What teams are you running with Sakura and why?
I’m running Sakura/Asuka, I think they work really well together, Sakura can do cr.mk xx shouken tag cancel to give ASuka 400+ damage into a knockdown for her “vortex”, and on block, it gives Asuka a free mixup between df+hk and f+mp.
Sakura has many opportunities to land Asuka in.
Sakura/Lili
Because schoolgirls.
Anyone who can lock her opponent down long enough for her to tag in and tatsu loop can work well with her, I would assume. Cody can fit this since his overhead is two hits and restands.
I’m running Bison/Sakura. Bison to get in, get under them, and then Sakura to put them into the wall (lolNascar). I’m still working on Sak’s shunpu loops, though.
[copy-pasta from the First Impressions thread]
Currently I’m running two teams of Chun/Sak and Sak/Lili. I personally think she’d probably be best on anchor, but at the same time I think her position on the team depends on the character you’re choosing with her. For my first team, I use Chun to set the pace and build meter for Sakura, as well as having a surefire way to tag her in off of opponent’s mistakes with Chun’s longer reach. Sakura can use the meter to work her O-game, then when the tough get’s going can get back to Chun whom can get away from pressure better and reset the situation. Sak/Lili switches Sak’s role as the pace-maker, and with switch canceling off of Shunpu/Shouo Lili can either overhead, crossup, go low… do whatever as long as the opponent doesn’t Alpha Counter. It’s a very meter dependent team in order to maximize their potential but a VERY fun team to play (esepcially since I’m biased and love the opportunity to play both my favorite characters from SF and TK on the same team, ^_^)
would ken’s ground tatsu be able to do this?
It whiffs on crouchers and Ken is even more ass now with the nerfed air tatsu. So, he CAN do it, but there are better characters that can also do it.
Running Sakura/Asuka mostly, but also Sakura/Raven occasionally.
Currently running Sakura/Blanka, but i end up using Sakura/Hugo the most 
Sakura/Xiaoyu currently, even though they did hit Xiaoyu with the nerf bat I’ll still main her out of loyalty. So far the damage and synergy of the team is quite decent. Xiaoyu has some good tools to help a team out but you gotta condition opponents beforehand.
I think Sakura works best on point with a character that struggles at neutral and has a brilliant upclose game that benefits from Sakura’s excellent tag cancel options (HP Shouken, Ex Shouken, MK/HK Tatsu) and her cr.mk st.hk chain, so I think Sakura/Asuka is really powerful .
I’m using Sakura/Xiaoyu (complete with Derpy Hooves/Pinkie Pie colors) right now and I’m loving the synergy these two have. Sakura provides the greatly needed tag in opportunities and the buff to Xiaoyu’s Hakkesho helps her damage output greatly even with the breakdance nerf (I, for one, welcome it). Sakura also provides a fireball, while not much, that should come in handy every now and then and the great normals for footsies.
Sadly, I can’t seem to get higher than the 400’s with them, but I’ve been looking for soft knockdowns all over the place to compensate so I can get my beloved mixups out.
I’m trying to put Sakura and Alisa together, not touching my original team of Lili and Asuka and they’ll still probably be my main team.
I have used Sak for all of 20 minutes, but Sakura/King looks to be very potent. Both have solid neutral games and King is the hardhitting close ranger Sak looks for. As for more specific synergy:
King does huge damage off launcher and can raw launch off the juggle, giving Sakura a 320 meterless combo extension from c.mk st.hk she can roll reset afterwards with mk tatsu.
Since King can also Raw launch off his own juggles, i can tag effectively without meter, saving it for EX konvict kick and tc Sho shenanigans. Also lets me pile on the launcher activation gems.
On H sho and tatsu on hit King can go into knees, on block he can safely go into his elbow rush mixup.
The only real downside I have found so far is that Sakura’s launcher is low, so King cannot go directly into knees with it, losing 40-50 dmg every tag in. That and both have risky antiairs and poor reversals. Pfft, screw defense.
I am sure I can find some King into Sak synergy once I explore her more, I definitely plan to.
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To be honest, I’m kinda’ still playing Sakura in “SF4 mode” lol. Haven’t put enough time into her yet as I’ve been putitng most of my effort into Juri/Law and Cammy/Law, but the times I have paired her up, it’s been Sakura/Law, Juri/Sakura and Sakura/Lili with decent results.
I’ll get more of a chance to practice once I’m back home in a couple days. Sad that I can’t really do any practicing with the DLC characters since I’m out of state right now.
But how is Sakura’s point game? I understand she is solid enough and has interesting tag cancels, but how can she play round 1, and does she stand a chance against the best point characters? Having great support skills does not mean a lot unless you can get to them.
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Is there any chance that Sakura/Poison could work at all? I understand “play your favorite characters” can backfire when you want synergy, so I’m hoping maybe there’s a way to make it work.
It depends, but overall I would say they have poor synergy. They do not deal a good deal of damage on their own and rely on their partners to do so and they are both strong point characters. Sakura’s Goal seems to be pressuring characters in order to punish their mistakes and at the same time possesses many options to tag into her partner for her core damage. Poison is more of a solo character, if one has a mastery of her zoning, rushdown, and oki games and when to use them they can be deadly, but she does not benefit from Sak’s abilities in any way.
both also have poor overhead options.
That being said, they have some synergy in that they can play sort of similar so it would be easy to manage both. Overall though, I would suggest having two teams: one led by Sakura and the other by Poison.
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Good information. I’ll think about that. Thank you very much!
I guess I’ll have to learn Asuka.
Asuka would be a great choice to partner with both, both in looks and her ability to deal ludicrous damage after they get her in and build her meter.
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