Rashid is a brand new character in the Street Fighter universe, first appearing in Street Fighter 5. He’s a Middle-Eastern character who uses the power of the wind to attack his opponents. He is a very mobile character that somewhat resembles El Fuerte. He has jumping and rolling techniques that enhance his mobility, and a Critical Art that can lock down an opponent and force him or her into a guessing situation.
With Rashid’s enhanced movement options, he does seem to have a slightly higher learning curve than some of the other characters. However, in the right hands he looks to be a very formidable opponent.
Special Moves
While not every character in Street Fighter 5 will have a projectile attack, Rashid isn’t one of those lackeys. He has a unique Whirlwind Shot projectile that shoots a whirlwind on the ground that then moves up into the air on a vertical trajectory after a short distance. It seems as though you can combo after this if it connects with an aerial opponent, but otherwise this seems like a projectile that should be used from about mid-screen.
The Eagle Spike (Quarter Circle Back+Kick) is very similar to T. Hawk’s Condor Spire. Rashid jumps into the air, hovers for a brief moment and then launches a flying kick toward the opponent. From the looks of the attack, it will jump over lows, but it can also get stuffed by fast attacks if you’re not careful. You can also perform the attack in the air, and the EX version executes faster and allows Rashid to juggle after it hits.
Rashid’s tornado attack is the Spinning Mixer (Quarter Circle Forward+Punch), which has three different variations depending on the strength of the punch button used. One goes forward across the screen, the second goes diagonally up and forward, and the third goes straight up. The forward-moving variant should be used in combos, the diagonal version is a good way to end juggles and the upward variant is Rashid’s anti-air, Dragon Punch-like attack. The more times you tap the punch button, the more hits you’ll get from the attack.
V-Trigger
Many characters in Street Fighter 5 only have one V-Skill, but Rashid is one of the few with two V-Skill techniques. The first is a command jump that can be canceled into a dive kick. The timing of your dive kick determines the properties of the attack. Cancel the command jump on the way up and the dive kick knocks the opponent into the air so you can juggle after it. Cancel at the apex or on the way down and you get a normal dive kick. The second V-Skill is a roll that goes through projectiles and ends with a kick.
Rashid’s V-Trigger is the Ysaar whirlwind attack. Rashid creates a tall whirlwind that covers the entire screen vertically and basically serves a similar purpose to Dhalsim’s first Ultra in Street Fighter 4. While the Ysaar is active, Rashid can use his V-Skills, special moves and high mobility to mix up the opponent and force him or her into a difficult situation. The opponent will have to guess which direction to block, or wonder if Rashid will use a throw. If Rashid knocks the opponent into the Ysaar, he can follow with a juggle.
Critical Art
Rashid’s Critical Art is the Altair. It’s very similar to M. Bison’s super in that it starts with an initial attack that leads into a full animation if it connects. It also seems as though the initial attack has a few frames of invincibility similar to M. Bison’s Critical Art. This will make it very difficult for opponents to attack Rashid once he has a full super meter.
Street Fighter 5 may still be a few months away, but we have coverage of Karin, Ken and the other characters right now. Brush up on your character knowledge before the next beta test period!
