Today’s guide by TheMainManSWE focuses on Kazuya Mishima, a longtime main character in Tekken 8. Kazuya’s gameplay revolves around his ground game, utilizing powerful moves like left splits kick and hell sweep to knock opponents down and apply his 50/50 mixup. His ground game is further enhanced by the devil steel pedal, a move that sets up a vortex of attacks and is safe on block. The guide also covers Kazuya’s strong poking game and his defining move, the electric, which is crucial for punishment and high damage combos.
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Key Takeaways:
- Kazuya’s gameplay revolves around his ground game and applying a 50/50 mixup after knocking opponents down.
- The devil steel pedal is a crucial move for Kazuya’s ground game, setting up a vortex of attacks and providing safe options on block.
- Kazuya’s poking game is not his strong suit, but his big startups, such as the devil fist, contribute to his neutral game and punishment.
- The electric is Kazuya’s defining move, offering plus frames on block, huge reach, and high damage potential.
Kazuya’s Ground Game:
Kazuya’s ground game is his biggest strength, and it revolves around knocking opponents down and applying a 50/50 mixup. His key moves for this strategy are the left splits kick and hell sweep. The left splits kick is a mid attack that launches for huge damage and has long reach. It is only minus three on block, making it safe to use. Kazuya mixes this up with the hell sweep, which knocks opponents down and sets up his next mixup. By wave dashing and applying pressure, Kazuya forces opponents to guess between the mid and low options.
Kazuya’s Poking Game:
While Kazuya’s poking game is not his strongest suit, he has some useful moves to keep opponents in check. His quick buttons, such as down one plus two, can be used to poke opponents and create pressure. However, these moves are relatively slow and sluggish compared to his big startups.
Kazuya’s Big Startups:
Kazuya’s big startups, such as the devil fist, are crucial for his neutral game and punishment. The devil fist is a mid attack with infinite reach, making it safe on block. It tracks to both sides, making it a powerful tool for punishing opponents. Kazuya players should focus on using the devil fist after punishing opponents or rushing them down with wave dashes to apply mixups.
Kazuya’s Electric:
The electric is Kazuya’s defining move, and it requires precise execution. It is a just frame move, meaning it is super hard to do, especially on both sides. The electric offers plus frames on block, huge reach, and is a natural hit launcher. It is Kazuya’s best launcher for punishing opponents, and it must be learned for high damage combos. Kazuya players should focus on improving their movement to create whiff openings and punish opponents with the electric.
