Pokemon: Close Combat/GZapdos

Zapdos delivers a quick peck at their opponent.

• Zapdos' fastest button, ideal for challenging
• Combos into 3A > 5B6A if opponent is counter hit, making it good for catching opponents mashing after 2A
• 6A cc 5A is a frame trap that beats both parries and mashing

Zapdos pecks the opponent two more times.

• The only move that naturally combos from 5A, reliable followup for defensive abare
• Sets up a 5B5A frame trap on hit or block

Zapdos swipes at the air with their talons.

• One of Zapdos's best confirm tools, giving two hits to confirm into a special on hit
• Highest damage ground starter for 5B6A combos, good after a guard break
• Primary meaty, giving guaranteed plus frames along with the aformentioned hit confirm benefits
• Small but rewarding anti-air
• Used for precise but high-damage juggles into 2B5A, or simpler metered loops with 28B

Zapdos steps forward and strikes horizontally with their talons.

• The other best confirm tool in neutral, good poke with a generous confirm window
• Covers a large amount of horizontal space and confirms into followups
• Be sure to hit confirm your followups; you can eat a hefty punish if you don't confirm off of 5B6A
• Can be kara canceled into 5A, 2A, 3A and throw, adding forward movement

Zapdos quickly swipes at the opponent with their leg.

• Great poke in neutral
• Strings into 6B, though it can't be hit confirmed
• Confirms into 5B6A when counterhit
• Can convert into air combos with meter via 2A x 5B5A x 28B
• Good pressure tool, particularly when kara'd from 6A

Zapdos' kicks at the opponent's legs, knocking them off their feet.

• Cancellable sweep, allowing Zapdos to punish the opponent relatively safely for stand-blocking
• 2nd hit is unsafe on block if not confirmed off of the first hit
• Making the first hit safe can be challenging due to limited cancel options; at best, you frametrap with 5B5A
• First hit will attempt to pull air opponents into the second
• Second hit knocks down air opponents
• Kara allows you to threaten this move after 2A

Zapdos reaches out horizontally with their leg in mid-air.

• Standard jump-in normal, leads to unreactable high/low/throw mix
• Also strong air-to-air due to its range, confirming well off that scenario with j5B/j6B

Zapdos kicks twice downwards while in the air.

• Fast enough to hit as an instant overhead, which can combo into j6B

Zapdos sprints forward at full speed.

• Zapdos' main mechanic, effectively operates as a stance
• Startup refers to the frame that the cancels become available and Zapdos reaches full speed (9.0)
• Starts moving at a lower speed (5.2) on frame 5
• Can be cancelled into a multitude of unique followups
• 2 can be input at any time to cancel the stance, allowing Zapdos to mix up the opponent
• 5B2 acts as a somewhat slow command dash that can be used for tick throws or resets

Zapdos darts forward.

• Threatening burst option, going halfscreen on top of the run distance and converting into combos at range
• Goes through opponent at close range, leading to crossups
• Can be confirmed off of the first hit of 3A when spaced and 0 if its blocked
• Combos into 3A for 5B6A confirms/meter gain when hit meaty
• Can also lead into parry RPS, operating as an effective neutral skip

Zapdos kicks out upwards.

• Zapdos's best anti-air & primary counterpoke out of Fast Lane
• Unsafe, but can secure guard breaks
• Late hit doesn't knock the opponent down, leading to combos
• Plus on meaty, can be set up off of 6B
• Air combo ender with massive corner carry, though it scales poorly

Zapdos sweeps a leg upwards.

• The infamous launcher, centerpiece of all of Zapdos's combos
• Very unsafe on block, though it can be C-Cancelled to escape if you fumble a confirm
• Primary combo ender, giving a wall splat into 5 way mix

Zapdos jumps forwards while performing two horizontal kicks.

• Mostly used as a combo ender after 2A, good damage and corner carry
• Can also end air combos, but is usually outclassed by 5B6A
• Safe blockstring ender against characters with >7 frame mash

Zapdos vaults into the sky.

• Steerable command jump with momentum-altering followups, primary anti-projectile option
• Can cancel out of a 5B6A ender for left/right mix into 3A, instant j2A, or throw
• Cancels into two unique aerials or Thunderous Kick

Zapdos launches a flurry of horizontal kicks in the air.

• Exclusively used as combo filler, largely ignores scaling
• Can potentially hit as an air-to-air or jump-in, but is rather telegraphed/inconsistent
• Cancels into j6B
• One-frame links into 4A
• Delay the move to make your opponent go higher and give yourself more time for follow-ups

Zapdos unloads a downward flurry of kicks.

• Quick overhead, though the reward is low
• Goes at a different angle than jB, can potentially bait a reaction
• Used to link 5B6A into grounded follow-ups
• After 5 frames of recovery, the move will loop back into its first hitbox if Zapdos hasn't landed yet

Zapdos rapidly descends from the sky with a bolt of lightning.

• Main option to threaten off of Sky Vault, does high damage & endurance and can confirm into 3A on low/counter hit
• Surprise option on offense, highly rewarding on hit or block but can potentially be anti-aired
• Can be canceled into j6B on block, setting up guard breaks
• Zapdos will perform 2 extra kicks on block only before bouncing away, tricky to punish
• The second kick can occasionally whiff, allowing the opponent to take the 1 damage from the third and ignore the endurance chip

Zapdos darts forward in midair.

• Can be canceled into an aerial, also combo filler

Zapdos vaults upwards, launching the opponent to the air with them.

• Used for high damaging "Kilo Loops" when combined with 2B5A
• Functionally identical to Sky Vault besides its hitbox
• Combos into 2B2A midscreen unlike 5B6A
• Converts off side switch 5B5A

Zapdos lets out a cry before furiously dashing across the screen many times in the inputted direction.

• Can hit the opponent on-the-ground, making a good combo ender after a knockdown
• If the first hit before Zapdos goes offscreen is blocked, Zapdos will pass through the opponent, but the remainder of the attack is halted

Zapdos lets out a cry before furiously dashing across the screen many times in the inputted direction.

• It has a hitbox on frame 53, but it's impossible to land it
• You can combo into any normal after 24B, unlike 26B
• Best projectile punish that G. Zapdos has

Zapdos climbs onto the opponent and pecks them repeatedly before springing off of them, launching them forwards.

• Zapdos hops a good distance away from the opponent on hit
• The hop goes farther if the move is used on a cornered opponent
• If the hop doesn't go its maximum distance, 5B delay 5A can hit meaty and leave Zapdos +1

Zapdos climbs onto the opponent and pecks them repeatedly before springing off of them, launching them backwards.

• Zapdos hops a good distance away from the opponent on hit, denying it okizeme
• The hop goes farther if Zapdos is cornered when it uses the throw
• Consistently combos into 26B if used on a cornered opponent