar. When playing as Zangief, Hulk is an excellent teammate. They work great together. Hulk's B assist (horizontal Gamma Charge) can set Zangief up for a Spinning Pile Driver, Final Atomic Buster, Siberian Blizzard or even an Ultra Final Atomic Buster. Hulk's Gamma Crush and Gamma Quake supers set Zangief up for a Final Atomic Buster or Siberian Blizzard. Zangief's B assist sets Hulk up for a Gamma Wave or a Gamma Quake in the corner. Final Atomic Buster and Siberian Blizzard set Hulk up for a Gamma Crush or Gamma Quake. Siberian Blizzard, which can only be done in Mega Zangief mode, should not be used very much. You can combo into it off of a Spinning Clothesline or a launcher attack or you can use it to counter jump-in attacks. There really isn't much use for it otherwise. It tends to be a little awkward to connect and to get all the hits in. Ultra Final Atomic Buster which can be done only as regular Zangief, is strictly for punishing mistakes. It's hard combo into unlike his other supers plus it has very poor range. You must be right next to your opponent for this to connect. Only do this super if you're absolutely sure that it will connect or in a desperate situation with your opponent right next to you. When playing as Mega Zangief, you need to be very careful. As I mentioned earlier, the purpose of this for Zangief to do Spinning Pile Drivers and Final Atomic Busters while stopping at nothing to do them. Zangief is a little slower in this mode. Walking forward to get to the other side of the screen is not a very effective way to do it. You can forget about using his dash. His dash is almost useless in this mode as well as his Aerial Russian Slam. Instead you will need to do a lot of jumping and super jumping. When playing as Mega Zangief, mix up your Spinning Clotheslines, Spinning Lariats and attempts to do Spinning Pile Drivers. Use Siberian Blast to counter jump-in attacks and also to neutralize beams and fireballs. When you see your opponent beginning to attack you, do a Spinning Pile Drive immediately to grab them out of it. If an opponent tries to hit you with a rushing super (Crawler Assault, Hyper Charging Star, etc.), do a Spinning Pile Driver or Final Atomic Buster as soon as possible to grab them out of it. You can also do a Hyper Lariat to counter such supers. When grabbing opponents out of supers, you have to time the grab just right so the opponent's super does as little damage as possible right before you grab them. If they start the super right next to you, do a Spinning Pile Driver or Final Atomic Buster immediately. If they start the super at a short distance away from you, time it so that you grab them as soon as they get right next to you. Thanks to JPlatt (tetsuo1@home.net) for the tips on countering rushing supers. If you're not used to the 360 motion yet, do a Spinning Lariat instead to knock an opponent out of a rushing super. You'll miss out on damage, but it's a safe and quick way to counter. Beam supers should always be super jumped over with you landing behind the opponent. After doing so, it's time for you to do a Spinning Pile Driver or Final Atomic Buster. All automated supers (Captain Storm, Final Justice, Maximum Spider, etc.) do not work on Mega Zangief, so if your opponent tries to foolishly do one on you, punish with a Siberian Blast, Spinning Pile Driver or Final Atomic Buster. You should not turn into Mega Zangief against characters with high-priority projectiles and effective beam supers. Also, do not turn into Mega Zangief if your life bar is low--it is very risky to do this. Here's a list of which characters to use and not to use Mega Zangief against: YES NO Amingo (do not jump over him) Captain Commando Captain America Mega Man Jin Roll Strider Hulk Guile Bulleta Charlie Silver Samurai Ryu Akuma Ken Tron Bonne Dan Omega Red Venom Colossus Spider-Man Sentinel Wolverine Thanos Rogue Gambit Psylocke (be very careful) Cyclops Felicia Sonson Shuma-Gorath Anakaris Kobun (be careful) Morrigan Sabretooth (be very careful) Dhalsim Zangief B.B. Hood Cammy Storm Hayato Ruby Heart Iceman (be EXTREMELY careful) Blackheart Chun-li Juggernaut (be very careful) Jill M. Bison (be careful) Marrow Sakura Spiral NEVER Cable War Machine Iron Man Dr. Doom As you may have noticed, I've made some changes to my list above since the previous versions. It may change as time goes on after I play the game more and more. After reading an e-mail from JPlatt (tetsuo1@home.net) and after some further research, I changed my mind about using Mega Zangief against certain characters. I've also included strategies for using Mega Zangief against certain characters. In another e-mail I had recently received regarding Mega Zangief, which I will choose not give out his or her name, although they know who they are and you can find MVC and MVC2 character FAQ's written by them. They make a point in the letter that there is no character that you should "never" use Mega Zangief against. The reason why I put that you should never use Mega Zangief against these specific characters is because I find that you have a better chance of beating these characters by not using Mega Zangief. In that same e-mail, they also point out that Zangief is a good offensive character and that he must be in order to win. I also do think that he is good offensively but just not as good as most other characters. He can be used offensively but I, along with some other Zangief players, prefer to use him defensively unless you really need to go offensive with him, like your opponent is brain-dead, playing cheap-away or is jumping around like an idiot. Finally, in that same e-mail they share some things with me about Zangief that I already know and stuff that you will learn or already have learned by reading this FAQ. He also includes some other things about using Zangief which I choose not to include in this FAQ. Jill is a cinch with Mega Zangief. She's so overrated, overplayed and predictable, it's not even funny. Her Charging Star knockoff move (both regular and super versions) should be grabbed out of or knocked out of with a Hyper Lariat. If she does that missile super, just super jump over the whole thing and make her take it from behind. Her pets can easily be jumped over, crouched under or knocked away with any move. The zombies are even more useless against Mega Zangief. The flaming zombie looks like Tom Green playing one of his jokes on acid (absolutely nothing against Tom Green, it's just a figure of speech)! Through all the grunting and moaning, it all would translate into something like this: "My bum is on fire! My bum is on fire! And if I try to hit you it won't do jack! 'Cause your body's made of iron and you won't get stunned!" After you knock a flaming zombie down, you can hear it saying: "My bum is on the ground! My bum is on the ground! I guess that it was worthless for me to attack you So I guess that now the joke is on me!" If a Jill player throws out a zombie then tries to jump at you, jump up and give her a nice big Mega Zangief hug taking a good amount of life away. After all that countering, Jill will probably not think of any good ideas and will probably just super jump around like an idiot. After a few more Mega Zangief hugs victory will be yours. Chun-li should be pretty easy to beat with Mega Zangief. When you see a Kikou-Shou starting up and she is next to you, use Spinning Pile Driver, Hyper Lariat or Final Atomic Buster to stop her from doing it. When you see her coming your way with a Lightning Legs super, time it just right so you grab her out of it with a Spinning Pile Driver or Final Atomic Buster. Juggernaut should not be much of a problem with Mega Zangief. If it wasn't for his high-priority throws, his Head Crush and his Juggernaut Punch, he'd be a complete joke--however he is of no threat to Mega Zangief whatsoever. One thing you should avoid doing is throwing out Siberian Blasts at random--he could Head Crush you as you're recovering, in which you will not be able to counter. As soon as you hear him say "Head Crush!" you have a split second afterwards to start doing a 360 motion or simply do a Spinning Lariat or Hyper Lariat. He may get a couple hits in, but he'll end up with more life lost than you will via Spinning Pile Driver, Final Atomic Buster or Hyper Lariat. When you see a Juggernaut Punch coming your way, immediately do a Spinning Pile Driver or Final Atomic Buster to counter. His Body Press, which is a joke of a move, can easily be countered with a Siberian Blast or a Spinning Clothesline cancelled into a Siberian Blizzard. If he's dumb enough to try attacking you when you're close to him, punish with a Spinning Pile Driver or Final Atomic Buster. Iceman will keep Mega Zangief constantly on his feet and in the air. However, Mega Zangief can still ice this guy (no pun intended). Expect a lot of Ice Beams, Avalanches and Arctic Attacks. Whenever you see an Arctic Attack start up, super jump immediately. You will get hit by a couple chunks of ice on your way up, but you should be OK. You may need to do a couple Spinning Pile Driver attempts while in the air to avoid the super. Afterwards, land behind Iceman and punish him with the grab of choice. All suspected Ice Beams should be neutralized with a Siberian Blast. If he throws out an Ice Beam directly above you, punish him with a Siberian Blizzard. If you're in the air with him and he tries to do an Ice Beam, punish with a Spinning Pile Driver. If he does an Avalanche while he's in the air and he lands next to you, punish with a Spinning Pile Driver, Final Atomic Buster or Siberian Blizzard. If you stay close to him as much as possible, you shouldn't have much to worry about. Assists A and B are Zangief's best assist attacks. Assist A is a more defensive assist. Use it against jump-ins and to help your partner out of corner pressure. Since it juggles, you can use it to set up your primary character for a super. Assist B is more of a mistake-punishing assist. It can also be a good surprise attack. If this connects, it will set up your primary character for an OTG attack. When using Zangief, make sure that at least one of your other characters has a projectile assist or an assist that will cover the entire screen to help Zangief in case he is on the other side of the screen. =========================================================================== VIII. MISC. STUFF =========================================================================== ------------------------------------------- ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES ADVANTAGES 1. Good range 2. High-priority, high-damaging special moves 3. Highly damaging supers 4. High-powered grabs 5. Good counter-attacker 6. Simple, yet effective combos 7. His heavy attacks will stun characters with super armor with one hit 8. One of the strongest overall and strongest Capcom character in the game DISADVANTAGES 1. Slow; even slower as Mega Zangief 2. Big 3. Slow recovery delays on many of his moves 4. Must be near opponent to do any damage 5. Cannot block as Mega Zangief 6. Low-priority air combos 7. Slow recovery delays on all his supers 8. Difficult to learn 9. Not very many offensive moves 10. Often has a difficult time with small characters ------------------------------------------- SPECIAL FEATURES Zangief's dash, although it's slow, it can act as a grab. If you dash right up to your opponent, Zangief will grab them. Afterwards, press Fierce or Roundhouse and Zangief will perform one of his regular throws. If you wait too long after Zangief grabs them, the opponent will either escape or tech hit. Zangief has super armor while he's attempting to do a Flying Power Bomb or Final Atomic Buster when he's in regular mode. ------------------------------------------- UPDATES 1.1 Fixed a few typos, touched up a few things, added more tips on how to use Mega Zangief, thanks to JPlatt (tetsuo1@home.net) 1.2 Added a paragraph on how to fight Jill in Section VII (General Strategy) as Mega Zangief, added a few more things in Section VII and touched up a few things 1.3 Added a Combo Tree to all of my FAQ's--special thanks goes out to 3pwood (mayfield_john@hotmail.com) for the concept; touched up a few things 1.4 Added more combos, added more info in Section VII 1.5 Added two more combos (Combos 29 and 32), thanks to flanbeau@bestweb.net ------------------------------------------- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS KMegura for the information on Zangief's moves MVCMasters (members.tripod.com/mvc_central) for some tips on how to use Zangief JPlatt (tetsuo1@home.net) for the tips on using Mega Zangief Capcom for making such an awesome game 3pwood (mayfield_john@hotmail.com) for the Combo Tree concept flanbeau@bestweb.net for some combos =========================================================================== IX. LEGAL STUFF =========================================================================== This FAQ is Copyright (c) 2000 by Daniel Finch. No part of this FAQ may be reproduced, or re-posted on the Internet in its original, unedited and unaltered format or redistributed under a different name in any way whatsoever. Any Internet, commercial or public use is prohibited without written permission from the author. Profit from this FAQ in any form is also prohibited. Any similarities between this FAQ and another FAQ or another web page are unin-tended and coincidental. Marvel characters are registered trademarks of Marvel Comics. Street Fighter II, Street Fighter Alpha, Zangief, all other Capcom characters and Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes are registered trademarks of Capcom.