so who else is a little big excited for the slightly buffed sakura we’re getting in 14 days? 
<— this guy certainly is!
Long time since I read the notes, but did we not get nerfed?
Well for the way I like to play her, I don’t see a single thing there that hurts her.
She’s getting far.hp cancel-able, her cr.hp will be a more reliable anti air, her LK shunpu will do more damage so the old SSIV combos might be worth a damn, her Otoshi is getting a better hitbox, so that’s more easily combo-able in 2013 now, her super is going to have better damage and though it is unlisted, her cl.hk is going to be putting the opponents into’s a float state for air juggling/ tagging.
unless you’re zoning with sakura, I don’t see how we got nerfed.
here are the changes.
• LK - Hit box reduced
- Hurt box reduced
- Startup 3F->4F
• Close MP - Frames reduced by 2 (on hit +4F/on block +1F)
• Close HK - Hit effect changed to knock away against opponents on the ground on hit
- Push back on block for boost combos reduced
• Far HP - Can be canceled
- Push back on block for boost combos reduced
• Far HK - Push back on block for boost combos reduced
• cr. HP - Hurt box reduced
• Jump MP - Changed hit effect to knock down against airborne opponents on hit
** LK Shunpukyaku: damage increased from 30 to 40.*
** Sailor Shot/Choba Throw: damage increased from 100 to 130.*
• Hadoken - Increased total frames from 42F->49F
- Frames adjusted from (on hit ±0/on block -6F)->(on hit -3F/on block -7F)
• Sakura Otoshi - Hit box enlarged
• Haru Ranman - Damage increased from 300->330
Special move meter gain
• Hadoken: whiff 15->5/on hit 40->20
• Shouoken (L): whiff 15->10/on hit 10×2(20)->15×2(30)
• Shouoken (M): whiff 15->10/on hit 10×4(40)->8×4(32)
• Shouoken (H): whiff 15->10/on hit 10×6(60)->5×6(30)
• Airborne Shunpukyaku: whiff 15->0/on hit 40×2(80)->15×2(30)
• Sakura Otoshi (Attack): on hit 15->10
• Sakura Otoshi (Finish): whiff 5->10/on hit 15->20
• Shunpukyaku (L): whiff 15->0/on hit 40->25
• Shunpukyaku (M): whiff 15->0/on hit 40×2(80)->15×2(30)
• Shunpukyaku (H): whiff 15->0/on hit 40×3(120)->10×3(30)
Considering upclose pressure with her is pretty bad I don’t understand how you were supposed to not zone/footsie all the time.
Well I’m not an amazing player by any merit, really, I do find that being upfront and in the opponent’s face is a good way to figure out what they do under ‘pressure’. Then I try baiting the response and punish with whatever is available, for example:
I can be jumping in and hitting 2 cr.lp’s to see how the opponent reacts, if they try counter poking with a cr.mp or cr.lk after each one, they’ll eventually try for a little more to confirm off of. Whatever they do that’s unsafe, st.lk xx ex shunpu > combo should work unless it’s a safe chain I’m trying to punish.
It’s probably just from me playing her in AE, but it all seems kinda meh when there isn’t a strong/safe option to go to for CH, maybe the throw buff will indirectly help her but even then her cl.hp isn’t exactly safe without spending bar. Her damage is pretty meh (no point in starting tatsu loops if you have a bar cause scaling) and with her poke game being nerfed I really can’t find too much redeeming. cr.mk xx shou is probably still kinda scary cause you can tag cancel it for 500+ damage, but there’s better characters for things like that.
Really sucks cause she’s one of my favorite characters, but she’s missing everything that made her design fun for me. I’ll still experiment with her because she has merit as a 2nd character for pure damage and some tricks. Yoshi/Sakura was mad funny because windmill tag on hit led to a tatsu loop that ended in boost back to Yoshi and built a just below a meter to do it again, and on block you get a free ambiguous jump in high/low situation. With the meter nerfs I highly doubt I’ll be doing that again though.
I can’t say much for AE because I never had an interest in it, so I couldn’t relate with you on that one. But I do understand why you’d dismiss her tatsu loops because of the damage scaling.
I dunno really, I guess I’m silly for enjoying a character because they’re fun. :shrug:
That’s not silly, I mean I play Yoshi and he is, um, less than good. I don’t want to discourage you, it just is really disappointing to somebody who’s a big fan ot he character. I just feel she is no fun and the design direction they went with her is really bland and not rewarding here. If LK Tatsu was literally 1 frame better, still negative but safe, she would instantly get back something. You’d have an actual pressure string into something safe. Not like AE where you can still get some pressure off a blocked tatsu, but enough where you could fish for CH instead of losing to down back.
Ah I get what you mean, it’s because you got to play her in a better light before. Lucky for me I haven’t really gave AE a good shot in terms of learning the game
Even though Sakura is my main character in SF4, I don’t actually like playing as her that much. I’m just a fan because of her Alpha 3 version that I used to play on PS1. However I do understand AnnelFrank’s feelings on her balancing in SFxT compared to SF4.
Also since most people assume the frame data is similar to SF4, we can get away with blocked tatsus; this especially applies vs shoto characters. It really should be reversal dp’d anytime Sakura’s tatsu is blocked.
The LK Tatsu thing is just, with how the game works, it would give her meaningful pressure. Right now there’s not a reason to not down back her. With her neutral getting weakened, we should have something up close, doesn’t have to be tatsu. MP might prove to be the super awesome tool we need in 2013, but idk if it whiffs on crouchers. If so, then pffft.
HK Tatsu meter build nerf is massive 
How does Sakura play in this game? I’m trying to figure out what characters to play.
Kind of like a girl
Yo, I’m gonna upload some of my matches either via cellphone or send them to SSF4evo so y’all can check my Sakura. Me and my cousin play radically different. He’s more patient/whiff punish and I’m rush down/lock down. I’ll get some by this weekend.
lol thats how it is when i play cammy in this game
Tracey9123 forgive me though i am new to this game so i am pretty ass still
Talked to ssf4evo on twitter, he said he’s gonna grab some of my replays on Sunday, so hopefully the video will be out sometime this coming week. Stay posted my friends.
Okay, so I know I kinda flipped my shit when I found out about Sakura’s changes but after I had a closer read at them all and calmed down I noticed a lot of the nerfs were pretty universal. I still don’t understand the need to nerf s.LK and Hadouken though, saying that I’m still able to do c.LK > s.LP > s.LK xx stuff and I can’t eyeball the Hadouken nerf either. Is it just me or is it quicker to charge her Hadouken? Maybe it’s just 'cause I haven’t played in ages.
I don’t really see the point of cl.s.HK launching, guess you get a better meterless punish from it, suppose there’s some awkward links that y’all have found out as well.
Curious as to how you guys are finding the new Sakura, personally seems much of a muchness with the abusable stuff taken away.
I actually think she’s better then what she seems. Hadouken’s still aren’t very punishable so it’s not useless, (especially since FADC’s aren’t in this game), and actually plays a pretty good part in her game. S. LK feels like her CvS2 S.LK so it’s still pretty good. Fireball definitely seems quicker to charge, but that might be a placebo effect. As far as cl.s.HK goes I haven’t even bothered using it.
IMO, She feels great once you work in footsies. Far St.HK is really good once you get the range down, and can boost into a launch if you confirm into it. Far St.MKxxFar st. HK seems like a pretty safe boost chain as well, and crouch techs on the Far St.MK which is nice since she can counter poke those low’s. Considering she can LK Tatsu loop for big damage off of a Cl.st.HP, and go into a launch is also a plus for me(especially when her damage can get up to 340+ before launching into her partner).
From there I’d say her Tatsu is what I’m still trying to figure out. Air Tatsu’s seem pretty decent at times, and any HPxxMK tatsu seems like a decent pressure string when your close(of course some characters can get out of it or punish such as Ken’s MP Shoryuken always beating it, and Ryu can only MP Shoryuken to escape the pressure outside of AC’s). Having a good anti-air helps now as well. Then there is her tick throw game that’s marginally stronger do to the universal grab buff. Overall though I just play her like CvS2 Sakura in C Groove, and my opinion of her seems to be getting better the more I play her.