GGST/Zato-1/Matchups

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< GGST‎ | Zato-1



Matchups

Table of Contents
GGST A.B.A Icon.png GGST Anji Icon.png GGST Asuka R Icon.png GGST Axl Icon.png
GGST Baiken Icon.png GGST Bedman Icon.png GGST Bridget Icon.png GGST Chipp Icon.png
GGST Elphelt Valentine Icon.png GGST Faust Icon.png GGST Giovanna Icon.png GGST Goldlewis Icon.png
GGST Happy Chaos Icon.png GGST I-No Icon.png GGST Jack-O Icon.png GGST Johnny Icon.png
GGST Ky Icon.png GGST Leo Icon.png GGST May Icon.png GGST Millia Icon.png
GGST Nagoriyuki Icon.png GGST Potemkin Icon.png GGST Ramlethal Icon.png GGST Sin Kiske Icon.png
GGST Sol Icon.png GGST Testament Icon.png GGST Zato Icon.png
Detailed
  • Replay Theater is a great resource to find high-level matchup footage.
  • High-level replays may also be found in-game (Main Menu > Collection > Replay > Search).
  • The Counterstrategy page will generally have some basic counterstrategy against each character in the game.
  • Please keep in mind that matchup charts are subjective and not all players may agree on them.

Anji Mito

Favorable
  • Spin and Parry are both ineffectual when used against Eddie.
  • Anji has no means to threaten you for summoning at range.
  • His defense is lackluster against Zato.

Overview | Frame Data | Matchups | Counterstrategy | Reverse Matchup Return to Top

Round Start


Common Round Start Interaction Table
Anji's Button Loses To Beats Trades Whiffs
2PGGST Anji Mito 2P.pngGuardAllStartup5Recovery10Advantage-2
6PGGST Anji Mito 6P.pngGuardAllStartup10Recovery25Advantage-17
5KGGST Anji Mito 5K.pngGuardAllStartup8Recovery9Advantage-2
f.SGGST Anji Mito fS.pngGuardAllStartup11Recovery21Advantage-9
charged 236HGGST Anji Mito 236H.pngGuardAllStartup16 [32]Recovery21Advantage-8 [-6]

Notable Interactions


Defense


  • Do not be too afraid to block vs Anji, he doesn't get particularly scary conversions on his mixups and if you have fast enough reactions you can invalidate many of his options. Try to lean towards FDing and playing reactively on defense rather than choosing abare too often, as Anji's biggest combos generally come from CHs rather than metered conversions.
    • All of the FuujinGGST Anji Mito 236H.pngGuardAllStartup16 [32]Recovery21Advantage-8 [-6] follow-ups besides Fuujin~SGGST Anji Mito 236HS.pngGuardLowStartup15 (28 with early cancel)Recovery20Advantage-7 are reactable, punishable, or both. Additionally, Fuujin with no cancel is -8 on block. As such, even though the cancels can be delayed quite a lot, you can contest Anji attempting to not cancel in order to steal a turn.
      • Fuujin~PGGST Anji Mito 236HP.pngGuardAllStartup30 (43 if early cancelled from Fuujin)RecoveryTotal 43+6 after LandingAdvantage+7 is reaction punishable with a rising air button, j.D is the easiest option with Zato and results in a full combo. At +7 on block it generally must be respected on block unless Anji is spaced outside of K normal range, at this distance you can contest moves like f.S though it does carry some risk.
      • Fuujin~KGGST Anji Mito 236HK.pngGuardStartupRecovery22+6 after LandingAdvantage- is hard to react in time to outright punish, but all of Anji's options afterwards are easily interruptible. The most common are throw, c.S, backdash, and jump. Jump > j.D will either punish these or safely move you out of the corner. It's also good to mix in jump, throw, and mash on reaction as there is different risk reward to all of these options.
      • Fuujin~SGGST Anji Mito 236HS.pngGuardLowStartup15 (28 with early cancel)Recovery20Advantage-7 is Anji's only safe Fuujin follow-up, however at -7 it's generally the end of his turn. It is a low with solid reward on hit, so respect this move and look for his other options. Depending on spacing 2S, 5H, 2D and various Eddie summons can be useful for taking your turn, watch for Anji trying to backdash or jump to steal a turn back and be ready to punish or counterpoke.
      • Fuujin~HGGST Anji Mito 236HH.pngGuardHighStartup21 (34 with early cancel)Recovery24Advantage-9 is a semi-reactable and unsafe overhead. If you can reliably react to it, Anji's offense is much weaker. However, having four Fuujin followups, plus early cancels, and charged fuujin makes reacting to it consistently very difficult. At -9 it is unsafe on block and can generally be 2K > 2D punished if used without meter. The reward on hit with no meter is very low so generally smart Anji players will tend to only use it when they have meter or a read that you won't block high.
    • ShitsuGGST Anji Mito 236P.pngGuardAllStartup29RecoveryTotal 52Advantage-6 aka butterfly is a blockstring an oki tool. If used in blockstrings or mistimed on oki it can be reflected with 214S.
    • 236KGGST Anji Mito 236K 1.pngGuardStartupRecoveryTotal 34~50Advantage- aka "Spin" is used in pressure to beat counterpokes but can be reacted to with throw or dash throw to punish.
    • Overall it's best to wait and react to Anji's options, look for no cancel or a dash indicating a throw attempt and react with appropriate counterplay. This is one of few matchups where Zato's lack of defensive options doesn't feel so bad.

Neutral


  • Zato's Neutral is strong in this MU. Anji is not very fast and lacks very long range moves to stop your from using Eddie.
    • Spin is strong vs many of Zato's normals as they have generally long recover, however Spin doesn't do much vs Projectiles. As 22H and Eddie are considered projectiles they are very strong in neutral vs Anji. Even if he successfully spins either of these you can use an active move such as 22H, 5H, or 236K to force Anji to block once he leaves the spin invulnerability.
    • Anji has a high jump arc, a large j.H, and a long airdash. As such it can be hard to consistently anti-air him with 6P. The most consistent AA options vs Anji is 6P vs IAD and Air Throw vs jump / superjump > airdash.
    • At midrange Anji's buttons have a good ratio of speed to range and can be hard for Zato to contest. It's important to remember that blocking Anji isn't very scary and many of his pokes are low reward on normal hit. As such it's best to play carefully and patiently at this range and favor blocking and movement over counterpoking.
    • Anji has no fullscreen options making summoning Eddie very safe and easy, exploit this to control space and the pace of the match.
    • KouGGST Anji Mito 236S.pngGuardAllStartup12 [28]Recovery14Advantage- is a solid anti-air hampered by it's slow startup and long recovery on whiff. If you can bait an Anji into whiffing Kou using neutral jumps or other tricky movement you can punish with j.D, Air Throw, or even 2H.

Offense


  • Defensively Anji is not particularly threating for Zato.
    • His 5f 2P is one of a few that rivals Zato's 5f button in terms of range, and has good reward on CH.
    • Spin is decent defensively in spaced pressure scenarios, but baiting it out is rewarded with a throw punish, and Eddie mostly invalidates it as an option when he is avaiable.
    • His only reversal 632146SGGST Anji Mito 632146S.pngGuardStartup1Recovery10Advantage- is a parry that can even parry projectiles, but loses invulnerability after the attack goes off on parrying a projectile. It can be punished with a PRC. Additionally as it is his only reversal and it loses to throws, going for throws on oki and pressure situations is less risky than against most characters. Note that the parry does beat Safejumps.

Asuka R

Round Start


Common Round Start Interaction Table
Asuka's Button Loses To Beats Trades Whiffs

Neutral


Offense


Defense


Axl Low

Favorability Goes Here
  • Axl's zoning makes the use of Eddie in neutral a near non-factor. Patient dashblocks and flying high above the range of his anti-airs will reward you heavily once you make it in, as Axl is particularly weak at dealing with Zato's pressure.
  • Cancelling jD into a PRC will allow you to launch yourself across the screen using its momentum and get in over a gap in Axl's zoning. Additionally, cancelling jD fast PRC into jH will work well as a fullscreen punish into a knockdown to get Eddie pressure started.
  • Use jD to call out the opponent axl's jS and rainwater attempts, this is a very committal so don't use it too predictably.

Overview | Frame Data | Matchups | Counterstrategy | Reverse Matchup Return to Top


Round Start


Common Round Start Interaction Table
Axl's Button Loses To Beats Trades Whiffs
2PGGST Axl Low 2P.pngGuardLowStartup10Recovery14Advantage-6
5PGGST Axl Low 5P.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery19Advantage-11 [-3]
6PGGST Axl Low 6P.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery22Advantage-13
f.SGGST Axl Low f.S.pngGuardAllStartup10Recovery19Advantage-8
2HGGST Axl Low 2H.pngGuardLowStartup11Recovery26Advantage-18 [-8]
214SGGST Axl Low 214S.pngGuardAllStartup24Recovery21Advantage+3
214HGGST Axl Low 214H.pngGuardAllStartup14Recovery29Advantage-24
IADB j.SGGST Axl Low j.S.pngGuardHighStartup14Recovery18Advantage-

Notable Interactions


Neutral


Offense


Defense



Baiken

Favorability Goes Here
  • Ground TatamiGGST Baiken 236K.pngGuardAllStartup15Recovery5Advantage-3 is slightly minus on block, despite appearances. There is also a significant gap between the two hits on the ground that can be punished with a moderately fast move such as f.S or 5H. You can take advantage of this if you make the first hit of Tatami whiff by FDing. Most two hit strings into Tatami, such as c.S > f.S or 2K > 2D, can be FD'd to force the first hit to whiff, giving you the chance to mash or jump out.

Overview | Frame Data | Matchups | Counterstrategy | Reverse Matchup Return to Top


Round Start


Common Round Start Interaction Table
Baiken's Button Loses To Beats Trades Whiffs
6PGGST Baiken 6P.pngGuardAllStartup9Recovery19Advantage-10
f.SGGST Baiken fS.pngGuardAllStartup9Recovery15Advantage-7
2SGGST Baiken 2S.pngGuardAllStartup11Recovery19Advantage-8
Walk Back 2HGGST Baiken 2H.pngGuardLowStartup17Recovery26Advantage-13
Neutral Jump j.SGGST Baiken jS.pngGuardHighStartup8Recovery19Advantage+1 (IAD)

Notable Interactions


Neutral


Offense


Defense


Bedman

Round Start


Common Round Start Interaction Table
Bedman's Button Loses To Beats Trades Whiffs

Neutral


Offense


Defense


Bridget

Favorability Goes Here


Round Start


Common Round Start Interaction Table
Bridget's Button Loses To Beats Trades Whiffs

Notable Interactions


Neutral


Offense


Defense



Chipp Zanuff

Favorability Goes Here
  • Chipp is one of Zato's hardest opponents due to his extremely strong mobility making it hard to pin him down in neutral. However, even once you've managed to do so, his fast slashes and array of tricky special moves can cause problems for Zato's slow and vulnerable pokes in the close range. Even on defense, his fast buttons and reversal options force Zato to always be wary.
  • Trying to rush down Chipp and chase after his jumps will almost always result in Zato losing the encounter simply because Chipp has faster and more options, so staying grounded and cycling Eddie moves, primarily Leap to cover the air, will more often yield a better outcome
  • Zato has a lot of trouble dealing with Chipp's oppressive mixups, but knowing the escape points will make it significantly easier. Fuzzy jumping and switching guard into a jD will cover all options for his "disappearing" moves, blocking both horizontal and diagonal alpha blades and punishing the genrou zan command throw.
  • Be careful whiffing high recovery moves like 2S up close, since he can either directly punish or get in from reactions alone. 5P is really nice in this match up if you are not confident.
  • Leap, raw or negative edged, is very hard to deal with for Chipp since it covers a lot of where he would like to be and does a ton of damage, which hurts Chipp much more due to his low life. He still has more ways around it than most of the cast, so be sure you are ready to chase him down if he has wasted his jumps to avoid it.
  • Be careful when you decide to use 22H as Chipp wants to be in the air most of the time, and can punish 22H attempts with jump ins when used carelessly.

Overview | Frame Data | Matchups | Counterstrategy | Reverse Matchup Return to Top


Round Start


Common Round Start Interaction Table
Chipp's Button Loses To Beats Trades Whiffs
6PGGST Chipp Zanuff 6P.pngGuardAllStartup9Recovery25Advantage-16
f.SGGST Chipp Zanuff fS.pngGuardAllStartup9Recovery20Advantage-8
2SGGST Chipp Zanuff 2S.pngGuardAllStartup10Recovery17Advantage-7
2DGGST Chipp Zanuff 2D.pngGuardLowStartup10Recovery19Advantage-7
IAD j.HGGST Chipp Zanuff j.H.pngGuardHighStartup8Recovery17Advantage+4~5 (IAD)

Notable Interactions


Neutral


Offense


Defense



Elphelt Valentine

Round Start


Common Round Start Interaction Table
Elphelt's Button Loses To Beats Trades Whiffs

Neutral


Offense


Defense


Faust

 FaustDon't let Faust feed Eddie any tendies.
Slight Disadvantage

A slightly disadvantageous matchup for Zato. Faust's items make Eddie neutral difficult and Zato's options to interact with the items are weaker than most of the cast. Additionally, Faust's ability to run away is strong vs Zato's overall slow movement.

Overview | Frame Data | Matchups | Counterstrategy | Reverse Matchup Return to Top


Round Start


Common Round Start Interaction Table
Faust's Button Loses To Beats Trades Whiffs
2PGGST Faust 2P.pngGuardLowStartup7Recovery11Advantage-3
6PGGST Faust 6P.pngGuardAllStartup9Recovery32Advantage-21
5KGGST Faust 5K.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery8Advantage-2
f.SGGST Faust fS.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery20Advantage-8
2HGGST Faust 2H.pngGuardLowStartup14Recovery29Advantage-12
j.2KGGST Faust j.2K.pngGuardAllStartup10Recovery9 after LandingAdvantage-

Faust's 2PGGST Faust 2P.pngGuardLowStartup7Recovery11Advantage-3 is generally a very strong round start option due to it low profiling, hitting low to the ground, and starting up in 7 frames. Although he doesn't get much damage off of a hit, it prevents many high-damage round starts and creates space to reset to neutral. Zato can counter with 2K and gatling into 2D to score a hard knockdown, immediately granting strong pressure with full Eddie gauge. This greatly tips the risk/reward for this button in your favor, forcing him to use other less safe options.

Dealing With Items


What Could This Be?GGST Faust 236P.pngGuardStartup26RecoveryTotal 40Advantage- is a core part of Faust's game-plan, serving many purposes from giving him mix opportunities to allowing him to extend combos to interrupting opponent pressure or combos. Keeping track of which items are on the field, where they are, and how long they have until they become active or disappear is especially important for Zato, since even the smallest tap from any of them risks you having to go back through neutral or Faust's pressure without Eddie.

If Faust is sticking to more of a zoner playstyle in neutral, Drunkard Shade can sometimes be used to avoid the "no-man's land" of items in the middle of the screen and get Eddie towards Faust. However, be aware that depending on how far away you are and what items are on screen, Eddie often gets sent directly into items and immediately dies. Waiting for less threatening items, advancing Eddie forward manually, and using Drunkard Shade can sometimes allow you to put Faust into blockstun and approach him from fullscreen.

Possible Items

236P BombGGST Faust Bomb.pngGuardAllStartup68 to Land, 143 After LandingRecoveryAdvantage-To tennis or not to tennis, that is the question
poster=LazyLoadImageThumbnail.png

A moderately difficult option to deal with, depending on what else is occurring on screen. Learning the range and timing of the bomb is important since it can also hit Faust, which will sometimes work in your favor. Trying to grab is a strong option when the bomb is close to exploding, as the throw animation will give you (or Faust) invulnerability that prevents you from getting hit by the explosion. Oppose and Break the Law are also good options depending on the circumstance, as both can allow you to avoid the bomb while remaining plus if Faust blocks it or gets hit. If the bomb lands midscreen, you can use attempt to use Eddie's attacks to hit it from further away without risking a Counter Hit.

During Faust's own pressure, he may have to prematurely end a blockstring or combo in order to prevent getting hit. These moments offer you the chance to potentially escape his pressure, take your turn back, or pick up a combo if he fails to block the bomb. If you are the one running pressure, you should consider using it as a mix-up opportunity (especially with Oppose or Break the Law,) a chance to unsummon Eddie, or to continue a combo. You may also be able to get away with more unsafe or unusual pressure sequences when the bomb is just about to explode, since your opponent might hope for you get hit by the bomb or might be afraid of getting hit by it themselves.

236P 100T WeightGGST Faust 100T Weight.pngGuardAll (Guard Crush)Startup1RecoveryAdvantage-
poster=LazyLoadImageThumbnail.png

There are two "attacks" from this item: the weight itself has a hitbox and will do damage on contact, and upon hitting the ground an "earthquake" will occur which hits all grounded opponents for 0 damage (including Faust himself.) The weight itself behaves as other attacks do with respect to Zato and Eddie, but the earthquake cannot hit Eddie and also goes through Oppose.

Can be difficult to deal with due it controlling a good amount of space, inflicting Guard Crush, and the earthquake hitting through Oppose. From fullscreen, your objective will often be to prevent Eddie from dying to it. However, as with Bomb, it can sometimes be better for you than it is for Faust, and isn't too hard to avoid on its own.

Blocking either the weight or earthquake will put you into Guard Crush, so generally you want to avoid this. Avoiding the weight is generally more straightforward since it follows all the usual rules; for the earthquake, your standard options are jumping, backdashing, and Break the Law. Jumping allows you to block against other items quickly, while backdashing allows you to take grounded actions faster. Break the Law is invulnerable to both the weight and earthquake, and can be especially useful if there are also many other items out at once. Break the Law also allows you to attack with buttons whose recovery would otherwise be too long to avoid either the weight or earthquake.

The weight is far less threatening to Faust than it it is to you, since the weight can't directly hit him and you stand to lose Eddie even if both of you are knocked down by the earthquake. Faust also usually has less to lose by taking the Guard Crush or knockdown because other items on screen can prevent you from approaching or taking advantage of the plus frames. Despite this, the earthquake can still work in your favor by giving you the advantage (as with Bomb) or by allowing you to punish Faust's evasive option. If you have Eddie out and manage to avoid the weight and earthquake, you have a very good opportunity to lock Faust into blockstun or punish his evasive action with Eddie.

The trickiest part of dealing with the weight and earthquake when in neutral is keeping Eddie alive if he's summoned. His movement speed is fast enough to move out of the way if needed, but moving Zato out of the way of the weight at the same time can be tricky. Using Drunkard Shade or clap cancels to move Eddie can work, but this can be risky because you may not recover in time to block the earthquake. If Eddie avoiding the weight seems unlikely, consider unsummoning (and potentially getting knocked down) or using Oppose to protect him from the weight.

Notable Interactions


Neutral


  • ThrustGGST Faust 41236K.pngGuardAllStartup26~37Recovery19Advantage-12 can be 6P'd on reaction, and when well-timed can counter both uncharged and charged Thrust at the same time. Faust can get very high damage off this move if it hits, but consistently countering it will give you a hard knockdown from fullscreen, allowing you time to get in closer and summon Eddie. If you can get Faust to Thrust into Oppose, you can usually counter-hit his extended hurtbox with 5H for a full combo.

Offense


Defense


  • Defense against Faust is fairly straightforward. He is essentially a strike throw character with a scary command grab and solid stagger options.
    • 2KGGST Faust 2K 1.pngGuardAll, Low, LowStartup5Recovery12Advantage-2 is the primary button to watch out for strike / throw / stagger pressure on. It is -2 on block, multi-hitting, has large range, hit-confirmable into 2D for a knockdown, and can force you to block in the air even if you managed to jump out. Due to these properties it is a strong button for staggered pressure into command throw attempts. Fuzzy jump is difficult to use due to it's multi-hitting property, it's easier to watch for the lack of a cancel and attempt to jump or mash 5P. At anything further than point blank the first hit of Faust's 2K will whiff making it effectively a 10f low. As such, mash is often a better option than jump.
    • (Write About Command Throw here)

Giovanna

Favorability Goes Here


Round Start


Common Round Start Interaction Table
Giovanna's Button Loses To Beats Trades Whiffs
6PGGST Giovanna 6P.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery15Advantage-9
66 5KGGST Giovanna 5K.pngGuardAllStartup6Recovery12Advantage-2
f.SGGST Giovanna fS1.pngGuardAllStartup9Recovery16Advantage-4
2SGGST Giovanna 2S1.pngGuardLowStartup9Recovery15Advantage-6
5HGGST Giovanna 5H.pngGuardAllStartup10Recovery19Advantage-5

Notable Interactions


Neutral


Offense


Defense



Goldlewis Dickinson


Round Start


Common Round Start Interaction Table
Goldlewis's Button Loses To Beats Trades Whiffs
6PGGST Goldlewis Dickinson 6P.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery27Advantage-19
5KGGST Goldlewis Dickinson 5K.pngGuardLowStartup10Recovery12Advantage-7
f.SGGST Goldlewis Dickinson f.S.pngGuardAllStartup11Recovery23Advantage-12
684HGGST Goldlewis Dickinson Behemoth Typhoon (684).pngGuardAll* (Guard Crush)Startup12Recovery21Advantage-5
j.DGGST Goldlewis Dickinson jD.pngGuardHighStartup14Recovery14Advantage+13 (IAD)

Notable Interactions


Neutral


Offense


Defense



Happy Chaos

Favorability Goes Here
  • This MU is played similar to Axl. You cannot summon Eddie much from range as Happy Chaos can Shoot you very easily for doing so, and Oppose does not armor the gun shots.
  • To approach HC doing Steady Aim zoning your best option is dash block, you can gain ground between each shot. Zato's air movement is too slow to be of use here.

Overview | Frame Data | Matchups | Counterstrategy | Reverse Matchup Return to Top


Round Start


Common Round Start Interaction Table
Happy Chaos's Button Loses To Beats Trades Whiffs
6PGGST Happy Chaos 6P.pngGuardAllStartup9Recovery25Advantage-16
5KGGST Happy Chaos 5K.pngGuardAllStartup6Recovery12Advantage-3
2KGGST Happy Chaos 2K.pngGuardLowStartup7Recovery12Advantage-4
f.SGGST Happy Chaos fS.pngGuardAllStartup10Recovery21Advantage-14
2SGGST Happy Chaos 2S.pngGuardLowStartup11Recovery18Advantage-7
6SGGST Happy Chaos 6S.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery24Advantage-14
2DGGST Happy Chaos 2D.pngGuardLowStartup10Recovery19Advantage-8
236PGGST Happy Chaos 236P.pngGuard-Startup-Recovery29 totalAdvantage-

Notable Interactions


Neutral


  • Zato has a couple of unique neutral options against HC:
    • Amorphous between Steady Aim shots is safe and can effectively win neutral for you. You can be punished for the super but if they choose to do so they get hit by Amorphous.
    • If you manage to raw summon Eddie you can BTL and move Eddie forward to attack HC while he is trying to zone. He has to exit Steady Aim to be able to attack Eddie and you cannot be shot in BTL.

Offense


Defense


  • Defense against HC is very difficult for Zato, it's easy to be locked down. There are a couple of things to think about
    • FDing can space HC outside range to 5D as it has very limited range removing the threat of an overhead. FD will also make HC have to dash up to attempt a throw which gives you a better chance to jump, mash, or backdash out.
    • If you get wall slump'd into oki choosing wakeup backdash is a really good option if you have health to spare. Often you will be hit airborne out of the backdash and they can no longer loop the oki and must wallbreak, resetting to neutral.


I-No

Favorability Goes Here


Round Start


Common Round Start Interaction Table
I-No's Button Loses To Beats Trades Whiffs
6PGGST I-No 6P.pngGuardAllStartup9Recovery18Advantage-9
f.SGGST I-No f.S.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery18Advantage-13
2SGGST I-No 2S.pngGuardAllStartup10Recovery23Advantage-11
2HGGST I-No 2H.pngGuardAllStartup11Recovery14Advantage-5
236SGGST I-No Stroke the Big Tree.pngGuardLowStartup16Recovery16Advantage-7
66 j.SGGST I-No jS.pngGuardHighStartup8Recovery20Advantage- / j.HGGST I-No jH.pngGuardHighStartup12Recovery21Advantage-

Notable Interactions


Neutral


Offense


Defense



Jack-O

Favorability Goes Here


Round Start


Common Round Start Interaction Table
Jack-O's Button Loses To Beats Trades Whiffs
6PGGST Jack-O 6P.pngGuardAllStartup10Recovery20Advantage-12
f.SGGST Jack-O fS.pngGuardAllStartup11Recovery17Advantage-9
5HGGST Jack-O 5H.pngGuardAllStartup10Recovery23Advantage-6
2DGGST Jack-O 2D.pngGuardLowStartup10Recovery18Advantage-19

Notable Interactions


Neutral


Offense


Defense



Johnny

Round Start


Common Round Start Interaction Table
Johnny's Button Loses To Beats Trades Whiffs

Neutral


Offense


Defense


Ky Kiske

Favorability Goes Here
  • Invite Hell (22H) is -7 on block, so in some strings like c.S > 5H > 22H Ky can punish with Stun Dipper. However, at such close range the second hit of Stun Dipper will not combo into the first, so Ky must have meter to get an actual punish.

Overview | Frame Data | Matchups | Counterstrategy | Reverse Matchup Return to Top


Round Start


Common Round Start Interaction Table
Ky's Button Loses To Beats Trades Whiffs
6PGGST Ky Kiske 6P.pngGuardAllStartup9Recovery17Advantage-8
f.SGGST Ky Kiske fS.pngGuardAllStartup10Recovery16Advantage-5
2SGGST Ky Kiske 2S.pngGuardLowStartup11Recovery20Advantage-8
2DGGST Ky Kiske 2D.pngGuardLowStartup10Recovery18Advantage-10
236KGGST Ky Kiske 236K 1.pngGuardLow, AllStartup7Recovery30Advantage-19 [-14]

Notable Interactions


Neutral


Offense


Defense



Leo Whitefang

Favorability Goes Here
  • Both the S and H version of Leo's Gravierte Würde projectile can be reflected with Drunkard Shade (214S), the S version doesn't travel very far once reflected so it is not useful to reflect. The H version, however, should be reflected to prevent being placed in a blockstring for free.
    • S Gravierte Wurde is one of the best tools in the game for shutting down Eddie neutral, your only option with Eddie is to -H- the fireball than DS -P- or -S- to lock Leo down. This won't result in a punish but can frametrap any jump or mash attempt.
  • Many of Leo's best neutral tools lose to 6P. This includes 5K, 6K, f.S, 2D, and even 5H will lose in it's first few frames of startup
  • Invite Hell is very strong vs aggressive Leo neutral, his IAD is slow and his buttons have limited enough range that even blocking 22H at close range he is not in a favorable position to RPS.

Overview | Frame Data | Matchups | Counterstrategy | Reverse Matchup Return to Top


Round Start


Common Round Start Interaction Table
Leo's Button Loses To Beats Trades Whiffs
6PGGST Leo Whitefang 6P.pngGuardAllStartup10Recovery17Advantage-5
66 5KGGST Leo Whitefang 5K.pngGuardAllStartup9Recovery13Advantage-3
2KGGST Leo Whitefang 2K.pngGuardLowStartup7Recovery11Advantage-5
f.SGGST Leo Whitefang f.S.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery21Advantage-13
2SGGST Leo Whitefang 2S.pngGuardLowStartup10Recovery13Advantage-2
2DGGST Leo Whitefang 2D.pngGuardLowStartup12Recovery19Advantage-8

Notable Interactions


Neutral


Offense


Defense



May

 May
Favorability Goes Here
  • Making use of Eddie to harass May from a distance and forcing her to commit to dangerous approaches is a big deal in keeping May honest, whilst also not risking running into big counterhits. Stuff like Leap > unsummon as well as using oppose against hasty approaches are examples of this.
  • After a blocked S horizontal dolphin, your main options are to either jump or 2P to check a potential 2S attempt. Even if she jumps or backdashes when you use 2P, the low recovery on it allows you to block what she does afterwards. Alternativley, you can 66BRC after a blocked S horizontal dolphin to check what May is doing. If she hit 2S or another grounded button, you can punish. If she jumped, go for an anti air/air throw.

Overview | Frame Data | Matchups | Counterstrategy | Reverse Matchup Return to Top


Round Start


Common Round Start Interaction Table
May's Button Loses To Beats Trades Whiffs
6PGGST May 6P.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery18Advantage-7
5KGGST May 5K.pngGuardAllStartup8Recovery11Advantage-5
2SGGST May 2S.pngGuardAllStartup10Recovery18Advantage-7
IADB j.HGGST May j.H.pngGuardHighStartup12Recovery15Advantage+9 (IAD)
DolphinGGST May Mr. Dolphin Horizontal.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery20 (24 OH)Advantage-3

Notable Interactions


Neutral


Offense


Defense



Millia Rage

Favorability Goes Here
  • 214P on block is often cancelled into fast RC forward j.K when Millia has meter. Hair car is 2D punishable, however if you opt for this on reaction to blocking you will be hit by the RRC j.K. You can fuzzy mash a standing normal while holding back to block the j.K while punishing the Hair car if it is not cancelled. f.S is the best option.
  • j.H > 66 > j.H can only be contested with 5P.

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Round Start


Common Round Start Interaction Table
Millia's Button Loses To Beats Trades Whiffs
6PGGST Millia Rage 6P.pngGuardAllStartup9Recovery16Advantage-11
5KGGST Millia Rage 5K.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery12Advantage-3
f.SGGST Millia Rage f.S.pngGuardAllStartup9Recovery19Advantage-7
2SGGST Millia Rage 2S.pngGuardLowStartup11Recovery18Advantage-6
2DGGST Millia Rage 2D.pngGuardLowStartup12Recovery19Advantage-8

Notable Interactions


Neutral


Offense


Defense



Nagoriyuki

 NagoriyukiHigh Blood Nago can't do much.
Favorable
  • Nago has poor defensive options vs Eddie pressure.
  • At High Blood level his limited movement makes him susceptible to zoning.
  • One lost neutral interaction can spell the end for Zato.

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Overview

An advantageous MU for Zato. The name of the game fighting Nago is to force him into Blood Level 2. If you succeed in doing so while not being in pressure you have a good chance of winning. His only way past Zato's zoning is via jumping, Clone, or Beyblade. The former is easily AA'd and the latter two options cost blood meter that Nago doesn't have access to in Blood Level 2 without activating Blood Rage. Play cautiously and reactively until he is unable to force an approach then you can lame him out with zoning.

  • Punishing Blood Rage ActivationGGST Nagoriyuki Activation.pngGuardAll (Guard Crush)Startup4+(38 Flash)+3Recovery70Advantage-12:
    • Use Damned Fang (623S) to punish Nago activating from a distance. The long animation that plays on connect does not freeze Blood Rage's HP drain, leading to a very high damage punish.
    • If you block the activation your options are weaker as he is -12. 2K > 2D is a strong punish as it leads to oki.
  • CloneGGST Nagoriyuki Zarameyuki1.pngGuardAllStartup18~29RecoveryTotal 39Advantage+5 (236S) will kill all Eddie summons except "Oppose" (236H/]H[) and go straight through 22H. Using Clone > Fukyo ForwardGGST Nagoriyuki Fukyo.pngGuardN/AStartup-RecoveryTotal 25AdvantageN/A (236K) will essentially instantly win neutral for Nago unless you have "Oppose" already out. However, this will cost Nago a lot of Blood so if you can avoid being hit you are in a good position.
  • BeybladeGGST Nagoriyuki Kamuriyuki1.pngGuardLowStartup14Recovery17Advantage-3 (214H) and f.SS are moves that you want to FD to avoid being put in a strike/throw mixup situation between Nago's Command ThrowGGST Nagoriyuki Bloodsucking Universe.pngGuardGround ThrowStartup7Recovery48AdvantageNA (623P) and ShizuriyukiGGST Nagoriyuki Shizuriyuki1.pngGuardAllStartup11Recovery21Advantage-7 (623H). You can sometimes react to these options with FD, sometimes you have to be predictive but FD is a low committal option so it's easy to go for. Beyblade can be thrown as it is -2 on block, however you risk a special cancel into 623HGGST Nagoriyuki Shizuriyuki1.pngGuardAllStartup11Recovery21Advantage-7 or Fukyo counterhitting you for massive damage.
  • It's important to check Fukyo forward when done in neutral or off of normals, Nago is never plus in these scenarios but may try to use Fukyo forward to continue pressure. 5P is the most reliable option and least likely to get you killed if you were wrong but jump and throw can also help to deter mindless use of Fukyo. Don't be baited into pressing buttons if the Nago does Fukyo BackGGST Nagoriyuki Fukyo.pngGuardN/AStartup-RecoveryTotal 16AdvantageN/A (214K) as this is a common option to create whiff punish opportunities.
  • Saving your meter for defense, neutral, and keeping Eddie alive is smart, consider returning to neutral and preserving meter rather than overextending your pressure. Making a mistake on offense and being punished can cost you rounds in this MU.
    • YRC can save rounds of defense as long as it doesn't get blocked.
    • j.D > PRC > Fast Cancel j.H is a quick way to create distance, and is difficult for Nago to chase or punish.
    • Sun Void (632146S) is a neutral option vs Nago, as it is a super he can't clone through it and can't avoid it well either. It can be a great option if you've run out of Eddie meter.
    • PRC can save you if you've overcommitted in neutral and are about to be punished.
  • Choosing when to burst is different in this MU. Most of the time you don't want to burst to avoid damage, instead aim to burst at points where Nago has, or will have, high blood level if he does not finish the combo. Nago players will sometimes choose to cash out and spend lots of blood on a combo knowing that the ender for the combo will drain the gauge. Burst at these times to send Nago fullscreen without access to his best neutral tools.
    • Watch for use of lots of specials in a combo to know when he is building lots of blood and stop him from using f.SSS, 6H, or Super to drain the gauge.
  • Jumping and using flight is a risky idea in this MU. Nago has a suite of the strongest AA's in the game at a variety of ranges all of which lead to very high reward.
  • Matches against Nago can sometimes be determined at round start. Nago has some of the strongest options for round start in the game, generally it's best to start defensively with walk back, down back, or backdash unless you have a hard read.
    • If you want to start aggressively, f.S is a strong option as it will beat all of Nago's normals except 5K as well as Beyblade and 623H. So Nago either has to commit to a move that loses to low profile, whiff punishable 6P or spending blood gauge on Fukyo back in order to call out f.S.

Round Start


Common Round Start Interaction Table
Nagoriyuki's Button Loses To Beats Trades Whiffs
6PGGST Nagoriyuki 6P.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery15Advantage-6
5KGGST Nagoriyuki 5K.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery14Advantage-2
2S
214HGGST Nagoriyuki Kamuriyuki1.pngGuardLowStartup14Recovery17Advantage-3
214KGGST Nagoriyuki Fukyo.pngGuardN/AStartup-RecoveryTotal 16AdvantageN/A~6 214HGGST Nagoriyuki Kamuriyuki1.pngGuardLowStartup14Recovery17Advantage-3
623HGGST Nagoriyuki Shizuriyuki1.pngGuardAllStartup11Recovery21Advantage-7

Notable Interactions

Due to the extra hitstop on Nago's H normals, it is far easier than usual to Counter Hit or punish him after he hits Oppose. If a button like his 5H connects with Oppose at the right ranges, you can easily and safely counter with Zato's 5H for high damage. Zato can also use the "plus frames" of Nago being stuck in hitstop to take other actions, such as unsummoning or repositioning. Once one of Nago's H normals have connected with Oppose, he only has a few options: the first is to simply do nothing. Another is to special cancel, which costs more blood and may not even save him. The last is to use RRC/super, which are both expensive and risky options.
The extra hitstop on Nago's H normals also greatly extends the duration his attack is active if he manage to hit Eddie (oppose or not.) When trying to counterpoke him or when moving with Eddie at the same time, be careful that you don't run into an attack that is still active 20-30 frames later.

Neutral

Your gameplan will likely look very different depending on Nago's blood level. If he has low blood, you should prioritize getting him to spend blood and not getting hit yourself. If he has high blood, you should try keep him out and prevent him from getting blood back. In both of these scenarios, Pierce is a good poke due to its range and how little risk it is for you to throw out. At low blood it can interrupt many of Nago's specials and waste his blood, while at high blood it can contest even his longest range pokes (with proper spacing/timing) and prevents him from moving in. Oppose is also good in both cases because at low blood it will again effectively waste his blood, and at high blood he will likely be using his H normals, which have extra hitstop. That's a Lot is best used at high blood because otherwise Clone will go through it, and Leap is generally good but can be expensive.

If Eddie is unavailable, 22H, 2S, and 6P are decent options to zone, but each has its own risks, especially at the tip or slightly further than 2S range since at low blood Nago can quickly approach using specials and at high blood he can punish using his long-range normals.


Offense


Defense


Potemkin

Favorability Goes Here
  • Anti airing Mega Fist can be inconsistent due to how preemptive it has to be done. Because of this, it is better to block it, or set up oppose beforehand and punish it afterwards. Blocking forward megafist ends Potemkin's turn, and allows you to start your pressure on him.
  • Be careful summoning Eddie in neutral, Slidehead will kill Eddie if Zato is hit by it and Pot also has a variety of huge buttons for counterpoking Eddie.
    • If you backdash a slidehead in neutral that is a free point to 214H Empty Summon and you cannot be punished with any of Pot's options like Slidehead or Hammerfall.
  • If you instant block forward mega fist, you can punish with Damned Fang.
  • Make use of f.S's multihits to beat out hammerfall or slide head.
  • You can grab/command grab the startup of his grounded overdrive, Giganter.
  • Only use flight to get away from Giganter if Potemkin doesn't have 50% meter or else he can catch you with Heavenly Potemkin Buster.
  • Always punish Hammerfall on block with 2K > 2D for a free Oki setup.
  • Without Burst, make use of Blue or Yellow Roman Cancel to get out of Potemkin's oki.
  • Be aware of his Potemkin Buster usage to use back dash or jump to avoid it.

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Round Start


Common Round Start Interaction Table
Pot's Button Loses To Beats Trades Whiffs
2PGGST Potemkin 2P.pngGuardAllStartup8Recovery9Advantage-1
6PGGST Potemkin 6P.pngGuardAllStartup11Recovery25Advantage-15
f.SGGST Potemkin f.S.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery18Advantage-8
2DGGST Potemkin 2D.pngGuardLowStartup13Recovery18Advantage-8

Notable Interactions


Neutral


Offense


Defense



Ramlethal Valentine

Favorability Goes Here
  • Ram's primary win condition is getting you into the corner, and Zato's particularly weak defense to her pressure makes it even more important you prevent this as much as possible
  • Throwing swords from long range isn't particularly ideal for Ram, so you have the upperhand in neutral fullscreen. Avoiding the first scramble interaction and establishing Eddie cycles in neutral will work much better than blazing in and getting counterhit by slash.
  • Conserve meter to use for defensive purposes against her oppressive corner mixups
  • Drunkard Shade (214S) is able to reflect the explosion of a thrown sword, however use this carefully when you have the space to safely get it off
  • With enough space after it's thrown, superjump jD will fly out after the gap Ram's 236S leaves in the corner. This will send you high enough to avoid her jP
  • Be extra cautious of Ram's Mortobato reversal, as it catches backdash and jump while dealing massive damage that especially hurts our fragile shadow man. Be extremely safe with your summon pressure when she has meter
  • Ram's exceptionally fast dash speed allows her to run up and throw you during a 236X manual summon in neutral, so be cautious of using them outside of fullscreen range
  • Trying to trade pokes with Ram's enormous sword slashes is almost guaranteed to fail, so make use of 6P and 5P in scrambles instead

Overview | Frame Data | Matchups | Counterstrategy | Reverse Matchup Return to Top


Round Start


Common Round Start Interaction Table
Ramlethal's Button Loses To Beats Trades Whiffs
6PGGST Ramlethal Valentine 6P.pngGuardAllStartup9Recovery18Advantage-9 6PGGST Zato-1 6P.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery12Advantage-6, 2SGGST Zato-1 2S.pngGuardAllStartup11Recovery20Advantage-10, 2DGGST Zato-1 2D.pngGuardLowStartup10Recovery17Advantage-9 f.SGGST Zato-1 f.S.pngGuardAllStartup10Recovery23Advantage-12 2PGGST Zato-1 2P.pngGuardAllStartup6Recovery9Advantage-3
5KGGST Ramlethal Valentine 5K.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery11Advantage-2 2SGGST Zato-1 2S.pngGuardAllStartup11Recovery20Advantage-10 f.SGGST Zato-1 f.S.pngGuardAllStartup10Recovery23Advantage-12 2PGGST Zato-1 2P.pngGuardAllStartup6Recovery9Advantage-3 6PGGST Zato-1 6P.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery12Advantage-6, 2DGGST Zato-1 2D.pngGuardLowStartup10Recovery17Advantage-9
2KGGST Ramlethal Valentine 2K.pngGuardLowStartup6Recovery9Advantage-2 2SGGST Zato-1 2S.pngGuardAllStartup11Recovery20Advantage-10 2PGGST Zato-1 2P.pngGuardAllStartup6Recovery9Advantage-3, f.SGGST Zato-1 f.S.pngGuardAllStartup10Recovery23Advantage-12, 2DGGST Zato-1 2D.pngGuardLowStartup10Recovery17Advantage-9 6PGGST Zato-1 6P.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery12Advantage-6
f.SGGST Ramlethal Valentine fS.pngGuardAllStartup11Recovery21Advantage-10 [-13] 2PGGST Zato-1 2P.pngGuardAllStartup6Recovery9Advantage-3, 6PGGST Zato-1 6P.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery12Advantage-6, f.SGGST Zato-1 f.S.pngGuardAllStartup10Recovery23Advantage-12 2DGGST Zato-1 2D.pngGuardLowStartup10Recovery17Advantage-9 2SGGST Zato-1 2S.pngGuardAllStartup11Recovery20Advantage-10
2SGGST Ramlethal Valentine 2S.pngGuardLowStartup10Recovery18Advantage-5 [-8] 2PGGST Zato-1 2P.pngGuardAllStartup6Recovery9Advantage-3, 6PGGST Zato-1 6P.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery12Advantage-6, 2SGGST Zato-1 2S.pngGuardAllStartup11Recovery20Advantage-10 f.SGGST Zato-1 f.S.pngGuardAllStartup10Recovery23Advantage-12, 2DGGST Zato-1 2D.pngGuardLowStartup10Recovery17Advantage-9
IADB j.SGGST Ramlethal Valentine jS.pngGuardHighStartup12Recovery24Advantage+5 (IAD) f.SGGST Zato-1 f.S.pngGuardAllStartup10Recovery23Advantage-12 2PGGST Zato-1 2P.pngGuardAllStartup6Recovery9Advantage-3, 6PGGST Zato-1 6P.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery12Advantage-6, 2SGGST Zato-1 2S.pngGuardAllStartup11Recovery20Advantage-10, 2DGGST Zato-1 2D.pngGuardLowStartup10Recovery17Advantage-9

Notable Interactions


Neutral


Offense


Defense



Sol Badguy

 Sol BadguyZato controls neutral but nothing else.
Even

An even(ish) matchup. Zato can control the pace of neutral using his zoning tools but struggles to escape Sol's pressure and maintain pressure of his own.

  • Sol's defensive tools are top tier and make pressuring him safely difficult.
  • Zato's lack of strong defensive options enable Sol to pressure him freely.
  • Neutral is where Zato shines, as Sol is relatively slow.

Overview | Frame Data | Matchups | Counterstrategy | Reverse Matchup Return to Top


Round Start


Common Round Start Interaction Table
Sol's Button Loses To Beats Trades Whiffs
6PGGST Sol Badguy 6P.pngGuardAllStartup9Recovery20Advantage-11
f.SGGST Sol Badguy fS.pngGuardAllStartup10Recovery13Advantage+2
2SGGST Sol Badguy 2S.pngGuardAllStartup10Recovery15Advantage-7
6HGGST Sol Badguy 6H.pngGuardAllStartup9Recovery43Advantage-27
2DGGST Sol Badguy 2D.pngGuardLowStartup10Recovery18Advantage-4
Dash 623HGGST Sol Badguy 623X.pngGuardAllStartup13Recovery19+10 LandingAdvantage-26

Notable Interactions


Offense


  • Sol has some of the strongest defensive tools in the game. This forces you to either find your opponents habits or keep your pressure very tight, leaving little gaps.
    • 5K is a 3f button that can punish even the smallest gaps in your pressure. With this move he can mash the "Pierce" gap, AA "Leap", mash the gap between c.S > 5D, and also hit behind him in variety of scenarios. These include in the "Pierce" gap when Eddie is sandwiched and when Eddie right behind him. You will need to practice making your sandwich and other pressure true string in addition to playing the "Pierce" gap RPS well in order to actually pressure Sol.
    • S Volcanic ViperGGST Sol Badguy 623X.pngGuardAllStartup9Recovery18+10 LandingAdvantage-28 (623S) and H Volcanic ViperGGST Sol Badguy 623X.pngGuardAllStartup13Recovery19+10 LandingAdvantage-26 (623H) are among the best DPs in the game. They are fantastic abare An attack during the opponent's pressure, intended to interrupt it. tools both on wakeup as well as in Eddie Pressure. A few things to keep in mind when dealing with these moves:
      • Punish SVV with 2D or 5H as Sol lands, both lead to large reward if Eddie is ready to be summoned. It can be hard to react to this move whiffing in time, if you have this problem 2D is the less risky of these two options.
      • Punish HVV with 2H while Sol is in the air, this leads to large reward regardless of Eddie being ready or not.
      • The active frames of both version are sizeable and get extended if Sol hits Eddie due to hitstop, delay your reaction to the move if Eddie is likely to get hit or you might try to punish too early and get hit.
      • "Oppose" is a good option against both versions as Sol cannot RRC his DP if it comes into contact with "Oppose". Use "Oppose" both in pressure and on oki to keep Sol respectful.
    • Out of a jump Sol has two great options to escape pressure and alter his jump arc. Both Air Bandit RevolverGGST Sol Badguy 236K.pngGuardAllStartup10RecoveryUntil Landing+6Advantage- (j.236K) and Air Bandit BringerGGST Sol Badguy 214K.pngGuardHighStartup22~29 [30]RecoveryUntil Landing+18Advantage- (j.214K) watch for these options and be ready to block or chase them down as needed. However, it can be hard to Zato's slow dash speed. If you find yourself struggling to keep Sol in the corner due to these options try spacing yourself further away in order to have more time to catch him.


Defense


  • Defensing against Sol is also a scary prospect. His reward for most hits is very high and he can keep you pressured until your RISC gauge is maxed out. There are a few things to think about when defending against Sol.
    • When blocking c.S / f.S pressure FD is the easiest option to get him off you, not only will it stop him from raising your RISC gauge it will also push him out of range of his +2 on block f.S and force him to have to run up to continue pressure or gatling into a longer range normal with weaker options. Stand FD is more effective at pushing him away but opens you up to being hit by lows such as 2K and 2D, stick with crouch FD unless you have the read that they don't like to use lows in pressure.
      • Mashing can be risky but is often the best option to escape. Jumping against Sol is hard as he has some of the best anti airs in the game and is very able to chase your airborne escape options down. When mashing you want to primarily use 5P, 6P, and longer range moves such as 2D and 2S.
      • Use 5P in situations where Sol is point blank and might be overextending his pressure so as when you think they are going for a tick throw or after some of his special moves.
      • 6P is used to beat some of his key pokes and pressure moves such as f.S, 6S, and even 5H. It has good reward on CH but can be whiff punished if the Sol is on point.
      • Longer ranged moves should be used when Sol is attempting to wait at range or heavily delay his options.
    • After Sol gatlings into 5H or 6S he can no longer maintain plus frames without taking a risk or spending meter. His primary options afterwards are Gun FlameGGST Sol Badguy 236P.pngGuardAllStartup18RecoveryTotal 54Advantage-10, Gun Flame FeintGGST Sol Badguy 214P.pngGuardStartupRecoveryTotal 25Advantage-, Bandit BringerGGST Sol Badguy 214K.pngGuardHighStartup30Recovery13Advantage-3, and Bandit RevolverGGST Sol Badguy 236K.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery9+6 LandingAdvantage-7. Your best defensive RPS options to rotate through are dash block, 6P, jump / superjump forward, and Drunkard Shade.
      • Spaced Gunflame is plus on block but Drunkard Shade (214S) can be used to reflect it back at Sol and punish him. Be aware that it's difficult to impossible to react to Gun Flame vs Gunflame Feint with Drunkard Shade and Sol can punish or continue to pressure you if he does Feint. So save your reflects for a read or if the Sol is predictable with Gun Flame. Dash block is a strong option as it will bring you closer to spaced gunflames making them less advantageous or even negative on block. Addtionally, dashblock allows you to be in range to react to Gunflame Feint and interrupt Sol attempting to steal his turn.
      • Grounded Bandit Bringer is only -2 on block and hardly feels like the end of Sol's turn. 6P will often beat or trade with grounded, non-delayed Bandit Bringer, both are in your favor. After blocking it your best options to mix in are 5P as a fast check to him pressing slower buttons and dash block to escape, and potentially, punish if he attempts to jump, backdash, or DP.
      • Bandit Revolver is a frametrap option with a -7 on block first hit but with an optional second hit can be delayed quite a lot to frametrap and is a CH combo starter. 6P also works here and will punish any frametrap timing. Contesting the first hit on block is a scary option but a less risky one if Sol has no meter as the second hit is -11 on block. Generally speaking the risk / reward on challenging Bandit Revolver first hit is not in Zato's favor, and it's best to respect the first hit unless the Sol is trying to use it a lot to steal turns.

Neutral


  • Neutral is where this matchup is won or lost for Zato. Zato's primary moves to use are 6P, 22H, and of course various Eddie Summons.
    • Summoning Eddie at 3/4 to fullscreen is pretty safe in this MU as Sol doesn't have any moves to punish you with at that distance. He can use Night Raid VortexGGST Sol Badguy 214S 1.pngGuardAllStartup15~31 [32]Recovery32 [26]Advantage-17 on a read but you can react to this with 2K or throw. "That's a Lot"GGST Zato-1 That's a lot.pngGuardAllStartup27→42→57→72 [31→46→61→76]RecoveryTotal 74Advantage+55 (236K) is especially useful as he limited options to navigate around it. It will also clash with Gun Flame and win as one of the drills will nullify the flames. Using Eddie offensively is a bit harder as Gun Flame is a surprisingly good keep out tool. "Oppose" can be used after sending Eddie forward to catch the flames or Sol trying to kill him and then cancelled into another special, but Sol has a very easy time contesting Eddie pressure with gaps such as when Zato is far away.
    • 6P and 22H are used in conjunction to make Sol's life hard when approaching. 6P will beat many of Sol's key approach tools such as f.S and 6S as those moves lose to low profile. Sol has to rotate in 2S, 2D, 6H and special moves to beat you preempting him with 6P. Once he is rotating in other options you can begin to use your riskier normals such as 2S, 2D, and 5H to beat those options and you enter neutral RPS in which Zato has the upper hand. 22H will stop any grounded approach he tries which forces him into the air. 6P will then be your go to AA for stopping air buttons trying to move around 22H or "That's a Lot". Keep in mind that Sol can use Bandit Bringer in the air to stall and punish you for whiffing a 6P. Due to the angle, size, and delay-ability of Bandit Bringer it is very difficult to consistently anti air. Your best option is to simply blocking the move standing and either punish with 5P or try to create room to return to neutral. It's not viable to react to an immediate air button vs Bandit Bringer, this means there is a form of RPS around what air option Sol will pick, be careful not to default to only blocking or only using 6P.


Testament

Favorability Goes Here
  • Zato's win condition in this matchup is getting a knockdown, and suffocating Testament to defeat with relentless pressure and mixups. Testament has few defensive tools and slow specials, making the biggest threat to Zato a YRC or a burst.
  • Testament's win condition is keeping you out, walking you into the corner, then pressuring you to death against the wall. They have overwhelming and varied corner pressure.
  • Approaching Testament is an important part of this matchup. Mixing your approach between run, flight, and preemptive actions like Invite Hell, 2S and 6P will help winning interactions, and pressuring Testament from there.
  • Zato's 5K is a consistently safe meaty option vs Testament as 5K recovers fast enough to block reversal Calamity OneGGST Testament 236236K.pngGuardAllStartup11+4Recovery67Advantage-38. Additionally, even though it has too few active frames to both meaty and cover the invul of a backdash, 5K recovers fast enough to be anywhere from +5 to +8 against Testament reversal backdash.
  • "Oppose" blocks all versions of Grave ReaperGGST Testament j236S.pngGuardAllStartup16~22Recovery27Advantage-4 but they will still leave behind a Succubus. Additionally, "Oppose" blocks the CrowGGST Testament 214P.pngGuardAllStartup21RecoveryTotal 39Advantage+1 and prevents it from applying Stain State.
  • Both versions of Arbiter SignGGST Testament 214S.pngGuardLowStartup24Recovery26Advantage-12 can be punished from anywhere on screen if blocked with "Oppose" via Drunkard Shade > ]S[.
  • Zato's 22H ender in blockstrings is not as strong in this matchup as Testament f.SGGST Testament fS.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery18Advantage-7 reaches from the normal range you end up at. 6P is an option to call this out, it also will often beat or trade with 6HGGST Testament 6H1.pngGuardAllStartup23Recovery32Advantage-19. However, this will lose to Grave Reaper and a patient whiff punish.
  • Invite Hell(22H) can help in neutral situations to both destroy Grave ReaperGGST Testament j236S.pngGuardAllStartup16~22Recovery27Advantage-4's projectile, reach Testament from afar and punish their specials' startup/recovery, and on hit remove Stain State.
  • While Testament's zoning and pressure can appear suffocating, Drills beat Testament's projectiles. Drills can be cancelled into Oppose on reaction to defend against, and punish, Arbiter SignGGST Testament 214S.pngGuardLowStartup24Recovery26Advantage-12.
  • Testament's 2P will win against Eddie's second "Pierce" hit. Testament's 2K clashes with it, killing Eddie.

Overview | Frame Data | Matchups | Counterstrategy | Reverse Matchup Return to Top


Round Start


Common Round Start Interaction Table
Testament's Button Loses To Beats Trades Whiffs
6PGGST Testament 6P.pngGuardAllStartup11Recovery15Advantage-7
f.SGGST Testament fS.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery18Advantage-7
2SGGST Testament 2S.pngGuardLowStartup10Recovery18Advantage-7
236SGGST Testament j236S.pngGuardAllStartup16~22Recovery27Advantage-4
j.236HGGST Testament j236S.pngGuardAllStartup13~19Recovery21Advantage+2
Walk Back

Notable Interactions


Neutral


Offense


Defense



Zato-1

 Zato-1The classic 6-6 matchup.
Even
  • Eddie is very good at killing himself, and 22H is excellent at keeping him out.
  • Zato's bad defensive options are rough when fighting himself.
  • Any of the advice here is applicable both as the attacker and the defender.

Overview | Frame Data | Matchups | Counterstrategy | Reverse Matchup Return to Top


Round Start


Common Round Start Interaction Table
Zato's Button Loses To Beats Trades Whiffs
2PGGST Zato-1 2P.pngGuardAllStartup6Recovery9Advantage-3
6PGGST Zato-1 6P.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery12Advantage-6
f.SGGST Zato-1 f.S.pngGuardAllStartup10Recovery23Advantage-12
2SGGST Zato-1 2S.pngGuardAllStartup11Recovery20Advantage-10
2DGGST Zato-1 2D.pngGuardLowStartup10Recovery17Advantage-9
Walk Back 5HGGST Zato-1 5H.pngGuardAllStartup13Recovery19Advantage-9

Notable Interactions


Neutral


Neutral in the mirror is complicated as Zato is very capable of zoning himself out but is equally incapable of approaching when another Zato is zoning. There are two basic methods in neutral to use. Either you have to use 22H and various Eddie summons like Drills and Oppose to kill the opponent's Eddie allowing you to approach with normals or Eddie options. Or you can attempt to play a more rushdown style with a lot of dashblocking, dash jumping, and instant flight to vary your forward movement. The former is the better style when the life is even or you have a life lead, the latter better when you have a severe life deficient or are low on time in the round.

  • The first style is the more lame and safer of the two.
    • Eddie drills is an extremely strong tool for controlling space in the mirror and killing the opponents Eddie. Sequences like 214H > ]K[ > 236K or 214H can stop an opponents Eddie from approaching almost entirely and allow you to reset the neutral situation. Zato has few options around this without putting himself in a blockstring on purpose. Flying over is likely to get you 6P'd or Air Thrown, and most Eddie moves will get Eddie killed by the lingering drills hitbox.
    • Using Invite Hell can stop the other Zato from moving Eddie forward as it lingers for a very long time and also is strong in stopping Zato himself from approaching. Especially, when done behind Oppose this is a very safe way to create a zone of control. Note that if done from closer than 3/4 screen Zato can react to an Invite hell with flight forward j.H or j.D if he is already in the air. Neutral jumping at a little outside of buttons range is an overall strong option vs Zato.
    • Release Pierce is very strong
    • The riskiest part of this playstyle, and thus the part you can target, is an unsummon. If you have Eddie out and the opponent unsummons you can often Drunkard Shade > Eddie release move like ]K[ or ]S[ for either a full punish or a free approach in neutral. Even if you don't have Eddie out and ready this is a key point where you need to either approach as Zato or summon Eddie and move him forward, both gain you advantage in screen space.
  • The second neutral style is the typical one Zato must play vs other Zoners, it also works when fighting himself. The downside is that Zato can often convert blocked zoning into pressure and mix, so by playing aggressively in neutral with Zato in the mirror you are risking being put in pressure. For this to be effective you must be aware of the gaps in Zato's pressure and be able to exploit them, and be effective at mixing up your approach options in neutral.

Offense


Defense




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