Zato-1 is going to be an absolute lockdown monster in Guilty Gear Strive judging by his new starter guide video
I'm scared and annoyed already
As the fighting game community is rapidly approaching the start of Guilty Gear Strive's open beta next weekend, Arc System Works is setting out to get everyone caught up on how the cast is going to function with the continuation of the starter guide video series.
Following hot on the heels of Millia Rage's wild mixups is her former boss, Zato-1, who is looking to be equally if not more oppressive in Strive. This time though from the ground instead of the air.
Much of his gameplan appears to revolve around locking down his opponent with one of Eddie's various abilities that have a ton of active frame to help open people up.
Pierce looks like a strong tool to lockdown the opponent even in neutral while the ground drills That's a Lot is great at forcing up close-range mixups.
Oppose pretty much gives him a walking shadow meat shield that absorbs all blows while active and doesn't break Eddie's health bar.
The one big aspect that ties all of Zato's lockdown options together is the returning Break the Law which allows him to hide in the shadows on the ground for up to a set period of time.
This means he can completely avoid attacks and move directly behind the opponent though he'll need to time his attacks correctly because the shadow move has more recovery the longer its held down.
Oh, and Eddie can still initiate attacks during this time as well. If you're trying to sit and hold down-back during all of this, he can simply command grab to cash in on some damage and set up the mixup game all over again.
Zato was already one of the hardest characters to consistently defend against in the previous games, and that doens't seem to changing for Strive either.
