Normal Moves
5L
- 5L
- 6 frame standing low. The privilege starts early.
This move is HUGE. In all seriousness, the only way this move could be better was if it hurt further upwards. At max range it hits one frame slower than its listed startup. Lab Coat's 5L has good pushback and advances pretty far forwards. She can stagger 5L into itself more times than the wiki editor who wrote this cared to count.
- 5LL
- Great range, punishes backdash after vanish.
The privilege continues. Hits very high up and is useful for 5LL things, like combos and blockstrings.
- 5LLL
- Command grab, 5LL has too much blockstun for the grab to connect without an assist setup.
Probably the most mediocre move she has. Not useful for combos as 5M pulls opponents down and not many good characters have low blockstun assists she can use to set up tick throws. In the corner it becomes much better, working as a decent bridge to end your combos with 214M/H.
5M
- Deceptively tall hitbox.
- 2nd hit ground bounces airborne opponents.
Great vertical range, but lackluster horizontal range. Due to the fact that the second hit will always come out unless canceled on hit or block, it makes it too dangerous to throw out in neutral.
Combo and blockstring filler, but better than everyone else. After the first hit lands, the second is entirely GC safe as Lab Coat can freely gatling into 2H/214X on reaction.
5H
- Smash hit wall splats. Enables rejumps with delay SD > j.66LM(1).
Deceptively long-reaching 5H that allows for rejump combos. Good blockstring filler and can be used as a last-minute frame trap after her slide or overhead.
5S
- Chains into itself a maximum of 5 times.
- 5th Ki Blast launches on hit.
Great neutral tool and corner combo filler. Builds a lot of meter. Spaced 5H > 5S can make it 0 on block but Lab Coat is typically too far out to do anything real with that.
2L
- Another low, but slower than 5L with less reward than 2M.
- Somewhat redundant, but not bad
Outclassed by 5L in everything except its gatling options. 2L can gatling into itself where 5L cannot and 2L actually puts some distance between Lab Coat and her opponent.
2M
- Launches on hit.
Unfit for neutral usage as similar to her 5M, the second hit will always come out on whiff and puts her at -47, very punishable.
This is however one of the best 2Ms in the game for pressure and mix-up. Both hits are lows, true string, scale like typical Medium buttons, and due to the first hit being as fast as some characters' low 2Ls, Lab Coat can use this in SD mixups even in midscreen for devastating damage. After the first hit lands, the second is entirely GC safe as Lab Coat can freely gatling into 2H/214X on reaction into a full combo.
As a combo filler, both 5M(2) > 2M(2) and 2M(2) > 5M(2) always combo and are essentially identical strings that can lead to all of her basic grounded routes. The second hit of 2M also combos into SD anywhere on screen at low hitstun decay, allowing for Smashless rejumps with any starter.
2H
- Very tall, but small horizontal reach.
Leads to great damage with resources as Lab Coat has access to an OTG. Also probably the closest thing Lab Coat has to a mediocre move, as its horizontal range leads a lot to be desired. It'll clip opponents directly above her or directly flying at her, but it has trouble with weird angles. Luckily, she has Vertical Slicer to deal with that.
6M
- DBFZ Lab Coat Android 21 6M.png
- Very large; uses j.H's animation.
It's a 6M. It has a different animation than her 6H which can throw off opponents expecting the latter.
6H
Delectable Strike
- Ground bounces on hit.
- Crushes 2H (not a Head property move) while being airborne. Privilege.
- Crushes lows. Why not.
- 6H > j.214S can set up mixups with lockdown assists. Not amazing but another thing to add to the list.
- Gatlings from 6H are 4 frames slower than normal.
Another thing for her opponent to look out for. Being -5, if it catches someone trying to jump expecting a command grab she'll be +1. Since she has so many lows, being 27f is not nearly as big of a deal as you'd think. A very obvious point to sneak this in is after 2M(1).
It's also comboable solo, despite being an overhead in DBFZ. Due to how its recovery works, no option will true string after this normal. While it may be tempting to reflect, keep in mind it's safe on block and she can still command grab you for your troubles.
3H
Granita Edge
- Launches on hit.
- Does not true string from any of Lab Coat's normals.
- Frame traps after M buttons and 5LL, loses to mashing after L buttons.
Does good damage in combos but has freakishly long recovery if used in neutral. Stick to her 236X moves instead.
j.L
- Has a crossup hitbox for some reason. Needs it.
Certain distances make this an unreactable crossup that she can convert out of with j.236H. Other than that, it's her fastest and least committal air button for neutral.
j.M
- Hits twice, both hits are overheads.
A freakishly fast j.M. Hits twice, making it more committal than the average j.M.
Due to it being multi-hit, it makes it amazing to bring the opponent from the air to the ground.
j.H
Utterly huge, covers all techs pretty easily when used for a safejump.
This is also Lab Coat's primary crossup normal. Due to the lack of fast advancing M buttons, after IAD j.H, she will have to convert or continue pressure with microdash 5L.
j.S
- Hold or mash S to shoot all 4 Ki Blasts.
- Last Ki Blast launches on hit.
Synergizes very well with the rest of her kit. Lab Coat's Ki Blast game is much stronger than normal as not only is j.S repeatable with very low landing recovery, she also can react to SD and cancel into j.214X, an airborne anti-air that can be extended into big damage through the use of 22X or assists.
At round start distance, it's also possible to convert j.S(4) into SD, though this is rather risky as on block the opponent can easily anti-air her.
j.2H
- Smash hit wall splats.
- Surprisingly, not all that useful.
Lab Coat has access to easy rejumps with 5H, so this mostly goes unused. It can be useful in some sparking loops but she generally has better ways to use her U1 Smash.
Special Moves
Savory Slicer
236L/M/H (Air OK)
- All Versions
- Guard point against Ki Blasts.
- Smash on last hit for M and H versions.
- Hits behind 21. Can catch Vanish and also be a crossup itself.
- Puts 21 airborne and has Head property, meaning it's vulnerable to anti-airs like 2H.
- Air versions are safe on block at -2 when used at low height (as tk.236X or from 2H > j.236X).
- All versions (but particularly the M and H versions) deal unusually high chip damage.
- All versions have very good starter scaling. She usually gets 5K with an assist.
- L Versions
- Fast but no Smash property.
Decent neutral tool, covers about the same range as 5H while being Ki Blast invulnerable.
- M Versions
- Slow, but travels fullscreen.
- Smash hit wall splats. Used for combo extensions in the corner.
22M is generally better to use for more traditional corner combos as it uses less combo timer. The air version combos into DR or j.L in the corner for some extra utility.
- H Versions
- Best of both worlds.
- Smash hit wall bounces. Allows for midscreen confirms.
Leads to insane damage and rushes at the opponent very quickly, all the while being invincible to Ki Blasts. Combined with the 21% damage buff Labcoat gets from her 236HS grab super, this can be a TOD by its self.
Do not make this your only means of navigating through neutral, as the opponent can respond to it by anti-airing it. When used in conjunction with her other options such as her ki-blasts or beam, it becomes far more potent.
Vertical Savory Slicer
214L/M/H (Air OK)
- All Versions
- Head invul and guard point against Ki Blasts.
- Hits behind 21 while spinning. Each slash during the spin vacuums on hit.
- Turns to face the opponent before the final hit.
- Smash on the last hit.
Lab Coat's premier anti-air special move. They all hit on both sides and are air ok, getting her out of common situations like Spark > [Vanish]. They can also lead to some pretty hefty damage with resources, making recklessly approaching 21 scary.
- L Versions
- Ground bounces on the last hit.
- M Versions
- Smash hit causes a sliding knockdown. Non-smash ground bounces on the last hit.
- Always leaves close enough to combo into 22X.
- H Versions
- Smash hit causes a ground bounce sliding knockdown. Non-smash ground bounces on the last hit.
- Always leaves close enough to combo into 22X. j.214H > 22H leads to crushing damage.
- Smash 214H can link to 5L even in midscreen if all 11 hits connect and 21 doesn't turn around on the last hit.
- j.214H > Spark can make Sparking Blast whiff for better combo scaling.
Unholy if used as a defensive option thanks to its speed. Uptech 214H + assist can defeat safejumps if your opponent isn't prepared to 2H it during the very short window they have, allowing you to steal your turn back. A great combo ender as well, can be used as a starter too thanks to 22X.
Also fantastic as an anti-superdash or even just anti-approach since it's safe on block and frame 1 invincible. There's little this move isn't good for.
Mignardise Heel
22L/M/H
- All Versions
- Can hit opponents in OTG state.
- Ground bounces on hit.
- Is not affected by hitstun decay.
- Non-smash versions can link into 5L if they hit meaty on the last possible frame, allowing for high damaging extensions.
- 22L
- True blockstring from any normal.
Lab Coat can tack this on as an extra low at the end of a string.
22L can be looped anywhere on the screen, albeit character specific.
- 22M
- Smash hit corner splats.
- Frame traps from M/H buttons and 5LL, loses to mashing after L buttons.
- Go-to combo DR ender.
Corner splat instead of wall splat means this special will happy birthday.
- 22H
- Smash hit causes a huge ground bounce and corner splats.
Lets her combo from basically anything. A beast of a tool that breaks the rules of the game, you can even do something like use Z Broly's 214L grab,GuardThrowStartup17Recovery23Advantage-special tag on hit and then use this to combo after it.
Photon Swipe
236S (Air OK)
- Pierces opponents. Explodes on the final hit.
- Fastest beam in the game.
- Has forced framedata. Will be -6 at any distance.
Despite its appearance, this will hit small or crouching opponents and blow through superdash. You don't really need this to deal with superdash, but thanks to its extreme speed it's far from useless in neutral either. It's about as fast as Kid Buu's Candy Beam which may give you the impression that this move is equally terrible as his, but you'd be dead wrong. This character's not allowed to have weaknesses.
Connoisseur Cut
214S (Air OK)
- When used outside of combos, 214S only connects against grounded opponents and j.214S only connects against airborne opponent. Mid-combo, 214S will also connect against airborne opponents.
- On hit, throws the opponent backward into a sliding knockdown and heals 500 total HP. Ex: If she has 400 blue health, she will heal 400 blue health and 100 yellow health.
Not quite done yet with having 6 lows and an extremely powerful overhead, now you can have a command grab to worry about as well. The healing is a cherry on top, and you can combo after this using her 22H, making it a command grab that doesn't require a preemptive EX for a combo. That also makes it harder to react to for the same reward as an EX grab, so there's tons of upsides to this. You likely won't see this as much as her command grab super, however. The air version makes for a great combo ender, as she can keep the corner while using her more damaging level 3 super. This also pulls a couple characters out of the corner, but at time of writing we don't really know if it's useful.
Barrier Sphere
22S (Air OK)
- Guard point against all attacks except throws, Supers, and Sparking Blast. Guarding against Super Dash-type moves will give the opponent 10F of landing recovery.
- Gains 25% Ki Gauges for each hit guarded.
- Cancellable into Specials and Supers on successful guard. Cancelling into Supers can be inputted with shortcuts: L+M for 236L+M, H+S for 236H+S, 4L+M for 214L+M and 4H+S for 214H+S.
- Cancelling into Specials/Supers does not add extra proration.
An air OK frame 4 reversal that while being identical to Android 18's barrierGuardStartupRecoveryTotal 48Advantage- in all aspects†Only difference: j.22S has 1 less guard frame, is significantly stronger than hers in practice as Lab Coat benefits much more from the special cancellation property. A great round start option when combined with assists as it gives an absurd amount of meter when guarding multi-hit moves like beams, giving you an early boost into the match.
As an anti-air, while the 214X series is a more reliable option, barrier still has its own niche as the reward on a call out is typically higher, e.g. 22S > 236H leads to ToDs, 22S against GC nets a much deadlier punish than 2H, among other things.
Z Assists
Assist A
Savory Slicer
- Retains 236X's Ki Blast guard point along with Head property.
- Frame advantage is for all hits; last hit only is +31.
Fast, has a huge hitbox, travels over halfscreen, deflects Ki Blasts and is highly plus on block. Has a minor weakness that it "only" has 34~45F of hitstun and launches the opponent a bit further back than most assists, making it slightly harder to convert/confirm.
Overall this is still an excellent assist. If you need an assist to slap her on your team, this is the one.
Assist B
Barrier Sphere
- Doesn't gain Ki for blocking attacks.
- Lab Coat shows up slightly behind the point character.
- Absorbs hits for both the point character and any other assists inside it.
- Barrier will not cover for you if you aren't inside it. Standing by the edge will cause big hitbox moves to go right through the barrier.
Lab Coat's B assist is her Barrier that defends against incoming attacks. It's inherently more situational than her other assists as it does not have a hitbox, but can be beneficial to certain team compositions or countering East Coast players. Her A Assist is generally good enough to be used instead of this one in most cases.
Assist C
Photon Swipe
- Piercing beam assist.
It's a C Beam. Pierces assists so can be used to police the opponent's assist calls, but the cooldown makes this very expensive. The opportunity cost of her C Assist versus her A and B Assists just isn't worth it.
Super Moves
Total Detonation Ball
236L+M (Air OK), j.236H+S
- Ground version's energy ball travels along the floor. On hit, is very advantageous and can easily extend combos in the corner, usually into delay 22L > 236HS for the debuff.
- Air versions recover in the air. Ball explodes if it hits the ground. On hit, causes a ground bounce sliding knockdown.
- Air H+S version teleports behind opponents. Startup is reduced when used mid-combo.
- Minimum Damage (Ground): 827
- Minimum Damage (Air): 784
Very solid super, if you feel like not using the grab. Can also loop into its self, but due to the double super scaling this won't net you much outside of BMing someone with your fair and balanced character. It's much more useful as a way to DHC Lab Coat in as she can combo into Stomp > 236HS with an extra bar to apply the debuff in the corner.
Photon Pulse
236H+S
- Unreactable command grab super that's also a reversal. Can be used as a tickthrow from essentially all normals without having to delay the input.
- Outside of combos, cannot connect against airborne opponents. Mid-combo, can hit airborne and opponents in OTG state.
- On hit:
- Launches the opponent into a soft knockdown. Doesn't consume Smash. Adv: +27 against up/back/forward tech.
- Character that got grabbed will deal 21% less damage until the end of battle. This debuff is applied on top of everything else including Sparking, Limit Break, Super's minimum damage, etc. Debuff does not stack upon multiple uses.
- Increases 21 Special Moves damage by 21% until the end of battle. Thankfully, this also doesn't stack.
It completely removes the damage upsides from Sparking, Golden Frieza, Adult Gohan's Potential Unleashed, SBroly's no-shirt Level 3, and more. You can't even use traditional Happy Birthday/Merry Christmas team wipe combos with this debuff applied to your character, as even highly damaging sparking combos ending in a level 3 will simply deal the same damage as a regular combo using meter. Now imagine how little you're doing without spending those resources.
- Comically low recovery time for a grab or a super, even with the extra active frames.[1]
- Minimum Damage: 621
This super is the icing on the cake. Either you take the throw and eat the damage debuff, or you eat one of her 6 lows into a combo and take the damage debuff, or she used this as a reversal and you take the debuff anyway. She even gets a safejump after. Turns any of your opponent's characters into a 3-4 touch character. 21 uses special moves a lot in her combos, which makes the buff quite substantial.
All the while this grab is nearly unreactable. The startup may not seem great, but the animation is very deceptive. As one final cherry to perfect the cake, the recovery is also quite low combined with generous invulnerability frames allowing you to use this move as a ghetto reversal or beat mashing attempts during your strings. You will love this super, you will abuse this super, and you will burst into tears laughing at how helpless your opponent is to stop you.
Appetizing Rush
214L+M (Air OK)
- Teleports behind opponents for a full-screen punish.
- This is her Z-Change lvl3.
- Minimum Damage: 1821
- Adv. on Hit: +28
Rather average knockdown merely granting a safejump afterwards. Surprisingly, Labcoat's level 3 supers are nothing to write home about. They are certainly not bad since they track fullscreen and still give easy oki unlike other characters.
Excellent Full Course
214H+S (Air OK)
- Alternate level 3. Stays same side at the cost of damage.
- Charges fullscreen ahead. Midcombo, has reduced startup and will teleport vertically to the same height as the opponent before attacking.
- Can happy birthday despite being a cinematic Super.
- Minimum Damage: 1721
- Adv. on Hit: +28
Android 21 has the total privilege to choose what side she ends up on whenever she wants to spend meter.