Heidern is a pretty unique character to KOF in that he's almost entirely charge-based. His moveset is geared towards zoning with big projectiles and anti-air moves to catch people trying to jump in on him. His normals are big and excellent for controlling space both on the ground and in the air. For up-close mixups, he has access to a command grab that steals health from the opponent and an overhead. He also has a command move that sends him flying into the air, which can catch people both on the ground and in the air. Additionally, he also has a DM version of it that steals health from the opponent if it hits. Heidern's biggest weakness is the lack of a good low confirm, or any low meterless low combos for that matter.
Changes from Previous Versions
98 to 98UM
Normals:
2A now hits all crouchers
c.C's first hit can now be cancelled, second hit has 2 frames more recovery
f.C has 1 frame less startup
f.D has 13 frames less startup
5CD has a bigger hitbox
GCCD now uses his c.C animation
C throw no longer sideswitches
Specials:
[4]6P has more startup and less recovery, and the heavy version travels faster
[2]8P has less startup and its hitbox size increased
63214B has 15 frames less startup, 63214D has 18 frames less startup; both versions have 6 more active frames
Supers:
2141236K has less startup and less recovery; B version can now connect from lights, D version has less invincibility
98UM to 98UMFE
Specials:
[2]8C has longer invincibility, but longer recovery
Normal Moves
Close
c.A: Same as f.A.
c.B: Has a lot of recovery, so not a very useful normal. Only really chainable into 2B. Cancelable.
c.C: A two-hitting normal. Your main heavy combo normal. Can also stop close-range jump outs. Both hits are cancelable.
c.D: Starts up the same speed as c.C, but only does one hit. Has long recovery. Cancelable.
Standing
f.A: Good anti-hop button. Whiffs on all crouchers. Chainable.
f.B : Covers about the same range as f.C but is faster. Good for stopping hops. Whiffs on regular crouchers.
f.C: Long-ranged poke with a lot of priority. Good for catching hops or full jumps from far away. Whiffs on regular crouchers.
f.D: Long-ranged preemptive anti-air tool. Has long startup but a lot of priority upwards. Whiffs on regular crouchers.
Crouching
2A: Heidern's main button for blockstrings and light combos. Has good range. Chainable and cancelable.
2B: A long-ranged low poke, but can't be used for many combos as it's not chainable or cancelable. Heidern's fastest normal.
2C: Good closer-ranged poke with nice priority. Cancelable on hit, block, and whiff.
2D: Long-ranged sweep. Cancelable. Especially good to cancel into his command grab to cut down on the recovery of the sweep.
Jumping
j.A: Good air-to-air normal with a lot of active frames and good forwards priority. Whiffs on short crouchers.
8j.A: Fast startup, and despite its short range it has good priority for air-to-airs.
j.B: Very fast air-to-air with long reach and a good hitbox in front. Whiffs on regular crouchers.
8j.B: Good air-to-air hitbox.
j.C: Great crossup jump-in.
j.D: A better regular jump-in than j.C, as it has more downwards priority. Can also crossup, but it's a lot harder than with j.C.
8j.D: Long startup, but good hitbox both for air-to-airs and jump-ins.
CD Normals
5CD: Heidern's finger guns. Has long startup and the hitbox isn't very big, but this move does have major style points. Cancelable on hit, block, and whiff.
j.CD: An amazing air-to-air normal with really fast startup for a j.CD. Essentially presents a wall of hitbox in front of Heidern. Can also be used for blockstun pressure.
Throws
Backstabbing:4/6C
Regular throw, techable. Good recovery and leaves the opponent close by with a hard knockdown.
Lead Belcher:4/6D
Regular throw, techable. Switches sides, but it's a soft knockdown so it leaves you with no advantage.
Critical Drive:4/6C (in air)
Air throw, switches sides. Can be executed with the stick in 1 (down-back) position, which allows you to charge both specials at the same time.
Command Moves
Steiner's Knuckles:6B
2 hits, combos from heavy attacks.
Normal version hits overhead on both hits, canceled version is no longer overhead, but is cancelable on the first hit.
If late-canceled into, acts like the raw version, so you can slip overheads into pressure.
Disadvantage on both hit and block (warning: some chars can punish this on hit).
Special Moves
Cross Cutter:[4]6A/C
Heidern creates a big X-shaped projectile that travels fullscreen.
A high-flying projectile, so it can be low-profiled by some characters/moves.
Can only be combo-ed from c.C's first hit.
Can be made unblockable with 63214P.
C version moves faster and has faster recovery.
Disadvantage at point-blank range, but if it travels a slight distance first you will be at advantage.
Can combo afterwards if it counterhits someone out of the air.
Moon Slasher:[2]8A/C
Heidern does a big arching slash over his head and around his body.
Both versions combo from lights and move forward slightly.
Cannot be used as a reversal.
Horribly unsafe on block.
The C version's hitbox takes longer to travel around Heidern's body, thus it is better anti-air but won't combo properly from lights.
Neck Roller:[2]8B/D
Heidern launches himself into the air and tries to hit the opponent. On successful hit he spins around the opponent's neck, dealing damage and causing a hard knockdown.
It is possible to combo it from c.C's first hit (not that you'd ever want to, though).
B version will bounce over the opponent if blocked. D version bounces back if blocked.
Can hit opponents out of the air, but the hitbox is only near his hands, so it isn't good for that.
Horrible recovery on block.
Storm Bringer:63214A/C
Heidern grabs the opponent and sucks their life force out.
On the slower side for a command grab, at 8-frame start-up
Combos from lights and heavies.
The opponent can mash to reduce the damage, but you can counteract their mashing with your own.
Leeches life from the opponent, restoring Heidern's health.
Kill Bringer:63214B/D
Heidern strikes a pose and gets ready to counter the opponent. If successful, he brings them over his head and sucks the life force out of them.
Counter move. Counters anything that hits the active hitbox e.g. jumping normals, normals, command normals, physical specials, and DMs. Moves forward slightly.
On successful counter it leeches the opponent's life, similar to 63214P.
The counter is active on the second frame, so cannot be used as a reversal.
The D version is identical to the B version in speed, hitboxes, and active time, except it recovers 3 frames faster, so it's best to always do 63214D when you want to use this move.
Desperation Moves
Final Bringer:236236A/C
Heidern leaps forward like his [2]8K move, but then acts like 63214P once it connects.
Combos from light or heavy attacks with the right spacing; e.g. c.C's first hit midscreen or anything in the corner.
Leeches life from the opponent, similar to 63214P.
A version bounces behind the opponent on block. C version bounches forwards on block.
Can grab the opponent from the air, but again, the hitbox is only near his hands.
MAX version leeches more life.
Heidern End:2141236B/D
Heidern stabs the opponent in the stomach and then explodes them.
B version combos from light attacks, D and SDM versions combo from heavy attacks or 6B's first hit.
D version runs forward slightly further before activating. Unsafe on block.
Heidern's main combo DM.
Combos
General Notes
In any combo with 2141236K, it can be replaced with 2141236BD if you have the resources.
Meterless
Mid/Jump-In
2Ax1-3 > 2B
(j.C) > 2Ax2 > [2]8A
(j.C) > c.C(1) > 63214P
With Meter
Mid/Jump-In
(j.C) > 2Ax1-2 > 2141236K
You can use two 2As on crossup only, on a non-crossup use only one 2A.
(j.C) > c.C > 6B(1) > 2141236K
(j.C) > c.C(1) > 236236P
Only works on standing opponents.
j.C > c.C > 236236P
Requires a crossup j.C.
j.C > c.C(1) > 6B(1) > 236236P
Requires a crossup j.C.
Counterhit CD Normal
j.CD > 2141236B
Requires counterhit j.CD.
j.CD > [2]8P/236236P
Requires a counterhit j.CD in the corner.
Quick Dodge
6B > AB > 2141236K
With Quick MAX
2Ax2-3 > ABC > 2D
2Ax2 > ABC > 2C > 2141236K
2C > ABC > 2C > 2141236K
2B > ABC > 2A > 2141236K
Only works if you're not in red health (SDM version of 2141236K is too slow to combo from 2A)
Whiffing a Moon Slasher ([2]8A) will increase the damage dealt by both Storm Bringer (63214P) and Final Bringer (63214D), but does not effect the life gained. The effect will last until you are hit or thrown (blocking attacks is fine however).
Safe low meaty
A move with a low hitbox, such as a crouching B, that is done from outside of Heidern's command grab range, is completely safe and doesn't lose to any of his reversals.
