Street Fighter V‘s latest combatant, Rashid, was just revealed at Dubai Games 15 to hordes of fans expectantly awaiting the fruits of Yoshinori Ono’s teasing. What fans got was monumental is a number of ways: not only is this the first Arab character in Street Fighter (No, Pullum Purna does not count as the EX series is non-canon), but he is also the first “tricksy” (for lack of a more accurate term) fighter in SFV due to his evident mobility and setup gimmicks. We’ll just have to see if the rest of the roster brings us true terrors such as Ibuki and Akuma’s SFIV vortex games. At any rate, Rashid’s V-Skill and V-Trigger have been revealed by Capcom, and it would seem that a lot of his tricky nature stems from these.
Rashid has two V-Skills. The first is simply called “Front Flip.” Rashid flips in a forward arc and can perform a divekick out of it by pressing a kick button, and based on the trailer, he can also perform an EX version that consists of both a downwards and upwards kick. Footage of the attack being blocked has not been shown, but based on the sheer utility it offers, this kick will likely mean big damage if used incorrectly.
Rashid’s second V-Skill is called “Rolling Assault.” Rolling assault is also a two-part skill involving a forward roll that can go under projectiles and an upward kick that bears an uncanny resemblance to Yang’s Senkyutai. Much like the Front Flip + kick, we don’t yet know how advantageous it is if blocked; however, due to the mobility it brings and the fact that this kick is also completely optional, it likely puts Rashid at a sizable disadvantage if blocked.
Rashid’s V-Trigger, the “Ysaar”, is a slow-moving tornado which can act as a wall to trap opponents and will deal damage if touched (much like Decapre’s Psycho Stream). This may not only prove to be an effective setup tool, but it also has the added benefit of boosting the movement of any attack that propels him forward.
Though Capcom has given no official word, his V-Reversal was also revealed in the trailer. It involved him rolling to the other side of the opponent; in the trailer he performs a kick afterwards, but it has yet to be confirmed whether or not this is actually part of the reversal itself.
Rashid’s reveal may have finally come, but the hype is far from dead. Capcom will be presenting Street Fighter V at Tokyo Games Show on the 19th, meaning another newcomer might show their face in due time, so stay tuned!
