General Tactics
Since Yamcha is a rushdown-style character, you will want to keep the basic principle of staying right up in the opponent's face in your mind while playing as Yamcha. Since he only has two long-range attack options, that really isn't his thing. You will also want to remember that Yamcha is also a character that really excels on the ground, not in the air. This is shown in both his normal attacks and his special moves (Wolf Fang Fist, the fact that Yamcha can only use the Kamehameha on the ground, and so on). So try to keep your opponent guessing while also taking advantage of Yamcha's supreme rushdown utility, along with keeping the person you're fighting on the ground. This may seem tricky at first, but once you get the hang of it, Yamcha is excellent for mixing up your opponents and pressuring them.
Team positioning
Point
Since Yamcha's neutral is really not good and since he is pretty dependent on meter, point position is the worst position for him. If you're playing him, use his assist. If you're playing Point Yamcha, then you're wrong.
Mid
This is one of those positions where you might benefit more from Yamcha. Since its in the 2nd position he will came at a latter time during battle, when you should have enough metter to make him shine by landing WFF Flash in combos. His assist is very versatile as well, having good synergy for both offensive and defense wise. So have him as a A1 is not bad idea, you may also benefit from his Super(236M+H) to position your enemies in specific locations for the next super of your choice.
Anchor
This is easily Yamcha's best position. His mixups with WFF are pretty much unreactable, his Ki Blast is ridiculously annoying, and he can generally steal games from the best of them. On top of all that, both of your characters before Yamcha get to use his incredibly good assist.
Picking Teammates
Yamcha is one of those characters you can just slap on to a team. He doesn't really need much, and every character can use his assist with great effectiveness.
Blockstrings
- 5L> 5LL > 2M > (5M) > Rekkas
- 5L> 5LL > 5LLL > Rekkas
Yamcha has really restricted Gatling options, so this is really all you get. However, now that WFF is cancelable into 214X, that makes WFF pressure safe against Guard Cancel. What version of 236X you cancel into determines what side you stay on. Refer to the Overview page for which series have gaps and which don't.
Tips and Tricks
5H
His 5H can not be used in a generic combo starter like L>M>H because it is so dang slow. What it's really good for is punishing mashing in a blockstring. If it lands, you get a free combo. If it's blocked, you're +4 so it's pretty squarely your turn. Think of it more like an evasive Bardock 236S.
Mix-Ups
Yamcha's toolset is built around strong close range pressure and crossups. His 236L/M has a dozens of sub-options that are built to crack open your opponent. The main options are: going from a light special to a medium special for a frame trap, using 5S to cross through and continue pressure, using 4S to force a whiff, using 214M to catch Guard Cancel attempt, and converting all of that into a combo with the H follow up.
Corner crossup
Since Yamcha's 5LL pulls the opponent closer to him, it's possible to cross the opponent up in the corner by utilizing an IAD j.M. This is especially useful while Yamcha has Sparking activated, since he can jump cancel the 2nd hit of his autocombo.
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Instant Wolf Fang Fist (IWFF)
It's possible to cancel some of the startup of the L and M versions of the Wolf Fang Fist by immediately pressing H immediately afterwards.
Wolf Fang Fist Whiskers Mix-Up
If an opponent is blocking and you are having trouble trying to break through their guard, then the Wolf Fang Fist: Whiskers attack is often an excellent choice to confuse your opponent. This move is a follow-up to the normal Wolf Fang Fist, and involves Yamcha jumping back after doing the normal attack. This can be immediately followed up by any other Wolf Fang Fist follow-up. However, it is also a good move for bypassing players with good defense. Once you jump back while doing the Wolf Fang Fist: Whiskers, they will most likely attempt to attack you, which is a perfect time to instantly hit them. However, they might continue to block and not attack, so keep this in mind while using the move.
Fighting Yamcha
Be mindful that Yamcha's kit is an unorthodox one. He can be very evasive; if he charges at you do not expect him to stay in front of you for too long. Try to make his fights long ranged ones, so he can't fight back at full strength. His range attacks are somewhat lacking; he can only shot 1 ki blast at the time, and his kamehameha has one of the longest startups in the entire game, which will put him in a very disadvantageous position when trading 236S with his opponents. Fighting him in the middle of the map will allow him to take advantage of his specific 5H attack, as well his 236L/M/H speed coverage. Cornering him will make unable to use his 5H dodging properties. His 214L/M/H, when done closer to the ground, gives him a somewhat delayed recovery; you should take advantage of it.