Dragunov counterplay

This page is for Tekken 8. For Tekken 7, see Dragunov counterplay (Tekken 7).

Overview

Dragunov is an incredibly strong character as of the current patch of TEKKEN 8. His damage, mixups, pressure, and tracking are all significantly above average in a way that makes him feel like a better version of every other character. Nonetheless, matchup knowledge goes a long way even if much of beating Dragunov consists of better play of solid Tekken fundamentals.

Effective Range (Keeping Dragunov Out)

Though Drag isn't exactly lacking in mid-range pokes and checks, the range at which he is absolutely the most devastating is right in your face. When he gets in, he can threaten constant use of his myriad of plus moves—whether it be a plus on block mid or a plus on hit low—to chip away at your health bar. Since Dragunov has incredibly strong tracking on his moves, including both of his best lows, the main counterplay is typically to backdash out of his range to safety... and being close to him removes that possibility. The closer you are, the more lows you'll have to eat before being able to get out of range, so it's understandable that you simply don't want to be in range of his devastating pressure.

Countering WR2

Sidewalk his WR2, run up, then back throw him.

Now, it's clear Drag wants to be up close, but how does he get there? Surely, most players can answer this one. His WR2 is a fast, plus on block running move that knocks down on hit if you happen to be crouching or fail to step correctly. Fortunately, this move has pretty clear counterplay once you get the hang of it and has far more whiff recovery than Azucena's equivalent. The best thing to do when anticipating it is to sidewalk right (SWR), run up, and go for a backturned punish. A simple, universal backturn punish is doing a throw from behind, which deals 50-60 non-recoverable damage and is not techable by any means. Though some characters may get more off of a launcher or jab string, it's a bit riskier to go for and difficult to lab in training mode.

Key Moves to Punish

Move	Punish	Purpose
WR2	Sidewalk and punish	Key approach and mid pressure tool, explained more above.
b1+2	SSR	Key mid pressure tool. Typically for when Drag is already in his range and wants to vary between mids and lows that keep his pressure going.
SNK.4	SWR Works even after getting hit by most strings	Hugely plus mid pressure tool that Drag usually does off of moves that transition into his Sneak Step, such as 3,1 or b4,2. If you see him enter this step off of these moves, it's a safe bet to try to start stepping, as his Sneak moves tend to be linear.
b4,2,1	Duck third hit and launch	A highly abusable mid-mid-high pressure string if not ducked correctly.
db3+4	-31, launch OR Backdash	A threatening hatchet kick low that is hard to react to. The prime move you want to be out of range of, as it also deals pretty significant damage that you can't recover. If you can't react, all you can really do is guess the low and launch or backdash each time it hits you to get to a safer range. After backdashing, because it is only +3 after the nerf, a second db3+4 will no longer land, so this is generally a safe bet.
d2	Low Parry OR Backdash	A lower risk, lower reward low with even better tracking than db3+4. Completely unreactable and puts Drag in a crouching state, which may be worth noting as it can limit his options in some scenarios.

External Links

How To Beat Dragunov In TEKKEN 8... The Counter Play - TheMainManSWE