Hanging Chain

The Hanging Chain is one of Birdie's special attacks, introduced in Street Fighter V.

Input

Description
Executed by performing a quarter-circle forward motion and pressing kick, Birdie pulls out his chain and swings it around like a lasso. As long as the kick button is held, Birdie will continue swinging the chain. When the kick button is released, Birdie throws his chain toward the opponent. If the hit connects, the chain wraps around the opponent, causing Birdie to swing them back and throw them across the stage.

The kick button determines where Birdie throws the chain, as well as the opponent. The Light and Medium version makes Birdie throw the chain horizontally, while the Heavy version has him throwing the chain diagonally up in the air. Additionally, the Light version makes the opponent bounce off of the wall and landing very close to Birdie. Both the Medium and Heavy version result in a knock down. The EX version has the fastest startup and throws horizonally. Also, if the hit connects, Birdie will slam his opponent twice on the ground before releasing them.

However, pressing any punch button while Birdie is swinging the chain cancels the move.

Tactics
This move is one of the Birdie's more notable moves in his arsenal. The Light version is more effective to punish fireballs from short range. Also, the opponent bounces off of the wall on hit and lands very close to Birdie, allowing him to continue offensive pressure.

The Medium version is his best mid-range tool which contain it all the attributes of the Light version. The difference is that it has more distance and leads to knock down, dealing more damage than the Light version.

The Heavy version is one of Birdie's anti-air attacks. If he reacts fast enough, Birdie can catch an opponent jumping in and inflict a ton of damage at the same time. However, this move only hits airborne opponents. It will whiff if the opponent is grounded. Also, the angle of the Heavy version is very specific. If Birdie misses, then he will be defenseless.

The EX version has the fastest startup and can also go through fireballs, making it a useful tool to punish the opponent at a distance. It also can serve as an anti-air.

Additionally, the Hanging Chain can be used to fool the opponent. By holding the kick button, Birdie can spin the chain around continuously, while waiting for the opponent to make a move. This will make the opponent reconsider drawing close to Birdie since he can either throw the chain horizontally or up in the air, catching them off-guard. In addition, by canceling the move b pressing the punch button, Birdie can use the opponent's hesitation to his advantage, dashing in to bring the pressure to them.

Unfortunately, all versions of the Hanging Chain are unsafe on block.