Kazuya (Tekken 7)

Kazuya
Heat	{{{heat}}}
Heat Smash	{{{heatSmash}}}
Heat Engagers	{{{heatEngagers}}}
Stances	CD – f,n,d,df
Fastest
Launch	i11(~13) – f,n,df#2 (hard) i13 – ws1,2 (crouching)
CH launch	i12 – 4 (high) i14 – df+2 (mid)
Wall splat	i11 – b+1,2 (high) i15 – df+1,4 (mid) i13 – ws1+2 (crouching)
Archetypal moves
Mid check	df+4 – (standing) ws4 – (crouching)
Stature kick	db+4
Power low	f,n,d,df+4,1
Shadow cutter	d+1+2
Generic moves
Remapped	(none)
Missing	(none)
External links
Lore	Kazuya Mishima
Twitter	#{{{twitter}}}
Discord	[1]

Archetype

Kazuya is a Mishima characterized by a high-risk high-reward mental game. This means that while he has access to a hitconfirmable 10f punish, a wavedash mixup and an electric wind god fist — he differs from the other Mishimas in possessing strong okizeme tools intended to loop situations, excellent crouching punishment, a faster EWGF that is accessible from both standing and crouching (i13), and one of the best rage drives in the game (R.f,n,d,df+1+4).

All of these strengths come at the expense of having below-average neutral poking tools, lacking a generic d/f+1 or a safe mid df+2, and struggling with range 1.5+ whiff punishment. Though there are some alternative tools he can use to compensate (like iWS4, f+3, etc.), their weaknesses often mean that a player needs to learn how to play a unique style of Tekken - relying on his crouchdash pressure moreso than other Mishimas and exposing themselves to taking risks in the neutral (using his standing d/f+2 or risky wavedash tools) in order to cover the opponent's options and gain access to damage.

Kazuya has a high execution skill ceiling, and an above-average execution barrier - as he possesses no standing launchers at the speed that most characters would without doing a precise EWGF input, which requires practice and is not bufferable. His d/f+2 on counter-hit guarantees an i13 EWGF (f,n,df#2 or f,d,df#2) — this is one of the most damaging launchers in the game, but also one of the most difficult, consisting of three consecutive 1-frame links.

Strengths

• Excellent punishment (especially from crouch)
• Mix-up from crouch dash
• Damage
• Range control

Weaknesses

• Weak to his left side
• No panic moves
• Few and unreliable pokes
• Strong tools, e.g. EWGF and wave dash, gated behind execution

Key techniques

EWGF in neutral

importance

★★★★★

value

★★★★★

dexterity

★★★★★

rhythm

★☆☆☆☆

Wave dash

importance

★★★★☆

value

☆☆☆☆☆

dexterity

★★★★☆

rhythm

★★☆☆☆

iWS from crouch dash

importance

★★★★☆

value

★★★★★

dexterity

★★☆☆☆

rhythm

★★★★☆

3x EWGF combos

importance

★★★☆☆

value

★★☆☆☆

dexterity

★★★☆☆

rhythm

★★★☆☆

-15 EWGF block punish

importance

★★☆☆☆

value

★★★★★

dexterity

★★★★☆

rhythm

★★★★☆

External links

• Basics guide by Xiang Part 1, Part 2, Part 3