Zangief's Crouch Heavy Punch Street Fighter 6

Domingo posted August 24, 2023

Crouching HP is mainly used as a setup for a grab mix-up or a situational anti-air. This move is unique because it causes an odd spinning knockdown whether it lands as an anti-air or on grounded opponents. It knocks foes slightly backward, but it also gives you the opportunity to dash up to them while they're falling/grounded. It usually puts you right in SPD range, too.

You can use it after a jumping attack to do a quick/easy 2-hit combo and make your opponent deal with an SPD mix-up afterward. While it's highly punishable if it whiffs, you can use it in neutral or as a punish, too.

As an anti-air, it whiffs on vertical jumps...and against nearly any jump done at close range. In general, it's pretty unreliable unless they're jumping from a specific distance. Zangief steps slightly forward when doing the move and everything behind his arm (including his head) = totally vulnerable. The lariat or a charged HP are better choices for most anti-air scenarios. Crouching HP is typically reserved for distant jump attempts or airborne special attacks like Cammy's Hooligan or Blanka's various jumping roll attacks. It CAN be good for those types of moves...although the lariat is still a better choice most of the time.

In general, don't fall in love with this move, but don't totally forget about it entirely, either. It's the kind of move Capcom tends to buff, so maybe it will become more useful over time. As of launch, there aren't many reasons to use it vs. lariat.