Teambuilding Guide
Disclaimer
This guide is oriented at those who wish to play the game competitively. If you are not playing competitively, you should pick whoever you want. If you are attempting to play DBFZ seriously, you should not play SSGSS Gogeta, Zamasu, Goku Black, or Frieza. Videl is technically playable at high level but she suffers greatly due to her lack of reflect. This guide will not be covering them as in-depth as they are either lacking too much to be seen as competitively viable or countered by the metagame. Ginyu and Nappa are special cases, as they require specific expertise in order to play. Both Nappa and Ginyu are very volitile characters, much more so than the rest of the cast, so you have to know what you're getting into when you pick them for your team. They both have incredible strengths (such as Nappa's restand mixups and Ginyu's setplay and Body Swap checkmates) but if they cannot hit your opponent, they die. Every character is technically viable, but the aforementioned characters are either for specialists or masochists.
Types of Characters
Point Characters
Your point character is the first member of the team, and arguably the most important in DBFZ. Losing the point war means you are losing a lot of potential damage, pressure, and neutral. You want your point character to be able to fight without using a lot of meter or generate a lot of meter very fast. Another thing to look for is powerful round start options, as that will help you win the point war. Good assists are usually not as important to consider for point characters because the best case senario is you don't have to use them anywhere else. A lot of point characters in DBFZ have good assists, but are usually overshadowed by other characters. Your point character should also be the character that benefits most from having assists, as they have both available at the start of the match.
Mid (or Battery) Characters
A great mid consists of three things:
- A good assist.
- Uses a single assist well.
- Can use meter instead of an assist.
Having a good assist is as simple as it sounds. You want something that either accentuate your point character's strengths or help mitigate their weaknesses. Your mid should be less assist reliant than your point because you only have one to work with. They should ideally also benefit from your anchor character's assist. Usually mids have good neutral or good pressure and use an assist or meter to fill the remaining holes in their gameplan. Try to account for the worst case scenario when picking out your mid.
Anchor Characters
These are your last line of defense. An ideal anchor has good neutral, can keep momentum, has a way to hit your opponent outside system mechanics, and can use meter well. There are arguably the least amount of characters that fill this slot, but they are always the most self-sufficient members of your team. To elabarate on hitting your opponent, usually a good anchor character has something unreactable they can hit you with and relyably convert into damage. Most good mids in DBFZ can also fill the anchor slot, as well as vice versa.
Building a Team
Generally speaking, the standard team form in any team-based game is Point/Mid/Anchor. This is not as much the case in DBFZ, as every character has at least one good assist. While it still is a strong basis (see GO1's team in Season 1), it is by no means the only option. Another way to set up a team is Point/Point/Point, which has been proven to work by non other than SonicFox at the beginning of Season 3. Putting three strong characters together means there is less of a consequence when one of them dies, but the team as a whole is usually less cohesive. The most common team composition as of Season 3.5 is arguably Point/Mid/Mid. Having two mids means your two character shell will end up a lot stronger than two point characters, and most mids in DBFZ double as anchors.
Common Shells
What is a shell?
A shell is a two-character team that complement each other exceptionally well. Usually you can combine them with another good character and have a solid team.
UI Goku/Kid Buu
An exceptional Point/Mid combination. UI Goku can force airborne opponents to the ground with 2S > 5S > Vanish, which leads straight into a ridiculous mixup with Kid Buu's A assist. Kid Buu also benefits as UI goku's A assist helps his lacking defense while having enough blockstun to allow for mixups.
Teen Gohan/Base Goku
Teen Gohan's amazing meter gain is really good for Base Goku. Gohan already deals above-average damage, and his level 1 super combos directly into Super Spirit Bomb. Base Goku's A assist also pushes back opponents to the perfect distance for an IAD j.L crossup, but it has too much pushback for j.236M. Base Goku can also get "safe" command grab attempts by using Teen Gohan's A assist to cover the whiff animation of 214L.
Vegito/Baby
Vegito gets huge milage out of Baby's B assist. It gives him easy conversions midscreen and in the corner, as well as giving him enough blockstun to perform Atomic Buster left/rights. Vegito A is also an amazing assist for clearing the screen, which helps with Baby's zoning game. Baby also has the anti-airs to deal with superdash, somewhat compensating for Vegito A's main weakness.
Kid Buu/Android 21
Arguably the strongest Mid/Mid pairing in the game. Kid Buu A is an amazing mixup assist, and Android 21's A assist is an exceptional neutral assist. They also work really well together, as each can use each other's assists exceptionally well. DHC-ing from Kid Buu to Android 21's lvl1 fast enough will also give her a sliding knockdown, something she generally lacks on her own.
Kefla/Android 18
Android 18's A assist is particularly enabling for Kefla, as it allows her to safely sneak behind her opponent with 214S, potentially giving a mixup between buttons and DR hidden by the green barrier. Android 18 also appreciates an assist to help out her full-screen neutral and fill out her blockstrings. Android 18 also has stellar level 3 mixups from Accel Dance, which helps compensate for Kefla's weak level 3 okizeme.
Kid Buu/GT Goku
If you blocn GT A at any point, you're in a Kid Buu blockstring. No matter where on the screen you are. In the flipside, GT can use Kid Buu A for mixups and combos, the latter of which is generally quite difficult for most characters. They also provide the best lockdown and neutral assist in the game to your point character, giving you the liberty of choice. This shell enables any members of the cast that rely on high/low mixups.
Common Teams
Base Vegeta/Bardock/Z Broly
A great all-around team. Bardock's B assist gives Base Vegeta potent 50/50s abywhere on screen with 236L, and Z Broly helps him approach while also allowing for 236S mixups. When Base Vegeta dies, Bardock still has a neutral assist to help him get in. The weakest link of the team is when Z Broly is on point with Bardock B backing him up, as there's not much he can do other than crossups or use it for combos. Overall, it's a very strong and well-rounded team.
UI Goku/Kid Buu/GT Goku
This team has one goal in mind: get in and mix you. It also is one of the best teamsbin the game at doing just that. UI can already force himself in, but having GT Goku makes it that much easier for him to get in 5L range and force you to block Kid Buu A. This is also a combination of two previously stated and very strong shells, making it very stable for how powerful it is. As a little bonus, UI Goku's level 1 into GT Goku's level 3 will stay on the same side you started at.
Kefla/Android 18/Android 21
Affectionately referred to as "Team Horny." Kefla A and Android 18 are already great friends, and adding Android 21 gives it more neutral control and another highly dangerous post-level 3 mixup. All three characters also have a way to spend meter to fight delay tech, which helps it hold momentum.
Teen Gohan/Z Broly/Base Goku
The ultimate shotgun team. Both Teen Gohan and Z Broly's level 1 supers can clmbo into Super Spirit Bomb anywhere on the screen, and both Z Broly and Base Goku benefit greatly from Teen Gohan's incredible meter gain. Z Broly A lets Teen Gohan get mixups from j.236M where Base Goku A would not while also providing neutral control. Overall a very strong team with exceptional damage output compared to most others.
Base Vegeta/Gotenks/Krillin
Every character on this team has at least one way to knock you down into a mixup. Base Vegeta with Krillin A dominates neutral, as rocks stop superdash in its tracks. Base Vegeta and Gotenks also have setups to DHC into Krillin's level 3 that give far more frame advantage than normal, lovingly dubbed "cursed oki." Base Vegeta also has the benefit of Gotenks A, which gives him 236L > j.2H mixups in the corner. It also goves Krillin Senzu Bean mixups in the corner, should Base Vegeta die.
Blue Goku/Piccolo/Z Broly
Arguably the best Blue Goku team. Both Blue Goku and Z Broly use Piccolo's A assist extremely well as it makes their command grab pressure very difficult to contest. The team also has extreme damage with meter, as well as the potential to keep pressure by combo-ing after supers into sliding knockdowns. Blue Goku can also give Piccolo Hellzone Grenade mixups on block with his A and B assists should Piccolo be on point. The downside of this team is that once Piccolo dies it becomes much weaker. Without Piccolo A to help threaten with command grabs, the team loses it's main way of hitting opponents. Piccolo/Z Broly and Piccolo/Blue Goku are exceptionally strong shells by their own merit, which is the core of the team.
Gotenks/Kid Buu/Android 21
Arguably the strongest team in the game. It just does everything: ghost oki, blockstring mixups, and strong neutral. The strongest character in the game with the best support shell in the game.
Old Teams
Season 1 Bardock/Cell/SSJ Vegeta
Season 1 Gotenks/Adult Gohan/Yamcha
Season 2 Teen Gohan/Z Broly/SSJ Goku
Season 2 Bardock/GT Goku/SSJ Goku
Season 3 Bardock/Captain Ginyu/Kid Buu
At a Glance
Character | Force D1 | Average Damage | ToD Potential | Solo Plus Frames | Solo Mixups | Solo Neutral | Ideal Mixup Assist | Low 2L | Assist A | Assist B | Assist C | Recommended Position |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Android 16 | Ground Only | Avg. | Avg. | Yes | Cmd. Grab | Poor | Any | Yes | Strike | Ki Blast | Lockdown/Tracking | Point |
Android 17 | Yes | High | High | No | Rekkas* | Poor | Any | Yes | Barrier/Strike | Strike | Lockdown/Tracking | Point/Mid |
Android 18 | No | Avg. | Avg. | Setup | Cmd. Grab* | Avg. | +30 or more | Yes | Barrier | Beam-like | Lockdown/Tracking | Point/Any |
Android 21 | No | High | High | Yes | Cmd. Grab | Great | Lockdown | Yes | Beam-like | Strike | Lockdown/Tracking | Any/Anchor |
Bardock | Yes | Avg. | High | Yes | No | Avg. | Lockdown | Yes | Strike | Lockdown | Tracking | Point/Mid |
Beerus | Yes | High | High | Setup | 236M | Avg. | Any | Yes | Ki Blast/Strike | Strike | DP/Ki Blast | Point |
Broly | Yes | Avg. | Low | No | Cmd. Grab | Great | Low Blockstun | No | Beam-like | Ki Blast | Neutral | Mid/Anchor |
Broly (DBS) | No | High | High | No | Cmd. Grab* | Avg. | Low Blockstun | No | Beam-like | Beam-like/Anti-air | Beam | Point |
Captain Ginyu | No | High | High | Setup | No | Poor | Any | No | Strike | Neutral | Lockdown | Point*** |
Cell | Yes | High | High | No | Cmd. Grab* | Poor | +30 or more | Yes | Beam | Strike | Anti-air | Point |
Cooler | Yes | Avg. | Avg. | Yes | No | Good | Any | No | DP | Neutral | Beam | Any |
Frieza | Yes | Low | Avg. | Setup | No | Good | Any | Yes | Neutral | Beam-like | Beam-like | Point |
Gogeta (SSGSS) | Yes | High | High | No | Cmd. Grab* | Poor | Lockdown | Slow | Strike | DP | Tracking | Point |
Gogeta (SSJ4) | ||||||||||||
Gohan (Teen) | No | High | High | Yes | No | Great | Any | Yes | DP | Ki Blast | Tracking | Point |
Gohan (Adult) | Yes | High | Avg. | Yes | No | Poor | Any | Yes | DP | Lockdown | Beam | Mid |
Goku | Ground Only | High | High | No | Cmd. Grab | Good | Low Blockstun | No | Strike | Meter | Beam | Mid/Anchor |
Goku (SSJ) | Yes | High | Avg. | No | Overhead* | Good | Any | No | Beam | Lockdown/Strike | Lockdown/Tracking | Anchor |
Goku (SSGSS) | Yes | High | High | Yes | Cmd. Grab | Good | Lockdown | Yes | Ground Tracking | Strike | Tracking | Point |
Goku (GT) | Yes | High | High | Yes | No | Avg. | Lockdown | Yes | Beam/Anti-air | Lockdown/Strike | Tracking | Mid/Anchor |
Goku (UI) | Yes | High | High | Yes | Cmd. Grab | Avg. | Lockdown | Yes | DP | Beam | Tracking/DP | Any |
Goku Black | Corner Only | Avg. | Avg. | Setup | Cmd. Grab* | Avg. | Any | No | Beam | Strike | Tracking | Mid |
Gotenks | No | High | Avg. | Yes | Crossup | Avg. | Lockdown | Yes | Tracking/Lockdown | Lockdown/Strike | Beam | Any |
Hit | Ground Only | High | Avg. | No | Cmd. grab*/Stance* | Good | Any | Overhead | DP | Neutral | Tracking | Point/Mid |
Janemba | Yes | High | Avg. | Setup | Cmd. Grab | Good | Any | No | Tracking/Ki Blast | Strike | Lockdown/Tracking | Any/Anchor |
Jiren | Yes | High | Avg. | No | Cmd. Grab* | Great | Low Blockstun | No | Lockdown | Strike | Beam | Any |
Kefla | Yes | High | High | Yes | No | Great | Lockdown | Yes | Beam-like | Lockdown | Neutral | Point |
Kid Buu | Ground Only | Low | Low | Setup | No | Good | Any | Yes | Lockdown | Strike | Beam | Point/Mid |
Krillin | Yes | Avg. | Avg. | Yes | Overhead | Great | +40 or more | Yes | Neutral | Beam | Anti-air | Mid/Anchor |
Majin Buu | Yes | Low | Avg. | No | No | Good | Leaves standing | Yes | Neutral | It's sure something | Anti-air | Point |
Master Roshi | Yes | Ave. | High | No | Cmd. Grab* | Avg. | Low blockstun | Yes | DP | Beam | Lockdown/Tracking | Mid/Anchor |
Nappa | Ground Only | High | High | Setup | Overhead* | Abysmal | Specific | Low 5L | Neutral | Barrier/Strike | Tracking | Point*** |
Piccolo | Corner Only | High | Avg. | Setup | Crossup* | Good | Any | Yes | Ki Blast | Beam-like | Tracking | Mid |
Super Baby 2 | Yes | High | High | Setup | No | Great | Any | Slow | Ki Blast | Tracking | Beam | Point |
Tien | Yes | High | High | Setup | Cmd. Grab*/Overhead | Great | Any | Yes | Beam-like | Tracking | Lockdown/Tracking | Anchor |
Trunks | Corner Only | Avg. | Avg. | Yes | Overhead* | Avg. | Any | No | Neutral | Beam | Lockdown/Tracking | Mid |
Vegeta | Yes | High | High | No | RPS | Great | Lockdown | Yes | Beam-like | Strike | Anti-air | Point |
Vegeta (SSJ) | Yes | Avg. | Avg. | No | No | Great | Lockdown | Yes | Neutral | Strike | DP | Anchor |
Vegeta (SSGSS) | Yes | High | Avg. | No | No | Avg. | Specific | Yes | Beam-like | Strike | Lockdown/Tracking | Point |
Vegito | Yes | High | Avg. | No | No | Great | Any | No | Ki Blast | Lockdown | Tracking | Any |
Videl | Yes | Avg. | Low | Yes | No** | Avg. | Any | Yes | Strike | Lockdown | DP | Point |
Yamcha | Yes | Low | Low | No | Crossup | Avg. | Low Blockstun | No | Lockdown/Strike | Beam | Lockdown/Tracking | Anchor |
Zamasu | Yes | High | High | No | No | Poor | Lockdown | Yes | Beam-like | Strike | Anti-air | Point |
Legend
'*' means the option is too slow to be used without conditioning the opponent first.
'**' is used solely for Videl. She has a wide array of options but all are highly unsafe without assists.
'***' is used because there is an alternate strategy that requires specific teammates. If you can win neutral with your point and Tag into these characters, you can bypass their poor neutral options. It is, however, quite risky.