SF4 Zangief: Maximizing the range of your LP SPD

30/09/09 Update:  I added some setups and how do to them in the write up.

After watching Ita-Zan vs Pei Hoon in the finals of the Singapore tourny, I noticed Ita-zan did s.mp whiff, walk forward slightly and managed to do lp SPD on Pei Hoon Sagat to defeat him.  Here is the video:

I thought it was a really good setup, but when I tried to replicate it, the result was a little clumsy, because after walking forward, the SPD motion would be done hcb, ub + P, and this time was enough for the opponent to react with a sweep etc.

30/09/09:   After watching the video again, it seems that Itabashi actually holds forward, then does SPD as normal going backwards.  The reason is that near the end of the video (the final SPD), you can clearly see him walk forward a great distance before grabbing Pei Hoon.  While not the same as the technique in this article, Itabashi’s skills managed to condition his opponent to stay there and do nothing while he casually walked in and grabbed him.

After a bit of research last night I devised a new way to do lp SPD that will not only be faster to execute, but also significantly increase Gief’s SPD range.  Now normally at maximum s.mp range where it will just miss the opponent, lp SPD will miss completely.  This method gives lp SPD enough range to be able to grab your opponent where s.mp will whiff.

Most people do SPD starting at either forward or back, and ending at a diagonal up input on the opposite side.  This actually reduces your throw range, because at one point during the input you are moving away from the opponent.  Then you have the pre-jump frames adding to the startup of your SPD, which sometimes is enough for an opponent to slip an attack in or escape.

The solution to this is to END your SPD input at forward.  Of course this means you will have to start the input at up or up-back, followed by half circle forward. You can do this by buffering the up or up-back input during a normal move like s.lp, s.lk, or s.mp all of which convieniently whiffs just outside lp SPD range.

In addition to this, you can delay your button press by half a second, which means you get the benefit of a step forward before your SPD comes out.  Not only this but I believe when Gief is walking forwards, somehow his model is closer to the opponent that it looks in reality.  This adds up to almost double the original lp SPD range.  So the movement for it is:

s.lp/s.lk/s.mp, buffer ub, hcf, (keep holding forward for 1/2 second), lp

To prove this, go to training mode and try this.  The maximum range of lp SPD is about 5 small squares away from the opponent.  Now stand at around 10 squares away (2 big boxes) and try this, if you do it right you should be able to grab your opponent.  Video demonstrating this (thanks to masa on the SRK forums):

This now also means that previous set ups that involve getting into 5 square range can be modified to get into 10 square range instead.  For example you can whiff c.mk at around 13-15 small squares away and be in range to lp SPD them.

Possible setups:

• s.lp
• s.mp – I find this the easiest to do and nets you the maximum range possible through using this trick.  Using s.mp has the added bonus of stuffing anything the opponent might try to throw out since it has very high priority.
• c.lp/c.lk – These are probably the most used normals for Gief, but the hardest to milk the range out of the SPD since the motion is awkward (from down back, to up back, hcf).  You need to be fast enough to not jump, but slow enough so that you are holding forward by the time the c.lk/c.lp ends
• c.mk – since c.mk lasts for so long, you’ll need to wait a bit before holding ub and completing the motion.  I normally PRESS c.mk twice quickly (as in not double tap method), then do the motion.  Since c.mk travels about 3-4 squares, the range of SPD combined with this technique becomes about 14 squares.  Vulnurable during the c.mk, if you’re lucky you’ll end up stuffing their move instead, but then your timing will be thrown off.
• s.hk – see c.mk.  You get about an extra 5 squares from the s.hk.  Very vulnurable to sweeps, but nets you the most range if you can pull it off.

If you can train your opponent enough, via enough BnBs and block strings, and are confident they will not reversal you after your string, you can attempt SPD where previously you would normally not be able to.  For example:

• Crossup splash, s.lp until whiff (I think the 4th or 5th hit will miss), SPD

The advantages of this are:

• It’s fast.  You don’t get any of the pre-jump frame BS ilke when doing SPD the normal way.  As soon as you press lp you get the 2 frame SPD as it should be.  To put this in perspective, Ryu’s c.mk has startup of 5 frames, so unless they threw it out before you take that step forward you will grab their ass.
• You can mark the distance for this to be done with s.lp, s.lk, or s.mp.   The range where all of these just whiff is about where you can execute this, meaning you can also mix up which normals you use to buffer this and not be predictable with it.
• You don’t have to commit to the SPD once you complete the motion.  Since you are holding forward, you can continue walking forward if you want.
• Awesome for footsie showdowns.  Ryu’s c.mk range is…wait for it…around 9-10 small squares.  Now you can stand just outside this range, quickly step in and grab him.
• If you mess up and wait too long before pressing lp, all you get is s.lp.
• Get massive WTFs from your opponent as you grab them with SPD from 1/3 a screen away with c.mk/s.hk!

Disadvantages

• Vulnurable to sweeps

A word of caution though.  This technique does not work on moving opponents.  You’ll need to lock your opponent down before even trying this!  If your opponent is sweep happy you’ll find alot of the time you’ll get hit.  Corner your opponent, counter their pokes and make them uneasy about poking, then hit them with the double range SPD.

Using this method it is also possible to do a walk up ultra or super as well.

To do it, you need to buffer up-back from any move, half circle forward, (hold forward for 1/2 a second, then half circle back,  up-back + PPP.

But because the ultra, and especially super have much less range than the lp SPD, the applications aren’t as useful.

Of course the Japanese probably knew about this for months now 😛