Match-up Discussion Becoming the Pope - The General Zod Matchup Thread

[Pig Of The Hut]

Sorry to ask this guys, but is there a video of zods bnb's, trait setups etc... im skimming through these forums and see small videos here and there but I wanted to find one with a general overall take on the character

Kryptonite academy coming w all this

 

[Pig Of The Hut]

I started messing with Zod today and immediately took him into practice against Sinestro. As far as I can tell, Zod can punish anything Sinestro can do with ZC from just inside max range. That's a huge area of the screen where Sinestro can't safely do anything. As a former Deathstroke main, I can tell you it's actually not terribly difficult trying to maneuver into Sinestro's "blind spot" where you can duck his Fear Blasts; Zod's applicable ZC zone is actually much bigger, so it should be easier to stay within that area.

Sounds good but easier than it sounds
It's a MU I'm grinding

 

[Pig Of The Hut]

Bread and butter combos:

- f+2,1,u+2, j.2 xx slow aerial rifle, j.2 xx regular aerial rifle, dash forward 1,2,3 xx (MB) phantom strike.

- corner f+2,1,u+2, j.2 xx slow aerial rifle, j.2 xx regular aerial rifle, j.2 xx fast aerial rifle, j.3 aerial charge. Dashing forward causes cross up.

- Bite (trait), fully charged low laser, b+3, j.3 1,2,3 xx (MB) phantom strike.

- Fully charged laser, bite (trait), fully charged low laser, b+3, j.3 1,2,3 xx (MB) phantom strike.

Trait set ups are highly match up dependent. The following are usually safe.

- after 1,2,3 xx trait (safe versus every character)
- after MB side arm, fully charged low laser, or rifle connects
- after MB low laser connects and/or is blocked
- after MB phantom strike connects (i.e., punishable by Aquaman, Deathstroke, Killer Frost, etc.)

Is 123 trait safe vs aqua?

 

[Pig Of The Hut]

FTR I see no losing MUs for ZOD

Cw shazam and NW are DEFINITELY winning MUs

 

[usedcarsalesmang]

He doesn't lose to AM?

 

[M2Dave]

Is 123 trait safe vs aqua?

1,2,3 provides an untechable knock down and is safe versus everybody but Superman's super move.

 

[Pig Of The Hut]

He doesn't lose to AM?

No

5-5

 

[Metzos]

FTR I see no losing MUs for ZOD

Cw shazam and NW are DEFINITELY winning MUs

CW has better normals and mix ups than Zod up close though. And she can get in for free with MB cat dash, which is safe from full screen and has two hits of armor now. From afar Zod rapes her, but up close its hard. A lot. Imo phantom strike at sweep range is the best solution to keep her out and air zod charge if she starts getting using j1 and j2. Up close is what concerns me the most. Parry is good against her overhead but still its hard for Zod.

WW is pretty much the same. Excellent mobility and she can get in free as well with IAG or whatever that move is called.

Shazam seems pretty hard as well, although i need more practice at the particular MU.

You think those are 6-4 Zod or more?

 

[Pig Of The Hut]

CW has better normals and mix ups than Zod up close though. And she can get in for free with MB cat dash, which is safe from full screen and has two hits of armor now. From afar Zod rapes her, but up close its hard. A lot. Imo phantom strike at sweep range is the best solution to keep her out and air zod charge if she starts getting using j1 and j2. Up close is what concerns me the most. Parry is good against her overhead but still its hard for Zod.

WW is pretty much the same. Excellent mobility and she can get in free as well with IAG or whatever that move is called.

Shazam seems pretty hard as well, although i need more practice at the particular MU.

You think those are 6-4 Zod or more?

All 3 of those are 6-4

Idk wtf you mean cw MB is free when it's not.
1. MB side arm beats it
2. Ending combos w OKI ZOD ball and side arm beats it
3. OKI ball as bait to b3 MB beats it
4. Block then throw or mid screen in block full d12 punish

I just do not agree w your post at all, I haven't felt danger from ANY WW cw or shazams

I beat Goomba a lot and foxy so idk

WW has HELLA issues w IAZB and trait ZC trait swipe to get in for free then pressure
He can parry parry ever FT setup she has
Parry sword stand shield bash
Parry d1 spam on block in shield
No answer for trait zoning w his tools

Shazam ...just play zod's game

 

[RYX]

How bad is Bane? I know Pig's bodied me like 20-0 twice but I'm awful at it so I wanna ask Zod players, what should I do in this match up?

Thanks

 

[Metzos]

All 3 of those are 6-4

Idk wtf you mean cw MB is free when it's not.
1. MB side arm beats it
2. Ending combos w OKI ZOD ball and side arm beats it
3. OKI ball as bait to b3 MB beats it
4. Block then throw or mid screen in block full d12 punish

I just do not agree w your post at all, I haven't felt danger from ANY WW cw or shazams

I beat Goomba a lot and foxy so idk

WW has HELLA issues w IAZB and trait ZC trait swipe to get in for free then pressure
He can parry parry ever FT setup she has
Parry sword stand shield bash
Parry d1 spam on block in shield
No answer for trait zoning w his tools

Shazam ...just play zod's game

Do you have any footage i can see regarding those MU's?

When i meant she gets free with MB cat dash, i meant after a side arm on block or whiff during zoning for example. And since its safe when its done from full screen i cant do much about it, but you have a point about the MB cat dash with your options. I ll start using them. Also keep in mind i mentioned full screen MB cat dashes, not mid screen ones. A good CW player will never do MB cat dash when in mid screen, unless it is for whiff punishing. What are the options Zod has when up close, besides parry and d1?

I play against Nivek's WW and i can tell you its not that easy to win against her. I saw your matches versus Goomba during a tourney in YT, and they were clutch.

Parry can be baited. I wont risk doing 12% dmg and throw her full screen to get hit by a truck for over 40% meterless dmg. I throw it out occasionally but its not a consistent way of keeping out WW. Zod can keep her out yes, but eventually with her high mobility she will get in. Thats where my problem lies. Not from afar.

Against Shazam all i have to say is, play a REALLY good post patch Shazam. You ll change your point of view after that, especially now whenever he grabs you, you lose half of your life. Plus torpedo, if done, correctly, cannot be punished by Zod. Teleport nullifies Zod's zoning as well and cannot be punished, meaning i cant play zod's game as you mentioned. At jump and sweep distance his B23 string is godlike and has phantom hit box which can catch you even if you jump at the highest point. It can catch you even if you back jump. Phantom strike really helps at that distance, but since the range of his throws is buffed its not enough most of the time.

And since Zod's wake up game sucks big time, he can easily bait any attempted wake up zod charges and punish them on block. Wake up phantom strike sucks big time and can be jumped and punished. Shazam's teleport and anti-wake up game hurts Zod a lot. Just my two cents about the particular MU.

Thats all i can think of right now.

 

[Colonel-Gilgamesh]

i think teleport loses to delayed Side arm. Also, I think a slow Zod Ball can force a reaction on wakeup TP

 

[Metzos]

i think teleport loses to delayed Side arm. Also, I think a slow Zod Ball can force a reaction on wakeup TP

Agreed, but that doesnt stop Shazam from getting in. And yes, side arm on reaction beats his tp. But after that he can simply dash forward or even start walking against Zod. His universal mobility is still really good. And with the reset he has from F22 on hit, he can easily hit above 50% dmg with two bars, to an untechable knock down at his feet. And that destroys Zod, since he doesnt have any decent wake ups. His phantom strike on wake up is ass compared to MMH's version and his zod charge can be baited and punished on block. Like i said, my problem with these 3 MU's is when they get in, not when they are at full screen.

 

[Disaster FX]

How bad is Bane? I know Pig's bodied me like 20-0 twice but I'm awful at it so I wanna ask Zod players, what should I do in this match up?

Thanks

Disrespect the shit out of Zod's wakeup. He should have almost no answer to your oki.
Out footsie him with D1 and double punch, it'll beat everything he has in close neutral.
Be careful dash blocking lasers and side arm. A delayed MB from either will blow you up.
Respect trait when Zod has it summoned. This is a lesson EVERY character needs to learn and is the source of all Zod crybabies. You disrespect Zod with trait out and you will get blown up.
Apart from that, I feel like the matchup is mostly a mental game. Get in their head before they get in yours. I know the only times I lose to Bane is because I let him get in my head and he is VERY good at doing that.

 

[Pig Of The Hut]

How bad is Bane? I know Pig's bodied me like 20-0 twice but I'm awful at it so I wanna ask Zod players, what should I do in this match up?

Thanks

6-4/7-3 zod favor

Never let me out of corner and use oki to your adv

 

[Pig Of The Hut]

Do you have any footage i can see regarding those MU's?

When i meant she gets free with MB cat dash, i meant after a side arm on block or whiff during zoning for example. And since its safe when its done from full screen i cant do much about it, but you have a point about the MB cat dash with your options. I ll start using them. Also keep in mind i mentioned full screen MB cat dashes, not mid screen ones. A good CW player will never do MB cat dash when in mid screen, unless it is for whiff punishing. What are the options Zod has when up close, besides parry and d1?
.

Backdash
Play footsies w d12 or ps
throw
pressure her when shes negative, shes not plus on full screen cat dash mb

Do you have any footage i can see regarding those MU's?


I play against Nivek's WW and i can tell you its not that easy to win against her. I saw your matches versus Goomba during a tourney in YT, and they were clutch.

I played poorly and Goomba played very very well

There are many things i can and will do differently

Against Shazam all i have to say is, play a REALLY good post patch Shazam. You ll change your point of view after that, especially now whenever he grabs you, you lose half of your life. Plus torpedo, if done, correctly, cannot be punished by Zod. Teleport nullifies Zod's zoning as well and cannot be punished, meaning i cant play zod's game as you mentioned. At jump and sweep distance his B23 string is godlike and has phantom hit box which can catch you even if you jump at the highest point. It can catch you even if you back jump. Phantom strike really helps at that distance, but since the range of his throws is buffed its not enough most of the time.

And since Zod's wake up game sucks big time, he can easily bait any attempted wake up zod charges and punish them on block. Wake up phantom strike sucks big time and can be jumped and punished. Shazam's teleport and anti-wake up game hurts Zod a lot. Just my two cents about the particular MU.

Thats all i can think of right now.

Ive played reo's shazam who bodies rico's aqua and adam and did very well

6-4 zod favor imo

Hes negative on tele recovery which gives free 50 50 pressure if not punish if guessed right on a read

shazam cannot tele delayed mb side arm

Trait controls all

28% max range blocked torpedo w standing 3 far laser mb dash zc

 

[Pig Of The Hut]

Agreed, but that doesnt stop Shazam from getting in. And yes, side arm on reaction beats his tp. But after that he can simply dash forward or even start walking against Zod. His universal mobility is still really good. And with the reset he has from F22 on hit, he can easily hit above 50% dmg with two bars, to an untechable knock down at his feet. And that destroys Zod, since he doesnt have any decent wake ups. His phantom strike on wake up is ass compared to MMH's version and his zod charge can be baited and punished on block. Like i said, my problem with these 3 MU's is when they get in, not when they are at full screen.

when he gets in your HAVE TO understand you're IN TOO

Play footsiese, use your backdash. Zod is just as good upclose as he is full screen in almost every mu

 

[Metzos]

Backdash
Play footsies w d12 or ps
throw
pressure her when shes negative, shes not plus on full screen cat dash mb



I played poorly and Goomba played very very well

There are many things i can and will do differently





Ive played reo's shazam who bodies rico's aqua and adam and did very well

6-4 zod favor imo

Hes negative on tele recovery which gives free 50 50 pressure if not punish if guessed right on a read

shazam cannot tele delayed mb side arm

Trait controls all

28% max range blocked torpedo w standing 3 far laser mb dash zc

CW: Fair enough. I ll give it a shot. Her overhead combo starter (B1?) can stuff back dashes though, just letting you know. I know she is at minus after a blocked MB cat dash but still she is faster than Zod up close, if i dont react quickly enough. The recovery of a full screen MB cat dash on block is phenomenal. I ll start using d12xxMB close ground blast if necessary to keep her away.

WW: She is still a bitch to deal against, i can tell you that.

Shazam: Nice i didnt know Zod can punish torpedo with standing 3. Good info.

EDIT: Is it me or Zod's throw range is a bit better than many of the cast?

 

[Metzos]

when he gets in your HAVE TO understand you're IN TOO

Play footsiese, use your backdash. Zod is just as good upclose as he is full screen in almost every mu

I ll grind the MU more. From what i ve seen in general Zod requires a really high learning curve compared to the majority of the cast. He is really exciting and i wanna rep him well. If only his standing 1 didnt have a 9f startup... But then again he does have a 7f d12 which can be hit confirmed to a combo. I guess thats something as well. Anyway thnx for the info Pig.

Post edited.

 

[Clark L.]

Kryptonite academy coming w all this

Cool

 

[Clark L.]

Bread and butter combos:

- f+2,1,u+2, j.2 xx slow aerial rifle, j.2 xx regular aerial rifle, dash forward 1,2,3 xx (MB) phantom strike.

- corner f+2,1,u+2, j.2 xx slow aerial rifle, j.2 xx regular aerial rifle, j.2 xx fast aerial rifle, j.3 aerial charge. Dashing forward causes cross up.

- Bite (trait), fully charged low laser, b+3, j.3 1,2,3 xx (MB) phantom strike.

- Fully charged laser, bite (trait), fully charged low laser, b+3, j.3 1,2,3 xx (MB) phantom strike.

Trait set ups are highly match up dependent. The following are usually safe.

- after 1,2,3 xx trait (safe versus every character)
- after MB side arm, fully charged low laser, or rifle connects
- after MB low laser connects and/or is blocked
- after MB phantom strike connects (i.e., punishable by Aquaman, Deathstroke, Killer Frost, etc.)

Thanks! After you destoryed me with zod and showed me how good he actually is I figured I'd learn a thing or two about him. Plus Pig's video of showing his backdash compared to BA's made me happy, lol

 

[R3CK3Dx]

anyone got any tips for the batgirl/MMH matchup i feel scared to trait or zod ball or jump plz help

 

[Colonel-Gilgamesh]

anyone got any tips for the batgirl/MMH matchup i feel scared to trait or zod ball or jump plz help

best tool against teleporters like that is not to fear them. that's the first thing they try to get you to do

 

[R3CK3Dx]

best tool against teleporters like that is not to fear them. that's the first thing they try to get you to do

i get very scared also if i am in the corner or being pressured i always do the wrong thing i wish his walk was faster it seams soooooooos slow

 

[Colonel-Gilgamesh]

don't get scared. their approach is ass to compensate for shit teleport and their range is almost as sad as yours, cept with mmh. Zone bat girl to force the teleport, then counter it. MMH the same, except much more carefully