Huang Gai

If you do not adopt take advantage of the counter-strike mechanism, he will not attack arbitrarily.

Introduction

Huang Gai is the other grappler that focuses more on brute force rather than mixups. Huang Gai can have a harder time getting in, having to rely on more committal options, but when he does, one clean hit can mean almost certain death.

Strengths & Weaknesses

• Simple gameplan with strong normals and advancing moves
• Enormous damage, including one of the most damaging Ultras in the game
• Slowest movement speed in the game
• Combo options without MAX Mode are very limited

Moves

Standing Normals

Move	Notes
cl.A	Quick elbow slap. Whiffs on crouchers.
f.A	Decent range jab. Whiffs on crouchers.
cl.B	Toe kick. Hits low and links into itself and 2A. Very useful move at close range.
f.B	Quick side kick. Nice range and pretty good on block.
cl.C	Gut punch. Kinda slow but surprisingly plus on block.
f.C	Big straight punch. Unfortunately doesn't have guard point, but can chain into 6A and is special cancelable, so it's pretty good as a counter-poke if you're really feeling it.
cl.D	A quick knee to the gut. Good speed, but short activation range limits its usefulness.
f.D	Big front kick. Special cancel makes it pretty useful as a poke.
5CD	Big shoulder tackle. Enormous range. Extremely good poke given its natural armour.

Crouching Normals

Move	Notes
2A	A quick crouching jab. Useful in tick throws and hit confirms.
2B	A quick low short. Similar to 2A, but more useful because of its low hit property.
2C	A big crouching uppercut. Very useful in combos, and even has solid anti-air utility.
2D	A slow sweep that grants hard knockdown. Notable in that it is special cancelable.

Jumping Normals

Move	Notes
j.A	A quick aerial straight punch. Easier to use as an air-to-air than j.D, but less rewarding.
j.B	A falling knee strike. Super easy to cross up with.
j.C	A downward-angled punch. Pretty good as air-to-ground.
j.D	A big sweeping kick. Somewhat slow, more rewarding as air-to-air than j.A but harder to use. Can cross up, but it's slightly difficult. [Hopdash OK]
j.CD	A huge dropkick. Great range makes it very useful for aerial approaches.

Command Normals

Move	Notes
6A	Overhead punch with a ton of forward movement. Chains from heavy normals. Loses overhead property when chained into. Can be used to kara-throw. Central combo part.

Special Moves

Move	Input	Notes
Great Hammer	236P	Huang Gai slides forward before throwing a double-fisted hammer on the opponent's head. Causes hard knockdown. C and EX versions have super armour, and the EX version also causes crumple stun.
Heavy Swing	623P	Spins similarly to Zangief's lariat while rising into the air before stomping back onto the ground. Seen primarily in MAX Mode combos.
Jumping Suplex	623K	Anti-air grab that looks very silly. Good meterless combo ender.
German Suplex	63214P	Command grab. Instant startup when performed up close, but from further distances or during situations where the opponent is unthrowable, goes through a slow advancing animation.

Super Combo

Missile Barrage (236236P)

A version fires straight ahead, C version fires at an upward angle. EX starts straight ahead, fires upward. Can land 623K after in the corner

Execution (214214P)

Fast command grab, low damage

Ultra Combo

Shinkuu Tatategoma (236236BD)

Does like 50% on its own. Comboing into it makes it one of the most damaging enders in the game.

Strategy

Your movement is pretty slow, so you'll be using your focus attack and 236C to help you get in by calling out badly placed pokes/projectiles.

Once you get in, you have a lot of options for bullying the opponent and mixing them up. Your command grab gets you a good knockdown, and you have a number of moves that grant advantage on block, so use frame traps or your basic high-low mixups to open people up. Your confirms become incredibly threatening when backed by meter, doubly so if you have an ultra stocked, which allows you to absolutely delete most characters' life bars.

Combos

Primary combo starters: [2B 2A 2C 6A], [cl.D 6A]

Bread and butter combo: [starter] 236C

MAX Mode loop: [236C 623C(1)] xN

Slightly delay 623C after 236C, as it will restand. This also gives you the right timing to use the shortcut input, 6236C~C, which will automatically cancel the first hit of 623C into 236C. This does a ton of damage, so use it whenever possible.