Setsuki is a diligent student and excels at one of the key virtues of the Fox's Den: speed.
Character stats
Health
Character Type
Super Meter charge time
5
Rushdown
12 Seconds
Gameplay
Setsuki has the best mobility in the game as well as the most varied mixups but has bad defensive options, especially against jump ins. She is a high risk/ high reward glass cannon that overwhelms opponents with her many speedy options.
Quick knee strike that is cancellable into the elbow strike on hit, block, or whiff. Cancellable on hit or block into B, C, or super.
Tied for fastest normal in the game, this is the default move for starting strings or interrupting opponents.
Though it is technically an unsafe move, Setsuki has many options that branch from the knee that discourage pushing buttons after knee.
Elbow
1
5
5
13
+2
0
+7
-
Strike
Elbow followup to the knee. Cancellable into B, C, or S on hit or block.
Elbow will frametrap any normal or throw as well as catching jumps, and on Counter Hit will combo from Knee.
Leaves Setsuki safer than Knee but has pushes opponent further back.
Palm thrust learned from Grave. Cancellable into B, C, or S on hit or block.
Much slower than the Knee but useable as a real poke for when opponents are out of reach. Due to the reach and the longer blockstun, Double Palm can be a better option for going into Starlight Tumbler to get the spacing right and keep the gaps smaller.
Setsuki disappears and does a kick or a command grab. Has no pushbox, so she travels through opponents. Frames 6-14 and 22-42 invincible.
Will immediately go into Kick followup. If button is held, will go into Throw followup instead. On Counter Hit the followups will combo.
At max range, will combo into the Kick followup.
This move has weird crossup protection that creates a same side crossup if she passes through the opponent. Opponents need to always block the Dash's hit based on where Setsuki started.
1
7
26
-
KD
-12
KD
Fully Invincible, Armor Break, Ground Bounce
Strike
High invincible kick that catches jumping opponents. Invulnerable frames 3-12.
On Anti-air will allow for a combo. Unsafe.
Hold
1
17
3
32
KD
-
KD
-
Command Throw
Command grab, needs to be spaced well to grab as it doesn't have the same reach as the kick followup. Doing the dash too close will result in the grab being too far away.
Jumping opponents can punish this for big damage, can lose the round for you.
First 13f invincible to projectiles.
Cancellable after the 13th frame into Hold , , , , or . Cancelling into C gives 12f projectile invincibility, [C] gives 11.
Flips Setsuki forward, can be used to pass through projectiles or switch sides with opponent but typically you want to cancel into one of the followups.
Hold
1
19
11
38
KD
-
KD
-
Command Throw
Command grab that gives her same oki as Throw.
If Setsuki is too close she can whiff and land behind. Sometimes this will avoid reversals, especially if they move forward.
1
27
16
[2]
+7
+4
+12
-
Strike
Performs the standard dive kick angle. Safest option with a fairly good reward as even on block you can continue your pressure.
1
27
P
[4]
+7
+4
+12
-
Projectile
Performs the standard angle kunai. This can be used to add up chip damage or to fake out by changing air momentum backwards.
1
20
8
[18]
-9
-10
-3
-
Strike, Ground Bounce
Setsuki does her cape, this move catches opponents jumping out of a string. Infamous for whiffing even if they jumped, make sure you buffer the move out of a normal right away to have the highest chance of catching them. On a successful hit you can juggle and go back into your Starlight Tumbler mix.
1
12
45
[2]
-
-
-
-
Parry
Performs Surprise Gift with 12 frames of startup added.
Dashes just over half screen. Frames 8 - 25 invincible.
Bread and Butter combo finisher, leaves Setsuki at +37 for slightly weaker oki.
Esper Dash is an important punish tool to keep in mind due to being so fast with long range.
Because it is invincible after some startup, Esper Dash can be used to anti-air or punish slower moves or projectiles.
Strong Divekick with good priority, the back version can be used to land short or to hit as late and close as possible.
Landing higher up will lead to less advantage and in rare occasions be unsafe. Has 4 frames of recovery instead of the standard 2 on air normals.
Use the normal version to advance and the back version to jump over and quickly return to the ground.
Depending on the opponent's options you can vary the height and angle to find approach angles that are hardest to deal with.
Kunai have a hurtbox, allowing opponents to hit them out of the air even with non-projectiles.
Throwing the kunai will float Setsuki up, altering her jump trajectory and giving her more air time. This can be used against you when opponents trade or hit you out of the air.
Kunai has many uses but because it makes Setsuki very vulnerable it needs to be used with utmost caution in neutral. You can stall with this move while waiting for an opening but the best use is following up a blocked kunai with more pressure.
Throw Kunai on their wakeup as a safe setup that also chips.
Setsuki does a cape attack that swoops down and then back up, can be done forward or backwards both as a movement option and an attack. Allows an extra air action afterwards on the first cape only, Setsuki will turn around if she crosses up the opponent. Cancellable into j.A, j.B, or j.C on hit or block.
Lower priority attack but has the advantage over Divekick of doing both chip and adding extra damage in a combo. This is the starter for the Setsuki special, a 4 damage combo that devastates opponents.
Thanks to the initial downward drop Setsuki can do very short bursts of Flying Fox that leave her next to the opponent at advantage, more on that later.
Counters strikes and tiles, puts Setsuki in invisible state for 5s or until she is hit. After a successful counter, setsuki may hold back or forward to appear on that side of the opponent.
A bit of a trickshot super, also useful for doing swag combos and getting an invisible win screen pose.
Note that can replace in any Combo for a safer combo and a Knockdown.
Kunai can be added at the start of most jump in combos for extra damage
Strategy
General
Setsuki's basic strategy is to quickly enter close range with her mobility. In addition to fastest walk speed, almost all of her moves grant some bonus movement option. She can use Starlight Tumbler and Divekicks to move around projectiles, Kunai and Flying Fox and even parry super can be used to maneuver in the air. Esper Dash and Ninja Port can use invincibility to go through moves. Getting comfortable with intentional movement and striking at the right time are key to mastering Setsuki.
Once she gets close and gains advantage, for instance with a divekick or the more passive Kunai, use her mixups to pressure the opponent. Ideally resulting in a knockdown for strong oki.
Learning to approach safely is crucial because Setsuki's defense is quite weak and taking a strike while closing is a major setback. Setsuki will have to guess right more than the opponent but she also has more options in her arsenal to cycle through.
While you are learning Setsuki, do not rely on Ninja Port, the risk reward skews in your opponents favor if they punish properly. If you have the spacing and reaction use it to punish mid-range projectiles.
Mixups
Be sure to consider multiple options to keep the opponent guessing what the next move is. Setsuki has enough branching options to cycle through that she can overload the opponent's mental stack better than anyone.
This is not an exhaustive list but basic options in close neutral are often as follows:
Knee or Throw as fast options, Divekick or Starlight Tumbler as slower options. Slower options have more risk because options can press buttons or jump out but they open up greater rewards.
After Divekick, if you landed a hit then finish the combo otherwise you are free to do whatever you want, keeping in mind how much advantage you got.
After Knee you can reset the mixup situation, cancel into Elbow to keep up pressure or if you think you'll score a Counter Hit. You can cancel from here into Starlight Tumbler or, if you want to press your luck, into Ninja Port. Note that sometimes you will be too close for all of Starlight Tumbler's followups to work.
After Elbow you have a very similar situation to Knee except you are pushed further back (out of Knee/Throw range) and have more frame advantage, often making Starlight Tumbler a better option than from Knee. Very importantly, Elbow will combo into Ninja Port and Esper Dash but Knee will not.
After Starlight Tumbler, if you did Divekick or command grab you get to reset the mixup situation.
One advantage of having such a fast move with Knee is that it is exceptionally difficult to Yomi Counter her Strike/Throw mixups. And of course you can always choose to delay or bait reversals.
Knockdown
Setsuki has brutal oki, especially in the corner where more crossups become available.
The most standard option is meaty Cape into Divekick. Loses to invincible reversals but grants chip or a big combo.
Safer options are to safe jump with Divekick or use a Kunai to chip and make a safe attack opportunity.
To get cheekier, use Flying Fox to create left/right mixups that also chip. You can either jump past them and do a backwards cape into them (easy) or set up a more ambiguous crossup by doing a forward cape over them (harder to time). Additionally, you can attempt double cape setups that are even more difficult to time.
In the corner, Starlight Tumbler into Divekick crosses up and your Flying Fox crossups are easier to do.
Speed of the Fox
Perhaps the main reason to play Setsuki is landing big combos.
The easy version is doing Flying Fox, Divekick, Knee, Esper Dash. Solid 4 damage and knockdown but of course requires meter.
The advanced version is substituting a back Divekick and Palm Thrust, allowing Ninja Port to also combo. The spacing and timing are more difficult but being able to get 4 damage meterless is a must learn skill.
There are of course the caveats of Ninja Port being punishable in some matchups and allowing opponents a 50/50 guess but if you can close out a round without spending bar you keep your options open.
Most importantly, you can use these combos to punish extra unsafe moves like Dragonheart. Adding a kunai gives you 5 damage if the opponent is sleeping.
Argagarg's bA and Bubble Shield Super are your big obstacles. Use Esper Dash and Starlight Tumbler to fish or River after a blocked limb, if out of range then you'll need to block and work your way in.
Once Argagarg has meter for Bubble Shield you must attempt to bait it to avoid putting Argagarg in a favorable position.
Divekick can crossup on Argagarg at midscreen, works best if done from Starlight Tumbler.
Because Argagarg's punishment options are more limited and he has no meterless reversal, Ninja Port is a good tool.
Parry super will remove poison stacks from Setsuki
DeGrey
Wild Card
DeGrey controls Setsuki's ability to jump. Ghost and Super especially will beat you out but really all of his moves win in the air.
Patience is key, but if you get in on DeGrey without Ghost up or Meter you can win from there. Getting a knock down is especially good in this matchup.
Avoid Ninja Port, DeGrey doesn't have to guess unless he is in the corner.
OS DeGrey's wakeup step with back divekick with a Ninjaport buffered in during hitstop. If blocked or hit, no ninjaport comes out but if he steps back he will be knocked down by ninjaport and both throw or kick will combo. DeGrey's Parry super will escape this OS.
Geiger
Zoner
Backhand and Flash Gear are excellent tools to keep you out but Geiger is not able to keep out with gears like he normally can. If he is using Drop Gear, try to be either at the max range or walk underneath to punish. You can attempt to anti air with Esper Dash.
Slide beats out Geiger's pokes cleanly but will typically lose to or trade with gears in Geiger's favor.
Punish Flash Gear with one of your 4 damage combos!
Ninja Port has an interesting gimmick here, you can cause Geiger to lose his Gear Charge if you cross him up, making it difficult but not impossible to Flash Gear on reaction.
Grave
Zoner
Don't let yourself get knocked down by the big cloud, it's a disaster for Setsuki. Meterless, you can really pester Grave but once he gets access to Dragonheart he can react to jump attempts and push the advantage.
Use Divekick and Starlight Tumbler to get past fireballs, slide is a good tool to poke Grave with.
Avoid Ninja Port, unless you are hitting the 2 damage spacing against fireballs Sword or Dragonheart will always beat you.
Punish Dragonheart with your 4 damage combos!
Punishing Sword depends on the spacing, if close enough use fA starter if further away you need Esper Dash. Starlight Tumbler grab is an option but the timing is tight.
Jaina
Zoner
Stay above her in the air and pressure her. Prevent Jaina from starting up her own Divekick offense.
Avoid Ninja Port, unless you are hitting the 2 damage spacing against fireballs Dragonheart and Red Dragon will always beat you.
Punish blocked Dragonheart with immediate neutral jump, back Divekick, nA (Hits too high to get fA). On whiffed Dragonheart you get the full 4 damage cape punish.
Punish Red Dragon with the full Cape 4 damage punish, recommended to use neutral jump, neutral cape, neutral Divekick because during blocking Setsuki can be pulled around to inconsistent spacings
Lum
Wild Card
Setsuki must get in on Lum and smother him, letting him build up any items will quickly tilt the match in his favor.
Use Slide , Kunai, or Knee to beat mini-lums. Slide will also beat Roll.
Midori
Grappler
Difficult due to the high health and reward he gains from guessing correctly with his Parry and Yomi Counter. Midori doesn't mind being close to Setsuki. Kunai fake outs are particularly useful here to punish Parry attempts and force Midori to block.
When in Dragon Form, Midori beats out everything Setsuki wants to do but as long as you aren't cornered or knocked down you can run the timer down. If you read the command grab you can abuse the armor to rack up damage and on the transformation back to Human Form get a full combo for 4-5 damage.
Ninja Port is weaker here due to the high health and Parry. Still worth using occasionally.
Onimaru
Wild Card
Use multi hitting cape, Divekick to beat his armor. Kunai is super risky in this matchup, you might die from one hit. You need to stay on top of Oni, especially if he has super. The bots Oni puts out are very difficult for Setsuki to deal with.
Ninja Port is better than normal here, but probably don't do it if he has meter.
Quince
Wild Card
In neutral Quince has strong tools, especially if he has meter. Both supers will punish Setsuki in the air, potentially for a round loss. Avoid the bA anti air by mixing up your approach. If you can get a knockdown Quince is the squishiest target Setsuki could ask for. He has no invincible reversals and slow moves.
If you can thread the needle and land a hit you should be able to take the round.
Air parry is a solid tool in this matchup. Quince's jB and jS are easy enough to respond to and if they are illusions you are not likely in serious danger.
On close blocked hopkicks, Quince can actually be plus even on block. If Quince cancels from a normal it will never be plus.
Against blocked B, nA is a strong option as it beats Throw and normals and recovers in time to block BB.
To punish BB, nj cape seems to be the most consistent but the timing and spacing are tricky. Delayed fA is also a good option to consider, beats Throw and on BB it turns into Slide.
Rook
Grappler
Kunai stalling gets to be more effective in this matchup as a way to find your spots and build meter. Watch out for fA, Vines, or even Landslide to counter kunai; Vines and Landslide are punishable if you read it, Esper Dash can whiff punish fA.
Your cape, Divekick combo will break his armor on Windmill Crusher (but not super), but the weak priority of cape will make you lose to a call out. Windmill Crusher's throw invulnerability beats Starlight Tumbler grab.
Rook essentially has answers to all of Setsuki's options but most of them also leave him punishable. Don't forget to use Esper Dash in neutral as anti air, more important than most matchups.
Avoid Ninja Port, even though Rook only has super to beat it the high health just makes the risk/reward untenable.
Setsuki
Rushdown
Stay above them in the air. Whoever blocks first probably dies.
Valerie
Rushdown
Valerie is advantaged in neutral here thanks to her jAA wall. You can anti air this with Esper Dash.
Once Val has meter you have to worry about both Chromatic Orb and Rainbow Disc as defensive tools but if you can manage a knock down or blocked Divekick you have major advantage.
If you end up in Three Color pressure be especially careful not to be Counter Hit by Yellow because you will likely be dead thanks to your low health.
Thanks to her walkspeed, Setsuki can walk backwards out of some delayed Cyan mixups should Valerie try it.
+
+
+
can replace 
in any Combo for a safer combo and a Knockdown.
