E's Laf/Serena A-Type

Serena

Introduction

Name: Serena
Age: 18
Height: 149cm
Weight: 45kg
Weapon: The sword, 'Rush Chimera'
Birthday: Unknown (Main deemed it 11/28)
Blood Type: B
Graduate: Uppermost Floating City (number unknown)
Personality: Shy, withdrawn
Loves: Main
Hates: Coldness

A-Serena is a lightning-fast rushdown character who utilizes her mobility, safe pressure, and mixups to set up high-damage combos. She has a multitude of ground and air mobility options to outmaneuver her opponent and keep them guessing. Her pressure is likely the scariest in the entire game, especially in the corner, where she can set up a long series of 50/50s and eventually break the opponent's guard with her Eleven super move.

Abilities

Health Points: 6896

Front Run
(66) - Quick forward dash, can hold (6) to keep running.

Backdash
(44) - Ludicrously good backdash that recovers in 12F. Nobody should ever have a backdash this good.

Air Dash
(66) or (44) in the air - Serena can air dash twice in a row. In addition, her air dash can be performed after a super jump or double jump.

Fastfall
(2D) in the air - This will cause Serena to descend rapidly from the air. Can cancel into j.D, j.2C, or j.214A to attack while falling.

Move List

Normal Moves

5A Nice, quick 5F jab.

6A Deceptively long range, similar to 5B, but much slower.

5B Amazing poke. 7F startup, long range, moves you forward, chains into everything. Use often.

c.B Not great because it moves you away from the opponent, but might be useful for stagger pressure.

5C Pretty good. Slower than 5B, but slightly more range and has a nice AA hitbox.

6C You can TC this to get a neat little airdash and then attack with something faster, so it could be a useful movement option. 214A is a far superior overhead in most cases.

5D Has some nice range, amazing combo starter if it hits, and very rewarding on block. Even though it's very slow, the startup animation is subtle, so I think it's a decent poke.

2A The classic 2A flying kick. Goes over lows. Safe on block. Just make sure you're close enough not to whiff the 2nd hit, or it becomes very punishable.

2B 7F low, +3 on block tells you all you need to know. Key component of Serena's high-low mixup. It has poor range and does not chain into 5B, however.

2C Has a vacuum effect which will be important for your combos, and it has a very good AA hitbox. Hits mid.

2D Very useful long-range slide, 9F startup. It's a great tool to get you in when you start suffering pushback during your pressure, and it can be special canceled into 214A or 214B to make it safe.

j.A Unlike B-Serena's j.A, this (perplexingly) does not hit overhead. However, it's just as quick as her 5A, and has an excellent hitbox for a jumpin. You can chain it into itself indefinitely to create a funny downward ladder and allow you to land with frame advantage, or create a mixup with chained j.D/land 2B.

j.6A Hella fast air-to-air, also good for keeping the opponent juggled during air combos. Like j.A, it hits mid.

j.B Although the hitbox and speed of this do not match up to j.A, it is your most flexible jumpin, as it can be jump canceled or j.2D fastfall canceled into j.D/land 2B mixup.

j.C The slowest of her air normals. Has a magnificent hitbox though, and shrinks her hurtbox significantly.

j.2C Could be useful for baiting AA's, but it's incredibly unsafe due to its landing recovery. TC the hop into j.B or j.C for a safer alternative.

j.D Serena pushes away from the opponent. Surprisingly fast and has a good hitbox. Notably, it can be jump or airdash canceled on whiff, so you can do stuff like j.7D as a preemptive anti-air and then airdash j.A if they stayed grounded. On hit can be canceled into j.2C for a full combo. TC gives you a back hop.

Special Moves

? - 6[6]+A: Great fullscreen slide. Safe at a distance, but becomes super unsafe when used ~half screen, so 2D would be preferred up close. Can't really TC it effectively since the active frames begin right away.

? - 6[6]+C: Primarily a mobility tool that can be TCed right in the opponent's face to bait a counterhit or follow up with pressure. Airdash immediately after the TC to retain your air options.

Blue Slide - 41236A: Cool little ground fireball, good for setting up your approach. You can TC right as the fireball comes out to cancel the recovery and dash in behind it.

Blue Slide Charge - 41236B: It looks like a super move, but that's because it has over 50F of startup. Gives you all the time in the world if you can get them to block it, and it can be TCed just like the A version.

Vanity - 236C/D: Serena dashes forward with her sword before performing a fairly normal-looking slash. C ver: Mostly used for combos, though it can be TCed to make it safe. D ver: Similar to 5D, it has a good startup animation and long range, and launches for a devastating combo. You can TC into throw just before it hits for a ghetto kara cancel.

Sulfur (4D after Vanity): Uses 1 stock of meter. Followup to Vanity which launches and allows for a damaging combo.

Striker - 214A (air OK): Along with 214B, this move is what defines Serena as such a scary mobility and mixup character. It's a 13F overhead during pressure, and the air version can be jump canceled on hit or block. In other words, TK version is completely safe, and you can JC > j.2D on block for the standard mixup, or simply air dash away. It's also very useful for air mobility, as a TC'ed Striker will rocket you across the screen, and can be TK'ed for various trajectories. It's very important that you learn how to use this move.

Lead Star (C after Striker): Striker's C followup is mostly used for combos, TCs, and gimmicks. TCing during the airdash won't eliminate landing recovery, so be careful.

Lead Fly (D after Striker): Uses 1 stock of meter. Truly scary rocket dash that hits overhead and goes nearly fullscreen in the blink of an eye. 4D version causes Serena to fly backwards, so it's a good way to get out after your opponent blocks a chained ground Striker.

Lightning Rod - 214B/C: Serena winds up, and dashes forward at a trajectory determined by the button pressed. B ver: Serena dashes into the air. This is easily Serena's best move. It's a great anti-air, deals a ton of damage, and has no recovery. As in, literally none. As soon as the attack connects, you're good to go, and you retain the ability to double jump or airdash. That makes it a great approach option and a huge boon to your mobility. You can kara-cancel 214C into this to give it 3F faster startup, but you will lose your air movement options afterward, so be careful. TCing at the end of the backdash will slingshot Serena forward. C ver: Unfortunately this version is much less useful, since it was designed properly and therefore has recovery frames (a lot of them). Its sheer speed makes it a constant threat, but remember the range is not as great as it appears. 214B can be kara-canceled into this to increase the startup, not that you'd want to.

Supers

Eleven - 236236B: Uses 2 stocks of meter. Your standard badass multi-hitting super. Most notably, this move deals a ton of chip damage on block, and cranks the opponent's stun gauge by 1 1/2 bars by itself. This can make it a good way to open up a stubborn opponent. The final hit sends them into an untechable state, so you can finish up with an air combo, or Blue Slide Charge oki.

Paint in Grey - 632146C Uses 2 stocks of meter. Super version of Blue Slide Charge. Startup is extremely fast (~2F), so it could be useful as a reversal. It travels full screen and can be TC'ed to negate recovery, just like regular Blue Slide.

Strategy

Words

Combos

Note: You'll need to adapt Serena's air combos on the fly depending on your positioning and opponent's weight class. If they're too low for j.C > j.D, try j.C > j.6A or just j.D instead.

Serena's best corner carry is achieved by using air dashes after her jump cancels.

• Midscreen:
  • Throw > 66C - 1147 damage
  • 2B > 5C > 214A~C > A > (delay) > 5B > 2C > 236D > j.A > j.B > j.C > j.D > 214A > C - 3220 damage
  • 2B > 5C > 214A~C > A > 5A > 5A > 236D > j.A > j.B > j.C > j.D > 214A > C - 2901 damage, side switch
  • 2B > 5C > 214A > 5B > 2C > 214C~B > j.B > (land) > j.6A(2) > j.B > JC > j.A > j.B > j.C > j.D > 214A - 2531 damage, corner to corner carry
  • 2B > 5C(FC) > 5D > 214A > 5B > 2C > 214C~B > j.B > (land) > j.6A(2) > j.B > JC > j.A > j.B > j.C > j.D > 214A - 3554 damage, 1 bar, corner to corner carry
  • 2B > 5C(FC) > 5D > 6A > 236C > 236236B > 5B > 2C > j.A > j.B > j.C > j.D > 214A > C - 4413 damage, 3 bars
  • 2D > 41236A > TC > 5B > 2C > 214C~B > 5B > 2C > j.B > j.C > j.D > 214A > C - 2578 damage, 1 bar

• Near Corner:
  • 2D > 41236A > TC > 5B > 2C > 214C~B > 5A > 5A > 236D > j.A > j.B > j.C > j.D > 214A > C - 2879 damage, 1 bar
  • AA j.B > j.C > j.D > 214A > C(FC) > (land) > 66 > 5D > 5B > 2C > j.B > j.C > j.C > 214A > C - 3788 damage, 1 bar