| Shaheen |
|---|
| Strategy (Tekken 8) |
|---|
This page is for Tekken 8. For Tekken 7, see Shaheen strategy (Tekken 7).
Key Moves
Pokes/Punishes/Generics
Input
An average but ever-important 1 jab. Shaheen's has limited followups, only having access to highs or mids that are punishable on block, so just the classic 1 and 1,2 are the best to stick to.
2,1 has tradeoffs, as it's worse on block and slightly slower than 1,2, but it's more viable in neutral as a fast poke as it does more damage than 1,2 and ends with a mid, which can catch duckers if the 1 whiffs.
1,2,2
- Counter hit combo from 1st hit
- Can be delayed
A counter hit launching h,h,m string that does not jail, but is slightly delayable. Very useful to catch attempts at taking turns back after the 1,2 string, but is jab punishable on block at -11. Also worth noting that this is a counter hit combo, but it will not launch unless they press before the third hit.
A very good generic df+1 that’s only -1 on block and is quite long range. He has no mixups or strings so it’s only a mid-check, but it tracks semi-well for such a good df+1. A great setup is doing a fast backdash after hitting a tip range df+1 and launching your opponent if they try to take their turn back with jab.
Your 10f punish, which can be cancelled into SNK with df at a whopping +10 on hit, allowing most SNK moves to beat out jabs.
12f punish, and one of your main Tornado moves in combos. Does a pretty decent 33 damage and it’s a good whiff punish tool. It’s also delayable, but doing so makes it not jail on block or combo on hit.
f:b+2
- Transition to attack throw on standing front hit
- Quick input properties during Heat
- Partially restores remaining Heat time on hit
Arguably Shaheen's most unique move, and one that his entire gameplan often revolves around. If done as a Just Frame (denoted by blue sparks) the move is 1 frame faster, becoming a 13f punisher that does an incredible 42 damage with the added bonus of removing your enemy's recoverable health. Most characters need to land a risky Rage Art to do this, but Shaheen can do it with this safe i13 punisher. Suffice to say, it is absolutely essential that you are able to hit the just frame input on this move in order to get the most out of Shaheen. Also, as a "knife hand" move, this does regenerate your Heat meter while in Heat as well as doing chip damage on block outside of Heat.
A decent 14f poke with slightly more range than db2. The 1 followup is two mids that are safe on block and can go into SNK at +9 on hit, so it can be good in scenarios where you aren't certain about getting the hit. While you'll generally want to use db+2,1 as your 14f punish (which is covered in the Heat Engager section), if you have already burnt all of your Heat, df+4,3 does do 1 more damage. While the 3 follow-up is also safe on block, it's a duckable high, so beware of autopiloting into it.
Shaheen's 15f launch punisher. It has a gigantic hitbox, halfway decent tracking, recovers quite quickly, and is only -13 on block. Every Shaheen player can and will get a random launch with this move, but don't get too comfortable spamming this, as the recovery is still long enough for most people to react and whiff punish - often with their own launcher.
Shaheen's orbital is actually quite good in comparison to the other orbitals in T8. It's somewhat slow at i25, but it's one of Shaheen's highest damage launchers as well as being safe on block. Effectively using this to call out lows will give you a lot of extra punishes, but keep in mind that it will lose to SSR.
f+2,4,4
- Causes Strong Aerial Tailspin
One of Shaheen's good chump checker strings. Both of the 4,4 hits will counter hit launch, the first F+2,4 part is delayable, and the whole string is only -7, but the last hit is an easy duck and launch for more experienced players. Don't spam this string, but make sure you're ready to do db+2,DF if it does counter hit.
Shaheen is blessed with one of the only magic 4s in T8 - a magic 4 being a counter hit launching, fast high, but you can only convert it into a combo if you finish the string. While it is only -5 on block, the string does not jail and is easily duckable. You can utilize 4,4 (h,m) to catch duck attempts, but keep in mind that this is flash duckable, although it’s a pretty crazy thing to be ready for, and most people will just block.
Shaheen's best homing mid. It's somewhat slow at i17, but he steps forward a bit which gives it good range for a homing move. It’s also worth mentioning that it gives you 21f of guardable advantage on hit at the wall, which basically means you get a free mixup that they're able to block if they guess right.
Another good homing option that hits high, but it has some important bonuses over df+3 to make up for the fact that it can be ducked; it’s a few frames quicker at i15, it gives a wall splat on hit, it does chip damage on block (along with some other moves that will be listed in the Grey Health section below), and it gives a guaranteed b+4 on hit.
df+2
Shaheen's SAFE mid launcher. It functions the same as uf+4 as far as startup and damage, but it does have slightly shorter range, so try to use uf+4 to launch punish just in case this is too stubby. It also tends to evade jabs, so it's a great option after backdashing to beat out retaliatory jabs. While it's only a bit easier to whiff punish than uf+4, its safety on block make it a rewarding tool to check opponents and fish for stray hits at close range.
f,f,F+2
- chip damage on block
- during Heat, partially restores remaining Heat time
Shaheen's while running plus frame move. It's a little linear, but has decent speed and chip damage. Shaheen doesn't have very many reliable plus frame moves to enforce his presence with and get in, so it's an important tool in offense. Also, as another "knife hand" move, it does regenerate your Heat on hit.
Shaheen's only other plus frame move that's worth relying on. It's hardly fast at i19, but it's +3 on block and leaves the opponent crouching. Its big ticket trait is that it is +14 on counterhit, which allows him to get a guaranteed db+2,1 to Heat Engage with. Since it does leave the opponent crouching, it's possible to frame trap mashers, since anything slower than a ws4 is liable to get launched (Dragunov ws1 will lose to uf+4, as a quick example), but most of the time, this is just a reliable way to get a few plus frames to get in their face and start the full crouch mixup.
b+2
- Transition to attack throw on standing front hit
- Erases opponent recoverable health on hit
This is Shaheen's other option to try and remove recoverable grey health. i15 startup, and is a hit throw that does a decent 28 damage in addition to removing recoverable health. A slightly safer option than f:b+2 since it is a mid, but you do completely lose your turn on block. Oki after the throw is decent but nothing special. Only really useful if you desperately need to get rid of some grey health and/or you're playing someone who likes to duck.
See the section titled Al-Ghul Master on the Tech page.
Heat Engagers
uf+1
- chip damage on block
- during Heat, partially restore remaining Heat time
- Cancel to FC with input uf+1,D
The most ridiculous approach tool in Shaheen's kit. It does have some weaknesses, namely it's slow startup, but it automatically gets him in his opponents face from range 4. It's also cancellable with a D input which puts him in full crouch, does pretty great damage on hit, is +1 on block, balcony breaks, and Heat Engages. It is not advisable to spam this, but it's a pretty decent approach option, which can be a sore spot for Shaheen. Also, as another "knife hand" move, this does regenerate your Heat meter while in Heat as well as doing chip damage on block outside of Heat.
Probably Shaheen's strongest Heat Engager. He has four great ways to guarantee it (14f block punisher, as well as ws1, SNK.1 and b+3 on counter hit), it does great damage, is a respectable whiff punisher, and it's also his strongest wall carry tool, as it gives a good wall splat from VERY far away during combos. It's also his highest damage balcony break move.
b+1
- Transition to +0c, +6c FC with D
- Launcher with heat dash
This is Shaheen's safest Heat Engager. It's +0 on block, tracks somewhat well, does good damage, and can transition into FC with b+1,D. While in Heat, it's also his fastest Heat Dash launcher (b+1,F), so it's not a bad move to throw out there every once in a while when your Heat is getting low, since doing the Heat Dash on block will just give you a free mixup, and you'll get a launcher if it hits.
Shaheen's one and only (non-Heat Burst) power crushing move. This is a fairly strong power crush, being i16 and pretty high damage, in addition to being a Heat Engager. While it is safe on block at -9, it is also a high, and sharp players will duck it after poking the armor with jab/df+1. This power crush is essential to making sure Shaheen isn't overwhelmed on defense. Like all Heat Engagers, it can be Heat Dashed on block to force a mixup.
Probably Shaheen's least consequential Heat Engager. It's a strong mid out of SNK that is +2 on block and leaves the opponent crouching, and it has some utility during certain Heat Dash combos, but the only way to guarantee a SNK mixup where it won't get stuffed with a jab is after f+3+4,DF on hit, which is a risky option in and of itself. Also, as another "knife hand" move, this does regenerate your Heat meter while in Heat as well as doing chip damage on block outside of Heat.
Lows
Your main low poke. It’s a little slow at i16, but has great range and can be cancelled into SNK with d+3,DF, which gives you a small mixup on hit. At +4, SNK.1 will interrupt jabs for big damage with f:b+2. Keep in mind that it's -14 on block, which is going to be a nice punish for a lot of characters, so be careful if it's getting block punished.
Your other low poke. It's slow at i19, and it's -12 on block, which makes it Shaheen's least punishable low.
Shaheen's long range poking low. It goes extremely far and comes out fairly quickly considering it's range at i20, as well as only being launch punishable by a select few characters at -13. Note that this is somewhat easy to react to if done from long range if you're playing against an experienced player.
db+3,4
- Counter hit combo from 1st hit
Only worth mentioning because of Shaheen's lack of low moves. While it is a counter hit combo that Tornados, the db+3 on it's own is launch punishable on block at -17 and it does the same amount of damage as the much safer d+3 and less than the much, much safer d+4. The 4 extension is also trivial to duck and launch.
Generic Lows (FC d+4 and FC d+3) - Very bad, both are pretty slow and launch punishable on block.
Slide and FC.df+4 - Both of these are described in the Full Crouch Mixup section.
Grey Health
Shaheen's unique character trait is his ability to remove recoverable grey health in a much safer manner than all other characters, who need to use a risky Rage Art to do so, and in addition, the fact that many of his moves do chip damage when he isn't in Heat, which is also unique to him as well as Nina. This is extremely important, as experienced players will be trying to force interactions that allow them to recover their grey health if they have a large quantity of it. Heat Bursts and other mechanics can recover nearly half of a health bar worth of grey health in certain situations with certain characters, but Shaheen can render this moot.
Shaheen is rewarded for his aggression outside of Heat by using moves called "knife hand" attacks that do chip damage on block. These moves are:
f,f,F+2
uf+1
f:b+2 (Note that only the just frame or "fast" version does chip damage.)
f+4
f+3+4
SNK.1+2
D*u+2
Furthermore, f,b+2, b+2 and his punch parry (b+1+3) all remove recoverable grey health on hit. You can absolutely get away without using these moves, but at a certain level, the ability to remove the possibility of your opponent recovering that health will be worth it's weight in gold. Learn your 13f punishes, because it could be the difference between your opponent having access to 180 health points in a round or 240 (or more).
Usage Chart
| Function | |
|---|---|
| Core | |
| Secondary | |
| Extra | |
| Move | Poke | Counter | Mixup | Keepout | Approach | Oki | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |||||||
| 1,2 | |||||||
| 1,2,2 | |||||||
| 2,3 | |||||||
| 4,1 | |||||||
| df+1 | |||||||
| f+2,3 | |||||||
| f+2,4,4 | |||||||
| df+2 | |||||||
| df+4,1 | |||||||
| df+3 | |||||||
| d+3 | |||||||
| d+2 | |||||||
| db+2 | |||||||
| b+3 | |||||||
| b+4 | |||||||
| uf+1 | |||||||
| uf+4 | |||||||
| f,f,F+2 | |||||||
| FC.df,d,DF+3 | |||||||
| FC.df+4 | |||||||
| ws1 | |||||||
| ws2 | |||||||
| SNK.1 | |||||||
| H.D*,u+2 |
Offense
There are two aspects to Shaheen's offense, those being his stand-up neutral game, and his full crouch mixup. His FC mixup is extensively detailed in a section below, so this section will focus on his stand-up neutral offense.
When playing offense with Shaheen, he is super safe. He has very few mids or highs that are launch punishable on block, unless you're playing someone who can reliably PEWGF. His only real launch punishable moves are Rage Art, ws2, and b+4. If you only use ws2 for stagger low block punishes and b+4 after f+4 knockdowns or cautiously in oki situations, you should basically never get launched on block.
Since he has so few strings, opponents will rarely even have the opportunity to try to duck them, and the decent strings he has usually end in mids, like 1,2,2, 1,2,4, or df+4,1,3. f+2,4,4 is pretty much the only useful string he has that can be ducked, and this can be ended after f+2,4 to circumvent this (although you can eat a 13f while standing punishment if that's blocked, so be extra careful against Kazuya).
As mentioned several times on this page, Shaheen's ability to remove grey health with some of his moves is important, and not being prepared to convert with f:b+2 off of counter hits on ws1 and SNK.1 is just leaving piles of damage on the table. Being aware of your opponent's -13 moves is a big advantage, and this isn't even getting into setups that lead into a guaranteed f:b+2 after H.D*,u+2, which you can learn more about on his tech page.
While his combo damage is pretty normal in the context of the rest of the cast, he has a lot of options to vary his combos with. With f,F+3 (or SNK.3), he has the ability to side switch at basically any point in a combo, and db+2,DF and df+4,1,DF gives him quite a bit of variety in exactly how much wall carry he can dish out. db+2,1 is a high damage, reliable way to get a wall splat, as it sends the opponent extremely far and gives a very workable wall splat, and his main wall ender options (df+4,1>3 and 4,1 b+4) both do pretty decent damage. Note that you must delay the 3 in df+4,1,3 in order to get a low wall hit for maximum damage, but be careful about doing this at the end of an extended combo, because they may enter the fast wall splat state, and if you whiff the 3 while they tech roll, you will probably eat a punish. This goes for the 4,1 b+4 ender as well, since the 4 hits very high and you'll lose the entire wall ender if it whiffs.
SNK cancelling is also a crucial mechanic to learn, as his non-SNKc combos usually pale in comparison in regards to damage and wall carry. There's more info on SNKc on his Tech page. df+4,1 SNKc ws3,3 is, by a fair margin, often his most damaging and wall carrying combo filler into Tornado in the open, and an extra ws3,DF SNKc filler can add even more wall carry for the technically gifted.
It's important to make sure you have reliable, practiced combos for damage without the wall, side switching, wall carry, and an abridged combo to get a wall Tornado. Some examples and staples can be found on his Combos page, but try to have fun with it. He can take a lot of different routes for every outcome, and combos are fun, so try some stuff in the lab if you have an idea. It's also worth noting that his combos generally work on all body types, so you don't really have to lab out character specific combos, which is a nice bonus.
He does pay for these offensive advantages. Again, he has a serious lack of strings, especially tricky or delayable ones, which means that it's extremely difficult to try and force his way into a counter hit. Outside of the FC mixup, he is pretty honest, and he benefits greatly from smart timing and precise spacing.
Furthermore, Shaheen's standing low selection is kind of limited. d+4 is his safest standing low at -12, with a lethargic startup of i19 and stubby range, and SS.2, while extremely long range, is also -13 and has a startup of i20. His generic lows are both launch punishable at -15 and -17. d+3 will very likely be your most used standing low, as it's the only one he has that leads into SNK (d+3,DF). It's -14 on block, but considering how weak his other options are, it's probably going to be your best bet outside of the FC mixup to get some quick low damage. While it kind of sucks on block, it's +4 on hit if you transition into SNK which is great for getting some dirty counter hits with SNK.1 or cancelling into his FC mixup.
Another weakness is some difficulty actually enforcing his gameplan against more patient players. His approach tools are fine, such as f,f,F+2 and uf+1, but neither of them are best in class. His only other workable plus move besides f,f,F+2 is b+3, which is a little stubby, slow at i19, and only gives you +3 on block (although this is more like +4 since they're crouching). Due to this, you need to be shrewd about your approaches and make sure you take every opportunity to enforce an FC mixup, since your opponent is able to disengage somewhat easily. On larger stages like Yakushima or Coliseum, this can be a pretty annoying problem to deal with, but thankfully, he can be a bit more sticky on smaller stages.
Defense
One of Shaheen's other notable weaknesses is his lack of defensive gimmicks. He doesn't have any reliable sidestep moves or much evasion built in to his kit like some other characters (think Lars high crushing stances or Paul f+1+4). This means that you need to actually practice traditional defense with Shaheen. If Shaheen is on the defensive, you have to utilize smart stand blocking, ducking, and sidestepping, as he has very few, if any, get out of jail free cards.
One thing Shaheen does have on defense is his low crushing tools, which are uf+1, uf+3 and f,F+3. This allows him to blow-up opponents who are getting too comfortable with using lows, and, sans f,F+3, they are also safe on block, so don't be afraid to use these as low reads every so often to stave off some of the low chip damage.
In addition, he is not one of the blessed characters with a mid power crush. b+3+4 is a high, which means that you have to pick your spots much more carefully and avoid throwing it out in a predictable manner since it's duckable and can be evaded by a lot of character's strings. Heat Burst is your best friend if you're being overwhelmed on defense, and make sure that when you do decide to pop it that you try your best to regain the advantage in neutral so it's not a waste.
Shaheen has a top 10 backdash (source), so work on your backdash cancels. After a spaced df+1 on block, many jabs and df+1 retaliations can be outspaced by a single backdash. He also has a pretty good sidestep, so make sure you know which side your opponent is weak to and exploit it as much as you can.
Do your best not to let your opponent scare you into not threatening the FC mixup. You can duck and then stand block well before they're able to react and land a df+1, let alone a launcher, so if you're having issues with getting poked out of crouching, mix your timings up and observe. Every character loses their turn after you block df+1, so do not be afraid to press that advantage, however small it may be.
Full Crouch Mixup
The #1, absolute most threatening piece of Shaheen's kit is his full crouch mixup, and it is wholly essential to use it at all levels of play.
While in full crouch, Shaheen has access to the following key moves:
FC.df,d,DF+3 - The only reason why the FC mixup works. When done point blank, with frame perfect inputs, this move (referred to as slide) is on the bleeding edge of reactable at roughly i19~i20, and hits for a very chunky 20 damage. It also automatically ends in SNK, which allows you to hit a guaranteed SNK.2 for an additional 17 damage. It is essential to practice doing this as fast as possible, because losing a few frames on the input can make it easily reactable. It's also worth noting that, obviously, it is more and more reactable the further away you are, so be wary of trying it against good players past range 2. Even if it is blocked, your opponent will only be able to do a float combo which is heavily scaled, so if you hit with 3 slides and one gets blocked and punished, you'll still usually come out ahead.
ws1 - Your key mixup option out of crouch. This move, while somewhat slow at i14, still has good range and decent damage, but it's primary utility in the FC mixup is it's counter hit property. On CH, it gives 14 frames of advantage, which is enough to not only guarantee a db2,1 to enter Heat, but also enough for f:b+2, a hit throw that does a huge 42 damage with the benefit of removing your opponent's recoverable grey health. It's essential to effectively mix this move into your FC mixup, as it can catch attempts to launch you or df+1 you out of the FC.
ws2 - Your big haymaker in the FC mixup. A launching mid that does huge damage, this is the main thing that will terrify your opponent into continuing to standblock. Keep in mind that this is easily launch punishable on block, so use it sparingly and only when you're either making a soul read, or have seriously conditioned your opponent into ducking.
uf+4 - Your other big launcher out of full crouch. It is much less punishable on block than ws2 and a hair faster at i15 vs i16, but it is also a little bit easier to step. If you haven't done a lot of conditioning or aren't trying to make a big soul read, this is probably the safer option launch a duck. Again, use sparingly.
H.D*,u+2 - In Heat, Al-Ghul, which is an i18 high, is a guard break that guarantees 13 frames of advantage on block and Tornados on hit. If buffered frame perfectly, f:b+2 is i13 and will be guaranteed after Al-Ghul Master. While it is probably more useful outside of the full crouch mixup (namely, buffering it during certain situations in neutral), it's use in the mixup can't be ignored. It's imperative to learn the timing on f:b+2 after the Al-Ghul Master guard break, or you're just leaving damage on the table while in Heat.
ws4 - Not a lot to say, this is an i11 mid that nets you a little bit of damage on hit. It has worse frame advantage than ws1 on block, but it's a little bit faster so you can use this to pester if you're afraid of being hit out of ws1.
FC.df+2 - Another low risk mid option that's nice to have in the mixup that wallsplats, balcony breaks, and regenerates Heat if done in Heat. You fully lose your turn if blocked, but it's a nice chunk of damage on hit and a good, low risk way to blow up crouching if you're afraid of the more risky, launching options.
FC.df+4 - Your main low option to harrass your opponent while in full crouch. A swinging low kick that is +1 on hit, with an extension (FC.df+4,1) that knocks down and wall splats. FC.df+4,DF will go into SNK, which will allow you to beat anything but a jab with SNK.1. You can also cancel SNK with db to re-enter full crouch and continue your mixup. This is not a core part of the mixup, as it is -14 on block and doesn't net you a whole lot of frame advantage, but it's worth noting due to the fact that it allows you to enter another mixup or keep looping the FC mixup, as well as being quite decent at catching step attempts. LowHigh is very fond of using this along with FC.df+2, for what it's worth.
With Al-Ghul Master, the FC mixup looks like this:
- Standblock: Slide or Al-Ghul Master wins, plus you can pester with FC.df+4.
- Crouchblock: ws2 or uf+4 for a launch, ws1, FC.df+2 or ws4 to be safe.
- Jab Check: Slide wins, ws1 interrupts for big damage.
- df+1 Check: This is what people will usually do if they're afraid of the mixup, so try to mixup your timing with early ws1/ws4 if they show that they're twitch reacting to crouch with df+1.
- Step: FC.df+4,1 catches this, and ws2 can track pretty well, but be careful of stepblocking.
The biggest weaknesses to the FC mixup is twitch reaction hopkicks/df+2, as well as sidewalking and backdashing away. To beat these options, it's important to mixup your commitment to the mixup. You do not have to do a move every time you engage the FC mixup, and it's important to just threaten it. Run up, crouch for a few frames, and then stand block to try and draw out an unsafe option. If they like to backdash away, just keep pressing your advantage and push them to the wall. If they like to sidewalk, throw out a df+3 or reorient yourself to keep in line with them.
Also keep in mind that slide can be reliably reacted to when you're further than range 1.5-2 or so, since you don't really have any great options to use at that range besides slide, so if your opponent has shown that they can react to that, you need to make sure you're 1: close enough to threaten more than 1 or 2 options and 2: make sure you're mixing up your options, whether it be the moves you're using out of it, the timing of the moves, or whether or not you even use a move at all.