Zarina Guide KOFXIV

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General

Zarina
TEAM South America

General

by Raf Ah

A quick guide for Zarina: (Thank you Prince Thabet for inspiring me to do this) Today we will explore Zarina’s role on your team as well as her strengths and weaknesses to see if she is right for you and where exactly she would fall on the tier list as well.

Zarina is the character I have spent the most time in the lab with and the most time playing.
There has been a great deal of mixed opinions on Zarina and her tier; Some top players think she is trash (some top Mexican players) while some think she is top-tier (Asian players).

I believe one of the reasons for these great discrepancies on whether she is good or not come from the fact that many people are putting her in the wrong position and have not fully explored her. I have experimented with her in all 3 positions and have found her to be strongest in the 2nd position. Why?
She is a weak point character: She cannot build much meter without getting in. Her no meter damage is great but she loses to projectiles and no meter makes it even harder to get in or punish fireball spam.
She is a decent anchor but not the best: Her super damage is average to weak, her optimal damage comes from using 1 or 2 meters since even going into lvl 3 doesnt add too much damage after a maxmode combo (unless you need it to kill).

Best Position: Point Mid Anchor

Best Tools:

Bio:

Misc:

  • Part of Team Birds

 

Moves

Moves


As the middle character she shines because as soon as you land any hit, you want to have meter to go immediately into Maxmode and start styling.

She gets huge damage close up and has pokes to confirm into max mode., her moves tendo to corner carry and she shines when pressuring the enemy in the corner as well.

Footsie tools and confirms into Max mode:
Her forward B is safe on block and much of your damage will come from confirming this forward moving unique normal into max mode, however, it’s best to combo into the forward B from a normal.
Her crouch B into her forward B is godlike, cancel into Max mode on the 3rd hit of this combo.
Her crouch A into her forward B is also godlike and has slightly farther range but they can block it high. ( think elena’s crouch jab into special from Street fighter)

She has even better pressure strings and meterless combos like:

Jump in B (ez crossup even off short jump) Cr +B, Cr+A, Downforward C into QCB +D (And if in the corner u can end with a DP+ D.


Close up or after you land a cross up or jump in, go into close nuet D and it combos into downForward C, note: This is the huge damage, the hard hitting close standing D into downforward C, cancel into max mode and immediately do the same combo D into downforward-C and then go into EX HCB+Punch, etc etc


Her far footsie combo tool would be her df C.  Double hitting sweep can go under projectiles and seems hard to punish on block many of her normals will low profile jump ins due to her fighting style.


Anti airs: Stand C or D or light DP for anti airs, or EX DP for invincibility if you are in max mode or just low pro like a pro 😉 Also Her down+C can anti air and you can cancel it into max mode off anti air.
Note: Her down C will propell her backwards, like a backdash but different, because if they get near they get launched off her foot, however it can get stuffed too, use this to bait or anti air and then all of a sudden go in with a run + crouching normal (more on this later).

Her air normals are almost all godlike and each has its use.
Air D and air B for cross ups, (air a can also crosssup but harder)
Air C is best for air to airs, jumping B for air to airs is also useful at times and for quick control.
air A for high air to air and deep crossups or deep jumpins to keep them in blockstun longer.
Special moves:

Her special moves are situational and her ex are most useful for combos.
Her long range command grab/jump (called peduncle pruning aka DP punch, hits at a very specific range, memorize this range to mixup your opponent and it hits much easier if they are cornered. Ex is useful in combos after knocking them in the air (see youtube for her advanced combos, there are plenty)
Her DP+K is her anti air but moves her forward a bit, keep that in mind, the fierce version moves forward more and does more damage, but she flys upward much later so keep in mind when spacing, and ex is invincible.

Additional Notes by dmmbrage

Growing Flower
For combo, you can follow at the end.
Because there is also the second stage judgment after EX, it can be used as turning by adjusting the tightening of combo (???)

Floral screw
Bad recovery so use it for combo.

Spinning petal
The whole body is invincible until the end.
Because it moves forward, it will not hit if it is near space nearby.

Peduncle Pruning
This type unusually stands squatting and hits at the same speed.
Since EX can be pursued quickly, it becomes the maximum destruction means at the end.
It is also used as a combo part.

Yellow Eruption
Because the recovery time is long, front and back are formed from the front if it is central.
MAX version can be used for crossup because there is invincibility until occurrence.
If it is guarded, it is -10 F away so there is little counterattack.

Hurricane Dance
Although it can be used to tighten the combo, it is difficult to apply all stages,
Damage is lower than yellow elapse unless all steps are applied.
Yellow Elapse ? MAX Hurricane Dance connection is stable and high power.

Yellow cyclone
There is invincibility until after occurrence and judgment is large both in width and length.
B It is decided after confirming even a technique which is difficult to escape like a thunder fist.

(will make this more English later….)

Combos

Best Combos

 

Notes

 

For the next video, be sure to read the notes underneath!

Notes by COLIFLOWERZ:
( Transcript source here )

Meterless
Anywhere
cr. B xx cr. A xx df. C xx dp D = 187/200
cr. C > hcb C = 171/170

Midscreen
CD > run > hcb C = 165/200

Corner
cr. B xx cr. A xx df. C xx qcb D > dp D = 278/320 (misses small)
cr. B xx cr. A xx df C xx qcb B > dp D = 240/280 (for small)
CD > cr. C > qcb D > dp D = 300/330

1 Bar
cr. B xx cr. A xx df. C xx qcb D xx qcb~hcf K = 333/210
cr. C > hcb C xx qcfx2 P = 324/170

Midscreen
CD > run > hcb C xx qcfx2 P = 300/200

Corner
cr. B xx cr. A xx df. C xx qcb D > dp D* xx qcb~hcf K = 354/240 (misses small)
CD > qcb D > cr. C > hcb C xx qcfx2 P = 402/360 (misses small)
CD > cr. C > qcb D > dp D xx qcf~hcb K = 372/290 (for small)

Anywhere
cr. B xx cr. A xx f. B xx MAX > cl. D xx qcb BD > hcb AC > run > cr. C > hcb C = 357/430
3rd
cr. B xx cr. A xx f. B xx MAX > cl. D xx qcb BD > hcb AC > run > dp BD = 361/200

Fullscreen (side switch)
cr. B xx cr. A xx f. B xx MAX > cl. D xx hcb AC > (delay) dp AC > hcb C = 361/300
3rd position
cr. B xx cr. A xx f. B xx MAX > cl. D xx qcb BD > hcb AC > (delay) dp AC > hcb C = 374/300

Midscreen/corner
cr. B xx cr. A xx f. B xx MAX > cl. D xx hcb AC > cr. C > dp AC > dp D = 396/380
3rd
cr. B xx cr. A xx f. B xx MAX > cl. D xx hcb AC > cr. C > dp AC > (delay) dp BD = 418/270

2 Bar
Anywhere
cr. B xx cr. A xx df. C xx qcb D xx qcfx2 AC = 416/300
cr. C > hcb C xx qcfx2 AC = 426/170

Midscreen
CD > run > hcb C xx qcfx2 AC = 388/200

Corner
cr. B xx cr. A xx df. C xx qcb D > dp D xx qcfx2 AC = 432/240 (misses small)
CD > cr. C > qcb D > dp D xx qcfx2 AC = 443/290

Anywhere
cr. B xx cr. A xx f. B xx MAX > cl. D xx qcb BD > hcb C xx qcb~hcf BD = 460/300
3rd
cr. B xx cr. A xx f. B xx MAX > cl. D xx qcb BD > hcb AC > run > cr. C > qcb~hcf BD = 488/270

Fullscreen (side switch)
cr. A xx cr. B xx f. B xx MAX > cl. D xx hcb AC > (delay) dp AC > hcb C xx qcfx2 P = 451/300
3rd
cr. B xx cr. A xx f. B xx MAX > cl. D xx hcb AC > (delay) dp AC > (delay) qcb~hcf BD = 470/200

Corner
2nd
cr. B xx cr. A xx f. B xx MAX > cl. D xx qcb BD > cr. C > qcb D > dp D (1) xx qcb~hcf BD = 487/390
3rd
cr. B xx cr. A xx f. B xx MAX > cl. D xx qcb BD > qcb D > cr. C > hcb C xx qcb~hcf BD = 517/460 (misses small chars)

3 Bar
Anywhere
cr. B xx cr. A xx df. C xx qcb D (3) xx qcfx2 P xx qcb~hcf BD = 518/180
cr. C > hcb C xx qcfx2 P xx qcb~hcf BD = 575/170

Midscreen
CD > run > hcb C xx qcfx2 P xx qcb~hcf BD = 515/200

Corner
cr. A xx cr. B xx df. C xx qcb D > dp D xx qcfx2 P xx qcb~hcf BD = 533/240 (misses small)
CD > qcb D > cr. C > hcb C xx qcfx2 P xx qcb~hcf BD = 592/360 (misses small)
CD > cr. C > qcb D > dp D (1) xx qcfx2 P xx qcb~hcf BD = 536/290 (for small)

Anywhere
cr. B xx cr. A xx f. B xx MAX > cl. D xx qcb BD > hcb C xx hcfx2 BD = 529/300
3rd
cr. B xx cr. A xx f. B xx MAX > cl. D xx qcb BD > hcb AC > run > cr. C > hcfx2 BD = 557/270

Fullscreen (side switch)
cr. B xx cr. A xx f. B xx MAX > cl. D xx hcb AC > (delay) dp AC > hcb C xx qcfx2 ac = 521/300
3rd position
cr. B xx cr. A xx f. B xx MAX > cl. D xx hcb AC > (delay) dp AC > hcfx2 BD = 539/200

Corner
cr. B xx cr. A xx f. B xx MAX > cl. D xx qcb BD > qcb B > dp D (2) xx hcfx2 BD = 540/350
2nd position
cr. B xx cr. A xx f. B xx MAX > cl. D xx qcb BD > cr. C > qcb D > dp D (2) xx hcfx2 BD = 571/430
3rd position
cr. B xx cr. A xx f. B xx MAX > cl. D xx hcb AC > cr. C > dp AC > dp D (1) xx hcfx2 BD = 590/300

4 Bar
Anywhere
cr. B xx cr. A xx df. C xx qcb D (4) xx qcfx2 P xx hcfx2 BD = 608/210
cr. C > hcb C xx qcfx2 P xx hcfx2 BD = 636/170

Midscreen
CD > run > hcb C xx qcfx2 P xx hcfx2 BD = 565/200

Corner
cr. B xx cr. A xx df. C xx qcb D > dp D (1) xx qcfx2 P xx hcfx2 BD = 609/240 (misses small)
CD > qcb D > cr. C > hcb C xx qcfx2 P xx hcfx2 BD = 632/360 (misses small)
CD > cr. C > qcb D > dp D (1) xx qcfx2 P xx hcfx2 BD = 602/290 (for small)

Anywhere
cr. B xx cr. A xx f. B xx MAX > cl. D xx qcb BD > hcb AC > run > cr. C > hcb C xx qcfx2 P xx qcb~hcf BD = 630/370

Fullscreen (side switch)
cr. B xx cr. A xx f. B xx MAX > cl. D xx hcb AC > (delay) dp AC > hcb C xx qcfx2 P xx qcb~hcf BD = 634/300
3rd position
cr. B xx cr. A xx f. B xx MAX > cl. D xx qcb BD > hcb AC > (delay) dp AC > hcb C xx qcfx2 P xx qcb~hcf BD = 647/300

5 Bar
Anywhere
cr. B xx cr. A xx df. C xx qcb D (4) xx qcfx2 AC xx hcfx2 BD = 656/210
cr. C > hcb C xx qcfx2 AC xx hcfx2 BD = 691/170

Midscreen
CD > run > hcb C xx qcfx2 AC xx hcfx2 BD = 618/200

Corner
cr. B xx cr. A xx df. C xx qcb D > dp D (1) xx qcfx2 AC xx hcfx2 BD = 662/240 (misses small)
CD > cr. C > qcb D > dp D (1) xx qcfx2 AC xx hcfx2 BD = 673/290

Anywhere
cr. B xx cr. A xx f. B xx MAX > cl. D xx qcb BD > hcb AC > run > cr. C > qcfx2 AC xx hcfx2 BD = 717/270

Fullscreen (side switch)
cr. B xx cr. A xx f. B xx MAX > cl. D xx qcb BD > hcb AC > (delay) dp AC > hcb C xx qcfx2 P xx hcfx2 BD = 694/300

Corner
cr. B xx cr. A xx f. B xx MAX > cl. D xx qcb BD > cr. C > qcb D > dp D (1) xx qcfx2 AC xx hcfx2 BD = 721/390

Strategy

Strategy

New Mixup

 


Strategy and tactics:
Her main goal is to get in, land a hit and dish out tons of damage.
Her tools make this job kind of interesting, and you have to get creative sometimes to get in, use her excellent movement, odd hitting normals and slipperyness to annoy and confuse the enemy, here crouching C is your friend to condition the opponent into thinking you are retreating only to run in or short hop in and strike quickly by surprise.
Her short hop + A (close up) and her jumping D is godlike and should be abused.
Note her Jump C is the best air to air but will whiff on crouching opponents, same with her air B sometimes. If they are crouching a lot, go with her air D, just time it correctly as it has longer start up.
Once you have them in the corner you can land her command grab gimmick much easier and can mix them up with short hop empty jump lows, short hop overheads, shimmy throw, meaty lows, and her command grab (the DP+punch special will always hit in the corner (close-ish range) unless they jump out of it or counter hit you.
Instant overhead: Her short hop up forward into a quick D will cause her to flip, hit the opponent and land on either side if they are standing and at midscreen but may be unsafe depending on how early you hit it. You can throw this in every now and then to confuse the opponent or for the deathblow.
If done when the enemy is in the corner, do it a little later in the air and it will look like a crossup but will hit same side (her body may actually cause her to crossup, need to test) either way it looks dirty and if they inch move or hit a normal, they will likely get crossed-up.
Overall she is a fun character that needs some meter to open up her big combo options, she can also go into her EX Floral screw and after the wall bounce, go into Cr+C then super, OR cancel her Cr+C into max mode, this will launch them and this is how you continue the combo with 2 max modes into even bigger damage.
Her use is as a cunning damage dealer, you have to play smart to get in and she has a wide array of tricks to condition the opponent and get in their head. Once they are in the corner they are free to her mixup game or meaty pressure strings and can get opened up by a good Zarina.
Her overall Tier I feel is B, she can dish out ridiculous damage but doesn’t have the neutral game as easy as a projectile character and you have to play smart and work to get in, but once in there she can wreck house and has enough options to confuse and scare the opponent.
Long live KOF!

 

Other notes by ZuperKommandant

  • 6B Air HardKnockdown
  • 2B low profile as AA
  • I’d never use DP+D as AA
  • No EX headgrab stuff? (It’s really good)

 

 

Frame Data

Frame Data

 

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