-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
Sir "O" Presents: The second Zangief FAQ
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
by Sir0rion@aol.com 
If or when you e-mail me with questions or comments
about this FAQ, make the subject Zangief2, or
I'll delete it. By the way, if you want
to IM me, (assuming you have AIM,) it's just
Sir 0rion. Both are spelled with a zero,
not an O. My e-mail address has no space in
it. Feel free to e-mail me anytime and I'll
try my best to respond quickly.

-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
Copyright info:
Let's make this simple. Anything Marvel is copyrighted
Marvel, anything Capcom is copyrighted Capcom and I
have no affiliation with either of them. I take credit only
for the effort I put into this FAQ. I PERSONALLY own
the sole legal rights to usage of the name "Sir 0rion",
meaning noone but me is allowed to publish ANYTHING under
this name without my expressed consent (but then again,
that goes with any FAQ, so it doesn't really matter).

-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
Note:
This FAQ assumes you have at least a general knowledge of
this game. If you have a hard time grasping some of the concepts
listed here, please refer to CJayC's guide near the top of this FAQ 
list.

Versions:

5/7/00; 0.5: "first version"

5/18/00 1.0: The TRUE first version. Added some decent info, 
             corrected some mistakes like not putting the RBG or
             FPB in the FAQ (I KNEW they must be in the game!).
             Added Zangief's tag moves.

5/21/00 2.0: Listed even MORE moves I'd forgotten, added a new 
             chapter, edited some grammatical and spelling errors.

5/24/00 2.2: Ag... it figures that I screwed up a move's input
             command... thank you to all the people who pointed
             it out politely (and one unnamed person, who was 
             pretty mean about it). I did a LOT of editing,
	     adding two new charts, one contrasting Zangief to 
	     Mech Zangief, and the other pointing out Zangief's
	     pros and cons. Extended a few sections- a big update,
	     but probably not the biggest (yet).
             
5/28/00 2.5: Very big update (still most likely not the biggest),
                    and just about every chapter got changed. A lot more
                   editing and added a LOT to Zangief's main chapter (3). 

6/21/00 3.0: Whoa!! I had a whole TON of spelling errors! I           
                    corrected  several of those mistakes and added some 
                    more Zangief strategy info. 

6/22/00 5.0: THIS is the biggest update. I corrected some 
                    grammatical and spelling errors, and I added a whole
                    TON of characters in the "Vs." section

7/11/00  5.2: Added about 10 more characters to the "Vs." section,
                    and "fixed" chapter 9.
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
Contents:
(1: From the mouth of Sir 0rion
(2: To all newcomers (The story of MvC2)
(3: Zangief, his enemies, and his followers
   -Zangief as a person
   -Zangief as a fighter
(4: Abbvs
(5: What are Zangief's moves?
(5.5: Zangief's general strategies
(6: Mech Zangief
(7: Vs. Strategies
(8: Other Cool Stuff
(9: The Ending
(10: Thanks

-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
Chapter 1: From the mouth of Sir 0rion

Man, oh man; Zangief is a hard person to write an FAQ for.
Constant updates have been required on my part, even though
my time and money are short. Another thing that bugs me are people that e-mail 
or IM me saying that "Zangief can't hold his own in a REAL battle", or "He's 
too slow to do anything good against guys in LA/China Town" (I'm not gonna 
name names, let's leave it at that having been said). Well, I say (and I 
always will) that he's a force to be reckoned with if you know how to use him 
PROPERLY, and anyone who says otherwise just hasn't spent enough time (and 
*sigh* money) getting good with him and just stopped trying. To those people I 
say this: Pick someone else. Zangief requires actual SKILL to use! He's not a 
shotgun-you-to-death Cable, he's not a sho-ryu-ken shoto, he's not a pixie 
like Spidey; he's not even really a massive giant like Juggernaut! What he IS 
is a wrestler that has to get in and trick a person into his arms. He's a big 
guy that has to show the world that he's not the snail he once was, and that 
he can get in there and combo people to kingdom-come. He's a person with two 
modes that completely change his style, and he has to time each and every move 
to precision in order to win. If you can't play as an expert's character, then 
close this FAQ and give up. If you want to learn his moves and similarly learn 
how to kick the royal cr*p out of an opponent, then read on.

-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
Chapter 2: To all newcomers (The story of MvC2)

Marvel vs. Capcom 2 is full of surprises. 
My first experience with this game was an ackward 
one. It was at an arcade at an amusement
park that has just re-opened. I put my money in, and I saw the 
massive amount of characters... their faces were a tad blurred
in resolution (30" diagonal screen), and I had one heck of a time
deciding on some characters. Next, the player modes were VERY 
confusing at first glance. Probably the biggest shock, and quite
frankly a disappointment, was the 4-attack button gameplay
that, while undeniably Capcom in every way, had me asking the
arcade manager if he'd put the game on simple mode(if you're not
familiar with arcade options, it's a mode in MvC1 that had
the game always on easy mode). The switching options
were also confusing, and I found myself pressing 1PK and 2PK
back and forth trying to learn which buttons selected which
guy to do what... not a pleasant experience... 
Also, as the Capcom veteran that I am, I had beaten the 
game around the 3rd or 4th time around; and then I
get the misfortune to see that there are NO personal
character endings to be seen! Lastly, my final
(and most devastating, for that matter) shock was that Roll,
my favorite character in the ENTIRE Capcom world was not only
time-release, but she's supposedly one of the LAST ones that 
become released!!! Not all these surprises were bad, however, as 
I state firmly that the cinematic graphics (not that I
play only for eye candy) are second to none in that Capcom
world, with what they call "perspective 3-D" graphics, meaning
that depending on were the "camera" is, it looks like it's 
looking at the level (or on a team victory scene, the characters)
from the angle of the camera. All of the characters are fully
compatible and have just about every option you could really
want or expect from Capcom. Just about EVERYONE who was
in a crossover game, plus 20+ others made it into the final
draft of this game. The 4-ab (attack button) gameplay WAS
tragic, but since middle-level punches and kicks are/were
rarely used in the series other than to call out partners for 
quick shots or in combos, it wasn't all that much of a 
change for me. All-in-all, I think Capcom has a keeper here.
(By the way, keep an eye out for my "Tactics" FAQ for this game,
describing various fighting styles.)

-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
Chapter 3: Zangief, his enemies, and his followers
(Your eyes will hurt by the end of this chapter... unless
 you're into history lessons, skip to the next section.)

Zangief's been given a bad rap over the years. There's a
good reason behind this, however: he SUCKED in his first
appearance. Classic gamers, remember if you will a bad
Mr. T knockoff in the early 1990's (SF2). A slow nobody
who had only two special moves and no ground OR air game.
Little changed through the next few years- in SF Turbo
(Hyper Fighting), he got a kick lariat that dodged fireballs...
and his attack power went kerplop. Nothing changed in Super
SF2, either. In Super SF2 Turbo, he got a new attack- the Green 
glove... an attack that did NOTHING good.
After SSFTT came SF Alpha (Zero)2 (he wasn't in SFA1), 
where he was "rebuffed"(no pun intended) to look (and be) stronger. Not only 
that, but they remade his Green Glove into the attack more commonly known as 
the Banishing Fist! People were
somewhat surprised to see Zangief with a FIREBALL attack 
(such as it is...); thus his underground fan club started to grow.
The only problem was, even with this improvement, he still
lacked the certain something to push him over the top. Next,
came the crossover series; starting with XMvsSF! In it, the
addition of super jumps, crossover-counters, and more visually
impressive super moves (now renamed "hyper-combos") brought Zangief players to 
a new level!!! He still had a couple problems though; for one thing, they 
still had the hard-to-initiate supers.
Zangief players had to do two 360s on the joystick to pull off
a Final Atomic Buster; which sucked because it was hard enough
for players to get used to super-jumping, Ryu's Shinku
hadoken, and X-men players, because some people never played 
X-men; children of the atom, or MSH: the gem wars. To make a 
(REALLY) long story short, he once again failed to meet 
expectations. Next came a great game; MvsSF! In it, all the
HCs were made infinitely easier, and Zang was at an all-time high;
that is he would have been, except he still only had one HC,
he was still relatively slow, and he didn't *quite* have all his 
power, so the other muscle-giants (Hulk and Blackheart) stole the 
show. Next, in MvsC, where he got a Lvl 3 HC, and the ability to 
TRANSFORM! His grabs (although a little weaker) were MUCH easier to do and had 
better range, his normal attacks and BF did MORE (yes, more) damage, and he 
could do MANY more combos. However, I was wrong in saying he was at his
peak at MvC1. Due to popular (and my) demand, Zangief
has gotten ALL his throws back to full strength. His FAB
is even MORE usable, and he got a tad more speed, even
in MZ mode. Scapegoat to scrubs everywhere, (which fully
describes his relationship to the gaming community) he
is one of the lesser-played Capcom guys, but he's got a 
whole ton of tricks to work with, and if you take the 
time to like him, you'll see the improvements on your
win/loss record. 

-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
Zangief as a person
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
Zangief is often considered stupid (literally) because A, he's 
a wrestler (isn't that enough?) and B, because of his manner 
towards people. He's far from it, though. Although a tad 
overzealous, he's a respected Russian diplomat and tactician. None
of this, however appears on MvC1 or 2 for some reason, but does come up from 
time to time on games like the SF Alpha series, Gem/Pocket
Fighter, and one of the rare Street Fighter EX games (I forgot which, it 
wasn't SFEX+a). In this game, he's the arrogant, but slightly funloving guy he 
almost always is: confident in his about his abilities, and why shouldn't he 
be? He used to wrestle bears just 
for the heck of it (note the scars)! He was once in the mountains
of Tibet (?) on a small mission, when he got enveloped alone in a
tornado! It spun him around and slammed him into the ground; and
when it seems any normal man would've DIED from it, Zangief merely arose and 
laughed into the heavens, having found his inspiration for the all-powerful 
SPINNING PILEDRIVER!!! No wonder he likes to fight the Hulk and other big 
guys, huh?

-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zangief as a fighter [pros and cons]
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pros:
+He has power. His attacks do a lot of damage.
+He's around average speed (unexpected but true)
+His special throws can easily set other moves up
+He can combo into some throws
+His throws (except the launcher) do a great deal of damage
+He has two modes (Zangief and Mech Zangief)

Cons:
-He can still be outsped by pixies
-His launcher (punch, not throw) is harder to access
-He has no true projectiles
-He has no beam (like Mega Optic Blast) or "spaz" 
 (like Final Justice) supers.

Pro/cons:
+/-: You can't perform a super jump by KK; you have to do the
     down-up motion. Instead, KK does a special move.
+/-: He can't dash, instead he slides forward slowly. However,
     if he touches an opponent during the slide, he grabs them
     and can follow up with a throw.
+/-: You can't "dash" by PP (much like super jumping), you have to
     tap forward twice. Also like KK, however, PP does a special
     move too.

The run-down:

# of command moves: 4

# of special moves: 9

# of supers: 4

Air combo finishers: KK SL, 2P, 2K

Attack Power (overall): 8.75 [+ 1.25 as MZ]
-Attack power based on a scale, Roll being at the bottom (around 
2/10), Juggernaut on top (9.75)-

Zangief's attacks (averaged out) are very decent. As far as damage
is concerned, he can really dish it out. His normal throws do 
anywhere from 1/8 lifebar to 1/3 (which, if you think about it,
is pretty damned good)- SPD and special throws included. FAB
and UAB also dish out some massive damage. [Add about 1/10
a lifebar's damage to Zangief's 2P/K, Specials, and throws
as Mech Zangief. He has power to match Juggy's "Power UP!"
mode as MZ]

Defense power: 7.75 [+ 1.25/-6.0 as MZ]
-Based again on a sliding scale, Strider/Akuma[Gouki] on bottom,
Iron Man on top-

Zangief can really take a beating if need be, but you really 
shouldn't make him a target if you can possibly avoid it.
[As Mech-Zangief, his defense sky-rockets (First score), and he 
can stop a comboer halfway through a serious combo and have only lost
an eighth of his life, the comboer having lost around 2/5, 
however (second score) if someone gets a chance to whack him
with a beam super, it will cut through him like a knife]

Speed: 7.0 [- 3.0 as MZ]
-Juggernaut on bottom, Spiderman (don't be mad, there are many chars
as fast or slightly faster than him, he's just an example) on top-

Contrary to (very) popular belief, Zangief is actually pretty fast in
terms of walking, jumping and normal/command move speed. He's just
about Ryu's speed (not too fast, not too slow), which is slow for a 
shotokan, but pretty damned quick for a big guy. [His speed does a 
nose-dive as Mech Zangief]

Comboability: 7.5 [- 7.25 as MZ]
-Juggernaut again on bottom, Wolverine (1) on top.-

Zangief's not the combo machine he once was (due mainly to the
inaccessibility of his two launchers), but he can still get his
licks in (stop being perverts and take that as it was meant to
be taken!) against even the speediest comboers. [As Mech-Zangief,
forget about it. He can do NO air combos, and only VERY basic
(we're talking in the field of 2-hit) ground combos]

-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zangief's MvC1-MvC2 conversion chart
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 -What he's (in some cases re)gained:-
1.His power from XvSF!!! 
2.The juggling Spinning Lariat
3.The projectile-dodging lariat
4.The ability to catch enemies that are a little bit in the air with
  an FAB
5.A little more speed and agility (something he REALLY needs)

 -What he's lost...-
1. The "Nngh" sound of his taunt (replaced by a "heeyah!" sound)
2. A pop-up spinning lariat
3. His cheap triple option (yes, it IS cheap!)

-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
4: Abbvs
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
C = turn 
360 = A full circle on the arcade pad
270 = 3/4 of a turn on the arcade pad
AC = Air Combo
MvSF = Marvel vs. Street Fighter
XMvsSF = X-men vs. Street Fighter
MvC1 = Marvel vs Capcom 1
MvC2 = "      "    "    2
SPD = Spinning Piledriver
RBG = Running Bear Grab
FPB = Flying Powerbomb
P/KSPL = Punch/Kick Spinning Lariat
U/FAB = Ultra/Final Atomic Buster
Mph = Mech-Zangief morph
MZ = Mech-Zangief
SWF = Siberian Wild Fire
SB = Siberian Blizzard
1/4 & 1/2 = well, what do YOU think?
Fwd, Bck, DBck, DFwd = Forward, Back, Diagonal Back and Forth
DPM = Dragon punch Motion
a-o = air only
g-o = ground only
g/a = ground or air

The Buttons-
Picture the arcade pad.

O     O     O
1P    2P    S1
O     O     O
1K    2K    P2

P = Either punch button
K = Either kick button
PP = both punch buttons
KK = "    kick   "
1PK/2PK = the switch outs, 1P+1K/2P+2K

-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
Chapter 5: What are Zangief's moves?

I won't go into his normal moves, because it's easy to figure them
out. Anyway:

-Team moves-
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
These are Zangief's assist modes. Following in a long line of
FAQ writers for MvC2, I'll add my opinions of each assist.

a: SL/Mega Lariat*

This is his worst assist. That doesn't mean it's bad, mind you;
but in order for there to be a best, there had to be a worst
by default. The lariat is a fair anti-air, but that's about it.

b: Running Bear Grab/Mega Lariat*

This is my personal favorite. Canceling a close-range super
into an FAB is great on it's own, but it doesn't stop there!
The best use of this move is to screw over people that try
as often as possible to run in and do ground combos. Abuse this
as much as you want, especially as MZ.

~: Flying Powerbomb/Mega Lariat*

This is decent for anti-air if nothing else. You can fight jumpers
with.

* The mega lariat is Zangief's team super move. The does an SL
  all the way across the screen. You can use it on it's own by performing a 
team super while he's only at level one, but due to the recovery (he taunts 
afterwards as if he were tagging out) and the lack of damage it does, I don't 
recommend doing it that way. It's much better to have some sort of backup 
super at the same time.

-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
Body Splash: D + 2P (a-o)
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
Zangief's main air offensive. Looks low on priority, but it's 
actually fairly decent. Not much on it's own, but... well 
I'll give more on this in the SPD section.

-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
Elbow Drop: D + 1P (a-o)
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
His secondary air move. It can be used for two purposes: first,
if you see a Ryu or mock-Ryu (Morrigan, anyone?), and you're
seeing a shinku hadoken (or the like) coming (ESPECIALLY in
Mech-Zangief mode), coming, super jump and elbow drop on him!
Looks of suprise and laughter on your part are imminent,
and rightfully so.

-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
Knee Drop D + 1K (a-o)
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
Hmmm... this move doesn't have the priority of the body
splash, nor the speed and power of the elbow drop. It
can still knock out some specials, but not nearly as much
as elbow/splash. Use the other air moves instead.

-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
Ground Elbow Drop B + P (g-o)
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
Basicly the same as the air elbow drop, except not really that 
useful.

-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
Rushing throw attempt Forward x 2 (quickly), if grabbed, 2P/2K
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
Zangief's dash is an odd one. People have made the mistake of calling it a bad 
dash because they don't know it's true purpose. If Zangief touches an opponent 
during his dash, he grabs and holds them for awhile. If you press 2P, Zangief 
slams his opponent. If he presses 2K, he bites them repeatedly for a few 
seconds. This is a very good move to surprise an over-offensive opponent. 
Zangief IS the supreme grappler, after all!

-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
Launcher Throw[tentative name] QCB + P (g-o)
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
Zangief grabs an opponent (the grab damage is VERY minimal), 
and throws them into the air. Acts just like a launcher.

-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
Spinning Piledriver: 360 + P (g/a)
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
Yes! SPD has gotten it's full power back!!! You can use the 
body splash to combo into it (if they block), and it'll confuse
them to no end! Use this move to counter anything short range
(e.g. blocked combos, dragon punch clones, etc), or just as
a wake up call. Easily does at least 1/5 of a life bar
damage.

-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
Banishing Fist(or flat, it doesn't matter): dpm + punch (g-o)
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
This is normal Zangief's fireball, of sorts. Basically, he
spins and throws a flaming punch. It does fantastically
in ground combos, but Zangief doesn't want to play a
100% ground game, so don't overuse this move. 

-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
Spinning lariat: PP/KK (g/a)
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
This is another Zangief original. Basically,
he spins around, arms extended, and tries 
to hit the moron who'd jump in on him.
KK is quicker, but PP is stronger. The good thing is
that now it juggles for 3-5 hits(!), AND it cancels/combos into
an FAB (very easily, I might add)!! One more thing that will
please classic Zangief users (like me) to no possible end, the
Lariat DODGES PROGECTILES again!!! The only clause is that 
the projectile contact time must be shorter than the time he spins,
or he'll get hit at the very end of the move (ex: War Machine's
2K/P shoulder cannon).

-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
Running Bear Grab 
(Atomic Suplex alternate): 1/2 C FwD + k (g-o)
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
Not exactly his cup of tea, but he can do okay with
this. First of all, this can be one of two moves, if
you are right next to the opponent (Atomic 
suplex), you start to pull of the UAB, but stop before the SPD
kicks in. It's okay, but I'd do a SPD any day. If you catch
them when Zangief's running, he leaps into the air with them and 
slams them into the ground (Running Bear Grab).

-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
Flying Powerbomb: dpm + k (g-o)
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
This would be pretty good if it wasn't
so F*CKING SLOW! It's his basic 
flying-uppercut type move, but you 
simply can't DO anything with it! 
Some people use it as a mode of transportation...
I never found that any good; especially compared to his
super jump.

-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
Final Atomic Buster: 270 C PP !HYPER! (g-o)
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
What can I say? This is an AMAZING hyper! People KNOW 
when you catch them with this that they're in for a wild ride
with devastating results. Zang walks
forward with a little super armor and if he grabs the opponent
(which now can be caught in the AIR!),he does two
back-breakers and two SPDs. One last note; to do any damage
more than a 2P SPD, you HAVE to do the Red Spinning FAB

-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
Red Spinning Final Atomic Buster (follow up to FAB or UAB)
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
By doing continual 360's rapidly, Zangief turns red on the
final SPD of the move, and he adds an explosion and damage.
It will add an additional 10% damage. This is important, because  
it can mean the difference between the enemy losing in 
obscurity and switching out to recover after the move is over.

-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
Ultra Atomic Buster: 270 + KK !!!Level 3 HYPER!!!(g-o)
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
Hell yeah! This is what it should have been in MvC1! Yeah, it
looks exactly the same and it's still hard to connect, but it's
SO much better now! Why, you ask? First of all, instead of the
measly 40% it did in MvC1, it has become the (and yes, I HAVE
checked my sources) strongest move in the game (don't talk to me
about Otoko Michi, because that damages Dan too, so it's more of an equalizer 
than a power move). The move does 75-80% lifebar damage, making it 
approximately DOUBLE the damage of Chaos Dimension (Shuma Players, don't get 
mad, don't forget CD's a lot easier to connect than UAB, so it balances out) 
and can do even more damage than a double... nay even a TRIPLE team super!!! 
Second, it's a tad(I emphasize a TAD) more versatile (you can catch them if 
they're up to your waist, but not any higher). Third, now that the max level 
of hyper stocks is 5 instead of 3, you can afford to whiff one. Okay, that was 
the good news; here's the bad. You absolutely, positively, can NOT combo into 
it! Blocked hits, 
launchers, lariats, it doesn't matter, you HAVE to do the move 
_on_it's_own_! The range (although improved) also kinda sucks,
(still) being less than an SPD. The move itself is as follows:
if Zangief grabs his opponent, he does a power bomb, a suplex, a
HIGH suplex, then he tosses the opponent ABOVE the top of the 
level(!), and does an SPD from all the way up there, resulting in
an explosion. 

-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
Mech-Zangief Change: Backwards dpm + KK !HYPER!(g-o)
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
He becomes Mech-Zangief. For more info, refer to next chapter.

-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
Siberian Wildfire: 1/2 C FwD, P (MZ only)(g-o)
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
Mech-Zangief taunts and lets out a large flame (mocking Dhalsim).
This is good for a few reasons: one, it juggles; two, it's an 
actual projectile (or as close as Zangief's gonna get to one);
three, it's highly prioritized because of his mega-armor.
Not too bad. Use against jump-ins.

-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
Siberian Blizzard: 270 C, KK !HYPER! (MZ Only)(g-o)
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
The move that replaced UAB, although it's not too good.
Think of Ken's Shin ryu ken with less anti-air ability, and 
you got it. FAB and UAB are better.


-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
Chapter 5.5: Zangief's General Strategies

This is a basic do-don't chapter that covers what you should (and 
shouldn't) do in battle situations.

Things Zangief should do:

1: Keep on the offensive. Keep those attacks coming in a balanced
   movement. Don't let enemies, especially fireballers get away
   from
   you for a second, or you could very well pay dearly.

2: Block often. Know when someone's planning a combo/air
   combo
   offensive, block it, and come back with a running throw or a 
   dash.

3: (Most important) Super jump VERY often!!! The absolute 
   BEST way
   to get in, with little room for argument, is a super jump,
   often followed by a splash or an elbow drop. 

4: Follow a PP Lariat with FAB. Simple, but useful. If you can 
   catch
   them with said lariat will get you a good 1/3 to almost 1/2 a
   lifebar easily.

5: Counter beams with a super jump to elbow drop! This is very 
    important because it will always throw off even the most 
    experienced opponents. As normal Zangief, the following 
    exceptions to this rule apply:
-Hyper Megaman (Megaman)
-Hyper Roll (Roll)
-Soul Destroyer (Morrigan)
-Proton Cannon (War Machine)
-Photon Cannon (Iron Man)

6: Experiment often! You never know what you can do without 
   trying!
   Work out ways to combo into his throws!

Things Zangief should NOT do:

1: Turtle. Don't misinterpret this. By turtling, I mean trying to
   block until an opponent gets tired of attacking, THEN going on 
   offensive. Remember, Zangief only has about an average   
   defense, and he was made to be an offensive character, not a    
   turtler; not to mention the fact that there's so many beamers that    
   can cut through a turtler like a knife.

2: Use high-recovery time moves without thinking. He can't afford 
    to be punished by a well-placed counter. Combo into is specials. 
    That's the key to victory.

3: Abuse the super armor of is running throws. 99.9 percent of the 
    time you use his super armor, the throw won't connect.

-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
Chapter 6:Mech-Zangief

When you become Mech-Zangief (as described above), Zangief will
go into his taunting stance, and let out a roar (assuming he's
not hit out of it), and become an alternately colored monster.
He can't block, and is slower, but he can't be phased by ANY
non-throw attacks (this means that he won't reel back, but he'll
instead just pause for a slight second. If Zangief was hard to
use, this guy is EXTREMELY difficult. If he gets beamed (a la 
Shinku Ha Do Ken, or something similar) and doesn't super-jump
above it on time (a tactic you HAVE to get used to with him),
he'll suck up the damage and get hurt REALLY bad.

Gained upon transformation:
+Mega Armor (explained above)
+More power
+A flashier explosion at the end of a red spinning FAB
+Siberian Wildfire 
+Siberian Blizzard

Lost upon transformation:
-A LOT of speed
-ANY AC ability (CAN'T do air combos!)
-All blocking ability
-The BF
-The UAB

Mech Zangief's Do's and Don'ts 

Do:

1: Stay on the offensive!!! It's even more important as Mech
    Zangief.

2: Counter comboers with throws. They never seem to learn.

3: Throw out the exceptions in the elbow drop tactic. He can 
    and SHOULD do the elbow drop on EVERY beam super.

4: Avoid beams of all kinds at all cost. They hurt.

Don't: 

1: Turtle!!! For the love of Pete, the man can't block! This
    should be the most obvious thing in this FAQ. 

2: Forget rule #1.
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
Chapter 7: Vs. Strategies

I've eliminated Zangief's combos for awhile, due to complaints
about them. I never said they were irreversible, but too many
people jump to conclusions, so I took them out.

This is a section denoting some of the things Zangief should do against 
certain people. The section is NOT a play-by-play guide, and you must 
eventually think up your own strategies to become a master. Think of this as a 
stepping stone of sorts. I've managed to get to another arcade with this game 
that has many more of the characters unlocked, but it's so far out of my way 
(55 miles), that I don't know if I'm going to go back in the near future.

-Vs. Cable-
People are usually pissed off to no end by Cable's 2Px5, beam, beam, super 
combo, but Zangief can be Cable's worst NIGHTMARE! Super jump over ANY AND 
EVERY projectile
and drop the elbow on his candy ass, then slam him around like
there's no tomorrow! Up yours, you wussies! HAHAHAHAHA!!!...*ahem* you'll have 
to forgive me; but any people who know about Cable's cheap tricks know why 
it's a relief to have one zoner that can kick the crap outta him.

-Vs. Captain America-
Good ol' cap. Always down, but never out. The only people that use him are 
experienced players, so expect cartwheel cross-ups and launcher attempts 
throughout the entire fight. Always, ALWAYS be ready to SPD/FAB a cartwheel. 
Captain America users started the *FALSE* rumor that throws are cheap, and 
that's why. 99% of the time, you can throw him as he finishes the cartwheel. 
If he gets rid of the shield, don't be happy. A not-so-well known fact about 
our dear friend Cap is that he gains a LOT of speed and comboability without 
the shield. In this case, play him like the smart Ryu types, until the shield 
forces itself back.

-Vs. Captain Commando-
The two words I GAURANTEE you'll hear in this fight (unless the sound is down, 
or your opponent has some sort of mental problem) are "Captain Corridor!!!". 
To combat this, super jump in, and block as he does the move. As he does this, 
you should a have a little more hang time, so IMMEDIATELY elbow drop him. The 
rest are standard Zangief tactics. 

-Vs. Silver Samurai-
Truth be told, I actually LIKE playing as him for some reason. He's very slow, 
unless he uses his lightening sword power; he's pretty weak unless he uses his 
ice sword power, and well, his sword powers have changed since X-Men, 
Children of the Atom (the last game Silvy was in), so I don't know what the 
fire sword power does, but regardless, don't let him use his power ups, 
because he then becomes quite formidable. Keep in very close on him, because 
his shuriken is like a compressed beam and does a pretty good deal of damage.

-Vs. Ryu-
There are two main Ryu types. First, the ha-do-ken-you-until-I-get-a-super-
level-then-try-my-pretty-blue-beam-thingy type. This is a 
very easy battle. Like Cable, super jump, then elbow drop him when he goes for 
shinku hadoken. Follow with an FAB, and you can do whatever you want from then 
on. The second is the rush-in and combo type. This one's much trickier, 
because it's a sign of experience on the enemy's part. As he dashes in, hit 
him with some move (e.g. a lariat). He'll probably dash back out, throw a 
couple of fireballs (all the while thinking of another strategy). He'll dash 
in again (he might jump in, and in that case you should anti-air him via a 
lariat, and FAB him), so hit him with another move (e.g. Atomic Suplex). Keep 
alternating between close range moves and be sure to block his supers. One 
last note, don't let him trip you! He can cancel a trip into a shinku tatsu-
maki-senpu-kyaku, and from there cancel into teamates' supers.

-Vs. Morrigan-
For all intensive purposes, she's Ryu with more dash power. There's nearly 
nothing that sets them apart in playing style.

-Vs. Shuma Gorath-
Keep in close on this one. Shuma players often need to grapple, and they have 
only a mild keep-away game, but you really want to keep close anyway because 
Zangief has throw and damage priority. 

-Vs. War Machine-
A beginner: "Shoulder cannon, shoulder cannon, shoulder cannon, shoulder 
cannon, shoulder cannon, PROTON CANNON!!!", repeat. Just get in there and beat 
the living h*ll outta him. An expert is much trickier, rushing in, doing air 
combos into his shoulder cannon, comboing his launcher directly into War 
Destroyer. Again, your best bet is to stay close, because his attacks were 
meant to be long range, and they have bad recovery.

-Vs. Iron Man-
Well, I've only played against him (on this game) once, at the arcade 
mentioned above, but if memory from Marvel Super Heroes serves, a beginner 
will play like War Machine, replacing Shoulder Cannon with Uni-Beam, and 
Proton Cannon with Photon Cannon (IMO a much cooler name, and it only changed 
by one letter). No matter what skill level, you tactics against Iron Man will 
be about the same as they would against War Machine; keep close. If memory 
serves, Iron Man has less lag & recovery, but he doesn't have the War 
Destroyer or a crouching beam attack. 

-Vs. Magneto-
I guess, well, he's a beam master two, and even though his beam (what is it, 
E.M. Disrupter, or something?) only does one hit, it's quite formidable. You 
should get in close on him, because his defense is crap.

-Vs. Cyclops
Again, he's a beamer, and this guys a cross between War Machine and Ryu. Optic 
Blast is the quickest beam in the game, so you can do a KK lariat to avoid it 
(PP has too much recovery time). If he does his charge throw (he gets on one 
knee, then runs like hell towards you), IMMEDIATELY go for a lariat into a 
Final Atomic Buster. Remember, Cyclone Kick (Cyclops' version of the hurricane 
kick should be block high, then low. I'm not sure if the second hit is a trip, 
but why take chances? Up close, play against him the same way you would 
against Ryu.

-Vs. Iceman-
Man, ANOTHER beam abuser! We all know that projectiles won't phase a blocking 
Iceman (no chipping damage), but since Zangief HAS no true projectiles, this 
point is moot. Get in on him, even if he's using that overgrown boxing glove 
of his, because you're at an ASTOUNDING strength advantage either way.

-Vs. Dr. Doom-
Okay, that's quite enough beamers, Capcom! He's been drasticly toned down 
since Marvel Super Heroes, but he's still VERY strong. Again, staying up close 
and personal is your best bet for victory. 

-Vs. Gambit-
Hmmm does he have his eternity combo anymore? E-mail me if you know. He'll 
usually try to keep you at bay for awhile with Kinetic/Trick Card attacks, 
then rush in with Cajun Slash/Strike. Hmm actually, against him, I recommend 
countering Kinetic Card with the Banishing Fist over and over, because that 
gradually moves Zangief in on him. After Zangief gets in, do some major throw 
damage. True enough, this Cajun is one tough customer, but this tactic should 
get you a fair victory.

-Vs. Dhalsim-
"Make peace not war,", huh? Yeah right. Dhalsim's not much different then he 
was in Marvel vs. Street Fighter, and he didn't pose much of a threat to 
Zangief then, either. Block his drills and counter via SPD. It's kinda fun 
having a "Yoga Flame" war as Mech Zangief, but that's really not much of a 
strategy, so keep in close with a lariat-and-throw game.

-Va. Cammy-
Hmph. I've only play against her ONCE (on this game), and already I'm sick and 
tired of her. She's gotten incredibly overpowered since X-Men vs. SF, so watch 
out for her launchers and watch your feet. Mech Zangief works wonders on her, 
but either way, remember to keep close.

-Vs. Hayoto-
What a dork. Except for a cheap knockoff of Magneto's shockwave super, all 
this guy really has, super or special moves, is a stupid sword dash. Block, 
counter, repeat. Enough said?

-Vs. Blackheart-
For some reason, Zangief seems to have an easy time matching power with the 
big guys that are often more powerful than himself. The biggest thing to look 
out for is his energy pillar attacks and his VERY powerful supers. Other than 
that, he should be a pretty easy ride.

-Vs. Psylocke-
I'll be honest. I haven't played against very many Psylocke players at all on 
any of her games (maybe 5-7 times total), but all of them seemed to play the 
same way, abusing her fireball (insert Ryu player here), and doing the Psy-
Thrust super. Unless you play an expert, Use her for target practice, because 
she's not all that strong.

-Vs. Ruby Heart-
Ar, me mateys! We's gonna have ourselves a bloodbath this evening! Ruby Heart 
be a one-pilot crew, she does. But her buried treasure be no match fer (insert 
cute pirate mick name like "Long John" here) Zangief, the roughest, toughest 
varmit to scroll the high seas! She be a weak'n, indeed. Though her air-dash 
attack be quite good, a block and response be yer ticket to winnin'. AR!!!

-Vs. Guile-
Boy, everyone likes to play as him now, don't they? Heh, brings back memories. 
Guile's at a slight disadvantage when up against Zangief, because he charges 
his moves, and while that's good against fireballers (he's blocking) the 
charge time gives Zangief enough time to move in for the kill. The biggest 
threat he has on Zangief is his flash kick and his air combos. For these 
reasons,
try to play a ground game on him.

-Vs. Amingo- 
That fat cactus is very hard to beat, not to mention one of my favorite guys 
on that game. The lariat does have priority over his erm "onion dash" 
thingy, so you don't need to wonder about that, but the most important thing 
is to play as much of an air game as possible. His little veggie friends can 
be a real pain to a grounded character, not to mention his "drop-me-a-flower" 
super (something tells me I should REALLY look up the move names).

-Vs. Strider-
He's not the cheap-ass comboer he once was, but he still has to try and do 
run-in combos, so catch him there. Nothing else is needed.

-Vs. Spider Man-
Become Mech Zangief so his web attacks and air combos will have no effect on 
you. This eliminates about 80 percent of his arsenal. From then he'll have to 
try and play a web ball keep away game, or rush in and try to do a ground 
combo. We all know what to do for ground comboers, so make him eat throws. As 
far as his so-called keep away game's concerned, Siberian Wildfire will knock 
him out of the air, and a well timed elbow drop will make him cry on the 
ground.

-Vs. Anakaris-
The guy can't Tech. Hit, so you'd think this'd be an easier fight for Zangief. 
His floating jumps make him just a little too high to catch with a ground 
SPD/FAB. Instead try a lariat or two.

-Vs. Tron Bonne-
Damn drill. She's really bad against air offensives and throws. Make 
absolutely sure you block against her little gun and her drill. Counter with 
SPD.

-Vs. Jill-
Well, she's finally unlocked. She's a very odd fight. Keep very close on her, 
because her normal attacks are crap. Her real threat are in her specials. I'll 
sum them up for you:

Zombie: Hold
Tripped Zombie: Ground Hold
Flame Zombie strong attack
Raven (I think): High attack
Doggy: Fast, low attack

Don't give her a chance to call any of them out. One last note, that bazooka's 
not as strong as it looks. She's not too tough if you're always close.

-Vs. Sakura-
A well-played Sakura can be a pain in the arse. Don't let her jab you, or you 
could easily eat a shououken and you'll be at her mercy from then on. If she 
knows the proper timing of her anti-air hadoken, she can limit you to a ground 
game. To know if she does, fake a jump-in, then block coming down. If she hits 
you with a hadoken, then stay low from then on, unless you're close enough to 
get her with an FAB on her recovery. 

-Vs. Dark Sakura-
Shun goku satsu?!? SHUN GOKU SATSU?!? What about Ultra Final Atomic Buster? If 
you don't have enough levels or don't trust yourself to time the counter (you 
must hit her PERFECTLY as she slides forth, or she'll get you), then simply do 
a lariat-to-FAB. Her hadokens go forward now, but she has a HORRIBLE recovery 
time (rivaling Roll Buster's). If she tries to hammer you with hadokens, just 
laugh and super jump in. She's MUCH less of a threat to Zangief than normal 
Sakura.

-Vs. Akuma (Gouki)-
As far as I'm concerned, he's just about the same as Dark Sakura (against 
Zangief), only stronger in every way. Play him like you'd play Ryu, but be 
careful of HIS Shun goku satsu. (For those who don't know by now, it's a level 
3 super where he slides slowly toward you on one foot, and if he grabs you, 
sparks will fly literally. The same goes on Dark Sakura.) Don't try to UAB 
it. Instead just do a lariat into an FAB.

-Vs. Ken-
Good ol' fancy-feet Ken. He's finally back. Counter missed or blocked 
Hurricane Kicks with a dash, and RBG, or an FAB. He's nearly NOTHING like the 
other shotos (he's MUCH cooler, IMHO), and he plays a REALLY good up-close 
game, so watch out. 

-Vs. Sonson-
Before I go on, let me straighten one thing out. Sonson WAS in a video game, 
before this one. It was in a (VERY) sup-par Nintendo game called, well, Sonson 
(makes sense). Noone *really* plays as her (IS it a her?) very much, with the 
exceptions of those that do FAQs for um it. Well, the only things to really 
look out for are "her" supers. Treat her transform super like a beam super. 
The staff super, probably one of the strangest ones there, is basicly just a 
"block-and-respond" sort of thing. Those having been said, she's a pansy, so 
grab the monkey by the tail and pop her upside the head.

-Vs. Marrow-
I'm going to make an editorial remark, and I don't mean to offend anyone, and 
if I did, please accept my humblest apologies. Marrow is one of the DULLEST 
new characters in the game! The Bonerang (did I spell that right?) was a nice 
touch, but nothing he does offers anything in the way of innovation. Do 
whatever it takes to make him feel the pain of an implemented osteo-arthritis, 
and show him you're not "spongy". That's the way the skeleton crumbles!

-Vs. Juggernaut-
Whatever. He's just too easy to grab. I mean, he takes up half the screen, for 
crying out loud! He's strong, but Zangief can easily match power with him.

-Vs. Venom-
I really feel sorry for Venom. His biggest saving grace in MvC1 was his 
incredible attack power, and now that's gone. Play him as you would a weak 
Juggernaut, and be careful for his Venom Fang.

-Vs. The Incredible Hulk-
I think the name says it all. As far as I'm concerned, he's like a Juggernaut 
with more speed, only smaller (don't get me wrong, I've played against and as 
both of them, and I know the differences between them, but for reference 
purposes I stand by the sentiment). Counter a Gamma charge with a lariat into 
an FAB. And block his close-in moves (in this case, you SHOULD turtle). Keep 
him in check with a few throws. That should get you a victory.

-Vs. Jin-
Huh! A small Hulk! Go figure. Anyway, use the same tactics that you would 
against the Hulk, but keep an eye out for two things: Blodia Vulcan (if covers 
the entire playing field, so just block it), and his desperation mode 
(occuring when he's under 1/3[?] of his life bar), because he gains a lot of 
power and super armor.

-Vs. Storm-
Stupid typhoons. Up close, Storm has zero ground game whatsoever, and she 
can't block flying, so stay right up in here face. The one thing you should 
really watch out for is her "Lightening Storm" attack. Don't try to attack her 
during it, just block (and push-block, so you can stay close), and respond.

-Vs. Rogue-
Don't let her kiss you! Keep her lips away from your face! She's a 
Jessibelle, I tell ya!!! Ummm ignore those first couple of sentences but 
seriously, don't let her do any of her kiss moves, because they power her up. 
She's a grappler, too, so be careful getting in on her.

-Vs. Omega Blue err Red-
Why does everyone like him? Noone that plays him (that I've seen) is any good, 
but oh well. He has a horrid recovery time on any of his capture (coil) 
attacks, so get in and punish each and every one of them (but be sure to block 
them first). As in every game with him in it, the only REAL threat is his 
Omega Destroyer. Block and respond to that, too (monotonous, no?)

-Vs. B.B. Hood-
B.B. Hood, Bulleta, I don't care. In the AMERICAN games, she's B.B. Hood, so 
that's what I call her. She's just sickening and I hate her. She's an insult 
on a childrens' tale, and she's just dumb looking. Keep in close and lay those 
fists on her. If you're dumb enough to get hit by cool hunting, you might as 
well give up on the game altogether. 

-Vs. M. Bison-
Much like B.B. Hood, I'm not gonna call Bison by his Japanese name, Vega. To 
me, Vega's always gonna be the guy with a mask and a claw, and that's final. 
Anyway, keep close, because he has a great keep-away game, but is rather weak 
up close. Counter the scissors-kick or Psycho Crusher with an SPD, a lariat to 
an FAB, or an RBG. 

-Vs. Megaman-
Yet ANOTHER Japanese name gone astray! Again, I'm not gonna call him Rockman. 
His Mega Buster seems to have stood the test of time, and a beginner Megaman 
will play almost EXACTLY the way a beginner Ryu would (in fact most of the 
time, they use Ryu as one of his partners). An expert will often charge his M. 
Buster, try to stall you by walking around and doing pointless attacks that 
aren't meant to hit (for instance, taunting), then try to rush in, combo you, 
launch you, AIR combo you, then finish with a charged M. Buster shot, saying 
bye-bye to 9/10ths of your life bar.
To combat this, don't let him stall you! Always keep rushing in, because the 
fact remains that a Megaman player, no matter how good he might be, is ALWAYS 
at a disadvantage when he's charging his 'buster.

-Vs. Charlie-
Actually, I kinda like HIS Japanese name, Nash, better. Regardless, no matter 
how I try not to think of it this way, the cold, hard fact remains that he is 
in every possible way a poor man's Guile. His attacks are weaker, he can't hit 
as far, and he's slower. Play against him as such.

-Vs. Wolverine (type 1)
Unfortunately for me, I've yet to actually SEE Wolverine without his 
Adamantium, so I can only write strategies against this form. He's a very fast 
attacker and will almost always go for a ground combo into the Berserker 
Barrage X. Once again, your lariat will be your best friend in this fight. 
Keep him at bay with it, and don't forget your RBG/SPD/FAB throws.

-Vs. Dan (the man!)-
Hehe, I've always liked this guy, even though he was made as a joke. He's an 
insult on those copycat *SSHOLES, SN a slight pause so I don't get sued for 
slander K! Though I've only played against him on this game a couple of times 
(at another arcade with considerably more characters unlocked), he's actually 
quite strong. Don't let him taunt too much, because his taunts raise his super 
meter. Instead, IF you're close enough, do an FAB when he taunts. I emphasize 
"if", because, like Captain America, most of the people that play Dan are 
experts and know how to play keep-away with the best of 'em. Never, EVER 
underestimate him, or he'll teach you the "Art of Fighting" by going "Mr. 
Karate" on your arse! Hehehe

-Vs. Yourself (Zangief)
We all know what a pain mirror matches are, so go for an all-out offensive. 
Better yet, let your teammates get in on the action! Do what it takes to tip 
the odds in your favor.

I guess I'd better list Zangief vs. Abyss, too.

-Vs. Abyss1-
1P, 1P, 2P, block, repeat. Serves one victory. Don't try anything
else, you'll pay dearly.

-Vs. Abyss2-
Switch out or give up. As much as I like Zangief, he can't do
crap to this form, and Mech-Zangief's too much of a risk (due to
Abyss' amazing array of projectiles and beams in this form).

-Vs. Abyss3-
Jumping 2Ps are pretty much all Zangief brings to the table here.
They do reasonable damage, but only use Zangief as a distraction
(by blocking and hitting back via a jumping 2P when he comes back,
or you get a good shot of that ball-thingy) while your other guys
are resting. 

Not yet listed (due to lack of versus experience with them):
Roll (unlock her already, d*mn it!!!)
Sentinel
Chun Li (say, is she the Alpha Chun Li again? Her silhouette looks 
               like it)
Colossus 
Spiral
Felicia 
Adamantium-ripped Wolverine
Thanos 
Sabretooth
and probably a whole lot of others (please e-mail me the ones I forgot)

-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
Chapter 8: Other cool stuff

Zangief has one entrance:
Garbed in a cape (the color matching that of his boots and
shorts), he stares menacingly down at his opponent. Then he
tears off his cape and goes into his fighting stance.

Zangief has two cheers:
1: He raises his arms up, pointing to the sky and makes an 
   exclamation.
2: He flexes his muscles twice, saying "Bolishoi, paviada!",
   meaning, as far as I know, "Big victory".

His time over loss is his second Alpha dizzy frame (he has his hand over his 
face)

He'll do either of his cheers on a time over victory, he doesn't have a 
specific one.

Zangief's taunt (one of the quicker ones) is him with his arms
down and fist clenched, then he growls. 

The three most misinterpreted Akuma/Gouki translations
Shun Goku Satsu = "Instant Hell Murder", NOT "Raging Demon"
Aku Ma (Akuma) = "Raging Demon" NOT Murderer
Gou Ki (Gouki) = "Great Ki (even in Japanese, "ki" isn't really a 
                             word, just a made-up term meaning "inner 
                                strength)

MAN, I hate when people say "Ooo he's got three levels! Better look out for 
his raging demon, hyuk!" Ugh

The spelling of "basicly/basically". It's the strangest thing. I've always 
thought of basically as b-a-s-i-c-a-l-l-y, but a couple of spell-checkers I've 
seen spell it b-a-s-i-c-l-y. Other spell checkers (3 of 'em) agree with me! 
Wait a sec why am I even talking about a dumb subject? Hang on just a sec. 
*slaps face* Owww

Characters unlocked at my local arcade thus far:
Gold Anakaris
Gold Hokuto
Gold Marrow
Tron Bonne
Omega Red
Rogue
Sakura
Storm
Jill
Several other Gold guys.

Well, I'm getting there, but all of you people that already have all the
characters unlocked should thank your lucky stars that you need
not endure the agonizing wait. Damn you for making characters
take so long to unlock, Capcom! Give me a minute; I think I'm
going to cry... nah, I'll just watch Roll do it! (Hehehe)

-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
Chapter 9: Zangief's ending
...There are no character-specific endings...
Chapter 9: A plea
So I'll use this chapter to ask that you PLEASE e-mail me any and every 
opinion on my FAQ. I get a decent amount of mail for it already, but I'd like 
to know what EVERYONE thinks! My e-mail address is at the top, just a couple 
lines down. 
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
Chapter 10: Thanks 

To the millions... and MILLIONS of 0rion's fans... okay seriously:
Vulkrum for insisting I become an FAQ writer again,
and all the people who've e-mailed me about my FAQ so far,
keeping me on my toes; not to mention anyone who's ever challenged me at a 
crossover game, win or lose.

This is for you. 

Sir "O"
Goodnight all, and keep gaming!!

"For the love of mother Russia?"
-Zangief
