Zangief is Street Fighter’s perennial grappler who thrives in close-quarters combat and specializes in command grabs that deal massive damage. He’s a professional wrestler who seeks the best competition and to prove that his fighting style is the strongest above all.
The Red Cyclone, as he’s also known, has been in most iterations of the franchise. While some moves have been added and removed from his arsenal in Street Fighter 6, he still retains his two iconic moves: the Double Lariat and Screw / Spinning Piledriver. This guide will lay out how he should be played and what else he brings to the fight.
Zangief Strategies
While most characters have flashy and long combos, Zangief is more about the quality of attacks he lands on his opponents. Zangief is one of the slower characters in the game, but this doesn’t mean that he’s a pushover. His 2-3 hit combos hit like a truck and can severely tear chunks out of enemies’ HP bars when used correctly.
As a grappler, Zangief is most dangerous when he is up close against his opponent. The constant threat of a command grab often looms whenever he is near, so most players tend to panic when Zangief is in grappling range. This is why players have to work their way to get into grappling range so that the mind games can begin.
Master the SPD
Zangief’s Spinning Piledriver, or SPD, is his signature move not just because he is a pro wrestler, but because this move is where the bulk of his damage output comes from. The SPD is notorious for stealing rounds, especially when a Zangief player gets the right moment to execute the move.
That said, executing the SPD command is considered to be one of the harder inputs in Street Fighter. Players need to master the 360-degree movement input so that they can throw out SPDs at a whim. In Street Fighter 6, players can opt to go 225 degrees instead of the whole circular motion to execute the move, but it still demands repetition for those who want to main Zangief.
Luckily, Modern Controls have made it easy for newcomers to perform SPDs, but to fully unlock its devastating power, the Classic controls are the way to go.
Patience is Key
Players should remember that Zangief is a burly mountain of a man, and that means his attacks are slower compared to other fighters. However, this also means that when they connect, they tend to deal a lot more damage. Players need to practice being patient when using Zangief since he needs to capitalize on opportune moments to get into his comfort zone and commence the pummeling of his opponents.
Players should gauge their opponents to see what their tendencies are: do they spam projectiles or anti-airs? Do they jump a lot? Processing this information is essential since understanding the other fighter will help to determine whether it is safe to inch forward within grappling range or go all-out.
Using Heavy Normals
Outside of his command grabs, Zangief’s Heavy Normals deal good damage to opponents. Knocking opponents down benefits Zangief since it helps him to close the gap. His down+Heavy Kick is a great sweeping tool that has surprising range and knocks opponents down. His Headbutt (forward + Heavy Punch) is also deceptively fast and is plus on block. Players can also Drive Cancel this move for a quick SPD.
Tick Throws and Mind Games
Once Zangief is close to his opponent, he can create various options for maximum damage. While going for the SPD is the way to go, in most cases, using a Tick Throw (Light Punch + Light Kick) is a good alternative since most players know that an SPD might be coming their way.
Zangief has a variety of Throws that can help position opponents near a wall or help players escape being cornered. Moving away from an opponent (either Back or Down Back) + Throw will switch Zangief’s side with his opponent so long as it connects. The Hard Knockdown from Throws also allows Zangief players to continue with the SPD mind games.
Zangief’s Move List
Zangief has a total of 24 Uncommon Moves in Street Fighter 6. Most of his moves are Pro Wrestling-themed, including a nice selection of chops, dropkicks, and a variety of grabs that are essentially Pro Wrestling throws. He has 9 Unique Attacks, 6 Special Moves, 3 Super Arts, and 6 Throws.
Move | Description | Type |
|---|---|---|
Hellstab | Upwards throat thrust | Unique Attack |
Knee Hammer | Hopping knee strike | Unique Attack |
Heatbutt | Forward headbutt | Unique Attack |
Cyclone Wheel Kick | Forward rolling kick | Unique Attack |
Smetana Dropkick | Low dropkick | Unique Attack |
Flying Body Press | Body press from a jump | Unique Attack |
Flying Headbutt | Headbutt while jumping | Unique Attack |
Machine Gun Chops | Three hard chops | Unique Attack |
Power Stomps | Three hard stomps | Unique Attack |
Double Lariat | Spinning two-armed attack | Special Move |
Screw Piledriver | Spinning piledriver grapple | Special Move |
Borscht Dynamite | Spinning aerial tombstone piledriver | Special Move |
Russian Suplex | Double driving suplex grapple from behind | Special Move |
Siberian Express | Running spinning powerbomb grapple | Special Move |
Tundra Storm | Counter move that punishes specific horizontal kicks | Special Move |
Aerial Russian Slam | Jumping anti-air powerbomb grapple | Super Art 1 |
Cyclone Lariat | Multiple rotation lariat ending with either a slam or knock up | Super Art 2 |
Bolshoi Storm Buster | Vicious Screw Piledriver preceded with Pro Wrestling flair | Super Art 3 |
Body Slam | Scoops an opponent to a slam: can be held to have Zangief drop an elbow | Throw |
Capture Suplex | Powerslam that throws opponent behind Zangief | Throw |
German Suplex | Grab the opponent from behind and drives their head and back | Throw |
Spinebuster | Lifts opponent and slams them back first | Throw |
Russian Drop | Swift stomach kick followed by driving the opponent's head to the ground | Throw |
Brain Buster | Side switch suplex | Throw |
Best Combos for Zangief
Zangief does his damage from mid to close-range. His combos are not too flashy, often maxing out at around 3 to 5 hits. Usually, though, a well-timed SPD or Air SPD often does way more damage. That said, it's paramount for Zangief players to familiarize themselves with which attacks give them frame advantages as well as move them that much closer to their opponents to grapple range.
Beginner Combo: Zangief's Double Lariat BnB
Classic Controls | Modern Controls |
|---|---|
Crouch Light Kick, Crouch Light Punch, Light Punch, Light Punch+Medium Punch+Heavy Punch | Hold Down, Assisted Combo + Light Attack, Light Attack |
This is Zangief's classic Bread and Butter (BnB) combo that doesn't involve SPD. It's an easy and quick combo that deals decent damage. The Overdrive version of Double Lariat allows Zangief to hit opponents with a few more strikes, and it is faster than the conventional Double Lariat. In most online matches, players can count on Zangief users to throw this combo out at least once since it's so easy to pull off.
The Modern control version is much easier to pull off, however, it doesn't deal much damage, nor is the Double Lariat the Overdrive version.
Beginner Combo: Headbutt to Machine Gun Chops
Classic Controls | Modern Controls |
|---|---|
Forward Heavy Punch, cancel to Drive Rush, Medium Punch + Medium Punch + Medium Punch | Forward Heavy Punch, cancel to Drive Rush, Medium Punch + Medium Punch + Medium Punch |
One of Zangief's staple Drive Rush combos in Street Fighter 6, this Headbutt to Drive Rush to Machine Gun Chops is a good pressure tool. The Headbutt gives Zangief players the advantage, and if the opponent doesn't know that there are three chops, odds are, they might get hit by the third one and get knocked down. This allows Zangief players to cover ground and begin the SPD mind games.
Intermediate Combo: Neutral Jump Borscht Dynamite
Classic Controls | Modern Controls |
|---|---|
Jump, Up + Heavy Punch, Circle Light Kick + Medium Kick | Jump, Up + Heavy Punch, Special Button |
This combo is more situational since it deals with opponents who keep jumping. Zangief can deal with jumping opponents by meeting them in the air, delivering a headbutt, then following up with his devastating Borscht Dynamite air throw. The Overdrive version in Classic Controls deals more damage, while Modern Controls is more consistent since the input for Borscht Dynamite is relegated to pressing the Special Button, though it does deal less damage.
Advanced Combo: Corner Juggle Borscht Dynamite
Classic Controls | Modern Controls |
|---|---|
Drive Impact, Down Forward + Medium Punch, Light Punch + Medium Punch + Heavy Punch, Circle + Light Kick + Medium Kick | Drive Impact, Down Forward + Medium, Down Super + Light, Jump + Super |
Another situational but highly damaging combo, once Zangief has cornered his opponent, he can proceed to use Drive Impact to unleash a wall combo. In Classic Controls, he can perform Borscht Dynamite on the ground, so long as he can input the 360 quickly and time it just as the opponent is about to land. For Modern Controls, this might prove more tricky since using SP while on the ground is relegated to Screw Piledriver. Players can opt to do a micro-jump and press Super to get the Borscht Dynamite input, but the timing here is tight.
Tips for Winning with Zangief
Winning with Zangief revolves around getting up close and personal with enemies and executing SPDs for massive damage. However, getting into grappling range can be tricky, so it is essential to figure out which unique attacks he has that allow him to inch closer to opponents.
Zangief’s flashiness is more on landing his SPDs and Level 3 Super Art for massive damage. That said, his Heavy Normal attacks deal a good chunk of damage when spaced correctly. Players should therefore try to figure out which of his Heavy attacks works best for them and incorporate them into his SPD.
Here are some other advanced tips:
- Master inputting SPD while standing (for Classic Controls): This can be done via move buffering during certain moves on neutral such as Forward+HP or Forward+MK
- Overdrives for faster execution: Zangief’s command grabs can be OD’ed to make them come out faster: this is crucial especially for his air grab to land consistently.
- Learn which moves can be canceled to Drive Rush: Since Zangief is on the slower side when it comes to rushing in, Drive Rush is his primary option to close the gap on opponents. Learn which moves can be canceled to Drive Rush to surprise opponents.
- Use Double Lariat to go through projectiles: Double Lariat is not just his anti-air move, but it also serves as his go-to move that bypasses projectiles when timed correctly. Use this move to close the distance if Drive Rush feels too risky.
- Be careful of Burnout: Spamming Drive Rush can lead to Burnout, especially for Zangief since it's his primary option to get in close. Avoid using Drive Rush needlessly.
How to Counter Zangief
As with most grapplers, closing in on enemies is Zangief's top priority during matches. He needs to get within grapple range to maximize his command grabs and quick combos. That said, zoners and fighters who can shoot projectiles such as JP and Dhalsim are extremely strong against Zangief since they can effectively shut down his game plan by playing keep away.
Keeping the fight at least in mid-range puts the pressure on Zangief to get in close, and, unfortunately for him, he does not have quick gap-closing moves outside of Drive Rushed unique attacks.
Players also need to remain alert whenever a Zangief player jumps or engages with an attack since there’s a high chance that they are preparing their SPDs. When this happens, it’s best to jump away or do a jumping attack to potentially cross up and convert a quick combo.
Street Fighter 6 is available now on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.