Screw Piledriver |
Overdrive Screw Piledriver |
Like in nearly every SF game, this is Zangief's best way of doing damage. Not only landing it, but making people afraid of it so you can land other attacks. Remember that people can jump out of it, backdash out of it, do a reversal, etc. It's also not instant (or grab invincible) so it can't be used to beat other grabs when they execute quicker. It CAN beat them if they're out of normal grab range, though.
The main thing to note here is how damaging the Overdrive/EX version is. It does damage akin to a super move from many characters. We're talking roughly 30% of their health bar. If someone misses something, just do the Overdrive/EX SPD. Even if you're out of drive meter, the HP version does a pile of damage, too. As a punish, there's no need (or benefit) of going for anything less than a level 2 super combo instead. At least unless you're concerned with positioning vs. pure damage. It's also a simple but great follow up to a drive impact that doesn't corner splat.
Both the LP and Overdrive/EX versions have quite a bit of range, so you can walk up and grab people from a long way away. It's second only to the old SF2 range in the grand scheme of things. That's nice in the corner or against particularly passive foes.
Don't forget that people LOVE to try and take back their turn by hammering low jab when in blockstun. The LP and Overdrive/EX SPDs can reach further than *most* low jabs...but not all. Toss out a few light attacks, wait for a low jab in return, and then go for the SPD. This works wonders against overzealous Luke players who jab with reckless abandon.
It's easy to get single minded with the SPD, so try to mix things up. Alternate the number of light attacks you try, change up your chop cadence, etc. when trying to tic foes. Better players will react with reversals and jumps, so try not using it for long stretches to open things back up. Similarly, some players will eat grabs rather than give up combo hits that can hurt as much or more. It's a guessing game, so sometimes you have to go with the flow.
An important thing to remember about the SPD is that despite the fact that it is a command grab, it will NOT beat a regular throw or strike that is faster that it start-up frames. For example, if you try to grab an opponent on their wake-up with it, a regular throw performed by the oppnent will win out every time. In fact, a missed SPD animation is twice as long as a normal grab, and if the opponent vertically jump to avoid it, Zangief is wide open to practically any punishment your opponent thinks of.
In general, the SPD is best used once the opponent is conditioned to block due to fear of a light or mid attack. An aggresive player that is spamming light attacks is practically impossible to grab, so it actually a better idea to go for normal grabs since they have faster start-up.