Dragunov wins when plus frames feel obvious at a glance. This guide leans on visual move chips, shorter drill cards, and live clips instead of long notes.
Focus: plus frames, pokes, Sneak, throws, wall oki
Daily reps for plus-frame freeze, poke control, Sneak routing, and wall oki.
Reading the inputs
Tap the direction
Hold the direction
Return to neutral
Left punch (1)
Right punch (2)
Left kick (3)
Right kick (4)
Both punches (1+2)
Dojo
Daily Dragunov drills
Run these as isolated reps. Each card focuses on one freeze, poke, or mix idea so the clips can do the teaching.
Drill board
Freeze them with plus mids
Dragunov wins when the opponent stops pressing because every blocked mid feels like your turn.
Why it matters
wr2, b+1+2, and SNK 4 are the freeze buttons. If you cannot land these cleanly, the rest of the mix never gets respect.
Run this
For five minutes, play only wr2, b+1+2, df+1, and backdash. After every blocked plus mid, wait one beat before choosing jab, throw, or another mid.
Instant wr2 is the main approach and freeze tool.
b+1+2 is the close plus mid that makes them sit still.
SNK 4 is the long-range plus mid that also puts you in crouch.
Drill board
Build the poke backbone
Most Dragunov rounds are won by chipping, not by launching.
Why it matters
1, df+1, and d+2 keep you in the driver's seat. The big mix only works after these buttons have already made the opponent hesitant.
Run this
Play three rounds using only 1, df+1, d+2, and movement. Track whether they start ducking, stepping, or swinging first.
1 is one of the best jabs in the game; use the range.
df+1 is the safe mid check and the setup for CH fishing.
d+2 high-crushes and tracks, but it is not plus on hit.
Drill board
Crouch mix after respect
Once they freeze, Dragunov becomes a 50/50 character from crouch.
Why it matters
b+2, SNK 4, and wr2 all leave you plus enough to threaten FC df+1,4 versus ws3. That is the real open-up layer.
Run this
After every plus mid, enter crouch and rotate FC df+1,4, ws3, and ws4. Do not repeat the same option twice.
FC df+1,4 is the long-range crouch low into Sneak.
ws3 is the matching-speed mid that knocks down.
ws4 is the safe while-standing poke if you do not want to gamble.
Drill board
Sneak routing
Sneak is not a random dash. It is a loaded follow-up after confirmed hits and plus frames.
Why it matters
2,1 on hit, f+3~df, and FC df+1,4 all put you in SNK with a real mix. The win is showing SNK 4 first, then SNK 2 and SNK 1 when they guess wrong.
Run this
Loop 2,1~df, f+3~df, and FC df+1,4 into SNK. From Sneak, rotate SNK 4, SNK 2, SNK 1, and SNK 3.
SNK 4 is the plus mid Heat Engager.
SNK 2 is the big mid launcher; do not throw it blind.
SNK 1 is the safe high launcher, aka Dragunov's electric.
Drill board
Throw and tackle layer
A complete grab game is why turtles still lose to Dragunov.
Why it matters
Plus frames without throws become a block contest. Plus frames with 1+2, 1+4, 2+3, and Heat tackles make standing still lethal.
Run this
After every blocked wr2 or b+1+2, rotate jab, throw, and another mid. In Heat, practice wr2 into 1+2 tackle instead of mashing a third poke.
b+1+2 on hit guarantees the crouch throw.
uf+1 is the damaging i14 high that also sets up throw.
Heat makes several tackles unbreakable; spend it on that, not panic.
Drill board
Pigeon Roll wall oki
At the wall, Pigeon Roll turns knockdowns into a second guessing game.
Why it matters
PGR.2 hits grounded and is a safe mid. PGR.3 is the launch-punishable sweep. The mix only works if you have already shown the boring grounded hit.
Run this
At the wall, knockdown, then rotate PGR.2, PGR.3, and wait-for-tech. Repeat until the three options feel visually similar.
3+4 is the roll itself; use it to go under linear panic buttons.
PGR.2 is the safe grounded mid.
PGR.3 is the sweep; only throw it after they respect PGR.2.
Drill board
Counter-hit control
1,2,1 and b+4,2,1 are how Dragunov punishes impatience, not how he opens turtles.
Why it matters
People mash after pokes. If you can hit-confirm 1,2,1 and delay b+4,2,1, you steal rounds without ever gambling a low.
Run this
Against a dummy set to mash after block, fish 1 into 1,2,1 and b+4 into b+4,2,1. Confirm the last hit; do not autopilot it.
1,2,1 is an i10 CH wall-splatting Heat Engager string.
b+4,3 tracks his strong side and wall-splats.
The last hit of b+4,2,1 is a duckable high; delay it or mix with b+4,2.