Useful Sakura tricks/tools, which you might not be using

Classic Fighting Games Ultra Street Fighter IV
1

c.mk -> hadoken
This is actually pretty damn useful for anyone who cannot hit confirm c.mk -> hp.shouken (I can’t). There are many situations where an opponent will be at -3 to -5 frame advantage after getting some move blocked, but they will be out of range of your 3/4 frame pokes (but in range of your c.mk). c.mk -> hadoken is a pretty safe punish in this situation, and will catch a lot of counterhits.

c.mk -> hp.shouken -> FADC -> hold focus -> release
don’t dash right away, hold the focus for a second to bait a move, then release and dash in. If you hit, you get a free combo. If they block, you get +1 frame advantage (i.e. free mixup). IMO, this is better than just releasing right away. Even if they just block, it’ll be harder for them to time a reversal because you control the timing.

c.lk -> s.lp -> s.lp -> c.rh
Easy hit confirmable untechable knockdown that uses no meter. puts you at a perfect distance for an ambiguous jump-in that is safe vs a lot of DPs (j.hp hits forward, j.mk crosses up). also, unlike other blockstrings. This is also safer than the cookie-cutter c.lk -> c.lp -> c.mk -> hp.shouken hit confirm (if they block first hit, you can be hit with a reversal between the c.lp/c.mk)

neutral jump mk -> c.mk -> hp.shouken
You can hit confirm off of the neutral jump mk, very difficult to punish, leads to big damage, has great range. Excellent for many matchups (i.e. vs zangief, you can stuff lariats with nj.mk and punish hard).

ex.tatsu -> 2 hit otoshi -> fully charged hadoken (whiff) -> walk up throw
This only works if you are NOT in the corner. As soon as you land from the otoshi, do a fully charged hadoken. Then walk up and throw them. They will probably block because it’ll look like the hadoken will hit, but it will whiff right before hitting them if you start your charge as soon as you land.

anti-air standing rh, anti-air close s.hp
Standing rh will anti-air people who think they are landing outside of your c.hp range. close s.hp will anti-air people who try to crossup at an angle that messes up c.hp

j.hp -> lk.tatsu -> BnB
This is a fantastic throw bait and is easily hit confirmable into huge damage

s.lp (anti-air) -> dash under -> BnB
Catches a ton of people off guard. s.lp has more priority as an anti-air than you would probably expect

Please share more!

2

These are all nice.

I keep intending to do c.lk -> s.lp -> s.lp -> c.rh
but I keep doing hp shou on auto pilot when I’m really desperate and I keep dropping the combo at the sweep outside of training mode when I remember to try it. It does way less damage and stun than ending with a special but it really does leave them in a nice position for you to do a mix up. Blonde Bachi in Team Sakura was the first I saw using it effectively some time ago.
There is a Sakura I keep seeing in PSN replays who really loves that combo above all others too. Sort of reminds me of Dee Jay’s knock down game.

3

Just remember: Sakura’s j.lp (Heisman) beats everything. EVERYTHING.

4

For times when you don’t know which side you are going to end up on: cr.HP(hold down HP), qcb, lk, release HP

What it does if if you don’t cross up it does cr.hp canceled into lk tatsu and if you do cross up it does cr.hp canceled into fireball. lk tatsu can be linked into whatever and fireball can be FADC’ed into whatever. Or you can do a regular confirm which scales your combo more but gives more advantage on block.

5

That’s a neat little OS I thought about myself when I accidentally inputted the wrong attack button when I jumped in… Negative Edging the HP isn’t a requirement though :slight_smile:

standing jab to sweep is still something I haven’t gotten down yet.

I used to mash a bit on st lk up close and you can actually chain these, not sure if you can link, because if you could… I’d xxinsert special move here

since I naturally don’t get a lot of openings I hit cr mk xx fb more than anything, if I see it connect I FADC > cr hp. xx ex tatsu, though it’s probably better to use a hp shou instead.

When bnbing someone in the corner, instead of ex tatsu to shinkuu, you can do your bnb into a lp shou into shinkuu. :slight_smile:

A fun little thing you can also do (if your opponent doesn’t know how to dodge it), if they’re in the corner and you can chip them with a shinkuu, do it up close but aim for the sky. If they don’t jump they get chipped, if they jump, they get caught. If they know how to dodge it altogether (i.e. invincible start-up specials or teleport), then you lose :slight_smile:

then I watched some of Mr. Flowers’ videos and se him do st cl fp xx tatsu for oki, and I thought, what if we could OS that with a throw?

6

Easy? I can’t get that combo to save my life. Must be just me :confused:

7

When in doubt, plink it!

8

true, but it’s not that I can’t get it consistently, I’ve never actually pulled it off before… so I don’t even know at which frame I should hit sweep. will try some time tonight.

9

i usually plink the VERY moment i see sakura starts to crouch. after that it should become second hand

10

After discovering this nice little 4-hit combo into untechable knockdown, I jumped into training and was surprised at how consistently I was getting it.

I usually jab quite slowly, to the point that it’s only just linking, but for this I did it alot quicker and then hit c.hk almost instantly afterwards. I found that I’m more consistently landing it that way.

I’m using PS3 pad though.

11

yup I’m on a DS3 as well. I like the idea of getting Untechable knockdowns instead of nailing more dmg in each combo, start a vortex and keep going.

12

How exactly is an untechable knockdown a better mixup? You’re giving your opponent time to breathe, time to think. You don’t want them thinking when you’re rushing them down.

13

not as a mix up… do some crossup, combo into it, repeat. sorta like ibuki and akuma…

I’m ass at dealing pressure and mixups…if I can do this, I can grab myself a stun… :slight_smile:

14

Having more time is better because you can walk to the perfect jump-in distance for a 50/50 mixup that is safe in many matchups. At the correct distance, the exact same jump can hit either forward or behind depending on whether you do j.mk or j.hp. This makes it a pure guess for your opponent no matter how good they are. Of course, you can also empty jump into c.lk, or throw, or lk.tatsu, to make things harder for them

With regular knockdowns, the opponent can control whether they get up fast or slow, so it becomes risky to try jump-ins (or it might be impossible, because you simply don’t have enough time)

15

Some things that are probably common knowledge, but I’ll share them anyway:

-lk shunpu on opponent’s wakeup beats attempted crouch techs, and with the 0 on block, you can go right into s.HP. Some players don’t anticipate the s.HP, and there’s your combo. If the s.HP is blocked, go right into another lk shunpu. At the end of this “blockstring” your options are plentiful. I personally go for c.HP, which is obviously blocked, and walk up SLIGHTLY to bait a throw tech, then start mixups.

-If you find yourself in a bind where the opponent is reading your blocktrings and timing countermeasures correctly, you can switch up one of Sakura’s BnB strings a bit.

c.lk > c.lp > c.lp > c.mp > hadouken

Looks like the c.mk > shouoken variant, but it’s timing is a bit different, and has smaller vulnerable holes. It also gives you some room.

  • neutral jump shunpu in the corner LOOKS LIKE it might cross-up. It doesn’t, and dim-witted players will take it right to the face. Also, don’t quote me on this, but if times right, it will go behind the opponent, but not cross-up. Still testing this one.

-Not really practical, but I annoy people with this constantly. Sakura’s standing lp is hella quick. She can even walk a TINY bit, do another one, and it’ll combo. I do this 3 or 3 times, and get counter-hits repeatedly. Also, occasionally add in a s.lk to give them false hope, then you can c.lk (if it’ll beat the opponent’s pokes), lk again, or go back into s.lp

Again, not practical or useful. I’ve also used it to confirm the s.lp > s.lk > shouoken combo.

All I got for now. Tell me what you think.