I’ll be touching Ranked mode for the first time today. I like how you get BP for each character so I’m gonna alternate between sak, mak and dud and see who has the most BP by the end of the day.
good luck man! will you be playing on PSN or Live?
You can always go to Ranked Match>Custom Match> and switch on the finder to find people who are either the same rank as you or higher. Quick Match finds random people who have the most compatible connection with you.
God its been months since I posted in here. For those that remember me, I am most certainly the worst Sakura player, and I challenge anyone who dares defy that statement! Honestly though, played only Sak all through SF4 and lost probably over 90% of all matches, be it friendly or ranked. I continue this reign of wretchedness with SSF4, however I’m finding I like Cody more than Sakura. I’ll still play her, but I think I’m gonna jump on the Cody-wagon. But don’t worry, I’ll suck with him too XD
Oh man, I just played this Ken earlier. I managed to win, though I thought something was off during the match. I decided to go watch the replay with the input displays turned on…
Holy freaking crap, I’ve never seen so many inputs molest my screen all at once. The cascade of inputs that showered forth when I scored a stun on him had me almost rolling on the floor laughing. People don’t seem to realize turbo doesn’t help against good players. :lol:
I think the worst thing about me is that my execution is shoddy and I just can’t seem to get my head around blocking. If I’m being attacked by light punches and light kicks I just keep thinking “If I EX Shououken it has an invincible start-up and I can turn this around.” But the attack either gets stuffed or I do it and them I’m back to where I was because I can’t keep the tempo up, and I’ve lost a lot of health by focusing on this playstyle. It’s just gunna take a LONG time to get that out of my head. Also, if I could consistently get cr.MK xx Shouoken out when I hit with the cr.MK I would be so happy.
Well if u need help executing it i can give u an advice.
use this input:
:r::db:+:mk:+:d::df::hp:
with stick its super easy and fast (when u get the timing down for the button presses)
but make sure to confirm the hit or u will get blocked of course.(if i want to land that , i concetrate to when the Enemy stands or walks little forward cr.mk has good range, and if they are doing any move, their hitbox also extends and gives u extra range)
just whiffing that move is also sometimes nice, cause the cr.mk won’t cancel until it connects to the opponent
u can also go for:
:r::db:+:mk:+:d::df::r::hp:
that is gonna give u cr.mk xx Hp Shou (Shou has higher priority than Hadoken)
but if u input to slow, u will get Hado.
but i don’t like that one much. (didn’t get it down consistently)
if u have mastered this on u can now easily extend the combo by putting Jabs before it,
on most characters u can hit 3 jabs and then go into cr.mk xx hp Shou
since sakuras jabs are really good this is an easy way to score a knock down and go into a crossup/mixup game.
Wow thanks freetgy. The problem I have is that I always tried to do the input as :d::mk::df::d::db::d::df::hp: which utilizes the shortcut of the shoryuken command and I can get that out no problem in training. But that’s because I can just sit down and do it. In a match if I try to keep the stick in :d: position I don’t block in time and eat a nasty combo. And if I keep it in :db: then I may be able to block but I just screw up the inputs entirely.
tl;dr: Thanks freetgy, I’ll start trying that.
i know i had similar problems
well for the start just go in training mode and try hitting it consistently. just hit forward for a split of a moment then go for the rest of the inputs.
remember to keep mk pressed when pressing hp (u might get otoshi due to negativ edge if u release it)
that way also u can input the whole thing faster mk / hp almost simultaniously hp only slightly later.
btw:
:r::db::d:+:mk:+:df::hp:
works too ofcourse
its easier because it is a single motion your input method requires to change directions while keeping down thats pretty hard.
-if you manage to combo properly increase the distance to the bot
-then record the bot moving a little (chrouch block, walk forward/backwards,block) and practise again hitting it consistently.
you will see this is a really good combo it gives you the feeling you are able to knock him down from so far and output so much dmg, better than a sweep ever could and faster and the best you gain so much EX using this , you are able to FADC if you screw up.
and of course U2 u can Combo when he is close to the corner.
So after my first 50 matches I’m 12-38. Oh well. Always glad to give players their first win. They should call me the Welcome Wagon. 
I’m doing much better with Sak in SSFIV than I did in SFIV. Currently sitting at about a 50% win rate, up from 25% in vanilla >_>
Though, the PC players for SFIV seemed much harder to beat than alot of these Xbox live people 
I need to buy a PS3 damn, i am a PC player and i envy you for playing SSFIV :bgrin:
looks around cautiously, then takes a seat inside thread Hey, guys… Well, I gotta say that for once, I feel like I have to post here for the first time. I started off the gate hot with Super with Sakura (with Juri on the skirt-tails as a Sub), even getting as high as a 88% win rate the past week and a half, but now it’s like I can’t buy a win anymore, no matter who it is. It’s almost to the level of being embarrassed to play now (especially since I still do have over 80% win rate with Sak); I’ve been stalled out by turtles, eaten alive by rushdown characters, and could never bring myself to get away from those grapplers despite the fact I KNOW they’re gonna empty-jump/green hand/condor spire -> command throw me. It surely doesn’t feel like the character’s limitations to me, but rather the fact that somehow, I’m losing my edge & my game’s reverting. If I do win up winning against even a moderately good/really good player, it now feels like it was a desperate win rather than how it came about smooth when I first started playing.
I take a lot of pride in my Sakura (and to a degree Juri) but losing like this is just disheartening. It’s probably just a [ice] cold streak I’m running, but I’m just feeling free almost 80% of the time I’m fighting the past few days. On my best days my Sak’s one of the best out there, but now I can’t even get simple links to come out and can’t tech throws worth a damn. I don’t know, maybe it’s my mindset or I need a break or something…
DeNice you should join us Thursday night for a Sakura Endless Battle.
80+ % win ratio with Sakura is impressive dude. Everyone hits a slump every now and then.
On a slightly related note, playing with my buddy last night we got matched up with the top BP sakura in the world (silverinfinity) and my buddy inched out a victory with Rufus 
well people are getting used to playing, i get the same feeling here, but that is only natural.
just keep in mind that many “abused” techniques have high recovery on block from the new cast.
it’s now time to learn the matchsup better than just playing to win.
I would if it weren’t for the fact that I work 4 PM till 12:30 AM the next day on that particular night, unless of course you guys are still going to be playing around 1 AM friday morning… wishful thinking Still, I really feel as if I need to stop just roaming the open (internet) road and get to know & play more of you guys here, I’m just not one to hold conversation much, even over forums.
Also, I feel you, freetgy, I think it is time for me to get my Sak to adapt to the new characters, despite the fact that I know the “framework” of what to do in each matchup. I guess I just have the stupid mentality that although I’ve put in a lot of work in my game I’m now finding myself back to square… um… 2 (not quite square one, that would be me just learning this game outright back in Vanilla). It’s really just figuring out what to do to keep myself from being outright destroyed; it’s an everchanging field, and since I’m now working IRL I have less time than I did a year ago to take in everything about the game. It’s a pain, but I guess that’s how it goes.
Eh, don’t worry Denice. We all hit that slump, I’m a scrubby Sakura, and I got even scrubbier once SSFIV came out. I was using tactics that worked on bad players, then got into a small habit of trying to apply those. Just take a step back, re-evalute what you are doing wrong, and just approach it in a calm manner. Don’t try to win just try to get a more refined play style going to tackle those tougher opponents and things will get better.
On the subject of needing advice, I get rocked by cammy and rufus’s dive kicks, and I have yet to figure out command grab defense. I usually back dash but that works about 50% is my timing off or is there something better i can do? As for dive kicks its generally just trying to hold my defense and trying to get a c.lp to throw off there dives. But I donno how to escape since it seems like endless pressure.
Well, I know on my case that vs. T. Hawk, backdashing does NOT get you out of the ‘danger zone’; I’ve been thrown and FA’d for my efforts almost every time I tried to, so I’m also trying to figure out that myself. Zangief works the same as it’s always has where backdashing out of ticks works well. Also, against Cammy/Rufus, I can also relate, although sometimes it’s best to just block and wait them out and look for that tick throw. Sakura really doesn’t have anything to deal with that type of pressure except that well timed jab (I would say any HP, but it’s too risky). In that case it’s literally just an excersize in good defense and timing.
Myself I’ll admit I find myself backjumping out of dodge in both circumstances and try to re-istablish some sort of ground, or counter that one extra dive with a jump in combo if I was cornered.
DeNice, your Sakura is pretty badass. In fact, watching your videos is what motivated me to main her. Her new Ultra(s) are magical once the EX tornado kick connects.
But yeah, I’m struggling to an extent, too. I would usually do okay against Guile’s, but now I can’t get in on him, and every time I jump I get air-thrown. Another few who give me trouble are Rose and Gief. Most of the time when it looks like I have a free EX-Shooukan, it ends up being blocked, which leads to me being punished. I guess I just need to practice.
Granted, using Gen will not allow me to stay crisp with Sakura.