[SF6] Rashid Countermeasures Guide [Win Just by Reading]
Categories:
Basic Info
- Active-frame Overhead leads to combo
- Defensive Options
- Has 6F Startup OD invincible reversal: 236PP
- If you play Luke or Kimberly, avoid using Rush after throws
- Has 6F Startup anti-air invincible 236HP
- 236236K has 9F Startup, no Projectile invincible
- 214214K has 12F Startup, no invincibility
- 236236P has 7F Startup, fully invincible
- Has 6F Startup OD invincible reversal: 236PP
- Moves that are plus on Block
- MP
- +1F
- 2MP
- +1F
- (During airflow contact) 236LP
- +2F
- MP
Neutral (Awareness Priority)
- Use raw Rush more often
- Rashid lacks fast normals with strong hitboxes, making it hard for him to stop Rush on reaction
- He may use OD invincible to counter, but it doesn’t give Oki and the damage isn’t significant
- Jump forward more often
- All anti-air moves have weak hitboxes, and his most reliable option 236HP only has an upward hitbox and is weak to empty jumps
- Also remember that mixing in early jump attacks with strong downward hitboxes can stuff the Startup of 236HP itself
- Respond to 236K
- If you Block Whirlwind Shot (max charge), Rashid can create close-range Advantage through (During airflow contact) 236LP or jumps
- If you can’t punish the charge at your range, back up to the corner to make 236K whiff
- If you think he’ll charge Whirlwind Shot, use Impact or jump
- Don’t just sit there and take it
- Understand the Fuzzy points during Ysaar
- You may get kicked away by Arabian Cyclone during Ysaar
- It may look like an Overhead/Low mixup, but you can actually Fuzzy Block both the Overhead and Low, so put in the effort
- Arabian Cyclone counter
- Blocking 214HP leaves Rashid at +1 frame
- You can avoid it by jumping, so insert a back jump during gaps in his strings to go for damage
- When Rashid tries to punish mashing, his options are 214LP and 214MP
- Impact is guaranteed against 214LP and 214MP
- Blocking 214HP leaves Rashid at +1 frame
- Understand the normals used in footsies
- Rashid’s main ways to get damage in midscreen are 2MK cancel Rush and MK counter Hit
- MK is a forward-moving move that’s hard to combo from without counter Hit
- 2MK has fast Startup but short range, and can combo on normal Hit
- Place normals that don’t extend forward at the range where 2MK barely reaches or misses to win the risk-reward. Check your character’s hurtboxes and use appropriate buttons
214P
Startup and recovery change with LP/MP/HP strength.
- 214LP
- When cancelled from lights, it’s a 6F mash punish. From mediums, it’s a true blockstring.
- When cancelled from lights, characters with long-range 5F moves can stuff the Startup
- If you press a 4F move, it whiffs against 214HP, so pressing a 5F move fastest is very effective
- Check if your character has a 5F move that beats both
- On Block it’s minus 6F, so apply your Punish
- Impact is guaranteed, but Rashid can cancel into SA3, so confirm SA3 is not available before using Drive Impact
- When cancelled from lights, it’s a 6F mash punish. From mediums, it’s a true blockstring.
- 214MP
- When cancelled from mediums, it serves as a mash punish
- The reward for landing a mash punish in the corner is high, so many Rashid players will go for it. Conversely, in midscreen the reward is low, so you don’t need to worry about it as much
- On Block it’s minus 4F, so apply your Punish
- 214HP
- Used from normal cancel, and Blocking it leaves Rashid at +1 Advantage.
- Has Impact-crushing properties
- You can jump to match the risk-reward, but the LP/MP mash punish option means it’s not a guaranteed safe option.
- Be careful that neutral jumping in midscreen can get picked up by normal→Whirlwind Shot.
Recommended Counter
- Making it a mixup between back jump and Impact is realistic and simple
- Back jump gets caught by 214LP, but in midscreen there’s no combo followup
- In midscreen, holding up-back during Rashid’s strings gives excellent risk-reward
- When cornered and caught by 214P, there’s combo followup, so play the mixup properly here
- Back jump gets caught by 214LP, but in midscreen there’s no combo followup
- If you read the cancel into 214P from lights, pressing a long-range 5F move fastest can stuff 214LP and 214HP alike
- Inputting Fuzzy Parry (aiming for Just Parry) at the timing of Blocking 214LP is also an effective option.
- Showing this makes the opponent go for charged Whirlwind Shot, where you land Impact… creating this cycle of mixups.
Pressing Parry at the timing of Blocking 214P is a very effective counter, but it’s difficult and the return is small.
In midscreen, back jump is rock-solid when you smell Arabian Cyclone coming. As shown in the video below, there’s no combo followup.
In the corner, 214LP combos so you need to play the mixup, but the recommended counter is Drive Impact. The combo from 214HP being stuffed is cheap, making the risk-reward efficient.
236K
Rashid’s projectile that travels in an arc. Even if you try to jump over it, depending on the timing you can ride the projectile and take big damage.
- 236LK
- Allowing max charge puts Rashid in airflow-enhanced state, and the situation unfolds in Rashid’s favor.
- 236MK
- Travel distance changes with LP/MP/HP. In practice, LP and HP are used most, so you don’t need to think about this much
- Used to catch back jumps in strings, but the risk is higher so it’s rarely used
- 236HK
- Total recovery is longer than other projectiles. Shoto characters can win fireball wars.
Recommended Counter
- Impact and jumping are clearly effective.
- Characters with projectile-invincible moves have good opportunities. Easy to guarantee.
- If you see the charge, retreat to the corner to make the projectile whiff.
214K
Rashid’s combo ender & rush-down move. In airflow-enhanced state, there’s no Punish. Damage and corner carry change with LP/MP/HP strength.
- 214LK
- 214MK
- 214HK
- 214KK
- Side switch
— Airflow enhancement changes properties
- (During airflow contact) 214LK
- (During airflow contact) 214MK
- (During airflow contact) 214HK
- (During airflow contact) 214KK
- Side switch
Recommended Counter
- On Block, it’s punishable: Rush attack or step→heavy attack connects, so don’t forget.
- (During airflow contact) 214K has no Punish. Don’t confuse it with the normal version.
236P
Angle changes with LP/MP/HP strength.
- 236LP
- Often thrown out casually. On Block, it’s point blank throw range at your 3F Advantage
- Counter with a 7F medium or better and throw mixup
- Pressing a 4F move here is hard to get good return from
- 236MP
- Aimed at catching neutral jumps, but the hitbox is weak. Jump attacks will easily get Punish Counter, making neutral jumps very effective.
- 236HP
- Main anti-air that also catches cross-ups. However, the hurtbox extends upward before the hitbox, so early jump attacks with strong downward hitboxes can stuff it.
- If you’re afraid of HP Spinning Mixer anti-air, use early jump attacks.
- 236PP
- Rashid’s OD invincible
- Used as a reversal
— Airflow enhancement changes properties Airflow-enhanced version gains combo followup on Hit
- (During airflow contact) 236LP
- +2F on Block
- (During airflow contact) 236MP
- (During airflow contact) 236HP
- (During airflow contact) 236PP
Recommended Counter
- 236LP
- -3 frames on Block, throw range
- 236MP
- Can be stuffed by pressing an attack early
- 236HP
- Empty jump
- Early jump attack
- 236PPP
- No hitbox directly above, so Tomahawk Buster is effective during Oki
(During airflow contact) 236LP
After Blocking 236LK (hold): You may have (During airflow contact) 236LP used against you. Blocking it creates a point-blank +2F situation. Responses after Blocking:
- Block → Drive Reversal
- Was initially considered effective, but spending 2 gauge on D-Reversal is high risk. Getting stuck in Ysaar afterwards happens often.
- Block → point-blank +2F mixup
- Accept the strike/throw mixup without using D-Reversal.
- Rashid’s midscreen throw situation is not great, and Back Rise gives no Oki.
- When Drive Gauge is low, accepting the throw is also a valid option.
- Serious counter
- After Blocking → walk back to get outside throw range, so walking way back is also a very effective counter
- Also, by continuously walking back, the 2LK→2LP basic combo won’t connect
Recommended Counter
Counter after Blocking (During airflow contact) 236LP:
- Walk back after Blocking
- In midscreen, walking back causes the LP in Rashid’s 2LK→LP to whiff, preventing combos.
- Furthermore, walking back lets you whiff punish his throw attempt
- Getting hit by 2MK→Rush is damaging, but it’s very costly on Drive Gauge and Rashid doesn’t want to do it either
- Advanced serious counter
- Walk back Fuzzy crouch Block beats every conceivable option
- Assuming Rashid presses 2MK (7F Startup) from point-blank +2, you can walk for 5F before the move comes out
- So walk back → crouch Block at the timing 2MK would hit. This way you whiff Rashid’s throw and Block 2MK
- Furthermore, since you walk back slightly, 2LK→2LP won’t combo
The following video has the following recorded after Blocking (During airflow contact) 236LP:
- Throw
- If you walk back 2F, the throw whiffs
- Confirming the throw whiff is a bit tricky, so press a crouching attack at the Fuzzy timing
- 2MK→236LP
- You can walk back 5F, but crouch Block with margin
- Getting hit leads to cancel Rush with high reward
- 2LK→2LP→236LP
- Even if your crouch Block input is late and you get hit by 2LK, if you walked back properly, there’s no combo
Rising Kick
Some players skip Hit confirm and commit to MP without confirming. The followup mixup works as follows:
- 214LP
- Mash punish
- 214HP
- A gimmick that works as the counterpart to the 214LP mash punish Blocking 214HP leaves Rashid at point-blank +1 frame.
Recommended Counter
- The ideal counter is to Fuzzy press a 4F move at the timing you’d Block 214LP. The window is 7F, so anyone can do it with practice.
Caution
- Recognize that the opponent has the option of 214MP as a Fuzzy-beating option. Waiting 3F then pressing a 4F move beats everything, but the window is 1F so it’s not realistic.
- 214MP loses to fastest mash and is punishable on Block, so Rashid doesn’t want to use this option either.
2MP
+1 on Block. Mainly used in Oki after set plays, so assume it’s +2F or more on Block with active frames.
The main Rashid strings after 2MP on Block are:
- 2MP→MP→2MK→Arabian Cyclone
- Up to MP is a mash punish
- Counter Hit leads to combo
- 2MK is a gimmick with a 6F gap
- Up to MP is a mash punish
- 2MP→MP→6MP→Arabian Cyclone
- Jumping after MP Block will get hit
- 2MP→throw
Recommended Counter
- In midscreen, input walk back and Block at the timing 2MK comes
- This lets you make 214HP whiff
- In the corner, jump forward after Blocking the 2nd hit MP
- The most common follow-up from 2MP that always reaches is 2MK, which can be avoided by jumping
- When jumping forward, use an early jump attack with strong downward hitbox to stuff 236HP
6HP
Rashid’s Overhead. Active-frame Hit leads to combo. Especially remember the common setup of 214MK Hit → MK frame kill into active-frame Overhead.
Recommended Counter
Even with the latest active frame, the Overhead is -1F throw range for Rashid.
- If you see frame killing, prepare for the Overhead and aim for Just Parry
- If you Block the active-frame Overhead, always mash
214214K
One of the top-performing SA2s in SF6. When activated midscreen, getting pushed to the corner is guaranteed. Choosing effective counters is difficult, and depending on Rashid’s skill level, you’ll get opened up almost every time.
Recommended Counter
Consider your own and the opponent’s gauge, but the recommended approach is:
Jumping forward to intentionally get Hit by Ysaar is a very good counter.
Depending on how the opponent spends gauge, you may take 20004000 damage, but
trading that versus getting pushed to the corner while Ysaar acts as a shield and 24 Drive Gauge bars get shaved,
or taking 1200 damage x2 from throws – just taking the Ysaar air Hit is very effective.
There’s also the chance the opponent drops the Ysaar pickup.
If your defensive understanding of Ysaar is shallow, just go ahead and get Hit by it yourself.
For reference, regarding Rashid’s gauge and damage after Ysaar Hit: Consider damage going up by 1000 for every 2 gauge. Example:
- No gauge: 2000 damage
- 2 gauge: 3000 damage
- 4 gauge: 4000 damage
LPLK
In midscreen, Back Rise avoids Oki. Quick Rise allows Rush→6HK to be meaty, leaving +1 on Block at point blank.
What Rashid can do against Back Rise is charge Whirlwind Shot, but the distance is too far and you can make it whiff by retreating.
If you want to completely deny Oki, take Back Rise. If you don’t want to give up screen position, take Quick Rise and play the Rush 6HK / throw mixup.
If you Block it, it’s +1, so 4F mash or delayed tech is good in terms of risk-reward. Reversal options like 2MK lose to 6HK’s Low-dodge property, so avoid them.
Recommended Counter
- Back Rise
- Nothing connects as meaty
- Some Rashid players throw out 6HK without confirming the recovery, so you can whiff punish the 6HK
- Quick Rise
- Even with Rush, Rashid’s throw won’t be meaty
- Even with Rush, only 6HK connects as a meaty, so aiming for Just Parry on 6HK has the highest expected value
4LPLK
4LPLK gives a better situation than forward throw. Regardless of Back Rise, Rush→6HK connects as meaty at +1 point blank on Block.
Recommended Counter
- Quick Rise
- Throw and strike are both meaty, so not recommended
- Back Rise
- Rashid’s throw won’t be meaty
- Only 6HK connects as a meaty, so Just Parry the 6HK