DBFZ/Vegeta

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Overview

Overview

This incarnation of Vegeta from the Saiyan Saga (often referred to as Base Vegeta by the community) is a powerful rushdown character, with many opportunities to mix the opponent up and keep them bewildered with pressure. Vegeta has a solid pressure game; he can play neutral very well with incredible Ki Blasts in 5SDBFZ Vegeta 5S.pngGuardAllStartup13Recovery24Advantage-3 and j.SDBFZ Vegeta jS.pngGuardAllStartup13RecoveryX+7LAdvantage-, snappy Rocket Kicks, teleporting stomps, and solid air buttons to boot. Additionally, his stagger pressure is fantastic, allowing him to scare the opponent with resets or frame traps. This eventually all cycles back into Base Vegeta's powerful vortex; every time he lands a hit, the opponent is trapped into blocking one of many mix-ups, and the possibility of taking significant damage from them (especially with his powered up Level 3 super attackDBFZ Vegeta GalaxyBreaker.pngGuardAllStartup9+3RecoveryAdvantage-27). With the momentum and experience, Base Vegeta is a scary character which can truly steamroll.

While Vegeta is undeniably an extremely powerful character, he does have a couple of issues. While his long-ranged neutral is fantastic and his close-range game is oppressive, his mid-range game is relatively weak, especially when compared to other top-tier characters. Vegeta's stubby normals are the main culprit, as he cannot use his normals at this range, and heavily relies on hail-mary Ki Blasts and Rocket Kick to contest opponents. Another issue is that he is reliant on assists for his strongest mix-ups. However, both of these weaknesses are alleviated when Vegeta is kept at Point with assists that work well with him, and his great specials are complimented by Limit Break on Anchor where his supers do insane damage when powered up. A well timed special move can always eventually lead to a kill with sufficient meter with this character.

Overall, Vegeta is the embodiment of DBFZ. He's a deep, powerful rushdown character with fun combos and great movement who is potent at most aspects of the game. Players who enjoy having a vast arsenal of oppressive, creative mix-ups and relentless pressure will feel right at home with this Vegeta.
Vegeta


DBFZ Vegeta Portrait.png
Fastest Attacks
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Reversals
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 Vegeta is a strong, relentless character who uses tricky mix-ups and swift movement to create a vortex that opens up his victims.

Pros
Cons
  • Superb Neutral: Incredible Ki Blasts and great movement with moves such as 236M/H make up very strong neutral.
  • Fantastic Pressure: Many staggers and frametraps make pressure resets simple and complement his powerful mix-up game.
  • Mix-ups: 236L, Deadly Knee Drop, and Energy Cutter all put Vegeta airborne on block, enabling very good high/low alongside assists.
  • Easy-bake Safejumps: Using 2S/j.2S after a j.214M/H knockdown enables safejumps anywhere on the screen.
  • Range of Normals: A trait shared with all of the Vegeta's, Base Vegeta's normal attacks are small and don't send him very far.
  • Ki Blast Neutral: In spite of being exceptionally good, Vegeta's Ki Blasts still just Ki Blasts and can be countered by a plethora of universal and character-specific tools.
  • Mid-Ranged Pressure: Due to his normal attacks being small, Vegeta often has to play patient or rely on 236X to attack the opponent.

Normal Moves

5L

Version Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
5L 400 All 6 3 11 -2
5LL 700 All 11 3 18 -5
5LLL 300, 700 All U3+ 11 2 18 -4 (airborne) 1-12 Head
5L

Stubby jab, but a good stagger tool. Can be cancelled into itself by using 4LL.

  • Recovers one frame faster than most other jabs, making it safer than usual. An example is against UI Goku's 214H anytime Base Vegeta is +2.

5LL

Gut punch that pushes Vegeta forward. Short range and safe on block.

  • Although safe, 5L and 2L may serve as better stagger normals.
  • The forward distance from this move is not quite far enough to be a reflect-proof string, so be careful when using it outside combos.

5LLL

Vegeta uses his Dirty Fireworks attack. Combos directly into 214X. Mostly useful in corner combos as a guaranteed combo into 214M. Can be used as a mixup tool because it leaves Base Vegeta airborne, but 236S is a much better tool as it has no landing recovery.

  • Can function as an anti-air like 2H.

5M

Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
700 All 9 3 18 -5

Nice start-up for a medium and can be used for staggers by being safe on block.

5H

Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
850 All U1 13 6 18 -8

Spartan kick with decent range and a forward thrust. It's integral in some corner combos due to it's hitstun and allowing Vegeta to combo into SD or disc.

5S

(Hold OK)

Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
300×1~8 All 13 24 -3

Vegeta's technique. Very fast, very spammable grounded blasts make this an incredible neutral tool.

  • Can be repeated up to 8 times.


2L

Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
400 Low 7 3 13 -4

A fast low which helps with Vegeta's pressure. It's stubby, and may whiff if repeated unless at point-blank range, like the other Vegetas.

  • Can be rapid fired twice also like all other Vegetas.

2M

Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
700 Low 11 4 18 -5

Solid ground poke, though nothing crazy. Most realistic starter for high damage combos.

2H

Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
850 All U1+ 13 3 27 -14 4-15 Head

Standard 2H, nothing particularly interesting to note about it aside from making Vegeta airborne. Can be used as blockstring filler if you really want to.

  • All special moves cancelled after this will be their air versions.
  • Has enough hitstun to combo into j.214M on non-smash hit.

2S

Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
500 All 12 24 -3~+20

Vegeta lobs a ki blast. Goes up, then down.

  • You can make the arc more shallow by doing 1S, or make it deeper with 3S.
  • Can be used for oki after a sliding knockdown, though positioning can be tough, and is harder to set-up than the aerial version.

Useful for forcing the opponent to the ground if you're expecting a jump, such as at round start or in neutral situations. This is especially useful with assists such as beams, giving Vegeta pressure for the opponent simply jumping.

6M

Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
850 High 24 6 4+6L 0

Universal overhead.

j.L

Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
400 High 6 3

A short ranged, stubby attack. Can still jab SD with it, though.
Not a terrible air-to-air otherwise, but j.M is usually better for it. Its hitbox can allow you to shift Vegeta up for delay extensions using autocombo (5LL), so delaying it in combos is a must for extensions/damage.

j.M

Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
700 High 9 4

5M but in the air. Very good disjointed air-to-air normal.

j.H

Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
850 / 1000 High D1+ [D3+] 13 4

Good jump-in normal. It can be decent in air-to-air situations as well, but j.M fills this role better.

In air combos, ending with Smash j.H instead of 214L gives you slightly more corner carry due to the opponent's slide, and in the corner you can easily link this into 214S for supers.

j.S

Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
300 All 13 X+7L

Vegeta fires one Ki Blast. Elite neutral tool due to having a spectacular angle to poke from a far and safe distance. If done after/during a IAD, it has faster recovery.

  • Does not stall you in the air. This is very important.
  • j.8S sends at a deeper angle, good at hitting people much closer to you and below you.
  • Whiff cancels into j.2S, which then whiff cancels back into this. Doing up to 5 ki blasts on whiff is possible by doing, for example, j.1S > j.S > j.2S > j.S > j.3S.

Good for keeping opponents in check thanks to the fast recovery, but don't abuse it too much. It's also useful for approaching or backing off when combined with an IAD, but it can be punished so mix it up with j.5H. Characters with large horizontal 2H attacks (like Baby's) will likely catch both front and back IAD j.S if you try, so know each characters' options against this type of pressure.

j.2H

Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
850 All U1+ 12 5 10

Jump cancelable air launcher that's nigh identical to the other Vegetas' j.2H, with only one difference being that it has 2 more active frames. A crucial part of his combos as well as being useful for air-to-air confirms. Due to having a very short total animation that pushes Vegeta up and forward, it can also be used as a pseudo movement option to change his momentum and stall in the air.

Thanks to the extra active frames, instant j.2H can be used as a fast, ambiguous cross-up that works on a third of the cast. Vegeta hops over the opponent if they're crouching and will hit cross-up on the last possible active frame as he's falling downward. If they react by standing up, they will body block him from moving forward and j.2H will hit same side instead. Against crouch block, he's +7.

Below is a list of crouching characters that can be crossed up, tested with this string: 66 5L, 9 j.2H.

Characters j.2H Hits While Crouching
Cross-up Same side Whiff

 A16
 A21
 L21
 SBR
 GNY
 CEL
 CLR
 GUI
 HIT  JNB
 MBU
 NAP
 PIC
 SB2
 TEN

 BRO

The rest

Only makes contact if they're holding 1 or 3 and trigger proximity block. Whiff against 2.

As a last resort, don't be afraid to bring out the Hyde Gackt strats.

j.1S / j.2S / j.3S

Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
500 All 12 X+5L

Like 2S but in the air. Not great in terms of neutral, but it excels as an okizeme tool after 214M/H to catch various wakeup options.

  • Can make shallower with 1S, or deeper with 3S.
  • Stalls air-momentum, similarly to j.2H.

Special Moves

Super Dash Kick

236L/M/H (Air OK)

Version Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
236L 800 All 11 6 15 -5 (airborne)
236M 900 All U1+ 15 9 21 -9
236H 1300 All U1+ 29-36 9 22 -5 9~19-26 Full (while invisible)
j.236L 800 All 11 4 23
j.236M 900 All U1+ 15 9 23
j.236H 1300 All U1+ 29-36 9 23 5~19-26 Full (while invisible)
All Versions

Often called "Rocket Kick" by the community. Does what you think; Vegeta thrusts himself and kicks horizontally.


236L

Vegeta kicks around halfscreen. TOD starter. Puts Vegeta airborne on block as he bounces off the opponent.
One of his several mix-up tools that enables IAD high/low 50/50s with high blockstun assists. Also allows Vegeta to RPS and possibly steal another turn, with a combination of back airdash j.S, normal j.S, land 2M, airdash forward j.M, or even another j.236L.


236M

Vegeta kicks just under fullscreen. Causes a wallbounce on hit. Crosses up on block.

236M is an easy way to get a solo snap in the corner. Mostly useful in combos as a wallbounce, but can also be used on block or jump for the crossup to get Vegeta out of the corner quickly. It's also an extremely powerful neutral tool if used behind a j.S as it will either true string and setup pressure with an assist or frame trap and give a combo in the corner.


236H

Vegeta teleports behind the opponent before kicking full-screen and then some. Causes a wallbounce on hit, crosses up on block, similar to 236M. If whiffed, Vegeta takes a while to recover.

This move is extremely fast, and can be extended off of with 236M or 214M, and going into either a Z-Tag, super attack, or Vanish afterwards to extend further. It's good to use if your opponent isn't expecting it, but the noticeable recovery frames on whiff make it a risk as you'll likely be punished with a 2M/5M starter combo if you don't have an assist to cover you.

Deadly Knee Drop

214L/M/H (Air OK)

Version Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
214L 920 All D1 26-33 Until Landing, 3 14 -4
214M 1000 All D1 29-33 Until Landing, 3 14 -4
214H 1200 All D1 26-33 Until Landing, 3 14 -4
j.214L 920 All D1 26-33 Until Landing, 3 14 -4
j.214M 1000 All D1 29-33 Until Landing, 3 14 -4
j.214H 1200 All D1 26-33 Until Landing, 3 14 -4
All Versions

Vegeta teleports to and stomps on the opponent, bringing them to the ground.

  • Same frame advantage on hit everytime.
  • Default action on hit/block/whiff is to bounce backwards, bounce forwards by holding forwards.

A strong part of Vegeta's mixup game, especially because of the possibilities for it. Holding forward after the move, even on whiff, will propel Vegeta forward which can give him more pressure in many situations; doing j.M on block will also safejump many 2Hs (Z Broly's is one of the notable exceptions) or outright make them whiff if they try to mash 2H on your stomp rather than time it. If blocked and holding forward, you can call an assist and get a 50/50 anywhere as long as the opponent blocks the knee drop. If you don't hold back, you can combine Vegeta's backwards jump of sorts into 2S/1S which, depending on which one you use, can catch your opponent's wakeup and will catch them mashing something and/or give Vegeta much more pressure. Vegeta teleporting above the opponent helps too, as it can be used to either catch your opponent off guard in neutral, or go for a really tricky reset, but be careful because it can be 2H'd very easily if your opponent reacts to it.


214L

Always results in a sliding knockdown, leaving Vegeta +38. Holding forward will make Vegeta bounce towards the opponent, leaving Vegeta +47.

If the hitstun proration isn't too bad, this will combo from j.2H. Use this to end air combos if at all possible, as it brings you down with them. Doesn't allow for j.2S oki midscreen, but j.1S in the corner is a good way to keep pressure going.


214M

Causes a bounce sliding knockdown that can be picked up with an assist, leaving leaves Vegeta +52. Holding forward will make Vegeta bounce towards the opponent, leaving him +61 and comboing directly into 214S without the need of whiff Vanish.


Combos off of smash hit j.2H or 5LLL, so it's commonly used as an ender after optimal combos. This move also has enough knockdown time for j.2S setups which is common to see.


214H

Has the speed of the L version with the knockdown of the M version. Gives a bouncing sliding knockdown that can be picked up with an assist. Combos directly into 214S when holding forward. Same frame advantage as 214M.

Useful for some combos where you may have already used up your smash or a conversion off of a vanish, if you have the meter to spare on it. Because of its speed, Vegeta gets a lot of oki on hit from this, especially right after j.2H and a powered up Level 3 after the knockdown. If you can't get the M Knee Drop, this is likely what you'll go for.

Energy Cutter

236S

Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
1000 All 22 23 -4 (airborne)

Vegeta hurls a knockoff Destructo Disc which arcs upward.

  • Puts Vegeta airborne on block.
  • Can be aimed with 8/2.

Vegeta's 236S is alright as a projectile, but surprisingly where the move really takes off is in its mix-up utility. Using this on an opponent's wakeup after Vegeta gets a sliding knockdown, or using it in blockstrings covered by an assist lets him get a mix-up scenario, as you can airdash or land low with the [2] version. It's not his strongest mix-up tool, but it's another out of several.

In neutral it's just okay, useful for stuffing full screen jumps or forcing the opponent back to the ground, which is great combined with his full screen j.S and incredibly strong 5S. Doesn't really do a lot if the opponent doesn't jump, but is still useful.

I have no use for Saiyans that can't move

214S

Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
0 Throw U1+ 16 3 15

Vegeta grabs and tosses the opponent into the air vertically, straight above him. It's a strange command grab; it cannot be blocked and works mid-combo, but will not work on crouching or aerial opponents (only standing). This move directly combos into both of Vegeta's super attacks, increases their minimum damage, and grants extra frame advantage for them.

  • If the camera zooms in for the Vegeta Jumpscare cinematic, you can superdash for a full combo. If not, you can vanish or super.
  • Works on sliding knockdown state opponents.
  • Uses his smash, so j.H gives sliding knockdown.
  • Use before level 3 super in the corner to maintain optimal positioning.

On its own, Vegeta's command grab isn't that great. It has very poor range and is hard to land raw as a mix-up tool due to its aforementioned properties. But its strongest utility comes in the fact that it can be used as an OTG off of a sliding knockdown, like after j.H or 236H. Typically, this is mostly used for the easy confirmation into his supers and the okizeme and damage buff it gives.

Z Assists

Assist A

Energy Cutter

Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
800 All 25 +30

Vegeta's 236S with its properties. On hit, all the hits do one hit. On block, all 5 hits are done separately. It's a great all around assist.
Useful for catching people out of the air at longer ranges because of the upward arc, dragging them back to the ground on block. Decent blockstun also enables mixups for some characters.

Assist B

Super Dash Kick

Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
800 All 20 6 +25

Vegeta's 236M. Travels about half-screen. Launches outward on hit, and goes past opponent on block.
Due to Vegeta's A assist's angle in neutral, blockstun, and pop-up properties, his B assist is outshined in almost every way. It's fine, but there's really no competition. If you REALLY don't like C Assists, go for it, but Vegeta's C Assist is even probably better.

Assist C

Dirty Fireworks

Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
300, 490, 280 All 28 [20] +29

Vegeta teleports near the enemy, hits them with a Dirty Fireworks combo, and brings them back to the ground for their troubles. Fairly good tracking and the fact that Vegeta is typically placed on Point make this a good option. It can be awkward to combo into due to the timing of it, but this is something that can be easily learned and dealt with. Using this depends on what you're looking for with your team, and there may be better C assist options; still, it's good at its niche as an easy to connect assist.
Finally, it lasts a while on hit, great for weird instant-kill strategies like with  Android 21's instant kill or building stacks with  SSJ4 Gogeta's taunt.

  • If the uppercut connects on any active frame, it transitions to the explosion and knee drop.
  • Causes a bounce sliding knockdown on hit (however, if hitstun is too high, the kneedrop will not cause this)
  • Surprisingly good answer to superdash as it has anti-air property, like 2H. Still a goofy option for a C Assist though so don't rely on it.

Super Moves

Galick Gun

236L+M (Air OK) or 236H+S (Air OK)

Version Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
236L+M 280×10 [350×10] All 9+4 -21 9-20 All
j.236L+M 280×10 All 9+4 9-20 All
  • Minimum damage: 78*10 [98*10].
  • Values in [ ] are when canceled from 214S.
  • Ground version automatically leaps up and tracks the opponent.
  • Air version only goes up a set distance, so it's not guaranteed to hit.

Overall, this is a good super. It deals good damage, and the sliding knockdown allows for an IAD safejump if used after 214X. The boosted damage from 214S can at times be enough to finish an opponent off with only 1 bar, as opposed to using 2 if the original damage barely leaves them alive.

Galaxy Breaker

214L+M or 214H+S

Damage Guard Smash Startup Active Recovery On-Block Invuln
234×20 [260×20] All 9+3 -27 1-20 All
Galaxy Breaker

Vegeta does a huge blast upward creating a pillar of damage for around 2 seconds.

  • Minimum damage: 86*20 [96*20].
  • +27 [+43] on hit, allowing for continued pressure.
  • Values in [ ] are when canceled from 214S.

On normal hit or DHC, this super allows for a guarenteed IAD safejump. There are other setups that are possible but that is the most reliable. When used after 214S, it's a different story. +43 allows for Superjump IAD mixups or j.2H mixups which can be nearly invisible. This alone lets Vegeta carry momentum like no other.


Galaxy Breaker Follow-up Galaxy Breaker > [L+M] on hit or Galaxy Breaker > [H+S] on hit

Spend an extra bar for extra damage at the cost of frame advantage. Only use this if you need it to kill, it completely erases any okizeme aside from some strange situations with specific characters that aren't practical.

  • Minimum damage: 320
  • Total minimum damage: 2040 [2240]

Colors

1Seasonal colors that can be unlocked at different times of the year.

2Special color that can be unlocked on Goku Day, May 9th.

Navigation

 Vegeta
To edit frame data, edit values in DBFZ/Vegeta/Data.
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