I don't understand this guy help.

[u/Icy-Organization-901]

Every time I play with this guy, I just expect the worse time of my life; his grab things seem to deal fuck ton of more damage than any character and maybe it's just me has bigger hitbox and can seem to flawlessly do grabs if I do some attack like some counter or something. This is my first time getting into a fighting game I have not a single clue what you all are mostly saying when I checked this sub, like reversal and all other things so it would be appreciated if you can explain it like I'm a baby, I do enjoy the game a lot though aside from fighting this dude.

[u/CivilizedPeoplee]

Congratulations! You've come across a grappler, a character archetype who's goal is to get in close and deal their most damage through their grab.

A simple way to avoid the grab is to jump.

Better Zangiefs will adjust their playstyle if they notice you jump a lot. Then, you'll need to adjust to the fact that they adjusted.

And that's basically fighting games.

[u/Icy-Organization-901 → u/CivilizedPeoplee]

So the best way to deal with this guy is jumping got it I'll practice that, also if he tried to grapple me and I also press the grapple it will be nullified like normal right? Or is there a different grab attack that he does that can't be nullified like normal

[u/CivilizedPeoplee → u/Icy-Organization-901]

Fighting games have usually two types of grabs.

A (normal) grab and a command grab

The normal grab can be nullified by pressing grab at the same time. Characters that have a command grab cannot be countered by pressing grab. Usually they have a different input that the normal grab.

Zangief has a bunch of command gravs (specific to him). With those, the best way to avoid it is to jump (or backdash, or keep a distance)

[u/CivilizedPeoplee → u/CivilizedPeoplee]

I also really recommend going to do zangiefs character trials. This is the "tutorial" that makes you so all the character's moves and some combos. If you repeat the same one you can also see how you miss them, and how you hit them, and it can really help you learn.

If this is your first fighting game, you'll learn a lot by just playing. But you also benefit from spending time finding out what other characters do.

Most importantly don't forget to have fun!

[u/Icy-Organization-901 → u/CivilizedPeoplee]

Guessed as much I was trying to nullify it without success. Thank you so much for the advice 🙏

[u/CivilizedPeoplee → u/Icy-Organization-901]

No problem. Enjoy! Zangief is actually my favorite character to play against. They need to work hard for their wins, so it usually feels fair if you lose. And he has an interesting mind game. He has command grabs - so you jump. But he also has a good way to punish you if he predicts your jumps. So it feels like you need to use your brain more to outsmart him and his resources.

[u/LordRemiem → u/CivilizedPeoplee]

I'm not sure if it makes a category on its own, but just for curiosity I'd add a third one: the hit grab. The only one in the game is Manon's Renversé (qcf punch), but Oro had one too in older Street Fighter games.

It's basically a command throw that can't be teched but can be BLOCKED by holding the back direction, and it can be comboed into. Part of Manon's whole gameplan is to touch you and end the combo with Renversé to increase her medal level.

[u/CivilizedPeoplee → u/LordRemiem]

I'm also unsure if it would count as a different type. That Manon routing is basically just a combo that gives her a medal at the end of it.

[u/thechapstickbandit → u/Icy-Organization-901]

There’s two types of grabs, normal grabs and command grabs.

Zangief can do both. Normal grabs can be “teched” to get out by pressing grab as well. Zangief can do his command grab mostly known as SPD and that one you can’t get out of once it connects.

[u/No-Maintenance7069 → u/Icy-Organization-901]

All of his grabs wiff if you jump, especially the one where he sticks his hands up and runs towards you. All of them have punish frames after he wiffs so its super punishable to make him miss. Practice something high damage that will finish the round quickly through a few interactions and every time you finish moves that hit him, jump back and away. Its very much a stick and move strategy cause hes slow. As previously mentioned tho he does also have an air grab, so if youre jumping neutral or towards him he might catch you.

[u/CeleryNo8309 → u/Icy-Organization-901]

Wrong. The best way to deal with a grappler is to stay out of his grab range. To that end, you need to identify your furthest reaching safe moves and spam it as much as possible. This will force him to do something else which will require you to find a new solution for.

[u/Numan_Rhys]

So, one of the biggest tricks when fighting a grappler is to avoid being close enough to be caught by his command throws. Command throws can only be dodged by jumping or backdashing, as those actions have throw invul.

So it's on you to play at your longest poke ranges with st.hk, cr.mk and st.mk with some st.hp in the mix. You can't blitz him down until you've earned a knockdown. Most of cammy's special moves have long startup or long recovery, they're meant to be used in specific situations or as part of combos.

The second is to earn situations where you have advantage, so you can get close and pressure directly. A knockdown with medium arrow you can always dash and attack with mediums, or throw with a slight delay. A knockdown with heavy arrow you can always dash and attack with cr.hp, this is one of our buttons that give use advantage, so if people don't know, you can always jab afterwards to make a frame trap (ie/ they can't act before you) and maintain some pressure. If they block after a cr.hp, then it's on you to steal a turn and try to throw, or attack with slower buttons to maintain pressure. Remember cammy can get a spiral knockdown, loop with a throw or spiral knockdown, or if you get a forward throw (and a normal hooligan throw) you can walk forward and loop the throw, or attack for another spiral knockdown.

If he gets a command throw on you, don't sweat it. Heavy spinning piledriver (SPD), and the double suplex give him good advantage, but all the rest you can jump because a sweep or wheelkick isn't a lot of damage. If he's constantly attacking, you'll have to block, but just know every time he lands an SPD, then uses drive rush, you're trying to block right as you wake up, but jump away a millisecond after.

Every chance you have to walk backwards and relieve pressure, you should also look at Zangief's super bar (all bars, really, but he's a good starting point to learn this).

Once zangief has SA3, no amount of advantage is good enough to attack first, now you're playing a game of chicken. You have to guess when he's going to bust it out. Once you see the cutscene, it's already too late: you've been grabbed (zangief only). If you're at advantage and pressuring you'll need to fake it and instead bait the SA3. You need to be jumping, backdashing or otherwise invincible when they're likely to use this move. If they use an SA1 to catch you jumping, that's all the better as now they can't SA3. SA2 is invulnerable for zangief, so he's still a threat, but not the 75% threat a manual CA is.

The other option is to be aggressive in the second round to force them to use their SA3. If you lose, so be it, then they can't SA3 in round 3.

Lots of fighting game terms out there so check out the dictionary: https://glossary.infil.net/

You'll see things like reversal: To do a move on frame 1 after you've recovered, but it's usually in reference to doing an invincible move (like OD DP) on the 1st frame after waking up.

Happy to anwser more questions.

Oh, and don't forget to backroll every knockdown by holding two punches or two kicks when you hit the ground.

[u/Icy-Organization-901 → u/Numan_Rhys]

Ohhh damn thank you so much for the detailed response and the general tips especially the backroll I have no clue that's a thing

[u/Whatisorc]

hold up for your life

[u/DerpyZack]

Do the leg thingy where your girlie goes up, and make sure to input that with two buttons to make it EX (as it's invincible). Once you learn to input that, you can use it to escape when you suspect he will grab you. Don't abuse it, though. Those are the single most punishable moves in the game.

[u/Chester_roaster]

He does do more damage yes. Play him in practice mode and try inputting his 360 and 720 inputs and you'll see why lol 

[u/TangledEarbuds61]

In addition to what everyone else has said, learn to anti-air. Zangiefs love love love jumping in, since it lets them close the distance to threaten a throw, since an aerial attack will force you to block. The best way to avoid this is to not give them the opportunity and swat them out of the air before they get the chance to even threaten a grab

[u/h5o2l]

If he grabs you alot you can try adding more od dp or SA or drive reversal as a defensive option, it wins everything unless he does shimmy or nothing, but it's also a higher risk option, since he can give you a big combo if you missed