Getting to know Street Fighter V’s Rashid, Laura, Necalli and F.A.N.G.

Every Street Fighter V game sends new combatants into the ring. It’s a series that revels in its constantly growing cast of characters hailing from all over the world. With Street Fighter V, four folks have joined the fight. These new fighters each feel like they’re geared toward different kinds of players. Thanks to the way the game is organized, it’s pretty easy for people to decide which of these competitors could make a great main. To help you figure out who could be your new brawling BFF, I’m going to briefly introduce you to each one.

Rashid

Rashid is the easiest to use of Street Fighter V‘s new characters. Rashid gets involved in the story’s events because Shadaloo has kidnapped one of his friends. He’s set out with his servant, Azam, in hopes of finding this missing person again, even if he has to do it alone. He’s a very lighthearted and personable character, perhaps to represent how beginner-friendly he is.

When playing as Rashid, it’s very tempting to keep moving. He’s incredibly agile, with lots of kicks, jumping attacks, and tornadoes to shoot out at his foes. Again, he clearly feels like a character designed for those button-mashers. Anyone who jumps into a fighter for the first time will be tempted to leap around the screen, pressing as many buttons as possible. That he has two V-Skills, Front Flip and Rolling Assault, and is the only Street Fighter V character to receive that honor. Kicking during either one launches into a special attack.

Once someone knows how to use Rashid, it may be a good idea to try using Laura.

Laura

Laura is another great choice for people who aren’t exactly masters of the ring. Her personality and story parallel this. She’s a very excited and energetic woman, setting out to show off her Matsuda Jiu-Jitsu fighting style. Her goal is to fight as many strong people as possible, to improve and show what she’s got. Sounds a lot like the behavior of someone who’s starting to really understand Street Fighter V, has found someone they’re good at using, and wants to set out to improve and prove themselves, right?

Again, her fighting style is conducive to a beginner, but one who’s starting to get a feel for the game. What do you start doing once you learn a few moves in a game and understand the rhythm of a match? You want to get up close and start dealing all kinds of damage. As a grappler with with mixup moves and lightning attacks, Laura’s your girl. You want to get in your opponent’s face and throw them around the ring. Her Thunder Clap projectile is easy to launch, by going a quarter circle back, then punching, sending a quick blast at an enemy. Even better, her Critical Art, the Inazuma Spin Hold, can tie into a Thunder Clap to create an easy to pull off and incredibly powerful combo.

After mastering Laura, you may want to go with someone a little more technical. Someone, perhaps, like F.A.N.G.

F.A.N.G.

You know that cocky person who walks into an arcade, steps up to the cabinet and challenges all comers to a match? That person would be a classic F.A.N.G. user. F.A.N.G. is a tricky, consummate baddie, like that dude who’s been playing Street Fighter for years and is ready to use every move to get you. F.A.N.G. is one of Shadaloo’s Four Heavenly Kings, head of the Dolls project that created Cammy, Juni, Juli and Decapre, an assassin and master of the Poison Hand. He’s determined to use every resource possible to remain on top and in control of any situation, just like someone who knows what they’re doing in Street Fighter V. When you’re fighting him, you could be fighting your one true nemesis.

When playing as F.A.N.G., a player has to be able to control the battlefield. They need to manipulate their opponent into being where they want them to be with ranged and charge attacks. The Dokunomu V-Trigger helps, by creating a poisonous aura around F.A.N.G. that damages people who get too close. It keeps people at the perfect range, far enough away to prevent grabs or more intimate attacks, but close enough where all of F.A.N.G.’s projectiles will hit. You can also turn his Nishikyu poison projectile into a Nikankyaku dash attack, to possibly poison and stun. Someone using F.A.N.G. needs to know Street Fighter V enough to recognize how other characters work and the patterns other players fall into.

Those who figure out how to properly use F.A.N.G. may find themselves ready to control the last new member of the Street Fighter V, Necalli.

Necalli

A person who’s used to wielding power may want to skip right over Rashid, Laura and F.A.N.G., heading for Necalli. Again, his backstory shows this is a man for people who know how to play Street Fighter V. His entire purpose is to devour the souls of strong fighters. In particular, he sets out to steal Ryu, Dhalsim, and M. Bison’s souls. Necalli inspires fear, just as professional gamers do.

You have to know what you’re doing when you’re playing as Necalli. His moveset and combos require the most precise timing. You want to build up his V-Gauge as quickly as possible. Performing a The Sacrificial Altar, with his kicks, then going into the Culminated Power V-Skill is a brutal move, stunning an opponent. His heavy hits can trigger Crush Counter attacks, leaving enemies defenseless. Most importantly, Necalli’s Torrent of Power V-Trigger completely changes his combos and Critical Art. You need a good memory, perfect timing and complete confidence to use Necalli.

Street Fighter V is immediately available for the PlayStation 4 and Windows PC.