Sagat — Counter-Guide

Recommended Counter

Both versions have excellent utility — don't jump carelessly.

On guard, Sagat is -37F to -45F — land your max punish combo including Super Art regardless of strength.

Recommended Counter

• Countering 236LP
  • If low projectiles dominate neutral, expected value on jump-in is high — go for it
• Against 236MP or 236HP
  • Avoid pressing parry — focus on crouching to avoid it
  • Over-using parry hurts your Drive Gauge economy
  • Confirming the projectile and hitting 2HK is highly reliable — go for it
• Countering 236MPHP
  • Often used in corner pressure
  • Understand that Sagat is at advantage if you guard at point-blank

Whether it's 236MP or 236HP, a crouching normal attack is guaranteed. You can never react in time to 236LP and then press a button. Therefore, fuzzy-pressing 2HK at the timing you'd guard 236LP is effective.

The video below has the following recorded:

• 236LP
• 236HP

Recommended Counter

• Neutral
  • After guarding any normal except 2LP, stand guard
    • Sagat has no combo from a single-guard situation into a low (aside from 2LP), so 2LP is the only low combo threat after one guard
    • It's exhausting to react with standing guard each time you see 236K — after a single guard, fall back
      • Of course, press parry when you can react

• On standing guard (not deep)
  • If the screen shakes, Sagat has the advantage
  • If it doesn't shake, frame data is 0F or better for you — mash with a 4F move or go for a throw

• On standing guard (deep)
  • A deep standing guard means 5F or better punish

• On hit
  • On 236LK hit, taking in-place recovery prevents walk shimmy after Sagat's cancel rush

Recommended Counter

• If you read 214K→6LK
  • Full guard and land the -5F punish
• If you read Greedy Tiger (214K→6MK) or 214K→6HK
  • Mash with a 4F move as fast as possible after 214K guard
• If your character has a 5F invincible reversal
  • Characters like Luke's SA2 or Ryu's SA3 with 5F invincible can punish — remember this
• Fuzzy parry
  • Regardless of 214K strength, the startup difference between 214K→6LK and 214K→6HK is 6 frames each
  • Standing guard → delay your parry timing by 5–6F at the point 214K→6LK would be guarded — this lets you threaten both with a punish
  • Don't use crouching guard; if you miss the parry, you can't guard 214K→6HK — always use standing guard

The video below has the following recorded:

• 214K→6LK
  • 15F startup
  • Always press 5F after guarding
• 214K→6HK
  • 21F startup
  • Target the parry here. Since 214K→6LK gives a punish on guard, no need to aim for perfect parry

Recommended Counter

Mid-screen

• After guard (mid-screen)
  • Unless it's cancel rush → MP, walking backward can safely end his offense at low risk

• After guard (corner)
  • Mashing a 4F move after guarding MP leads to a trade combo

• After guard: characters with 4F standing moves
  • Mashing fastest after guarding close standing MP creates spacing, preventing the trade from continuing into 2MP
  • If it's not an active-frame hit, 4F mash on MP is a good option

• After guard: characters without 4F standing moves
  • Read between perfect parry and staying still

• Sagat walks slowly — he needs at least 6F of walk to reach throw range. Pressing a button fuzzy at the timing you'd guard a second MP is also viable.

• Fuzzy jab mash is an option, but if Sagat walks and throws well, or delays the MP, counter hits will happen very often — pressing MP immediately after guarding MP to fish for return is also valid.
  • The key is putting risk on his walk-in throw. Once you show this, go back to aiming for perfect parry next time.

Recommended Counter

• Placing a back-step puts risk on 6HK, 6LK, and 236K simultaneously.

Recommended Counter

• Invincible reversal
  • Everything except cancel rush → 2LP has a gap where invincible reversal cannot be guarded
  • No follow-up is -12F — lower return, but safe reversal option
  • If you're confident in your inputs, go for SA as a reversal
• When you see 2MP, mash with a 6F or less move before the follow-up
  • Mash-stoppers like 214MK exist, but keep it as an option
• Show Drive Impact as a response to Tiger Slash
  • Loses to OD Tiger Shot and cancel rush follow-ups, but checking gauge and pressing DI is important
• When you see 2MP, focus on standing guard
  • He may use Tiger Knee Crush, so always switch to standing guard
  • You might eat cancel rush → low, but it's still effective so hang in there
• Fuzzy parry
  • For those wanting lower risk
  • Press parry fuzzy at the timing of his cancel follow-up

Recommended Counter

Don't mash when you see MK. The follow-up from MK to MK→HK is a mash-stopper.

After guard, Sagat is -8F — punish with a medium attack that has long reach.

Recommended Counter

Punish with a heavy attack.

Recommended Counter

• Cancel rush

  • There is no cancel rush oki, so use your invincible reversal when you see cancel rush

• 6HK

  • If you hit a crouching attack as a reversal, 6HK won't connect and you can take a counter hit
  • Of course, Sagat has HP target combo return, so play it as a mix-up

Recommended Counter

Take back-roll recovery.

Recommended Counter

Take back-roll recovery.