Bafael Zangief SFV BnBs

Zangief SFV BnB guide by Bafael
Command list:
Screw Pile Driver - 360+punch, SPD
Double Lariat - PPP, spinning lariat
Borscht Dynamite - 360+punch midair, air SPD
Siberian Express - HCB+kick, running bear grab


Anti airs:

Lariat - Gief's main AA. Good damage, knockdown, and seems to shrink his hurtbox. Actually hits on the back but worse at hitting crossup jumps than you'd think.
cr. HP - Very tall and decently powerful. Doesnt' shrink his hurtbox and bad at hitting directly over his head as it moves forward somewhat. Less committal than Lariat when anti airing from afar.
st. LP - Really tall hitbox, great for pre-empting crossups and preventing corner escape. Works from closer than his cr. HP. Doesn't shrink his hurtbox and somewhat unrewarding. Fundamentally important as it's his best AA when close (where his mixup works) and it keeps opponents in the corner (unlike lariat)
st. HK - Doesn't shrink his hurtbox but tall enough to anti air pre-emptively and can crush counter. Juggle to another st. HP, lariat, or air EX SPD from easiest and least rewarding to hardest and most rewarding.

Gief doesn't particularly need a jump back AA because jab is fine for anti airing close jumps. He can also anti air with a quick jump EX air SPD but it's difficult to get it out in time.


Punish combos:

HP SPD (240 damage, 250 stun) - A pretty strong punish and pretty straightforward. Doesn't work after jump in attacks and stuff so you need...
f+HP, st. LK xx lariat (207, 423) - Good for after jump ins. You have to hold forward for the lariat to reach. It's worth noting this also does significantly more stun.
f+HP, cr. MP xx CA (474, 290) - Best super combo I could come up with. Spin fast!


Punish combos USING V-trigger:

st. HP xx trigger (maximum hold), st. HP (charged) (335, 490) - Doesn't add that much damage for the price of your whole v-meter, but is stronger than his normal punishes.
st. HP xx trigger (maximum hold), EX air SPD (384, 490) - A decent damage increase for one bar.

Punish combos IN V-trigger:

f+HP, cr. MP xx trigger (medium hold) (250, 450) - Note that you have to already be in v-trigger to do this combo. Can still follow jump ins and does dramatically more stun than just an SPD, but uses up some trigger meter.
f+HP, cr. MP xx trigger (maximum hold), st. HP (charged) (389, 630) - Adds quite a lot of damage but uses up your trigger.
f+HP, cr. MP xx trigger (maximum hold), EX air SPD (438, 630) - 1 bar version.


Crush counter punishes:

st. HP, (walk in?) HP SPD (336, 405) - How far you need to move is based on your starting range.
st. HP, MK running bear grab (300, 360) - easier and has more corner carry (important!) but does noticably less damage.
st. HP, (walk in) f+HP, cr. MP xx CA (538, 440)

(from afar)
st. HP, (walk in) cr. HK (210, 315) - Gief has a really hard time converting a CC punish from afar.
st. HP, v-trigger (maximum hold), st. HP (charged) (355, 520) - a good conversion from max range but resource heavy
st. HP, v-trigger (maximum hold), EX air SPD (404, 520) - even more resource heavy
st. HP, v-trigger (no hold), CA (440, 180) - uses 2 more bars than previous combo but keeps v-trigger as a resource. Potentially useful in heavy fireball matchups like Ryu, but usually unoptimal compared to the previous combo.


Ranged Punishes:

cr. HK (100, 150) - Goes far enough to punish most unsafe attacks, but somewhat unrewarding
LP SPD (180, 250) - Pretty good at grabbing attacks even quite far out, not bad for punishing.
st. LK xx CA (390, 70) - st. LK is his farthest range button that can reasonably punish something, and with really quick spinning you can cancel into super (works even at max range, only won't work when you're hitting an extended hurtbox from an attack's recovery). Just st. LK by itself is still a good punish by merit of its enormous range, since it often hits when nothing else will, and you can even cancel to running bear for a reset.


Confirm combos:

All of gief's previous f+HP combos function as confirms. Here are some others:

cr. MP, st. LK xx lariat (167, 323) - note this also combos to CA instead of lariat.
st. MP, CA (430, 100)
st. HP xx trigger (don't hold), CA (420, 150) - safely puts you into v-trigger on block, can combo super on reaction
v-skill (hold), CA (410, 100) - Gief can super on reaction to the flex hitting.


Confirm combos (light normals):

cr. LP, st. LK xx lariat (137, 293) - knockdown conversion from lights.
cr. LK, cr. LP, cr. LP (81, 189) - Max damage from a low w/o super.
cr. LK, cr. LK, CA (377, 133) - You can also cancel into the super but linking it is much easier.
cr. LK, cr. LP, cr. LP xx trigger (medium hold) (165, 329) - only way to combo out of 3 light normals w/o super
cr. LK, cr. LP, cr. LP xx trigger (maximum hold), st. HP (charged) (292, 473) - You can do 2 light normals here but the damage loss is minimal and the extra confirm time is appreciated.
cr. LK, cr. LP xx trigger (maximum hold), EX air SPD (341, 473) - Here the damage loss is notable for 3 light normals so try to confirm off two.


Confirm combos (crush counter):

st. HP (full charge), dash in HP SPD (372, 465) - This works at all ranges because the reel is now long enough for a dash.
st. HK, st. HP (198, 315) - works even from almost max range
st. HK, f+HP (198, 360) - Good okizeme and damage equal to lariat. Point blank only.
st. HK, EX air SPD (288, 360)


counter hit BnBs:

f+MK, st. LK - the most useful one. I can say with absolute certainty you can do f+MK watching for counter hit and react when you get it with the st. LK xx lariat cancel. It makes f+MK a fantastic poke.
cr. LP, cr. MP
st. MK, CA
cr. MK, CA
v-skill (hold), cr. LP, cr. LP - If you get the counter hit and you don't have super, you might as well get the free damage from this ender.


midair connect and juggles:

anti air st. HK (CC), f+HP
anti air st. HK (CC), EX air SPD