Kazuya Beginner Guide
/ cheatsheet

Key

EWGF = (Electric Wind God Fist - f, n, d/ df2)        PEWGF = (Perfect EWGF)

DEWGF = (Dash EWGF - f, f, n, d, df2)                 CD = (Crouch Dash - f, n, d/ df)                CDC = (Crouch Dash Cancel - CD, f, n)                Vortex = (Looping Knockdown Mixup)        

oB = (On Block)                oH = (On Hit)                        ws = (While Standing)                        CH = (Counter Hit)                NH = (Normal Hit)                ss = (Sidestep)                

* = (Fastest Possible)                T! = (Tornado)                        SAT! (Strong Aerial Tailspin)

HB! = (Heat Burst)                HD! = (Heat Dash)                µDASH = (Micro Dash)

W! = (Wallsplat)                Oki = (Okizeme/ Wakeup)

Neutral

Pokes

Pressure

Punishment

Standing

10f: 1, 1, 2                                11f: b1, 2                                12f: 1+2

13f: db1, 2 | PEWGF                         15f: df1, 4 | EWGF                         16f+: EWGF 

While Standing (from crouch)

10f: d1                                        11f: ws4, 4                                 13f: ws1, 2

16f: ws2

Whiff Punishment

1, 1, 2:         10f generic punish when you are unsure of the recovery time of moves.

db1, 2:         13f long range heat engager, heatdash guarantees uf4,4,4,4.

df1, 4:                 15f easymode punish, guarantees ff4 (CDC > f4 consistently lands)

EWGF:         13f* launcher, long range, ideal punish in all cases.

Heat

Heat Moves

h.1+4:                                6f startup on powercrush frames, AoE, T!, safe on block.

db1+2 (grounded):                Long range CH knockdown low, very unexpected post knockdown.

db3+4:                                Long range AoE low, transition into CD with df.

ss2:                                 -15 oB mid launcher, extreme launch height for unique combos.        
Heatsmash:                        Homing -14 oB hellsweep, wallbreak.

Enhanced Moves

All enhanced move extensions can be cancelled by holding back and do extra damage on hit.

1, 1, 2f oH:                        Sideswap.

ff2 oH:                                Lose wallsplat if not cancelled.

uf1, 3:                                Safe mid followup, wallsplat.

CD.1:                                Hitgrab, floorbreak.

CD.3:                                +oB.

CD.4, 1, 1:                        Hitgrab, floorbreak.

EWGF:                        Can execute without just frame input.

Heat Engagers

db1, 2:                                13f, great range, HD! followup.

df1, 2:                                15f, HD! launcher.

ff2:                                Long range, -9 oB, HD! launcher.

b4:                                Homing, long range, HD! launcher.

Okizeme

Vortex        

The Vortex is a looped knockdown mixup Kazuya can apply endlessly until either the opponent guesses correctly or Kazuya picks an option that ends the loop.

When trying to loop hellsweeps (CD.4, 1), you will need to dash align to allow the second hellsweep to clip a techroll left. To realign you can either do:

DASH(hold forward) > CD.4, 1

or CDC(hold forward) > CD.4, 1

Both will realign and catch a techroll left. The timing is strict, but this tech is extremely important to get down as you will struggle to apply the Vortex without it.

Combos

Difficulty Level

Very Easy:         ★                        ws = (While Standing)                        ss = (Sidestep)        

Easy:                 ★★                        CH = (Counter Hit)                        HB! = (Heat Burst)

Average:         ★★★                        T! = (Tornado)                                HD! = (Heat Dash)

Hard:                 ★★★★                SAT! (Strong Aerial Tailspin)                W! = (Wallsplat)        

Very Hard:         ★★★★★                µDASH = (Micro Dash)                * = (Fastest Possible)

Easymode EWGF (74 dmg):         ★★

EWGF > DEWGF > b2,2 > df1, df2 T! > DASH 3, 1df, CD.3

EWGF Staple (81 dmg): ★★★

EWGF > DEWGF > 3,1df, CD.1+2 T! > DASH ss4, 1 SAT! > DEEPDASH b2, 2, 1+2

Hardmode EWGF (83 dmg): ★★★★★

EWGF > EWGF > DEEPDASH (delayed) DEWGF > µDASH df1, df2 T! > ss4, 1 SAT! > DEEPDASH b2, 2, 1+2

ff3 / CH df2 Staple (ff3 = 80 / df2 = 85 dmg): ★★

ff3 / CH df2 > CD.1+2 T! > (1, 2) 4, 3 > HB! > ss4, 1 SAT! > DEEPDASH b2, 2, 1+2

• no heatburst?      > (1, 2) 4, 3 > DASH b2, 2, 1+2        (ff3 = 76 / df2 = 81 dmg)

ws1, 2 Staple (66 dmg): ★

ws1, 2 T! > DASH ws1+2 > b2, 4 > HB! > ss4, 1 SAT! > DEEPDASH b2, 2, 1+2

• no heatburst?               > b2, 2 > b2, 2, 1+2        (63 dmg)

d1+2 CH (84 dmg): ★★★

d1+2 CH > ws1+2 > b2, 2 > df1, df2 T! > DASH ss4, 1 SAT! > DEEPDASH b2, 2, 1+2

• alternate easy ender:                 > DASH 3,1df, CD.3

Damage Wall Combo: ★

W! > df3+4, 1, 2

Tech Trap Wall Combo: ★

W! > 1 > db4 > (db1, 2 dashconfirm | df1, df2 heatdash | df3, 1)

• sets up a guaranteed wallsplat if your opponent holds up or back to wake up.

Easymode Heat Dash Combo (53 dmg): ★★

HD! > CD.1+2 T! > ws1+2 > b2, 2 > b2, 2 > b2, 2, 1+2

Heat Dash Staple (58 dmg): ★★★★

HD! > EWGF > EWGF > EWGF > DASH b2, 2 > df1, df2 T! > ss4, 1 SAT! > DEEPDASH b2, 2, 1+2

CH df2 PEWGF (107 dmg): ★★★★★

CH df2 > PEWGF > DEWGF > 3,1df CD.1+2 T! > DASH ss4, 1 SAT! > DEEPDASH b2, 2, 1+2

Followups

df3, 2, 1 CH: ★★★

DEEPDASH DEWGF > (EWGF Staple)

ff4 CH: ★

df3, 2, 1 T! >

f3 CH: ★★★★★

DEEPDASH DEWGF > DEWGF > µDASH b2, 2 > µDASH df1, df2 T! > ss4, 1 SAT! > DEEPDASH b2, 2, 1+2

Advanced Tech
Perfect Electric Wind God Fist (PEWGF):

PEWGF is an EWGF that has perfect inputs for each step of the motion. This means that exactly 1 frame separates forward, neutral and df2. PEWGF can also be executed with a f, d, df2 motion, skipping neutral.

To execute a PEWGF after a df2 CH, exactly 45 frames of delay must pass at the instant after the df2 CH connects with the opponent. You must time the forward input with the first frame of “actionability” (neutral). This means that you can technically hold the forward input inside of the 45 “inactionability” frames, (blockstun, hitstun, roundstart, etc), and release the forward input after 1 frame of “actionability”.

Example:

If 3 of the forward frames are input within “inactionability frames” then this would count as a PEWGF. Neutral or when skipped, down, must always be 1 frame. The number of frames you hold df2 for does not matter.

Gameplan

Kazuya’s game plan is simple. He wants to knock you down and keep you down, brutalize you with power lows and big mids, and hit you with as many EWGF’s as possible. He has the tools to keep the opponent in check, but very little to poke them into submission.

EWGF is the most important move to understand Kazuya as a character. Perhaps the single most powerful move in the game, there is almost never a wrong time to be using EWGF. This threat dominates the neutral, oppresses them at the wall, and is almost unpunishable on whiff. You must have a strong EWGF to pilot Kazuya correctly.

Kazuya wants to spend most of his time either keeping his opponent stuck in his Vortex, or hanging out at range 3 in the neutral. He likes to keep the opponent out with EWGF’s, catch them approaching with ff2, or threatening to knock them down with a hellsweep.

The Vortex is an oppressive situation Kazuya can enforce on the opponent. Once you have knocked them down, you have a tool for every possible situation to keep them on the ground. If they tech roll, it sets up another guess. If they stay on the ground, ff4 resets the situation. If they toe kick, a well timed ff3 launches them. The Kazino opens when Kazuya knocks you down.

When you are not able to be in range 3, or spin that Vortex, you must adapt. Knowing how to navigate stance rushdown, or suffocating poking is extremely important. Kazuya wants to focus on the neutral or hold onto momentum. Do not try to match someone's poke, check them and back off, or if you gain some advantage then keep it.

Heat is also a huge part of winning with Kazuya. Kazuya has some of the most powerful heat tools in the game. Moves like h.1+4 (shikue), db1, 2 heat dash and ff2 heat dash make it terrifying to press into him. Not to mention that his heatsmash is essentially a -14 homing hellsweep. Use these tools to their utmost, and never waste heat with Kazuya.

Lastly is the wall. Kazuya is at his strongest when he has the opponent at the wall. With an endless number of safe wallsplatting mids and his broken wall oki, there is never a lack of tools to threaten your opponent with. Moves like df3, 1 or ws3 haunt your opponent if they try to step, or db1, 2 heat dash fully launching if they stay on the ground, and his powerful tech trap wall ender, there are always good options for Kazuya at the wall.

Thanks to the Kazuya Discord for feedback and edits, and el tigre for permission to his combo spreadsheet.

Kazcord: [ https://discord.gg/5edpb2WN ]