Shaheen strategy

Key moves

Function
	Core
	Secondary
	Extra

Move	PokeFast and safe, see Poke	Counter	MixupUseful against a guarding opponent.	KeepoutUseful against an opponent moving in.	ApproachUseful when moving in.	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

Key Moves

Pokes/Punishes/Generics

#Shaheen-1

1

h

5

+1

+8

i10

1/1,2 - Your jab and jab string. The bedrock that you will lay everything else upon. Shaheen is blessed with a +1 jab on block, which means he does not lose his turn after jabbing. 1,2 is -3 on block.

1,2,2 - 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.

df+1 - 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.

2,3 - Your 10f punish, which can be cancelled into SNK with 2,3,DF at a big +10 on hit, which will allow most SNK moves to beat out jabs.

f+2,3 - Your 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 note that it does not jail if delayed, which makes it duckable.

f,b+2 (or f:b+2) - Shaheen's whole strategy centers around this move. If done frame perfectly, this move is his 13f punisher that does 42 DAMAGE, with the added bonus of removing your enemy's recoverable grey health. Most characters need to land a risky Rage Art to do this, but Shaheen can do it with his 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.

df+4,3 - Not a whole lot to say about this move, other than it being an option for a 14f punish. 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, this does do 1 more damage. It's also safe on block, unlike db+2,1, which is worth noting, but it also doesn’t jail, so beware of ducking the second hit.

uf+4 - 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.

f+2,4,4 - 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.

4,1 - 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.

df+4,1 - Shaheen's most reliable long range poke. It's pretty fast, hits m,m, and transitions into SNK with df+4,1,DF. On hit, SNK.1 will interrupt retaliatory jabs, and you only lose your turn on block, so it's a reliable way to make up some space. It's also important to mention that df+4,1,DF SNKc ws3,3 is one of Shaheen's highest damaging combo fillers into Tornado, so it's important to learn how to do SNK cancels with this move to get the most out of his combo routes.

df+3 - Shaheen's best homing mid. It's somewhat slow at i17, but he steps forward a bit which gives it fairly good range. 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.

f+4 - Another 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 exactly 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. Much like uf+4, it's pretty trivial to whiff punish this.

f,f,F+2 - Shaheen's while running plus frame move. It's a little linear, and only gives a paltry +5 on block, but the reality is that Shaheen doesn't have very many reliable plus frame moves to enforce his presence with and get in, so it's crucial to use this as often as possible. 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.

b+3 - Shaheen's only other plus frame move that's worth relying on. It's hardly fast at i19, but it is +3 on block and leaves the opponent crouching. It's 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 - 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. No real reason to use this unless you desperately need to get rid of some grey health and you're playing someone who likes to duck.

Heat Engagers

uf+1 - 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.

db+2,1 - 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 - 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 only Heat Dash launcher (b+1,F), so it's not a bad move to throw out there every once in a while since doing the Heat Dash on block will just give you a free mixup, and you'll get a launcher if it hits.

b+3+4 - Shaheen's one and only non-Heat Burst/Smash power crushing move. It's not a great one by any definition, with okay startup (i16), average damage (25), and below average tracking, in addition to being a duckable, launchable high, but it is SAFE on block (-9) and, being his only normal power crush, it's very important. Like all Heat Engagers, it can be Heat Dashed on block to force a mixup.

SNK.1+2 - 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

d+3 - 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.

d+2 - Your other low poke. It's slow at i19, and it's -12 on block, which makes it Shaheen's least punishable low.

SS.2 - 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 - 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.

D*u+2 - See the section titled Al-Ghul Master on the Tech page. https://wavu.wiki/t/Shaheen_tech

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 and b+2 both 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).

Neutral

Defense

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. It dwarfs neutral when used correctly, and even the best players in the world will blink if implemented correctly.

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.