tips on how to play zidane?

[axeeeeL]

hey guys, i just got the game last week and i need some tips to help improve my game with zidane. i can combo pretty well and i pretty much have the DCs down, but other than that, i suck.

for starters, i'm not really sure how to play mindgames with zidane at all. my moveset consists of:

brv ground-
rumble rush
nothing
nothing

brv air-
swift attack -> meo twister
vortex (should i have this or storm impulse?)
tempest

hp ground-
stellar circle
nothing
nothing

hp air-
free energy
shift break
nothing

i've been looking around threads and i see people saying that you should hit people with the bolts on shift break instead of trapping them, but i'm not too sure what to do with stellar circle. if you guys think i should change anything on my moveset, then please do tell.

overall, i'm not too sure on how to play zidane well. any tips / help would be very much appreciated.

EDIT: if it helps, i have basically everything in the game since i copied a 100% complete file onto my memory stick.

[OmniFalcon]

A good zidane player knows how to do his dodge cancel combos. Vortex is integral to starting these combos, so yes you should equip this. One basic combo is vortex, doge, then swift attack into meo twister. Playing mindgames with zidane involves keeping on their toes and being unpredictable. Constantly try switching between brv and hp attack and make good use of omni air dash to fake out your opponent. You might also wanna try equipoping grand lethal, but dont spam it. Try reading some guides and watching vids to learn tome helpful tehchiques for zidane.

[ShineThatLight]

If you like comboing then go ahead and keep Vortex. You don't really NEED Stellar5 on, but if you like it don't let me be the one to stop you. The mind games usually involve Dashing and whiffing Swift Attack just out of range and then hitting with it. Also make sure you switch up between Free Energy and Swift. Keep in mind you don't really mindgame CPU's these only come in play for fighting other opponents online or IRL

[axeeeeL]

- well, i look around and see that some people prefer storm impulse rather than vortex, so i would like some input on this.

- my main combo is: vortex -> TDC -> vortex -> FDC -> tempest -> DC -> swift attack -> meo twister.

- how many repeats of a move can you do? like, for example, i know that zidane can infinite by repeating vortex -> TDC -> vortex, but infinites aren't allowed in "kaos" rules, right? how many times can i repeat vortex(if it's allowed at all)? i usually use vortex twice in a combo before using tempest, is that okay?

- shouldnt i just use multi air slide+ and FAD rather than OAD? i find it difficult to land combos without FAD.

- to mindgame with dashing, is OAD required?

- what is whiffing? as far as i can tell, from your description of it, it is missing the first couple of hits on purpose and making them guard so you hit with the second one.

[ShineThatLight]

- well, i look around and see that some people prefer storm impulse rather than vortex, so i would like some input on this.
Well that's just how it is, some people prefer other things, keep in mind Tempest will only work online if you are hosting the match.

- my main combo is: vortex -> TDC -> vortex -> FDC -> tempest -> DC -> swift attack -> meo twister.
That's good, but you can't Vortex -> Vortex

- how many repeats of a move can you do? like, for example, i know that zidane can infinite by repeating vortex -> TDC -> vortex, but infinites aren't allowed in "kaos" rules, right? how many times can i repeat vortex(if it's allowed at all)? i usually use vortex twice in a combo before using tempest, is that okay?
No this is not okay, you may as well be going Vortex -> Vortex -> Tempest -> Tempest -> Swift Attack. So long answer short; two of the same moves in a combo (usually) an infinite.

- shouldnt i just use multi air slide+ and FAD rather than OAD? i find it difficult to land combos without FAD.
Personally, I too find it a lot easier to use FAD and MAS, not OAD. But some people do prefer OAD. If you like FAD more just keep it.

- to mindgame with dashing, is OAD required?
No

- what is whiffing? as far as i can tell, from your description of it, it is missing the first couple of hits on purpose and making them guard so you hit with the second one.
That is exactly what it is, you miss just out of range of their block, Swift Attack is so fast you can just hit again as soon as their block ends.

Answered in quote.

[axeeeeL]

alright, thanks for the tips, but why will tempest only work on host?

and if anybody has more tips they can give me, it would be appreciated :D

[ShineThatLight]

Its just some weird glitch, if you aren't hosting they will fall out of Tempest.
A few misc. tips:

-Don't use stand alone Tempest
-Don't forget Zidane doesn't have to combo, when it comes down to it, he's a chipper. Swift Attack and Free Energy are your best friends.
-Learn the range of Shift Break
-Stay in the air, that is where you should be comfortable
-Swift Attack is fast

[Spike]

Learn Shift Break's Max range (try to look at my vids at see the maximum horizontal range and vertical range of Shift break. vid vs kefka has the horizontal max range while the vid vs squall ahs the verical max range), use SI or Vortex to your own discretion (it will be up to you to judge what is more useful to you), Tempest as a counter only in Hp attacks, Swift attacks, range and cooldown, Free energy's uses, mindgames using all of zidane's arsenal of attacks (if you will be using Grand Lethal).

Also, try to remove Stellar Circle5 since Zidane will mostly be in the air and SC5 will just consume 20 CP and it is a waste. Also, SC5 has terrible lag time so you will be punished heavily for that.

Learn interrupting attacks using Swift attack. Also, try to know your opponent's attack and see what you can punish. but if you are tremendously great at mindgames, swift and free energy would suffice. but against mages like kefka, Shift brek will be your best friend. :D

EDIT:Sorry for exploiting my vids but I think they can help.

[533787655464]

Its just some weird glitch, if you aren't hosting they will fall out of Tempest.
A few misc. tips:

-Don't use stand alone Tempest
-Don't forget Zidane doesn't have to combo, when it comes down to it, he's a chipper. Swift Attack and Free Energy are your best friends.
-Learn the range of Shift Break
-Stay in the air, that is where you should be comfortable
-Swift Attack is Swift

Fixed, yo.